firefly | zhong chenle

CH15

"because you two suit each other"

-

Chenle walked back into the cafeteria once he's ensured that everyone was gone to training. Sitting silently alone on the table in a deserted cafeteria, he scooped up his rice and roughly shoved it into his mouth, still pissed that he was even having a fight with some doctor who only came to the station two months ago.

Misoon walked in, cleaning the last of the tables when she spotted Chenle eating alone.

"Everything okay?" Misoon asked, slowly placing down the cloth her in her hand to analyse Chenle's facial expressions. His jaw tensed and the grip on his poon tightened.

"Fine"

Misoon followed Chenle's gaze, that travelled from his food to the girl who was running laps outside on the tracks along with the rest. Immediately, she realised what was happening.

"It doesn't take much to apologise" Misoon chuckled as she took a seat opposite him. Chenle froze in position, his breaths evidently heavier.

"I didn't do anything wrong" Chenle grunted, shoving in another mouthful of rice.

"She came running down after realising you had a 40 degree fever. I was lucky to have caught her or else she would've ran on the streets and tried to beckon you back. She's a doctor. She has that weighing responsibility to take care of her patients. It's like you have the responsibility to protect this city" Misoon sighed. She was so softly spoken that her words melted Chenle's heart almost instantly. His grip loosened and his eyes softened.

"Both of you don't want to admit that you're wrong because you're both too similar. Haven't you wondered why you were able to get close, let along fight, with her within the two months of her being here? Because you two share the same values and care for the same things. Because you two suit each other"

Chenle had never thought of it that way. He had always thought she just wanted to fight with him to feel the satisfaction of winning an argument. Whenever his heart leapt when he saw her, he had just thought she was beautiful. And she was indeed beautiful. But he had never considered why himself, someone who took years to become close to the firefighters at this station, was able to instantaneously engage with her.

Chenle nodded, not wanting to admit that there is someone in this world that could see right past him. Finishing off his food, he handed the tray to Misoon and quietly thanked her. As Chenle walked to the gym area that people were going to gather for a medical practice, he thought a lot of about what was said, and it kind of gave him an epiphany that they fought only because they cared.

His train of thoughts were cut when the firefighters trampled into the building, Haechan slinging an arm around him as they all sat down. Arin followed behind them, having changed into her lab coat now, and stood in the middle of the circle.

"Sorry this lesson was put off for so long with the epidemic and everything, but here we are. Today, you'll all be mastering the art of bandaging"

Some confused glances spread across the room. Everyone thinking that that was such an easy task to do that they could all do it with ease, why have a lesson on something that was common sense to them?

"Bandaging can effect a lot of things if done wrong. Infection, excessive blood lost, misplacement in worse circumstances. Can I get a volunteer please" Arin asked, looking around the circle of guys. Just as Jisung was about to put his hand up, Chenle noticed and stood up wordlessly, sitting in front of her.

Arin rolled her eyes "Wow, thank you so much for volunteering and contributing to my lesson, Captain"

Pushing aside her dislike towards Chenle at the moment, she first showed everyone how to bandage the leg and fixate it in place in case of fractured or broken bones, using Chenles leg as the model. Then she moved onto bandaging the body.

"Next part is crucial and many people don't take enough care with it. The body can have many many injuries, and if not taken care of properly, can effect the rest of the body" Arin turned to Chenle "Take your shirt off"

A chorus of Oos chimed in, some even applauded. Chenle made brief eye contact with Arin, before pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it beside him. For a split second, Arin had to divert her eyes to avoid her becoming flustered.

"Be quiet" She scolded the ones who were now roaring and clapping. Holding the bandaging in her hands, she placed her finger on his bare shoulder, situating the bandaging in place. The cold touch of her finger caused shivers to go down Chenles spine, fluttering his eyes shut for a second to compose himself.

"Bandaging starts here and wraps around the body if the wound is near the centre or around here" Arin pointed at his abdominal area before slowly unrolling the bandaging from its roll "And you go diagonally like this"

Chenle was doing okay, until he felt her finger begin to wrap around to his stomach where she became stuck in position that looked a lot like she was hugging him. One of her hands was on his shoulder area, her thumb on his neck to hold him in place. Her nails lightly touched his ear, sparking the redness on the very ends of his earlobes. The action was done slowly and carefully, her finger rolling out the bandaging so it extended over his chest.

When she wrapped her fingers around once lord, she finally was right in front of Chenle, their eye contact lasting for what seemed like ages. The world around them seemed to suffocate, only each other existent. Arin's lip fell apart subtly as Chenle's expression twitched.

"Sorry" Chenle murmured in the moment. Arin's eyes widened, snapping herself out of whatever imaginary world she was in as she processed his apology. Nodding, she forced herself away and finished the wrapping.

Her mouth was close to his ear as she tied the knot. She didn't even realise she was whispering when she said "The knot needs to be secure...". But because of those whispers, blood flooded to Chenles head, his ears blaring with redness yet again. His fingers clenched, as if controlling himself.

"Relax" Her palm pressed against his skin, which he did try to relax but didn't really work. After Arin finished thing the knot, she shot back into standing stance as her hands clasped together. It was obvious both their faces were red, but both were trying their best to hide it. Chenle took a deep breath when she stood up, un-balling his fist and inhaled deeply.

"T-that's how you make a knot- I mean, how you bandage a patient" Arin announced, stuttering every so slightly.

"Can you show us again Doctor!" Haechan teased, earning a death stare from Chenle.

"No." Arin abruptly ended the class "Practice yourself and uh leave. Thank you. Bye.". On the inside, she was pleading for everyone to go away so she can have a mental breakdown about just how embarrassing it was then to lose focus, especially like that, in the middle of a lesson. Just as Arin was about to run away too, Chenle called her back.

"Arin, can we talk?"