PIXELATED | Lee Felix

Chapter 12

"You're dressing up like that—for a DATE?!"

Eugene shoots a glare at her best friend, fixing her hoodie's laces. They have been tangled for a while now, and she finally decides to fix it on the day she's going to hang out with her neighbour.

"It's not a date, Danielle. How many times do I have to tell you this?"

"Oh really? You're going out with your new neighbour—just the two of you. And you tell me that it ain't a date, especially when you both chose to go to an aquarium?" She raises her brows, staring at Eugene's fit from top to bottom to analyse it again. "Yeah, this isn't gonna work."

"Can you let me dress in peace? I didn't invite you here to get my fashion sense roasted."

"That's because I know you can dress better than that! Where are all the skirts? At least pair your hoodie up with your skirt and a sling bag—not baggy pants and a backpack?!" Danielle can't handle it any longer—she goes to the closet and points at the skirt collection that her friend has.

"Look at these? THEY EXIST FOR A REASON!" She dramatically gestures the collection from top to bottom.

"I don't want to make it look like a date, that's why!" Eugene gently pushes her friend aside and then closes the closet. "Those are reserved for actual dates."

"With whom? Your ex-neighbour who left you and never contacted you anymore?"

"Holy shit Danielle, you didn't have to rub salt on my wound like that."

The girl smirks after looking at Eugene's reaction, "I haven't seen your new neighbour yet, but there's no harm in looking good, is there? Especially if he's charming as well?"

"Um—I have no comments about his visuals so." Eugene shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, and cannot be bothered to bring up the pixelated phenomenon again to her friend. "And that's exactly why I don't care."

Danielle sighs and holds onto Eugene's shoulders, her eyes piercing through hers. A scary aura emits out of her body, almost as if she's truly not having it. "Eugene. Change. Now."

And that was how the poor girl ended up wearing a midi skirt with a hoodie, letting her long, teal-highlighted wolf cut drop on her shoulders. She pairs it up with low converses and a white, canvas sling bag.

"Now, that's so much better." Danielle grins at her 'creation', admiring every inch of her friend's appearance. "Enjoy your date!" She winks as she picks up Eugene's books that she intended to borrow—the reason why she was here in the first place.

"Like I said, it's not a date." Eugene elbows her friend on her ribs, giving her acute pain for a second. She earns a glare in return, but the two laugh it off once they leave the room together.

While Eugene locks her door, the neighbour has just opened his door and left his room. He is dressed in oversized jeans, a button-up shirt layered by a sweater, paired up with his iconic Converse boots she saw on the weekends.

"Oh, Felix. How does it feel to breathe in the fresh air of mid-semester break?" She asks, greeting him.

"I needed that a lot." He groans in his deep voice, "But I procrastinated, so I deserved all the stress honestly—"

Felix's eyes then fall on to the girl next to his neighbour, who has been looking at him with intense admiration. "Hello...?"

Danielle doesn't respond, but she inches closer to her best friend to whisper in her ears. "Gurl. What's with you having good-looking neighbours?!"

"I can hear that you know." Felix folds his arms in amusement. On the other hand, Eugene gives no reaction to Danielle's remark—she doesn't have a reference anyway since Felix's face is just... pixelated.