Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

The scampering sound of heels clicked excessively along the floor and into the narrow halls, followed by a few eruptions of cursing from a native tongue. Switching back and forth from his wristwatch and to the paper, he held in his grasp, Yao heaved a deep breath in an attempt to ease his speeding heart.

This was it, the day that he's been anticipating since he took his first steps on the staircase of Himaruya Hall. In less than five hours, he would be playing on stage together with his orchestra band, Star Fest. Aside from the other rounds in which they had previously competed, this one, in particular, was the real showdown: determining whether or not if he and his band are deemed worthy to be in the spotlight. Thinking about this, Yao shook his head. 'No, we are worthy.'

To prove it, they would have to be in tip-top shape to take down the champion, World gig.

The ends of his lips moved a notch to form a small smile. Much like their rivaling band, they too held a secret weapon of their own.

Yao could admit that the World gig ace—Alfred F. Jones, was all stars and stripes (and quite overrated at that), but what about her—Lien Kim Nguyen: his own pride and joy?

She recently joined Star Fest for a month now, but god, her solo performances were phenomenal! Her precise yet meticulous playing in the violin was extraordinary—for her first time, it only took her about three strings to get her audience reeled in, showering her the attention that she well deserved.

Knowing that, Yao's smile broadened. He made the right choice of picking Lien to be the ace of Star Fest and through her efforts; his dream of claiming the title of champion for his band—which seemed almost unreachable long ago—was getting closer to become attainable.

Emerging from the halls, Yao's eyes sparkled with radiance upon sighting Xiao Mei in the living room. "Mei, where's your sister?" He asked curiously.

Fastening the last of the buttons of her salmon pink dress skirt, Xiao Mei peered up from her seat and shrugged. "Good question…" She said, pausing for a moment to think about it. Snapping her fingers, she continued, "Ah, that's right! Sis went off to visit mother at the hospital this morning."

"Is she aware that we'll be playing soon, aru?" Yao pressed further, his voice tinted with anxiety.

Xiao Mei pursed her lips before nodding. "Probably."

Yao motioned his hand into the pocket of his jacket, revealing a phone. "Just to make sure, I'll inform her—"

"Wait, stop! Let me!" Xiao Mei interrupted abruptly, at the same time rising from the couch, causing Yao to jolt in his spot. Clearing her throat, she forced out a smile, "If sis gets a call from you, she'll only feel panicky." She explained in the best possible way while holding up her own electric device. "You don't want our star of the show to get pressured, right?"

Yao blinked. Even so, he let it slide and slowly chuckled. "You're right, Mei."

"Is everybody ready?"

Xiao Mei frowned a little, tilting her head over to get a better look at the intruder. Beaming, she cried, "Yong!" Hearing his name, the young man popped out from his hiding—the flyaway curl on the right side of his short, brown haired head swaying to some extent. His high-spirited expression remained unwavering as he exclaimed while waving his arms frantically above him, "What's cooking, good looking?"

Ignoring his comment, Yao turned to face the hyper male with confusion, "Where are the others?"

"Chen, Natalya, and Katyusha are all in the van," Yong said, bringing his hands close to his neck to fix his loose lavender-colored necktie. "Ivan wanted me to tell you guys if you're ready."

"We'll be there in a second," Yao informed to him.

Receiving a response from his Conductor, Yong bobbed his head. "Da-ze!" He cried out unexpectedly, "I'll let him know!"

"Wait—Yong!" Much to Yao's dismay, his words weren't able to get through to him nor was he able to express gratitude as the young man had already left the living room. Turning around, he found Xiao Mei giggling. Sighing, he then walked over to her. "Let me know if you got an answer, aru." He said, "I'll be waiting for you outside."

Xiao Mei winked. "Leave it to me!"

Planting an arm around her waist, Yao placed a long peck on the top of her forehead affectionately. As he silently disappeared from her sight, the younger girl's usual cheerful expression slowly transformed into a bitter one.

Scrolling her thumb through her list of contacts, Xiao Mei stopped when she happened to stumble on a familiar set of numbers presented on the phone screen. Narrowing her eyes, she resorted in touching a button that was located on the top right part of the electronic device, causing it to turn off.

"Forgive me, Yao," She mumbled to herself as she shoved her phone inside her blazer before marching onward. "But I'm willing to keep my promise to sis."

Speaking of which—where was Lien?

True to her words, she was, in fact, visiting her mother at the hospital.

Shortly after she finished rearranging the peony flowers she brought in and into a glass cylinder-like vase, the young woman quietly made her way to the right side of the patient bed where the sleeping form of her mother laid.

Lien let out a sigh of relief when she happened to catch her mother's chest gradually rise and fall over and over again. Although she hadn't opened her eyes nor spoken a word yet, a minor detail like this was considered to be a significant sign.

In a couple of more days, she and Xiao Mei would finally be able to have a decent conversation with her. The mere thought of it made Lien produce a smile. Crouching down to her knees, she decided to break the silence. "Greetings, mother," She began, careful not to make her voice too loud. "I'm glad to know you're doing well."

Stifling a giggle, Lien opened her mouth once more with a bit of mischievousness etched in her tone. "Today is an important date. Would you like to guess what it is?"

When she still didn't get a response, Lien formed one of her hands into fists. "It's the third and final round." She answered simply, "Yao is expecting an excellent performance this evening. But between you and me, I am afraid that I cannot accomplish that promise."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Lien dipped her chin down. Regardless of being unconscious, she can already picture her mother already puffing her cheeks (similar to what her sister would do) and scowl her to no end. 'How could you say that?' She would most likely say. 'You have been working so hard to play onstage and now you are throwing it all away?'

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she quickly blinked away the glistened tears that were beginning to form at the peak of her eyes. "Just know that I am doing this for you and Mei," Lien croaked. Gripping her hands together into a knot, she raised her voice. "I love you too much, mother! I can't bear to watch you commit suicide again over this nonsense!" She cried abruptly, "We've already lost father! I don't want to lose you too!"

Realizing her sudden outburst, Lien let her bangs fall freely, covering her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. "Please don't get angry if I take your place in this wedding." She said, her voice trembling. "I just want to see you happy again and if this is the only way to obtain that, I'll be more than willing to give up my happiness for yours."

Before she could keep going on, Lien stopped for a moment to think.

After the final round, she wouldn't be surprised if Yao was the one to confront her first, questioning about her lack of presence. The thought of that happening made her mind wander further elsewhere—or in this case, a certain bespectacled young man. Lien bit her bottom lip. Late last night, she finally confessed about how she truly felt toward Alfred—only to abandon him in the process, leaving him confused and all the more justified to encounter her afterward.

'But there won't be next time,' She thought. Such a cowardly act was rather uncharacteristic of her but in the end, Lien knew that she had no other choice.

At the cost of sacrificing her childhood dream, she was helping her mother as well as protecting her family. In addition to that, she was also letting go of someone that she dearly loved—and by setting him free, Lien knew that she was doing the right thing.

Oh, how she's going to miss his silly and cheerful demeanor, the way that his sky blue eyes sparkled when he gets excited and his eccentric smile—Lien blinked before blushing furiously.

Goodness, she really was in love with him.

Lien frowned deeply. No, someone as amazing as Alfred definitely deserves someone else. 'I'm only going to be a burden to him.'

Focusing her attention back to her sleeping mother once more, she placed her hands together with her mother's before quietly croaking, "Everything is going to be fine, mother. I promise."

Giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek, Lien leisurely walked toward the exit of the hospital room before freezing in her step. Holding the doorknob firmly, she slightly turns around to discover a window nearby. Narrowing her eyes as she peered through the glass, Lien noticed the cloudy sky.

"Looks like it's going to rain."

After months of waiting, it was finally that time of the year again—the time when musicians, hailing from various nations across the world would soon be performing under one roof together.

In about three hours, such a fantasy would eventually commence.

For most beginners, there was a slim chance of victory. On the other hand, it didn't seem to matter, as entering Himaruya Hall was more than enough to be worth praising. In contrast to the others (deemed as the regulars) who are fortunate enough to be invited more than once—they'll immediately agree that such a grand place was an ideal battleground for musical artists, particularly the orchestra bands to put themselves to the tests.

The third and final round—otherwise known as the death match—was sure to be an eventful occasion for each and every single participant as well as the spectator.

Well, almost everyone.

Much like last time, Alfred sat on the carpet floor with no intention of relocating to one of the couches that were available for him. His usual overly energetic atmosphere that surrounded him, however, was much different—with a minor detection of negativity, almost as if a dark cloud was hovering on top of the poor young man.

"Al?"

Hoisting his head up, Alfred scratched the back of his neck as he forced out a laugh. "'Sup, bro!"

Matthew tilted his head to the side. "You okay?" He pressed on.

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

Matthew didn't buy the fake act. "You sure? You don't sound like you are." He said before proceeding to sit down next to his sibling. Pushing his knees close his chest, he stationed his arms over them. "Don't worry, I won't judge you. Just tell me what's the matter."

"You're not going to understand me, you know," Alfred warned.

Hearing his arms, Matthew folded his arms. "Yeah? Try me."

Detecting the determination in his brother's periwinkle eyes, Alfred grinned. 'Okay, here it goes,' He thought with a sigh. "So, there's this girl—"

"How long is this story?"

"Bro, come on!" Alfred whined, stomping his feet like a child, "Just let me talk, okay?"

Matthew chuckled under his breath. Waving his hand to signal him to keep going, Alfred made a pouty face before continuing on.

"Long story short, I fell in love with her." He began, his cheeks burning. "It has only been a few weeks and along the way, I got to know her. At that point, I knew that she was the one. Hell, I even got the courage to confess to her!" He explained, fumbling with his words. "I mean, she didn't give me an answer but I let it slide since, at that time, she had to quickly rush to the hospital because of an emergency. And then yesterday, there was this lantern festival Gilbert suggested…" His words trailed off. Putting his hand under his chin, Alfred sighed dreamily. "Dude, we had an amazing time together. We even held hands the whole time! I even gave her my dog tag and—"

"Whoa, whoa there, Al." Matthew interrupted, alarmingly. "You mean to tell me that you had offered your dog tag?"

Alfred blushed. "Well…yeah."

Matthew's frightened expression relaxed. "Sounds to me that you really are serious about her." When he got a nod of confirmation, he asked, "Who is this person?"

Alfred looked the other way to avoid eye contact as he quietly murmured, "You know the ace of Star Fest?"

Matthew's eyes started to gradually widen. "Are you pulling my leg right now?"

"Bro, I wish I was joking but I'm really not."

"Does Brother know?"

"No!" Alfred cried before quickly adding, "I have a feeling that if he does find out, he's really gonna kill me."

Matthew took this moment to process the words his twin just said. Bringing a hand to his mouth, he started chuckling.

Alfred stared back at him, utterly shocked beyond relief. "Alright, who the hell are you and what did you do to my little bro?"

"My apologies but I had a feeling about that actually," Matthew admitted, repressing back his laughter, "You're really full of surprises, you know that? That's one of the things that I admire so much about you."

Alfred glared in response. "What are you talking about? I'm the one who should be more jealous of you! Matt, you are always on bro's good side. He hates me, I know it."

Once he settled down, Matthew shook his head. "That's not true. You may not realize it but everything brother does for us like practicing punctuality are lessons for us to evolve into proper gentlemen."

Alfred frowned. "What if I don't wanna be a gentleman?"

"Then be who you wanna be." Matthew answered simply, "Nobody's stopping you. Brother may have us under his supervision for now but not for long. He'll get angry, yes, but he would have to accept it someday."

Alfred sniffed. "I love you so much, bro!" He cried as enveloped his other twin into a bear hug.

"A-anytime." Matthew stammered, awkwardly returning the embrace. Once Alfred released his grip off from him, he began, "Anyway, let's get back to your problematic love life. What made you upset?"

"I don't know," Alfred said with a shrug, "When I presented her my dog tag, Lien told me that the least she could do was to give back something too."

Curious, Matthew leaned his ear a bit closer, anxiously waiting for his sibling's reply. "What was it?"

"Nothing." Alfred said, "She left before I could ask what was wrong." Turning his attention back to his twin, he asked, "Mat, what do you think?"

"Sounds suspicious," Matthew explained, expressing his opinion. "I bet there's a reason why she could be acting that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Take brother for example," Matthew explained. "Yes, he can be stubborn and harsh but stop and think about the things that he's doing. The reason why he's doing it is because he wants the two of us to lead a promising future." He continued. "Miss Nguyen is no exception to this."

Alfred furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't get it."

Despite the confusing look that his brother was making, Matthew took in a deep breath, trying to be as calm and as patient as he could. "Okay, how about this?" He said, suggesting an alternative, "Do you remember what Miss Nguyen did before she left?"

"Yeah," Alfred replied, nodding as he pursed his lips. "She said thank you to me and…" His words died out in his throat as it started to dawn on him. Out of nowhere, Alfred immediately stood up from the ground. Glancing over to his twin, he cried, "Matt, I gotta go! Thanks for your help!"

Matthew crinkled his eyebrows. "Huh? What's going on now, Al?"

"No time to explain! I gotta find Lien!"

And just like that, Alfred scurried away, leaving his twin to question about his strange behavior. This whole time, the answer was literally right in front of him. 'Why didn't I realize sooner?' Alfred thought as he kept on running through the wide halls before skidding to a halt. "Yo, Gilbert!" He called over to the albino who happened to be at the food court with Mathias.

"Ah, Alfie!" Mathias greeted happily.

"Hey, Mathias!" Alfred replied back, bumping his fists with him. "Have you seen Kiku?"

Gilbert shrugged, "Last time I saw him, he was with Xiao Mei." Nudging the tall Nordic standing next to him, he wriggled his eyebrows; "He's so getting it if you know what I mean."

Mathias folded his arms, shaking his head in agreement. "True that, dude."

"Do you know where they went?" Alfred asked, getting straight to the point.

Mathias pointed a finger over to the West Wing, "I believe he went—" He didn't get to finish as Alfred dashed ahead again. "Alfie, what's up with you?"

Unfortunately, Alfred didn't bother to respond nor listened. Rotating his body to the corner, he stopped in his tracks, recognizing the collection of voices nearby. Slowing his pace, he successfully masked his presence against the walls. Peeking his head out, Alfred noted the three figures arguing in front of him.

"What do you mean she's not coming?"

Xiao Mei took a step back as the two members who she considered to be a part of her family cornered her. "S-sis isn't picking up."

"Mei, it's alright," Kiku said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder in an assuring way. "Just call her again."

Xiao Mei gripped onto her phone tightly. "I-I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" Yao shouted, his tolerance withering thin. "You told me earlier that you would call her, aru! Why can't you do it now?"

"I just can't!" Xiao Mei exclaimed, her vision getting glossy.

Yao couldn't take it anymore. Star Fest was in jeopardy. He couldn't wrap around the fact that his star student who happened to be the ace of their orchestra band didn't show up! Ignoring the bystanders nearby, Yao stood his ground. He needed answers, now. "And why not?"

Kiku quickly stepped in, spreading his arms wide to defend his female childhood friend. "Calm down, brother!"

Alfred's left eye twitched in annoyance. He hated that he was just watching from afar. Just as he was ready to partake in the action in an attempt to support his friends, suddenly—

"SIS IS GETTING MARRIED TODAY!"

Xiao Mei's startling outburst caused the three men, including the people around the area, to stop what they were doing and stare at her in bewilderment. Silence impregnated the entire room.

"W-what did you just say?" Yao finally mustered out.

Snaking her arms around herself, Xiao Mei sobbed, letting the tears flow freely in her eyes. "Sis isn't here." She confessed, sounding as if she had committed a crime. "She's going to replace mother from the arranged marriage."

Kiku frowned. He was aware of the grim situation between the sisters but what he didn't know was how extreme it was going to be. And then it hit him. The image of his bespectacled best friend came into mind, causing Kiku to start freaking out. 'I have to find him before it's too late.' But as he turned around, much to his dismay, his fears had come true.

And as he watched his best friend fled the scene as fast as he could, Kiku slapped a hand against his temple. "Shit."

Thump, thump, thump.

That was all Alfred could feel and all that he could hear. His head was pounding like crazy as if a big sledgehammer was smashing away into his skull. Except, it wasn't. Instead, something else more terrifying compared to an actual weapon was causing him to gain a sudden headache.

It was difficult to take in such heart-wrenching information, but then again, who wouldn't blame him? The love of his life was getting married (and to make the issue even worse, it was today!) and there was nothing that Alfred could do to win her back. His lips straightened into a thin line. How long had Lien been keeping the secret all to herself? Xiao Mei was the first person to be notified about this (as they were, after all, sisters) but what about Yao and Kiku who were also a part of their small family?

More importantly, why didn't Lien tell him sooner?

It has almost been two weeks since they met and along the way, Alfred learned a lot about her and vice versa. Though he disliked to admit it, but a part of him wasn't surprised that Lien would hide something as big as like this.

Yet, why did it still irritate him? Was it because Lien didn't tell anyone or was it because she wanted to endure the suffering on her own?

Whichever was the case, Alfred was certain that Lien's situation sounded fishy.

Matthew was right—there must be a reason behind her doing.

Now, the main question was—what was it?

"She's going to replace mother from the arranged marriage."

Alfred paused for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows as his mind began reflecting on the words Xiao Mei declared earlier.

He thought about yesterday—then again, how could he ever forget? The way Lien delivered her farewell—it sounded like she was in distress. Could it be possible that her melancholic state was somehow connected to the marriage?

Gripping his hands to form a fist, Alfred quickly whipped around, punching the wall at his right side. "Oh, Lien." He uttered in a defeated tone, his sky blue eyes downcast. She really does put others' well being before her own. Nevertheless, his admiration for her only grew.

Lien was willing to sacrifice everything all for the sake of her family and their happiness. But doesn't she realize that if she carried the task out, not only will she be bringing misery to those who know her but it would also be destroying her as well.

Why can't she ever be selfish for once?

"You want to make them happy and sometimes sacrifice things, whether it's big or small, you just do."

The conversation that he once had with Francis echoed from the back of his head. Alfred's eyes slowly widened.

…It all made sense now.

It was true that Lien was quite selfish. However, her motives were purely innocent, stemming out from the love that she possessed toward her family. Adjusting his specs to the bridge of his nose, he cracked his knuckles.

He knew what he had to do.

Alfred had to search for an answer and the only way of obtaining it was by going back to the origin.

It didn't seem to matter for him if Lien kept pushing him away because no matter how many times it takes, say a hundred times, in the end—he'll come running back to her side a thousand times more.

"Well, if it ain't the famous Alfred F. Jones."

His train of thought was interrupted as Alfred turned toward the direction of where his name was being called, discovering a masculine figure appeared before him. Although he couldn't decipher who it was, the face seemed rather familiar to him. It wasn't until he took note of the stranger's notable crimson red hair that it clicked. 'This must be the same guy that Lien was talking to back at the beach.'

Producing an awkward smile, Alfred greeted, "Howdy, sir!"

Allistor let out a dramatic gasp. "Sir?" He whispered under his breath, placing one of his hands close to where his heart was located. "Ouch, don't remember me, lad? What in god's name has Artie been teaching you and Matthew?"

Alfred froze in his spot. As he squinted his eyes, he adjusted the lenses of his specs in an attempt to get a closer inspection of the older man. "…Allistor?"

Allistor emitted a snarky smile, raising an arm to present thumbs up. "Atta boy!"

"No one except you calls big bro that name." Alfred explained, laughing away, "And who wouldn't forget the first Conductor of World gig?"

"Hmm, so Artie has been teaching you two after all."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Alfred wondered, changing the topic.

"Lad, what do you think? For the third and final round, of course!" Allistor cried out enthusiastically, lifting both his arms over his head from side to side. "How can I miss something historic as that?"

Alfred laughed whole-heartedly. "Whatever you say."

Approaching the younger man, Allistor positioned his left arm behind Alfred's neck. Smirking widely, the redhead asked softly into his ear, "What's going on between you and that ace of Star Fest?"

Alfred blinked. "You mean Lien?"

Allistor whistled. "That's right!" Snickering over his statement, he continued, "Tell me, how long have you two been an item?"

Alfred quickly glanced the other way. "We aren't." He replied, "Wait a sec, how'd you know that—"

"Isn't it obvious?" Allistor interrupted with a wink. "The way you look at her is enough for me to tell that you're really into her."

Hearing this, Alfred blushed furiously. Shoving the redhead away from him, he then directed a finger toward him as he cried, "This doesn't concern you!"

Allistor raised his arms up in defense. Backing himself a bit, he bobbed his head. "Right you are, lad. Though I do believe that there's someone else here who should be more concerned about this matter." He said matter-of-factly. "Wouldn't you agree, Artie?"

Alfred stiffened. Hesitated to turn around, he slowly peered over his shoulder. The fear on the young man's face grew, all color quickly draining from his face.

Long and behold, his older brother, Arthur was indeed standing before him.

At the sight of this, Alfred's mind went blank for a mere second, his brain desperately trying to analyze the current situation. He wanted to open his mouth to say something but his words failed him. Great, just when he needed them the most, they bailed on him.

Minus the presence of Allistor, the tension amid the brothers and their surroundings seemed to thicken. The occurrence of silence was poison to them, making the void of the shallowness of their conversation be laid bare.

Fixating his awareness to his younger brother, Arthur finally decided to initiate their exchange, "Is this true?"

"What's true?" Alfred replied back in a hurry.

"Don't play dumb with me." Arthur continued, retaining his composure. "You know exactly what I'm referring to."

There was no response.

Gritting his teeth, Arthur raised his voice. "You bloody git! Don't you realize what you've just done?"

"You should know better by now that I don't obey your every whim!"

"You are the ace of World gig!" Arthur exclaimed, taking a step forward. "Don't you see that the entire fate of our orchestra band rests in your hands?"

"Is that all you are gonna view me as?" Alfred cried out, not backing down without a fight. "For your information, I am a person! Not a puppet for you to control!"

The aggravated expression written on Arthur's face transformed into one with disbelief. Looking back and forth, his lime green eyes slightly widened. As a result of their dispute, they seemed to attract an audience of their own. Other than that, another thought occurred to him.

Matthew wasn't around to help them appease their fight.

Without him, there was a possibility that their argument could lead to physical violence. 'Where is he?' He thought, searching through their unintended audience.

On cue, Alfred said, "Stop stalling, bro. I know you are trying to find Matt but he isn't here."

Reverting his attention back to him, Arthur scoffed. "I know that you bloody idiot!"

Alfred stumbled in his steps, frowning. "Why are you stalling then?"

Arthur felt his temperature rising. He could almost feel his blood boiling within his veins as he uttered. Consumed with anger, Arthur unconsciously pushed his brother aside. "If mom and dad were still here…!"

"Oh? What'll they do to me, huh?" Alfred wondered aloud. Exerting some pressure in his arms, he then stretched his arms outward, mimicking the same action as what Arthur had done.

"Bro, they've been dead for six f**king years!" He cried, "They're no longer here with us! Just let it go!" Catching his breath, he continued, "And they never instructed you to make Matt and me gentlemen! Stop dwelling in the past!"

Arthur, on the other hand, glared inwardly. "You know I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

Arthur hesitated, clenching his fists. "I'll only be repeating the same mistakes again."

"The only mistake that you did was allowing yourself to do so." Alfred said sternly, "You may not be aware of this, bro, but I'm sure mom and dad had already forgiven you a long time ago."

"No, you're wrong." Arthur cried, shaking his head. "They don't and they never will."

As he walked over to his sibling, Alfred cried with all his might. "Of course, they do!"

Arthur didn't believe him. "Where's the evidence in that?"

"You're already wearing it." Alfred indicated, forcing a smile. "Don't you think that the dog tag is enough to express how much that they loved you? They may no longer be with us anymore but they live inside us, in our heart and in that dog tag."

All Arthur could do was stand there, baffled.

Taking a deep breath, Alfred began, "Let me be who I want to be. Let me live my life the way that I want it to be. Let me fall in love." He declared with confidence. "I'm no longer a child. From now on, consider me independent!"

Another moment of silence filled the gap between the siblings.

Out of nowhere, Arthur hoisted his dominant arm, balling up his fists before aiming straight toward his brother. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

It was happening all too fast.

Not Alfred—or even Allistor, could tell what would happen next. Closing his eyes shut, Alfred braced himself, waiting for the pain on his face to surface.

A minute had passed. Then, two and three.

But nothing happened.

Fluttering his sky eyes wide opened, Alfred's lips slightly parted.

Arthur's fist was barely an inch away from brushing his left cheek.

"Alfred," Arthur addressed his younger brother, maintaining his stance. "Are you really determined to sacrifice everything you had?" He raised his voice, intensively glaring at Alfred. "I don't understand. Why risk everything for just one girl?"

Alfred stayed silent. As he continued staring back at him, he opened his mouth.

His next set of words, however, caught Arthur off-guard.

"...Wouldn't you?"

In response, Arthur's facial features softened. Although such a response was no more than three words, something in him had awoken. Same as his brother; Arthur held someone dear to him or more specifically an idiot. He didn't like to admit it but it was true.

As a result, his perspective toward the teenager, no—the young man in front of him changed, and for the first time, Arthur saw his younger brother in a new light.

Alfred had always been tempestuous and capricious—substituting from being childlike and as an adult, thus earning him the title as the epitome of a storm. But if there was one thing that could never change was the fact that Alfred never stopped smiling. Arthur remembered the times when Alfred would get himself hurt or bullied by others in school and yet eccentric smile would continue to appear on his face. At first, Arthur thought that something wrong must have happened to his poor sibling, prompting him to be more protective than ever.

It wasn't until now that it became clear.

That eccentric smile—whether if it was either fake or genuine, it was what made Alfred, well, Alfred.

At the side of that, his chin is sharper, his nose longer and…

'Has he always been this tall?' Arthur pondered; narrowing his eyes as he started comparing the latter's height with his own. Removing himself away from his sibling, a prideful smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. It was obvious that Alfred was mature enough to acknowledge the consequences and the fact that he's determined to stand up for his beliefs proves this.

"He's growing up." Arthur whispered. Realizing that he was forgetting another, he quickly added, "They're both growing up."

A sudden round of applause erupted from the crowd, prompting the brothers to turn around.

"Wonderful performance, lads!" Allistor called out, coming into view. Crossing his arms once more, he leisurely made his way next to his former student. Patting him on the back, Allistor spoke, "You know what to do, don't you Artie?"

From the corner of his eye, Arthur could see the devilish look on the redhead. After a few minutes, he nodded. "Yeah."

Watching Arthur approach his brother, Allistor let the smirk on his face broadened.

Meanwhile, Alfred stood firmly in his ground, his sky blue eyes burning with determination. A wave of content washed over him. The words that he'd always wanted to tell his older brother had finally got out of his system. But with that all set and gone, what now?

"Why are you still here?"

Alfred blinked. Looking slightly down, curious sky blue eyes clashed in with lime green. "Huh?"

"I said, why the hell are you still standing here?" Arthur repeated, tapping his left foot impatiently.

Alfred furrowed his eyebrows. Scratching the back of his neck, he asked, "What are you saying?"

Heaving a deep breath, Arthur resorted to pinching his brother's nose teasingly. "You git!" He said with a smile, "Just get out of here! Don't make me repeat myself again!"

"O-oh! Right!" Alfred replied, nodding his head enthusiastically. And then ran ahead without another word.

Unknown to him, however, Arthur gazed at his brother's distant figure.

Like a parent to a child, Arthur knew that it wasn't easy to watch them grow up. Don't they know that the real world was terrifying?'No, I did the right thing.' He assured to himself. 'Mom and Dad would have wanted it that way.'

"What in the world are you doing, lad?" Allistor cried. "Don't you realize what you are doing?"

Placing a hand close to his collar, his fingers touched the metallic surface of the dog tag. Turning to face Allistor, Arthur nodded firmly. "Yeah. I'm letting my brother go."

Running at a breakneck speed, Alfred held back his breath, his heart thrashing against his chest. Sweat beaded on his forehead, causing some strands of his sandy blonde hair to cling onto his skin. Even so, he kept going. Such a scene definitely seemed like it came out of a Hollywood movie. Alfred F. Jones, the dashing hero, was off to rescue his princess, Lien Kim Nguyen. Muttering a few curses under his breath, he continued thrashing his legs against the wooden floor.

Come what may, reality wasn't a movie and therefore, happy endings were a rare factor to acquire. As cliche as it may sounds, Alfred personally wanted to make one come true. If he had one wish to do so, he knew just the right person who deserved the happily ever after.

And all he had to do was to go to her.

The more he kept on advancing; the gigantic, glass entrance of Himaruya Hall came into sight.

Yes, just a couple of more steps and…

"ALFRED!"

"ALFIE!"

"BASTARD, DON'T YOU DARE TAKE ANOTHER STEP!"

A chorus of voices called him from behind, causing Alfred to, unfortunately, unable to avoid stumbling backward. Finding himself flat on the ground, the bespectacled young man groaned.

"Hey, you alright?"

Alfred's ears perked up at the sound of familiarity. Looking up, he grinned. "Everyone!" He greeted while wiping the sweat rolling down from his temple.

The albino chuckled, "How's the view down there, dude?"

Alfred shrugged. "Pretty nice," He commented before patting on the space beside him. "Wanna join me?"

Kiku rolled his eyes. "Come on, get up." He said while reaching his hand out to him.

Rubbing his eyes in hinder, he then gripped his best friend's hand for support. With the help of his friends, he rose up from the ground. Putting his hands on his hips, Alfred asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We want to come along," Kiku explained, taking the role of speaking out for everyone.

"Yeah, and we ain't taking no for an answer!" Gilbert chimed in, pumping a fist into the air. "Screw Arthur!"

Mathias folded his arms. "We know how much you wanna be the hero, but have you ever considered making us your sidekicks?"

Alfred stifled his laughter. "You all have a point." Glancing over to the female, he asked, "Xiao Mei, what about you?"

Hearing this, Xiao Mei puffed her cheeks. "Of course, I'm coming!" She cried, "Sis needs me!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gilbert wondered, heading toward the entrance. "Let's go!"

Just when they were about to move, Xiao Mei took notice of the attendance of one of her band mates. "Chen!" She shouted, startling the four men near her.

The tall short dark brown haired man called Chen stopped and turned, causing the long bangs in which were combed over his right side to motion prior to his movement. Fixing his glasses close to his golden yellow eyes, he smiled before advancing to their group. "Xiao Mei, how are you?"

"Pretty good!" Xiao Mei replied back. Clearing her throat, she went on, "But I really don't have much time to lose. Can you be a sweetie and inform Yao that I'm heading out for a bit?"

Chen looked at her as if she produced two heads. "Milady, the final round is about to begin."

"I know, I know," Xiao Mei said, casually waving it off like it was nothing. "I'm begging you, please! It's an emergency!"

Scanning through the group of individuals that would be accompanying her, he felt relieved when he became aware of the presence of Kiku. "Please come back in one piece."

Xiao Mei beamed. "Thanks, Chen and yes, I will!" She then jointed her right arm with her childhood friend's opposite. "And don't you worry! Kiku's gonna be with me!"

Kiku blushed. "Mei!"

Chen let out a sigh of relief. "Alright." He said before bowing down respectfully. "Do come back safe and sound. All of you."

"We will!" Mathias cried, flashing a smile.

Shortly after they bid their goodbyes to Chen, Alfred frowned as another thought loomed in his mind.

Curious, Gilbert asked, "What's up, Alfred?"

"If we're gonna find Lien," Alfred began, "we gotta know where she is."

Mathias sneered. "Good point, buddy."

Turning to face her once more, Kiku politely questioned, "Mei, did Lien tell you where she could be?"

"I believe so…" Xiao Mei trailed off before snapping her fingers. "A-ha!"

Kiku frowned a little. "A-ha?"

"Sis mentioned something about a cathedral that's located on the east coast of the city." She explained thoroughly.

Alfred gulped. "That's far away, isn't it?"

Kiku nodded in response. "I believe so."

"What should we do then?" Mathias asked.

Xiao Mei pursed her lips. Narrowing her eyes in an attempt to look through the glass entrance, she then snapped her fingers. "How about we get a ride?" She suggested.

Kiku shifted his feet in anxiety. "Get a ride? But from whom?"

Xiao Mei smiled. "Glad you asked!" She said before darting off on her own. Using both her hands, she takes hold of the door handles and pushes them forward.

"Should we follow her?" Gilbert asked, completely confused.

Kiku took a deep breath and sighed. "Yeah."

And so, the four men followed after the younger girl. Once they marched across the wide, open doors, they found her talking to what appears to be an olive-skinned male. Besides his civilian clothes, what made him more suspicious was that a white mask obscured the upper part of his face. However, from the looks of it, Xiao Mei seemed to get along well with him.

"For those of you who don't know, that's Sadik Adnan," Kiku explained to them. "He plays Tubular Bells for Star Fest."

Mathias raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't Heracles have a close friend with the same name?"

"Yeah," Kiku confirmed with a shake of his head. "That's him."

"Boys!" Xiao Mei yelled, loud enough for others nearby to look at her in confusion. "Sadik offered to take us to the cathedral on his car!" Gesturing to the navy blue wrangler jeep behind her, she cried out once more, "Come on, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Mathias cried, racing forth.

The albino laughed, getting rallied up. "Not if I get there first!" And then ran as well.

As Mathias and Gilbert went ahead, Kiku rolled his eyes before performing the same act. "Wait up!" Witnessing this, Alfred smiled warmly. How on earth did he become so fortunate to have friends like these? Turning his back from Himaruya Hall, he moved ahead.

"Hang tight, Lien. I'm coming."

Author's Note:

Sorry for the wait (attending senior barbecues, saying goodbye to friends and graduation can be a hassle!) but I'm finally back! Ta-da! The sixteenth installment is finally here! Besides my long absence, I had been planning this chapter for quite a long time. In fact, the published date for this chapter was purposely done as well!

(The title of the chapter is also a play on words!)

Matthew (July 1st) encourages Alfred to gain his independence (July 4th) from Arthur [a play on words on the day when America officially gains their independence from Great Britain]

In this chapter, new characters are introduced as follows: Im Yong Soo (South Korea), Chen (Macau) and Sadik Adnan (Turkey).

Unlike the recent chapters that I've provided you, I decided that it's time to go back to the more simpler chapters (as the story is unfortunately ending quite soon).

Now, the summary as follows! Everyone's reaction to the third and final round, Lien's visit to the hospital, Matthew's brotherly advice to Alfred, the unfortunate reveal by Xiao Mei (what made it worse was that all three men that Lien forbid her sister not to tell were all presented!), Alfred's declaration of independence and finally, the race is on to get back Lien!

Wait a minute-Lien (ace of Star Fest) is missing and now so is Alfred (ace of World gig)! What's going to happen now between the rivaling bands? More importantly, who's going to step in as the ace for both?

More importantly, is it too late to get back Lien?

Stay tuned for more!

I would like to thank once again for the fellow readers, reviewers and fans who have always supported me up until now! A special shout out to my dear friends, Ivy Clow and The Dusk Terror (you two are awesome and thank you for your reviews and overwhelming support!)

Once again, I'm open for more character requests!

And as usual, your opinions are greatly appreciated!

Side Note(s):

(Thank you Ivy Clow for the question!)

Q:How old is Lien? Is she the same age as Al or younger?

A: There is a popular belief that America is the youngest of all the nations (minus Sealand) which makes Vietnam deemed as the older one. Although I can see that happening but because this is my story, I decided to bend the rules while keeping the belief. Alfred's birthday is July 4th while Lien's is September 9th which makes them only two to three months apart, making Alfred in my books, a bit older (which I slightly mentioned-and for those who didn't know, don't worry!). However, keeping the popular belief that Alfred is younger, I'll be making Lien skip a grade in college.

In summary, Alfred and Lien are close in age.

Alfred is a freshman in college and Lien is sophomore but Lien is still younger than him.

UPDATE: Thank you so much, madisoncamelia for the quick trivia! (America really isn't the youngest of all the nations after all!)

(Thank you zxcvbnm for the question!)

Q: If Mei is part of Star Fest, then what instrument is she playing?

A: The xylophone!

(Thank you s for the question!)

Q: Is Mei, Lien's younger twin or younger sister in 1 year gap? And since you've revealed that Lien skipped a grade but is the same as Alfred, is Mei a freshman college student or a senior high school student?

A: Xiao Mei is indeed Lien's younger sister in a one year gap. Therefore, she is also a freshman college student with Alfred.