Summary:
A day in the life of Phil.
He just wants this day to go well. Let's do our best to make this day special, why don't we?
.
.
.
═══════════════════════════
Having a fireplace within the manor didn't make sense at first. It was strange to have one built into your home when you know you live in a tropical country where there's barely any cold weather. But during those days when Christmas was over and the rain never seemed to stop after that, it made a little more sense.
But days like these is what made it a little more better to wake up everyday, when the rain just won't stop. It was what made it a little more easier for Phil to push himself off of the mattress.
When Phil opened his eyes, it was hard to try and comprehend his surroundings for a short while. It was blurry, like his eyes had been doused with water and left undried. With a groan, Phil rubbed his eyes and blinked multiple times until the blobs of color and shapes began making sense to him.
He hesitated to push the blankets off of him when his arms became exposed as he was just about to pull the bedsheets off. The air was unbearably cold and made his hairs stand on their ends. He thought about covering himself once again but quickly brushed the idea off when he glanced at the clock beside his bed.
"8:12AM..." Phil muttered out as the seconds on the digital clock continuously kept adding. It always made him anxious— watching the seconds go by.
Phil looked at the side of his bed in hopes to watch the rain fall onto the sea, the gray sky contrasting the dull blue waters below. It always calmed him, watching the rain by himself. No amount of "comfort", that Martial and Del gave him could match the serenity he felt whenever it rains, fog covering over his windows.
But what he hoped to be a calming sight to start his day, something stood Infront of his vision, disturbing his view from the rain. Phil sighs when he eyes the IV stand looming over the side of his bed. Looking at it... It always reminded him that there wasn't getting out of the island any time soon. That same IV stand would always be there, always be beside him.
He had hoped to start his morning by watching the rain. Instead, he watches a grim reminder, standing just beside his bed.
He didn't mind, though. He didn't mind the fact that his brothers never let him interact with the other countries. He didn't mind the fact that he hasn't seen another soul since his childhood first started inside this spacious mansion, on a much more spacious island. All in the middle of nowhere. Never to be found.
They just want the best for him. That's all.
Speaking of brothers, Phil was able to remember something about a week ago. It was all a blur, going by too quickly— But he remembers seeing Martial, his second older brother.
Martial had promised him that he would visit him in the mansion. He sat on the side of Phil's bed, telling him that he would be here for important business, but maybe he'd have some time to spare and see Phil in his room.
"Will kuya Del be coming?" Phil asked.
"..." Martial didn't reply.
And that's all, really. Phil always remembers to never rely on his memory. How ironic, that sentence is.
But he wasn't going to let an IV stand ruin his day. He was going to... To start this day great, with a good breakfast— Maybe even some productive hobbies that he can do instead of staying in bed all day. Since it's raining, he can't really train in the field. Del wouldn't let him.
Slowly, he stood up from his bed, hands gripping on the nightstand for support. It took a while, though— His body felt weak every time he wakes up. He kept a mental note to improve this... Maybe his weakness will go away if he tries eating a little more healthier...
He tried to avert his eyes from the IV stand and focus on something else. There was the rain, the closet, the air conditioner—
Ah, his phone.
Phil grabbed the phone beside his bed and unlocked it, clicking on the first app his finger twitched towards and scrolling through the hundreds of news articles and posts from different countries he doesn't even remember the names of.
Is this one... Ah— I think that's Germany.
And this one? Red stripe on the bottom and white stripe on the top... I believe that's Poland...
What about this one? Who is...
He has seen this country many, many times before. Martial and Hukbalahap talk about him sometimes. But whenever Martial talks about him, it's always anger and discouragement— Like this man had done something wrong in the past.
Phil squinted. He wanted to cry. It was embarrassing, not knowing his own fellow Country Masters— It was embarrassing despite nobody really being there.
Ah. I think I remember who this is now.
America.
United States of America.
Oh, how stupid he was. America was a popular country, powerful among the Country Masters— Even the Masters who had fought in multiple wars before. Nobody should forget who he is— Let alone someone like Phil.
It seemed like every effort he made while trying to make his day even better ended up failing. He got his Phone to take his mind off of other things, and now he just feels stupid. He gently put the phone down and sighed to himself— Maybe he just needs to eat. That's all.
.
.
.
It took quite a while for him to get ready to go downstairs. Phil isn't even sure if it's possible for someone to have such a hard time doing such simple tasks. It was a hassle getting his portable IV drip bag, trying as hard as possible not to mess anything up like he did the last time.
Thankfully, nothing fell. Phil smiled slightly to himself, feeling a little proud. That's it, just one step at a time— Not every day has to immediately start out perfect.
By the time he was finished making sure everything within the IV drip bag was in place, he was already standing Infront of the door. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he sighs as he opens the door and walks out, closing it behind him. He was being extra careful with his steps. The last time he walked out of his bedroom, he slipped— fell— and snapped his arm off.
The stairs down to the first floor was a large, spiraling flight of steps made of sleek, white marble. Del designed the manor that made it reminiscent of traditional Hispanic architecture, but it gave off that modern feel whenever Phil went down the stairs. It made his head spin, but it looked beautiful.
When he got to the first floor, the first thing he noticed was the fire place in the expansive living room. It was left on, but the smell of smoke was kept safely behind the protection glass. How had he forgotten to put the fire out, but not the safety glass?
.
.
.

(This is how I imagine the living room of the left wing of the mansion would look like. Relatively small since it's usually only reserved for when a few visitors are in the mansion.
I know it's usually a pet peeve when authors put pictures instead of describing the place but I really have no idea how to describe such a detailed room, especially when half the chapter is supposed to be just Phil loathing himself. 😭 Also, just imagine it's raining outside. :'3)
.
.
.
Phil pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened his notes app, quickly jotting down a small reminder to turn the fire off when he's done cooking and eating breakfast. Once done, he pushed his phone in his pocket once more.
He came down to cook something, but he doesn't even know what to make. Waffles? Eggs? Bacon?
Fúck it. Why not make all three?
Phil walked into the open kitchen. It looked much like the living room: White, spacious, expensive... Everything in the mansion was just the same.
Sighing to himself, he opened the refrigerator and took out eggs, bacon, waffle mix, and a sneaker bar. A sneaker bar because why not? He's craving for sweets.
Scavenging through the cupboard, he grabs a bowl and a spoon then places it on the marble counter. Setting the bacon and egg aside, he opens the pack of waffle mix and carefully pours the flour into the bowl. He picks up the bowl and places it under the water dispenser, pouring water into the flour. He's supposed to be measuring the water in cups but he honestly doesn't feel like doing it.
Grabbing the spoon, he places the bowl back onto the counter and starts to mix it with the spoon. Once the batter was consistent and lacked any sort of bubbles, he left the bowl on the counter and turned on the waffle maker. The top lid of the pan opened with a click. It annoys him.
He poured half the batter into the waffle maker once it was hot enough and set aside the leftover batter for the second waffle. While waiting for it to cook, he grabbed the bacon and eggs to start the second part of the breakfast.
The bacon was honey-dipped, his favorite type of bacon. He set the pan on medium heat and added a little bit of oil. He may like bacon, but he doesn't really like it if it's too oily. While waiting for the pan to heat, he thinks back about the posts he saw while scrolling through the social media app he opened a while ago.
"Just found this weird looking pinecone! Wonder what this is..." America captioned on a post, with him taking a selfie and a wasp nest sitting on a tree in the background.
Phil has to admit; The American is funny at times. He's probably gotten to that point of fame where you can post anything you want online without worrying about being treated like an idiot.
Just as he was thinking to himself, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He flinched and frantically began fishing for his phone, hands shaking when he finally pulls it out... Only to see that it was his alarm that he set for 8:30.
"What the..." Phil muttered to himself, turning off the alarm and deleting it off of his schedule, "Since when did I have this...?"
Why did he set an alarm on his phone when he already has his clock to alarm him? Maybe it's just another one of those days where he forgets about certain things... Maybe.
He quickly shook the thought off of his mind and began placing the bacons into the pan. It sizzled deliciously and the warm, meaty smell it gave off made Phil's mouth water. So far, so good. Nothing was really going wrong— Well, except for a while ago. But Phil was pretty confident that he'd have a great breakfast.
While the bacons sizzled in the pan, Phil took one of the eggs and cracked it against the counter, pouring the insides of the shell onto the pan, just beside the bacon. He placed the egg shells in the sink and quickly ran back to the pan before the eggs got burnt. He likes it whenever the Yolk is runny, so he tried his best not to cook the eggs too well.
After a while, he flipped the bacons on its uncooked side, the sound of the fats searing in the oil was music to his ears. It soothed the little headache he had since waking up. Before the Yolk of the eggs had time to harden, he quickly took a plate from the dish rack and carefully picked up the eggs with the spatula.
"There... Be careful not to drop it..." Phil mumbled to himself as he gently slides the egg onto the clean and freshly washed plate. The two eggs weren't a perfect circle- To Phil's disappointment- But they were just the right consistency he wanted. He smiled to himself, a small tinge of pride in his heart.
Phil places the plate down onto the counter and waits for the bacons to sizzle. But as he was waiting, he heard the sound of a beep coming from the waffle maker, a sign that the first waffle was finished cooking. Setting the pan to low hear, he quickly ran to the waffle maker and opened the lid with a click. There, a freshly cooked waffle with its middle a slight golden brown. Phil picked the waffle up with a fork and carefully placed it on the plate.
So far, nothing has gone wrong. Unlike last time, where Phil forgot about the waffles and wouldn't have known if it weren't for the smoke alarm going off in the kitchen. Phil cringed internally whenever he remembers that. Sometimes, he finds himself feeling embarrassed about things nobody else is even aware about. After all, he's spent his entire life on this island.
Speaking of this island, it's been a while since Phil took a walk around it. Although he couldn't do it now due to the rain, he kept a mental note to take a short walk when it stops raining. And maybe for June 12th, he'll try to ask Del and Martial if he could travel off of the island- And maybe even out of the country. He's never been outside of the island before, and it's sad to think that he doesn't even get to know his own provinces better.
He read from Manila's letters that Pampanga, a province somewhere in Luzon's region, has been dying to let Phil try some of his food. Phil heard that Pampanga and his province were some of the best cooks in the country, even reaching international news and franchises expanding to countries like America and Canada. He'll try to keep an eye out for one of Pampanga's restaurants if he ever gets the chance to leave the island...
Phil flinched and snapped out of his thoughts when he suddenly realized that he had been staring at the empty waffle maker the entire time. He almost forgot about the bacon! Phil ran to the pan, only to see that the bacon was still alright. He sighed to himself, face flushed in shame and embarrassment. He really needs to learn to focus more.
Once the bacon was a crisp brown, he used his spatula to scoop up the strips of bacon and slid them onto the plate. All he needed to do now was to wait for the second waffle to finish cooking. It would take a while though, so he decided to make some lavender hot chocolate. Since it was raining, it only felt right to pair his breakfast with some hot chocolate for a lazy day today. Even if the rain stopped later, he'll just train tomorrow.
He opened the fridge and took the milk before closing the fridge doors with a gentle slam. He remembers how Martial asked a servant in the mansion to restock his jar of dried lavender buds since Phil really liked the lavender bread that Del sent him the other week. The dried lavender was in the cupboard, if he remembers correctly.
Phil took the pan off of the stove and grabbed a medium saucepan and placed it on the stove. He poured the milk, approximately three cups before grabbing the dried lavender buds from the cupboard and adding two tablespoons of the sweet-smelling buds. According to the recipe he read from cook book, he had to add a cup of cream too... Which Phil forgot to get. He sighed as he begrudgingly trudged towards the fridge to find the forsaken cup of cream.
.
.
.
Phil sighed to himself after a long session of preparing breakfast. He never would have thought that making hot chocolate would've been so hard, but it was pretty worth it. Infront of him laid the perfect breakfast of waffles, eggs, bacon, and lavender hot chocolate. Phil felt a little nitpicky and made sure his breakfast looked presentable, it almost looked good enough for a picture!
A picture...
He thought to himself, should he take a picture?
Slowly, Phil grabbed his phone out of his pocket and switched to his camera. He had a strange feeling that a part of his dignity would be lost from this. He angled the camera until it perfectly captured the food and drinks then snapped a picture.
Phil stared at the photo in his camera roll. He took the picture now, but what else was there to do with it? Phil has seen celebrities and Country Masters alike taking pictures of themselves or their meals and then posting it on the internet for everyone to see. Even the Filipinos, his own people, would do the same and gain hundreds of thousands of likes.
Should he do the same?
Just as Phil was about to open his social media app, he paused and began to think twice. Why would anyone care about what he had for breakfast? And he's not even friends with any of the other countries, so there really wasn't a point in posting pictures of his breakfast if he was just going to do it for likes...
He sighed to himself as he sat down on the seat infront of his breakfast and switched from people's posts to the international news articles. There were thousands of articles and news reports about United Nations and his announcement regarding Intersphere Academy.
The world has been progressing easily these past few years. New technology and weapons have been invented and new research is discovered everyday. Not a single hint of war between any Country Master, especially now that new and young Country Masters are expected to soon become representatives of their own countries. And even if the time doesn't come, they're the direct descendants of the Country Master representatives. They must learn the ways of both Country and Human.
And everyone has been anxiously waiting for UN's announcement, comments, basically anything that had to be said about Intersphere Academy. Even Demipowers such as ASEAN and EU have been anticipating anything from the Grandmaster Country himself.
Intersphere Academy wasn't any normal academy, considering that UN has direct relations to the working staff and the overall management of the school. Only the most prestigious of Country Masters, States, and Cities alike were allowed entrance to the Academy. Those who had the best skills, the greatest forms, and effective powers were to survive in an academy filled with competition.
But the school hasn't been opened since World War II, and the sons and daughters of the old Country Representatives of that time have grown old enough to test their skills and abilities, showcase them to the world and make their people proud.
Yet it wasn't until UN said anything about the academy that the Country Masters could even hope to enter.
Phil scrolled through the news as he peacefully ate his breakfast and drank his hot chocolate, the rain from outside being the perfect white noise as he scrolled through countless news articles. He had a nervous feeling that Del may get him enrolled into the Academy and have him make new friends. Phil groaned at the thought, he didn't want to go. He was perfectly fine where he was and even if Del was intent on making him stay here forever, he wouldn't mind one bit.
Many Country Masters have been posting and even speaking about the academy on the news. Country Masters like America and China have been training even before the announcement for the opening of the academy would ever happen. If it did. America seemed to be the most excited, though. Judging by the muscles and the enthusiastic persona he had on the news, he had been training since the day he was born.
And then there were Countries like Russia and Japan. Russia was known for not being as eager for interviews of the like, often giving s few short comments before being quickly escorted off screen. Japan was something similar. He didn't give much of his opinions about the academy and quickly summarized it as "An exciting new adventure" that he was looking forward to. Phil chuckled at that as he chewed on a piece of bacon. Japan's personality was kinda cute.
Phil yawned weakly as he finished the last slice of egg, grabbing his half-filled cup of hot chocolate and sipping slowly on the drink. He decided to scroll down more in the threads related to international news.
Same old, same old... America gets stung by a bee... Russia glares at an interviewer after asking a rather personal question... South Korea visits as a VIP audience member at some Korean boy band concert... India talks with his father, the Country Representative as a means of discussing the production of advanced Indian military assets...
Wait a minute.
Phil stopped scrolling once he swore he had read his name in a news article somewhere. What the... Why would anyone make a news article about him if nobody has even seen him before? He could've sworn that Del and Martial tried their best efforts to have Phil be hidden from the paparazzi and the outside world ever since his birth. Why would people be concerned all of the sudden?
His heart began skipping beats as he scrolled back up, trying to find the article to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. The best case scenario was that the article was just about his country in general and not about him. Or maybe Del was interviewed again and it was just another article about his brother. Yes, maybe that's all-
Phil's heart dropped to the floor when his greatest fears were confirmed. He read the title of the article, dread filling his heart with every second.
.
'ARTICLE BY DAILY INTERNATIONAL (Jan 20, 2050): Country Masters curious about Country Master Del's youngest sibling's identity. Just who is the future Country Master Representative of the Philippines?'
At that moment, Phil's anxiety had spiked up tenfold. The Daily International was a news organization run by UN himself. Every single article by The Daily International was read and reviewed by Country Masters and even humans worldwide. What's worse is that this article was just posted today...
Phil clicked on the article and began scrolling down, reading the contents and trying his hardest not to cry right then and there.
.
COUNTRY MASTERS CURIOUS ABOUT THE COUNTRY MASTER DEL'S YOUNGEST SIBLING'S IDENTITY. JUST WHO IS THE FUTURE COUNTRY MASTER REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PHILIPPINES?
By The Daily International Org.
Published January 20, 2050, 8:01:34 AM
Nation Metro (TDI Intersphere, January 19) – After rumors of the resurgence of Intersphere Academy, Country Masters have been eager to meet their international counterparts. This also aroused the paparazzi as news reporters from every station has been asking influential Country Masters for their views on the recent gossip.
But not every Country Master had the chance to share their opinions. Multiple other Country Masters had either refused to say anything or even appear on camera. However, there is one specific Country Master who were one of the few to be missing an interview. And oddly enough, no reporter was able to contact them until now.
The Philippines is known to be a happy country filled with wonderful people and beautiful tourists spots that are perfect for your warm, summer vacation. But Country Masters suspect that behind the gleeful image of the tropical archipelago, lies something much more deeper that no-one knows of—
Country Master Del and Country Master Martial are not only known to be two of the most strategic and influential Country Masters in Southeast Asia. In fact, they are most known for their enigmatic personalities and their rare appearances outside of interviews and news reports. Many Country Masters have been curious about the Country Masters of the Philippines, a few comments here and there;
"Sometimes, I feel like Del— Is that his name? Yeah, I feel like he's hiding something. Not sure what, but I know it's... Well- Something! What's even more strange is that third sibling of his. Nobody has seen 'em. Ever. Not even UN, the guy himself. It's really strange." America commented during an interview.
"My father and the Country Masters of the Philippines have quite a long and rough history with one another—" Japan says when asked about his opinions on the Archipelago, "—So I'm not entirely sure if I have a say in this. However, I truly hope to meet Country Master Del's youngest sibling at Intersphere Academy. I'm sure they're a very interesting person!"
Many other Country Masters expressed curiosity towards the Philippine siblings as well. With the strange obscurity of the Ophirian/Maharlikan bloodline, we still aren't able to make any assumptions about their backgrounds. However, we do know that—
.
At that moment, Phil turned off his phone and quickly downed his hot chocolate under a second. He couldn't continue anymore. Not after what America and Japan had commented. It felt so wrong having others wonder who you were when you don't want them to know.
Calm down Phil, maybe the news will die down, maybe nobody will pay much mind to it and The Daily International will leave the topic alone. Yes, that must be it. Maybe they'll leave him alone.
Phil stared at his empty mug and the clean plate Infront of him. He sighs, maybe he just needs to spend a little bit of time off of social media for a while and find something else to do.
Stretching his arms out until a satisfying pop sounded on his back, he yawned and placed the mug and plate in the sink, noting to wash it later. But as he was about to leave, he noticed something else in the sink that was not in fact a dish. He peered into the sink, finding two cracked eggshells inside.
"Eh?" Phil wondered, "How did that get in there?"
He took the eggshells out of the sink and quickly threw them in the trash before going back up in his room and finding something comfortable to wear after a quick shower.
But just as he was about to look inside the closet, he noticed the mess his bed was, and the lone IV stand beside it. He groaned, he really doesn't want to fix his room...
Oh wait. He's an Ophirian.
Phil pouted and closed the closet door behind him before trying to focus hard on the bed. He's seen Ate Hukbalahap use this technique before whenever she didn't want to spend time cleaning.
Slowly, the contents on the bed began to move, slowly putting themselves in place without Phil needing to go over and fix it himself. Times like these is where Ophirian Magic came in handy, telekinesis had never been so amazing before.
Phil chose his clothes for the day and prepared his shower. As he did, he wondered about what else he should do today. Honestly, he's really expecting Del to enroll him in Intersphere Academy. With that in mind, he planned to study more about economics and democratic principles. If he remembers correctly, Del had quite the amount of books catering to those two topics in the library. Maybe after showering, he could study there.
It's surprising, honestly. He expected that Del would enroll him into Intersphere Academy despite his long history with UN, the Grandmaster of the entirety of Intersphere...
Especially knowing that UN isn't too fond of his brother...
But those are thoughts to ponder about for another day. Phil decided that right now, getting a shower was more important. He sighs as he slips on his bath robes and enters the vanilla-scented bathroom.
.
.
.
"Ah, that was a nice bath..." Phil sighs to himself, walking out of the bathroom with his fresh set of clothes and much clearer mind.

(Phil's clothes ^^^^^ :'3)
.
Hopefully, today wouldn't be so bad. A nice shower and a good breakfast was a great way to start his morning... Ignoring all the negatives that had happened earlier...
Phil still had to study in the library later. He checked the time in his phone, 9:10 AM. Phil wasn't entirely sure what to do after studying as he wasn't really planning to stay in the library until lunch...
Ah! Maybe he'll write to Del. Obviously, Martial wouldn't be a choice since he would probably just ignore them. Since the rest of the island is empty and devoid of any malls or stores, Del is usually the one who buys Phil his things such as clothes, groceries, and other necessities.
Phil needs restocking of milk and sugar... He used all of it up for the hot chocolate and waffle mix earlier...
And maybe he can even— No. Del would never buy him that.
Recently, Phil has been starting to grow fond of those shows in Japan... Anime? Is that what it's called? He especially liked that one called "Attack on Titan." His favorite character just had to be Levi and Erwin... They honestly reminded him of Martial and Del...
But it wasn't the anime he was most fond about. Rather, it was the manga they were based off of. It was so cool seeing people online show off their manga collection and Phil honestly wanted one as well. Japan was the best when it came to art. Phil couldn't help but admit he was a little jealous...
Maybe he'll be able to get it one day. God, he wants one so badly but he has to wait. Phil closes his closet and grabs a few notebooks and pens before taking his phone and makes his way to the library.
.
.
.
Phil couldn't help but be taken aback everytime he entered the library. The sheer expansiveness of the entire room alone and the sheer number of books made never failed to impress Phil everytime he sees it.

(Something similar to this. Yes, Del is very book-crazy. 😆)
.
Del was the one who planned to install this library during the making of Pearl Manor. Martial thought he was crazy but Hukbalahap supported the idea and in the end, the large library was built inside of the mansion.
Obviously, any normal human or Country Master would have difficulty trying to retrieve any of the books on the higher shelves. Del specifically designed this library for only them to easily navigate through. Phil stared in awe as he walked towards a study area, still eying the library in amazement.
Phil went to one of the reading nooks, a very common trend everywhere within the mansion. During the time when Phil was just a child, he would always see Del reading wherever he went. When Pearl Manor was in the making, Martial ordered to have reading nooks in every possible space in the mansion. All for Del.
He went to his most favored nook which was right beside the garden. Once he got there, and sat down on the plush cushions of the nook.

.
Phil turned on the lamp beside him, which gave off a warm, yellow glow. Phil opened one of his notebooks, reviewing the notes he took yesterday after a long day of training in the meadow.
Right now, Phil was in the topic of International trade and marketing. Martial told him that this exact topic is extremely important when it comes to being a Country Master. Well, if you don't want your country's economy to go to shít that is.
Just as Phil was about to stand up and grab a book, the doorbell to the front door of the mansion began to ring.
Phil flinched and began sweating. Who the hell would be on the island at such an early time? Usually, Del or Martial would arrive at the afternoon if they were to ever visit. Phil glanced at the intercom beside the nook. Hesitantly, he pressed the answer button on the intercom and spoke.
"Er... H...— Hello? Who is th— Err—" Phil stuttered out, his face flushing in embarrassment at how horrible he sounded.
There was silence for a small while. But Phil could tell there was someone on the other side, as he could hear the sound of something shuffling. Suddenly, a voice finally responded just as Phil was ready to call the cops
"Phil," Manila's deep and tired-sounding voice sounded through the call, "It's just me. Master Del sent me here to check on you."
Phil let out a large sigh of relief when he hears Manila's voice. For a while, he thought it was some kind of intruder that was somehow able to find their way into the island. It would be pretty scary since Del hid this island from the map really well.
"I— Alright... I'll be there in a minute..."
Phil began to make his way to the front door of the mansion. He rubbed at the side of his arms as an anxious feeling began to wash over him. Honestly, he's just glad that he doesn't have to go outside everyday and interact with anyone other than his brothers, Hukbalahap, and Manila.
Once he got to the main entrance, he hesitantly opened the door and peeked through the small crack to face the capital of his Country.
Manila was a taller man who looked fairly attractive. Multiple news reported find themselves to be swooned by him despite the fact that Manila isn't the type to communicate much. What made Manila stand out from the rest of the capitals is the fact that he was equally as mysterious as his Country Masters, with his origins being unknown even until now.
Another reason why is due to the fact he was taller than both Del and Martial. Yeah, that too.
"Country Master Philippines," Manila addressed him with a slight bow, adjusting his glasses and and tie, "It is a pleasure to be meeting you this morning. Apologies if I interrupted anything important."
Phil waved his hands Infront of him, "Oh— No, it's alright. I wasn't really busy that time. In fact, I'm kinda having trouble finding out what to do today..."
Manila hummed before placing both his left hand behind him right hand holding the umbrella, "Master Del wishes to greet you a good morning... And he also wishes to give you something as well."
Phil tilted his head in confusion as Manila handed him a medium-sized pale bag. Phil stared at it curiously before Manila cleared his throat to speak again,
"If you will excuse me, I must go. This is all I needed to deliver."
And in a blink of an eye, Manila snapped his fingers and a bright, golden light flashed before Phil. When Phil unshielded his eyes, Manila was gone in an instant.
Oh, Phil thought, Well that was quick.
It seemed that both Del and Manila must be busy these days. Last week, Del wasn't able to visit him— But Hukbalahap was there that Friday. Phil smiled more whenever she visited him, Hukbalahap made Phil see the brighter side to making friends.
"Hey, Sunny!" Hukbalahap calls to Phil as she enters the mansion with a fan flapping against her. It was hard to think that it's almost been a week since Hukbalahap visited.
Phil sighs. Maybe after writing to Del, he'll write to Hukbalahap as well. But right now, he needed to study first...
.
.
.
Phil yawned as he outstretched his arms and closed his notebook. The sky outside didn't look any different than it did this morning, being overcast with grey clouds. Ever since that morning, it hadn't stopped raining.
He hummed and checked the time. 11:30 AM. Studying economics took longer than he thought. He sighs as he picks up his notebooks and pens, making sure not to forget to place the books in their proper order within the shelves.
As he walked out of the library and wandered the halls, he wondered what he should make for lunch. As he swept through the halls, it felt like it had extended a little more farther than usual. Phil took note of this. It was normal.

.
Without knowing why, Phil always had a strange feeling whenever he walked through this specific part of the mansion, another reason as to why he doesn't visit the library that often. The hallway seemed to extend for miles if you weren't paying attention, paintings placed between every square enclosed by the pillars.
This hallway looked a little different from the others. It was reminiscent of old, European architecture and was lit with authentic candles either placed in glass holders that lined the walls or perched on the hands of the low-laying chandeliers. And at the end of the hallways was nothing but a dwindling spiral staircase, leading directly to the entrance hall of the second floor.
It always have Phil a slight feeling of paranoia whenever he walked through the hallway. Each and every painting that lined the hallway walls were authentic and olden— Dating back all the way to the Spanish times. The "special" paintings always had three candles lit under them while the normal ones had only one.
What were these "special" paintings, you ask? Honestly, Phil can't even tell why they're so special in the first place. He understands that they're part of history, but— All of them are. Why are these specific paintings so special?
One of the special paintings— Spolarium, by Juan Luna himself— had three large candles lit under it. The one who ordered to have three candles under this painting was Martial. Until now, Phil doesn't understand why.
But not all special paintings had three candles. One of them had ten.
And this painting was none other than a painting of their parents.
Phil had never met them. In fact, he doesn't even recall having been painted with them. Let alone interact. Maybe he's seen them when he was just a baby, but he was too young to remember. But honestly, he didn't care about them. It felt wrong, but he couldn't help but feel indifferent knowing that he's never got to know his parents personally.
Sometimes, he jokes that his brothers purposely hid him from them.
Ah, but that's just a joke.
...
Phil shook his head and took his mind off of the painting of his parents. He couldn't see the painting anyway, Del covered the painting with a magic-touched cloth that can only be moved by himself. But even if he took it off, he didn't find any interest in seeing their faces.
Well, he's heard stories of them. When Phil was younger, Del would tell stories of his parents as if they were legendary heroes in a myth.
Katipunan was a great Maharlikan warrior who defeated every enemy that crossed his path, a family man who loved his wife and children more than anything in the world. Del tells him that Martial got his strength from his father, but he's never even heard Martial even mention Katipunan.
Perla was a beautiful Ophirian princess with a bright mind and a pure heart. She was the most powerful of the sisters, and she was the one who ruled the sun over all else. Martial mentioned Perla once. He told Phil that Del got his love of books from her.
But their faces and identities were both entirely obscure. It came to a point that Phil wasn't even sure if they were real or not. If they were alive or not.
All that Del said was that their father left, and Perla followed shortly after.
Phil couldn't believe it as a child. Why would a man who loved his family so much not be present for him? He had so many questions that Del and Martial would refuse to answer. In the end, he grew out of it. Leave the stories of his parents as myths he was told as a child and that will be enough.
Phil groaned as he massaged his temples. He really needed to eat lunch.
.
.
.
This time, Phil kept it a little more simple.
It was just a bistek bowl that he made using a recipe from some British website he found off of google. It went well, if Phil had to admit. He was pretty proud of what he made.

.
Phil placed the bowl on the counter and pulled a bar stool towards it. He had quite the struggle trying to sit on the stool... He couldn't say that his height was "average" per say, but he could manage... Kind of.
After a few embarrassing minutes of trying to climb up the bar stool, he was finally able to grab a spoonful of the bistek, along with a piece of egg and a bit of rice. He moaned in content upon tasting the savory meat of the bistek bowl. This was really well done.
He contemplated whether or not he should check his phone again for any news updates. Maybe by now, the news has died down. After all, the article with his name didn't have that many views. With this in mind, Phil grabbed his phone and opened the news, believing that the news was let go by now.
Boy, was he wrong. So wrong.
Hundreds of news articles detailing him and the rumors behind his family's mysterious origins flooded the news and headlines. The reporters just wouldn't shut up about their oh so mysterious third sibling that nobody has ever seen. They wouldn't shut up about the unknown parents of the Philippine brothers, why nobody knows who they are and why they never talk of them.
Phil was too busy in the library to notice how his phone's notifications have been blowing up. Ever since The Daily International's article that morning, it's been the trending topic that day. Videos on theories of their existence, every little enigmatic thing about the brothers, it was all there.
"THE DARK SECRETS BEHIND THE PHILIPPINE COUNTRY MASTERS: WHAT THEY WON'T TELL US"
"COUNTRY MASTER INDONESIA COMMENTS ON THE MYSTERY BEHIND THE PHILIPPINE BROTHER'S UNKNOWN SIBLING"
"SHOULD YOU TRUST THE PHILIPPINES?"
His hand began shaking, yet he didn't notice. His head began spinning, but he didn't notice. Too much was happening with his body all at once that he wasn't able to tell whether or not he was really awake. The taste of the bistek in his mouth suddenly became absolutely vile. He doubled over as his stomach turned, nausea overcoming him as his sweat began to feel cold.
It felt hard to breathe, his stomach would hurt whenever he did. His mouth felt dryer with every breath he took, the pain in both his head, chest, and stomach couldn't seem to go away.
Idiots. All of them.
He just wanted to stay within the mansion and curl up in his room. He didn't want to leave the island, he didn't want Del to send him to Intersphere. He wanted to stay. He doesn't want to see anyone except his brothers and cousins.
The outside was too much for him. Whenever he went outside of the mansion, his senses become overloaded and he becomes lost. The outside was too dangerous. Everything that wasn't here was too dangerous. The only place where it was safe was here— Where nobody else but him resided— Where it was just him and his thoughts and NOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBKDYNOBLDYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODYNOBKDYNOBLDYNOBODYNOBODYNOBODY
Suddenly, Phil's phone began to ring. Phil flinched and snapped to his senses. The ringtone was soft, and it made Phil aware of the fact that his phone had fallen to the floor.
With a shaky hand, he gently picked up the phone and checked to see who the caller was. His heart leaped a little when he sees the name of the caller ID, immediately pressing the answer button and pressing it against his ear.
"A— Ate..." Phil muttered out, voice still shaky and panicked.
"G'afternoon, Sunny!" Hukbalahap's cheerful voice sounded through the call. Phil's heart warmed a little when he heard his older cousin's voice.
Hukbalahap hummed when she noticed the shakiness of Phil's voice, "Hm? Anything wrong, Sunny?"
Phil shook his head, even though Hukbalahap probably couldn't see it from where she was, "No...— No, nothing's wrong... I was just having lunch..."
He could practically hear Hukbalahap pursing her lips, "Really? I see..." Hukbalahap giggles as she shifts her position on the couch, "Did Manila give you the thing Del sent? He told me that he just gave it to you this morning."
"The white paper bag?" Phil asked for confirmation, "Y— Yeah, he did... I haven't opened it yet though."
Hukbalahap hummed once more, "Hm? Well open it, Sunny! Del had it made just for you, and he believes it'll help you relieve your stress if we're not there to help you!"
Phil hummed in confusion as well. The paper bag was sitting beside him, the opening sealed with tape. Phil gently set his phone back on the counter and took the paper bag, gently peeling off the tape.
Once done, he stuck the tape on the table and opened the bag to see the contents, gasping in surprise when he sees what it was.

.
"Do you like it?" Hukbalahap asks on the other line, "It's a ball plush of you!"
Phil gently grabbed the soft plushball and held it in his arms. It was soft and filled with gentle cotton that sunk under his touch but sprung back up when he removed his hands. It looked absolutely adorable.
"I..." Phil was absolutely speechless for a while as he stared at the plush in bewilderment. Hukbalahap giggled through the phone.
"Del was worried that you'd feel lonely there at Pearl Manor, so he asked someone to sow this up for you!"
Phil pressed the plushball against his chest, hugging it tightly as he buried his face on top of it. He inhaled the scent of newly unpacked foam and fabric. He sighed into the plush, a sigh of relief and released pressure as his body no longer felt pain nor tense.
"Thank you..." Phil muttered, "Thank you so much..."
Hukbalahap giggled once more before hearing a thud on the other side of the phone. She paused, wondering what the hell that was.
"Ph— Phil?!" Hukbalahap called out.
Little did she know, Phil had fallen asleep right then and there, head pressed against the counter as he hugged the plushball tightly against his chest. His soft snores let Hukbalahap know what had happened, and the older woman sighs.
"Poor Sunny... Must've been worn out all day..."
.
.
.
Phil turned in his sleep and mumbled something incoherent. He held the plushball tighter against him as he could feel a pair of arms pick him up and carry him bridal style. Phil's head was laid against the person's chest. He didn't know who this person was, but Phil was too tired to care and buried his head against their chest.
The person carrying him seemed to be walking up a flight of stairs. Yet despite it all, they was able to not wake the sleeping Filipino from his slumber. Phil couldn't be any more grateful as he snored softly against the person's chest and clutched the plushball tightly.
He heard the sound of a door opening and closing, before the person walked over to the bed and gently placed Phil down, taking the blanket and carefully placing it over Phil. The sleeping Country groaned and hugged the plushball tighter, a loose tear falling from his eye from his earlier breakdown.
The person wiped away the tear with a gloved hand before retracting it and staring at the sleeping form of the country before him. They sighed.
Suddenly, Phil muttered something in his sleep, surprised by the plushball against his face,
"Kuya Martial..." Phil mumbled, "Goodnight..."
The unknown person stared at Phil with an indescribable expression before walking towards the door and opening it.
He adjusted his General's cap and fixed the red cape that flowed down from his shoulders.
"Goodnight, Phil."
And with that, he left the room and quietly closed the door behind him. Phil couldn't tell why, but that night was the best night of sleep he's ever had.
═════════════════════════
-Woo! Well that was a pretty long chapter. O_o
-By the way, I added a few references to Poloaq's "Freedom of Life" book. Go check it out! It's amazing! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و 💛
-I felt pretty bored and just wanted to write whatever what was on my mind at the moment. I've been watching those "A day in my life" videos recently and I wanted to base this chapter off of it. ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)
-Orignally, this was supposed to be more angsty-er than what's shown now. (๑-﹏-๑)
-Sorry for all the pictures tho... Huhu... :')
-Intersphere Academy will be saved for another story... Soon... 🤭
-Phil is honestly just like Rapunzel. He's been living in the same residence since childhood and his family members won't let him leave. Do you have any idea why? 🤔
-I'm not really used to writing my Countryhumans universe in the modern era since I've been writing more content related to the plot of HISTORIA and I'm more used to writing about the olden times. (；^ω^）
-Also, it feels very strange writing a story where Phil is not a baby and Del, Mar, and Huk are not children. (*・～・*)
-It seems like Phil is a mystery in the Country Master world... I wonder what'll happen if he is exposed to the outside world. Surely, nothing bad happens, right? ☆〜（ゝ。∂）
-There was supposed to be a scene where Phil watches Netflix and eats dinner but I didn't have time to add it since I wanted to finish the story before 9PM... (╥﹏╥)
-Why's Phil sick? One can only wonder...
Number of words: 8,365
.
.
.
End of chapter. ^^