シーズンの浮き沈み:
Shīzun no ukishizumi
This is my first APH fiction! Hope you like this!
"Haru wa akebono hararito sakura ga mai..."
The song sounded in his ears as Japan looked up with innocent dark brown eyes, watching the wispy clouds pass by his sight, taking in the spirit of the spring and the sun breaking from the horizon to spill pink and gold light upon his face. He felt the cold air bite him slightly on the face and hands, and he drew the dark blue cotton sleeves of his kimono more tightly against the pale skin of his arms, wishing for warmth.
He gazed at the plum and cherry blossom petals fluttering to his yard from the trees, petals interspersing, his thirst immediately prompting him to go pour himself a cup of matcha-leaf tea and return to his place quickly so that he can watch the birds croon in their gentle voices.
After accomplishing the task and also watching the various creatures in his garden, he decided to take a walk around his garden to take in the beautiful dawn.
He stood up with a little difficulty, going to the garden and leaving the dregs of the green tea in his cup.
"Natsu wa yoru engawa ni saku senkō hanabi..."
He heard the song again. He hummed the tune in his head as summer presented itself this year to him. Summer was a little warmer this year, but Japan paid little heed as he relaxed on the engawa with a sparkler in his hand, wearing a dull green yukata patterned with lighter green leaves fluttering on the hem and sleeves, and taking in the beauty of the night as the moon shone with soft intensity upon his deep eyes. It was a little too poetic for the nation, but Japan's features settled themselves into a peaceful expression as he heard the singing of the frogs in his pond through the night air.
He sipped the cup of barley tea resting beside him, the warmth tickling his throat and the light taste clearing his mind and senses. The azalea blossoms waved in the breeze as they distributed lovely violet petals in the air.
He tugged the collar of the yukata to allow his throat to become more exposed to the warm evening air, and watched the multicolored fireworks shooting up across the sky like brilliant dragons.
"Aki wa yūgure yūzora ni somaru akatonbo..."
Another verse, and another season was passing as leaves as red as blood and as golden as dew from a freshly plucked flower fluttered into Japan's yard. The setting sun casted long shadows over his house. He straightened his brown cotton kimono, patterned with soft golden leaves at the hem, with a haori colored similarly to add another layer to his outfit (although it did little help against the chill of the autumn air).
The meadowhawks basked in the light of the dying sun, darting here, darting there, their little insect bodies glittering with the weak light. Japan loved the sight of those tiny yet very active creatures, even reaching out to let a dragonfly settle on his slim finger to examine its intricate wings, so fragile and thin like glass.
Japan twitched his finger slightly to prompt the meadowhawk to fly away and drank some beer, the alcohol stimulating his taste buds. The said drink was brought in by the Netherlands when Japan closed his country from all foreigners except him, and now, he enjoyed it nearly as much as Germany and England did, although he still hadn't had the tendency to drink his head off.
He stood up from his kneeling position since his legs were feeling a bit cramped, and went to the kitchen to prepare some yosenabe for dinner.
"Fuyu wa tsutomete samuzora ni orinasu ginsekai..."
The song rang hollowly in his head as Japan trudged in the deep snow slowly. His dark green coat covered the deep blue kimono he was wearing so that just the foamed waves embroidered in silver thread on the hem of the kimono can be seen. He trudged the snow in silence, one arm carrying the shivering Pochi and his other hand supporting a black parasol designed with gusts of graceful snowflakes.
Japan walked rather quickly by this time, wanting to soak his body in the onsen and maybe eat some small, sweet mikan immediately at home. He wore his tall wooden geta to prevent the hem of his kimono and his innocuous black tabi from getting wet in the snow. The cold was a little bitter in the early morning, so he sheepishly admonished himself not to walk around at that particular time when in winter.
Pochi yipped in agreement. Then, master and dog appraised the wintry sky, the dullness of the atmosphere pervading their snow-white world. New Year's Day, the most famous holiday in Japan's eyes, would be coming pretty soon. Time to forget all the problems of the past year... and keep all the happy memories of the past seasons locked in his heart.
He raised his eyes to heaven, and thanked the gods for a bountiful year. He can feel the deep beautiful vicissitudes of the seasons more and more as each year passed, and swore to himself that he'll keep constant the past and the future.