AN: Thanks for all the favourites, all the alerts, all the reads and definitely all the reviews :) Hope this chapter was worth the wait! :D
A Very Asian New Year
Japan rubbed the towel on his wet hair before drying the clean nape of his neck. The sun was rising, smiling through the cold winter with a faint, fresh blush that made the ice sparkle against the window like small diamonds. His limbs were freshened by the stretches and his skin felt invigorated from the steaming water… if anything, the day seemed to start off quite well. He shrugged on his turtleneck and slipped on his socks before making his way towards the window, gazing at the wide expanse.
However, something caught his eyes.
China was by a great, bare oak and behind him lined up Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea. He was telling them something- his voice a blur to him- and they followed his steps, Korea more exaggeratedly than the others.
Tai Chi.
They were practicing Tai Chi.
When they were younger- a time Hong Kong would speak Mandarin, both Koreas were together and Vietnam wasn't so ruined- they would practice Tai Chi every morning before breakfast, be it under the sun or under the large bamboo shades as they listened to pitter-patter of the rain. It had always been magical, the soothing tones of China's voice, the giggles of cheekiness from both Koreas, the stumbles and falls of a pudgy Hong Kong, the whines and pouts of Taiwan… Even Thailand, Vietnam and Macau would stand with them, apprehensively waiting for the end so that they could play in the paddy fields while China cooked breakfast.
But things changed from those times…
Things changed drastically.
Was it so drastic that it came to a point that something as familiar as Tai Chi alongside his family was now severed?
He bit his lip, now he felt a bit hypocritical. He had complained- not out loud at least- about them, was hesitant about visiting them and didn't consider them 'family' at times… if anything, it was quite easy to dispose of them in his mind when he didn't need them. But who knew that something this simple- this common- would sting?
Who cares, he forced a shrug as he placed his towel on the bed. It wasn't like Tai Chi was anything special. He already did his morning exercises and it didn't matter if he did it in the sole emptiness of his room.
He unlocked his door and stepped out, making sure his phone was securely tucked in his pocket, before making his way downstairs. He'd find a small, quiet place to sit and avoid them all day… perhaps he'd call up Germany or Italy, they were bound to have something that would take his mind off the awkward situation he had brought upon himself.
"Japan!"
Korea threw himself on him, laughing maniacally as he wildly mussed Japan's hair before giving him a nice, hard pinch on the chest. Japan pushed him off, not caring as Korea almost flipped over the banister, rubbing his throbbed front.
"About time you woke up! Your old age is crawling up your skin- can't even wake up on time! South Korea, ten, Japan, minus one hundred!" Korea laughed, completely unperturbed.
"What are you talking about?"
Only Korea could get him irritated this early in the morning.
"Points of youth, da-ze," Korea nodded importantly. "Instead of fighting to be the older brother, I'm going to be the younger brother since I'll live longer, be healthier and look better forever!"
"Automatic bonus points to pick on you too." Hong Kong just entered the house, hanging his coat on the hanger, an annoying smirk on his young face.
"I'm the younger brother in looks, the older brother in mind," Korea said smartly, sticking his nose in the air.
"More like an old man in drive and a young boy in experience."
"Hey!"
Japan felt a small blush run up his cheeks… he really started to doubt England's parental skills.
"At least I've got experience, unlike some culturally-confused, inexperienced, teenaged sissy!"
"Molesting your doll doesn't count as experience."
"Kimchiball is not a doll! It's a plushie-action figure!"
"That doesn't exist."
"Yes it does! Because it originated in Korea!"
Japan took the moment to tiptoe around them, squeezing himself between the wall and Korea's manic hand gestures, and slip into the doorway. Which doorway did he slip into? He really had no idea… However, the wafting smell of freshly cooked rice, warm porridge and the sizzling sounds of deep fried minced shrimp made him realize it was the kitchen.
"Zǎo ān, Japan, aru!" China greeted him cheerfully from where he stood by the stove. His wok was on the fire and his arms moved professionally between each pan, his chopsticks stained with dripping sauces.
"Good morning, China," he gave a short bow.
The kitchen was simple, nothing too fancy, and the table was already set. Perhaps there was something he could do to help- or to keep him occupied instead of standing like a pole in the middle of the room. Perhaps he could make some green tea… a kettle was already boiling. Maybe there was some dishes to tend to… the sink was clean and shining.
"Is there anything I can assist you with?"
"Can you look over the fried rice? I need to bring out the plates."
Japan nodded, systematically making his way to the stove and picking out the chopsticks left on the side. He stirred, shook and mixed, making sure the brown grains didn't burn while China picked out the cups and saucers from the drawers. He bent down to bring out the large serving plates-
CRACK
Japan stiffened.
There was a sudden flash before Korea rocketed out of the doorway. China was frozen from where he bent over to reach the plates, his face flushed and his veins pulsing on his forehead. Japan quickly shut the fire, dashing to the older nation, before he realized he was completely helpless. How on earth was he supposed to deal with someone who threw his back?
Korea, however, was running around them in hysterical circles, screaming bloody murderer before he pulled out his phone, punched in some numbers and screamed at the opposite line.
"AMBULANCE! 911! AMBULANCE! Our old man threw his back- he's going to die! He looks young but I knew he was old and I let him make the kimchi when I could've done it perfectly on my own- but now he's dying and it's all Nihon's fault-"
"Korea-san, calm down-" Japan tried, as he placed a hand on China's quaking shoulder. "China-san? Can you walk? I'll take you to your room-
"-and now he wants to sexually harass aniki! What is this horror in humanity?! 911- call 911-"
"Tell…" China winced, closing his eyes as he tried to breathe. "Tell…"
"China-san? China-san please, tell me what to do-" Japan bent down, trying to meet the older nation's eyes. His nerves were flaring and Korea's incessant panic was not doing him any favours. "Should I take you to your room? Should I-"
"Help! Nagasaki! Namahage! 911- the ambulance! Aniki is sentenced for human trafficking- hurry- I'm too beautiful-"
"Korea-san, please calm down!" Japan tried to raise his voice over the wailings of his younger brother, "You are not helping China-san with your panicking! If you would just help me carry him to his room-"
"-HE'S INTO THREESOMES! HE'S INTO THREESOMES! WE'RE DOOMED-"
"Like, who set the house on fire?" Hong Kong peered through the door.
Japan could've cried with relief. "Hong Kong-san, China-san threw his back- if you'd help me take him to his room-"
"Why so worried?" Hong Kong coolly made his way into the kitchen, ducking as Korea threw a large ornament duck at his head. "Gramps throws his back all the time."
"-IT'S A FOURSOME- IT'S A FOURSOME NOW- I CAN'T TAKE IT-"
Hong Kong grabbed China from where he was bent over and made him stand against the table, as simply as if he was carrying a chair. He analyzed the scene, as though taking in the angles and calculating the force before he stood back and placed a knee under China's stomach.
"-I'm an innocent soul- all this kinky foreplay is too much-"
"Hong Kong-san," Japan felt his eyes widen, "w-what are you doing?"
"My martial arts are a bit rusty," he said as he rolled up his sleeves, "but I think this'll do."
"W-wait," China panted from where he was bent over like a stiff, wooden table, "S-stop- d-don't-"
"Breathe gramps, cuz it's gonna hurt."
"Hong Kong-san," Japan edged forward, his arms raised as if he was talking to a mental patient, "please bring your hands down. We can solve this in another way-"
"What other way?" Hong Kong replied, resting his arms on China's back in the most careless of manners, "the nearest hospital is hours away, plus, we forgot to bring in his medications." Hong Kong peered at China's face, "You should really, like, be more responsible gramps. Your old age is, like, no excuse,"
Suddenly, the doorway slammed open once more- why couldn't anything be peaceful today?- and a flushed Taiwan stood, wearing the most ridiculous outfit Japan had ever seen in his entire life. It was a crossing between Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing along with bright pink bunny ears and large cat slippers that squeaked with every step she took. To add to her ridiculousness was the stern, angered scowl and the serious knit of her eyebrows.
"Your racket is disrupting my photo shoot!" she stomped a foot, "I can't concentrate on my poses!"
Her eyes locked with Japan's and she shrunk back, her face tomato red.
"Only Taiwan needs to concentrate to flex properly," Hong Kong rolled his eyes.
She snapped her gaze away from him, her face was still steaming, and glared at the Chinese teen.
"I heard that! You should really stop with the perverted jokes, they're getting lame."
"Probably because he's sexually deprived, so he wants to vent it out on everyone!" Korea stopped, mid-panic, to glare at the teen.
Hong Kong merely rolled his eyes once more, "the pains of sitting with minors."
"Like you're one to talk!" Taiwan screeched, "you're the youngest here-"
"A position already taken by Korea," Hong Kong motioned grandly with his left arm while the other rested on China's back like an armrest. "So, I automatically take his place in the family line which makes me older than you as well." He took a sweeping glance at his nails, "and if you add my experience of living abroad, it makes me older than gramps here. Therefore, I'm the head of the family."
A heavy silence shadowed them and for that moment, nothing moved.
Japan felt his lips wince. What on earth had become of Hong Kong?
CRACK
A gut-wrenching scream followed, so loud that it echoed in the vast, white planes around the house and rebounded off the wooden walls.
"Up you go gramps, time for bed," Hong Kong ushered a cursing China out the kitchen, his footsteps fading into the house.
Japan watched the whole scene with slight confusion and felt his silence shared with the other two occupants in the room.
"-hello? Is someone there? Hello?"
There was a sharp crinkling as the deep voice radiated off Korea's phone, who blinked at the screen then shut it, pocketing it back into his jacket. Taiwan fidgeted from where she stood, her bright pink wig falling to the side since it wasn't properly clasped, while Korea shuffled his feet from side to side. Japan felt this tug- this pull in his heart- to actually do something with the two of them. Anything really, just to ease up the situation that had just leapt out of nowhere.
However, as usual, he found himself walking towards the doorway, ready to leave them alone and lock himself in his own solitude. As he always did.
He locked the door to his room and sat by his bed, fingering his phone before setting it down. It was a mistake, he thought sourly, as he stared at the empty walls of his room. He should've stayed downstairs… he shouldn't have come back up. Now, he was going to be stuck here for hours, mulling over what happened and what he should've done until he was sick.
It's not like they'd call him downstairs anyway. He was completely forgotten for their morning Tai Chi and since he bailed on them and went right up after the manic fiasco, he doubted they'd call him for anything else. What a way to make amends, eh Kiku?
Knock knock knock.
"Japan?"
He dashed off his bed, yet quickly composed himself, before opening the door. Taiwan shyly stood by the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her, a small smile on her face.
"Taiwan-chan," he bowed slightly, "is there anything I can help you with?"
"Oh, yes," she beamed. "Korea and I thought we'd make breakfast until China gets better. I thought… perhaps you'd like to help?"
He blinked for a minute.
Yes, his mind immediately answered. Yes! His heart pumped greedily. He wanted to. He truly wanted to. He desperately wanted to fix the things he broke- even if he had no idea where, no idea how and no idea what they were. But he wanted to. His mouth broke into a small smile before he held himself and shrunk back.
He couldn't show them he was guilty- he couldn't show them what he truly felt because they'd use it against him and he'd collapse. All this composure and all this collective coolness that he built up- this perfectly crafted mask of indifference- he couldn't risk breaking it to the people he didn't know whether he loved or hated. He straightened his lips and tensed his back upright, using his best neutral tone.
"I'm afraid something has come up and I can't do that right now."
"Oh," she frowned for a second before her smile was quick to clear it up. "I see… well then, we'll be downstairs if you're free."
He closed the door behind her and rested his back against it, noticing, for the first time, that his heart was hammering. He could hear the blood rush into his head and the adrenaline burst into his fingers, making them tremble. That was stupid, he thought.
"No," he said fiercely, "that was the right thing to do. Emotion must not be shown."
He pulled out his laptop and plugged it into the socket by the desk, wiping the dust from the surface with the sleeve of his shirt. As he waited for the system to load, he cast his eyes at the cold window, fogged with mist as its iced frame glittered like crystals. Korea's smiling face, Hong Kong's teasing eyes, Taiwan's smile and China's attempts to try… they were all piercing him like sharp, poisoned needles, making him feel guiltier and guiltier with each passing second.
He knew that he'd be gone from this house before New Years had the chance to rise.
