Written: January 1, 2024
North Korea lay in bed, asleep. He had no other dreams since he fell back asleep. Heat radiated from his body and areas he was lying in. The house was still and silent, as all orderly things are. He felt two small hands on his shoulder, shaking him ever so slightly.
"North! Wake up!" Okinawa's voice rang through the silent room. "The sun is shining!" North sighed and got up, reaching for his eyepatch.
"What is it, Oki?" He grumbled. Okinawa snatched the eyepatch from the nightstand and sat in front of North Korea.
"The sun is out, so that means it's time to get up!" Okinawa went closer to North's face and carefully tied the eyepatch around North's head. North Korea checked the clock hanging on the wall.
"Oki, it's 5:50 am. Gimme a break." North Korea aggressively flung his blanket off of him.
"But Nooooooooorth!" Okinawa pleaded. "It's too bright outside! We can have fun while the others are asleep!" She grabbed onto North Korea's collar, tilted her head and gazed at him with puppy eyes. "Please?"
North Korea grimaced, and gently but firmly pushed Okinawa's hands away. "Alright, fine." He got up and made his bed.
"Yay!" Okinawa exclaimed. Her sea-green eyes gleamed with unadulterated joy and excitement. She ran to her room, giggling to herself. North pulled the end of his tank top down and begrudgingly followed Okinawa to her room.
North Korea let a huge yawn escape his lips. He went into Okinawa's room. Okinawa handed him a plastic tiara. "Put it on!" She went on the tips of her toes in a desperate attempt to put the tiara on North. North dodged Okinawa.
"I refuse." He crossed his arms and looked to his left. Okinawa was a little disgruntled, but her eyes soon lit up as she realized how to persuade North.
"Oh, come on! The fairies need a King, er, Supreme Leader!" She shook the crown.
"No. No, they don't." North growled, curses forming in the substructure of the cabinets in the back of his mind. If he did swear, Okinawa would rat him out, so he had to hold himself back. Okinawa smirks.
"Really, then?" She started. "What if I told you, um, American Imperialists exploited the workers and natural resources, and they don't know how to fix their country? North, they need stability!" She held her teddy bear up to North's face. It was quite old and a faded russet.
"Oki, no." North Korea scrunched his eyebrows.
"Bears don't have civilizations. They are not civil creatures."
"So Russia is not a civil creature?" Okinawa asked, hugging the teddy bear close to her.
"Russia is Russia. She's not a bear."
"Then why is it called a Russian Bear?" Okinawa tossed the teddy bear up and down. North Korea glared at Okinawa with a resentful energy. In response, Okinawa put a plastic crown on her head. "If I'm the princess, can you be the King?" Okinawa smiled softly and held the other plastic tiara to North's face. Okinawa and North Korea locked eyes, her sea-green ones like pieces of sea glass on a beach. North Korea's heliotrope-shaded eye outmatched Okinawa's in intensity, but Okinawa's were too pure to ignore. They were as clear as an Okinawan shore on a bright summer day.
Okinawa's eyes could plunge one onto the sea walls of Urasoe. The feeling of pumice mixed into the sand, the aroma of salt, the comfortable humidity on a windy day, and elderly fishermen sitting on a mossy cliff by the sea, chuckling as multitudes of small children flock to see what they caught. The teal hue of the sea reflected in her eyes. North Korea couldn't resist how innocent and welcoming his sister's pleading eyes were. He sighed and hardened his glare.
"Fine," he started, "I'll be the King." He snatched the tiara from Okinawa and slammed it onto his head. "I look like some freaking femboy." He muttered out of Okinawa's earshot.
"Now we can play!" Okinawa brought out her stuffed animals, which filled the gap between her and North Korea. She pushed a small stuffed bunny to North Korea, who plastered on a smile.
"Who is this?" He asked, pointing to the bunny.
"That's Usagi! Your new vizier!" Okinawa responded eagerly, still hugging her stuffed bear. North Korea examined the stuffed bunny. It was an off-white with a bubblegum colored nose and ears. It had a checkered rose bow tied around its neck.
"What should I ask Usagi?" North Korea was actively trying to play with Okinawa. He didn't get up for nothing, after all.
"Ask him anything!" Okinawa rocked back and forth. North Korea contemptuously stared at the bunny.
"I don't know." North Korea tossed the bunny back and forth between his arms. Okinawa frowned a little bit. She sat and thought for a moment. As the game progressed, Okinawa took control of all the roles, with North Korea sitting nearby with a plastic tiara. Occasionally, Okinawa would ask him questions through the stuffed animals.
"King North! Should we name our army the Windex Warriors?" She asked in a high-pitched voice, while shaking a duck plush.
"Yeah, sure." North responded, not really paying attention to the questions. He was staring out the window, watching the sun come up. Okinawa was always a morning person. It didn't matter whether she woke up to the bugles of the Marine Camps or waking up to traffic and the smell of the ocean, she was happy to wake up at ungodly times.
"Yay!" Okinawa cheered for her stuffed animals. "King North! We need more concrete buildings on island! Typhoon season is getting worse!" She said in a lower voice, shaking her stuffed bear. North Korea nodded,
"Sure." He said, watching the colors of the sky fade into blue. The hues of orange and pink, yellow and indigo rising with the white sun, calling the birds to chirp, and the day to start. North Korea tried to guess how long Okinawa had been playing with him. He glanced at a clock.
7:57 am.
Okinawa was keeping this whole game on for two hours. It was three minutes to eight, meaning the rest of the family would wake up soon. North Korea turned to Okinawa and said in a honey-coated tone,
"Oki, we've been playing for two hours and haven't had breakfast yet. Are you hungry?" Okinawa turned to look her brother dead in the eye. She blinked a couple of times. She stared for a couple of seconds, as if not processing what her brother was saying. Just as North was going to repeat his question, Oki answered,
"Not yet. I still want to play." She looked back at her toys and continued her game. North Korea took off the tiara and leaned against the wall. Like clockwork, as soon as the clock struck eight, Japan and South's alarms went off, and they got up to start their day. South Korea heard Okinawa talking and laughing, and decided to walk over to check on what she was doing.
"King North!" Okinawa exclaimed, "The village is on fire!" North Korea had a blank stare, sucking in a breath. He turned to look at his brother, who was standing at the doorway.
"Put me out of my misery." He horsley whispered. South held a hand to his mouth, snickering. Okinawa, her reflexes as fast a hawk's, turned to see South.
"Hello, South!" She ran over and hugged her brother. "Want to play with me?"
"Not now, Oki. It's time for breakfast." South Korea smiled like an idiot when he looked over at North. "Plus, I think you tortured North enough with your games."
"Shut up, South." North Korea retorted. He, then, walked over and knelt down to Okinawa's level. "I loved playing your game." He forced a smile. It looked more like a grimace, but he tried nonetheless.
The three siblings rushed through the hall to go eat.
"I'm faster than you!" South shouted, picking up the pace.
"This isn't a fricking competition, South." North Korea said through clenched teeth, also gaining speed. The twins eyes each other, the animosity growing as they ran faster and faster.
"Wait for me!" Okinawa called out. "I have short legs!" Okinawa raced down the hall like a battle-horse through the Arabian sands. Her legs felt like wind up toys releasing tension after being tightened to their full extent. The brothers paid no heed to their little sister.
In the heat of the moment, the twins crashed into their older sister.
"Well, that's one way to say good morning." Japan quipped, looking down at her fallen brethren. Okinawa came, panting.
"I said to wait up!" She stood over the heads of the twins, and peered down at them. North Korea quickly stood up, dusting off his coal-shaded sweatpants.
"Survival of the fittest." He remarked.
"Well, excuse you, I have the longest life expectancy out of all the others!" Okinawa mumbled, crossing her arms.
A smile tugged on the corner of South's lips. "Well, North. Survival of the smartest, then!" He stood up and turned to make breakfast. "I don't think anyone is going to last." He added, gingerly.
"Speak for yourself." Japan scoffed. South Korea froze.
"Speak for myself?" He tilted his head at Japan. "Don't flatter yourself."
The kitchen was lively with the hustle of breakfast being prepared.
The kitchen was bustling with the aroma of brewing coffee and sizzling pans. South Korea hummed a tune while flipping eggs in the pan, the smell of bacon wafting through the air. He skillfully maneuvered around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients and spices effortlessly.
Japan gracefully moved between the countertops, arranging plates and cups with meticulous precision. She glanced at the clock, ensuring everything was perfectly timed. Her movements were elegant, reminiscent of a seasoned conductor orchestrating a symphony.
Meanwhile, North Korea leaned against the kitchen counter, observing the chaos with a faint smirk. He looked up, catching Okinawa sneaking a handful of cereal from the box.
"Oki, you'll spoil your appetite," North scolded playfully.
"But I'm hungry now!" Okinawa protested, her mouth half full of cereal.
"Everyone grab a seat!" Japan called out, setting the table with an air of authority.
The siblings gathered around the table, the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. South placed a platter of sizzling bacon and eggs at the center, while Japan served steaming bowls of miso soup and rice.
North grabbed a piece of toast and spread butter on it while eyeing the other dishes. "Where's the kimchi?"
"Coming right up!" South replied, rushing back to the stove to grab the kimchi pot.
Okinawa eagerly reached for the chopsticks, ready to dig in. She took a sip of miso soup and grinned. "This is perfect, Anee-chan!"
Japan smiled, pleased at her sister's compliment. "Thank you, Oki. Now, eat up before it gets cold."
The siblings indulged in the breakfast feast, the clinking of utensils filling the room. South cracked a joke, causing even Japan to let out a subtle laugh, and North to smile. Okinawa shared stories from her latest adventures in the forest, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
As they enjoyed their meal together, the morning routine transformed into a heartwarming family moment, setting a positive tone for the day ahead.
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A while later, South Korea approached his brother. He stood at the doorway, where North Korea was about to take Okinawa on a walk. Japan was at work as a cashier in her beloved convenience store, Family Mart.
"Mind if I join the fun?" South Korea asked.
Okinawa jumped up and down excitedly, and turned to North Korea for his approval. She had a wide grin, shining eyes, and legs jumping as if they were charged with electricity.
"Fine. You can join, South." North flatly uttered. In response, Okinawa squealed in delight, grabbing the hands of her brothers and pulling them towards the door. South couldn't help but smile at Okinawa's infectious excitement.
"I get to play with both of you, today!" Okinawa dragged the twins outside, where the sun beat down, and the grass swayed. The air was filled with the smoky, acrid scent of exhaust, blown through the air by the cool, peppermint wind.
North Korea kept a steady pace, his gaze fixed ahead. Meanwhile, South was amiably chatting with Okinawa. The small province was bubbling about the wild boar she saw in the woods the other day, and the huge habu snake she found.
"I named him Habu Babu!" Okinawa exclaimed. South nodded, keenly listening to everything his sister had to say. South Korea pointed to a green space dotted with trees and a playground.
"How about we go to the playground?" South Korea offered. Okinawa warily watched for North's approval, who shrugged in agreement.
"Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!" Okinawa dashed off, speeding towards the playground as fast as a Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut at full speed.
North and South sat down at a faded celadon bench. South Korea stretched his arm over North Korea's shoulder and slouched. "We're good brothers." He sighed. South Korea wore a half-smile and looked over at North.
"I'm sure Mom would be proud of us." He murmured. North nodded, a flicker of emotions appeared on his face, and disappeared just as quickly.
"I hope she would be." North softly replied, his voice bittersweet, and tinged with nostalgia. South tightened his grip on his brother's shoulder. He didn't need to say anything; the gesture spoke for itself. Side by side, they watched Okinawa play, her smile radiating sunshine.
"What would Mom think of Oki?" South asked. Their mother died when Okinawa was very young. The question lingered in the air. North Korea stared at Okinawa, who was playing on a tire swing. His expression softened.
"I think she'd be proud of her optimism." North murmured, his gaze fixed on Okinawa. "Despite everything, Oki's able to find joy in the little things. Mom would love her for that."
South nodded in agreement, his gaze drifting towards their sister, who was now chasing a bright yellow butterfly. "Yeah, that girl is a ray of sunshine."
"One thing for sure is that Dad found her annoying." North solemnly added.
"Yeah." South Korea replied, his tone bitter. "I guess he never understood her cheerfulness."
North scoffed. "That man didn't understand anything." His jaw tightened in remembrance of his father. "I wish he was more like Mom." He muttered more to himself than to South.
Their father, Imperial Japan, was intolerant of individuality and ideals different from his own. He always had to be in control of everything. The memory if his treatment of them stung in North Korea's chest.
How rude he was to Okinawa.
How he would passionately hate their mother.
How he would berate South for creating songs instead of "something useful."
How he would shelter Japan from it all. Japan, his favorite child. The one he knew that would speak up if she ever found out what was going on. He couldn't afford to lose his loving and obedient daughter.
South Korea leaned on his twin brother, tightening his grip even further as a gesture of support. They watched Okinawa play and laugh. Her joyful laughter was a reminder of how innocent and carefree Okinawa remained.
"Japan was right yesterday." South quipped. "We should be more like Okinawa."
"If only it were that easy..."
This is what I give you to start off 2024. Happy New Year.
Also, here is a rare photo that South keeps in his closet. I got Agent Yuri to bring it to me. (From left to right: South, Joeson Empire, North)
YAY! IT'S NOT SIDEWAYS!