Hetalia One-Shots

RoChu : My First Friend

  Ivan stared at the pretty face seated next to him. He kept his head facing the front of the class but his eyes darted to throw quick glances at the boy beside him. The teacher spoke to the class but the tall boy didn't pay attention, he didn't understand anything anyway.

  The dark-haired classmate was concentrated on what the professor was saying and vigorously took notes. He would look up to the blackboard and quickly lower his gaze making sure to not break his flow of work. The teenager felt slightly uncomfortable while writing down key words of the lesson. He glanced to his right and watched two birds flying through the air. He looked down and pursued writing. He raised his eyes to the left while scribbling down more words. His gaze immediately fell back to his sheet as it was just a peep but he caught the glimpse of something interesting.

  The student flashed back a glance at the classmate sitting next to him. It was the new student who recently joined his class. It was barely his second day at that school. Ivan laid his head between his arms and emptily watched the teacher agitating at the blackboard. The brunet tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and pursued his note-taking.

*

  Every student stood up and gathered their belongings. Chatter filled the classroom and it slowly lowered as they all exited the room. Ivan stayed at his desk, face still buried in his arms. His neighbor closed his books and put them in his school bag. He placed the straps on his shoulders and waited, standing in front of his desk. After a moment of reflection, the boy walked up to Ivan.

  "Hey. Class is over. You need to go home now," spoke the boy with a calm expression. Ivan looked up and stared wide-eyed. He smiled sweetly, not saying anything. He clearly didn't understand a word the classmate had said.

  "English. Do you understand English?" asked the dark-eyed teenager in the said language. Ivan sat up straight and grinned. "Yes. I will do my best."

  The long-haired boy nodded, shifting awkwardly. He looked around the class a moment then stared at Ivan. "My name is Wang Yao. Yours is... Braginsky... Yes?" The blond nodded with his sweet smile. "Ivan Braginsky, yes. But we call me Ivan," explained the giant, pulling on the edge of his scarf.

  Yao bit his lips nervously, nodding. He stood next to Ivan's desk while rocking on his feet. "So, um, class is over and, uh, you, we need to leave," stammered the Chinese boy. Ivan grinned and pushed himself up. "Okay. Let's go then," said sweetly the foreign teenager. Yao gawked, immediately intimidated by Ivan's crushing height. He hurriedly nodded and scurried out the door, head hung low. With barely two steps, Ivan had already caught up to him. He walked in a relaxed paced, his steps easily keeping up with Yao's small and fast ones.

  "Where are we going?" asked Ivan, following Yao close behind. His hands were crossed in his back and he had a face full of joy. "We?" repeated Yao. "No, not we. You go home. I go home too." Ivan's face fell. "Oh."

  They walked out the school gates side by side and continued in silence. They strolled down the sidewalk, Ivan at Yao's heels. The short Chinese boy spun around, his ponytail whipping through the air to land on his shoulder gracefully.

  "No, no, no. You no understand. You go to your house, I go to mine," explained Yao, his eyes staring into Ivan's deep purple ones. They were such an unusual color, probably a northern thing. Ivan tugged the end of his scarf while nervously looking away from Yao's piercing gaze.

  "But... I... My home is also in that way," claimed the tall teenager. Yao parted his lips in comprehension and nodded once. "I... I see. Excuse me then."

  Both pursued walking, this time shoulder to shoulder, more accurately, shoulder to elbow. The tapping of their heels on the concrete was the only sound following them. The streets were empty, children already gone home; adults still not finished with work. Ivan kept his hands in his pockets, arms free from any school bag or other. Yao walked steadily facing forward, not losing anymore time to get home.