Author's Notes: Okay... so this is an idea I've had in my mind for a while.
This is NOT a story, but it IS a compilation of my "Forgotten War" flashbacks and memories I've written in my other works. I've also extended these flashbacks, so you may notice differences in this context and the context of these anywhere else.
This is for those people who would like a quick trip into my imagination and interpretation of possible experiences.
Please enjoy!
HETALIA and its characters are not of my creation or ownership.
"All right, Yong Soo. Let's see if you can get this one."
Korea grinned cheekily and nodded his head. "Of course I will get it, Alfred. Do not underestimate my capability, 우리 친구야. [My friend]"
"그래, 그래, 김치 boy. [All right, all right, kimchi boy.] Whatever you say." The American stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes with distaste.
Yong Soo reciprocated their facial atrocity as Jones fished out an object from the inside of his leather coat.
Alfred smirked in what he thought would be his victory. He hadn't taught the other what THIS was yet.
"Here."
For a moment, Korea stared at the object held within the gloved hand in front of him. He frowned, letting his irritated auburn oculars rest upon the American's azure ones.
"…Cheater."
"What happened to 'Do not underestimate my capability', hmm~?" Alfred teased, tousling the raven-colored locks of his fellow nation's. "Come on, take a guess, 김치 boy."
Yong Soo pondered, but it was quite apparent he had absolutely no clue what to call it in English.
"I think it's a—"
"용수! 넌 뭐 었을 하고 있는거냐? [Yong Soo! What are you doing?]"
"형님! [Big brother!]" Yong Soo nearly jumped out of his skin, turning on his heel to face his angered twin who was now approaching them.
Jones gave a simple wave of the hand, grinning at the other Im brother. "안녕, 자수. [Hi, Ja Soo.]"
Ja Soo slung his arm over Yong Soo's shoulders and forced the boy to walk away, pressing down on his brother's neck to provide an uncomfortable bent curve on their spine. He had not even bothered to return the American's greeting, but only looked the blonde up and down in scrutinizing. They held a snarl at the pit of their throat as they turned their attention to the road the pair now tread upon.
Ja Soo smacked his twin's chest with his free hand when they had finally moved a few paces away from the foreigner. He sighed in exasperation, almost glaring at his mirror image folded over next to him.
"용수. [Yong Soo.]" The brother stated in a stern voice. "용수, 이해 못 하겠어? 그 놈은 우리 하고 달라. [Yong Soo, do you not understand? He is not like us.]"
"그래서? 미국이 좋은 사람 이야. … [So what? America's a good guy…]"
Ja Soo stopped in his tracks and let loose the opportunity to let Yong Soo stand properly and straighten his back. The elder pulled the other's cheeks apart.
He had never heard Yong Soo ever disagree with him, and to top it all off, now he was teaching that damned blonde their language. After how many times he had prohibited them to accept the help from the American, he wondered exactly how his friend Ivan would take this information in.
"어서! 이거봐, 이거봐… [Well! Would you take a look at THIS guy…]" Ja Soo grumbled with knit eyebrows, making sure to leave Yong Soo's cheeks hurting until the next day.
"아! [Ah!]" Yong Soo smacked off the painful hands away from his face. "진짜야, 형님! 성격 이 좋아. [Seriously, big brother! He has a good personality.]"
America stuffed his hands back into his pockets, watching the two Asian brothers walk off along the dusty dirt path. He kept his eye more on Yong Soo and his expressive hand motions as Ja Soo mirrored with the same amount of emotion or even greater in protest.
Alfred felt his bemused, but amused grin drop slowly, knowing quite well of how difficult it would be to recover this land without certain problems. He would have to settle things carefully with the Soviet Union and rebuild the nation of Korea properly to save these two beaten boys… but his concern with Ivan's cunning and persona made something boil deep within his blood.
Jones shrugged away a thought and cleared his throat, slowly taking his time down the opposite direction of the road as he mumbled a few verses of his national anthem to himself.
That night, he returned back to his temporary abode at the governmental accommodations in Korea. Alfred had changed into his sleep clothes when someone had unexpectedly rapped at his door.
"I'll be right there! Hold on."
He slid the wooden door aside, only to find a young woman stand there with a letter in her hand.
Not being able to speak in the tongue of the American, she only bowed and presented the paper with two hands.
Jones smiled understandingly as he took the delivery. He bowed in return to the lady. "고맙습니다, 아가씨. [Thank you, miss.]"
"ㅇ-응? [H-Huh?]"
The woman giggled at being both flustered and amused by his accent. "네. [Of course/Yes.]" She replied, picking up her dress as she quickly made her way down the hall.
Alfred closed his door quietly to not disturb his neighbors and returned to his bed with the paper.
My reply is late, but what you showed me today was a compass, was it not?
My sources are great, aren't they?
The American laughed in realizing whom it was that had sent this letter in the middle of the night.
Only Yong Soo would be crazy enough to prove his point like this. From day one, he had realized that this young guy didn't seem very comfortable with losing anything. Anything at all...especially games.
He continued reading.
I told you not to underestimate me, Alfred 형님 [Big brother]! This means that I win today~.
I will see you tomorrow, and from then you must teach me more of your culture.
I'm still curious about your strange foods, really...
안녕히 주무세요! [Sleep well!]
-임용수 [Im Yong Soo]
On the bottom of the page was an intricate stamp of some sorts and a smiling face right by his name, scribbled childishly in ink.
Alfred grinned, still shaking his head as he reached for his leather coat's inner pocket to retrieve the mentioned compass.
Skilled digits fondled with the flat, round object, twirling it in the air and catching it again in the palm of his hand.
By the light of the faint little lamp placed on the stand by the bed, the nation followed the steady motion of the compass going up falling down.
It was obvious he would have to play his cards correctly in order to give the Im brothers their true freedom.
After such a violent takeover and countless encounters of obstacles because of the peninsula's ideal trading location...
"Well, I'll be downright damned," America mumbled, "for underestimating their spirit…"
Author's Notes: Should I continue with adding on other stuff and create a compilation?
Reviews, please~.
