In the woods (Countryhuman)

17-3

They look so cool!

Wan. Wan won.

Take it easy you three. He's still getting used to them.

It was supposed to be a nice day. Birds were blooming, flowers were singing, and on days like this.

Squirrels shouldn't be stealing kasas.

Japan had been chasing this stupid tree rodent for a solid six minutes. Canada had been 'helping', which in 9 times out of 10 went wrong and made the squirrel get away due to the two countries narrowly missing each other. As of now Canada had 5 more trials to get one attempt right.

The squirrel had made it to one of the groves, leaping between the branches. Following suit, Japan had vaulted herself into the branches. With ease she had navigated through, not giving the squirrel much breathing room. She had expected Canada to stay on the ground, as she was very doubtful that the country to keep up with her pace. The agile white country weaved and swung through the many branches, her feeling a piece of herself she hadn't felt in a while.

Growing up, she aspired to be like her parents when it came to gymnastics. And so she trained, trained, and trained some more. Sleep came few and far between weeks leading up to a competition her father let her go to. Her mother was a bit more on the fence about the whole thing, yet after seeing her daughter's enthusiasm gave in.

As Japan wove through the trees, her mind subconsciously traced back to that memory.

———

Japan waited nervously, full of gitters. What if she wasn't good enough? What if she didn't have it to be equal to that of her mother? What if-

A knock on the door scared her out of her thoughts. Her father was waiting in the doorframe.

"You ready for this 露滴?" He asked, his soft smile helping calm her worries a small bit. "I-I think so. But- but what if I don't do well パパ?" Her gaze had dropped to the floor, her painted fingers intertwining.  "Ah. Yes. But what if you fly?" Her father gently lifted her chin, making the two have eye-contact. "Contacts bugging you?" He changed the topic a little, taking Japan's mind off of the competition. She glance back behind him to see one of the other girls perform a cast to handstand with ease.

He noticed her looking, "Don't worry about the other girls. They could never outmatch you as long as you try." He caught her attention again. Japan nodded, but she couldn't not stop thinking about what if she messed up a drill? What if she slipped?

"Roteki? Are the contacts bugging you?" Japan nodded, putting her attention back on her father. He got up, leading her over to one of the sinks where her colored contact case was. She popped them out with ease, her eyes not as strained as they were. "There's those beautiful eyes of yours." "But what if-" "Don't worry about what everyone else thinks. As long as you are happy with yourself, that's all that should matter."

One of the attendees came by. "Roteki Prosperity? You're up next." Japan turned to look at the lady, her father doing similar. "Go get them, 露滴. You'll do great."

Another woman that Japan needed a moment to recognize came by as well. "There you are. Now, no matter what happens, you'll do amazing." The women removed her mask, revealing the familiar red sun on white. The little girl gave both her parents a hug, to which both happily returned. "We'll be watching. Don't you worry." With that the attendee gestured that the two adults should leave.

Her mother put back on her facemask, the smile still clear in both her parent's eyes.

Japan went and got chalk on her hands, the white of the dust mixing in with some of the paint. But such a thing wouldn't be a problem.