Hello! I didn't know there would be a lot of people who liked Yong SooxNatalya...XD
Axis Powers: Hetalia does not belong to me.

It turned out that she wouldn't be going to the police station.

Shaking in her handcuffs, the Taiwanese girl glared at the surroundings of the so-called 'interrogation room', which was just an abandoned garage. The room was bare of windows and shades of grey were the only color.

Suddenly a shadowed man wearing a mask appeared from behind one of the dilapidated shelves. The only feature of his face that was visible were dark brown eyes. She gulped.

Why did they seem so familiar?
One really couldn't do much strapped to a chair with rope and handcuffed. All she hoped for at the moment was that Pochi wasn't caught by someone from the Yakuza, even though it was hardly a chance that he wouldn't. He was Kiku's pet, after all.

"So they caught you." Now the voice seemed familiar.

"I know who you are, don't I? It's just that I can't seem to figure out who..." A glint of regret flashed through his eyes.

"In that case, it's better that you don't." Huh.

"You're supposed to be doing your job, right? Interrogating me-" He looked away.

"It is, but in a way I don't see anything that can be gained."
"You know a lot about me, don't you? That I'm Kiku's-" Mei stopped. Was she really still his girlfriend? After that letter, after what he had written in his handwriting that she had-no, she still love. Or did she...?
"Yeah. You're scared of him now, right?" He didn't sound at all like a bad person. In fact, he sounded...honest. Was he really on duty or was he faking it for something else?
"I don't know. I don't want to be, because I promised him that I would love him forever..." He sighed.

"Some promises just don't work out."
"I want this one to. Listen, you know that I'm connected to him, so can you take me to him? If anything, I'll do my best to repay you later." Her wrists struggled against the metal.

"If I do that, then you'll never come back alive. That man who was shot...Sato...he worked for Kiku too. But then Kiku saw no use in him anymore, so he ordered someone to kill him. Someone not in the Yakuza to hunt him down, and shoot him like it was nothing. That man who killed him was innocent, but I highly doubt that Kiku would let him live longer. Gah, can't you see? Everything he sees, everyone he meets-they're all just his pawns. And I really hate to tell you this, Mei, but-" He pulled back the black mask, revealing his-normally youthful-but now serious- face.

"You're just another pawn." She pressed her light pink lips together and looked down. Even Yong Soo was working for him! No, it couldn't be. He said himself that he didn't want her to be killed. He was still Yong Soo. He was still her friend.

"Yong Soo...did he threaten you too?" Her voice was now strained. He looked at the floor. Mei couldn't believe all she was seeing. Everyone wasn't who she always saw them as anymore. Even her childhood friend who used to hide noodles in his father's business suits-

"You might as well say that. Listen, Mei! You have to hide somewhere. Help me convince the other two to do the same! He's planning something, I know it! There's this little girl he created with his own genes-and with the help of that man, Sato-to make this robotic little girl who can't refuse his bidding. He thinks it's the perfect way to keep his business out of trouble, by blaming it on some little girl who can't do anything but obey. But she's more than that, and he still pushes her! Please, Mei...you're my friend, and so is Xiang and Yao-Nee. I want to keep you safe and happy! Please help me, da-ze!" His eyes were pleading, arms dropped at his sides as he begged her.
Silence filled the room for a few minutes, until Mei finally spoke, smiling against teary cheeks.

"You think I'll be able to help you tied up like this?"

"Where did Yong-Soo-San go?" Sakura tugged on Natalya's black work skirt. The girl was becoming more and more childish as she took her to places. The park, the mall, the ice cream parlor-maybe it was getting to her that she was a child, not some emotionless hollow of a human being.
In some way, it calmed her heart.

"There was business he had to attend to." Her hand stroked her black locks. A small smile crept across the child's plump lips as she let out a sweet laugh, burying her face against her skirt suddenly.

"Natalya-San, thank you. I...really like this feeling."

"What feeling?"

"That there's someone who's always beside me...please, don't tell anyone, but I wish Otou-Sama would watch over me like you and Yong-Soo-San do..." Natalya frowned. What kind of father could do such a thing?

Oh, right.

"Ah! Natalya-San, I am so sorry! I invaded your personal space!" She backed away quickly, dropping into a low bow.

"There is nothing to worry about."

"But-"

"You are a child, aren't you? Children...I thought they needed to be held." Sakura stared at her in awe.

"Otou-Sama never said that..."
"It doesn't mean that he doesn't believe it." Her normally cold exterior softened as she stroked the girl's short black locks of hair. Sakura's mouth was wide open as she stared at the ground.

"I'm back, da-ze!" Yong Soo marched back to the corner where they stood. He stopped, looking appalled for a second, then grinned from ear to ear.

"So you really didn't ditch me? Natalya must like me more than I thought, daz-ze!" The Belorussian woman gritted her teeth, clenching her fists.

"Nyet, we didn't. It's too bad you came back...we were about to see your corpse on the sidewalk."
"Aww, she doesn't have very much faith! Sakura, do you think Natalya likes me, da-ze?" The girl looked up, to him, Natalya, and back to him.

"...it's hard to say, Yong-Soo-San...but...I think she does." He shot a winning smirk in her direction, ruffling Sakura's head.

"See? Even Sakura can tell that you like me, after all!"
"Let's go. Where do you want to go now?" She snapped, completely ignoring his remark.

"...I don't know anymore. We've been to wherever I can think of...why don't you think of somewhere to go?"
"There isn't anywhere I want to go."
"Then Yong-Soo-San will pick." He placed a finger on his chin and looked at the sky, mockingly being in deep thought.

"How about Ueno park? I'm sure there's one bench that's not empty. I know! Sakura can go to the zoo while Natalya and I can sit down and hold hands and feed bread crumbs to-"
That's it.

He shifted to the side in a split second, evading the blow of her powerful fist. Natalya's jaw dropped as he caught her hand in his, meeting his sly gaze in horror.

"Your hands are cold, and mine are always warm. Want me to hold 'em for you, da-ze?" She sucked in a breath as her palm met his face by an inch, interrupted by their charge's small voice.

"The National Museum...we haven't been to the National Museum yet..." Natalya removed her hand from his and led the girl in the direction of a taxi.

The Korean sighed melodramatically, walking forward and looking at the sky once more.

"The concert...it's tomorrow..."

In her hand was a small slip of paper, but not just any piece of paper-it was a VIP pass to Yong Soo's concert the next day.

There was still uncertainty in her mind, but Mei knew what she had to do.

She was doing this for her friends, for Miss Yao, and hopefully, even him.

No, she couldn't think about him anymore.

Right on cue her head came up as the cellphone in her lap vibrated, with his picture on the small square screen.

"...Hello?"
"Are you alright, Mei? I'm sorry for all that's happened to you. They'll find punishment soon enough. For now, all I need to know is that you're safe." The Taiwanese swallowed.

"I am, Kiku-kun."
"Come back to headquarters. There's something I need to tell you." The tone of his voice was earnest...too earnest. This was clearly a trap, but where else could she run? What Yong-Soo said earlier about her being just a pawn, about how many connections Kiku had in all of Tokyo, in all of Japan, in all of the WORLD...

"I will." Maybe, just maybe-
"Alright. Aishiteru." He hung up before she could even say it back.

Or could she even say it back?
"Thank you." She said as the taxi driver stopped at the entrance of the main Honda building.

Stepping out of the car, her small pale hand clasped around the pistol hidden in her sweater.

She couldn't say it ever again.

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