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Leo was never the type to get interested in others easily. In all eighteen years of his life, his best friend from third grade was the only person he genuinely cared about aside from his family.
So imagine how unexpected it was for Leo when the stranger he met near the basketball field — Sangwon, became someone who would change his life entirely.
Well, maybe not met… more like he found Sangwon.
He always found Sangwon in the same corner. Even when he returned to the field two days later, he still found Sangwon at the exact same spot. Leo was certain he had never seen Sangwon before, which only made Sangwon harder to ignore. And something about Sangwon somehow stayed in his thoughts.
Leo normally wouldn’t have cared about someone quietly reading a book in the same spot almost every single day. Yet after two weeks of constantly finding Sangwon there, curiosity slowly began to get the better of him.
He still remembered the look of shock on Sangwon’s face when he first approached him and asked about the book he was reading. Sangwon, with his doe eyes and the faint blush naturally dusting his cheeks, looked completely flustered as he answered. And Leo could barely even hear a word Sangwon said. He was far too distracted by how beautiful Sangwon looked beneath the gloomy sky that afternoon.
They introduced themselves, exchanged small conversations through which Leo found out that Sangwon was a transfer student. He had only been at the school for a month and was a year younger than him.
As their conversation came to an end, Leo found himself unsure on how to keep it going. He rarely talked to anyone besides his best friend, so he simply just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, asking Sangwon if he wanted to hang out next weekend. And Sangwon, being as kind as he was, immediately accepted the invitation.
Leo definitely hadn’t expected Sangwon to agree so easily. The immediate response left him overthink the whole thing and he eventually called his best friend for advice. His friend, however, burst out laughing the second Leo explained the situation, yelling that he was being way too nervous over a simple hangout — it wasn’t even a date. Leo then remained staring at the floor for a long while after the call ended, unable to stop thinking about what his friend just said.
That was when it hit Leo, he was interested in Sangwon.
They met the following weekend. Per his best friend’s suggestion, Leo took Sangwon to his favorite dessert place before stopping by a music store he loved. He introduced Sangwon to the kind of music he enjoyed and made Sangwon listen to some of his favorite songs.
And Leo couldn’t ignore the way his heart fluttered watching Sangwon smile while listening to the music he loved.
It somehow became Leo’s addiction, seeing Sangwon smiling.
From that point on, spending time together became part of their everyday lives. Leo would meet Sangwon near the basketball field after classes ended, playing his guitar while Sangwon read beside him for an hour or two before the two of them took the bus home together.
The new habit slipped so naturally into his life that even Leo found it strange. He had always liked sticking to his old routine of going home right after school and spending the rest of his evening at band practice. But changing all of that after Sangwon came along suddenly didn’t feel like a big deal anymore.
Leo’s daily life slowly began to revolve around Sangwon. From the moment he woke up to the moment he closed his eyelids at night, traces of Sangwon’s presence were always there. Whether through the thoughts that constantly occupied his mind or the book resting on his nightstand — the one Sangwon had given him during their visit to Sangwon’s favorite bookstore a few weekends earlier.
Spending so much time with Sangwon also made Leo begin noticing Sangwon’s little habits. The way Sangwon scrunched his nose when he laughed, the peaceful look on Sangwon’s face when he read, the way Sangwon got emotional easily, and the way Sangwon’s cheeks turned pink when Leo stared at him for too long. They all became Leo’s favorite things to see.
But Leo somehow failed to notice one thing about Sangwon. It took him an entire month of hanging out with the younger guy to finally realize,
that Sangwon owned so much pink stuff.
Sangwon had never worn or brought them all at once, which was probably why Leo only noticed it much later. It wasn’t until Sangwon showed up with a pink tote bag during one of their weekend hangouts that Leo started recalling all the times Sangwon had worn or carried pink things.
A pink tote bag, a pink tumblr, a pink pouch, even the bookmark tucked between the pages of Sangwon’s book…
Leo nearly gasped at the realization.
He ended up complimenting Sangwon’s tote bag, saying it looked pretty. The way Sangwon instantly blushed and smiled at the comment made Leo giggle softly, and he was blushing just as much before he knew it.
Ever since noticing that one side of Sangwon, Leo couldn’t stop thinking how the color pink perfectly matched Sangwon.
Leo decided to buy the pink bracelet he had seen one day and gave it to Sangwon while they sat together enjoying the evening breeze. What Leo hadn’t expected was the look on Sangwon’s face the moment he received it. Because Sangwon went strangely quiet for a moment before pulling Leo into a sudden hug, repeatedly thanking him over and over.
Leo couldn’t understand why Sangwon seemed so emotional over something as ordinary as a bracelet. But Sangwon’s reaction lingered with Leo to the point where he found himself wanting to see more of it. So after that day, Leo started buying pink things for Sangwon whenever he came across them.
The day before Sangwon’s birthday, he gifted Sangwon a pink MP3 player and Sangwon ended up clinging to Leo’s shoulder with tears in his eyes as he thanked Leo.
Leo waited until Sangwon calmed down before asking, “you really like pink that much?” and Sangwon just nodded eagerly with a wide grin on his face.
That moment somehow unlocked something in Sangwon, because on the day they went out to celebrate Sangwon’s birthday, Sangwon appeared in an oversized pink cardigan and matching pink pants. The sight left Leo so mesmerized that he momentarily forgot how to breathe.
Leo couldn’t help but tell Sangwon that pink suited him so well and he looked pretty in the outfit. Sangwon’s smile immediately widened the moment he heard those words.
They celebrated Sangwon’s birthday at a steakhouse Sangwon had wanted to visit for a while. Leo brought along a bouquet of pink lilies and a handwritten letter he had spent days carefully writing. A letter that started with a simple birthday wish and ended with Leo pouring out the feelings he had for the younger guy.
Sangwon’s cheeks turned pink by the time he reached the end of the letter. He looked at Leo for a few quiet seconds before saying, “I like you too.”
And that marked the beginning of their relationship.
Changing their status from friends to lovers barely changed anything between them. The only significant difference was how Sangwon became noticeably more affectionate, and Leo found himself unconsciously initiating little touches whenever Sangwon was near.
What also changed was the way Sangwon dressed.
Sangwon began to always dressed in pink every time they went on dates, radiating the kind of joy and comfort that never failed to make Leo happy as well.
One day, while Sangwon leaned against Leo’s side as he played the guitar, Leo finally asked the one question that he had been wondering about.
“Why don’t you wear your pink shoes or bag at school? You like them so much.” Leo turned to look at Sangwon, paying close attention to the younger guy’s reaction.
Sangwon avoided Leo’s gaze the moment he heard the question. He bit his lip then opened his mouth as if trying to speak, but no words came out.
“I’m sorry for asking. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, baby. It’s okay.”
But Sangwon shook his head and inhaled deeply before finally speaking.
“I… I haven’t told you why I moved here, have I?”
Leo gave a small nod in response.
Sangwon let out a sigh, his fingers fidgeting nervously as he lowered his gaze. “I was… bullied.”
And for a moment there, Leo couldn’t process the words properly.
His Sangwon… was bullied?
“Do you mind telling me why?” he asked softly.
Sangwon hesitated before he answered, “because I liked pink.”
“What?!”
They spent the rest of the evening with Sangwon opening up about his past. On how he used to wear his pink bag and pink shoes to school only for people to mock him for being “too feminine”. They picked on him constantly and threw cruel names at him just because he liked pink.
The final straw was when they threw all of Sangwon’s belongings into the trash outside of school. Even after transferring away, the memory still lingered painfully in Sangwon’s mind. He had to start seeing a therapist to recover from the fear and trauma it left behind.
Leo listened attentively, his chest tightening with anger toward the people who had hurt Sangwon before. He gently ran his fingers through Sangwon’s hair to soothe him as he spoke.
When Sangwon finished telling his story, he finally looked up at Leo. “I… I started gaining my confidence back when I’m with you. I feel safe wearing it around you but, you know, if I misunderstood it please just tell me. I can stop wearing it too much if it bothers you.”
Hearing those words broke something in Leo. He quickly shushed Sangwon, cupped his cheeks to make sure their eyes stayed locked while he said what he needed to say.
“I don’t mind. At all. I love seeing you in pink, you always look the prettiest in it. If you want to wear it to school again, then you should. No one has the right to make you feel ashamed for that. And if someone dares to look down on you because of it, they’ll deal with me.”
The next thing Leo knew, Sangwon had straightened up and leaned closer. The younger guy giggled before pressing a quick kiss against his lips without warning.
Leo’s brain stopped functioning for a solid minute after that. He only returned to reality when Sangwon casually pointed out that they should head home before it started raining.
It was the first time they kissed.
Everything slowly started changing from there. From how easily Leo would steal kisses from Sangwon, to the fact that Sangwon finally started wearing his pink bag and shoes to school again.
Leo could tell how nervous Sangwon was on the first day he wore those things to school. And Leo stayed by his side to reassure him every chance he got, hoping to ease some of Sangwon’s worries.
Wearing pink again inevitably brought attention to Sangwon. It frightened him at first, the memories of the past still haunted him in the back of his mind. But as people started complimenting how cute his stuff looked, the fear gradually became easier to ignore.
Sangwon’s growing confidence came to a turning point when the school held its annual festival. Sangwon, who had joined the dance club, was scheduled to perform. Leo was also set to perform with his band.
The weeks leading up to the festival were so packed that they rarely got to see each other. Even when they managed to meet after practice, neither of them talked much about the details of their performances.
So imagine Leo’s surprise when he picked Sangwon up on the morning of the school festival and found his boyfriend wearing a fitted pink jersey with a light blush dusted across his cheeks. Leo almost passed out at the sight. A little dramatic, but honestly, his heart stopped functioning properly that he completely forgot to compliment Sangwon. Every word he tried to say only came out as a stutter.
With his band set to perform in the evening as the closing act, Leo went straight to the audience area the moment he arrived, securing a spot at the very front to watch Sangwon’s performance.
As soon as Sangwon stepped onto the stage with his dance club, Leo found himself unable to look away. The way Sangwon smiled while dancing, the way he moved so freely while wearing pink in front of everyone… Leo wanted nothing more than to pull the younger guy into a hug, tell him how proud he was, and kiss him till they run out of breath.
Leo was so focused on Sangwon that he barely heard what his bandmate was saying after Sangwon’s performance ended.
“What did you say?”
“That pink guy. Your boyfriend, right? He really suits you.”
And Leo snorted at the comment.
Once it was finally his turn on stage, Leo instinctively searched for Sangwon in the crowd. A smile appeared on his face when he spotted his boyfriend watching him from the audience. His band performed five songs that evening, and by the time they reached the last one, Leo made sure to lock eyes with Sangwon.
Sangwon frowned in confusion when Leo kept staring at him intensely. But the moment the song started playing, his entire face instantly turned red. Leo was singing his favorite song in front of everyone.
My guy pretty like a girl
And he got fight stories to tell
When Leo gave his farewell to close his band’s set, he realized Sangwon was no longer standing at the spot he had been at earlier. Confusion started creeping into his chest as he hurried off the stage, ready to look for his boyfriend only for a familiar hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and dragged him away.
Leo didn’t even get the chance to say anything because Sangwon pulled him into a kiss before he could process what was happening.
His eyes widened at first, though only for a moment before the shock melted away when he kissed back. His arms naturally wrapped around Sangwon’s waist, drawing the younger guy closer as their kiss deepened.
They kissed in a daze until the only thing filling their senses were the warmth of their lips and the shaky sound of their breathing. Leo’s grip around Sangwon tightened, pulling him impossibly closer with every second left him craving more of Sangwon.
The kiss lasted so long that they only broke apart when Sangwon finally pulled away first, breathless, with his lips swollen from the kiss. And God, Leo thought he might actually lose his mind seeing it. He leaned forward again to press softer kisses on Sangwon’s cheeks and forehead.
“Do you know how pretty you looked today?” Leo asked, cupping Sangwon’s cheek to admire more of his face.
“You liked it?”
Leo stole another quick kiss from Sangwon’s lips.
“Liked it?” he whispered. “I almost went insane watching you perform earlier.”
Sangwon laughed at the honest confession, his nose scrunching adorably out of habit. And in that moment, Leo couldn’t think of anywhere else he would rather be than holding Sangwon close, kissing him breathless while soft laughs slipped between their conversations.
Pink indeed suited Sangwon, and Sangwon suited Leo.