Hello, I am Felix || Chanlix

Call 13

December 2021
Seoul, South Korea

"Chan Hyung, seriously, what's happening?" Changbin inquired, his voice cutting through the thick fog of Chan's distracted thoughts.

"Huh?" Chan responded, jolted back to the present moment, his mind reluctantly disentangling itself from the web of worries that had ensnared it.

"What? You've been spacing out since yesterday, Hyung," Changbin observed, his brow furrowed in concern as he studied Chan's distant demeanour.

"This is nothing, don't mind me," Chan deflected, attempting to brush off his friend's concerns with a casual wave of his hand before returning his gaze to the glow of his laptop screen, a poor attempt to bury himself once more in his subject requirements.

Despite his efforts, Chan found himself unable to shake off the persistent spectre of Felix that loomed large in his mind. His thoughts, like unruly birds, refused to be corralled, flitting restlessly from one worry to the next, circling back again and again to the enigma of Felix's silence for a couple of days now.

With a frustrated groan, Chan turned to face Changbin once more, his expression a mixture of irritation and resignation. "Bin."

Changbin met Chan's gaze with a mixture of confusion and concern, his silence an invitation for Chan to unburden himself of the weight that pressed heavily upon his shoulders.

"I think this is enough for today, let's go home," Chan declared, his voice tinged with a weariness that belied the early hour, as he began to gather his belongings with a sense of finality.

Changbin remained rooted to his seat, his eyes fixed on Chan with a mixture of reluctance and understanding, his unspoken question lingering in the air like a stubborn echo.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hyung?" Changbin finally asked, his voice tinged with genuine concern as he searched Chan's face for any sign of reassurance.

Chan offered a feeble nod in response, his gaze flickering briefly to the floor before he straightened his shoulders with a forced semblance of resolve. "Let's go," he simply said, his tone final as he pushed himself to his feet and made his way towards the door, Changbin trailing behind him silently.

As Chan crossed the threshold of his family home, he was greeted by the warm embrace of familiarity, the comforting scent of home a balm to his troubled soul. Yet even amidst the familiar sights and sounds, the weight of worry still hung heavy upon him like a shroud.

His parents' concerned gazes followed him like silently as he made his way to his room, their unspoken questions lingering in the air like a whisper of concern.

Alone in his room, Chan collapsed onto his bed with a heavy sigh, the weight of the day's worries pressing down on him like a leaden cloak. He cast his gaze upward, his eyes fixed on the blank expanse of the ceiling as he wrestled with the turbulent sea of thoughts and emotions that roiled within him.

Due to his uneasy feelings, Chan began to dwell on why Felix hadn't called. As exhaustion set in, Chan's eyes grew heavy, his gaze on the ceiling fading until he found himself drifting off into total darkness.

Loud ringing...

Repeatedly...

A rasping loud ringing shattered the peace of Chan's once-relaxed mind. He slowly opened his eyes and absentmindedly stared at the same white ceiling he had been gazing at before he drifted into a deep slumber.

With a yawn, Chan ran his fingers through his hair until the intrusive ringing sound once again flooded his quiet room. This prompted Chan to snap into realisation, especially when he checked the time on his phone.