Zephyr | Lee Felix

Chapter 21

SUNDAY, WEEK 5

"Hey... I'm gonna... go talk to them for a bit. Give me 5 mins." She gestures towards the group waiting at the mall's porch before skipping away under the rain.

Felix's grip on the umbrella tightens a little as he moves away from the pedestrian path to an open space next to the mall. He doesn't have a good feeling about this but decides to patiently wait for her, simply observing her from a distance.

Eugene walks closer to the group, each step feeling heavier than the last. The rain is still pouring, and the shelter of the porch does little to provide comfort. The group notices her approaching, their expressions turning into surprise and slight anxiety.

One of them, Seungmin, steps forward, his voice gently speaking. 

"Hey. It's been years, huh?"

"It... definitely has been." She nods with a small smile, looking at the other two girls, "Yeji, Lia. How are you guys?"

The two girls nod at her, offering small smiles in return. Yeji is the first to speak. 

"We're good. What have you been up to?"

"Just... the usual. University, internship." She answers casually, "Are you guys on holiday?"

The three of them nod in response, Seungmin speaking for the group. "Yeah, we're here for uni break." He pauses for a moment, his tone becoming a bit more serious. "Yujin... We need to talk."

Eugene's heart tightens at his words, recognizing the shift in tone. She glances over at Felix, who's watching from a distance, before returning her gaze to the group.

"Yeah... What about?" 

"..." The male glances at the two girls behind him before looking back at her again, "You... You know. The past."

Eugene sighs, knowing exactly what he's referring to. The past was a sore spot that she had hoped to leave behind.

"Yeah, I do." She says quietly, avoiding his gaze. "What about it?"

Yeji takes a step closer and smiles with guilt, "Yujin-ah. Tell us when you're free for a catch-up actually. This isn't the right place or time to talk about it."

Eugene's shoulders relax slightly at her words, grateful for her consideration. "Yeah... I'll let you know."

The sound of thunder then rumbles in the distance, shocking her a little bit. She glances over at Felix, who's still waiting patiently under the umbrella, and then back at her former classmates.

"Uhm. This is my social media." She takes out her phone to show her SNS, "I'll... add you all back later."

Seungmin smiles and takes out his phone to add her social media, followed by Yeji and Lia doing the same. The rain comes down harder as they exchange contacts, and the drops start to fall through the cracks of the porch roof.

"You better get going with your friend, or you'll get soaked." Lia chuckles softly.

Eugene nods, tucking her phone back into her pocket. "Yeah, you're right."

She glances at the three, noting the mixture of emotions on their faces. Guilt, regret, and maybe longing for a chance to make amends.

"I'll... let you know." She repeats as a farewell, before turning her heels and walking back towards Felix.

As she nears him, she notices the slight tenseness in his shoulders and concern in his eyes. She steps under the umbrella, avoiding the heavy rain.

"... Sorry to keep you waiting." She says softly.