It was fine day in the conference as it was about to start any minute. The sun shone heavily bright in the sky outside, but the conference where Lili sat alone, waiting for her brother to come out the bathroom, was becoming dull and boring. Lili felt sleepy, trying to keep her eyes opened so she wouldn't fall asleep. It was rather inappropriate to do so, but she envied Alfred from across the table just five chairs away snoozing off while Arthur stared unhappily at him.

With her right hand, she rubbed her right eye and covered her mouth to yawn. Who is presenting today? I forgotten who was supposed to do it... and now I'm getting more and more… Lili couldn't cease her yawns, yawning once more. Dearie, I'm tired today.

Lili tried keeping her eyes open for the rest of the morning when she heard the door behind her open. Curiosity fled over the sleepy girl who turned her head and saw a young Asian lady whose lovely dark hair tied into a ponytail was timidly flipped back by a white, slick hand, wore a captivating dark green Ao dai dress and honey-colored eyes sparkled in the form of independence and influence of herself. Lili felt aflame at the sight of her and blushed nervously, eyes unable to look away.

Lien moved in a straight, sturdy line to the right, passing Lili who looked down shyly and then looked up, witnessing her back's swishing ponytail and saw a computer under her left arm. She was presenting for her country.

Her heart gave quick beats, Lili couldn't handle the pressure of seeing Lien like this. Lili held back her feelings from previous weeks, since the first moment of meeting, but from then on they never had the chance to spend time together. Lili wondered if one day they would ever spend time, but would they? It might never ever happen and that only decreased Lili's self-esteem.

XxXxXxX

Once the computer got set up and the projector was showing her presentation, and Vash returned from the bathroom, Lien spoke with a strong, unshakeable voice, making Lili hesitant with every heart beat. But when she and the rest watched her presenting, Lili noticed how Lien never smiled throughout the presentation. This was a little disappointing, seeing how a beautiful person like Lien had not smiled at all. She wondered curiously why she expressed a face so unhappy and felt abashed.

One hour after Lien had finished her presentation, followed by a loud applause, shattering Lili's ears shook in a jolt, Lien strode her way to her chair. Vash told Lili just then he was going to get something to drink and would get on for Lili. Lien almost passed Lili again after Vash left, but Lili brought the courage to speak up.

"Uh, excuse me…" Lili spoke meekly but caught Lien's attention. She turned her neck and stared with those beautiful honey eyes. Before Lili knew it, she began staring and not spoken. "I-I was wondering…why didn't you smile?" Lili glanced down cautiously.

Lien's expression was serendipitous. "What was that?"

"I was asking...why you didn't smile." Lili repeated the question, this time louder. She was concerned when she noticed how her cheeks progressively became pink.

Lili patiently waited for Lien to speak. It almost took a solid minute until Lien shyly—a totally opposite voice Lili heard from before when it was mighty and loud—said to Lili…

"I…don't know how to smile…" Lien answered timorously.

Lili was confused. "Why can't you smile?"

"I don't know how,"

"I know, but how can you not?"

The Vietnamese girl seemed more and more bashful as Lili persisted to know the truth.

"That is it. I have no idea how to smile. I'm not...use to it…" Lien glanced off, avoiding Lili, and felt a tad pessimistic.

Lili, too, was heartbroken at this palpability of Lien's. She doesn't know how to smile? How tragic, indeed. Smiling's supposed to make you happy. What can I do to make her smile, then?

"J-just to summarize," Lien said suddenly, "I smile, but not in public… I have some knowledge in smiling, however, I'm not use to the expression." Her voice became smaller and smaller as she tried to pace back slowly. Lien felt herself sinking into a large quicksand of socialness and was sucking her down to embarrassment.

"Well…if you ever have the chance, try to smile more!" Lili suggested out of nowhere, and both stared surprisingly at each other's eyes. She continued.

"Please, you'll look beautiful with a smile on your face, and I wouldn't mind if I have to try and make you laugh if that's how you do it, but I wish to see if because-"

Hic!

Out of nowhere, there was a hiccup from Lili escaping her lips. Repeating, her hiccups were hiccupping her throat and it tickled inside.

There was a pause between them until Lili saw Lien doing something with her face… Lien's face smiled and was holding uncontrollable giggles. Lili was shocked, but seeing her face brimming happily was worth it.

"Lien-hic-you're smiling-hic!" Lili said, rejoicing.

"I'm so sorry…pfft, I shouldn't laugh b-but your hiccup is…so cute!" Lien released a laughter so sweet and noisy some people took notice and stared confusingly at Lien laughing and Lili hiccupping wildly while gulping a cup of water.

After drinking her water, Lili said, "I guess I made you laugh from my hiccups…"

"You-you're hiccup was truly cute," Lien replied, wiping a tear off her left eye, "and the way you were trying to cheer me up was so sweet. Thank you, Lili."

"You're welcome, Lien!"

"By the way, what were you going to say before?" Lien asked, a smile showing on her face.

"Uh…I was going to say, 'because I like you'." Lili said, flushing a pink flush.

Lien seemed surprise at first, but her lips curled in happiness. "I never knew... I'd love to spend time with you more, if you are ever free." Lien used Lili's spare piece of paper, a pen and wrote down her number. "I hope we'll meet soon!"

Lili felt flustered and did not know what to say, but managed to say, "T-thank you, Lien. I hope so, too." And with that, she saw Lien walk away cheerfully and Lili found herself smiling erratically throughout the day. Even her brother, Vash, was confused when he came by.

"Did something happen?" Vash asked his sister. "You look flushed."

"I'm just so happy, I could smile all day!" Lili answered, feeling happier than ever before.

XxXxXxX

"Lien, why are you smiling today?" Mei asked curiously as she and the rest of their family walked out of the conference.

"No special reason," Lien replied gleefully. "I'm just so happy."

"It's nice to see her smiling, ana," Tai said, hugging Toto the baby elephant close to his chest.

"Aiyah, I do not see what she is so happy!" Yao huffed unreasonably. "I loss two hundred mil from Alfred and he is being huge dick!"

"Yao, please refrain from foul language~!" Lien chirped sweetly to Yao.

I ship VietLiech so much...Kiku thought breathlessly. He was two empty chairs away from Lien and Lili and right away shipped them.