No choice ○Countryhumans AU○

Arrogance

Indonesia pov

I stared at my watch for the fourth time since I arrived at KLIA2. Where is she? Don't tell me she planned to be fashionably late on me today. I really need to teach my wife some manner later.

I let out a long sigh before plays with my smartphone to pass times. After like another half an hour, a short woman stumbled by the front door of the airport, looking rather like a tiger who just lost it prey. Huh. Bad mood? I snapped my smartphone shut then waved at her. She quick to catch me and send me a weak smile. Ah the joy of marriage, always have my wife smiling at me. I grinned in return.

"Indo, Im so sorry for the late. I was caught in the traffic." she apologised as soon as she was in front of me. "No sweat, Mal. I get used to your fashionably late things." she let out a light chuckle. My eyes softened when she held out her right hand, staring at me with her hopeful eyes. I accepted her hand, her soft lips kissed the back of my hand gently. "I missed you." I mumbled softly. "It's only been 5 days, Indo." she shaked her head with a sly smile. "I know." I hummed.

-

"So... Where are we going?..." I dared myself to ask. Mal glanced over me before focusing back on the road. "My office. I uh... Left the key there..." I raised a brow. She sound unsure. Again. "Alright." I trailed my eyes outside of the window. "...Uhm.. Anything interesting happened?" I tried again. Her eyes flashed with something I can't decipher, her lips lifted into a small smile. "Can't say nothing happened." she snorted. I wriggled my brows. "Something funny?" she shaked her head. "Nah, some... Accident occurred." she hummed thoughtfully. "But I don't think it's appropriate to tell you about it." she added, my shoulders slumped by my sides. "Why not?" I mumbled. "Because I say so." she winked.

"Anyway, other things did happened too." she quickly changed the topic. "Like?" I leaned closer. "Singa." she snorted. "Oh?" I felt my eyes twitched. "You know, the usual. He need more supplies, it seem." she continued. "Huh, it's been a whole damn month and you two still can't settle it." I huffed. "You know him, he's striving to be a great country." she shrugged. "And?" I asked, daring her. "I'll try to give him a hand." I groaned then slumped on my seat.

"What?" Mal narrowed her eyes. "You're being too soft." too much of my liking. Mal shaked her head. "He's my neighbour, Indo. Not to mention my alliance with him." she sighed lightly. "You acted to him like UK to Australia." I mumbled out. She stared at me ridiculously. "Technically, I am the one who gave him his independence, though not in a good way... I guide him about the government and raised him since diapers. To put it rhetorically, I am like a guide to him like UK are to me." she explained, I snorted.

"Just in case you miss it, Singa is far more advance than us, my dear wife." it was a harsh truth. She gave me her weak smile. "I know, Indo. But sometimes, there's something others can't taught themselves."

"Example?" I crossed my hands. She smiled softly.

"Experience."

...

I snorted loudly. "Experience?" her eyes glowed dangerously. "If you do have experience, please entertain me with your rich knowledge." I smirked knowing well about it. Mal gritted her teeth hard.

"Oh, quit flatter me, 笨的.¹" her knuckles turn white as she gripped the steering wheel harder. My eyes twitched again. "Pardon?" I hissed.

<Stupid (Person)¹>

Mal smiled sweetly at me, mockery in her eyes. "Im sure you had a taste of my own brain first hand." she sneered. That was all it take for my anger to boil. "Your brain?" I scoffed. "Sorry to disappoint you, sayang. As far as I am concerned, UK had been helping you." I said through gritted teeth. She had won the confrontation with those countries help. It was by pure luck.

"You can't deny it, abang. I am always a step forward than you. I always had been." she said under her breath, head high confidently. "There's no proving your point!" I snapped. "Look around you, Mal. You're pathetic. Your nature way of thinking is not strategic. You have no trust in your own capabilities. World peace? God, don't let me start with your stupid agenda. You always seek for an easy way out. You always are! Look at what you achieved, the formation, the threat, the alliance." Mal flinched. "You depending on others too much. It's disgusting, Mal. Trust is not something you can play with." I growled harshly.

"So what?!! I have faith, Indo! That's what im trying to build! Im playing with minds. Im better that way. I achieved other trust not without sacrifice, I had to go all to hell and back. I wanted an alliance based on trust, not just the mere benefits that we could lose in a blink of an eye. Im calculating my decisions. That's what make me me. There's no wrong in asking for help. We all learnt from mistakes." she rubbed her temple with her right hand in frustration.

"Just- Just what can I do to satisfy you?! Everything I did seem wrong. Why can't you just accept my way of solving problems?!" she turn to look at me, her eyes pleading for answer.

"You asked me? Oh glory! Where do I start?" I started. The tension was so thick you could almost see it with your eyes. She sighed heavily, her head lowered. "Of course, go ahead. Maybe you can write an essay for me." she mumbled quietly.

Before I could retort back, the car stopped. We has arrived to her office. Mal took her keys then got out of the car, she opened the backseat then carried a stack of papers out without even sparing me a glance. I watched her went inside the building, leaving me in the car. "Moody woman." I cursed under my breath.

I can't help but feel upset. That was uncalled for! Now I remember why I detest her in the first place. She was an arrogant woman who always seem to have a skeleton in her closet. She was the black sheep in the ASEAN. Always forcing her way of dealing with problems. Her insolent mind is driving me crazy!