I am so so so so so sorry for taking like three months to update. I was really busy with exams coming up and family stuff, but now that school's out, I can get back to a normal updating schedule.

Fun fact: I started writing Chapter 7 before this; don't ask me why, because I don't know. I do weird stuff sometimes (all the time).

Chapter 6 - Memories

Sunday, 12:34pm

( Four Months after Yong Soo has moved in with his brother)

"Come on! Corée hurry up!"

Yong Soo laughed at the nickname he'd been gifted, immediately picking up speed. He flew off after Alfred, tackling the other boy into the dirt.

"You guys are, like, so immature." Feliks commented from where he stood above them, hands on his hips and his eyebrows raised.

Yong Soo snorted, shifting so that he was sitting on Alfred's back. "Tell me something I don't know, da-ze."

The three friends continued to play and mess around, which quickly ended in the three of them covered in dirt, and Feliks throwing a hissy fit over the mess they'd made.

"I should get going," Yong Soo said finally, silencing both of his friends. He stood up out of the grass, wiping at a bit of dirt on his cheeks. "I was supposed to be home an hour ago, da-ze."

"See you tomorrow dude!"

"Like, bye Corée."

Yong Soo flashed the two a bright grin and a peace sign. Turning around, he quickly made his way back towards the main street. Both Feliks and Alfred lived in his neighborhood, so he would usually just walk to and from their houses.

He never truly understood the whole 'Corée' thing; it was what Mr. Bonnefoy had once called him, and somehow, it stuck.

Bouncing up the stairs and onto the front porch, Yong Soo made sure to take his shoes off outside; they had mud on them and he didn't want to make a mess of the floors inside. "I'm home, da-ze!" he called out cheerfully, bounding through the front doors.

A moment passed, then another. Yong Soo received no reply.

"Hyung?" He poked his head into the kitchen, thinking that perhaps his older brother was making himself a snack. Yet, the kitchen was empty.

"You're late."

Yong Soo spun around, facing the source of the voice. Hyung stood leaning against his bedroom doorframe, his arms crossed and frowning. Yong Soo found that a bit confusing; He hadn't really thought that Hyung would mind, considering he'd only missed his curfew by about fifteen minutes.

Pulling a light smile, Yong Soo gave a quiet laugh. "Yeah, sorry, da-ze. I got carried away, I guess."

Hyung's gaze was cold, and there was something in his eyes that Yong Soo couldn't quite place, but it sent shivers down his spine.

"Carried away, huh?" Hyung stalkes forward, his footsteps slow and careful, "You're living with me now, kid. You should be grateful I even took you in, and yet here you are, breaking my rules?"

Yong Soo wasn't used to this. When Yao got angry, he would huff and puff yet he was never this cold. He would never stay mad at any of his younger sibling for long, and would always apologize when he lost his temper (which happened rarely).

"I-I'm sorry," Yong Soo was nervous now, shifting from foot to foot. "It was an accident, da-ze, I promise! It won't happen again, da-ze!"

"Stop with that, will you?" Hyung snapped, "That stupid 'da-ze' you do every fucking time you speak. It's annoying."

Tears burned in the back of his eyes, and all Yong Soo could do was nod.

Hyung stood still for a moment, gazing at Yong Soo with an irritated look. Frowning, he turned and walked back into the kitchen. "We'll talk about this tomorrow." He called over his shoulder as he disappeared around the corner.

Yong Soo didn't waste any time. He darted up the staircase, down the hall to his bedroom, and locked himself in, finally letting loose his tears and worries.

Wednesday, 1:40pm

( 6 months after Yong Soo has moved in with his brother )

"Earth to Corée! Are you even listening to me?"

Yong Soo looked up from his phone, giving an apologetic smile to the annoyed-looking girl sitting across from him. "Sorry, Sofia, what were you saying?"

The Argentinian girl huffed and rolled her eyes dramatically, waving a slender hand through the air. "Woe is me, with my dearest friend ignoring me for the sake of texting his beloved elder brother." Sofia left off with a dramatic gasp, collapsing back in her chair with a loud sigh.

Yong Soo could only laugh, shaking his head at the girl. She never failed to amaze him, that was for sure.

Frowning down at his phone, Yong Soo unconsciously reached to scratch at a spot on his shoulder, only to jump as his nails dug into a particularly nasty bruise.

Sofia's eyes narrowed slightly, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you okay?"

Yong Soo sniffled, shuffling back into the position he'd been startled out of. "Yeah, I'm fine, da-ze!" He flashed a toothy grin, "I just remembered I didn't do that math homework!"

Sofia gagged, choking on her water. Coughing and spluttering, she only managed to spit out the words "We had math homework?" Before proceeding to drop her bottle, spilling water all over the library rug.

Yong Soo burst out laughing, earning a dirty look from a few of his peers.

Friday, 11:59PM

( December 31 )

Yong Soo drew his arms around himself, careful not to brush the newly forming bruises on his sides as he tried to keep away the chill.

He never had been particularly fond of the cold, had he?

Sighing, Yong Soo gazed up at the sky with dull eyes. He could hear the TV from inside, and he heard Hyung talking on the phone.

"Happy New Years..." He whispered to himself and the darkness that surrounded him, just as the clock struck midnight. "...da-ze."

Monday, 9:00AM

( 18 months after Yong Soo has moved in with his brother ) ( January 8th )

Yong Soo stared at the — taller — Danish boy with wide eyes. He was sure his cheeks were flushed, and he probably looked confused.

Matthias gave a light smile, and cleared his throat, quickly repeating himself. "Let me ask again— Will you go out with me?"

Yong Soo sucked in a sharp breath, ignoring how the cold stung his lungs, and smiled the brightest smile he'd smiled in months. "Yes!" He exclaimed without a second thought, and immediately found himself being picked up off the floor.

Yong Soo could've swore that, somewhere behind him he heard Alfred and Feliks.

"You, like, totally owe me ten bucks."

"Dammit! Couldn't Matthias have just waited two more days?!"

July 12th, Alfred's House

(24 months after Yong Soo has moved in with his brother)

"Hey, Corée..."

Yong Soo could've swore his heart stopped beating when he heard the soft, hesitant tone that most certainly didn't go well with Alfred.

"Yeah, da-ze?"

"Are you okay?"

Yong Soo blinked, as if he didn't understand the question. "Yeah, I'm okay." He answered softly, though he was sure they both knew it was a lie.

"Oh...okay."

If anyone noticed the way Alfred, and Yong Soo seemed especially quiet at breakfast the next morning, they didn't say anything. And yet, Yong Soo would never forget the moment when Michelle had came up to him, hugged him, and left as if nothing had ever happened.

August 29th

(25 months after Yong Soo has moved in with his brother)

It had started out a normal day for Feliks. That is, until he stumbled upon the nearly-empty World History classroom.

"It's just a bruise." Yong Soo had sounded panicked, and so very desperate.

"It's not 'just a bruise' Yong Soo! In fact, it's one bruise after another! You can't keep using the 'I fell' or 'oh I was just roughhousing' excuses on me! I'm not stupid!"

The next thing he knew, Feliks was being shoved out of the way; Yong Soo, teary-eyed and sobbing, went flying off down the hallway.

"Yong Soo!" Matthias called out after him, his eyes wide and his face looking more broken than Feliks had ever seen.

All at once, Feliks was wishing he had stayed back in the cafeteria with Toris, even if it meant having to put up with that bastard Ivan.

September 12th

(Sorry, but I can't be bothered to put some stupid number of months here. It's 1am. Don't judge me)

Yong Soo sat curled up into one corner of the couch, Hyung standing nearby and the News channel on the TV saying something about some Tsunami on the other side of the world.

"I wanna go home." He whispered, lonely and scared and bruised and beaten, wishing nothing more than to be with the family he missed. Wishing nothing more than to feel safe, as he hadn't felt in over two years)m.

If Hyung heard him, he certaintly didn't say anything.

Okay, so, real quick: I know I've had a lot of characters cameo in this. Russia, Prussia, Argentina (earlier in this chapter), Monaco, Seychelles, France, England, Lithuania, India, etc.

So I was wondering if you guys had any more cameos you wanted in this in this (preferably not characters I've already included)? I was thinking of writing a chapter full of little cameos here and there, but what do y'all think? They could be either countries that are in Hetalia, or ones that aren't.