Month of Sorrow

Chapter 6 - Strings of Fate (part 1)

"Bonjour, ma petite Li Xiao~!"

"France, you do realize that I do not want another heart attack?!" Hong Kong asked angrily. "And don't call me 'ma petite!""

France put his hands up defensively. "Sorry, sorry, mon ami. I just want to talk to you."

Hong Kong raised a brow in suspicion. "About what?"

"Well, I've heard from Emil that you've been having this, how should I put it, blossoming romance for the Philippines, non?"

Hong Kong's face heated up with two shades of red. Blossoming romance? Okay, blossoming he got, but... Romance? Is this what's been happening with Hong Kong? That... that can't be right, can it?

"What?" Was all Hong Kong could get out of his mouth.

"Ohhhhnnn so you are!" said France with a happy grin on his face. Hong Kong resisted the urge to karate kick him into the fourth dimension. But then the Frenchman's expression fell. "Although..."

The Cantonese city-state got confused. "What's this 'although?'"

"Although it did perplex me that you fell in love with the Philippines even after the tour bus incident," the Frenchman continued. "And then this romance would most likely be forbidden."

"Forbidden romance my ass," mumbled Hong Kong under his breath. Why did the word "romance" always strike him in the chest like a bullet?

France then smiled. "But. I believe that this particular romance is tied by fate."

Hong Kong's mind went back to a few days before when he was talking to Japan about his dream with Koishi to him. He remembered that Japan theorized that the so-called Red Threads of Fate are what might bring himself and Philia together. Is France seriously referencing about this? Okay, either he's telling the truth or he's being a complete buffoon as usual (at least from Hong Kong's perspective).

"It's not like that," Hong Kong said finally.

"Not like that?" said France, skeptical. Then he let out his traditional French laugh and said, "Oh, mon ami, believe what you will; fate, destiny..."

"A madman with an assault rifle and psychiatric problems..."

"You and Philippines... are simply meant to be."

Hong Kong's tarnished gold eyes softened at those words. So France was being supportive of him after all. If only Iceland was like this. Because then Iceland would encourage him to pursue Philia. That's what best friends are for, right? If it isn't, then it would break Hong Kong's heart, that's sealed away from love, and only open for friendship and family.

"Uh... Th-thanks for the advice, Francis," said Hong Kong, a little dazed. "Goodbye. And her name's not Philippines. It's Philia."