PIXELATED | Lee Felix

Chapter 32

The day of the hangout finally comes.

After countless hours of grinding on her assignments with manageable balance between breaks, Eugene has finally gained enough reassurance for herself—that she can truly enjoy the hangout today without her university work weighing her mind.

Since it is a special occasion, a.k.a. meeting her crush, Eugene decides to put more effort into dressing up. She makes sure that her hair is styled, and that her make-up is just right to compliment her features.

It's been so long since I've spent time with Jake... Eugene finds herself smiling a little as she stares at the view outside the bus. They agreed to go have lunch at a restaurant in the suburbs near the sea, which is slightly far from her university but is within a distance reachable with public transport.

As she arrives at the bus stop, which is right in front of the restaurant, Jake is already there waiting for her. He is dressed up just as well as she does, which is kind of surprising for her.

"Eugene!" He smiles brightly at her, waving his hands eagerly to show his excitement. She melts at the view, finding it adorable as she scoots over to his side with a huge smile, "Jake! Long time no see!"

Jake gives her a soft expression, "I know. I've missed you."

Surprised by his sudden statement, she awkwardly replies with a small smile, "I missed you too, haha."

It seems like Jake didn't notice her awkwardness, so he guides the both of them to the restaurant that he has booked beforehand. The two are guided to sit on the second floor, in which the view next to them is a vast, blue sea.

"Whoa. How did you find this place...?" Eugene asks, amazed as she quickly takes out her phone to snap a picture of it.

"I did a little bit of research. That's all." Jake shrugs his shoulders, "Not a big thing."

"Haha. You always downplay all the things you do, Jake." She turns to him with a smile. It's true—he may think that buying groceries for her without charging any money is 'just a small thing'. Sometimes Eugene wonders if he ever thinks about how impactful his act of kindness is.

It usually is a game changer, turning her previously bad day into a manageable one. 

"Really?" He raises his brows, chuckling sheepishly. "Maybe I didn't realize."

"You definitely didn't." Eugene shakes her head in amusement, remembering all the little things that he has done as a neighbor for her—the very reason why she used to crush on him back then.

Wait a minute, used to?

Eugene is startled by her realization, and her eyes blink multiple times as she processes it. Jake, on the other hand, notices her change in behavior, and as he's about to ask her about it, the waitress arrives with the menu and interrupts them.

And with the arrival of the menu card in front of her, Eugene immediately snaps out of her thoughts to inspect the types of meals listed. She decides to order the typical fish and chips for her lunch along with orange juice.

Meanwhile, Jake requests a grilled fish with iced lemon tea.

"Thank you, your order will be ready in about 20 minutes." The staff smiles before taking the menu cards back with her, leaving the two of them.

"So." Eugene instantly starts the chat, "How does it feel to live with housemates?"

Jake smiles at her, adjusting his position to sitting upright with his arms resting on the table and hands intertwined together.