Zephyr | Lee Felix

Chapter 9

SATURDAY, WEEK 4

"So? How's your internship going?" Felix asks, wondering if she's also doing well on her end.

"Surprisingly, it's going really well." She replies with a smile. "I had a lesson planning session on Friday, and it went smoothly. The kids seemed to catch on quickly, so I'm feeling pretty satisfied with how it turned out."

"Oh yeah? That's nice to hear. I remember you finding it a bit difficult with kinder's age group since their learning materials are more complicated." Christopher adds, leaning a little closer with curiosity.

"Yeah. They're more complicated by planning and theory. But when you apply them, it wasn't actually too bad." The girl answers with a small grin. While the three are catching up about their internship, Hyunjin sits quietly, feeling a bit uncomfortable as several girls from surrounding tables glance over at him, their eyes clearly scanning him from top to bottom.

He shifts in his seat next to Eugene, attempting to maintain a neutral expression while subconsciously wishing to avoid any unwanted attention. But Christopher, always observant, notices Hyunjin's discomfort and quickly steers the conversation.

"Hey guys, I know that we gather here to complain about our university. But to think about it..." He says, grinning. "We haven't formally introduced ourselves to each other beyond our names."

"Pfft. You make it sound like a classroom introduction, Chris." Eugene laughs softly, followed by Felix not long after.

Christopher chuckles, taking the initiative to begin the introduction by giving the three of his friends a cheeky grin, "So I think everyone here is a friend of mine and knows what I do in university?"

"Yep. Master's degree in music." The blonde-haired male says, then Eugene adds with her tongue clicking, "And a part-time tutor in university."

They all turn to Hyunjin, who can't help but break into a small, teasing smile, "And one of the core members of the Community Service Club."

Hearing them all summarize his background in order with cheeky smiles makes him giggle sheepishly. 

"That's pretty detailed but yeah, you guys know what to do." He turns to Felix, "Your turn, bro."

Felix straightens his posture a little, making sure that he gives every one of them a small smile. "So... uh. As you probably have heard about my internship struggles, I'm a second-year student, taking culinary arts."

The girl does a tiny clap after his brief introduction, only to bring a spread of blush across his freckled cheeks. She then does the same—plastering a small smile on her face as she speaks, "I'm also a second-year student on an internship just like the culinary arts student right here." Eugene glances at the person sitting in front of her with a grin, "Except that I major in early childhood education."

"Early childhood education..." The tall one mutters to himself quietly, his eyes gazing at the drink in front of him.

"Yeah. Basically a future educator." Eugene turns to Hyunjin with a soft smile.

He nods slightly, his eyes still fixed on the drink in front of him. 

"Future educator... huh." He mutters under his breath again with a weird feeling that he can't explain.

He glances up and catches her smile, and that unexpected feeling intensifies for a moment before he quickly composes himself. He clears his throat and offers a brief smile in return, masking his surprise with a nonchalant air. "Anyways... uh. I'm also a second-year student, but I'm not on internship."