No pairing!
How to Make Friends
October 27th 2014
by Esile the Raven, Hetalia by Himaruya Hidekaz
"So, the secret to my popularity is actually America-san's guide book," Japan explained when England asked about his recent popularity.
Yes, Japan was certainly popular, for a nation that used to be reclusive, now he's a master of reception and could also be the representation of the Asia Continent, next to China and South Korea. England was enjoying tea cake and a cup of green tea as Japan spoke.
"...And thank you for the roses. I've missed this, actually," Japan set down the thin guide-book and took the bouquet. "I vividly remember, England-san always brought a bouquet whenever he visited," he smiled gently and stood up.
"Y-You're welcome?" England stuttered, slightly blushing. He wasn't expecting such a bold dialogue coming from the stoic-looking nation. He cleared his throat and tried to distract the mood with sipping his tea, and stared at the thin guide-book.
"Hm, so America gave this to him?" he curiously said to no one and reached for it, frowning. "Knowing him...Everyone's mostly friends with him out of fear...Just like with Russia," he shrugged.
There was honestly just one page in the book.
A single page.
England deadpanned as he read the steps below the title.
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS
1. Force a nation to accept your visit
2. Make a deal that's clearly benefitting you and not so fair for the other nation
3. Promise that you will make the other nation popular
4. If all the other steps fail, just laugh, because you're America, and you invented the Internet! Everyone loves the Internet, LOL!
He could definitely imagine that America did this, but Japan...? When he looked up, he saw Japan was laughing across him, hiding his face behind his sleeve.
"Huhuhu...S-Sorry, it was just a joke, England-san..."
"You scared me, bloody git," England sighed in relief. "You didn't actually did this, right?"
"Of course not," Japan shook his head, waving a hand to assure the Briton. "I asked America-san to tell me how he made friends, and he happily wrote that for me, he said it would work 100%...Well, I think I actually did the first three steps...to a nation..."
England gaped in disbelief. "What...?"
"To Dutch-East Indies-san...She's Indonesia-san. I promised her independence, but I feel guilty for treating her badly." Japan sipped his tea as a pause. "When I heard that America-san was going to launch that...bomb...I thought, I had to protect her,"
England glanced away, trying not to look at the Asian nation.
Yes, what happened after that was ridiculously tragic. All of his power was focused on keeping his stand in Indonesia, but the bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"J-Japan-nii...?" Indonesia carefully asked. She was all beaten up and tired, but she felt really sorry. After all, if the bombs really fell in her home, Japan had done everything to protect her...and this happened instead. She wasn't sure of what to say.
Japan was also at loss of words. He stared at his soldiers, who were also struck in disbelief.
"Nihon-sama...We can still fight," one of the soldiers said. "Let's avenge America-san and go home!"
"I want my independence," Indonesia blurted out, just for the sake of stopping the soldiers to affect Japan. "Japan-nii...Give it up. Is revenge so important than going back home and see your home and people? They need all of you there..."
Japan bit his lower lip, tearing slightly. But he's a Japanese man, he couldn't show his feelings this easily.
"Hai, tashikani, what you're saying makes sense, Indonesia-san," Japan smiled slightly and turned to his soldiers again. "We're going home. We will tend our people. We will pray for our women and children to be...safe and sound..."
"Indonesia-san," Japan said, turning to the colony again with a guilty frown. "I'm sorry for what I've done...I will leave some of my men here, just in case Holland-san returns to claim you back."
"Japan-nii...?"
"...I'm also sorry I can't give you your independence that I've promised," Japan bowed in apology. "But if I still can, I would like to free you."
Indonesia beamed in determination. "It's alright. I can claim my independence on my own, Japan-nii. Freedom is not supposed to be given, after all."
"...It's supposed to be gained."
~.X.~
"Yet, you are now good friends with America, that bloody git," England smiled emptily. "Though it's undeniable that you complain about him often,"
"Yes," Japan smiled wryly. "Ah, but, who doesn't?"
The two laughed. Japan then piled up several thin books onto the table. He couldn't help but smile at the memory of his friends, though.
"It's...quite unbelievable, but Indonesia-san is the most pro-Japan country in the world, despite what I've done to her," he confessed, slightly embarrassed. England was quite surprised.
"Really? Unbelievable, indeed..."
Japan stared at the Briton with a quiet smile. It was unbelievable, but that was what anyone would call 'acceptance'.
"I actually asked many other nations to write how they make friends," he then picked his own guide. "This is mine, England-san,"
England curiously opened it, and again, it only had one page.
How to Make Friends
1. If you're getting a visit, welcome them. If you want to make a visit, give a message beforehand as to not shock the nation.
2. Prepare refreshment and souvenirs. If you're getting a visit, invite the nation for a tea ceremony.
3. Schedule a coffee-break and dinner time. Make sure to do a research on the other nation's preferences beforehand. Please do this discreetly.
4. Impress the other nation by showing off every technology advances you have and finally tempt them for a deal.
"Y-You can certainly be aggressive and sly about this, Japan,"
"Ah, the fourth step was added by my superior. I'd settle with simply having friends, but my superior said that it's better to gain something when doing something," Japan sighed and finished his tea cake. "Ah, this one! I remember this one is written by Italia-kun,"
The book had two pages.
How to make friends~!
1. Say 'ciao!' in a cheerful manner, ve~
2. Exchange recipe and when having lunch and dinner, ask the other nation to cook for you, and you also cook for the other nation~! This way, you can learn their cuisine!
3. The most important step, ve! Make the other nation promise that you are friends forever and you only want peace and if the next World War happens, you already have an agreement to not attack each other.
4. RE-READ THE THIRD STEP, VE! IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, SI!
5. If the nation is a female, then you're lucky! Take her to a romantic dinner, sing a song and ask her to dance.
6. Ah, I wonder if I can ever get to this step where I can take her hand, stare into her eyes and sweet talk her~! Too bad, as a nation, there's no second base, ve!
7. By the way, if you two are interested in trying a completely unrelated nation's cuisine, please avoid going to Britain. Though he improves a little, I still can't stand the bland color of his food!
8. This is also important, but don't go to any mysterious mansion! Ve! I am not doing that again!
9. Finally, if it's time for siesta and you have to leave, give an air kiss!
10. Oh, and if you want to make sure the other nation will not forget you, show your butt!
"I'm not sure if I should laugh or take this seriously, since Italy has a lot of friends..."
"Ara, if you want to do this guide, that will be fine, England-san. As long as you don't do the tenth step, I think..." Japan laughed nervously seeing the tormented England, and decided to distract him with another guide. "This is Russia-san's..."
England doubted that it was a good guide, but...it was only one page, anyway.
How to make friends n.n
1. Ufu, I think first, you should calm down.
2. Forget visits and getting visited. It's a slim chance to happen...kolkol...
3. Ah! During meetings, try your best not to scare everyone, and be friendly, da!
4. To attract people, join Russian Dating sites and take extremely weird pictures, da~ American finds them interesting and funny!
England was somewhat brightened up after reading this, and he closed it with a smile.
"Is it odd that I'm happy that I am, in fact, pitying Russia?" he scoffed proudly. "Apparently, I have better social skills than he does,"
Japan smiled. "Yes, yes, indeed. I don't think your people has problem, they're warm and friendly. Demo ne, the problem starts with you, England-san,"
"...I suppose...?" he couldn't help but be honest about this. Though, he found himself off-guard whenever he's interacting with Japan. England just felt as if Japan would never really make fun of him or completely rejected him, that's why.
Nations could become like humans as well. There were people who were wanted and needed, such as China, the Nordics, Germany...and despite that, they still have people that disliked them. There were people so powerful that everyone became friends with them just to avoid conflicts, such as America and Russia. Optimistic and cheerful, friendly ones like the ASEAN and Italy. Even France with his shenanigans and issues within him still had so much charisma to be such a popular nation.
"Does it really matter to be popular, though?" Japan asked, humming. They were out of tea and tea cakes. England wasn't sure.
For a nation, popularity was important. It was needed to get more deals, agreement, favors. It would all came down to the people of a nation. Authority and wealth, income and outcome, it was almost because of a nations' popularity.
England sighed. "Being a human sounds fun, don't you think, Japan?" Japan tilted his head. "No need to be fake, no need to force ourselves to be friend those we hate, and no need to hold back from being friends with anyone we want,"
There was a silence, and England was waiting for Japan's respond, but it was just a small smile that unnerved the Briton. Japan finally spoke up his mind.
"I rarely do this, but I will tell you what I think, England-san," Japan set his hands on the table. "We nations are embodied from the hope and love of our people. Yes, we are often forced to make choices we don't like, and when it comes down to it, sometimes we'll fight with other nations even if we don't want to,"
Of course, for Japan and England, it was obviously something happened between them; the breaking of their alliance.
"Though, that doesn't really matter," he said again. "I will just be myself. You will just be yourself. We will represent our people and our land. We just have to be ourself. It's up to others whether they want to accept us for what we are, or reject us. And if the latter happens, then there's no need to force it,"
"Just remember that no nations are completely alone. You too, England-san, you're still my friend, along with America-san, Italia-kun, and everyone else. Keep in mind, our first priority is our people and land. Because without them, we'll wither away," Japan then pulled another book, a paper and a pen, setting it before England on the table.
"So, yes. I wonder, how do you make friends, England-san?" Japan smiled.
England tried not to smile, but he broke into a laughter instead, and his face was red, but he took the pen offered and only wrote one step below his title. It was such a stinging question for a loner island. But then he realized, just like Indonesia had accepted Japan despite his faults, England realized that Japan and others also accepted him. Even Malaysia, Australia and many others would sometime called him 'dad' or 'brother', despite what he's done.
He frowned as he wrote something for a while, and sighed after making a decision for the fourth time.
How to make a bunch of friends.
First, try being nice...Oh, to hell with this. Just be yourself is enough. Friends and enemies be damned. Just don't be a lone nation no matter what!
After writing that, and Japan read that, they began to think of a certain nation that was forced to be alone by his superior. But then, Japan hummed in realization.
"Even North Korea-san is a friend of Russia," he shrugged. "See? No nation is completely alone."
England smiled wryly. "I could only hope the day would come for all of the nations in the world to help you complete your guidebooks, Japan,"
Japan smiled back.
"Indeed. It's amusing to find out how each nations make friends, doesn't it?"
There's no pair in here, not anything is implied. Though it just dawned on me that England was somewhat less tsun-tsun around Japan. Ah, please add this story to your favorite list if you like it, and review!