Chapter 25: His Theme

Xiaolian stayed lying on her bed, she had been there for a while now, tears filled her eyes again, she had thought she had no more tears left to shed after a week of crying. She stared up at the ceiling and let her tears fall, she couldn't understand why love had to hurt this much. "Xiao-Li?" Japan knocked on the door before opening it. "Xiaolian it's time for dinner."

"I don't want anything." She murmured before curling up into a ball.

Japan walked into the bedroom and sat down on her bed "Xiaolian…you barely have eaten at all this week. You have to eat something. You shouldn't dwell on him. I know it hurts right now but I promise you, you will forget him."

Xiaolian looked up "Could you forget Baba if he left you?"

Japan looked horror struck "I…it's not the same! I have known Baba for many, many years! You have only dated a few months."

Xiaolian burst into tears "Love is still love!"

"Hai…that may be true, but you are young. You never know, he might not have been your true love." Japan rubbed her back "Come and eat."

Xiaolian sat up and sniffed "F-fine."

Japan nodded and walked off to the kitchen, Xiaolian wiped her eyes and set off for the kitchen too. She stopped in the doorway seeing Seiko happily laughing as Korea balanced a piece of food on his nose and pretended to be a seal. China rolled his eyes and scolded them. Xiaolian took a seat and looked up at the two. Korea flipped it and nommed the food before noticing her, he quickly nommed it and smiled at her "Hey. You okay now?"

Xiaolian shook her head "I'm getting there…it still hurts." She mumbled. She looked at the older teen curiously, he still had the body of a sixteen-year-old, he had a crooked mischievous smile and his curl bobbed in happiness. His infectious laugh made her smile. "Hey…can I ask you something Uncle?"

Korea winced, he hated being called that…especially by her "Y-yeah?"

"Why do you stay in a young body? Can't you age? You seem like you suffer." She noticed him throughout her childhood of him checking in the mirror and forcing himself to stay young while he should look like her uncle Hong Kong at least, in his late twenties.

Korea laughed nervously "Because I'm saving myself for someone."

China shot a glare at him, while Xiaolian just looked even more curious "Who?"

"It's me, isn't it?!" Seiko cheered "He wants to marry me!"

Korea laughed and patted the ten-year old's head lightly "Of course I do!" he scooped her into a hug "You're my little bride!"

Seiko squealed and struggled "Oh nooo~!"

Korea smiled and let her go "Actually no, it's not Seiko even though she is very cute." He booped her nose gently "But she's very close."

China dropped his bowl "You better not mean who I think you mean."

Korea looked at him innocently "Who do you think I mean Aniki?"

Japan gasped "You mean Xiaolian?!"

Korea laughed nervously. Xiaolian went red and looked at her food "M-Mama…don't be so silly." She ate her food, Korea ate his food pretty quickly before speeding off to the garden.

Seiko ate her food quickly too and ran after him. Xiaolian looked up at Japan who sighed "I had a feeling he felt something for you."

"It's sick." China growled "He watched her grow up!"

Japan nodded "Hai, but you watched me grow up too…you also raised me like a son."

China blushed deeply "Th-that's not the same!"

Xiaolian shook her head "But it is Baba!"

Japan smiled "Well when you heal maybe you can give him a chance. He has waited patiently for a long time."

Xiaolian nodded fiddling with a pot on the table "H-hai…maybe I will."

XxX

Elfriede panted as she sped down the road with Xiaolian "We're going to be late!"

Xiaolian nodded "I know!" they sped around a corner and banged into someone. Elfriede yelped as she fell on the floor. Xiaolian squeaked as she landed heavily on the floor too, she rubbed her chin, she had banged it on impact and looked up to see Tobias looking worried.

"Hey! Are you guys okay?" He reached out to grab their hands, Xiaolian pushed it away and leapt to her feet.

"Finebye!" she hurriedly said as she sped off again.

Elfriede looked worried "Poor Xiao-Li…she's still upset."

Tobias sighed softly as he pulled her to her feet "I know…I wish it didn't come to this way…I'm sorry."

Elfriede shook her head "It's fine." She smiled at him "I'm just grateful you didn't lead her on."

Tobias nodded sadly "Yeah…"

She smiled "Thank you for helping me up." She ran off after her friend.

Xiaolian threw herself in the classroom just before the bell went, she sat down heavily in her seat and stared at her bag in front of her. Elfriede walked in massaging a stitch in her side "Xiaolian!"

Xiaolian laughed nervously "I made things awkward, didn't I?"

Elfriede took a seat next to her "Well it can't be easy to be pleasant to the boy who hurt you."

Xiaolian nodded "It's true…"

Korea walked into the classroom, he placed a notebook on her head "Xiaolian. Present from your sister."

Xiaolian picked it up and looked up at Korea who winked and left. Elfriede raised an eyebrow "You work fast."

Xiaolian hit her lightly with the small booklet in her hand "Don't be mean!" she looked at the booklet curiously. It was an amateur self-drawn manga; her sister was incredibly involved in drawing like their mother. She smiled and opened it to see pictures of Korea beating up Tobias and picking up a crying Xiaolian and then kissing her on the forehead to make her happy. Xiaolian laughed softly "She's so sweet."

Elfriede looked curious "What is it?" Xiaolian showed her, Elfriede laughed "She has promise."

Xiaolian smiled "Hai. Mama worries about her, he said she will never attract a husband if she keeps playing the fool. She's ten years old, plenty of time yet."

Elfriede smiled "Besides we're countries we could be this age for many, many years yet."

Xiaolian groaned "I hope not…being a teenager is not fun."

Elfriede laughed "Yeah…or a teenage girl. Have you…um…had a monthly yet?"

Xiaolian looked up at her "Hai. Haven't you?"

Elfriede went red "N-not yet! I-it's embarrassing because I'm developed…everywhere else."

Xiaolian gave a small envious glance at her chest before looking away "Hai I know. I have yet to bloom."

Elfriede laughed "You will. Give it time."

XxX

Xiaolian looked around, she was in a foggy place full of clouds and mist, she looked forwards to see a figure through the mist. She ran towards it only to come across Tobias. "Tobias!" she called out. He turned to her and smiled. He said something but she couldn't hear the words clearly "I-I can't hear you." Tobias smiled softly and left, Xiaolian reached out "No! Tobias come back!" he disappeared and she felt the floor disappear from underneath her as she was about to take a step in his direction "Tobias!" she screamed "Help me!"

She woke up struggling and crying to see Korea looking at her in concern "Are you okay?" Japan and China had left for a few nights to have a romantic weekend so they left Korea in charge.

Xiaolian sobbed into her hands "I-I dreamt that…T-Tobias left me again and I was falling."

Korea pulled her into a hug "I'm sorry."

Xiaolian sobbed into his chest "Wh-why does falling in love hurt so much?"

Korea rubbed her back "I don't know."

Seiko ran in the room "Oh! You're kissing!"

Korea laughed "No! I'm just hugging her to comfort her not kissing her."

Xiaolian pouted at her sister "I'm not going to get over him that quick."

"You should, he sucks." Seiko sat down on the bed and patted her sister's head.

Xiaolian smiled "I know you're just trying to cheer me up, you like him a lot."

Seiko shrugged "He can be fun…"

Xiaolian smiled "I know…"

Korea patted them gently "Hey don't think about it, let's go make a midnight snack and watch some movies okay?"

Seiko cheered and ran off. Xiaolian smiled "Okay, that sounds like a good idea."

Xiaolian walked downstairs to the living room, she saw Seiko happily rootling through the DVDs. She looked up at her sister and giggled "Look! What shall we watch?"

Xiaolian sat down next to her "What do you want to watch?"

Seiko smiled "I'm in the mood for horror!"

Xiaolian shook her head "Oh no. You shouldn't watch horror…"

Seiko pouted "I want to!" she happily pulled out a movie and set it in.

Korea brought out the snacks, he smiled "What are you watching?"

Seiko waved the box "This!"

Korea frowned softly "You'll probably have nightmares."

"No I won't!" She pouted.

Xiaolian smiled "If you do then you can't come into my bed."

Seiko snorted "I won't have nightmares!" she happily threw herself onto the sofa next to her sister.

Korea laughed and sat down next to her on the other side. "Fine, fine you win."

Seiko cheered and happily grabbed some snacks. Soon enough the movie got under way, Xiaolian hid her face at the scary parts, Seiko watched with fascination, Korea laughed and gently patted Xiaolian's head "It's okay." Seiko squealed at a super scary part but she refused to look away. Korea blushed as Xiaolian shoved her head in his chest to avoid looking at the television. Korea laughed nervously and hugged her, Seiko looked over and gave him a knowing smile. Korea pouted and poked her leg with his foot. Seiko giggled again before turning back to the movie.

Soon enough the movie was over and Xiaolian had a better sleep but soon enough she woke up to the sound of a knocking on the door. She yawned and soon enough Seiko opened the door, she walked in and clambered into her bed. "I told you, you would have nightmares."

Seiko pouted "Shush I didn't have a nightmare…I'm here because you had one."

Xiaolian laughed softly and pulled her into a hug "Well thank you."

Seiko smiled and fell asleep.

XxX

A few days later Japan and China came back, Japan opened the door and placed the suitcases down as Seiko leaped at him "Mama!"

China laughed as she then leapt on him "Ni Hao."

Japan smiled "Was she good?"

Korea laughed "Yeah. There were no problems at all."

Xiaolian nodded shyly "She's not always naughty Mama."

Japan smiled "Oh, I know she's not always naughty but she can be clumsy."

Seiko pouted "Hey! I didn't do anything wrong!"

China patted her head "Good."

Seiko pulled on Japan's sleeve "Mama! I've been drawing again, I want you to help me!"

Japan smiled "Okay, I'll go help you, how far have you got with it?"

Seiko smiled "I dunno, quite far."

Japan nodded "Let me sort the suitcases out and then I will have a look at it."

Seiko ran off happily to go get her manga book, she loved drawing and she loved her mother helping her, she felt it was a bonding that she and her mother had. China smiled and hugged Xiaolian "How are you feeling?"

Xiaolian smiled softly "I feel better now." She hugged him back "I think I'm slowly getting over him."

China nodded "Ah good, you will find someone else." He glared at Korea who looked away innocently.

Xiaolian giggled "Ah I know Baba." She smiled and shyly looked at Korea too "I think I may have found someone already who can help me feel better."

China pouted "Really?"

Xiaolian giggled "Shi! I don't want a boyfriend again yet of course…"

China smiled "Ah good. Have time to have fun first."

Xiaolian smiled "I think I will do what Elfriede is doing and focus on my career first."

China laughed "Good plan."

AN: Sorry it's late o3o here it is~

Thank you for reading~

Please review~

Arigatou~