I am alive guys!
And here I am bringing a NiChu one-shot. Enjoy! This has Fem!China because this cutie simply deserves much more love!
- Mitsuki
Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.
Great. It was going to rain. Again. Chun Yan sighed putting her hand out feeling the water patter down on to her hand. She looked up to the sky from her little shelter at a tree near a bench in the park the Chinese woman had been walking through. The Chinese woman let out a little sigh turning her head left and then right. It was already dark as well. Most of the lamps were on illuminating the concrete path which led to the other side of the park. Reaching into her bag, she rummaged around hoping to find an umbrella but alas, it was nowhere to be found in the bag. Surprised she couldn't find the umbrella she checked again just in case she missed it but no matter how many times she rechecked, it still wasn't there. She bit her bottom lip softly slightly irritated of the situation.
'… I can't run home… It'll take ages!' she thought sadly to herself as she sat on the bench under the small tree, resting her head on her hands looking lazily at the pouring rain. Chun Yan had put her bag under the bench so it wouldn't get wet, she had a few store items that she had bought just then and she didn't want to ruin them. The light shower of rain soon turned into a heavy rainstorm. Rain pattered on her head and neck and her clothes had absorbed quite a lot of water. Boy, this was perhaps the fifth time she had herself stuck in the rain. Chun Yan let out a loud sigh and looked up at the sky; after, the woman smiled weakly remembering an old memory.
XoXoX
Chun Yan was walking home with similar weather conditions admiring the small droplets of water dripping off her rather childish Hello Kitty umbrella. She giggled as her foot kicking the small puddles on the ground forming.
"B-Baka Arthur-san!" a male voice yelled with a peculiar accent. Japanese, she presumed. Chun Yan looked up and turned to the direction where the voice was coming from. She saw a man, early twenties she was guessing, drenched in rain. His hair was black, his eyes had some kind of emptiness in his dark brown orbs, Chun Yan could've sworn she could see tears rolling down his pale cheeks too. His clothes were soaked. The man tossed the phone he was yelling into onto the ground. It looked like the latest model, something Chun Yan would see in advertisements everywhere and she surely couldn't afford one like that. As she watched the phone break into a few pieces, what was left of the screen showed a shutdown message and turned off. She looked back to the Asian man who didn't make a move; he simply just stood there silently crying to himself. The Chinese woman mustered up all her courage to face the unhappy man and raised an arm to try and catch his attention. The man turned to her looking quite stunned with his mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. He looked to the ground shamefully. "… You… You saw that didn't you…" he croaked quietly, his voice weak from yelling. Without thinking, Chun Yan pulled the man into a hug.
"I'm sorry for what happened…" she murmured into his ear. She could feel the rain splatter on her bare neck as she had put the umbrella to the side. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. What was she doing?! This was some stranger she found in the rain! He could be a serial killer! Eyes widening as she felt the man squeeze her tightly in the embrace, she gently stroked his back caringly soothing him like a small child. "M-My name is Chun Yan by the way…"
"… Kiku Honda…" Kiku whimpered quietly, letting go of the Chinese woman and bowing. "Ahhh, s-sorry for that little drama you saw earlier… My boyfriend… he forgot our one year anniversary…" Chun Yan widened her eyes. This man was gay? She knew a handsome man like him would surely be off the market, but to a man? Wait, did he say Kiku Honda? Chun Yan was sure she heard his name before.
"A-ahh, I see," she replied weakly. The two stood in silence for a couple of minutes as they intently stared at each other. "Erm, since it's raining… a-and you don't seem to have an umbrella…" Chun Yan started mentally slapping herself for bringing this up. "… W-would you l-like to erm… perhaps spend the night at my place…?" Kiku blinked at the woman blankly still processing what she had just said in his brain. "I-it's okay if you don't want to! I-I could always j-just walk you home in this rain!" she squeaked quirkily. The Japanese man smiled.
"I'd love that Ms Wang," Kiku replied warmly looking quite grateful, "I'd like to spend the night at your place… I-if you don't mind that is…"
"Just call me Chun Yan."
"I just experienced heartbreak, so I think it is best for me to stay with someone… You know to make me feel better…" he added, "And a girl like you shouldn't be walking around in the dark at this time of night…" Chun Yan blushed; grateful that the darkness hid the red tinges on her cheeks as she felt they heated up. She held up her umbrella over both of their heads as they began to walk to her place.
"So…" Chun Yan began, attempting to make a conversation with her new friend, "What do you do…?"
"As in like a job?" he asked turning to look at her.
"Uhhh… Yeah…" she stuttered back. 'Oh gosh I'm such an idiot!' she thought to herself. Kiku simply gave a smile.
"Well, I am the boss of an electronic company. You know Nihontendo?"
((A/N: Oh my god why, Nihontendo just ruins it *facepalm* ))
"Yeah… The one that sells fancy electronic devices and things?"
"You could say that, yes. I'm the boss there…"
"Ahhh…" she only said. Of course… That's where she knew him from! She saw him on the news inventing all these different things, making life a lot easier for people. She was pretty sure that one show described him as one of the youngest geniuses and billionaires. That made sense how the man threw the expensive mobile phone to the ground… He could always get a new one if he wanted to! The Chinese woman swallowed slowly feeling quite uncomfortable in the man's presence now.
"The young genius… Yep, that's me!" he chuckled. "May I ask what you do now?"
"Ehhh… I… I… I…" she stuttered nervously, "… I'm a manager and chef at ahhh… ummm… Oh yes, that's right! The Imperial Peking!" Kiku simply chortled at the smaller woman's actions.
"The Imperial Peking? I never heard of that place…"
"Ehehehe, we only opened a few weeks ago and it's a small Chinese take-away restaurant- for now that is."
"You plan to do something bigger with this small take-away store Chun Yan?"
"Well… Yeah, I guess… I've always wanted to open a five star restaurant, renowned for their food… It's been a dream since… Well, since forever! And… I have to start somewhere, right?"
"What happens if you don't get enough business?"
"Well… I guess I'll have to pull the restaurant and I through tough times every now and again. I don't mind if it takes a whole lifetime, I know I'll get there someday!"
"…" Chun Yan looked to the man to see him deep in thought. She panicked a little. Was her dream too childish? Did he think she couldn't reach her goal? Kiku caught her gaze and grinned, "I'd love to go there to try the food sometime then…" Chun Yan stopped walking , speechless. Kiku turned around as he felt the rain splash on to his head again. "I-is something wrong Chun Yan?"
"A… A millionaire… Coming to my little take-away restaurant…?"
"Yes… Is that a problem for you?"
"N-no… Not at all… I just don't think a millionaire would eat at my restaurant…"
"Well, you better believe it." He replied, amused by the Chinese woman's flustered state. Shaking her head, she walked to the man to shield him from the rain.
"So… What did your past boyfriend do…?" she asked trying to switch topics.
Kiku frowned for a moment, "He's a CEO of a company in England…"
"A CEO?"
"Company Executive Officer… If you want to know… I met Arthur when I went over to his country to negotiate things business-wise… We started to get to know each other and… I guess that's when our relationship began…"
"So you only broke up with him because he forgot your second anniversary together?"
"He also forgot our first… I should have broken up with him earlier… I already caught him with a famous French model… Francessca Bonnefoy… I think that was her name…"
"I… I see…"
"I wouldn't blame him for falling for that bitch… She is an absolutely breathtaking woman… And she's flirty… Not to mention I already knew Arthur had his eyes set on her… His computer was filled with pictures of her…" Chun Yan winced slightly at his choice of words to describe the French lady.
"A-ah. I think I have heard of her… So you're a homosexual?" She bit her tongue. Why was she asking these kinds of questions?
The Japanese man stared at the woman for a moment with embarrassment later regaining his composure. "I-I'm actually a bisexual… I think I might be straight after that relationship with Arthur anyways… And single as you saw…" Chun Yan's heart beat faster as she heard him say the words 'straight' and 'single'. She could have a chance! Or perhaps not… She reminded herself that she was a complete nobody and Kiku Honda was a successful businessman that would probably make any lady swoon. "What about you Chun Yan?"
"M-me? Well, I'm straight and I've never had a relationship before…" she admitted softly blushing furiously.
"I see… I find it a little bit hard to believe that you've never had a relationship before…"
"Well, it's true. I've had a few crushes but I have never had a proper relationship…"
"That is quite surprising!"
"Don't be surprised, it's true…" Looking over as the path led to a small street with a big apartment building standing metres away from them, Chun Yan pointed to it. "That's where I live. Floor one, apartment number eight!" Chun Yan put down her umbrella and started to run towards the tall building. "I'll race you!" Kiku ran closely behind her laughing happily. Opening the apartment door they hurried inside to feel the warm air from the heaters hitting their faces. They giggled together as they shook themselves dry. "Just up these steps and we're nearly home!"
The two came inside Chun Yan's small apartment. Kiku looked around, examining the surroundings. Chun Yan gave a nervous look at him wondering if wealthy people ever been in a small apartment like hers. She scurried into the kitchen discarding her things on the table. She walked to the fridge, bent down and opened the fridge door. Her golden eyes scanned around the food crowded inside and took out a plastic box with some stir fried noodles.
"Hungry?!" she called out to him as she put the box in the microwave.
"N-no, not at all!" he replied. A few seconds later his voice was heard again. "… Actually I am a bit…" Chun Yan smiled as she pressed the buttons on the microwave and it started to heat up. The girl halved the food and set it out on two plates. She presented the two dishes at the kitchen table and called him in. The Japanese man made his way inside and examined his food. Biting her bottom lip, she watched as Kiku ate the noodles. His eyes still had the 'bottomless pit' look but she swore she could see slight dab of surprise glinting in his orbs somewhere.
Nothing happened after the noodle snack last night. Both Kiku and Chun Yan were quite tired after their adventure in the rain. Kiku offered to sleep on the couch but Chun Yan insisted on Kiku sleeping in the guest bedroom.
"B-but it's only for one night!" he cried, not wanting to trouble the Chinese woman anymore. " I'll get all the sheets dirty!"
"It's fine Kiku. I can always clean up afterwards," she replied not wanting another word from him. Tired, Kiku eventually agreed to sleep there.
The next day, Kiku requested to use Chun Yan's phone to call someone to pick him up. Her mind wanted Kiku to stay longer; she wanted to talk to him more but… They both had their separate lives; it was just coincidence they met up in the park. She gave him her landline phone and Kiku pressed a few buttons to connect a call.
"…." A fuzzy voice was heard through the phone from where Chun Yan was standing. 'That must be his friend…' she thought to herself sadly.
"Ahh, hello Alfred." The Japanese man replied into the phone, "I hope it's not too much to ask… but could you perhaps take me home?"
"…."
"Yes, right now would be most suitable…" Chun Yan could see there was a small smile on his face.
'No… Don't go!' she thought to herself sadly. She wanted to learn more about him; she wanted to be friends with him but… Their worlds were completely different… There was no way a simple soul like her could befriend such a person. Chun Yan bit down on her lower lip gently and the let out a quiet sigh. Kiku finished his called with his friend with a soft smile looking down on the ground. When he turned to the host, Chun Yan had finished her small moment of grief and she had a questioning look on her face.
"… So you're leaving soon?" she queried inaudibly. He gave a light chuckle.
"It seems so."
"… Ah…"
Silence lingered in the room for quite a while until the Japanese man to pipe up to start a polite conversation.
"I thank you very much for your hospitality Miss Chun…" he started quietly. "I-it's not everyday someone helps you in the rain at late night…" The Chinese woman stared blankly at her companion and smiled.
"Anytime Kiku!" she beamed. "Next time you come I hope you're in a happy relationship!" She mentally slapped herself. What was she thinking of saying something like that?! '... There won't be a next time either…'
"… Yeah… Sure…" he replied with an uneasy tone and gave a questioning look. He then cleared his voice and gave a warm smile. "I hope your future looks bright with your restaurant."
Chun Yan's cheeks began to feel rosy red as she gazed into the Japanese man's eyes. The moment seemed to last forever, it felt like they were the only two people in the world that mattered. Chun Yan felt her heart beating incredibly fast in her tightening chest. The overall feeling making her giddy.
Finally, the feeling ended with a knock on the apartment door.
Chun Yan blinked a few times slowly dragging herself back to reality and turned to the door. Her heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach as she saw Kiku's head turn to the door. Chun Yan bit her lip and stood up, walking towards the door, hoping Kiku did not see her disheartened face.
"That must be your friend Kiku..." she called out trying to keep up the upbeat tone in her voice as her hand rested against the cold doorknob, turning and opening the door soon afterwards revealing a young, blonde man with glasses. "Good Morning~!"
The man gave a grin the the lady and looked over her shoulder to find his Japanese friend. "Mornin' Miss! I'm just here to collect my buddy Kiku!" the accent of the man's gave a clear hint to Chun Yan that he was without doubt, an American. "Please, call me Alfred!" he said and held out his hand for a shake. Chun Yan kindly returned the handshake before quietly replying her name.
The last minutes of Kiku's time here were quick and soon he and Alfred left the Chinese woman's small apartment. They exchanged small goodbyes and that was it. Chun Yan closed the door gently and let her back rest against it as she slowly slid down to the floor letting out a big sigh.
The next few months were quiet ones; Chun Yan had only heard an occasional mention of the name 'Kiku Honda' in news reports and such and that was it. Her heart still yearned for the Japanese man but she knew it wasn't possible. That time was simply a chance meeting only because of the umbrella.
XoXoX
As the small flashback began to disappear, so the raindrops splashing on her hair. Chun Yan blinked a few times staring right out... 'It's still raining... But how...?' The Chinese woman looked up to see an umbrella shielding her from the wet coldness to reveal a familiar face to the side.
"Long time no see, Miss Chun Yan."
As always, Reviews are loved! I hoped you enjoyed this and please point out any mistakes if I have made any!
- Mitsuki