Zephyr | Lee Felix

Chapter 25

WEDNESDAY, WEEK 6

It is perhaps the worst time to break a desk lamp. Barely ever clumsy, Eugene somehow knocked her favourite IKEA lamp off her study desk, the hard impact strong enough to break the bulb.

She frowns at the broken pieces placed in the bin. She desperately needs a new one since it's the peak of the assignment deadline—preferably one that matches the rest of her room décor.

Weird. But I guess it is time for a change. She sighs, feeling rather dejected at the thought. It is a lamp she had used during high school in Korea, carrying her throughout her cozy study nights. Being the sentimental person she is, Eugene brought the said lamp all the way to Australia, despite her parents' advice to get a new one. She even remembers them laughing at her desperation to pack it with her.

No more bulbs. She notes in her mind, her ears perking when she hears the tram announcing the stop to IKEA. It's time to get a modern light to avoid buying replacement bulbs all the time.

The girl gets up from her seat, her fingers gently pulling down her previously dishevelled coat. She fixes the strap of her sling bag and makes her way out the moment the tram doors open.

The cool air in the morning gives her an immediate chill down the spine. It isn't even that early yet the season has shifted—and she feels unprepared for peak autumn.

All she thinks about is to quickly get inside the building and get warmed up.

The moment the door of the building opens, Eugene feels her body greeted by the warm air from the central heating. Yes. This is what she needs.

"Alright. Let's make this quick." She mutters to herself, taking the escalator. All she needs to do is skip the entire showroom section and rush to the lighting section to have a browse.

But as soon as she reaches the showroom section, her heart stops for a second to see the very familiar figure she didn't know she had been missing.

She almost wants to hide. Almost. After the things that she experienced under the rain with him. But unluckily for Eugene, he has already noticed her standing by the escalator.

Their eyes meet and it feels like time has frozen for a brief instant.

"Fe... lix?" She quietly murmurs, hoping that her eyes aren't deceiving her.

What are the odds of seeing him in IKEA in a random... Wednesday morning? It's almost as if fate wants them to see each other every time they have the chance.

He's there, standing with his aunt and cute little cousin, who tugs his jacket enthusiastically.

"Lixie! Look at me!" Elizabeth says, trying to get inside the drawer built underneath the bed.

"Lizzie, you can't play hide-and-seek here. You won't fit in this drawer!" He turns his attention to her for a moment, laughing softly in his familiar low voice, unknowingly giving her the butterflies in her stomach.

She watches as he continues to laugh together with Lizzie, his voice sounding softer than she remembers—

Wait. Butterflies in her stomach?

...? It's just a laugh. Why are you so worked up by that?

Eugene shakes her head to clear her thoughts. She has been focusing on her assignment and spending time with Hyunjin for the past few days, thinking that her time with Felix at the tram stop never impacted her deeply.

But the way his hand was so warm in the midst of the rain, gently holding her. It's like he knew she wasn't the best at saying what she felt, and he offered her a touch of comfort and... affection.