So.. many.. reviews... *v* thank you~! And again, thank you~!

School still killing me with projects, but at least the programming ones are done .w. Wish I had Estonia to help..

Off shopping with you!

Shopping With Hetalia

Chapter 9 - Japan

There wasn't much room to enjoy summer when you had so much work to to. Tension was escalating in the Middle East as usual, which kept everybody on their toes. Norway's sudden illness did nothing to ease anyone either, though Denmark had noticeably picked up the pace on his work. America was the one everyone least expected to fall ill at this point, and the entire situation had gotten messy; China and Russia were considering bailing him out at this point. He HAD let them make a mess in his kitchen, after all.

You sighed and yawned. The plane you were on had just landed at the Tokyo International Airport. Japan himself, who had only months ago seemed like he was going to collapse at any second, seemed to have come back much stronger (albeit with something like a tumor somewhere – nuclear radiation is a hard thing to get rid of). You'd heard amazing stories of highways being fixed in a matter of days and of the citizens acting wonderfully civil and organized during the crisis. Maybe England and America had a thing or two to learn from Japan.

Either way, the members of the G8 (and their ever-present entourage; Russia would inevitably attract Belarus, Prussia would tag along with Germany and so on) would be arriving within the week for their usual conference and after party, the preparations of which you were involved with, of course. You didn't really have a choice in the matter, but you liked how friendly your charges were. You were pretty-well taken care of, after all! Vaguely, you finger your wallet, which still had the mysterious red credit card in it.

You step off the platform with your bag and breeze through immigration. Considering your job description was basically to take care of most of the civilized world, immigration really wouldn't be a problem. You look for your suitcase on the baggage carousel when an announcement rings through the airport.

"Calling the attention of … Your party is waiting for you at the north entrance."

Eh?

You don't remember calling people to pick you up. You might have no problems with immigration, but you certainly as hell didn't have the power to summon chauffers at odd hours of the night. After asking directions from a rather stiff attendant, you roll your suitcase to the north entrance, sunflower bag in tow.

Of all the things you find waiting for you, it was a team of (men? Women? You couldn't tell!) in suits, each one with earpieces and microphone lapels. You don't remember violating any international laws or smuggling anything illegal across the pacific. Maybe it was that package Prussia asked you to bring..? You made a note to give him hell the next time you saw him.

You needn't have worried.

"Ah! There she is."

..!

Japan stepped into view and cordially bowed.

"Yokoso. Welcome to Japan, Ojou-san."

You awkwardly bow back.

..

"I hope I haven't inconvenienced you.. I thought it would be appropriate if I welcomed you to my homeland in person, you see."

..

"O-oh. I apologize. I'm afraid as a culture we haven't quite mastered the, er, warm welcome that comes so easily to Europeans.."

You decide to rid yourself of worries, and reach into your sunflower tote for Prussia's strange package.

..

"Hm? From Gilbert-kun? Oh! This is.."

Japan blushed noticeably.

"I shall thank him later. If you could please do not mention this to anyone...?"

You nod. Japan lets out a deep sigh.

"You have my deepest gratitude, Ojou-san."

You'd remembered to look that up. You still had no idea why Japan was calling you "milady" in Japanese, but you found it cute. Besides, he had problems pronouncing your name, so you didn't really mind.

"My personnel shall escort you to the hotel. Before that however, I would like to make a request, if it would be all right..?"

You were free for half the week. Of course it would be all right!

..

"Seeing as it will be a while before the others arrive, I would like you to accompany me on an errand tomorrow.. Are you familiar with the trends in anime?"

You shook your head. You knew someone who was though.

..

"I see. That should more than suffice.. What I need is your, er, expertise in clothing others. I would explain more, but I wish to have your approval first.."

..

"Really? Wonderful- I mean, good. Your experience with the other countries should be invaluable. Um.. May I have your email and phone number so I can discuss the details with you?"

The two of you exchange numbers. You were proud of the fancy new phone you'd gotten, particularly because it'd come out of your earnings and not from the little red credit card everybody seemed to have. It was nowhere near as cool as Japan's though, which appeared to respond to voice commands and went "Noblesse Oblige" afterwards..

"Please notify me when you have settled into your room. I have had your accommodations upgraded as well, with no extra charge. I hope you find your stay in my homeland to your enjoyment."

Japan smiled shyly at you.

You really were beginning to feel spoiled then.

Japan wasn't kidding about the accommodations. You'd booked a single bedroom, but that phone call of his had booted you several floors up to the deluxe suites. Your minimalist modern Asian hotel room, for once in your life, was bigger than your hotel room, had the prettiest bathtub you'd ever seen in your life, and smelled of flowery oils. There was a Wii and a large LCD tv on one wall of what appeared to be a mini and a hefty volume of Weekly Shonen Jump on the coffee table. Your bed was actually the fluffiest, softest futon you'd ever jumped up and down on (and the blanket was soooo warm!) and the view of downtown Tokyo from your balcony was fantastic.

After helping yourself to the onigiri in the mini fridge (hell, what use was a red card if you couldn't indulge once in a while?), you texted Japan.

..

"I am glad you find the room nice. Italia-kun and Doitsu-san told me to treat you like a princess, after all."

Did they now? That was sweet of them..

..

"Yes. I do not wish to get on Russia-san's bad side either. =7=;"

Ah. Emoticons. You ask Japan about his plans.

..

"Hai. You see, there is an important event coming up two days after the conference. America and the others expressed interest in attending, and I intend to give them the, er, wholesome part of the experience."

..

Your phone made a different noise just then.

"Yo! I thought you were in Tokyo? What can I do for ya? :3"

This was Czies, a friend of yours working for the countries like you were. She however was in a different division than you, and was currently assigned to Austria. Whatever it was that she was doing, it appeared to have been boring enough for her to respond to your message.

You finish replying to Japan, and ask Czies what kind of event he was talking about.

Japan replied promptly.

"Since you have experience in outfitting and supplying them, I would like to have you accompany me in shopping for the requisite items they will need for the event.. I will be paying for the purchases and I will be supervisng to a minimum extent, but the ultimate decisions on what to purches will lie with you."

..

"We will be going to a very well-known district in Tokyo.. I'll send you an itinerary along with a map of the places we will be visiting."

It sounded like Japan wanted to go clothes shopping for the G8. Well-known district? Maybe he meant Shibuya or Harajuku?

Czies chose that moment to reply.

"Verdamnt! XD I am hating the fact that I'm not assigned to Beilshmidt right now. You are sooooo lucky."

What event are we going to exactly?

"Not telling unless you explain the situation to me first! Seeing as that's Japan you're with, he'll be pretty vague, though.."

You summarize his messages to her.

"...Clothes? For the G8? A reputable district. And =that= event.. +w+ my otaku senses are tingling."

Are you going to tell me, or not?

"Sounds like you're gonna find out pretty soon on your own! Tell you what, I'll send you some files you'll find useful for tomorrow. I'll include a couple of quck instructions on what you should do at certain places and times. It'll make life a little easier for you. Plus, you'll be sure to impress Honda!"

Czies proceeds to send you a hefty folder of image files through email, divided into smaller folders labeled by the names of various countries. What are these?

"Like I said, they're useful files. Hey, sorry, I really gtg right now, Bocchan is being a prick, but message me any time you want ;)"

You sift through the files curiously.

"Last message before I really leave. You're going to Akihabara tomorrow! Lucky gal ;)"

You meet with Japan at the lobby of the hotel you were staying at. Mysteriously enough, the suits from last night had disappeared.

"Ohayo gozaimasu.. Good morning. I hope you slept well."

Japan gives you a quick and casual bow. He was wearing a green Keroro Gunsou t-shirt under a thin-looking sleeveless gray hoodie with dark khaki cargo shorts and red converse sneakers. A pair of headphones that were pink on one side and green on the other were slung around his neck, along with a small but impressive-looking SLR camera. He was also carrying a large backpack that seemed to be empty, or at least partially filled. The outfit made the centuries-old country looking like a boy (or girl, he was just that pretty!) barely out of his teens.

Much to your surprise, Japan seemed to also be surveying your appearance. Czies had advised that you wear simple, understated clothing, and you'd complied by wearing an old shirt from one of your favorite bands, casual jeans and the espadrilles from the shopping trip with Russia. You'd made sure to bring your pack as well.

"You seem quite well-prepared."

..

You casually mention Czies.

"I see. That was a very good course of action. This acquaintance of yours.. Where is she stationed?"

..

"Hmm. I'll make sure to remember that. Shall we be going then?"

Funnily enough, instead of taking a car like the other nations had, Japan leads you to the train station. He taps his red card at one of the ticket machines and selects two tickets to a place that you couldn't quite read. You had difficulty with kanji...

..

"Hm? Oh, are you having problems with the language here..?"

..

"I see. If you want, we can pick up a phrase book for you.."

You remember Czies's advice.

"Phrasebooks are useful if you're studying, but not much help when you're lost and asking for directions! Ask Honda to teach you stuff instead and watch him go. You'll know what I mean."

You ask Japan if he could teach you instead.

..

"E-eh? Really? I suppose I would be the authority on such things.. Er. Uhm. Shall we get on the train first?"

Japan hands you your ticket and leads you to the turnstiles. Being a weekday, there were a lot of people who looked like they were going somewhere important, just like in Germany. You suddenly missed the easygoing atmosphere of Italy.

You and Japan walk up a flight of stairs to a well-lit train platform. Interestingly enough, the signs here had English, although the ticket machine outside didn't have such conveniences.

"Uhm. Are you all right?"

..

"Mm. This must be new for you.. I agree that public transport in Japan is a little different from most countries.. You grew up in Europe, right? You must be more accustomed to taking buses and such.."

..

"I see. There are trains in Europe as well.. But they are used more like our Shinkansen is used, to go in between provinces.. Sou. Sou. I admit that we did acquire the technology from Arthur-san.."

..

"Mm! But as you can see, trains are much more commonplace here. We're very proud of them."

Japan seemed pumped up. Maybe this was that "otaku" phenomenon you'd heard about.

After alighting the train, the two of you take seats next to a window. You could see most of the metropolis flying by along with an odd assortment of billboards and ads. Aside from the working population, you noticed quite a few people in civilian attire, but unlike in other countries everyone was dressed pretty simply..

Japan looked a little excited.

..

"Oh. Um. I really, really look forward to going to Akihabara. It's a feeling that does not go away at all no matter how long you've been there."

What sort of feeling?

"Uhm.. I think it would be like the feeling a child gets when he first sees a department store.. I myself was quite amazed the first time I went to one! There were so many things on the shelves and on display..."

Japan's eyes were sparkling. It was a little cute and a little childish. You remember China, who sometimes acted like a kid himself. Was this common for older nations?

The train slowed to a halt, and Japan stood up.

"We're here..!"

A lot of the other passengers appeared to be of similar mind, and were crowded around the exits.

..

Japan suddenly takes your hand.

"I-I-it would be bad if w-we got se-se-separated from each o-o-ther, r-right?"

He was blushing at a full on red now. You had to smile.

Akihabaraaaaaaa~!

..is probably what Czies would say right now. Her instructions at this point were to simply let Japan take the lead, and take everything in, and be careful not to touch anything suspicious.

"Try not to be too touchy with Japan here, lest you want to to be stared at by half the men on the street. It's not exactly a couple place."

The district was well-known in popular culture to be the mecca of all things anime. Indeed as the two of you walked out of the station you could see banners for Evangelion products and other odd messages printed on tarpoulins. Stores on the street level advertised their wares, which ranged from electronic components like circuit boards, fanmade comics ("Doujinshi! Remember the term!"), figurines, and manga. Japan had wisely let go of your hand, but you still stuck close to him.

"Our first stop is a bookshop I frequent.. Today is when the monthly releases come out, you see, and I wanted to pick them up."

..

"Releases? I usually buy several tankobon along with anime and hobby magazines.."

Tankobon?

"Oh! Uhm. Publishers like Jump usually release one chapter of a lot of manga weekly in a compilation.. A tankobon is several chapters of the same manga.."

..

"Mm. As for the magazines.. Most anime magazines publish schedules of the anime episodes to be broadcast for the month.. A lot have free gifts as well. There was one magazine recently that I think had a free limited edition figurine as a gift if you got a monthly subscription.."

Japan looked down.

"I didn't get that one.."

Aww. You pat his head.

Japan looks at you with a slightly happy expression.

"Thank you. I knew you were kind, but to be so gentle as well.."

Ehehe.

..

Japan blushed demurely.

"Let's go."

The "bookstore" had volumes upon volumes of manga, novels and other books of similar nature. They also appeared to sell doujinshi, and had a whole separate section for them. There was also a section which contained suspicious material that Czies had warned you about.

"Think twice before touching something with a little girl on it. There might be this weird manga ban right now, but you still want to be careful!"

Japan marched over to the middle of the store. Books and magazines were arranged in neat piles according to title and publisher. They appeared to be the newer releases. You recognized some of the anime characters on the covers of the magazines.

"Uhm. Feel free to look around.. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.."

Japan had quickly amassed a small stack of magazines and was now comparing tankobon.

You give the magazines a quick look. Most of the magazines were periodicals with news and interviews of famous voice actors. The hobby "magazines" Japan referred to were the size of small phone directories and contained dozens of pictures of Gundam and other robot models, as well as figurines.

You decide to look around the rest of the store. Aside from manga and magazines, the store also had various game walkthroughs in Japanese – but some were simple and easy enough to understand if you had a dictionary in hand. You find one for the game that you and Prussia were currently playing, and decide to take two copies, one for him and one for yourself.

Some books barely contained any text at all. These appeared to be artbooks, each containing colored illustrations by certain manga artists. You see several from Naruto and Bleach, but a surprising amount from other series as well. Making sure that you weren't perusing through any R-18 ones, you decide to look through several.

You find something labeled Black Rock Shooter. The character designs were okay, but the way the artist colored them was really interesting..

Japan approaches you, his small stack of magazines having grown into a small mountain of books.

"Oh. I didn't know you were interested in huke-san's artwork.."

..

"Ah. You should watch that then. If you wish, I could lend you a dvd of the animation... He also has an ongoing anime that I would recommend!"

It seemed like Japan had gone into full-blown otaku mode.

..

"All right then. Shall we go pay for our purchases? All the establishments we will be visiting accept credit cards, so you can use your red card.."

You'd feel better using your own money though..

..

"You might want to save that for any cash purchases you might need to make. Some of the things we'll be buying are cheaper if you pay in cash.."

You find yourself in front of the cashier. Japan fumbled in his wallet for something, and appeared to be mumbling..

"U-uhm, Ojou-san, if you don't mind, would you let me pay for your books? You see if my bill is just a little higher I'll be able to get enough points.."

Eh?

"Points... For my point card.."

Japan was pouting cutely, slightly biting his lower lip. His eyes were wide and a tiny bit teary and very, very pleading. He was holding up a small card with both of his hands. Upon closer inspection, the card was almost full of stamps.

"..please? For Atelier.. I really want it.."

You'd never seen Japan quite like this before. He was almost hopping up on his tiptoes, and it kind of reminded you of Italy.

You decide to let him buy your stuff.

..

"H-hontou? Really? Arigato-! With this I will finally have enough points for Meruru..!"

Japan literally grabbed your books, and scampered to the counter to redeem his points.

The two of you walk out of the bookstore, Japan with a nifty figurine in hand. Your own purchases were safely in your pack.

Japan was visibly happy. If this were a manga, he'd probably have those bubbly background effects around him.

"Again, you have my thanks. Now where to next.."

You check your watch. The bookstore trip had taken surprisingly long.

"Ah! Would you perhaps like to have lunch? At this time, getting a table shouldn't be too hard. Although we might have to wait a bit.."

..

"Akihabara isn't really known for their food, but the places to eat are particularly nice."

Japan had a determined expression on his face.

"Shall we go?"

You arrived at a small, inconspicuous building with an electronics shop on the ground floor. There was a small line of people (mostly men) leading into a staircase at the side of the building.

You are suspicious.

..

"Ah! I apologize. You see, this is where I usually go to have lunch.."

..

"Please do not make such a face. I would never bring you to any place that you would not be comfortable with.. Would you perhaps like to eat somewhere else?"

You decide to trust Japan.

..

"..thank you. I appreciate your trust."

At this point, the other men in line had noticed you, and were expressing their curiosity in the usual fashion of Akihabara otaku: by alternating stares and gossiping among themselves. You noticed that some of them had brought dolls or large pillows.

("Ah. If you see anyone with a pillow or a doll, don't mind them. Try not to interact with them.. Stick to Honda. If Honda brings a doll or a pillow, erm. I have no idea. Try not to ask too much about it..")

You decide to ask.

..

Japan seemed a little embarassed.

"Erm. The pillows are called dakimakura.. There are plain ones, and there are ones with pillowcases.. In my country, people usually hug them to sleep, but some people, er, use them for other purposes.."

You understand suddenly. They had things like that in Europe, too.

Especially in Germany.

"The dolls are ordinary dolls. Nothing fancy about them.. But they are rather beautiful, aren't they? Some otaku bring them with them as companions.. You know what an otaku is, right?"

..

"Well just to clarify, an otaku is someone who likes something and is generally a fan of that something. Most otaku are anime otaku, but you also have train otaku, military otaku.. I believe the term America uses for them is "geek"..."

You nod.

Several of the people in line appeared to be waving at you rather frantically.

Eh..?

"KIKUUUU-! OOI-!"

You facepalmed. It had to be him.

"G-gilbert-kun?"

Prussia came running from somewhere in the front of the line.

"Yo! Kiku! I see you brought our little princess with you."

Princess...? You now had a feeling you knew why Japan was calling you "ojou".

..

"Kesesese. Nice to see you too. Ne, did you give him the package?"

You nod annoyedly.

"Good! West wouldn't let me out of the house with it. This is why having reliable staff is useful, see.. Not that you're just staff, of course! You're so much cuter! And nicer! Yeah!"

By now the rest of the otaku appeared to have resumed their places. Whatever sort of restaurant you were going to, it seemed to have opened and the line began to move; Prussia's place in line quickly disappeared.

Not that it particularly mattered to him. He inserted himself between the you and Japan.

"Gil-kun, why are you here early..?"

"Haha! I finished work early, but West had to attend a bunch of meetings. So I hopped onto a plane and here I am! After checking in I was hungry, so I went to our usual place. Didn't think you had it in you to bring a girl though!"

While the two nations were chatting, your phone made a noise. It was Czies.

"Just got word from Bocchan's people that Beilshmidt's gone and left his brother a ton of work. He wouldn't happen to be over there, would he?"

You should have known that Prussia would skip work. You weren't really surprised.

..

"Damn XD I really should get myself reassigned! Thanks for the info. How is the trip so far?"

..

"Mm. Akihabara does things to people. I've been there myself only once, had a hell of a good time. You should enjoy yourself too! With Gil in the picture, you should be a lot safer."

"Hey, princess, it's our turn now! Boy, am I hungry.."

"~Irashaymase~! Goshujin-sama~! Ojou-sama~!"

A team of cute maids with various hairstyles greeted you. Upon seeing you andd Prussia, some of them switched to English.

"Okaerinasai, goshujin-sama!"

A maid with short black hair not unlike Japan's bowed and smiled at him. Japan blushed slightly and bowed back.

"Welcome back, onii-sama."

A tall maid with short blonde hair and striking blue eyes (contacts, perhaps?) gave Prussia a cordial bow. Prussia grinned and gave her a hearty Guten Abend.

A maid who appeared to be the chief of them all noticed you. She was taller than Japan and wore glasses, and had straight, dark chocolate hair. She strongly reminded you of Austria.

"I see we have a new customer. Welcome to Cafe Kokoro, where your heart's desires are fulfilled~! I am the manager, Rodelia, but you may call me whatever you wish. At Cafe Kokoro, you are the master."

She bowed. The other maids were curious at the new arrival, and upon seeing that you were female, they all began chatting amongst themselves.

"Please do not mind them.. We rarely get female customers, you see. They are something of a commodity around here. Before we seat you would you happen to have anything in mind as to what servant you would like?"

Eh?

Prussia patted your shoulder.

"She's asking you what sort of maid you want. Hehe. I asked for a little sister, and I got someone who, well.. Ah, if only West were a girl.. Oh, but you can only pick a girl, though!"

The thought of having a butler never crossed your mind. Oh well.

..

"Mm. I see. How would you like to be addressed?"

You had no idea what this meant. Prussia decided this was his cue.

"Let's go with onee-chan, or something along those lines."

"Understood. Your personal maid shall attend to you shortly. Sakura-chan, bring our masters to their table."

The black haired maid who appeared to be Japan's nodded, and motioned for the three of you to follow.

The cafe had a nice European ambience, with plush seats and varnished wood furniture. It was filled to the brim with otaku who were either eating, comparing purchases with each other, comparing dolls, or interacting with the maids. Sakura led you to a table next to a window with a nice view of the street below, and handed you menus.

"Please ring the bell if you require any of our services, masters."

She bowed again and gave Japan a special smile, then scampered away. Japan immediately brought out his Atelier Meruru figurine, which completely commanded Prussia's attention.

Czies took this most opportune moment to disturb you.

"Hehehe. Bruder Ludwig is on his way to Japan. Try not to spook Gil, the look on his face when Ludwig shows up should be priceless."

I'm at a maid cafe, what should I do?

"Is that Cafe Kokoro? Order the omurice, it's fantastic. Which maid did you get?"

..

"Oneechan huh.. I think I might have an idea who. You'll find her pretty familiar. :P Anyway, Imma send you a little list on maid cafe a girl yourself you shouldn't find this too hard to follow.."

..

You were surprised that such a protocol existed. You were a little happy to know that it did.

"Tadaima~! I'm back!"

A perky maid with wavy brown hair in a ponytail appeared at your table. She had large, curious amber eyes

"Gilbert-nii-san! Honda-kun! Aneue! Are you ready to order? Ah, that's right, I haven't introduced myself to aneue..!"

The maid turned to you and bowed with a giggle.

"My name is Alice! I'll be your personal maid here in Cafe Kokoro~ Please take good care of me, aneue!"

She smiled quite happily. It was clear that she enjoyed her job. You found her rather endearing, like a certain Italian..

"Aliiiice-chan~! I missed yooou~!"

Prussia gave her a goofy grin.

"I missed you too, nii-san!"

You had to stifle a laugh. Prussia looked like he was in heaven.

"Hehe~ Shall I call Monica? She might get jealous."

"Who's jealous?"

The blonde maid from earlier strode by with a stack of menus in one hand and an empty tray in the other. She lightly smacked Alice on the head with the tray.

"Itai.. That's mean, Monica!"

"You have a job to do serving our masters. Properly."

You could somehow see why despite the lack of cuteness, Monica appealed to Prussia. Alice was still cuter!

"Ehehe. But look, nii-san is happy!"

"Onii-sama isn't your master, Alice. Your job is to please oneesama."

You noticed the difference in terms of endearment. Maybe they were differences in character..?

"Mmkay. I'll remember that. Hehe~"

The three of you order omurice. You suddenly realize that you have no idea what that is..

"Mm~? Ah! Omurice is super delicious yummy fried rice in an omelet~! We can write a message for you on it too! Would you like that, aneue?"

..

"Got it~! Would you like anything to drink, masters?"

Japan orders something called ramune. Prussia orders a strawberry milkshake.

..

"Haai~! I'll be right back with your orders~!"

Alice runs off, nearly bumping into Sakura in the process.

Japan looks up from one of his anime magazines with concern. Sakura appears to have noticed, and gives him a small smile.

Relieved, he returns to his magazine.

What kind of relationship is this..?

"So! How are you enjoying Tokyo so far?"

Prussia stretched himself out onto the table and gazed at you.

..

"Kesesese. This place sorta grows on you. It's my home away from home! I still have problems speaking the language, though."

"That is because you learn Japanese from subtitles.."

"Doesn't everyone?" Ah, princess, you've been looking at your phone all day.. Who could that be, eh? To divert your attention from the awesome Gilbert Beilshmidt.."

Prussia yawned. You remember the walkthrough you got him, and rummaged through your bag for it.

"Eh? What's that... AH! WHOA! Is that for me? Damn! Thanks a whole lot, princess!"

Prussia reaches over the table and pats your head.

..

"Hehehe. Finally, I'll know how to get that stupid wandering legendary.. Wait, what do you mean, you caught it in two shots?"

"Oh, that one. You have to put it to sleep and have a monster with a trapping ability to catch it."

Japan was now reading one of his tankobon.

Sakura appeared with the drinks on a tray. She handed you your drink and slid Prussia's over the counter. A bottle of pink soda was gingerly placed on the counter next to Japan. He nodded and smiled at her.

She blushed cutely, hiding her face behind the tray. A bell rang from somewhere in the cafe. She bowed, and went to serve the other customers.

"Is it just me or is Sakura-chan shyer than usual today? Maybe it's because you brought a giiiirl, Kiku."

Prussia was lazily flapping through the walkthrough. Japan pouted.

"What are you talking about? Please don't insinuate things about Sakura-chan."

"Hehehe. It doesn't take a genius like me to see that you have a soft spot for her."

"I assure you, I have nothing but the purest intentions regarding maids."

"Purest intentions... Kehe. I'll make sure to remember that next time I look through your doujinshi collection."

"G-G-Gil-kun..! That's-"

"Haaaai~! I'm back, masters, with your orders~! Omurice, with messages from your maids, with love~"

Alice reappeared with a huge tray loaded with omurice. You were surprised that she could carry something that large with her small frame.

"Yosh! Time to eat!"

Alice gives you the brightest smile you've seen all day and places a plate of omurice in front of you. Written on top in ketchup were the words "For Alice's favorite sister" with a cute heart in the center.

"Now for Honda-kun's!"

Japan's omurice had a haiku written on it, signed by a cherry blossom.

"Profound as always."

He smiled and prepared his utensils.

"And lastly, nii-san's!"

"Yay~! Can't wait... eh?"

"Ehehe. It looks like Monica-chan was jealous after all.."

Prussia's omurice had the words "Oniisama is annoying" on it. You and Japan could barely hold in your laughter.

"Byebye aneue~! Please come back soon!"

The three of you walk out of the crowded maid cafe into the bright sunlight.

"WASSHOI!"

Prussia stretched his arms.

"Well then Kiku, where to next?"

"We'll be making preparations for that special event next week. I asked ojou to come and help, seeing as she has an eye for dressing people up."

"Ah, right! I heard you went shopping with Russia, of all people! Well, I have to admit that he did look good in a skinsuit, but.. How the hell did you manage to put up with him?"

Prussia stared at you intensely.

..

"Uhuh. I've tried that. That too. And that. Maybe it's because you're a girl."

..

"..you know what? Never mind. I'm too awesome to be hanging out with someone like him anyway! Ahahahahaha!"

It was pretty obvious that Prussia was scared to death of Russia. It looks like you'd earned his respect, though!

The three of you start walking, Japan in the lead.

"The place we'll be going to is one of my little secrets. It's a very reputable shop, and it doesn't advertise at all – which makes it really hard to access. You really have to come by and order the clothing.."

"Good thing I tagged along then! How else are you going to get anything for West?"

Czies had been pretty secretive about this last part of the itinerary. You decided to ask Japan what exactly you would be doing.

"Oh. You see, the summer Comiket is this weekend, and America-kun and the others have expressed interest.."

"Comiket? You mean he wants to go shopping for por-"

"Heavens, no! I intend to have them cosplay!"

Cosplay? So the photos Czies sent you..

Oh. OH. You had a feeling that your friend had just made your job a lot easier.

"Kiku, let me tell you, I'm pretty sure America would want to go shopping instead. Especially for doujinshi."

"No. Just no."

Japan was unusually vocal around Prussia. Likewise, Prussia was relatively polite to Japan, compared to, say, Spain. It was very, very unusual. You'd noticed that they talked regularly at meetings and often spent time together at each other's houses, but you hadn't expected them to be this close.

"You sure you want to let France loose on unsuspecting cosplayers?"

"I was hoping you'd keep him in line."

"You hoped wrong! I've got no idea how long I can hold him for, but if Spain's coming to the party then you'll bet Romano will too! HIM, I'm confident about. Princess too! Somehow France is better behaved around you."

..eh?

"I'm not kidding. He treats you like a princess. He calls you that when you aren't around, you know that? I think it kinda suits you too."

Prussia gave you a rare gentle smile. It made him look like his brother.

"I'm jealous. Ne, next time we're back in Berlin, let me show you around! There are lots of awesome places I wanna bring you to. Like the tavern West and I frequent! And one of my old castles! And that church I had built a long time ago, although it's a little dusty now.."

Japan coughed.

"We're here!"

Japan's fabled cosplay costume supply shop looked like your average hole in the wall Akihabara shop, except with a painted wooden sign instead of the usual plastic signboard. It made the place feel a little rustic.

"I am good friends with the family of the owner.. When the capital was still in Kyoto, they made armor for the imperial army. Now they make armor for a different purpose. Although I imagine you can't really call it armor.."

You enter the shop. Masks, real and imitation katanas and shuriken, magical girl staffs and airsoft guns lined one wall of the room, while the other wall had a huge bookcase with several dozen photo albums and clear ringbound folders on each shelf. It was a little hard to believe that they sold actual costumes here.

"Honda-dono! Welcome, welcome. It is nice to see you."

A middle-aged, jovial old man with a beer belly stood by the counter.

"Good afternoon, Saito-san. I shall be in need of your services as usual."

"Anything for you, Honda-dono. Ah, I see you've brought friends! Welcome, welcome to my humble little establishment. What can this old man do for you?"

He reminded you of Stein from the antique watch store. You noticed that he was a lot more muscular, and had little scratches on his hands and arms.

"We'll be needing several costumes.."

Japan takes out a folder from his backpack. He presents it to Saito, who proceeds to splay the contents onto the countertop. Inside the folder appeared to be full body shots of the G8 (excluding himself), Prussia, Spain, Romano and Austria.

"Oh! Hmm. Foreigners, eh? I might not have a size for all of them, especially this tall one here."

Saito points to Russia.

"Hmm. Hmm. But I'll see what I can do! Don't you worry. Old man Saito has you covered."

"Ojihan! Give me something cool!"

..

"Eh? Oh, right! You're supposed to be the one picking, right? Kesesese. All right!"

Japan nods at you and Saito.

"Oh, I see. Women always have had a better eye for this sort of thing, eh? For me though, the heart of the cosplayer is also important."

Saito walks past the counter and reaches for a wheeled stepladder. He casually hooks it onto a shelf on the bookcase.

"Well then, jouchan, shall we begin? These here are photos and records of every costume that has come out of these doors. You pick a costume, I'll be able to get it to you within a minimum of a couple of days – of course, the more complex the costume, the longer it'll take; We don't usually have Dai-Gurren Lagann in stock for example!"

"Ojou-san, I suggest you start with me to warm up."

Japan smiles at you. You nod and retrieve your cell phone to access the Japan folder. The first thing you see upon Czies' recommendations is a strange robotic ninja with company logos all over the costume. You find it interesting, but you don't like it one bit.

Saito peers at you from atop the stepladder.

"Not too popular yet, that one. He's hard to move in. Blame the design."

You scroll through a bunch of other samurai-like designs before you find a design that isn't too cliché. Czies appears to have ranked this one highly as well. You show Saito the picture.

"Hmm! Raidou! Good choice, young lady. Perfect for one such as Honda-dono."

Saito wheels to a large folder with the label in katakana. He selects a file and returns the folder, and hands the file to Japan.

"Eh? Eh? I wanna see! I wanna see!"

Prussia starts hopping up and down.

Japan takes a quick look at your choice and gives you a proud smile.

"I haven't cosplayed him before, but I was planning to. How did you know?

Czies probably knows, you thought. Either way, since you had the final say, you were feeling pretty confident.

"Heh. Beginner's luck! Let's see you do America's then! Here's a challenge: no athletes or cowboys involved!"

Prussia grinned at you evilly.

You consult your notes. After ignoring three pictures of blonde haired, blue eyed pretty boys, you spot an interesting one. The character himself resembled America enouugh to work, and actually had "American" in the character description included in the file. Thing is, he had what looked like a toaster for a helmet..

Knowing America, he'd probably like that, actually. You show Saito the picture.

"Keith? You're in luck! We've had a bunch of orders for him recently. It shouldn't take too long to duplicate the helmet. I suppose I should make it durable for the American, no?"

Saito gave a hearty chuckle and retrieved the file. You decide to get to work on England next.

Czies appeared to have given little thought to England's folder. You recognized Sasuke from Naruto and Ishida from Bleach. All Czies had in the description was "SEIYUU", whatever that meant. You decide to pick a popular game character for him.

Japan seems to approve of this choice.

"It's ideal for Arthur-san.. Although I hope he's slender enough. I took the liberty of taking their measurements beforehand.."

Saito evaluates the character.

"Quite the colorful choice. He'll need a sword, though.."

Japan and Saito discuss the weapon logistics. You sift through some more records and pick out interesting characters for France and Canada.

Prussia doubles up in laughter.

"Y'know, I think it'd actually work for those two! You're not half bad at this!"

China proved to be a lot more difficult. You were trying not to pick a Chinese character for him... Czies seemed to have other ideas for him as well.

"Huh. China as Fullmetal? Maybe. Maybe not."

That was, of course, until you picked out Russia's. It solved the size problem and made it harder (maybe) for Belarus to get at him.

"..oh. OH. I see what you did there."

Prussia seemed to approve and was highly amused by the combination. A curious Japan stares at the two of you and takes a peek at your phone.

"What on earth are you two laughing over..? Oh, this one! Saito-san, would you happen to have a spare suit of armor around..?"

Saito peers over Japan's head.

"You mean that suit of armor? I'm not selling any at the moment, but you could rent mine for a fee. I'll just get it dusted and it'll be good to go.. But it'll be darn hot in there especially for Natsukomi, so let me install a cooling system in it first."

The Italy brothers weren't as easy to pick for. Czies's files for them consisted of characters in pairs, although virtually none of them actually resembled either Veneziano or Lovino.

Japan and Prussia watched you anxiously.

"If it's Italia-kun, maybe this would work.."

..

"No, no, you've got it all wrong, Romano HAS to be the flamboyant one!"

..

"I have to agree with Gil-kun, but perhaps they shouldn't be paired up like that.. I could think of someone more appropriate for Suzaku."

A sly grin appeared on Japan's face making him look mildly sinister. It scared the heck out of you.

"..holy heck, you're right. Princess, let's leave Suzaku to Spain."

Saito picks out the appropriate files. The pile of pictures on the counter was getting higher.

"Back to Ita-chan.. You sure we can't just shove him into a maid outfit? I'll bet West'd love that."

"Hmm. Italia-kun has always been hard to pick for.. He's just so definitive on his own. Perhaps a pair would be good after all."

..

You decide to look at the remaining nations' folders. There was nothing that could pass for a decent match in Prussia's, and Germany's folder was horribly small. You pick something for him rather nonchalantly.

Something in Austria's caught your eye You show Japan what you had in mind for him.

..

"...! That's.. Now that I think about it, that's perfect!"

"Eh? What's this about that rich kid..? Whoa! This one looks just like him! Leave it to Roddy to look like just about every brunette megane character in existence.. But this one's a butler? Kesesesese.. Butler Roddy.. Now that I think about it, he'd make a horrible butler.."

Prussia began to snicker. Japan seem thoughtful, however.

"This is good. I know exactly who Italy can cosplay to compliment him."

Japan consulted Saito for some details ("Perhaps we could have a ladies' size costume modified for him? He is rather petite...").

"My turn, my turn! Gimme something good! Something with leather and chains and whips!"

As it turned out, Prussia was the most straighforward of the nations to assign a character to. His white hair and red eyes brought several characters to mind even before you accessed his folder. Czies had populated the folder with a bunch of bishonen in outfits ranging from black leather to white armor. You decide to give him a popular game character.

..

"Dante! Hell yeah, baby!"

"Haha..! No character could possibly be better for you, Gil-kun."

"Yeah, but no character could ever be as awesome as me. Kesesesese!"

Prussia began asking Saito about his costume. Japan sighed, and gave you a relaxed smile.

"It looks like today was a big success. Thank you for taking the time to come with me today."

..

"..humble as always.. I could not have done a better job picking characters out for everyone today. You truly are a wonderful person."

..

Japan's gentle eyes and smile made you feel peaceful inside. This was definitely one of your more unusual afternoons with a nation, but you wouldn't mind going out with Japan again. He was quite nice, and you felt yourself warming up to him..

..until that sinister face reappeared.

"I almost forgot.. If you're coming with us to Comiket, you must get a costume of your own as well..!"

E-eh?

"Saito-san makes costumes for girls too! I think you might look good in a plugsuit!"

A WHAT?

"Or perhaps a seifuku, a plugsuit would be too drastic. Perhaps K-ON? Or something more battle-oriented..?"

J-japannnn-!

"Eh? Princess is getting a costume? Maid outfit, maid outfit!"

"Cat ears!"

"HELL YEAH, CAT EARS!"

It looked like you didn't really have a choice, but you decide to let them pick for you. How bad could it be?

You wouldn't know until the day itself came. It would be chaotic. And noisy.

But it would be fun. And it would be another day.

~End~

Forgive the self insert. I couldn't resist. .w. Also, the maids.. The cafe itself is made up though! Any resemblance is.. cool, I guess..

Japan is an interesting character. He goes from the most chaste to the most perverted in a few centuries.. But he's still nice though! .w. With the almighty power of creative license I made him a little sillier. And cuter.

Wasn't much to think about in this chapter. I've been to lots of stores like the ones Kikkun brings you to.. Never a maid cafe though. I want to ko to Akiba too..!

In case any of you are curious about the cosplay characters:

Japan – Kuzunoha Raidou (Shin Megami Tensei – Devil Summoner Series)

America – Keith Goodman/Sky High (Tiger and Bunny)

England – Kisaragi Jin (BlazBlue)

France – Mephisto Pheles (Ao No Exorcist)

Canada – Allen Walker (D. Gray Man)

China – Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Russia – Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Romano – Lelouch vi Britannia (Code Geass)

Spain – Kururugi Suzaku (Code Geass)

Italy – Alois Trancy (Kuroshitsuji II)

Austria – Claude Faustus (Kuroshitsuji II)

Prussia – Dante (Devil May Cry Series)

Germany – Gabranth (Final Fantasy XII)

Thanks for reading!

-czieskara