The Girl by the Sea (Countryhumans AU)

Not-So Sweet Dreams

Written: February 14, 2024

"Maybe you got shit for brains from your mother!" I peek into my brother's room. Father is yelling at North again with a venomous rage. North is a rebel. North doesn't want to be imperialist.

"Juche is not a 'shit for brains' idea!" North tried to remain calm and display customary respect like any good child, but it was clear that he was about to explode with the suffocating tension in the air.

"You're no son of mine!" I heard Father bark. "You never were a son of mine, you filthy Korean!" I flinched and silently tiptoed to my room. I opened a random book and pretended I was busy. Leaving the book on my bed, I open a drawer to see Miyagi and Nakamura. The ceramic statues were gathering dust after being hidden away for so long.

"Please work, please keep me safe." I prayed before shutting the drawer. I curled up on the bed and began flipping through the pages until an illustration caught my eye: A serpent. A long, lime-green snake. It was colossal and its scales shined. So cool. I stared at the drawing in awe, then scurried off to Japan's room.

Japan had her head on her desk, an aura of anxiety and frustration palpable. "Anee-chan!" I ran over to her with the book. I tugged on her lilac dress to get her attention. Japan sat up and looked at me with slight contempt.

"What is it, Oki?" I showed the picture of the snake to her. She pushed the book away from her face to catch a closer look.

"It's a snake!" I exclaimed. "Do all snakes look this cool?" Japan squinted and analyzed the image before flatly answering.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." She rested her head back on the desk. "I'll ask Otō-chan if we can go to the zoo to see the snakes." I froze in my spot.

"No, don't ask Otō-chan!" I pleaded. "He's very mad right now." Japan sighed heavily.

"I'll ask him when he's not angry." She waved her hand in dismissal. I didn't want to take the risk of going to my room because it was right across North's. Father was in there. I don't want him to see me. I scurry over to South's room. He was huddled in the corner like a bird with ruffled feathers.

"South?" I pressed up against him. "Don't cry." My short 4-year-old arms wrapped as much as they could around my brother. His body was warm like a fire.

"I can't stand it when people yell." He mumbled through choked sobs. "It's scary, you know?" I nod in understanding, tightening my grip. South gets emotional quickly and he can have a meltdown at any time.

"Why's Otō-chan yelling?" I looked up with curious eyes.

"Because North doesn't want to be like him." South replied, his hand creeping around my back as he reciprocated the hug. I leaned in with a bright smile.

"What does North want to be?" I probed, trying to untie the knots of confusion in my little mind.

"A Communist." South answered.

"Com-mu-nist?" I've heard that word somewhere before. "What does that mean?"

South thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Think of it like this: Imagine you had a big box of toys to share with everyone."

"That's a lot of toys!" I exclaimed, barely able to imagine the box.

"Now, if everyone shared the toys and took turns, no one would be sad or feel left out, right?" South explained. I nodded and listened. "Communism is doing that with food and money so no one is left out."