Hello, again!

After finishing this super LONG chapter, I decided to take a few paragraphs from this chapter and move it to the back of Chapter 3. So, please go back and read it! (sorry for the confusion) xD

I was reading the past three chapters, and I found the writing kind of choppy… Anyone agree? xP

And also, Taiwan's a bit OOC, don't you think? She's usually a cheerful, strong-willed, independent (and quite fashionable) young nation, but the past chapters all show her angsty side… the reason is, looking at her history, you'd think she's been through some pretty horrible… stuff (don't want to use the "word" xD). And she pretty much still is, not being recognized as a nation. But anyway, hopefully this chapter will show her "cheerful" side!

I'm running out of words to use in my chapter titles… which are pretty cheesy if you ask me. xD

Thank you to those who reviewed! I always love to know what you guys think!

Japan's hands never left the armrests throughout the whole car ride through the city. He was gripping it so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His head was set forward, eyes staring unseeingly out the front window. He didn't have the courage to even turn his head around, afraid of seeing how fast they were moving as the car zoomed past traffic and swerved around other vehicles.

The surrounding city life in the late morning was a blur. If he had looked out the side window once, he would have seen the great number of people walking under covered sidewalks, cleverly designed to create more space for roads and as a protection to the constant rain. It was a very cluttered city; apartment buildings were lined up right next to each other, only a foot away from the other and with windows covered with drying clothes. Small restaurants and stores of all kinds, from cosmetics down to convenience stores (the most prominent one being 7 eleven), hung their signs on these buildings, hoping to catch the eye of possible customers walking around. Motorcycles were found everywhere, on the streets (swerving through traffic), parked in the sides of alleyways, or even under the covered sidewalk. Buses were not uncommon as there were not many people who owned cars, or even a motorcycle. An entrance leading to the underground metro station was found every few blocks or so.

Taiwan continued to talk about her plans for that day while driving through the inner part of Taipei, unaware that her poor visitor was hardly hearing a word. To herself, she was only talking to keep her mind off of other things and the constant worry of a host not being able to impress her guest. While she talked though, she put on her most cheerful face, a talent she had developed during those hard years. She had learned how to keep her fears and worries buried deep inside her, and how to smile all the pain away and act like nothing had happened; it was something she did for the sake of others, if not herself.

Right now, her current destination was none other than the spotlight of her city: Taipei 101. As the world's second tallest building (Taiwan was still rather annoyed by the fact), it was a natural tourist magnet and what would a trip to Taiwan be without a splendid view of its capital city? It was better to go now then later, anyway, since the sky had relented to remain clear at least for the morning and was more than likely going to rain in the afternoon.

As she entered the underground parking of the skyscraper, Japan's hands started to relax from their rigid position on the armrests. He let out his pent-up breath; he didn't realize he had been holding his breath before he released it. He almost died of relief when he heard the engine go off and cautiously wobbled out of his seat.

"S-so, where a-are we going to n-now?" Japan managed to stutter, placing his balance on the car, not trusting himself to walk a few steps forward.

Taiwan frowned. "Weren't you list… wow, you look terrible. Are you alright?"

He nodded, feeling slightly better now that he had gotten some fresh air. Though "fresh" was not really the word to use for an underground parking.

"We're going to Taipei 101!" Taiwan grinned, reminding him of the words that had flown into one ear and out the next during the ride.

"Sounds exciting," Japan agreed. He had heard of Taiwan's achievements and was actually looking forward to seeing it.

Taiwan nodded enthusiastically. "The observatory's not open to public today because of firework preparations, but as always, there are a few exceptions."

Together, with Taiwan leading the way, they walked through the parking lot and into the entrance that led them inside the underground shopping mall. As all shopping malls were, it contained a large, open space where people were walking around, admiring the enormous ceiling and looking through the windows of countless amounts of stores. Taiwan could have easily spent the whole day shopping (and window shopping) for clothes, shoes, and lots more, but knowing Japan, it would have made him feel awkward, and there were other plans she needed to follow. But, as she walked past designer stores of various kinds from different places in the world, she couldn't help but look through the windows, dazzled by what she saw. Japan, seeing her fascination, smiled. This was definitely the Taiwan he knew.

She turned around to look at him, as they continued to walk across the mall. "I'm taking you to see the city from the top of Taipei 101. There's a spectacular view from there, especially when the sun's out. Then, we're going south to see the more rural areas."

"Already?" Japan asked, somewhat puzzled. He had hoped to see more of the city. That is, if it didn't require any more driving.

"Yes. Like I said, it will rain soon, and, down south, it's almost always hot and sunny. We'll grab some lunch before we go."

Japan decided that it was better to leave the decisions to the one who knew the land better than he did. And besides, with Taiwan leading the trip, if she wanted her way, she'd get her way. And Japan was more than happy to follow.

Elevators. The last place he would ever want to be in.

Getting into the line was no problem at all. A short talk with the lady behind the counter and Taiwan and her "guest" were invited, kindly and hospitably, to line up behind the small group of people waiting to go up to the observatory.

Despite the small amount of people inside the "box of terror," Japan couldn't hide his uneasiness. He was still squeezed into the back, praying to whatever deity was up there in heaven that the elevator ride would be quick and easy. Painless.

As the elevators closed and a woman's voice started to give some welcoming information, he stiffened and closed his eyes, wanting to get this over with although he knew there were some ninety floors to climb.

Taiwan felt him go rigid next to him. Living in the city had taught her to feel comfortable around others. In this tiny island that was home to over 23 million people, it was perfectly normal to be squeezed next to a lot of people in a small space, especially on buses and subways.

She looked at him, noticing in the dim light that his eyes were closed. She almost felt sorry for him. Taiwan could still remember all his fears, the things that would make him delighted (or annoyed), how to make him laugh and smile when he was down. All this she had learned when she lived with him. She wanted him to be happy, to know that she still cared for him despite what he had done. And so, against all her better judgment and acting purely on impulse and her love for him, she slowly grabbed his hand with trembling fingers.

His eyes flashed opened and abruptly turned towards her, but Taiwan was already looking away, glad for the mild darkness that hid her flushed face. He felt her hand in his, small and warm, almost like a child's. It gave him comfort, something he hadn't felt since the day he wrote that letter. Memories upon memories flooded his mind, reminding him of those days they spent playing together as children, holding hands like brothers and sisters would do.

One memory stood out. It was when they still lived, the five of them, together in the same house, years before the Sino-Japanese wars and when everything was still peaceful, still made sense…

"Kiku, Kiku!" a small voice came calling out to him through the open door that led into his room. Japan looked up from the book he was reading to see a young girl running excitedly into his room, dress smeared with dirt and barefoot. In her left hand she held a tiny, yellow flower, his favorite kind. Her right hand was hidden behind her back, holding something he couldn't see.

"Look what I found in the backyard!" she squealed, barely holding in her anticipation. She held up the flower to his face, and said, "It's a chrysan… chrystm… chrys… chrystant…"

"Chrysanthemum," Japan laughed, taking the flower from her tiny, dirt-filled hands. Taiwan smiled, embarrassed, and began to laugh when she saw how him tuck the flower behind his ear.

"You look like a girl, Kiku!" she teased, giggling, and Japan couldn't help but join along with her.

He hugged her. "Thank you so much for the flower, Wan-chan…"

Her smile melted and turned into a frown. She pouted, "Don't call me that. Why do you have to be so formal?"

Japan was taken aback. "But why not?"

Taiwan stared at him, obviously frustrated. She had told him millions of times but he still wouldn't remember! "I'm your little sister, Kiku!"

"Alright, alright," Japan chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'll try hard, Meimei…"

Her frown ceased to disappear, and she turned her head away from him, looking out the door. "You always say that, but you never actually do it."

Japan sighed and smiled. "Taiwan…"

When she didn't respond, Japan gently grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him. He held out his hand, pinky outstretched. "I promise I'll try hard from now on. Pinky promise."

Taiwan slowly grinned and intertwined her pinky with his. "You promise?"

"I promise."

Taiwan gave him a fierce hug and started to run out the door, before coming back and picking up something she had left on the ground.

Japan asked her, curious, "What is it?"

She shrugged and showed him a basket overflowing with rotten flowers, rocks, and dirt. "Stuff I picked from the garden."

Japan stared. "And what is it for?"

A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Korea's gonna pay for last week's prank."

Japan's thoughts were instantly snapped back into reality as the doors opened to the observatory, bringing in bright sunlight that made his eyes blink. Taiwan's hand instantly left his as she swiftly walked out, not looking back at him. The stiffness in which she walked made him wonder if she had too been thinking of past memories, perhaps not as happy as the one he had been looking upon.

Shocked, Japan started walking towards her retreating figure and called, "Wait, Taiwan-chan-!"

Taiwan suddenly turned around to face him, brown eyes acquiring a sort of stern look. A look that Japan had never before seen on her child-like face. She really has matured, he thought as her eyes sent an unnatural feeling up his back.

"Don't call me that," Taiwan replied, tersely. "It's either 'Taiwan' or by my human name 'Mei,' nothing else."

She didn't regret her retort, though she knew as a host she shouldn't have replied so harshly. She knew Japan meant well, but she hated the feeling of formality, especially now between Japan and herself. They were nations who had known each other for centuries, for goodness' sake! She refused to be called anything that would further levitate the distance between them.

Taiwan walked on towards the large, floor-to-ceiling windows that boasted a 360, panoramic view of Taipei from 383.4 meters in the air. She stood off to the side of a window, looking quietly down at the city, sad brown eyes staring yet didn't see anything. She was lost in her thoughts, thoughts that should have been kept hidden inside her, yet the look of strangled emotions clouded her face and it took all her effort to stop from crying.

Japan slowed his walking and stared at the lonely figure staring desolately through the window. She'd probably been here a number of times, but as this was his first he was curious of the view he'd often heard about. He stepped carefully towards one of the windows, pressing his forehead against the glass.

It was a stunning picture. Small rays of sunlight filtered through the already gathering rain clouds, shining their light on miles of buildings and roads. The mountains, situated to the left of the window, were filled with trees of all sizes, covered in deep, lush green colored leaves that hid any sign of branches. From this high in the air, the cars and motorcycles were miniscule ants, the people walking in the streets even smaller. The river that flowed through the city was a thin snake, weaving its way through the mass amounts of houses and tree-filled parks. Telling from the sun's placement in the sky (or rather, the direction in which the rays shone), it was high noon. His stomach confirmed his conclusion.

Japan was still staring out the window, when he sensed Taiwan move closer to him, her eyes still trained outside the window and without a glance at him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, gently, finding something to say.

Japan turned to look at her, and answered, "Yes, it's… amazing." He wasn't entirely looking outside the window when he replied.

Taiwan finally looked at him, smiling brightly though her eyes could not be said the same. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier…"

"No, don't be." Japan shook his head, sincerity in his every word. He remembered that she never liked to be called that way, and despite the knowledge, he had failed to prove to her that he remembered.

Again, another silence followed and they both continued to stare out the window, peacefully watching people go along with their own lives, oblivious that two nations were staring silently at them, wondering what it was like to be human, to be mortal, to be free of carrying a country's burden and could live lives free of painful memories gathered from centuries' worth of wars and oppression.

Taiwan broke the sullen silence. "Are you hungry?"

Japan nodded and gave her a small smile. "I can go if you want."

"Alright then!" Taiwan laughed, once again putting on her mask of cheerfulness and becoming the host. "Where should we go first?" she wondered, placing a finger on her chin and looking up at ceiling, as if answers would be found there. A light bulb flicked on in her head.

It was just after lunch when the first few raindrops began to platter down into the city. It started out as a light drizzle and gradually became heavier with each passing minute. Taiwan and Japan walked out of the restaurant which served, to Taiwan's opinion, the best beef noodles in all of Taipei. They had just finished and paid for the meal when it began to pour, a thick wall of water drowning out any possible sound.

Taiwan sighed. It was too early for this kind of rain. She could only hope that it remained sunny down south. "Well, there's no use driving in this rain. You can hardly see anything."

Japan let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for that… though it did prove to be some kind of problem. During lunch, Taiwan had told him, again, of her plans for that day, this time with Japan hanging on her every word. He knew they were going south, but in this weather it would be impossible to drive… could it?

"How will we be able to go south?" he wondered, out loud. The answer, though, was obvious. They would take the THSR, Taiwan High Speed Rail, south to Kaohsiung and then work their way up the island and visit other cities, such as Tainan or even Yilan and Hualien on the eastern side of the island. That would take the whole afternoon and a little bit of the evening at least, and they would return back to Taipei for some "night market fun" (as Taiwan called it) and watch the fireworks.

Taiwan shook the keys in her hands and looked slyly in Japan's face. "We can always try driving."

His face paled. "N-no, that w-won't be necessary. Isn't there a metro station near here?" He sure hoped there was.

"Yes, just a few blocks down. We'll have to walk though and we'll need an umbrella… I'm assuming you didn't bring one?"

Japan shook his no. He had brought his jacket though and it proved useless in this humid, rainy weather. He had left it in the backseat of her car.

"Well, no worries. I have one, but we'll have to share." Taiwan took a small umbrella from her bag and shook it open.

Share? Japan gulped. Two people under the same umbrella meant…

When he continued to stand there, Taiwan grabbed his arm and pulled him under the umbrella with her. "Come on, old man, we don't have a lot of time."

Japan's face was flushed with the contact; his mind could hardly think coherently. So instead, he let Taiwan lead him past roads and other traffic, still trying to calm his scatterbrained mind. It was all too much for him, but in the end, he had to admit he rather enjoyed it, being so near her yet so far. He had a lot to work on, especially if he wanted to win her heart.

A/N:

Wow, this chapter is still so long. Hope you guys enjoyed it though! :)

I won't elaborate too much on their trip; the next chapter will begin when they've returned from sight-seeing and are going to the night market! (my FAVORITE place on EARTH. There's more than one night market in Taipei, all with awesome things to eat and/or play with!)

More angst and FLUFF ("It's so fluffy, I'm gonna DIE!") in the next (and possibly, LAST) chapter! Stay tuned for more!

Thank you, EmeraldGreen4Life, for reviewing every chapter! You make my day! 8D