Closeted freshman student, Aries Buan, falls in love with his senior after getting partnered with him during their freshman orientation. Afraid to admit his feelings, he kept his emotion in check and watched his first love from afar, swearing to him...
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August 14, 2023
I can't believe it's finally over!
All I can say is, wow, we did it.
The Code of Aries is a book that is so important to me. Other than the fact it's the first story I have ever written as an official Wattpad Creator, it's also a story that is closest to my personal life in general.
You guys might already get tired of hearing this, but I was raised by my uncle (who is gay), and he became a huge inspiration for Dom's character. Like Dom, my uncle wasn't accepted by his father, and he did, in fact, was forced to do boxing so Grandpa could straighten him out. Our uncle also struggled a lot, especially since he was in college and had to do a ton of jobs to simply survive. Grandpa also died when they were young, so Mama (our grandmother) was someone he truly loved and took care of.
My uncle has found his own success, and now he is very vocal about his experiences and shares it as a way to inspire people. That's why I felt that having him as a reflection of Dom is a beautiful symbolism. And also a great homage.
Another important scene for me here was when Dom didn't have anything to eat, so he just drank water from the fountain to feel full. This particular scene was also meaningful because this was exactly how I was when I was still studying. I'm not saying I struggled as Dom did, but there were times when I didn't have enough money to buy lunch, so I would usually lie and tell my friends that I wasn't hungry or, like Dom did, drink water from the fountain to feel full.
There's also Madam Scarlet from the Red Light Bar. Madam Scarlet is a character inspired by my family's closest friend, who is transgender that worked at a club in Japan. And then another close friend who owns a club. The things that happened in the Red Light were mostly inspired by them, as well as the atmosphere of the place and the people.
As for Aries, he was inspired by a few friends I met during my six years in college. Some of them were closeted and were too afraid to express their true selves to others. One, in particular, was forced to hide himself because his father was a police officer. Their stories made me create Aries, and I feel like I wrote him because I'm hoping that one day, my friends will also find this type of closure.
Aries is the person who just wants to fit in and be like everyone else, but hiding can be tiring, and sometimes we need a little Domingo M. Adlawan to give us enough strength to finally feel free. So for my readers, I hope you find your number 22. It doesn't have to be a partner, but maybe a friend, your family, or maybe even yourself.
One last thing in the story that I purposely did was the setting, which was in the Philippines. I wanted to share with my foreign readers a little bit of my country, especially when you're in the lower class. I don't speak for everyone, of course, but this was my truth.
But like other countries, it's true that people have to work in the most unconventional places to survive. It's true that others have wrongfully judged people's entirety by using religion as a basis for such hate. It's true that teachers are underpaid and overworked, and as a graduate of Education myself, it is true that they are heavily looked down upon.
I don't even know how many times I've heard the question, "You're studying to become a teacher? Why? There's no money in that job." It's like a broken record, and I can only hope that one day, this profession will be seen as something that is as important as a doctor, a lawyer, or any other job that holds the same importance.
This story wasn't just about two boys who fell in love. It's so much more than that, and I hope you guys saw it too.
Anyway, I want to share my gratitude to all of you who gave this book a chance. I know it's different and maybe even boring to some, but thank you for letting me write this story for you. I'll save a few of my thanks at the acknowledgment, but for now, there's still going to be a few more special chapters. You can read them, or you can end the book here. Either way, thank you for joining me, Dom, and Aries on this journey.
