Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

With the last of the remaining musicians exited onstage and into the bright, red curtains, a buzzing noise resonated throughout the auditorium.

On cue, a small gathering of people arose from their seats and taking their belongings, quietly made haste to the stairwell and leave.

In contrast to this, a great majority chose to stay behind as their mindset lamented on about what could've been the most enthralling third and final round that they ever witnessed in a long time.

Buckling her legs together in an effort to readjust herself in her seat, a heavy sigh escaped from Chelsea's lips. It's been thirty minutes since the surprising turn of events and even now, her body was still shivering. Before the curtain call, Chelsea voluntarily got herself into a heated argument with her friend Martin regarding about which concert band, specifically World gig and Star Fest was more likely going to win tonight.

Based on her calculations, she was certain that she was going to be the one seizing the glory.

Things turned for the worst when they least expected it. And now with everything over, who won?

Chelsea clicked her tongue. Well, obviously it wasn't her.

Then again, neither did Martin.

"Chelsea?"

The female blinked, although was quick to recover when she recognized the masculine voice. Turning to face her companion sitting beside her, she spoke up with one of her eyebrows raised, "Yeah?"

Scratching the back of his neck, Martin asked, "Umm…did you know anything about the collaboration?"

Placing a hand to the crown of her head, Chelsea groaned loudly. Geez, did he honestly thought that she knew about all this beforehand?

When he didn't receive a proper answer, Martin produced a puzzling look, "Wait, so you didn't?" He gawked, "Aren't you the type to always research this kind of s— "

Unfortunately, the Slovakian didn't get the opportunity to continue the rest of his sentence.

Crumbling the pamphlet that she possessed, with both hands, Chelsea threw the item into the ground.

Witnessing this, Martin gulped. 'Oh, no.'

Blinded by her rage, Chelsea was ready to smack him right then and there. And wasting no time, eventually, she gave in to her instincts as she started to lift her other free arm into the air.

"Chelsea, wait!" Martin cried as he raised his arms high in defense. "No, I'm too young to die!"

It was already too late.

However, just when she had the chance to do so—a jarring, hearty laughter erupted, causing the female to stop what she's doing. Spinning her body slowly halfway, the brunette caught sight of a masculine figure observing them from afar. Despite their close proximity, it was rather difficult from where Chelsea stood to narrow down about the specificity of the stranger's distinctive features.

Narrowing her eyes, she then took note of the stranger's deeply tanned skin. Aside from his obvious tall height, his hair and eyes were painted with the same shade of chestnut brown, including a wild curl that was carefully tucked under the shell of his left ear.

As she withdrew her left arm back to her side, her cheeks reddened as realization started to hit her.

Crap, someone saw her.

Wasting no time, Chelsea opened her mouth. "This isn't what it looks like, really!"

As the older man rose from his seat, he then folded his arms as he did so. "You sure?" He asked mischievously.

"Yes, I-I'm certain!" Chelsea reinforced back.

Meanwhile, Martin blinked once, twice.

Huh, now this was quite refreshing to see—was it just him or did he hear Chelsea stutter?

Fixating his focus at the older man in which his dear friend had unintentionally formed an awkward discussion with, Martin decided to throw a question right off the bat. "Hey, umm…sir!" He exclaimed, prompting Chelsea and the stranger to gain his attention. "So, what did you think about the second-to-last performance?"

As he said that, something pinched him on the side of his elbow, eliciting the poor young man to tightly shut his lips in an effort not to scream from the pain that was recently inflicted on him.

"What are you thinking?" Chelsea hissed under her breath, "Trying to get me in even more trouble?"

Martin pouted. "I'm saving you, Chelsea," He explained, "You seem like you're stuck in the mud and I just wanted to help."

Hearing this, Chelsea scoffed before turning the other way. "Whatever…"

Fortunately for the two friends, the older Italian man was more focused on developing his own answer. Fetching his phone from the back pocket of his khaki pants, he pressed a button to the side which initiated the electronic device to turn on. His grin broadened when he happened to discover a text message appear on the top portion of the phone screen. What made it even more delightful was when he read the sender's name. Another lighthearted chuckle escaped from his throat, prompting the two friends to pause and glanced at each other anxiously.

"Are you referring to World gig and Star Fest?" He asked for better verification. Upon receiving stellar nods of confirmation, he continued. "You got to admit; you've never seen something quite like it." He explained while letting his fingers tap on the mobile keyboard without any means of looking back down. "And if it's something they prefer to stick with, then what's the harm in that?"

After a long pause, Martin finally began to respond, "…You sound as if you know World gig and Star Fest."

Once more, the poor young man felt a sharp twist of pain, only this time being located in his right ear. "Don't say something like that!" Chelsea uttered, already getting irritated.

Even so, the older man smiled. "Not really." He said to them. "You could say that I'm a fan of them. A fanatic as you may call me."

Releasing her hold on her friend, Chelsea raised her voice to join in the conversation. "That's incredible!" She commented rather happily, "This is actually our first time!"

Looking back up to face the friends once more, the older man casually smiled. "Really now?" He said as his left thumb sneakily made its way to press a button which read 'send,' "Then you two are in for a real treat in the future."

The highly anticipated third and final round finally came to an epic conclusion.

But like every part of life, all good must come to an end and an event like this was no different than the rest. Yet, Lien couldn't seem to grasp the reality of it.

As she wandered through the halls, her ears picked up the sound of multitude chanting of voices from nearby. Looking around, Lien couldn't help but unconsciously smile as she took in the scene occurring in front of her.

Members of Star Fest and World gig roamed the domain of the West Wing. Due to their history comprised of competitiveness and conflicts, one might think that these two rivaling bands would be neck-in-neck with each other, especially when they happened to be in the same place. Or worse, trigger a public fight that would lead into some brutal fist contact or aggressive vocabulary.

For the first time, none of this happened at all.

Instead, it was the opposite: an immense mob of individuals—be it familiar or not, each and everyone was all congratulating, showering the other with high-fives and praises.

To Lien, such a scene felt so surreal. As she circled her arms over her precious instrument, Lien closed her eyes for a second, letting herself get drowned in her own sea of thoughts.

The dynamic World gig conversing casually with the acculturated Star Fest?

Two infamous world-renowned orchestra bands that have self-proclaimed themselves as rivals? How on earth was that possible? Such a concept was considered to be unreachable.

…But tonight, it happened—that absurd thought was achieved and it worked harmoniously.

And Lien couldn't be any more content. Then, an image of a bespectacled young man appeared, resulting Lien bite her bottom lip.

A while after the last performance, Lien found herself in the heat of a moment. Or to be more precise, a special moment in which involved only her and him together.

Touching the corner of her lips with her index finger, she blushed furiously. Although the kiss was rather short-lived, the skin of her lips still tingled. She wanted to shake off the feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach but at the same time, she didn't want to. 'It felt right to do it.' She thought to herself.

"There you are, sis!"

Fluttering her eyes open, Lien turned and as she did so, her wedding dress slightly moved, giving off a graceful twirl. She wasn't able to properly register what was going on as the silhouette of her baby sibling appeared out of nowhere and in the blink of an eye, got tackled into a bone-crushing hug, prompting the poor woman to take a few steps back. Dipping her chin down, Lien muttered, "M-Mei, what's going— "

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her torso, resulting in Lien to let out a squeak.

From the corner of her eye, Lien could see curly locks of blonde hair—a detail that was safe for her to assume who it could possibly be. "Bel?"

Bel beamed. "The one and only!" She responded, followed by a hearty laugh.

Ignoring the pain on her back, a gentle smile makes its way to her lips upon listening to the familiar voice of her friend. Disregarding the constricted position that she was forced into, Lien shifted her field of vision in order to get a better look at the two individuals at the same time. "Can any of you explain what are you doing?"

Xiao Mei puffed her cheeks. "What does it look like we're doing? We're showering you with our love!"

"Your little sister's right," Bel agreed before raising her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "That is unless you want a certain someone to replace us and— "

Lien blushed. "That's quite enough!" She exclaimed before turning her head the other way in hopes of avoiding their intensive stares. Unknown to her, they already caught her bashful look.

"So, spill me in on your romance!" Bel began as she released her grip from her friend and giving her the utmost full attention on her. "How come you didn't tell us you and Alfred were already lovey-dovey?"

"L-lovey-dovey?" Lien stammered, still blushing.

Xiao Mei stuck her tongue out. "Don't act dense around us, sis!" She cried, nudging her sibling on the shoulder. "It's so obvious that you two are already in a relationship!"

Lien quirked an eyebrow. "But we're not."

Planting her hands on her hips, Bel frowned. "You're not?"

"Sis, you just got out of a freaking wedding!" Xiao Mei suddenly exclaimed, frantically waving her arms back and forth. "You're telling me that the only reason why you kissed him was because it had to be done? Of all— "

In an instant, Lien raised a hand and thrust forward, successfully covering her sister's mouth with it. "Mei!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Bel cried with a spark of interest in her eyes. Putting a hand over the shell of her ear, she went on, "What was that? Lien was at a wedding?"

Switching her focus from her older sister and to the other female, Xiao Mei nodded her head enthusiastically. "Swish was to marry this twerk named Yeung who's shuppose to we mother's fiancé." She explained through the use of muffled words, "Alfwed fwund out and propose a pwan to swave her!"

Bel tilted her head to the side, a display of confusion evident on her expression. "Hang on, so that's the reason why you two weren't here in the beginning?"

Lien heaved a measured sigh before proceeding to remove her hand from her sister's mouth. "Every word of it."

Clapping her hands together, Bel squealed in delight, "Oh my gosh, I cannot believe this is happening! Girl, you are so damn fortunate to be with Alfred!"

"Yay, the ship has sailed~" Xiao Mei chimed in, bouncing up and down.

Lien, on the other hand, smiled bitterly. "Let's not celebrate just yet."

Pausing on what she was doing, Bel raised a questionable eyebrow. "How come?"

"What happens now?" Lien asked, getting to the matter at hand. "I've never done this before so…"

Witnessing this, Bel smiled cheekily. "So what if this is your first time?" She cried, "You and Alfred obviously enjoy each other's company right? So what's making you take a step back? Tell Alfred how you honestly feel about where you guys stand now."

"Yeah and if you don't think you're ready, I'm sure Alfred will understand and wait for you." Xiao Mei added in. "In fact, before we entered the cathedral, he once mentioned to me and the boys that you meant a whole lot to him."

Lien blushed. "Did he really say that?"

Folding her arms under her chest, Xiao Mei held her head high. "Sis, you should know better than anyone that I'm pretty good at being honest!"

Lien giggled. Peering her head back up, a small smile materialized on her face. "I appreciate both of your help."

The younger girl produced a toothy grin. "Anytime!"

Bel winked, "Don't worry, us girls have to stick to each other you know?" Sneaking a glance at her wristwatch, she whistled. "Whoa, would you look at the time?"

"Do you have to go?" Lien pondered.

"Yeah, Antonio and Lovino might be wondering where I am," Bel explained. Performing a salute, she quickly said, "I'll see you guys later, alright?" And taking the hems of her black dress, she scurried off into the midst of the crowd.

As the sisters watched the female Belgian vanish into the distance, they didn't seem to pay in mind of another set of figures coming their way.

"Lien, Xiao Mei! It's nice to see you again, da."

Turning around, Xiao Mei hoisted her arm up, greeting the Russian with the usual bright smile on her face. "Ah, Ivan!"

Meanwhile, Lien gulped. If Ivan was coming their way, that would mean—

"Oh, hey! Yao's here too!"

…Well, that answers the question.

And from the looks of it, Yao seemed to be walking a bit faster than his best friend.

Now that the problem concerning about her and Alfred's relationship standing, next came the challenge of coming clean with the one person who she looked up to the most. She could already picture it: Yao would be lecturing them regarding their improper attendance, or worse, to the point that his face would turn extremely crimson as he outrages, regardless if there were some people around to bear witness.

The possibilities are endless and it was because of that, Lien's shoulders slightly tensed.

In the end, whichever was the case that Yao decided to lay upon them, in her perspective, it was bound to be justifiable.

Once the two males presented themselves before them, Lien took a deep breath, carefully and quietly studying of the possible signs of what her mentor might initiate. 'It's now or never.' She pondered, tightening her fists.

Silence filled the space amongst the four.

When Yao took a step forward, Lien took this opportunity to begin speaking, "Yao, I can explain— "

In the blink of an eye, a mass of weight was loaded onto her. Lien blinked in bafflement as she couldn't process what was happening. Of all the different kinds of punishments, she couldn't think of, being embraced was not one of the options that particularly crossed her mind.

It was a simple gesture and yet, it spoke a thousand words.

She then turned her head to the other side to discover that her baby sister was thrown into the mix and funny enough, appeared to be enjoying it. Coming out from his hiding, Yao glided his head pass their necks.

"I'm glad you two are safe."

Lien's eyes slightly glistened. And just like that, her worries had melted away. Swaying her head, a little, she sniffed the open air. "Forgive me," She muttered out, her voice cracking. "I didn't mean to…"

Yao hummed softly, stroking her chocolate brown mane gently to soothe her. "I'm upset, yes, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is that you're here." Yao interrupted her in a surprisingly gentle manner. "Star Fest wouldn't be the same without you nor Xiao Mei, aru."

Xiao Mei smiled, leaning her head on the side of where the older man's supportive shoulder laid and returned the embrace. "Are you going to say the same thing to Kiku?"

After releasing them from his hold, Yao shook his head. "I will." He said before quickly inserting, "Though it's best that I do so in the morning."

Xiao Mei smiled eagerly. "Good to know!"

Hearing this, Yao chuckled lightly. "Same old Xiao Mei," He commented, ruffling her hair. Clearing his throat, he went on. "Were the rumors true that you were to be wedded tonight?"

"Yes," Lien confirmed, getting straight to the point. "I did what I've had to do, but what I didn't know was that Yeung had other plans in mind that he did not inform me."

Narrowing his eyes, Yao asked, "Who is this Yeung?"

"The loser our late father depended on when he was still alive." Xiao Mei explained, joining on the discussion. "He'll supply us medicine from overseas and insisted that so long as we paid our debt to him, it would be even."

"When father passed away, our family could no longer pay the appropriate amount of debt," Lien said, finishing the rest for her sister. "Yeung offered an arranged marriage and our mother was forced to accept it. From there, everything started to go downhill."

Ivan frowned. "Why haven't either of you bothered to report this man to the police?"

"Oh no, we couldn't!" Xiao Mei cried, "We tried countless times but he'll always find a way to blackmail us."

After a long pause, Yao turned to the Russian standing beside him and leaning close to his ear, started muttering something to him.

Once their small talk was subsided, Ivan excused himself from the group and left.

Curious, Xiao Mei asked the obvious question, "Umm…what's going on?"

"With what happened to your mother, we have enough evidence to bring him to court," Yao explained, startling the sisters. "It's a good thing too that you both told me about this. I'll make sure this Yeung bastard is brought to justice for his crimes."

Lien glanced the other way, a bit hesitated as Yao's words plagued her mind.

If the cards are played right, chances are this entire family issue regarding debt would ultimately be put to rest. What's more, their mother would no longer drown in misery.

It was the making of a possible happily ever after, not only for her mother but also for her and Xiao Mei as well.

Smiling bitterly, Lien stretched her hand outward before settling it on top of the older man's own. "Thank you, Yao."

In response, Yao emitted a soft smile. "Blood-related or not, know that Kiku and I will always be there for the both of you, aru." He assured to them.

As soon as he said that, a light giggle escaped from the younger sister's throat.

"Something the matter, Xiao Mei?" Yao asked, a bit concerned.

In response, Xiao Mei shook her head from left to right. "It's just strange to hear you say that."

The strange direction of the conversation caused the older man to blink twice. Furrowing his eyebrows, Yao persisted, "What's with the sudden uncertainty?"

Lien smiled, holding her violin close to her chest as she said, "I believe Mei's right. You may not be aware of it but you are in fact acting a bit different."

Crossing his arms, Yao's eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion. "Are you saying that I'm old?"

"No, no!" Xiao Mei quickly reinforced before laughing, "What we're trying to imply is that whenever we have this whole concert thingy, you always seemed to be concentrated and focused. But now, it's different. You look more relaxed than ever."

"That's because the final performance is over and we managed to finish it with one of the best pieces that we've ever mastered," Yao explained, interrupting her. Reflecting back on what happened a few hours ago, he sighed. "I'd admit if it wasn't for Kirkland who requested for our bands to collaborate, Star Fest and World gig would have been screwed, aru."

Lien furrowed her eyebrows. "The judges allowed the collaboration?"

"There were some issues, but Kirkland and I compromised," Yao said with a contented grin. "And if possible, we would also split the money." Crossing his arms over his chest, he continued, "I understand now that some things can't stay the same forever."

"And we all lived happily ever after!" Xiao Mei exclaimed as she spread her arms wide, "Yay!"

Yao chuckled at the younger girl's childish antics. 'Guess some things never change,' He thought. Sneaking a glance at his student, his lips curved a little bit upwards upon noticing that the young woman, in particular, was looking elsewhere. Following her line of vision, he caught sight of another group not too far away from where they were stationed. From there, it was clear indication of who she could be searching for.

With that in mind, Yao furrowed his eyebrows.

For as long as he could remember, never once had he ever heard of two aces committing a relationship with one another. Sure, it was probable, however—based on the latter's situation, it was bound to be dire.

For now, he would continue to be observant around them. If Alfred does hurt Lien, he wouldn't hesitate on punishing the young man for the future actions he'd commit...

As he thought of this, seconds later—almond eyes clashed with the familiar color of lime green. The older man, suddenly becoming aware of his surroundings, took this opportunity to bow his head in respect. In turn, the rugged, blonde haired gentleman mimicked the same action.

Seeing this, Yao unconsciously smiled, his once tightened fists eventually loosening. 'The future is bright,' He thought before focusing at Lien once more, 'And who would've thought that it was all because of her?'

Across the right side of the West Wing hall was a young gentleman with a guitar case tucked securely between his legs. Folding his arms, a tired sigh escaped from his lips while he took in the festivities displayed in front of him. It was moments like these that Arthur Kirkland enjoyed taking the role of a Conductor.

So many things occurred in one evening that even Arthur himself couldn't believe it all happened. Despite the complexity of events, it managed to work out alright. Blood, sweat and tears to which contributed into shaping their final performance—oh, how delighted he was when it happened to exceed his expectations! 'I'll have to thank Yao Wang later,' He noted. When he motioned his head the other way, funnily enough—Arthur caught sight of the same man staring back and then bowed.

The quiet words of 'thank you' and 'I am grateful' entered his mind. A smile graced across the gentleman's lips and proceeded to situate the same deed.

No words were spoken from either of the men as the mere sight of their association with bowing their heads were enough to satisfy and ease them both. Suddenly, an Italian man ran up to the latter—with one hand gripping the frame of a phone and with the other attached over his mouth.

From the looks of it, Arthur reckoned that the sobbing individual must be Feliciano's other brother.

"What are you looking at?"

Flinching from his spot, Arthur turned to face his childhood friend. Clicking his tongue, he muttered under his breath, "None of your business, Frog."

Francis, nonetheless, smiled. "Oh, don't you get ahead of yourself," He advised and then gestured over to the familiar figures nearby, "Remember that we still need to celebrate our winning victory."

Arthur scoffed, "I know that—" As he said that, a boisterous cry erupted their conversation midway.

"Alfred! We're over here!" Michelle exclaimed, paying no mind to Arthur's sore expression as she raised her right hand up to signal the bespectacled young man who was coming toward them.

Upon Alfred's arrival in the group, he flashed his usual cheerful smile, "Whoa, awesome! Ralph and James are here too!" He pointed out as he addressed the two new familiar faces in the group. Stretching his arms wide, he cried, "Now this is a family, am I right?"

Listening to the sappy remarks of his brother, Arthur rolled his eyes. "Just get over here, you bloody idiot," He said as he approached him. He then hung one arm over his shoulder, bringing the latter close.

Alfred, though a bit surprised by the sudden gesture, smiled and returned the hug. "Aww, did you miss me that much?"

"Don't push it," Arthur muttered under his breath, triggering his younger sibling to only laugh harder.

Seconds later, a sudden mass of weight was stationed on his back, causing Alfred to turn around.

"Don't forget about me," A soft masculine voice spoke out.

A chuckle escaped Alfred's lips. Bringing an arm out, Alfred proceeded to ruffle the curly blonde locks of his younger twin's hair. "Hahaha, how could we ever forget you?"

"Yay, group hug!" Michelle chanted and in no time, delivered a tackle toward the brothers, more specifically at Arthur who in turn cried from agony when his back received a painful blow. When it dawned upon her that she was the one responsible for his pain, Michelle quickly apologized. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, Art— "

"It's…fine," Arthur mustered out, his cheeks turning red.

Listening to his words, Michelle cheekily grinned. "Okay!"

Sneaking his way over to the group, Francis took the liberty of settling on embracing Matthew and his sister. "This is nice!" He commented as he voluntarily took part in cuddling up with the group, much to his childhood friend's irritation.

Meanwhile, Ralph and James watched from the sidelines.

"Look at them all close to each other," James commented with a contented smile.

Ralph laughed heartedly. "Makes you want to get in on the fun, yeah?" Ralph added in as he nudged his friend on the shoulder. Gaining a nod of approval, the Australian turned his attention elsewhere or more particularly, to the redhead standing next to him. "Say, Allistor right? Whaddaya think 'bout tonight?"

Allistor tilted his head a little to the side. "You mean the performance?" He wondered. When he saw the latter nodding in response, he let out a yawn. "It…could've been worse."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Frowning, Allistor turned to see his former student already standing in front of him. "Oh, already done with the hug?" Placing a hand over his forehead, he then rotated his head from left to right. "Where'd your family run off to, lad?"

"Cut the crap," Arthur exclaimed, taking a step forward. "As for my family, they don't have anything to do with your bullshit." As soon as he said that, he quickly glanced over at Ralph and James who both nodded in return, already having a sense that this type of conversation wasn't meant for either of them.

Once the two males disappeared, Allistor raised his right hand to present two of his index fingers. "In the world of a gig, there are two policies that we must behold: that you are not supposed to approach them on your own nor befriend them." He explained and using his other free hand, started demonstrating a cross sign. "And now here comes your idiotic brother thinking he's all that and breaks all of these rules, but he also managed to fall in love with one— "

"Don't talk shit about my brother!" Arthur protested back, "If it weren't for someone like him, World gig would never evolve into something as spontaneous as tonight." Taking a deep breath, he went on. "I'm very aware that our collaboration with Star Fest was highly unexpected but you have to understand the reason why we did so in the first place."

Allistor pursed his lips. When he tried to open his mouth to express his opinions, Arthur on the other hand, kept going. Laughter broke out from nearby, causing the two males to turn to who might be responsible for the noise. It was no surprise that Alfred was the one that started the ruckus, however—he wasn't alone.

"World gig was fine without you and even now, it still has."

Hearing this, Allistor sighed deeply. "Look, I know what you're trying to— "

"Don't you dare interrupt me!" Arthur exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the original Conductor. "I am not done yet!"

"For your information, you were the one who interrupted me first!" The redhead affirmed. "But you know, I do understand."

The gentleman frowned. "What?"

Allistor grinned. "Before you started to ramble on of nonsense, what I wanted to say was that I would like you to experience more on that particular field."

An awkward silence impregnated between them.

Finally, Arthur decided to speak up. "You're not making sense."

Putting his hands on his hips, Allistor began, "What World gig and Star Fest had done tonight was historic." He explained as clearly as possible. "Never have I seen with my own eyes, two orchestra bands playing side by side and do it so harmoniously." Chuckling, he continued, "You, my lad, have the makings of a brilliant Conductor."

Once he was able to deliver his speech, there was another moment of silence.

"…Okay, how much did you smoke this afternoon?"

Allistor brought a hand to his mouth as he sighed. Why can't anyone take him seriously? "Anyway, I won't be staying here for long." He said, changing the topic.

Arthur crinkled his nose. "You're not planning to attend the victory party?"

"Oh? When's that going to be?" Allistor wondered, taking an interest.

"After the results are in." Arthur explained matter-of-factly, "Yao and I talked about it beforehand and would like to host it inside his house."

The redhead waved his hand from side to side. "Sounds fun but I'd rather not." He replied, "The little lad and I have to catch our trip to the plane."

"When's that?"

"In about less than ten hours," Allistor informed to him as he stretched his arm forward. "It was great to see you again, Arthur."

Arthur peered down at his former teacher's hand, still confused. "Is your farewell?"

"For now," Allistor said with a mischievous smirk etched on his face. "Why, is little Artie already missing me?"

"Just shut up and get out of my sight," Arthur remarked, not bothering to shake hands.

Allistor raised his arms, "Alright, alright, I will." Spinning his heel, he proceeded on taking his first few steps and—

"Wait."

Stopping in his tracks, the redhead turned. "Hmm?"

"Thank you," Arthur said, emphasizing word after word. "For everything, Allistor."

Allistor blinked and slowly, a smile materialized on his lips. "Real— "

"Now get out." Arthur suddenly reinforced and just like that, his back was turned away from his teacher before making his way over to join his awaiting family.

Witnessing this, Allistor shook his head, retaining his smile. "Same old Artie," He murmured softly under his breath. Afterward, he too left the scene without another word.

With rain clouds nowhere in sight, this allowed the presence of night to take its place—the darkness consuming everything for as far as the eye can see. The twinkling lights deprived of the city embedded the neighboring streets and houses—a beacon that was enough to provide solace to individuals who happened to live among the surrounding borders.

Of these houses, one, in particular, didn't appear to need it—within its interior, a party was occurring.

Click!

Looking away from his Nikon camera, Alfred then pressed a button. A smile grazed his face upon discovering that the picture he took was a success. Tapping another button to exit his collection of pictures, the bespectacled young man exited from the kitchen and into the living room.

Five hours have passed, marking the official end of the third and final round.

Quite similar to the preliminary rounds, his older brother, Arthur advised that there should be a victory party—a common tradition that's become a custom in World gig. For a change, the members of Star Fest were invited to which Yao, fortunately, agreed to. As an added bonus, he even allowed the said party to be at his place.

As Alfred entered the living room, his smile broadened in length.

On the right side of the room, there was his family—Arthur and Francis holding a conversation with Yao and Ivan, a sight that Alfred once thought seemed almost impossible to imagine.

Then again, wouldn't he say the same thing as well with the others?

Besides the Conductors and their right-hand men, there was Matthew and Michelle sitting on one of the couches and across from them, were the appearances of Katyusha and Natalya. The four individuals appeared to also be engaged in a conversation of their own, but even so, the sight of their rare interaction was enough to make Alfred, all the more, happier.

On the opposite side of the room, there was also Roderich and Elizabeta sharing a drink with Vladimir. Across from them stood Feliciano, Ludwig and Heracles chatting a storm with Chen and Kasem.

And they weren't the only ones either—in fact, there were countless more that he could count.

Ever so carefully, Alfred held his camera up once more, positioning the optical instrument close to his face until it touched the tip of his nose. Just when he could press the button to take a picture—

"OH MY GOD, IT'S F**KING OVER!" A male voice cried aloud.

"Yay, I'm number one!" A feminine voice followed after, "I'm number one!"

The voices—mixed all together with the joy of laughter caught Alfred's attention. Lowering down his camera, he decided to walk toward the center of the living room. The closer he got, the more he started to take notice of the five individuals, all who were very much familiar to him, lounging on the floor as their attention were directed to the large television screen displayed before them.

To Alfred, it was ironic: here they were attending a party but would prefer to interact with games than socializing with others. 'I wouldn't blame them,' He thought once he got close enough to where they were sitting.

"Sup, Alfie!"

Alfred blinked and then turned to the direction of the sound that called his name. "Mathias!" He greeted the tall Nordic. Bending his knees, he reached an arm out to bump fists with him, "What's going on over here?"

"Hey, Alfred!" Xiao Mei greeted the young man, "You see, Kiku here was ranked number one in the charts. And so, I challenged him to play against me. Gilbert and Mathias didn't believe me at first but check it!" Gesturing her arm toward the television screen which showed a list of rankings, she began to swing both her arms and legs simultaneously as she cried, "Oh yeah, I'm number one now!"

Peering down at his best friend, Alfred laughed as he patted his best friend on the head, "You doing okay, bud?"

"I've never been this terrified of a girl in my life," Kiku softly murmured; his expression on his face mixed with fear and anguish.

"Welcome to the club!" Gilbert cried as he encircled one of his arms over his sullen best friend's neck.

Mathias nodded while raising his right hand. "Aye!"

"How about you, Alfred?" Gilbert asked curiously, prompting the bespectacled young man to look back at him. "Does Lien ever terrify you? Because for me, it's Elizabeta all the way!"

Alfred frowned, thinking it over. "Huh, I don't think— "

All of a sudden, images of Lien pointing a green kitchen knife dangerously close to his nose flashed into mind. Gulping, he then scratched the back of his head as he nervously laughed. "Actually, I take it back."

Puffing her chest, Xiao Mei exclaimed with confidence etched in her tone, "You hear that, boys? We, girls, are your living nightmares!"

Kiku, however, shrugged. "Whatever you say, Mei," He muttered before eventually presenting his video game controller toward his best friend. "Would you like to play, Alfred?"

In response, Alfred shook his head in rejection, "As much as I'd like to, I can't."

Gilbert tilted his head, "Huh? Why not?"

"I gotta find Lien," Alfred answered.

Mathias mischievously grinned. "Oh, trying to get some alone time?" He commented as he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Listening to this, the albino laughed boisterously as he slapped his left thigh.

Xiao Mei giggled ecstatically. "Sis might still be hanging out near the backyard," She explained with a smile. "Do you know where that might be?"

"Of course I do!" Alfred exclaimed, his sky blue eyes twinkling. Rising up from the floor, he started to pat on the invisible dirt on his navy blue jeans and cried, "Thanks, I gotta run!"

"What? Leaving so soon?" Mathias whined when the news hit him.

Alfred smiled as he scratched the back of his neck, "Well, I can't let her wait for me for too long."

Releasing his hold from around Kiku's neck, Gilbert formed a thumbs up. "We'll be cheering for ya, dude!"

Placing his hands over his mouth, the tall Nordic rambunctiously exclaimed, "Yeah! Go get her, tiger!"

Xiao Mei cheekily grinned with the video game controller tucked securely on both her hands. "Make sure to spill us the details later, alright?"

Kiku silently nodded. "Be careful and good luck." He encouraged with a soft smile.

Alfred winked. "You know it!"

And once the farewells were bid, Alfred walked ahead, a goofy smile materializing on his face with a new goal set in mind.

Oh, he couldn't wait to her again. Even though it's only been five hours since, as cliché as it may sound, it did almost felt like an entire year of not being able to see Lien.

But then another problem looms: as of now, what were they?

Based on the countless movies that Alfred watched, it seemed expected that the hero attained the love of a princess but as far as it goes, that was it. The beautiful words of 'and they both lived happily ever after' may be an ideal ending for some people but to Alfred, it didn't seem to satisfy him whatsoever.

What happens then?

If there was bound to be obstacles, why didn't the director or the author bother to expose it?

Most importantly, what if this so-called happily ever after phenomena wasn't true?

Too consumed with his own thoughts, the poor young man failed to realize that he was already walking through the dimly-lit hallways. It wasn't until his ears picked up the faint of barking that Alfred was forced to revert back to reality.

As he was about to angle his body to make a turn from the corner, it was then that time began to sit still.

Right there in front of him was Lien—sitting quietly on the floor where a medium-sized blue blanket was sprawled out from where she sat. No longer was she wearing her iconic white wedding dress and instead, was wearing her vibrant green áo dài; the same article of clothing that he remembered her wearing during the local lantern festival. Her long, chocolate brown hair was tied in its usual bun and ever so faintly, was swaying from some extent thanks to the soft breeze.

Unconsciously, Alfred's mouth partly opened—each time he saw her, her exotic beauty always seemed to have some sort of effect on him.

Besides her wedding dress, even when she was wearing her own casual attire, Lien remained overall beautiful.

And he loved her for that.

Furthermore, her concentrated focus wasn't on him—in fact, it didn't seem like she was aware of his presence. As an alternative, she was gently stroking the furry back of the small Shibu Inu that was sprawled over her lap.

Witnessing this, Alfred smiled warmly. 'She really is amazing.'

"Huh? What's wrong, Pochi?" He heard Lien asked the pooch who started squirming from her touch. Hoisting his head up, Pochi noticed Alfred standing not too far away from them. And before they know it, Pochi started barking at him.

"Pochi?" Lien repeated the dog's name, now fully alerted. Turning around, she gasped, "Alfred!"

"Hello again!" Alfred greeted her with a sheepish smile. As he approached her, Pochi took this initiative to run up to him. Spreading his arms wide, Alfred wasted no time as he too rushed toward the pooch and in a swift motion, took him into his hold as he cried, "Good to see you too, Pochi!"

While he showered the dog with his full attention, meanwhile, Lien watched the two interact before shaking her head. First, children and now animals? "He really is full of surprises," She muttered under her breath as she lifted her chin up once more. "Is there anything you can't do?" She asked teasingly.

Pausing for a moment, Alfred pursed his lips. "I can't burp my ABCs," He said before slowly nodding prior to his reply, "Yeah, I think that's one of Matthew's specialties."

Lien giggled. Lightly patting the empty space next to her, she said to him, "Come, sit."

Alfred nodded, doing what he was told. As he did so, he made sure not to exert too much pressure as his arms were securely around the pooch. Once he has settled himself comfortably on the floor, he glanced up to meet face-to-face with the night sky. "Hey, do you remember that question you asked me?"

Lien stared at him curiously. "Which one?"

"You know the one about why do I play the trumpet." Alfred clarified as he started rubbing Pochi's exposed belly, gaining a light-hearted sound of satisfaction from the pooch.

"Yeah?"

Looking back at her, Alfred beamed. "I finally got an answer for ya!"

Lien softly smiled. "I'm looking forward to hearing it."

Bringing one hand up high, Alfred cleared his throat. "Two things," He explained with one index finger held up, "One: the trumpet was the very last present my parents gave to me before their demise."

Lien sunk her head down, "Oh, I'm sorry."

Regardless, Alfred cracked a smile. "No worries." Pausing for a moment, he resorted in adding another finger, "Then there's two: the golden color reminds me of a particular person whose name bears a distinctive meaning."

Slanting her head to the side, Lien asked, "Oh? Who could it…" She trailed off before turning silent. The color of red started creeping through her cheeks. "Wait a minute, y-you don't mean to say that it's…"

"Lien Kim translates to the meaning, golden lotus," Alfred confirmed her with a tender smile. "Yeah, it's you."

No response.

"Lien?"

"Where do we stand Alfred?" She asked him out of nowhere.

Creasing his eyebrows, Alfred asked, "What do you mean?"

"We kissed onstage and well, what are we?" Lien elaborated, her tone veiled in seriousness, "Are we a couple now?"

"Good question," Alfred mumbled while shrugging. "I've never really been involved in a relationship before."

Lien bit her lower lip. "Me neither." She said, "What exactly are couples supposed to do anyway?"

Hearing this, Alfred let out a chuckle. Rising from the floor, he then set Pochi loose from his grasp. Pulling out the camera straps from his neck, he then set the optical instrument to the spot that he originally sat in.

Lien looked at him worriedly. "Al—"

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to finish his sentence as she found herself getting lift up from the ground, eliciting her to gasp lightly and to automatically grip onto the fabric of his white shirt.

Peering her chin slightly up, striking amber orbs collided with its corresponding opposite, sky blue.

"If we do become a couple," Alfred started and with his free arm, gestured their current position, "We get to do something like this," And in less than a minute, twirled her around, prompting the two to laugh together. "And this!"

As soon as he said that, Alfred abruptly stopped what he was doing and gradually, collected both of their dominant hands—his right and her left—in a jointed lock.

Lien held her breath, mesmerized by the sight of the man before her. "And?" She wondered, blushing furiously.

Dipping his head closer to hers until their foreheads touched, Alfred breathlessly whispered as he leaned a little closer to her, "And maybe this." Closing his eyes, he decided to close the gap between them...

"I don't think so." Lien said with her finger pressed against his lips.

Fluttering his eyes open, Alfred stared at her, a bit perplexed. What did she just say?

"I'm not sure if we should be involved in a relationship," Lien reasoned, careful with her words, "You see, I would like to know more about you. If we do get into a relationship right away, I..."

Squatting his knees, Alfred carefully put her down. "It's okay, I understand." He said, forcing out a smile.

Taking a deep breath, Lien dipped her chin down. In all honesty, every time she heard the words, relationships and dating, she didn't know what to do. By this point, she became aware of her feelings toward Alfred and vice versa, but...

'Was this the right thing to do?' She pondered over. As her amber eyes wandered elsewhere, she noticed a small item sticking out from the left of his brown bomber jacket.

"What's that?" Lien asked as she pointed toward it, catching Alfred's attention.

Following her field of vision, Alfred laughed when he realized what she pointed out. "Oh, this?" He then took out the small unknown item from his pocket—unveiling what appears to be a photograph—and presented it to her. "It's a little embarrassing but it's a souvenir."

"A souvenir?" She said aloud, which earned her a firm nod from him. Accepting the photograph, Lien looked down to speculate it. Her eyes widened.

Nestled amid her fingers was a picture of—

"Me?" Lien mustered out, stunned beyond belief.

"Do you remember, Lien? This was the day when we accidentally bumped into each other," He explained before bursting into laughter, "You could say that this was the first time we met."

Lien blushed. "This is…" She trailed off, searching for the right words to describe what she was feeling. "This is amazing."

Alfred smiled before turning around to discover Pochi already sprawled on top of the blanket they used to sit on. "Silly Pochi," He commented as he went on rubbing the pooch's belly again, which earned him another light-hearted noise.

Chuckling, he went on to take his Nikon camera from the floor. Once he got ahold of the optical instrument, an idea occurred to him. "Believe it or not, but since that day, I wanted to get to know you," Hoisting his camera, Alfred continued, "You could say that it was love at first sight."

Lien stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say.

Noticing this, Alfred grew worried. "Hey, you okay, Lien?"

Her next set of words, however bewildered him even more. "Cảm ơn, Alfred."

Alfred blinked. "Huh?"

Lien lightly giggled, causing him to grow even more confused. "I thought you said that you knew basic Vietnamese?" She said with a smile.

Setting a hand behind his head, Alfred nervously laughed. "Well, not everything," He admitted, "But can you at least tell me what it means?"

Folding her arms over her chest, Lien pursed her lips before shaking her head. "Nope."

"What? How come?" Alfred pouted. "Lien, that's not fair!"

Walking up to him, she proceeded to tip-toe, causing Alfred to blush. Leaning close to his right ear, she whispered, "You'll have to catch me."

Just from those five words, Alfred's heartbeat accelerated tenfold.

And as soon as she said that, she turned around and ran.

Seeing this, Alfred cracked a smile. Two months ago, he didn't know what it was to fall in love. Due to balancing college life and orchestra recitals, it was obvious that it was difficult for him to handle another problem. And yet, love came naturally.

Unfortunately, like most love stories, they too had obstacles of their own. As the prized aces of two world-renowned orchestra bands, World gig and Star Fest, romance became even more difficult to fulfill.

Knowing that, it was clear that they were meant to live in different worlds but...

Without warning, Alfred leaped forward, heading to the same direction in which Lien initially went.

The journey ahead was going to be even more difficult which meant that there was bound to be more challenges than ever before.

Even so, Alfred didn't care.

Why?

Because he had her.

Author's Note:

One month has passed and here we finally have the second to last chapter! (unless you count the upcoming epilogue!) I apologize for my lack of presence but as I said, college has been a torture machine with me. There was a point that the deadline was originally in late September until I found out that I was booked with my very first exams. Even so, I'm proud to say that this project of mine is finally coming to an end.

Who would've thought that this entire fanfiction, 'World goes Round' actually started from a dream of mine that lasted for three months? Not only that but also a song called, 'A Drop in the Ocean,' by Ron Pope which I kept replaying over and over again until I finally managed to start writing. And volia, here we have this beautiful story! Crazy, huh?

Before I begin, I would like to say, on behalf of what Lien said in this chapter, 'cảm ơn' translated to thank you! Thank you one and all: new and old followers, readers, reviewers, etc. I know that I keep repeating myself every chapter but I honestly couldn't have made it this far without all of you. I humbly thank you for your unconditional support and also for your support in Ameviet community.

The new appearance in this chapter comes from a request asking for Pochi (Kiku's official dog) - sorry if I wasn't able to complete the rest of your request!

And now, the summary rolls as follows:

The aftermath of World gig and Star Fest's stunning third and final performance, Lien's POV, Arthur's POV and Alfred's POV (accompanied with a nostalgic moment between the two protagonists).

What I emphasized out of this chapter was: the future. Now, what future are we talking about? Not only does it involve Ameviet's but also with the rest of the other pairings as well!

Find out in the upcoming epilogue! (^_^) - hint: NEW UPCOMING CHARACTER! (Look forward to it!)

For the very first time, I would have to close the character requests (there were many reappearances that eventually far exceeded my expectations and for that, I'm content).

As usual, your opinions are greatly appreciated!

Have a smooth sailing~

P.S. Once I'm finished with the epilogue, I will start accepting prompts from Ameviet community so please look forward to it! (if you have an idea, make sure to sent it to me through private PM and we'll discuss of the structure, okay?)

P.S.S. Again, I'm not sure when the next update would be but for now, please enjoy this chapter!

Side Note(s):

**By the way, if you are looking for the answers of the other questions that were submitted, they are posted in chapter 19!**

(Thank you uuuuuu for your comment!)

I can't believe how far this story went through 19 chapters. Time flies pretty fast for this story.

Yeah, right? I would never forget how very nervous I was when I tried to publish the first chapter of this fan fiction. But thanks to fans like you, I was able to keep going. Eight months have passed by and it's amazing (when in reality, the timeline of the fanfiction is actually two months).

(Thank you peperopocky for your request!)

Well, I would like to see Pochi or at least two certain hetacats meet each other.

I did what I could (I only did Pochi) but hopefully you were satisfied!

(Thank you kayochin for your comment!)

Didn't know that arthur played an electric guitar. i was quite surprised after he revealed his instrument and im like what? didn't know electric guitars could be played in orchestras though so that's a nice fact to know :00 ((lol at that DBZ reference)). looking forward to the last chapter and epilogue! :D

The implication of Arthur playing an electric guitar was heavily shown when I mentioned about his background and how he would like to play it again (but it's okay if you didn't catch it!). Yeah, believe it or not, electric guitars and other metal bands would often collaborate with orchestra bands. Yes, please look forward to the epilogue! Thank you for your support!

(Thank you Guest for your comment!)

I am glad that you made a positive story about ameviet. Many fans think this pairing might not work because of the events of what happened about 40 years ago. But I still believe that it is possible for ameviet to make up and be together especially as humans, because during WW2, America and Japan were enemies, but after the war, those 2 countries made up and the relations improved greatly. Wouldn't it be the same thing for ameviet? Thank you for making this fanfic because it would help some people believe that it is possible for ameviet to be at least friends or romantic interest.

Ahh, your comment made my day! (^_^). Before I published this fanfiction for the very first time, I was shocked to find out that there were barely any positive stories about this couple. You are right about America/Japan: if alot of people emphasizes their relationship in the fandom, why can't Ameviet as well? I will do what I can to contribute most to this wonderful community and as always, thank you for your support!

(Thank you madison camelia for your comment!)

It has been so long from your last update but it worth. My god, i love every little details of this chapter. Czech and Solavia are so cute when arguing, Arthur is indeed awesome when he is in the spotlight, Al and Lien's apperance...
And the ending of this chapter... god, that ending is so so wonderful. I really can't wait for the next chapter.

Yeah, forgive me for not updating any sooner (first college exams is torture!) but I'm content to know that you loved every detail of the previous chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one too!

(Thank you Guest for your comment!)

Well, I am always dying to see ameviet having an offspring together, but that doesn't mean that i am expecting it on this fanfic. A wedding would be ok. But you'll surprise us another story from this chapter, cuz you tend to surprise and amaze me unexpected story chapters.

For your first response, I would have to say, 'no spoilers!' (^_^). I'm glad that I managed to surprise and amaze you (I've been receiving the same comments from others as well!) and hearing that makes me aware that my job as a writer was accomplished.

(Thank you shoujochan for your comment!)

Seriously you did a great job at this chapter. Arthur having his own spotlight and using a electric guitar made me shout wtf in public while reading. Now, I must find a music piece with a trumpet and violin that would help me imagine the whole ameviet spotlight. thank you again and I'm looking forward for the next update.

I'm really delighted that you enjoyed it! Haha, yeah it's going to take some time to find a music piece for a trumpet and violin specifically but if you can't, that's quite alright too! Thank you so much for your support!

(Thank you The Dusk Terror for your comment!)

... I JUST DIED WITH ALL THE FEELS! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME FRIEND?!

(^v^) Because that's my job (haha, just joking!). But really, I'm glad that there are people like you who are receiving emotions from my writing! Thank you so much for your support!