Alfred opened his eyes as he frowned and slowly stood up from the bench he sat on as he recieved his luggage from the airport waiting area. He walked outside into the dreaded heat of the South Korean summer. He was in Seoul South Korea as the busy traffic flowed by steadily.

'It's been a long time... since the fifties...' Alfred thought remembering the war where he fought for and helped to proclaim South Korea's independence from the north. Alfred regretted not visiting the smaller woman often, but what could he do? Being a world power unfortunately took a lot out of him. He was Alfred F. Jones, and he is the human personification of what America stood for, he basically is America, and he wasn't in Korea for pleasure, but for a solemn visit.

His blonde hair began to become sticky and sweaty from the warm sun gazing down on him, as he seriously considered taking his bomber jacket off then and there. 'This is almost as bad as L.A...' the blonde thought mirthfully.

He hefted his heavy bag into a taxi with him as he smiled at the old Korean cab driver, "Park Hotel..." he said in Korean and smiled as the old man nodded and began to drive through the busy urban roads towards the inner city where the hotel complex was located.

He lifted his bag out and ran inside as he quickly paid for a weeks stay as he left his stuff in the room only taking his wallet, his phone and hotel keycard. He smiled at the older cabbie who was still outside like he asked as he sat in his seat and sighed, "Asan Hospital please..." the man said quietly as the older gentleman nodded and started the cab up.

"Is there someone your visiting, Sir?" The older man asked the American who just nodded, an ever present seriousness on his face, "Yes... a friend I've neglected to see for a long time." Alfred said quietly with regret poking at his chest.

The cab made it to the hospital rather quickly as Alfred paid his fare to the older gentleman. He slowly walked to the front of the rather large hospital and walked to the front desk as the young Korean nurse smiled at him, "Hello! How may I help you today?"

Alfred nodded and responded in her native tongue, "U-Um, can you point me to Park Seo-yun's room?" The blonde man asked as the woman looked into the screen and nodded, "Room 64 sir."

Alfred nodded as he walked to the patient ward, in the section where the mostly stable patients were kept as he frowned. He never did like hospitals, the memories of his citizens dealing with insane experiments in the 1800s in hospitals didn't help. Not to mention the rising obesity epidemic the whole world was facing, with these two issue combined, Alfred had a distaste for hospitals.

He slowly breathed in a breath deeply as he saw the room, number 64. He gently and shakily reached out his hand and knocked on the small plaque with the room number as he heard a raspy, "C-Come in." From inside of the small hospital room.

Alfred held his breath slightly as he walked into the room and slightly chuckled as he released his held in breath, and smiled slightly at how Seo-yun's eyes widened. "Hey there my little ally..." Alfred said as the girl in her hospital bed showed plenty of emotion.

Her eyes began to water as the young woman had a look of hurt and want. "H-Hello... baegchi. A-ah, what are you doing here?" The smaller woman asked quite surprised regardless of her dry voice.

By now Alfred already had a solemn look as he pinpointed the I.V. Sticking from her arm, and the monitors that continuously beeped her vitals, along with her frail form and paler than normal skin. "I-I came to visit you. A visit that should have come a long time ago." The blonde man quietly said as he sat in the small metal chair beside the charcoal brown haired girl.

"Tch... L-Like I would want anything f-from you..." she gasped out as she began to feel a bout of pain. Alfred worriedly and gently took her closest hand which was her left, "W-What did the doctors tell you Seo-Yun?"

The extremely small woman nestled in her hospital bed began to cough slightly as she sighed, "T-This conflict I-is killing me.. The doctor who knows about me as a country that's required, said that's the best theory they have... N-North has f-fallen Ill as well they reported..." the small girl said as she began to roughly cough as Alfred worriedly held her hand.

"B-But you'll survive.. R-Right?" Alfred asked as Seo-yun gently smiled up at Alfred, "I-I remember when we first m-met..." the small Korean girl said as Alfred slightly smiled and nodded.

"Near the river in Busan..." Alfred said as Seo-yun nodded and continued for him, "I-I was just a small child. S-Scared and alone, and you t-took care of me for awhile.." the small and sickly girl said as Alfred had a small tender look in his eyes.

"Y-Yes... I took care of you..." the blonde man quietly said as the girl stared up at him with a gentle smile, despite her condition. "T-The doctors say my condition is fatal... T-That I won't dissappear like a normal country... I-I may get to experience how my people die..." the small girl quietly said as Alfred felt pain tug at his heart.

He gripped her hand tightly and warmly, "I-If that's the case we can cure it, right?!" He asked her seriously as the frail woman smiled gently at the worried man. "N-No.. B-Because maybe this was meant to happen... my strong American... M-Maybe there will be a United Korea... T-That takes our place." The southern girl said as she had always dreamt of a peaceful Korea.

Alfred slightly grunted, "N-No... not to you... anyone but you South!" The blonde exclaimed using half of her country title.

The Southern Korean woman looked at the blonde with a confused love in her eyes, he was always so caring of her and she knew it, "W-What do you mean..?" She questioned as her extremely small hand began to stroke Alfred's larger and warm hand that rather comforted her.

"T-This can't happen... not to someone as good as you.. you just came into this world not long ago... sixty to seventy years isn't long for a country, and you've been nothing but sweet and gentle to everyone, and you deserve more.." the American said speaking from his heart as tears began to course from the usually strong superpower.

"T-This could happen to anyone baegchi(1)." The sick girl quietly said as this only caused America to leak more tears. "I-I know, but why you..? The one I love..." Alfred said as he began to quietly weep as Seo-yun looked up at him in shock, "Y-You love m-me..?"

Alfred nodded quietly as he was still clearly crying, "I-I always have." The girl took his strong hand in her smaller ones, "W-Why did you never tell me?" The girl asked honestly curious.

"I never felt I had the time... and I didn't want to burden you with my emotions. I didn't want other countries to target you..." Alfred quietly said as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, but more continued to flow out.

South had a small radiant smile on her face as she attempted to pull him close to her as he obliged and was quite shocked as she laid him on her smaller and petite chest.

"I-I love you Alfred..." the woman rasped out quietly as tears began to leak from her eyes as well, as Alfred only felt a deeper set of emotions pierce him as he nuzzled into her mounds gently and held her in a deep hug. "I love you too, Seo-yun..." the man said as he gently kissed her lips, feeling worse as kissing her had felt completely right.

The Korean woman slightly smiled as she kissed America again and sighed quietly. She looked up at him with her frail face paler than her usual skin, but her smile in a new light. "S-Stay with me... Alfred-kun?" The woman mirthfully asked referring to how much she and him loved Japanese anime.

Alfred nodded with a small smile as tears continued to flow out of his eyes. He gently kissed the small woman who soon went to sleep as he slept close by the gentle and sweet young woman.

In the morning, Alfred had shouted out to the doctors. The doctors confirming that she was gone, taken in her peaceful sleep, a sleep he had been responsible for in his mind.

Alfred could only cry more as he punched his hand against a wall and walked out of the hospital into the nice and cool day. He frowned with tearful eyes as the sky blackened and became greyer as he walked towards the hotel with the room he had rented. Looks like he wouldn't be here a full week, he had decided to not go to the funeral. He just couldn't, and face the fact that she was really gone, he wanted to say this was a lie, and that she was really running around happily in the forests of the northern part of her country, but Alfred could only fool himself.

Alfred walked past a park and his eyes had a shocked look in them as he saw a small girl. 'A country is reborn... A United Korea?' Alfred thought as he looked at the small girl skipping rocks at the local pond in the park. Countries could tell each other apart from humans easily.

If Alfred was by the hotel with all the bars, he would know that a United Korea had just became one. He would've heard the cheers of drunken patrons as everything in this country was mending, and the possibility for peace amongst brothers and sisters was a foreseeable reality.

The brainwashing of the Un's could finally be put to an end, and people could once again be free and express their opinion of god and government, nature and beauty. This was the Korea that America had wanted, for a long time. But unfortunately Alfred wouldn't know for sure much later, as his eyes gently rested onto the figure of the small and new girl throwing rocks into the pond as she giggled at the splashes.

"Korea..?" Alfred quietly asked as the girl looked up at him curiously, "W-Who are you?" The small girl asked never seeing a man like him in her short existence. The blonde hair and blue eyes with his strange patriotic clothing added curiosity in her mind as he smiled down at her gently.

"An old ally of your predecessor I suppose..." Alfred quietly said as the events of earlier still weighed heavily on him. He smiled at the innocent girl and bent down to her level, "Would you like to get some ice cream my dear?" Alfred asked with a smile as the girl smiled, "Yes!" She cheered as she jumped into his arms and began to hug him as Alfred chuckled and trekked to a nearby establishment.

"What is your name my little friend?" Alfred asked with a smile as the girl smiled cheerfully right back at him, "Park Jin... A-And yours mister?" The smaller Korean girl asked still surprised at his knowledge of her language.

"Alfred F. Jones. A pleasure to meet you Jin." The tall man said with a smile as he saw the ice cream shop in the distance. As Alfred neared the ice cream shop, Jin had began to talk to him about all the stuff she liked. "Magnolia flowers, and BTS! iPhones and Baesuzy!" The girl cheered as the blonde man could only smile and nod.

Alfred had decided to stay in the country for a week after all to make sure Korea's legacy was taken care of. He had decided to leave her plenty of money, and had contacted the South Korean, now Korean president to know about the new united country personification.

He slowly walked to a small graveyard and sighed deeply, just like he had when he came upon South Korea's hospital room. It struck even deeper when it was Seo-yun's grave.

"Annyeong(2)." Alfred quietly said as he stared quietly down at the woman's grave. He couldn't find the words to speak, only being able to say hello. "Jin is a lot like you, yknow? Always carefree and kind to everyone she meets. I-I think she's going to really be a symbol to her people." Alfred said in a fake cheerful voice as he tried to seem happy, but that was quickly faltered.

Alfred quietly felt tears slip out of his eyes on their own as he sighed, "I-I know there's a bright future for others, and maybe I'm selfish, but I'm going to miss you Seo-yun... a lot. I hope where you've gone, I'll be able to one day join you. I know that's asking a lot, but one day... I hope." Was all Alfred could get out as he quietly placed down a vase of Flowers on her grave, "I-I'll visit again soon, my little Magnolia..." Alfred spoke with tears in his eyes as he began to walk out of the graveyard and towards his car.

As Alfred walked onto the nearby road and got into his car as he wiped the tears from his eyes, he didn't see the lone Magnolia from the vase slip out as the wind pushed it further. As the American drove toward his hotel where he would leave back for the states the next day, he breathed deeply not noticing the stray Magnolia in his windshield wiper. He had faith that he would see his precious Seo-yun again one day. Maybe things would work out after all, one day. He would try his best for now, to be a good friend to Seo-Yun's legacy.

Index and afterthought quote:

1: Baegchi=Idiot

2: Annyeong=Hello

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. ~Charlie Chaplin

This quote means a lot to me. One day, Korea could be free, couldn't it?