Thanks to Joan for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

SingaHong: Alone in a Crowd

"Why?" Leon demanded, not for the first time, as he was dragged to the house by his friend.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Yong Soo exclaimed as he set his eyes on the house where loud music could already be heard playing.

"You and I have very different definitions of 'fun'."

"Hey, why don't I make it up to you? Next time you have some boring lecture or whatever, I'll totally come along!"

Leon scowled. The lectures he would sometimes go to were not boring. So, he enjoyed feng shui. That wasn't boring. And was Yong Soo even aware of the fact that Leon knew how to make fireworks? Granted, he would have to keep that knowledge secret before someone decided to label him a terrorist because those techniques could just as easily be used to make bombs, but still.

They walked into the house, and Leon immediately winced when he saw the sheer number of people. There were too many people, and they were too close to each other. His eyes darted around, and after seeing the place, he turned to Yong Soo, only to find the Korean already gone.

He cursed his luck, before searching for a place where he could enjoy a little peace and quiet. Not a lot of places, to be honest. He saw that the other side of the snack table seemed to be deserted, save for a girl reading a book. He wondered if that was a designated introvert corner or something. Still, he might as well get a few snacks. It would certainly be an excuse to not talk to anyone.

He loaded a plate with snacks before taking his seat behind the table. As he was nibbling at some sort of biscuit, his eyes scanned the crowd again, wondering how anyone could enjoy music like that, or enjoy being so close to other people.

"How can anyone enjoy this?" he mused out loud.

"Because they're lonely and think that surrounding themselves with strangers and loud noises will make them feel better about the fact that they can't do anything on their own."

Leon jumped in surprise, and he turned to look at the girl sitting next to him. She was looking down at her book before she closed it and turned to him.

"I'm going to assume that you're here because you have a friend like that?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Leon said. "You?"

"My friend is the one hosting this party, and she won't hear 'no' for an answer."

"Same here. Why are they always so stubborn?"

"No idea. It's like they don't really understand that not everyone needs to be surrounded by idiots to have a good time."

Leon smirked.

"I'm Leon, by the way," he introduced.

"Aminah," she said. "I'm from Singapore. You?"

"Hong Kong. So, what's that you're reading?"

She lifted her book, allowing him to see the title. He then saw the handbag at her feet.

"Must be nice to be a girl," Leon mused. "I don't think I'd be able to sneak a book around like that."

"What kind of books do you like?" Aminah asked.

"Crime and thriller. You?"

"Dystopian and horror."

He grinned. She certainly didn't look like someone who would enjoy horror, but he supposed that the saying 'don't just a book by its cover' held true for her.

The two continued to chat, occasionally taking a bite from the snacks they gathered, and when they ran out, they would gather more. Leon found himself actually enjoying her company, and he didn't realise that he was losing track of time.

"Leon!"

He scowled as he turned to the person who so rudely interrupted them. Yong Soo was standing there, a huge grin on his face that made Leon want to smack him.

"What?" he snapped.

"It's time to go," Yong Soo said.

Leon blinked, before he checked the time on his phone. He couldn't believe that three hours had passed. He turned to Aminah, who seemed just as surprised as him.

"Um, I had fun," Leon said. "And… I'd like to speak with you again. Could I have your number?"

Aminah looked surprised, but nodded her head. She recited her number, and Leon typed it in his phone. He then called the number, allowing her to gain his number as well.

"I guess I'll see you again," he said. "Oh, the community centre has a thing about feng shui next week Friday at three. Do you want to come?"

She nodded her head, and with more reluctance than Leon had when coming to the party, Leon stood and followed Yong Soo.

"So, who was that girl?" Yong Soo asked. "She's pretty cute."

"Shut up," Leon snapped.

…

Aminah watched Leon go, and bent down to grab her book. When she looked up, she saw her friend standing in front of her.

"So, who was that guy?" Tala asked. "He's cute."

"His name's Leon," Aminah said as she opened her book.

"I hope you at least got his number."

Aminah glared at the Filipino, hoping that she wasn't blushing, and hoping that it didn't confirm that, yes, she did get Leon's number.

"Looks like I'll need to invite Yong Soo again," Tala said. "And maybe he'll bring Leon too."

She had never wanted to kill her friend this much before.

The prompt is: 'Imagine person A and B are both introverts. So they think they never meet new people and may possibly never find the one because of it. But then they meet because they were both dragged along to a party by extroverted friends. A and B can meet over by the food and bond over hating crowds.'