Zephyr | Lee Felix

Chapter 6

THURSDAY, WEEK 4

Felix settles into his seat next to Eugene, his heart thumping a little too loudly in his chest. The hotpot place they've chosen is designed for solo diners, with partitions between each chair to allow for individual privacy. However, as they both agree to remove the separator, Felix finds himself sitting closer to her than expected. After individually ordering their own food, he can feel the tension in the air, the silence between them hanging heavily.

"So..." He begins hesitantly, "How did your internship go today?"

Eugene pauses before responding, her calm demeanour momentarily faltering as she recounts the day's events. "It was... a little chaotic." She confesses, "One of the kids had her asthma triggered, and unfortunately, my mentor got called away to the office at that exact moment."

Her expression takes on a concerned look, as she continues, "As an intern, I couldn't leave the child unattended. It was a bit... overwhelming. I haven't undergone first aid training yet, so I wasn't allowed to do anything, even if her asthma kit was just right... there."

"I was not supposed to leave the children unsupervised even if it was just for 5 minutes. But it was an emergency." She says, her voice still calm yet carrying a trace of regret. "I knew I had to do something, even if it meant breaking the rules."

She pauses, her expression hardening for a moment before adding, "Luckily the mentors understood and appreciated my decision to leave the room temporarily to call for a permanent staff. They said I did the right thing, but it was still...a bit scary, you know?"

Felix listens quietly as Eugene shares her story, a mixture of admiration and sympathy filling his chest. As she describes the situation, he can't help but have a small moment of realization. He suddenly understands why Eugene seems a little more restrained today, her usual joyful energy somewhat subdued.

"You did a great job." He says, his voice coming off deep and soothing. "You made the right decision and saved the child, even if it meant breaking an important rule."

He pauses for a moment, his eyes searching hers.

"Sometimes rules can be strict but it's good that the mentors understood and appreciated your choice. I'm really impressed, you made a tough decision and handled it bravely."

Eugene feels a small smile form on her lips at Felix's words.

"Thank you, Felix." She says softly, meeting his gaze. "That... means a lot, coming from you."

The moment lingers between them as they sit in comfortable silence for a few seconds, with only the gentle sound of boiling water on their individual pots filling the air. 

"..." Eugene studies his face, noticing the way his jawline sharpens when he speaks and the way his eyes seem to see straight through her, seeing more than he should. She finds herself unable to look away, drawn to his unexpected gentleness.

"What?" Felix senses her gaze on him, and he looks up, meeting her eyes with a slight sheepishness. Her unwavering attention makes him feel a little self-conscious, though not entirely unpleasant. "Is there something on my face?"

Eugene snaps out of her thoughts, realizing that she had been staring. She quickly looks away, her cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment.

"Oh, no, nothing." She replies with a chuckle to brush off her shyness. "I was just... noticing how your voice is surprisingly deep and soothing. It's quite... nice."

Felix feels a slight surprise at her unexpected compliment, his heart doing a small somersault in his chest. He didn't realise that she had been paying that much attention to his voice. He's not used to compliments, especially not on his voice, and he struggles to find the words to respond without sounding too obviously flustered.