Chapter 1 : An Encounter

"Ah! Yong Soo get off me!" Yao screamed as Yong glomped him, Yong's
arms wrapped tightly around Yao's neck nearly half killing him,
"Huh, Hug! But I love brother Yao! Hugs!" Yong squeezed harder and Yao
pushed him off his back aggressively and pulled a frown as Yong
started to cry, "Don't you love me brother Yao . . ." Yong cried as
Yao walked away and locked the door behind him, the sound of weeping
still in hearing zone but muffled.

Yao sighed as he saw Hong and Meimei plaiting Daisies under a small
blossom tree, cuddled together with a sense of happiness between them
even though that wasn't visible on Hong's face.

"What do you think Hong?" Meimei asked as she showed Hong her chain if
Daisies,
"Hm . . . They're good" Hong smiled slightly as Meimei went back to
work, Hong felt comfortable when he was with his sister. He felt
relaxed and wouldn't trade her company for anything, he looked up and
saw Yao as they both smiled.

"Be back in a minute Meimei" Hong said to his sister, her big brown
eyes staring up at him,
"Ok, Hong" Meimei immediately went back to her daisies as Hong stared
at her gracefullness,
"What is is Yao?" Hong asked his older sibling,
"Do you like Meimei?" Yao asked playfully, Hong stared at him half
angrily, "Sorry, I need to talk to you inside"

Reluctantly, Hong went inside with Yao and into his drawing room. Yao
sat Hong down and said,

"You must keep this a secret from Meimei okay?" Yao asked,

Hong nodded confused,

"As you probably know we Asians are at war with those Europeans and
Japan" Hong nodded again, "Well, it pains we to say that Japan has
finally won over me and he ordered me to surrender custody of our dear
Meimei"

Hong's mouth dropped and Yao could clearly see a small droplet of
tears drop from his eyes before he wiped them, Yao stood up and stared
out the window and saw Meimei and Yong (What! How'd he get out!)
playing by the tree, he sighed,

"I'm sad to see her go" Yao said, Hong looked up and saw that ayao had
a small area of blood streaked across his military Uniform,
"Yao?" Hong finally said,
"Yes?" Yao replied still looking out the window,
"Why is there blood on your Uniform?" he asked, suddenly Yao's switch
flicked on. He turned and confessed,
"Japan cut my back during our conflict, the bastard then ordered
control of Meimei"

Hong then suddenly went back outside, all the violence just too much
for him. He suddenly realized how innocent and precious Meimei looked
whilst under Yao, would she be any happier with Kiku? Time would tell.

Months passed and Yao knew Kiku was becoming impatient and he had to
tell Meimei sooner or later, he fingers tapped on the table and he
finally plucked up the courage to say it,

"Meimei!" Suddenly she turned happy as her long black hair swished as
she did spun,
"Yes brother Yao?" she replied innocently, she sat down next to Yao as
he placed her hand in his. Still nervous about what her reaction would
be,
"There is a war, in this world. Nobody is safe anymore, especially
Asia. Do you remember Japan?" Meimei merely nodded, "He is now against
us"
"But he does still love us right Yao?" she smiled, "Right?" she said
as her smile faded, a tear formed in her eye.

For a second there was silence.

"Japan has turned on me and I have lost Meimei" Meimei suddenly looked
worried, "Japan has ordered custody of you"

Meimei's head went down into the table, her tears running down the
table legs as she wept. For a couple of minutes Yao didn't speak,

"I am truly sorry, my little Meimei" Yao said softly,
"When?"
"Excuse me?"
"When do I go?" Meimei qq asked,
"In three days" Yao replied, suddenly Meimei's face turned angry but
still tearful,
"Yeah, well thanks for the notice!" Meimei slapped Yao and ran to her
room, presumed crying.

. . . .

Meimei packed her last suitcase and picked it up by the handle, in the
hallway there were 6 Asians waiting for her,

"Goodbye, sister" Tibet said,
"Goodbye, sister" Thailand said,
"Goodbye, sister" Vietnam said,
"Goodbye, sister" Hong Kong said,
"Goodbye, sister" Yong Soo said,

Then China, she stared at him for a while and then said very quickly,
"Goodbye, Yao" Meimei said as she exited, as she shut the door she
caught a glimpse of all of her siblings crying.

. . . .

In the end Hong Kong took her to Japan, walking for miles tired Meimei
so occasionally Hong Kong picked her up and carried her. Meimei sighed
as if now wanting to go back to Yao's house,

"Its a long way away isn't it?" Meimei asked Hong, he raised one
eyebrow and nodded,
"He wants you as far away from yor past life as possible, probably"
Hong looked forward and put the little female down, he pointed to the
land in front of him with a small village perched in the centre.
"Follow that path through the village and you'll find Kiku's place"
"How will I know which one it is?" Meimei asked holding Hong's red
sleeve to keep him,
"Oh, you'll know" He replied softly, suddenly he felt overcome and he
hugged Meimei, stroking her long black hair that was softer than a
lotus flower petal.
"Please don't go, I want to stay with Yao and the others" Meimei said
almost crying,
"I'm sorry Meimei, it's not my choice. This isn't my territory, so I
have to go now. I love you Meimei, come back soon"
"Goodbye, Hong Kong" Meimei replied, Hong was a bit shocked to see she
hadn't said I love you back. Obviously as a brother, but she still
didn't. Maybe she wanted to leave that life behind. Hong left and
waved to his little sister, she did the same.

. . . .

The village was quirky yet sophisticated, and everybody strared at
Meimei as she walked past, 'Am I really that different?' she asked
herself, she lowered her head as if ashamed. But then it went back up
again as she saw Kiku's big, glass house at the top of the path. She
didn't gasp or smile, she repressed the feelig instead. As if not
wanting to see her brother again.

She knocked on the glass front door and waited with her heavy load in
both hands, a servant came out very elegantly and asked,

"Name?" she asked politely,
"Meimei" she replied gloomily,
The servant's smiled dropped, "Oh, you poor thing. Caught up in all
this, well Kiku is just in here if it makes you any better?'

It didn't.

"Master Kiku, somebody is here to see you" the servant said,
Kiku turned, he had brown eyes and black short hair. Average,
"Meimei!" he exclaimed, he came to Meimei and opened his arms to hug
her. But she stepped back allowing Kiku hug the air, rather than her,
"What's wrong?" Kiku asked sadly,
"What's wrong? What's fucking wrong! You are my problem I will be
upstairs and if you need me then tough shit!" Meimei went upstairs and
the servant showed her to her room, she didn't hate it but the fact
that it was in control of Kiku. It made her sick.

She changed into her red, Chinese dress, it was red with yellow
flowers and a yellow ribbon tied around he waist. Which only reminded
her of Hong, but the fact that she had a blue and a green one only
made things worse. She reluctantly went downstairs to get herself a
cup of tea, Kiku was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a small
box in his hand. Meimei came gently downstairs with her frail hands
softly touching the banister, her image was perfect except her confused face that didn't put Kiku off though.

"Hi Meimei, listen I'm sorry about earlier. It was just a misunderstanding, wasn't it?" Kiku asked, Meimei merely walked past Kiku and into the kitchen placing a cup on the top and boiling the water. She put a teabag in her cup as Kiku kept babbling,

" . . . That's exactly why I am here to tell you-" Kiku started, Meimei cut him off,

"Listen, Kiku. You're a nice guy and all but we're never going to be as close as we were when we were younger. It's a big world and at the moment it's at war" Meimei poured the hot water into the cup and poured in milk as she stirred with a spoon, "You do realize that being as I am generally - or was – under Chinese Territory, being as you declared war against the Chinese then I am technically allowed to hate you, so don't try changing my mind. I am under China's impressions and I need to keep them" she sipped her tea,

"Yes, I suppose so. But still, despite what you have said, here . . ." Kiku held out the box and Meimei set her cup down and opened it, it was a shiny silver necklace with the letter 'M' on it. Meimei was speechless; he was supposed to hate her. But instead . . . this?

"T-thank you, K-kiku" Meimei stammered, she carefully took it out of the case and reached to put it on, but Kiku stopped her arm,

"No, it's being a true gentleman to put it on for the lady" Kiku said, he gently touched Meimei's hand in order to take the necklace. He was like electric as the shock of his hand pulsed through Meimei's hand, she blushed,

"Ok" she replied shyly, she moved her long sleek hair from her back and Kiku placed it on, feeling compelled to stroke the back of her neck. He resisted, Meimei was resisting the urge to blush to red, she resisted too. Courageously Meimei, looked at the necklace and then at Kiku who was just about to walk away when Meimei stopped him. They both smiled.

Kiku touched Meimei's jaw gently and softly, leaning closer to plant his lips on hers. Meimei smiled again, but brighter. Her hand rested on his shoulder as the very soft and tender kiss ended finally. Both of them blushed red, Meimei left with a huge, childlike smile on her face.