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Anaxa prides himself on being punctual, whether it’s to his classes or to conferences, he always prefers to arrive at least 15 minutes prior. It provided him ample time to prepare and organise his deskspace, as well as glare at any students that were running late. This, however, isn’t always the case. Sometimes he needs to be an hour early. Or maybe two.
And this is on days where world famous idol Phainon has physical merchandise drops.
As embarrassed as he may be to admit it, esteemed university professor Anaxa has a secret that he hides away from his unsuspecting students — he’s a huge fan of one of those eye-candy, fan-servicing idols that he had once admonished. Well, huge is rather an understatement. Anaxa owns every signed album, every photocard and poster, any piece of official merch in existence has graced his collection. Call it a childish obsession, but he prefers “admiring the arts”.
Moreover, he would argue, it wasn’t just any idol that he admired. Phainon was a true rare gem within the industry, an artist who fine tuned every detail that went into his work. It was only natural that someone like Anaxa, who had been surrounded by creativity and art his entire life at the behest of his older sister, would appreciate Phainon’s craft.
Perhaps his appreciation was a little extreme, however that was simply how Anaxagoras was. A man who sought all things out to the end, investing his all into every facet of his life. This naturally extended into his ‘hobbies’, as Hyacinthia liked to call it.
—
“Gee, Professor,” the girl with pink-teal hair whistled as she placed a hefty stack of exam papers onto the dining table at his apartment. “You really do love dromases, don’t you?”
Her eyes trailed along his living room, noticing that merchandise of a certain horned animal monopolised the walls and shelves as if packing together to intimidate her.
He rolled his eyes at her comment. “I’m almost offended that you only just realised.”
“Well, obviously I knew you did but wow,” she wandered over to the glass case containing his limited edition items. “You even have this plushie? I swear they only made a hundred of these…”
“Naturally, I got my hands on it.”
She made a thinking gesture, eyeing each item carefully. “You know what’s missing?”
“Nothing should be.” He quipped back, eyebrow raised at her suggestion.
“You don’t have the new dromas collaboration merch yet!”
Anaxa felt his eye twitch, his lips drawing into a thin line. “The what.”
One would think Hyacine had hit the jackpot with the way her eyes lit up. “I can’t believe you haven't heard yet! The creator of the Dromas series recently accepted a collab with this new idol guy!”
Her fingers danced at lightning speed as she typed something into her phone and haphazardly shoved the screen in his face. Anaxa made a noise of displeasure as he backed her hand away to take a better look.
Lo and behold, there were images of an objectively good-looking man donned in a customised dromas beanie. It was even complete with a set of horns and had the same blue eye embellishments as the person who wore it.
“You mean to tell me that the first collaboration the creator has accepted in two years is with a brand new idol?”
“Well, yes, that’s exactly what I’m showing you, silly!” She giggled, swiping more on her phone. “They even had him release a new song and short music video for it!”
“…Hyacinthia.”
“Yes, professor?”
“Where do they sell this collaboration merchandise?”
A mischievous smile blooms across the young woman’s face.
—
Henceforth, Anaxa became aware of the existence of ‘Phainon’, and eventually his ‘hobby’ of collecting items shifted to the idol.
It couldn’t be helped, really, as the creator of the ‘Dromas’ series had over time produced less and less new merchandise. What could a collector do when their collection no longer has anything else to include?
And it wasn’t as if Anaxa had recklessly begun to shift his spending habits onto this fad interest of his. In fact, he initially rolled his eyes at the idea of a new face on the scene immediately collaborating with such a prominent and well-established media such as the Dromas series.
Over time, though, he came to learn of Phainon’s genuine appreciation of the series and the hard work he put into being accepted as a collaborator by the artist. It was only par for the course that any individual who shared such immense adoration for the Dromas series would leave a positive impression on Anaxa.
Besides, he actually found himself enjoying the silly collaboration song and music video. It was rather amusing (and endearing) to watch a grown man dance along with an animated dromas. In fact, it became his most listened song in that yea—
A vibration from his phone removes Anaxa from his inner musings.
✉
> Hyacinthia: professor!!
> Hyacinthia: where are you? this meeting is about to start!
> Professor Anaxa: They can start without me. I’ll be there in 30 minutes.
> Hyacinthia: …
> Hyacinthia: you better get me a copy too then
> Professor Anaxa: Noted.
Anaxa let out an audible sigh. As loath as he was to deal with a potential scolding later, what was the point of working for money if he did not spend it on the things he liked?
… How childish he was.
Anaxa had met many faces within his life. Those of admiration, those of fear, those of respect, he was familiar with the reputation he held within the university’s walls. A serious yet dedicated professor, pushing his craft to the absolute limit as he left lasting impressions on students and peers alike.
And yet, any individual who had the opportunity to meet the esteemed professor would never have assumed that he was such an avid ‘fanboy’.
At least, certainly not the familiar face that greeted him within an antique store on a warm, sunny afternoon.
—
It only strikes him mildly surprised when he raises his head from an old literature novel at the gentle chime of the door. Standing within the doorway like a deer caught in headlights was none other than the person whose posters were plastered all over the wall space not occupied by dromas.
Although the other man was dressed rather casually, it was undeniably Phainon. He had the same build, height, and it certainly didn’t help that the face mask meant to obscure the same face seen on billboards was resting on his chin rather than his face. Unconsciously, Anaxa pointed to his chin as he stared blankly at the other. It took a few seconds for the action to register for Phainon, however, as he stood dumbfounded for a whole minute.
After a moment of tense silence, words finally conjured within the idol’s mouth. “Do you… know me..?”
‘What a first impression.’ Anaxa thought flatly, his expression likely giving away his lack of amusement.
It certainly did, as Phainon’s face began to flush in panic, speech stumbling in embarrassment. “U-uhm! I meant because you were.. pointing at my face… right?”
A master of deflection, Anaxa replies instantaneously. “If you’re sick, it’s irresponsible to leave your mask where it does not cover your mouth.”
The expression that the other made caused a quiet huff of amusement to escape from him, although his eyes remained as cool as ever. Of course, Anaxa felt a sense of accomplishment at being able to see the person he admired up close. However, he did not find himself squealing head over heels like any of his students would have had they found themselves in his current predicament.
After all, Phainon, too, was still just another human.
…But why did it seem like the other is more flustered at seeing Anaxa than the other way around?
Phainon was still fumbling with the face mask that did relatively little to hide his most prominent features, clearly embarrassed at their brief exchange. Not that it was any of his business why.
Without so much as a second glance, Anaxa turned back to the novel he was perusing before being interrupted. The Archaic Language of Castrum Kremnos. It was a rather weathered old thing and had certainly seen better days, but it was a rare sight he had been eyeing for a long time.
As he approached the counter, nodding in greeting to the woman there, he felt a lingering presence on his back. Ignoring the rather broad man behind him, Anaxa hastily pulled out his wallet, a Dromas themed gift that Hyacine once gave. But before he could pull out his cash, a large hand beat him to it.
His eyebrows raised as he turned to question the other, but the youth spoke before he got the chance to. “I’ll pay for his and this one, please!” An overenthusiastic voice gestured towards the impressive piece of pottery in his hands.
How touching.
It would be rather discourteous to decline, so Anaxa waved his hand to the store clerk and stared forward, trying to avoid Phainon’s watchful gaze. The awkward silence was only interrupted when a timid voice spoke up again.
“So… you like Dromas, huh?” A narrowed stare prompted him to continue, nervously scratching the back of his head. “I meant your wallet, the pattern is cute!”
He was hyperaware of the curious stare of the clerk and the idol as they awaited his reply. “I suppose you could say that.”
Before Phainon could speak again, Anaxa was handed the carefully packaged book and spun on his heel to leave.
Panicking, he yelled out, “Wait!”
Anaxa paused in his tracks.
“Can I have your number?” Phainon asked sheepishly.
A tense pause. And then…
“I don’t even know you yet.”
With that, Anaxa fastened his pace and left the store, the bell echoing long after.
…
“You should’ve asked for his name instead.” The lady behind the counter said, amused.
“…Damn it.”
—
Phainon was the definition of what his childhood friend Cyrene liked to call a ‘boyfailure’. The teasing endearment was self explanatory, really, she mused as he was whining on call with her in the evening.
“I didn’t even ask for his name…” he moped, face buried in his pillow in hopes he would suffocate and forget about the awkward encounter today.
Although he had left the antique store that day with a reward for himself, Phainon’s heart still felt heavy at the grand prize he had failed to win. It didn’t help that the moment he laid his eyes on the mint-haired beauty, he forgot all sense of vocabulary.
But who could even blame him! Anyone with eyes that worked could see that he was gorgeous beyond words, and they would fall in love with him too. Perhaps ‘in love’ was an overstatement, as Cyrene had told him countless times today alone, but it was definitely something akin to that.
Not only his doll-like features, but the cool, collected way he held himself had him stumbling over his thoughts again. To his fans, his idol image may have the appearance of a dashing young man, Phainon himself was rather clumsy when it came to the prospects of romance.
He had only ever experienced one real relationship until that heartbreak became motivation for him to leave for the city, where he was immediately swept away to the world of modelling at the age of 19. And suddenly, instead of going to college like a person his age would, Phainon’s schedule filled out with photoshoots, collaborations, press, admiration, and scrutiny.
Of course, he was immensely grateful to his manager Aglaea for finding him at a low part of his life. But deep down, he just wished he could’ve had time to find himself before diving headfirst into such a public career.
In a way, that was another way Cyrene had helped him back on his feet after she had encouraged him to move to Okhema from their small countryside town. When he reached a standstill in his career, she appeared in the city on a surprise trip and suggested that he began singing the music that they used to make back in Aedes Elysiae. Although not as popular as his modelling work, a well-timed email for collaboration with the Dromas series was what it took for his career as an idol to kickstart.
In many ways, Cyrene was his saving grace. Speaking of Cyrene—
“Hellooooo? Earth to Phainon..?” Her singsong voice chased him out of his reminiscing, a pout gracing her features from his phone screen.
Sitting upright, Phainon’s attention switched on like a soldier saluting. “Sorry Reney… I just have a lot on my mind.” He sighed absentmindedly.
“Is it about your new beau..?” The pink haired girl giggled, her eyes shining with something that he couldn’t place.
At her words, the memories from earlier that day flashed within his head. A wave of embarrassment hit him again, as he groaned in dismay to her delight. “I can’t believe I fumbled so badly! I didn’t even ask for his name of all things…” his voice slightly muffled from his hands.
“Goodness Phai! You really jumped the gun at asking the guy for his phone number first!” She exclaimed with a mock gasp.
“I know… don’t make fun of me anymore I can’t take it.”
Humming to herself, Cyrene suddenly came much closer to the screen as she took her phone in her hands. “Well, let’s change that! What did he look like?”
“Beautiful…” Phainon’s eyes glazed over again.
His best friend rolled her eyes. “Okay lover boy, give me more details than that. Hair colour? Eye colour? Height?”
Immediately snapping out of his stupor, his rapid fire answered her questions. “Mint-green. Red with some green in it. Forehead kiss height.”
“Wow, Phai, that’s so helpful!” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
He sighed dreamily, “Really?”
“Hell no! You’ve got to focus with me here!” She exclaimed, wagging her finger at the phone screen. Her eyes suddenly lit up, blaring alarm bells in his head. Cyrene’s ideas never ended well. “How about you draw him for me?”
… Perhaps he judged her too hastily. “You’re a genius, Reney. Give me a second!”
Stumbling out of bed, Phainon looked for his nearest sticky note pad and threw out the topmost one with some random dates scribbled onto it. Now the hard part was replicating the man’s sheer beauty. He wasn’t even a talented artist to begin with, but that task became exponentially more difficult when your muse was sculpted by the titans themselves.
Focus, Phainon. He conjured as many mental images of the man as he could, tracing the slope of his eyes, the curve of his bottom lip, the hair vents that resembled cat ears.
He tried his best to replicate those stunning red-green eyes that captivated him from the second they exchanged eye contact. He found himself getting lost in thought and before he knew it, he had a finished drawing in front of him. Glancing down at his canvas, he immediately winced — calling this a drawing would be a sheer insult to people who did art for a living.
“Uhm… Reney?” He sheepishly called out, slowly trudging back to his phone.
“Yes, Phai? Are you done?” Her attention jolted back to her dear friend, face eager to get to her investigative work.
He braced himself for her reaction as he shakily began to lift the notepad to the camera. “Please don’t make fun of me.”
…
Silence.
“Phainon, what is this?”
His prior vigor had entirely drained from the rest of his body, and Phainon once again slumped on top of his bed. “I don’t know..! I tried my best, really!” A small pout formed at the edge of his lips.
Cyrene let out a pitying sigh, however it was largely masked by her stifled laughter. “I’m glad you didn’t take up art for a career like Polyxia because my goodness…”
A defeated groan only aided in her amusement.
“Okay, since visual descriptions are kind of out of the picture, how about any other details you remembered?” Her voice went back to its gentle, older sister tone.
Think, Phainon. He screwed his eyes tightly and furrowed his brows in an attempt to retrace his steps today. Honestly, most of the day became a blur after he had laid eyes on that stunning man. His nose crinkled at his numerous blunders, especially when at the payment counter where he followed the other like an eager dog. At least he got to see some gap moe in the form of that cute Dromas wall—
Wait.
“CYRENE!” He suddenly jolted off the bed, startling his best friend from across the screen. “HE’S APART OF THE GROVE UNIVERSITY!”
Without another word, he watched as her face lit up — both literally and figuratively — fingers speedily typing on her newly turned on laptop.
The anticipation was killing him, especially not knowing what was appearing on her screen. He almost gnawed his fingernails to death before she let out an excited noise, practically squealing and sending him further into his anxious spiral.
“What is it..?” He peeked curiously at his phone, voice meek from worry.
Turning her laptop around, Cyrene huffed her chest as she showed him the fruits of her labour. “Is this your mysterious pretty boy?”
Phainon’s jaw dropped. Against all odds, front and center on her screen was that beautiful man. He squinted at the text, trying to make out what description laid beneath his visage.
‘Dr. Anaxagoras Skemma. Professor, School of Mathematics and Science.’
Cyrene whistled, nodding in approval. “So we’ve got a smart one on our hands, huh..? You really know how to pick them, Phai~”
He couldn’t even respond to her teasing this time around, still slapped across the face in shock. This was real. He had a name to a face, at last.
Anaxagoras. Phainon committed the name to memory, rolling it off of his tongue and frowning at the amount of syllables. Would he mind a nickname..? Anaxa sounded cuter, but he found a certain charm in sounding out his full name too.
But even if Phainon knew his name, what use was it when he had essentially no way of contacting him? It would be rather stalker-like if he suddenly appeared at the man’s university, and he already felt like he was crossing some lines searching him up on the internet.
Well, technically Cyrene was, but same difference.
“I guess it’s good that I know his name, but what am I even supposed to do with this? It’s not like I can just contact him out of the blue.” He sighed, resigning himself to just being a footnote within Anaxa’s life. At least it would be good song inspiration for him.
He raised his eyes to meet Cyrene’s discontented gaze, looking as if she wanted to hit him over the head into the next week. “Don’t give up already, lover boy! I have a friend who is a part of the faculty team at The Grove University! Let me ask to see if she knows him.”
That made his eyebrows raise. “You have connections everywhere, seriously.”
All he received in return was a giggle, before his dear friend fell silent and focused on digging for more information. As a few minutes went by, Phainon began absentmindedly fiddling with his fingers until a sharp gasp brought his attention back to Cyrene.
“What happened?”
“Phai, I’m going to virtually hold your hand when I say this.”
Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, “You’re making me worry, Reney.”
But nothing could brace him for the next sentence that left her lips.
“Hyacine is his teaching assistant.”
…
“Phainon..?” Her eyes grew wide with concern as his camera fell and landed against the deep purple bedsheets.
He had passed out.
—
A fluffy towel rested upon Anaxa’s shoulders, absorbing the water from his thoroughly drenched minty green locks. Gently massaging it to quickly drain the liquid, a relieved sigh loosened the tension holding his frame. Though he had hoped for a peaceful evening, there was no time for reprieve as he remembered the stack of papers at home to be graded from his recent assignment.
Thankfully, Hyacine had offered to ease his burden by taking part of the work, but it was still a hefty amount to tackle. Before he knew it, night had already fallen and he only had so long to shower if he wanted to get a good night’s sleep.
Once his towel was stored back in the bathroom, Anaxa saw to it that he packed his bag before he went to bed. It was a habit he had long picked up from his days as a student, especially given his immense need to be organised. Upon finishing, he was just about to lay down and ease into sleep by reading his newly acquired book, a sudden buzz of his phone raised a thin eyebrow. It was unusual for anyone to contact him at this hour.
Though he loathed using his phone before sleeping, Anaxa figured it might be important. Reaching for the charged device on his nightstand, he was rather intrigued to see Hyacine’s contact name.
‘At this hour?’ He mused.
✉
> Hyacinthia: professor anaxa!!
> Professor Anaxa: It’s Anaxagoras.
> Professor Anaxa: Is there something wrong with the student papers?
> Hyacinthia: no..
> Hyacinthia: i heard you ran into someone particular today at the antique store, though!
> Professor Anaxa: Hm. How did you find that out?
> Hyacinthia: what matters more here is why you rejected him??
> Professor Anaxa: It is highly inappropriate for me to become involved with a public figure I admire.
> Hyacinthia: … are you serious right now.
> Professor Anaxa: Very serious. It’s getting late. Good night, Hyacinthia.
> Hyacinthia: we’re having a chat about this tomorrow ^^
Huffing at her final message, Anaxa turned off his phone and placed it back beside him. Relaxing into the mattress, he shut his eyes and tried to drift to sleep. He had an early day tomorrow, after all.
One breath. Two breaths.
Perhaps a few seconds, or minutes, or maybe even an hour passed.
… He couldn’t sleep.
No matter what he attempted — switching positions on the bed, deep breathing, counting dromases — nothing was working to ease his mind. How irritating, he’d need an extra shot of espresso tomorrow morning.
Despite his nonchalance to Hyacine earlier, Anaxa couldn’t deny that his encounter with Phainon earlier today lingered in his thoughts. He also couldn’t deny that the thought of someone like him making such a popular idol flustered was rather flattering. Anaxa was not one to indulge in romance or any feelings related whatsoever, so he supposed it was a sense of pride that he was desirable.
But that was all the feelings he could spare for this. He was already starting to sound ridiculous — the prodigious professor Anaxagoras, entertaining the idea of romance. He knows there were many of his peers who would jest at the matter. Even Hyacine, despite her words, would surely find it surprising that he was thinking about this more than he should.
There was no theoretical possibility in which he and someone like Phainon would be a compatible match. They were from two practically different worlds, and it just so happened that they met by chance.
… That’s right. It was foolish to let this keep him awake any longer.
Curling on his side, Anaxa clutched his Dromas plushie and willed himself to fall asleep. By tomorrow, the burning flush staining his ears would be gone and he could put this behind him.
Unbeknownst to him, however, a certain teaching assistant was scheming behind the scenes.
—
“Hyacinthia. What is this?” Anaxa stared scrutinisingly between the bouquet on his desk and the avoidant expression on her face as she unloaded her materials onto her own desk.
The young woman played with her hair that was styled up in a ponytail, whistling low to no one in particular. “Who said I had anything to do with this?” A mischievous glint in her eyes gave her away despite her best efforts to steel her expression.
Rolling his eyes, Anaxa fixed the positioning of his glasses that had started to slip down his nose bridge, and noticed the small card nestled between pink and white hydrangeas. Setting his triple shot espresso and messenger bag onto the desk, he ran his fingers along the blooms and pried the card from them.
Opening it greeted him with a simple few lines; ‘I hope you like hydrangeas. They remind me of you.’
… How charming. Is what he would have said if this was not such an obvious scheme orchestrated by his closest confidant.
“Your face isn’t fooling me, Hyacinthia.”
“It wasn’t meant to be~ Besides, aren’t they nice? I bet whoever sent them was really thinking about you!” She spoke in that sing-song encouraging voice that made it difficult to argue back.
Letting out a defeated sigh, he turned his back to her. “I’m going to put these in my office. Titans forbid the students ask me too many questions about it.” And with that, he left the room at a hurried pace.
The laughter that she had been withholding tumbled from Hyacine’s lips, leaving her practically shaking as she reached in her pocket for her phone.
‘You’re so easy to read sometimes, Professor.’ Her eyes shone with fondness as she recalled the slight tinge of red blooming on his ears. It seemed that her ‘Operation: Phainon and Anaxa’ was more effective than she thought!
Checking her notifications, she had to stifle yet another laugh as a few early bird students trickled into the classroom. Twelve new notifications from the newly formed group chat between her, Cyrene, and the man of the hour himself.
✉
Reney changed the chat name to ‘operation phainaxa!!’
> Snowy (Reney’s friend!): …What’s a phainaxa?
> Reney: how are you an idol and not know basic online behaviour..
> Reney: anyways!! it’s a mash up of your name and anaxa’s!
> Snowy (Reney’s friend!): Ohhh
> Snowy (Reney’s friend!): Do u think he’s gotten the flowers yet QwQ
> Reney: someone’s eager
> Snowy (Reney’s friend!): Titans forbid a guy wants to hear the results of his courting attempt!!
> Reney: “courting” what are you, a medieval knight?
> Snowy (Reney’s friend!): You’re meant to be on MY side
> Snowy (Reney’s friend!): @Cinny please update us soon ㅠㅠ
> Reney: [image]
> Snowy: STOP USING MY PICTURES AS A REACTION IMAGE??
She rolled her eyes in amusement, typing in a simple reply before shutting off her phone to greet the students that had arrived.
> Cinny: flowers received successfully, accompanied by a blush from professor!
And if anyone noticed her phone vibrating on the desk, they pretended they didn’t see her turning off her ringer nor the sharp glance that their professor sent her way when he entered the lecture hall again.
—
A week had passed, but the sight of the bouquets seemed to stay. They were never the same, though, as clearly his not-so-secret admirer had a penchant for picking out personalised flowers. Seriously, does that man think he’s being sly? As if a man as well read as Anaxa wouldn’t be able to pick up on the underlying messages his flowers sent.
Tuesday had a soft bundle of camellias, while Wednesday and Thursday had bouquets with mixed flowers starring lilies and carnations. He took a particular liking to Friday, though, as a fresh bundle of forget-me-nots, baby’s breath, and — rather boldly — white roses. This particular bouquet became the focal point of his living area, though that was for his eyes only.
At one point, when he had entered the classroom the next Monday and found that Phainon had not given up, Anaxa gave up on moving the flowers to his office before class. Instead, he allowed for his students’ prying eyes to indulge, wondering who was bold enough to send the infamous Anaxagoras flowers of all things.
Halfway through the second week, his eyes flickered in curiosity as a cloth bundled box was left beside the usual delivery of flowers. An unamused expression bore straight through Hyacine, who simply smiled at him.
Of course she had played a hand in this, considering only she would know the extent of his carelessness when it came to meals. Though he found it unnecessary, it seems he was bested by Phainon’s efforts as the man had taken the time to wrap the Dromas themed lunchbox in a matching cloth with its adorable face. How cunning, his admirer was — he grumbled as he chewed down on the rather delicious chicken salad.
But Anaxa figured that this would be the extent of their little dance, especially given how busy he’s sure Phainon would be. He wasn’t even sure how the man had the time to prepare all of these things with how jam-packed an idol’s schedule was. Though he appreciated the meals provided — whose empty lunchboxes seemed to disappear at the end of the day and return the next morning (Hyacine’s doing, no doubt) — he wondered if this extent of favours was really needed.
Still, these small little gestures did manage to worm their way into his thoughts. Though at first he found it difficult to stomach everything, over two weeks of consistent lunches had him managing to finish almost all of it. He felt like an overexcited teenager when mulling over what he thought the following day’s lunch would be.
It was only one day, when he entered his lecture hall with his heart pounding, did it drop all the way down into his stomach. The desk was completely empty. No food, no flowers, no little note.
The bitter pill of disappointment washed his mouth with a flavour of disgust he wanted to spit out, along with all of his feelings too. How foolish of him to be expecting — hell, longing — for something. Of course Phainon would eventually grow tired of making meals every day for someone who barely knew how to take care of himself. He was an idol, for goodness sake. Anaxa knew this would happen, and yet…
A despondent sigh left his lips, returning his focus onto his bag, a hefty stack of papers nestled inside as always. The slam that he made when setting them down had the only two early students in his class startling, eyes wide as if they had been scolded for existing too loudly.
He cleared his throat awkwardly, not expecting the impact to be so loud. As they ushered back to their conversation, speaking in hushed tones as to not annoy their professor.
“…Anyways, I can’t believe he dropped a new single just like that!” One of the girls whispered, eyes darting towards Anaxa in case she was being too loud.
“I know right,” the other swooned, rapidly tapping on her phone. “I wonder who this song is about… it’s the first time Phainon’s released such an explicit love song!”
Uninterested, he tuned out the rest of their conversation in favour of booting up his laptop.
…
Wait. Phainon..?
Typing like a madman, Anaxa opened up the idol’s Amphogram and sure enough, there was a new music video upload from him. On a Monday morning of all things.
For once, Anaxa cursed the fact that he had morning classes.
This song… surely it was not about him, was it? The title and thumbnail gave it away like a sore thumb, but perhaps he was reading too much into it.
No, he’d be a fool to not acknowledge it. The hydrangeas in the video preview, as well as titling it ‘Summer Afternoon’? The exact circumstances in which they first met? It was an obvious ploy on his behalf.
A ploy that unfurled a certain feeling within his chest. Anaxa was not so clueless as to not know what this feeling was, but he had a job to tend to first. These emotions of his would need to wait until he could spare a private moment.
Later, when Hyacine had arrived to class, she shot him a knowing look. While the students were busy discussing in groups, she leaned on her tiptoes to whisper discreetly, “So, how did you like it?”
Rolling his eyes, Anaxa left it a simple comment. “You should tell him to ask me himself.”
For the sake of his beating heart, he ignored the excited look in her eyes as she quickly shot off a message on her phone before the pair finished off their class.
✉
> Snowy: Hyacine the anticipation is killing me pls…
> Reney: he’s been pacing in my living room all morning i need my beauty sleep!
> Cinny: +00-xxx-xxxx
> Snowy: WHAT
> Snowy: IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS
> Snowy: HYACINE COME BACK PLS
> Reney: he fainted again…
—
As a new season fell upon Okhema, so did one for Anaxa’s personal life. After giving Hyacine the green light to send Phainon his personal number, he had a new addition to his everyday routine in the form of an overexcited puppy.
Despite his busy work life, he found it rather endearing that the idol tried his best to message Anaxa and ask about his day. Of course, they had days where conversations were stagnant, but over time he had started to anticipate every message he received. Though, he still liked to keep the other man at arms length, not wanting to jeopardise either of their positions.
Besides, as of recent their ‘conversations’ were mere pleasantries consisting of morning greetings and nightly farewells. He figured that it would happen eventually, and made sure to send messages to tell the other to take care of himself. Knowing Phainon, that would probably fuel his motivations.
He had also assumed, based on recent social media rumours, that the idol would be embarking on a tour soon. He wasn’t one for listening to unconfirmed gossip, but he always made an exception for things that he was interested in.
Surely enough, a few days went by and there was a post on his official Amphogram account announcing dates for a world tour, the first stop being their city Okhema.
Anaxa was not a particular fan of crowds nor concerts, the only recent one he attended being Phainon’s first tour when he had been a relatively new face on the scene. That one was semi-pleasant to attend, given the smaller number of attendees in support.
However, he was now a hit name in the world of celebrities and the competition to vie for a ticket was sure to be much more hectic than he was willing to put in effort for. But Anaxagoras was not one to forgo such an opportunity. He just hoped that his wallet was ready to take such a beating.
The day before ticket presales, Anaxa was preparing all of his details onto his laptop for ease of access when a pair of pink pigtails peeked their way through his office door. He barely looked up from his screen, giving her a simple greeting in acknowledgement. “Good evening, Hyacinthia.”
“What’s got your attention over there, professor?” She chirped curiously, peering over his shoulder. “Oh, is this for Phainon’s concert?”
He nodded, bookmarking the ticket presale website on his browser. “If there is one flaw about this man, it is the fact that he could not get his management to release ticket sales at a time other than six in the morning.”
Her giggle resounded by his ear, as she subtly checked her phone. “I’m sure he tried his best!”
“Hmph,” Anaxa huffed, unimpressed. “It’s no matter. It just means I need to wake up an hour earlier than usual.”
As she skipped to his office door to leave, she sing-songed in that same tone she always used when she was up to some shenanigan. “Maybe you won’t have to~”
Before he could ask what she meant, the young woman had already long gone. ’No matter’ — he thought to himself as he began packing up his items — he’s sure he’d find out soon enough.
‘Soon enough’ came in the form of the very next morning, it seems, as he woke up from his alarm and checked his phone for any notifications.
Phainon had sent him a message at a ridiculous time in the morning, but it wasn’t the time that had his eyes blown wide open. Attached to his message was a file containing a ticket. To his very own concert. In the VIP zone.
Furiously typing a reply, he could barely feel his hands as they started to tremble slightly.
✉
> Anaxa ♡: I can’t accept this.
> Anaxa ♡: Also, I’m hoping you got some sleep after sending a message at such an absurd hour.
> Phainon: I’ll see u there <3
Accepting defeat, he exhaled loudly, bracing his heart. What shall he do with this man?
—
In the blink of an eye, over a month had passed and it was finally the day of Phainon’s concert. Their communications had dwindled even further, which Anaxa found himself slightly forlorn over, but he understood. He imagined preparing for a concert was not an easy task, by any means.
He had also ‘prepared’, in the form of a determined Hyacine at his door on the eve of said concert. She all but hammered his doorbell to pieces in her enthusiasm, barging in unceremoniously and heading straight to his wardrobe.
“I’m getting you all dolled up!” Was her only reply when he asked what business she had, to which he had given up asking further anymore.
It seemed that whenever she got her hands on things, that something new would develop in his life.
“This is a regular concert, not anything else.” He deadpanned, and all he received back was an amused hum and that one glint in her eye when she knew she’d get what she wanted.
And so, Anaxa found himself slightly dressed up with a pair of black jeans, and white t-shirt layered underneath a baby blue striped button up.
Initially when Hyacine had dug out his entire wardrobe to find said button up, her eyes lit up before leaving the room to provide some semblance of dignity for him to change. It was an old thing that Diotima had bought for him when she once visited, and had never been touched again.
When he came out, however, she shook her head instantly in disapproval.
“You are absolutely not wearing it like that.”
“This is how button up shirts are typically worn.” He fired back, finding little wrong with buttoning up the entire top.
Ignoring his discontent, she focused on undoing all the buttons and instead tucking one half into his jeans to create an asymmetrical look. “There!” She cheered.
“I look ridiculous.”
“You look amazing.” The girl quickly corrected, fluffing up his hair where it had begun to lay flat.
At her insistence, he left the house looking much unlike himself. Though he felt out of place in his own skin, he did have to admit that she had a point.
He looked… good. Not in the crisp professional way he always did, but the outfit brought out some of his softer features.
If getting ready was one hassle, the navigation at the venue was another.
As he anticipated, there was a horrendous number of people lining up already, even though Anaxa had decided to come hours early. Seriously, how long did these people arrive just to snag a spot at the front?
It was at a time like this that he was grateful to the VIP ticket that Phainon had graciously provided, which allowed him to forgo most of the long queue and standing. He was led to a designated seat within the concert hall, with other VIP ticket holders also somewhat near him. As he settled into his chair, he took notice of a young woman with long pink hair beside him, and she looked over to him when she felt his gaze. He had seen her face before.
“You’re… Cyrene, right?” A famous songwriter that was accredited with the majority of Phainon’s songs, particularly his early releases.
Her smile reached her eyes at his recognition. “That’s me! It’s nice to finally meet you! You look much more stunning in person~”
His eyes narrowed at the word ‘finally’, figuring that perhaps a certain puppy had a hand in rambling about him. “I presume that you’ve heard about me from Phainon.”
She merely giggled, a knowing glint in her eye as the only answer he received. It reminded him of a certain teaching assistant.
Soon enough, the audience had all but trickled in and the lights in the venue dimmed. Anaxa braced his ears for the raucous cheers of the crowd as the stage lights flickered and a handsome light haired youth made his entrance.
Goodness. Following their initial first meeting, he had known that Phainon was handsome, especially in person. All of his posters and photoshoots could not do justice to his good looks.
Seeing him in person again only reinforced this fact. Anaxa rarely ever found himself in awe of things, he was rather difficult to please, after all.
But there was something almost magnetic in his stage presence. An effortless charm that had only developed further from the time Anaxa had attended his first concert. There was practically nothing that could tear his eyes from the effortless performances that he put on, both stable in vocals and dance moves.
It was only when the lights completely turned off, only to drastically change from his typical high energy, bright lighting.
Instead, they cast a radiant shine onto the stage and its performer, more gentle than defined. He was standing by a microphone stand with a guitar perched across his shoulders, an unusual set for his typical upbeat songs.
“Everyone, how are you enjoying tonight?” Phainon’s face crinkled up in joy as the crowd cheered back.
His eyes, however, looked as if they were scanning the rows and rows of faces for one. When those piercing blue eyes met Anaxa’s, his heart felt like it froze. And Phainon’s smile broke even wider.
“This next song you guys might know pretty well,” he paused to allow for their excitement to pass. “I wrote this with something really special in mind, and I want to share those feelings with you.”
Everyone in the crowd held their breath this time, anticipation holding them captive.
“I hope that for whoever this resonates with, they’ll be able to hear it. This is ‘Summer Afternoon’.”
Loud screams and squeals filled the audience, swooning over his small little dedication.
Anaxa nodded in approval. It was obviously directed towards him, yet subtle enough to not let in too much scandal. Such trained fanservice would only ever be capable with Phainon, really.
The first strums of the guitar had him holding his breath. It was only when he noticed the idol’s eyes on him that could he exhale. A rising heat spread across his cheeks and dusted his pale ears, unsure of how to receive such blatant confession. Titans, he was really no better than a teenage fangirl.
When he had first listened to the song, it had jumbled his emotions into a mess that took time to sort out. He would be disgracing his doctorates if he denied the fact that it was a declaration of attraction to him. The only difficult part was figuring out his own feelings.
He obviously liked Phainon, having been a fan of his for so long, but it was held back from the fact that Anaxa could not see himself engaging in a relationship with someone as well loved as the other.
Somewhere along the way, though, these feelings began to morph.
He enjoyed messaging Phainon, anticipated the gifts left upon his desk every morning, felt himself grow content at every ‘good night’ sent. He allowed himself to indulge because it made him feel good, but it reached a point where he was indulging because … he felt something back.
And perhaps it was about time he let himself experience something good rather than always withdrawing.
With his mind made up and his heart feeling full, Anaxa sat back and watched intently as Phainon finished his song. When they made eye contact again, a small smile broke out on his face as he silently cheered.
The wide grin he was met with made it all worth it.
—
The rest of the concert rushed by, but instead of feeling down that it was over, he was interested in all the possibilities from here. Reaching for his phone, he was typing out to message the idol when a sharp tap on his shoulder drew his attention. He turned around, only to have his face contort in a blend of disbelief and skepticism.
“Aglaea.” His lack of enthusiasm practically bled through his expression.
“Anaxagoras.” She replied back without so much as an inch of offence taken.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he looked at her disgruntled. “To what do I owe the displeasure?”
Her face barely shifted as she simply smiled enigmatically at his annoyance. “I’m here as Phainon’s manager to escort you backstage.”
Oh, how fantastic. Of all idol managers there were in Okhema, it just so happened that Aglaea of all people was Phainon’s.
Letting out a huff, he let himself be led away, disinterested in making passive conversation. Thankfully, it seemed she felt the same.
When they reached a door tucked behind the stage, she simply knocked before calling out. “Phainon. I have brought your guest.”
The door swung open instantly, a rather sweaty Phainon’s overjoyed grin greeting Anaxa.
He also smiled warmly to Aglaea, sending a shiver down his spine. Only he could smile so nicely at a lady like her.
“Thank you, Aglaea. I’ll see you tomorrow morning..?” He trailed off, tilting his head to the side.
“You can come a bit later, if you need.” Her eyes flickering between the pair. Crimson bloomed across both of their faces. “Good work today, Phainon. I’ll see you sometime, Anaxagoras.”
He scoffed, ignoring her farewell as the door closed.
Turning his head to the other’s curious gaze, he answered before the question left his lips. “We were classmates a long time ago.” His answer left no room for further prodding, which thankfully Phainon understood.
Realising the situation they were in, both parties awkwardly looked around the room to avoid eye contact. It was Phainon who cleared his throat first. “How did you find the concert..?”
“It was fantastic, as always. You did well.”Instinctively, Anaxa raised his hand to ruffle the white locks. Upon realising what he just did, he abruptly pulled his hand away, much to the other’s dismay.
They were both at a standstill, dancing around who would speak about the elephant in the room first.
Taking a deep breath, the idol spoke, “Do you—”
“Would you like to go out sometime soon? Before you leave for your next concert, that is.” Anaxa beat him to it, relishing in the blush that painted Phainon’s cheeks.
At a loss for words, he tried stammering out an agreement before failing completely. All that he could conjure was a rapid nod that only stilled when Anaxa placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Easy there, don’t want your head falling off, hm?” A smug grin escaping his lips, tilting Phainon’s chin to properly meet his gaze. “You better make this a good first date, okay?”
Defeated, he slumps down over Anaxa’s shoulder and lets out a noise stuck between a groan and a wail. “…You’re evil, knowing what effect that has on me.”
“Is that a no?”
“It’s a yes!” He shot up enthusiastically, coaxing out genuine laughter from the other. The melodic sound made his heart race, entrancing him on the spot.
“You look so beautiful when you’re smiling…”
It was Anaxa’s turn to be caught off guard, glancing sideways and muttering a small “be quiet” that only served to make Phainon swoon even more. He quickly wrapped the shorter man up in an embrace and laughed the loudest he had in a long time. A muffled sound came from his chest where he was.
“I appreciate my privacy, as I’m sure you do too.”
Phainon chuckled, “I know.”
“You’re squishing me.”
“I know.”
Arms reached around his broad back. “… Thank you.”
“Of course.”
They stayed in that embrace for a long time, relishing in the anticipation of what was to come.
—
Phainon was ecstatic, to say the least.
He and Anaxa had been going steady for a few months, and with his tour finished, today was finally the first time he was granted the opportunity to visit the other’s house.
It was slightly difficult with the timing of their relationship and his first major tour, but it was not an experience he regretted at all. Being able to wake up every morning knowing that he had been granted the opportunity to pursue the man of his dreams gave him all the motivation in the world to push forward.
Humming happily to himself, he entered the lobby of Anaxa’s apartment building to find his lover waiting for him by the elevator. Seeing as it was winter, the other man was bundled up in a loose turtleneck sweater that almost buried his nose. Phainon’s heart swooned at the sight, and he couldn’t help resist scooping his boyfriend up in his arms.
“Anaxa!” He giggled despite the gentle smacks to his arm.
“Put me down, Phainon.”
With a reluctant pout, he did as the man asked, opting instead to grasp his small hand. It allowed him to lead Phainon through the elevator doors, pressing the ‘3’ button.
“You seem excited.” Anaxa looked at him with an amused smile.
Squeezing his hand, he returned a similar smile before leaving a small peck on Anaxa’s nose. “Of course I am! It’s the first time I get to visit your lovely home!”
Their hands stayed entwined as they exited the elevator and towards his apartment, with his partner rolling his eyes. “You haven’t even seen it yet to already be considering it ‘lovely’.”
“Anything involving you is lovely!”
As the keycard reader lit up green, Anaxa took off his shoes and left them near the door, Phainon following suit. The lights had a rather handy feature where they automatically turned on, allowing him to look past and notice a certain bouquet of flowers on the coffee table.
Charging over excitedly, his eyes shone at his boyfriend. “Hey! It’s the hydrangeas I gave you before I left for the Luofu—”
He paused in his ramblings as something to his right caught his eye. Turning his full attention to it, he was stunned at the sight that met him. It was a wall with multiple shelves lining it, half of them filled to the brim with Dromas merch. The other half was …
“Anaxa, my love, what is this?”
Catching up to the other, Anaxa suddenly remembered why he had initially avoided allowing Phainon to come over. “That’s … my merch collection.”
A collection was an understatement. Phainon recognised many of these pieces as limited editions and early access only items. Perhaps he really underestimated how much of a fan Anaxa was.
…
“I’m kind of jealous right now.”
“This is all merch of you.”
“I’m jealous.”