Chapter Text
Anxin loves festivals. The loud music, big crowds, and the loud beats of music that can be heard all throughout the field.
He says it's something that helps him get rid of all the stress he’s been dealing with–especially the ones that are hard to shake off his chest. But truthfully, he’s here for a different reason.
The Maroon is a well known festival that happens every year in this one university near his campus. One thing about it is that it's always packed, loud, and filled with people he doesn’t know—which, if you asked Zhou Anxin, was exactly the point.
He likes the thrill. He loves meeting new people.
The bass from the stage was vibrating under his shoes as he wove through the sea of university students, pulling Kaiwen along by the wrist. “Bagal mo Kaiwen. Tara na! Puntahan natin si Hao sa harap!” Anxin says loudly to Kaiwen who was just right behind him.
Kaiwen scowled at the younger's eagerness to go up front but nevertheless, he let Anxin drag him through the crowd. “Hindi naman aalis yan si Hao, bat ka ba nagmamadali? He told me hihintayin daw niya tayo, no need to rush.”
Anxin rolled his eyes at Kaiwen as he spotted Jiahao, who was already waving at them. He smiled at his hyung and noticed that Jiahao was with two other guys Anxin could not recognize.
“Xin!” “Kai!” Jiahao happily greeted them at pinakilala na nga ang mga kasama niyang kaibigan. “Meet my friends—Leo and Sangwon, orgmates ko sila na surprisingly may same classes din kami, kaya we became close. Now ko lang kayo napakilala.”
Leo smiled and reached out his hand for a handshake. “Musta, Leo nga pala. Hi Xin! Hi Kai!” Kaiwen smiled and reached for his hand and not long enough, Anxin followed. Leo and Kaiwen immediately hit it off, they had the same vibes after all, as Jiahao claims.
They were throwing around some jokes and started laughing out loud when Anxin noticed Sangwon, who was just standing there at the side.
Black shirt, wide legged denim jeans, sneakers, a beanie, and a unique belt that Anxin swears he would “never” wear (he would). He had his arms crossed and was leaning to a pole. Before he knew it, Anxin was already drowned with his thoughts. Shet. Marunong manamit. Pogi. May dating siya. Attractive. Pog-
“Hey.” Sangwon interrupts his thoughts.
That was it. His train of thought was gone as Sangwon was now staring at him, waiting for his reply.
Anxin blinked. “…Hey. My name’s Anxin. Pero people call me Xin or An. Actually no one calls me An, call me Xin nalang!” He was rambling.
Sangwon smiled, but Anxin could swear it was a smirk. “Sangwon. You can call me Won but ikaw bahala. Whatever you like.” He said as he shook Anxin's hand as a greeting.
Anxin…just stood there and stared at him. Sangwon was charismatic. He was attractive. He’s Pogi.
He didn’t notice it right away but he was staring.
Sangwon looked in his direction as he ran his fingers through his hair and his lips immediately lifting up to a smile. That’s when Anxin realized, ang tagal ko na palang nakatingin…putangina.
“Like what you're seeing?” Sangwon says as he drinks the beer he was holding.
Anxin was panicking internally. This had never happened to him before; he rarely gets nervous because of some guy. He was usually the one making other people nervous. He doesn’t “fall” this easily for others—he wasn't this soft.
He wanted out. He didn’t want to talk to him any longer, not after embarrassing himself like that. So, Anxin did what he thought was the best solution. Lie.
“Hello! Look behind you kaya!” He rolls his eyes, pointing towards Sangwon. “Nakaharang ka kasi sa stage! Wala akong makita! Pwedeng umusog ka ng konti?” Anxin says, acting as if he was irritated at the boy. Pwede na yun. Anxin thought. Sangwon didn’t push further as he just looked down and chuckled.
“Sige, una na ko.” Sangwon tells Anxin as he waves goodbye and joins a group of people in which Anxin assumes to be his other friends. Anxin just smiles and waves goodbye and thinks he never wants to see him again. Not after whatever the hell that interaction was.
For the rest of the night, Sangwon wasn’t with them. But if you ask Anxin what he remembered that night, it was definitely “not” Sangwon.