Zephyr | Lee Felix

Chapter 20

SUNDAY, WEEK 5

"Second floor, somewhere on the left..." Felix mutters softly to himself, his eyes scanning the area of the library for the familiar figure. When his gaze lands on her, he feels his heartbeat accelerating again. For once, he doesn't have the courage to see her; not after how she teased him into a blushing mess on Friday night.

He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his heart rate. Relax. He tells himself, She's just a friend. There's nothing to be nervous about. But as he approaches her, the fluttering feeling in his stomach betrays him.

"Hey..." He says, clearing his throat as he reaches her table. She looks up at him, a smile on her face.

"Ah, you're here, my study partner." Eugene grins, putting down her pen on the desk.

He smiles at her cheerful greeting, trying to ignore the way his heart flutters at her smile. "Yeah, finally." He replies, taking a seat across from her, glancing at the open books and papers spread out on her desk.

"Looks like you've been busy." He comments, gesturing towards the various notes and textbooks.

"Well, kind of. I have 2 due dates next week." The girl shrugs, "What about you? How many deadlines do you have for week 6?"

Felix grimaces, thinking of his own workload. "It's not supposed to be that much originally. 2 deadlines next week, but it's the extra internship report that I've got to submit..."

In contrast to what he has expected, her eyes seem to sparkle at his reply. She taps her pen on the book, grinning at him. "So we're basically on the same boat. Even more reason to grind together huh?"

He can't help but chuckle at her reaction. Her enthusiasm is contagious, but he's also secretly glad that he has company in his suffering.

"Yeah, looks like it," He replies, a small smile on his lips. "It's nice knowing I'm not the only one drowning in assignments."

"It's week 6 next week. I'd be surprised if one does not drown in assignments." She speaks in a comically elegant way, making him chuckle for the second time.

"That's true. I guess we're all in this together." Felix says, setting up his own study materials across her.

Eugene grins at his chuckle, pleased that she can still make him laugh. She watches as he sets up his materials, their desks now side-by-side, facing each other.

"Now that we're both in the same boat, I think that means it's even more important to keep each other accountable," She teases, "No slacking off or getting distracted."

"Don't worry." He proudly speaks, showing his phone screen in front of her face, "I've deleted TikTok to focus on all of my assignments."

Eugene laughs, slightly amused and impressed all at once. "Impressive. A true sign of self-discipline."

She jokingly scrutinizes his screen, as if to confirm that there really is no TikTok. "And how do I know that's not just a screenshot and you're secretly hiding the app?"

He rolls his eyes, a hint of feigned irritation in his expression. "Come on, give me some credit."

He grins, locking his phone and tossing it onto his desk. "I've really deleted it. No more mindless scrolling. Just study, study, study."

Eugene grins back, clearly entertained by his reaction. "Good. That's the sort of dedication we need to get through the mountain of assignments."

She picks up her pen again, poised to begin studying. "Ready to get started? Or would you prefer to procrastinate and chat first?"