Chapter 4

Once they'd tasted the food, their previous conversation about North Korea was completely forgotten, and the mood improved drastically. That was the beauty of Alfred's friendship with Yong Soo—even if they had a rocky moment or two, they could be back to normal in a matter of minutes, as if nothing had ever happened. Such was the case now. There was not another mention of the reclusive communist nation for the rest of their lunch, and they continued their conversation as if the subject had never been brought up in the first place. The only pauses in the fun seemed to come as Yong Soo periodically checked his phone, typing the occasional message before going right back to talking.

A lot of giggling and a pretty good lunch later, Yong Soo and Alfred were once again in the car on their way back to the conference center. K-pop once again blasted through the speakers. Yong Soo sang along loudly while Alfred struggled to make out what he could of the quick speaking singers' language. After a couple of blocks, he gave up.

When they reached the parking garage, Alfred leaned over and tapped Yong Soo's shoulder. "Hey, slow down a little," he said, reaching into his pocket to dig around for his car keys.

"Why?" Yong Soo asked, glancing at him from the corner of his eye and slowing down a little as the car entered the darkness of the garage.

"I need to figure out which car is mine or I'll have to spend forever trying to find it on foot later," Alfred explained, rolling down his window. "I bet I can find it faster this way."

Shrugging, Yong Soo sped up just slightly while Alfred poked his head and arm out the window, car keys in hand. Pointing it at the row of cars, he clicked the button repeatedly as they drove past, paying special attention to silver cars. A few levels up, one of them finally responded, its tail lights flashing as it beeped twice.

"There it is!" he exclaimed as Yong Soo slowed to a stop. Alfred turned to his Korean companion. "What section is this? Do you see a sign?"

The Korean glanced around, and, not seeing anything immediately, rolled down his window and stuck his head out of the car to get a better look. "There," he said, pointing. "You're in section D4. Silver Toyota."

"Cool," Alfred nodded, pulling himself back inside the car and rolling the window up. Yong Soo did the same. "D4. Silver Toyota. I'll remember that."

By now, another dark car had pulled up behind them. The driver hesitated as he approached, unsure why there was a random car just sitting in the middle of the parking garage. A moment later the driver in the other car honked the horn at them, an angry noise that cut through the air and echoed off the concrete walls of the parking garage. Yong Soo noticed, and with a quick glance in the rear view mirror, nudged the car forward as Alfred got situated in his seat again.

"Guess we'll get going now," the Korean said, speeding up once Alfred was back in his seat. "I need to find a place to park real quick and then I gotta run. I've got another conference this afternoon."

He drove up another level, glancing in the rear-view mirror every now and then. Alfred turned around to look behind them. The car that had been behind them a moment ago was still there, also apparently looking for a place to park.

Around the next turn there was finally an open space, and Yong Soo pulled the car into it with a sigh. The other car continued past, still looking for an open parking spot.

Yong Soo put on the parking break, then shut down the engine and pulled the keys from the ignition. He had his seatbelt unbuckled and was already climbing out of the car before Alfred had even reached for his seat belt buckle. Yong Soo must really be in a hurry, he thought. And so, he sped himself up, undoing the seatbelt and getting out of the car as quickly as he could so Yong Soo could lock it up and be on his way.

Alfred considered asking who Yong Soo had a conference with this afternoon, but considering how their conversation earlier had gone, he didn't want to run the risk of asking and then having Korea's conference buddies include North Korea. He'd already pried into Yong Soo's business enough for one day.

The Korean pressed the button on his key and the car beeped to indicate that it was locked. He was already starting to rush away when Alfred called out to him. "Hey, wait!" he said, pointing the sign with the parking section on it. "Don't make the same mistake I did! You're in section E6, okay?"

Yong Soo waved his hand to indicate that he'd heard. "Okay!" And a moment later he was gone, running off to find an elevator so he could get to whatever floor he needed to be on.

Alfred stood there for a moment, puzzled. Yong Soo hadn't acted like he was in too much of a hurry before. In fact, he couldn't remember him mentioning that he had a meeting so soon after his lunch break. Surely he would've brought that up, right? Being the chatty Korean he was?

But it really wasn't his place to worry about it, so he let it go. Now armed with the knowledge of where he'd parked his car, he went off to find an entrance to the building so that he could figure out what he was supposed to do for the rest of the afternoon.

The parking garage was attached directly to the building on one of the lower levels. The doorway he entered led to a stairwell, and from the stairwell there was a door that led into the building. He glanced at the sign next to the door on his way in. "FLOOR 3" was spelled out in big, white block letters against a black background. So he was on the third floor then… He let the door close and click shut behind him.

Once he was inside, he wandered aimlessly through the halls for a good fifteen minutes looking for something to do. He had no meetings he needed to be at, and it was too early to go back to the hotel for the night. He would have gone to see the city of London, but he'd seen most of its attractions before, and it wasn't as much fun to see alone. He would have preferred to go with Arthur so he could listen to him yak on and on about this and that and what he was up to when this was built, and how this monument commemorated that event. And then he could tease him and say attractions in America were much better, and then laugh when the Englishman got irritated. But alas, Arthur was probably busy in a meeting right now, and even if he wasn't, he was the host. He couldn't be expected to leave to go show some former colony around the city anyway. It hurt a little, knowing Arthur didn't have as much time for him anymore. It'd been a long time since they'd just…hung out.

Perhaps there was someone else around who didn't have anything to do. A few nations were wandering the halls as well, but most of them were dressed sharply and carrying briefcases. That was a pretty sure sign that they were going to a meeting, not looking for a way to kill time. He sighed, anticipating a boring afternoon ahead.

He continued his wandering. The halls up here were finely carpeted, mostly red with ornate designs criss-crossing all over the floor. The walls were a warm beige color, decorated with paintings of plants and animals, mostly birds. Every once in a while there might be a real, potted plant making itself at home next to a cushioned bench, one of which Alfred immediately took a seat on as soon he saw it. He was still tired from getting up early this morning. Maybe he would just…nap here…

He must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing he knew he was blinking awake on that same cushioned bench. The halls seemed to be deserted now. He hoped no one had seen him randomly sleeping on some bench in the conference center! What time was it anyway? The American reached into one of his pockets and pulled out his phone. 2:34 PM it said. So he'd been out about an hour.

Sitting up, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and blinked the sleepiness from his eyes, waiting for the heavy grogginess of sleep to leave his head. Well, he'd killed an hour's worth of time, at least. But he still needed to find something to do for a couple of hours or he feared he might actually die of boredom!

When he felt awake enough to focus, he stood up from the bench and took a long, luxurious stretch. Ahh, that felt good. But where was everybody? It suddenly occurred to him that he was on the third floor. Maybe he needed to get down to the ground floor, and then he might run into some people. Walking down the hall a little ways, he finally found an elevator, pressed the button, and waited. Alfred could hear machinery and cables moving in the column on the other side of the doors, but it didn't keep him from being impatient. Ugh! It actually made it seem like it was taking longer, with all the noises but the elevator never actually showing up.

Just when he was about to start jamming the button again, the doors popped open and he was greeted by the faces of a couple of African nations. Stepping inside, he wedged himself in between them and waited for the elevator doors to close.

"Hi!" he said smiling, hoping to strike up some simple conversation at the very least.

"Jambo?" one of them asked. She was dark skinned, with her black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She had those lines around the corner of her eyes that told you she smiled a lot. Alfred recognized her as Kenya. "How are you, America?"

"I'm good!" he replied, grinning. "But I'm super bored!"

The other nation—who Alfred thought might be Uganda, though he wasn't really sure—stood quietly in the corner, observing the two from a respectful distance with a soft smile. His hair was really short, shaved very close to his head.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Kenya replied, offering him an apologetic smile. "I would offer to do something with you, America! But we're on our way to a meeting…"

Alfred's smile faded slightly with the disappointment. It seemed like he was the only person who didn't have a meeting this afternoon, which was unusual. Normally he was always being called away to try and mediate other nations' problems, but it was as if God had purposefully giving him free time when everyone else was busy just to make him bored! It was like some kind of punishment.

"It's okay," he said, glancing up to see what floor they were on. The number changed and suddenly they were on the ground floor. The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. "Hey, maybe I'll see you guys later though?" he said, like he was trying to reassure himself as he stepped out.

"Maybe!" Kenya replied, stepping out of the elevator along with her companion. "See you later, America. Have a nice day!" She gave him a little wave, and then the two of them headed off in the other direction.

Alone once more, Alfred looked back and forth down the hall each way. The Africans had gone to the right, which led to the conference rooms. He probably wasn't going to find any entertainment down there, unless he was going to go snooping on other people's meetings again. He looked down the hall to his left, where there was a large, open lobby area. There were a few nations loitering around there, so maybe if he went that way he'd find someone who was just as bored as he was!

Strolling down to the lobby, he started looking around immediately. There were a few South American nations gathered in the far corner, babbling in Spanish so fast Alfred couldn't have hoped to understand any of it. Sweden and Norway were sitting on a couch near the center of the room, though they seemed like they were doing their best to pretend the other didn't exist. Alfred considered trying to talk to them, but he had a feeling the conversation would dissolve into awkwardness. Neither of one of them was much of a talker.

There were a few other people around, but they all seemed to be on their way to meetings as well. It looked like today just wasn't his day. He began to wish he'd brought his DS or something. Then at least he could have played that until Japan or someone got out of a meeting and could come play with him.

He made his way over to a cushioned chair not far from Sweden and Norway and sat down. If worse came to worse, he would try and engage in conversation with them. But due to the fact that they didn't even seem willing to even talk to each other, he was reluctant. He stretched out on the chair in the meantime.

"Finally awake, capitalist?" a voice sneered behind him. "Or just changing locations, hm? Lazy pig."

Alfred tilted his head back to look. Standing behind him with his arms crossed was North Korea. There was a dark bruise making itself at home across his jaw, evidence of his fight with Yong Soo yesterday. So someone had seen him when he'd been sleeping! And off all people it'd been the stupid commie!

"Go 'way, Korea," Sweden grunted from a few feet away, looking at the Korean over the rims of his glasses. "Don't come 'ere just t'pick a fight."

"I'll do what I want," North Korea retorted, frowning hard at the opposition he was getting just for showing up.

"What do you want, commie?" Alfred asked, still looking at him with his head tilted backwards. He was actually somewhat grateful he'd shown up when he had. Something to do at last! And there were few things more fun than pissing off a commie. "Don't you have a meeting to be at?"

"No," North said, shrugging. "South and I are banned from our meetings today. I just wanted to let everyone know how the American has been sleeping on the jo—"

"Wait," Alfred interrupted, sitting up and turning around to look at him. His neck was beginning to hurt. "You got banned from your meetings? Because of that fight? But Yong Soo said—"

"The brat's a liar," North said, his brows drawing together at the mention of his twin.

"You didn't even hear what I was gonna say!"

"It doesn't matter. He's a liar."

Alfred sat there staring at him, bewildered. "Why are you such a jerk to him? Doesn't it matter to you at all that he's your brother?"

"Go 'way if yer gonna fight," Sweden grumbled from his spot on the couch. "No one wants t'listen t'yer bickerin'."

"Honestly," Norway chided in agreement, glaring at them. "I thought I'd get a break from all that after I got out of my last meeting.

"Fine, fine, fine," Alfred grumbled, trying to draw the conversation away from the building argument somewhat. He looked back to the Korean. "At least tell me then: You got banned from your meetings because you guys fought, right?"

North Korea nodded. "South's too much of a goody-good to get banned for anything else."

"You're banned from all your meetings today or just the meetings with him?"

"It wouldn't matter. All we had scheduled for today was more meetings with Asia anyway."

It didn't really make sense. So Yong Soo had lied about having to run off to a meeting after lunch. But why would he lie about that? Was he embarrassed that he'd gotten banned from his meetings today? Possibly, but that didn't explain why he'd been in such a rush when they'd gotten back from lunch. If he was banned from his meetings, he wouldn't have anywhere to be. So why rush? Come to think of it, if he wasn't in a meeting, then where was he? It didn't add up.

"So why are you here then?" Alfred asked.

"I don't have anything else to do." The North Korean shrugged. "I can at least wait until some meetings get out and talk to friends in between."

A wry smile crept onto America's face as he struggled to contain his laughter. The Korean had just set himself up for a perfect insult. "You have friends?" Alfred knew it was a low blow, but it was just too perfect to pass up.

The anger showed instantly on the Korean's face. "Yes…I do." It was apparent that he was holding back. He probably wanted to punch Alfred's lights out just for that one little comment, but didn't want to risk getting in more trouble.

"Who?" Alfred challenged, smiling haughtily.

The Korean made a face and started listing them off. "Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Leban—"

"You sound like you're 'friends' with a bunch of mobsters," Alfred sneered, chuckling. "They're all halfway across the world from you and all you do is trade weapons with them."

"You don't have any friends," North Korea countered. "Just a bunch of 'allies.' They wouldn't stand up for you if you…didn't have things they needed." It was clear North Korea was reluctant to admit that America had influence; much less that he was a superpower.

"Well, do your 'friends' ever stand up for you?" Alfred challenged, still giving him a cocky grin. "None of them have ever said anything in your defense."

"Iran—"

"'Merica, go somewhere else," Sweden insisted again. "Before I get up 'n drag you both 'way by the scruff o' the neck."

"…Fine," Alfred finally agreed. This conversation was probably going to get to be too much for the lobby anyway.

Standing up from his seat, Alfred stepped around the back of the chair and took the Korean roughly by the arm. North Korea pulled back almost immediately. "Let go of me!" he snarled, tugging on his arm. A couple of the South Americans in the corner turned to look at all the commotion. But Alfred didn't stop, instead dragging the Korean, still struggling, down the hall just past the elevators before finally allowing North Korea to wrench his arm away.

"What are you doing?" the Korean demanded, holding back less now that there weren't as many people around.

"Look!" Alfred said, serious now. "I don't know what your problem is, but it's gotta stop! Why are you such a jerk to Yong Soo?"

"You stay out of our business, American!" North Korea snapped, his eyes locked onto Alfred's. "It's your fault things are the way they are!"

Alfred flinched slightly at the sudden accusation, but he knew he shouldn't really be surprised. It was nothing new. "What? How is it my fault? Everything that's wrong between you two is your own fault! You're the one who's always threatening him! You're the one who insists he's a liar without even knowing what he said!"

"My brother's an idiot," North growled, never taking his eyes off Alfred. "You poisoned his mind against me with your capitalist propaganda years ago. He completely disregards family to go frolicking off with equally idiotic people such as yourself." He snorted softly. He's even starting to take a liking to that Japanese bastard! Has he forgotten the years of suffering we went through under his tyranny?"

"Your brother is his own person!" Alfred could hardly believe what he was hearing. Was North seriously convinced Alfred had "poisoned" Yong Soo? "If he wants to be a free country, he's going to be a free country! If he wants to like Japan, he's going to like Japan! You can't control him! Are you sure he's the idiot here? Last I checked, he wasn't the one struggling to feed his own people!"

One of the doors opened down the hall, and Alfred realized with horror that a meeting had just gotten out. Shit! And here he was in the middle of the hall arguing rather loudly with a nation everyone else knew he didn't get along with. But it was a little late to drag North Korea off to some other location. With the mood North was in right now, trying to move him the same way he had before was only going to cause more of a scene.

"They're not starving!" North flat out denied. "That's more of your propaganda! Once again trying to—"

"Oh, just shut up!" Alfred snapped. "I'm not stupid! The whole world knows your crazy leader spends so much money on your stupid military that all your people are stuck eating grass. Are you proud of that? Do you even care about them?"

The Korean's face was turning red with rage. "Don't even imply that I don't care about my people, you lying—"

"Dìdì!"

A scolding voice suddenly rose above the arguing, and North's expression instantly changed to something like that of a child's when they get caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. He knew just by the sound of that voice that he was in deep trouble.

He whipped around, looking like he was already digging through the depths of his mind for an explanation. "Hyung—"

China, who must've been in the meeting that had just ended, marched towards the pair, his face just as red as his flag as his eyes whipped between the American and the Korean before finally locking on the Korean as he decided he was going to deal with his misbehaving younger sibling first. North Korea straightened up and stood stiffly, facing him. He realized he'd just pissed off his most important ally, and that he was probably in for a beating now.

Alfred took a fairly large step back, but China shot him a look that said, 'don't you dare go anywhere!' Alfred stood statue still after that. China could be scary when he was angry! Alfred didn't dare move, and could only glance around at the confused nations who were passing by as he stood awkwardly awaiting his fate to be dealt at the hands of China.

China took the Korean roughly by the front of the shirt as soon as soon he was close enough to reach him. Alfred couldn't see North's face, but he guessed it was probably a mix of bewilderment and actual fear. North Korea was probably one of the few people who did things that upset China enough to ever see him this angry. The Korean held his hands up in surrender and hastily began trying to explain himself in stammering Chinese, but China would have none of that. China raised his voice above North Korea's and must have been giving him a lecture to end all lectures in Mandarin, because the Korean didn't speak again after that. Alfred knew some Chinese thanks to doing business in Asia, but China was speaking so quickly and angrily that he picked up little more than his own name in the rapid jumble of words.

China said something short and terse, and the Korean responded with what must have been something like a 'yes sir.' China finally let him go, then pointed down the hall towards the conference rooms, and watched as the Korean walked stiffly in that direction, just to make sure he actually went. When he was out of earshot, he turned his eyes on Alfred.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" China demanded, suddenly seeming like he towered over America even though in reality he was several inches shorter. "I don't know what is going on but you must be a complete imbecile to think it's a good idea to try talking to him in the middle of the hall!"

"China, I—"

"No! You be quiet and listen to me!" China roared, taking another step closer. The nations who were passing by looked at the two curiously, then decided it was best not to be involved and quickly scurried past them. "You ought to have learned by now that you can't have a reasonable conversation with him! He won't listen no matter what you tell him. When you try and talk reason to him you just make things worse. Especially when it's you, because he believes everything you say is some kind of plot or conspiracy! Do you realize what kind of damage you're causing when you talk to him? He's going to take everything you say to heart, whether you mean it or not! And he'll go back to his isolation and do who knows what kind of planning against you and Yong Soo! You think he lets his boss go around building weapons like nobody's business because he's bored? Every time you talk to him he thinks you're up to something, and that just makes him all the more eager to get back home and build weapons! What if one day he got the idea you and South were going to try something and launched one of them? You want to be responsible for something like that just because you said something that he took the wrong way?"

"He's stupid if he tries to blow something up just because I said something that upset him!"

China was fuming by now. "He's irrational, America! I've been around far longer than you have! I can tell when someone's just about lost their willingness to cooperate, and he's definitely at that point. Don't push him. Do you understand me?"

Alfred was still staring at him, wide-eyed. Getting lectured by China was like getting lectured by an over-protective parent! He hadn't gotten this kind of scolding since way back in his colonial days, when he'd let a snake loose in a guest room where one of Arthur's officials had been staying. He couldn't say he agreed with everything China said. Something had to get through to North Korea, he just hadn't found out what it was yet. But, he nodded stiffly, just to get China to back off.

China stood down, huffing in frustration. "Don't let me catch you hanging around him," he warned, giving Alfred a sharp look.

"Fine," Alfred agreed, though he didn't have any intention of holding up to that agreement.

"Hm," China grunted, still glaring at him. "I better not."

Alfred offered him a forced smile, but China just waved a dismissive hand at him before turning and disappearing down the hall, leaving Alfred alone once more.

Author's notes:

Dìdì = 'little brother' in Mandarin Chinese

Hyung = 'older brother' in Korean

China is North Korea's most valuable ally. The North Koreans rely on them heavily for economic and humanitarian aid, which is why it's so important that North doesn't piss China off. He can't afford to lose that alliance.