Next chapter! Enjoy!
"Ve~ Japan! Welcome back! How was China? You were gone for a long time!"
"I'm back, Italy-kun. Unfortunately, China isn't doing very well." Japan explained the situation to Italy, Germany along with Prussia and Romano who were visiting.
"Ve~ I hope he gets his memories back."
"Me too, Italy-kun. I'll be going to inform the Allies now."
"No, wait. It's too dangerous. I think we should keep him with us here."
"Kesesese! The Allies will be short of one member now!"
"Bastards, don't drag my brother into war!"
"No!" Japan stood up abruptly.
"He's still my brother! Don't lay a hand on him!" Japan then grabbed China's hand and the Asians left.
"You're telling me that China lost his memories?" England repeated.
"Yes."
"Bloody hell."
"The Hero (me by the way) thinks that England might have gotten drunk again and messed up his magic again!"
"Shut up, you bloody git!" England sighed. Suddenly, he had an idea.
"So if he lost his memories, can I have Hong Kong then?" China flinched but nobody noticed.
"NO!" America and Hong Kong both shouted.
China: No way, … …!
"Eh? Ge Ge, what did you just say?" Japan stared at China.
"What did he say?" Taiwan asked.
"He said… 'Opium…Bastard…'. But how?" China himself looked confused as to what he had just said. England grinned.
"I thought so. Imagine if people who lost their memories didn't forget, but just can't say it out of their minds. What do you think will happen?" (I'm not making any sense…)
"Their consciousness will unconsciously answer to different things others do. For example, things that saddened him before and brought up again to him will shock the answer out of his mind. That's why he answered unconsciously to England-san's comment." Japan said, realising what England was trying to get at. (Still not making sense…)
"So if we keep doing and saying things that bring up the past to him, he will slowly start to remember!" Taiwan jumped in joy. They left after thanking him. Continuing their journey around the world to teach China and hopefully helped him remember, they only reached back to the house (practically a palace, actually) after a week. Their plan worked. China had remembered a lot of things. Like how the current world is, the current Chinese language and other things like Chibi Asia.
"I'll leave when his memory returns." The people at the table fell silent immediately.
"What do you mean, Japan Ge Ge?" Taiwan asked.
"I mean, he'll remember all that happened till now, right? And some of those memories are…" Japan trailed off and looked elsewhere. South Korea followed suit. That's right. Some of those memories are my betrayal. Tears formed at the corner of his tightly shut eyes. South Korea's independence and the Raping of Nanking too. Tears that were sliding down his cheeks were gently wiped away by a thumb.
"Don't cry. Tears don't suit you." China said in Chinese. Japan nodded softly.
"But don't you want to seek forgiveness from him?" Hong Kong asked.
"After all that I've done, do I still deserve forgiveness?" The rest of the dinner was accompanied by silence. That night, Japan couldn't sleep. As he was making his way to the porch leading to the main garden, he heard the soft and soothing sound of an Erhu. This song… Before he knew it, He was standing at the door behind China, who was playing the song with the Erhu on the porch.
Flashback
"Ge ge, what is the name of the song you were playing with the bamboo flute just now?" Chibi Japan ran up to his brother, followed by his younger siblings.
"It's called 'Sad Departure', aru. Do you like it, aru?" China sat the flute aside and patted his lap, signalling for Japan to come and sit on his lap, which Japan immediately did so.
"Of course! Anything Ge ge plays is nice!"
"Da-ze! Like the time you played 'Fate' on the bamboo flute!" South Korea exclaimed.
"And that time while we were doing Tai Chi, you were playing a song with the Erhu." Taiwan said.
"And the other time you played the bamboo flute during our morning Tai Chi." Hong Kong too joined in. China chuckled softly.
"Enough, aru. Why are you all still not asleep, aru? It's very late, aru." The four kids looked down at their feet.
"We couldn't sleep…" They mumbled in unison. China chuckled and motioned for all of them to come over to him. They quickly ran to him and cuddled against him. China chuckled again. He picked up the Erhu nearby. He played a song that made the Chibi Asians unconsciously sigh in content.
"What is this song, Ge ge?" Japan looked up at his brother.
"This one is one of my favourites, aru. It's called…"
End of Flashback
"Broken Moon." He unknowingly said out. China stopped playing the Erhu and turned around at the voice.
"Japan, why are you not asleep?" Japan jumped a little at the voice. His face flushed in embarrassment at the realisation that he was caught and he looked down.
"I-I just couldn't sleep…" China chuckled. He patted the space beside him. Japan immediately walked over and sat down.
"It's a full moon tonight. It looks very beautiful." Japan nodded in agreement.
"Japan, what do you plan to do in the future, aru?" He remembered that conversation they had. He even remembered China's answer.
"Aiyaa, I don't understand hard things, aru! Put it to more simple terms, aru!"
"Do you know? The rabbit on the moon is…"
"Pounding mochi." Japan interrupted.
"No! It's mixing herbs and medicine!"
"Japan, the rabbit on the moon is blending medicine, aru." Japan smiled.
"I was kidding, Ge ge." China huffed and looked away. The silence was growing and Japan turned anxious.
"Ge ge? Are you…angry?" China was silent for a while before he sighed and faced the guilty-looking Japan.
"No. You've been like this for as long as I can remember. Even when I first met you, you were so rude."
"Nice to meet you, China of where the sun sets. I am Japan, where the sun rises."
"Such a rude child, aru!" Japan can remember that conversation clearly.
"I guess you're right." Japan looked down.
"But…" A hand cupped his cheek, causing him to look into the loving eyes of the owner of the hand.
"Kiku, grownup or not, will always be my little Kiku." Tears welled up in Japan's eyes. He remembered this as well.
"Kiku will always be my little Kiku, aru."
I'm gonna stop here. Look forward to the next chapter!