War Prize

By; Chibi Ra Chan

Rating; T

Pairing; non-con Japan/Korea, mentioned China/Korea

'If you close your eyes, it doesn't seem so dark.'

-7:35 AM May 23rd, 'Happysquared' twitter


He sat in a kneeling position; his lengthy legs sprawled out around him, bare and cramping from being in the same position so long. He is clothed only in a dirty white military uniform jacket; the sleeves of which are much shorter than anything he is used to. Either way his arms hang limply at his sides and he is in no position to complain about anything anymore.

The young nation looks blankly at the ceiling, his neck stretched and taunt; half from the forced angle and the other half from the words stuck dry in his throat.

'How did this happen? What did I do wrong, I was a good nation how could something like this happen?'

Yong Soo felt the tears drip down his checks, which had lost their normal childlike pudginess, down his neck finally dampening the starchy uniform collar. He hated this uniform and longed to be back in his normal clothing but the hanbok that he had worn as long as he could remember was taken away and burnt with thousands of others.

People were starving in the streets because they had no one to grow their food or work the land. Every moment of everyday he felt himself getting smaller and weaker, his people dying left and right from lack of food, foul play or simply from the loss of faith in their home.

Japan wanted his people to forget everything they had ever known, all the stories, all the traditions everything. It was as if Kiku wanted to erase his existence completely.

'If that's his goal, then he's doing a good job of it.' Whispers the dark part of his heart, and it is right.

Kiku hadn't wanted anything to get in the way of his expansion, least of all his annoying little brother's whining determination to stay whole.

In the beginning he resisted, he really did. Yong Soo fought with everything he had to be free of Kiku's ridiculous tyranny. But he was no match; he was so naïve to believe his lies of wanting to protect him. He didn't know how deeply Japan's resentment for him ran; he didn't know that Japan wanted an empire of his own; he didn't realize that Japan despised him for heavens knew what.

What's worse he did know until it was too late that that same resentment was tinged with something darker, something much more twisted. Japan hated him yes, but he for some reason he also took advantage of him in the most carnal way possible. He was, in the truest kind of way, a war prize.

He stole something precious that Yong Soo had hoped to give to his other brother one day. To Yao.

The dark haired boy felt panic creep into his stomach and travel throughout his body until he was shaking with both fear and anger.

Never before had he truly known what it was to hate someone. Sure he had had to fight war and defend himself before, but never in his life did he ever hate whoever he was fighting. Korea didn't like to harbor such negative feeling in his heart; it never did any good as far as he was concerned.

But now sitting so weak and useless in an ugly Japanese military uniform while waiting for his elder brother to return and rub salt into the proverbial wound; wither it be with words, beating, or worst of all 'physical' means , Korea knew hatred.

Yong Soo pushes the thoughts away and tries to clear his mind, for he hears the door opening and Mei, sweet Meimei, trying to calm Kiku down before he does anything rash, but it's too late he knows that.

"Yon Su." He says quietly, calling him by his Japanese name.

'That's not my name you bastard!' But he dare not speak it out loud.

To anyone else his tone would seem polite and non-confrontational, but Korea had known Japan his entire life and he can hear the edge to his voice. He was angry, very angry.

"Kiku don't over react, please." Mei tries again to calm him, but despite her efforts Japan merely glares at the peninsula nation harder. Korea ignores it and continues to look unblinkingly at the ceiling of the house.

'It seems he found out about Sanghwa's little rebellion.'

Even though he knew it would end only in more pain for him personally, Yong Soo couldn't help but feel proud of his people, still fighting even in the midst of great and unspeakable tragedy.

'We will pay greatly for this.' Yong Soo knows that the dark part of him is correct, though he wished that it wasn't. Kiku does not disappoint.

"Leave us Mei."

"But-"

"Now." She has no other choice but to obey and leave, closing the shoji screen behind her. She will be back later when it is all over to try and patch him back together. Not that there is ever very much she can do.

There aren't many pieces of him that haven't been broken beyond repair at this point.

"Why do you always find a way to get under my skin otouto? Did you really think that a few students could really accomplish much?" He asks in a near whisper again the shell of his ear. "Of course you did. You were always so foolishly hopeful Yon Su."

Korea cringes and tears sting his once vivid brown eyes as the uniform jacket is pushed off his shoulders leaving the bruised and tender flesh exposed. He knows what will happen now, but he is helpless to stop it. He in under occupation and Japan has him completely at his mercy.

Yong Soo snaps his eyes shut and tries to remember one of Yao's favorite sayings. 'If you close your eyes aru, the dark is less scary.'

Even with his eyes screwed shut, Korea feels ashamed of himself and what has become of him. He feels each and every ridge of finger print as Kiku's hands room his body, he hears each and every mean venom soaked word, and he hears the voices in his heart screaming for revenge for being treated like this.

Because no matter how much he wanted to believe it, Yao was wrong. The world is a terrifyingly cruel and scary place; eyes open or not.

So Yong Soo does the only thing he can do.

He endures it.


Notes;

i. During the Japanese occupation of Korea Japan issued laws that forbid people from speaking Korean, to wear traditional clothes and practice traditional rituals.

World War II, where this story takes place, thousands of men and women were forced into labor. The men were sent to run Japanese factories while the women served as 'comfort women' for the Japanese army.

iii.'Imu Yon Su' is the Japanese way of saying 'Im Yong Soo' During the occupation Koreans were required to take Japanese names in an effort to absorb them fully into the empire.

iv.'Sanghwa's little rebellion' Cheon Sanghwa and about 50-100 students were forced to 'volunteer' for the Japanese army during WWII. They soon created a group called the 'Party of Three Thousand' and tried to combat the Japanese from inside. Unfortunately they were caught before any real damage could be done.


Well, that was weird. I just wrote non-con Japan/Korea. I hardly believe it. This story was written for many reasons. One being I found the quote about the dark. The quote is actually from the Spongebob Squarepants Twitter, and when I read it I instantly thought of how ridiculous it was.

The dark is scary because it is scary and pretending not to see it doesn't change how real it is. I immediately applied this to Korea. That combined with a wonderful firsthand account of the Sanghwa rebellion I found while researching. The story is amazing and really gave me glimpse into what Korea must have gone through. The link to it will be in my profile if you are interested.

Anyway thank you for reading and drop a few lines in a review if you don't mind. I'm curious to how you reacted to my 'imperial' Kiku. I must say it made me miss writing him kinda douchey like he was in 'Heartstrings.'

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra