firefly | zhong chenle

CH12

"she was pretty. and to Chenle, he hasn't seen a girl prettier"

-

It was finally nearing the end of the epidemic period, after three weeks of frantically helping patients.

"How many do we have left?" Arin asked, lying exhausted across her chair. Her head was dipped down and her hair was messy, tied in a ponytail that looked more like a donkey's. The eye bags under her eyes made her look like she was in an even worse state that she currently already was.

"It's almost over. 3 and they're leaving tomorrow. 7 got discharged today" Jisung replied, empathising with her. Though, after this whole epidemic thing is over, every member of the fire station acknowledged and recognised her efforts. Her pursuit for saving people didn't go unnoticed, and to put it lightly, they all applauded her.

"What about Chenle?" Arin let down her hair, recomposing herself to look slightly more presentable

"Oh I swear he's been fine for the-"

The small monitor in her office beeped, the number of the room Chenle was in began flashing vibrantly.

"Thanks Jisung" Arin smiled at her. To Arin, Jisung was just a kid. Much like a little brother that she had always wanted or like one of her favourites kids she used to have deal with back at the hospital. She was drawn to him in a sisterly way, as if he was family already. Hence, she didn't think about much and ruffled Jisung's hair on her way out as a way to bid him goodbye. Jisung's face flushed immediately after, his ears becoming red and his eyes widening. He was about to say something to Arin, but she was long gone. Arin soon found herself in Chenle's room.

"What is it" Arin asked, sitting down in the seat beside him.

"I think I'm getting worse" Chenle choked out, bringing his fist to his mouth to let out a couple coughs. Arin furrowed her eyebrow, checking the clipboard beside his bed to find that nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Let me check your temperature again" Arin handed him a thermometer, which he took begrudgingly "Ill be back in a sec." As soon as the girl left the room, Chenle slipped the thermometer out of his mouth and dunked it into the warm water beside him. He didn't know what came over him to suddenly be acting like this, but the pleasure of having her attention on him and only him was too hard to resist. She was pretty. And to Chenle, he hasn't seen a girl prettier. Perhaps after this whole epidemic incident, he got to know how determined she was, and how ambitious she was. Perhaps that was what made him fall. Her bravery.

Jisung burst into the room shortly after Chenle chucked his thermometer into the water.

"Chenle chenle chenle" Jisung rushed inside, but halted when he saw what he was doing "You're not really sick are you. You told me to my face you got better like a week ago"

"Children shouldn't ask too many questions" Chenle shook his head, tutting.

"Anyways, I think" Jisung's face flushed red "I think I found something out"

"Well spit it out" Chenle turned to look at the younger boy, which in reality, wasn't even that much younger. Though Jisung somehow just seems like he's in his teens, maybe because of how smiley he always is and his curiosity to everything around him.

"I think I like someone" Jisung whispered, but Chenle caught every word of it.

"What?" Chenle wanted to laugh as he placed the thermometer on the table "You don't know any girls in your life"

"That's the thing!" Jisung tried to cover his squeal "The one girl that we know..."

Hwa Arin.

Chenles heart felt like a rock got smashed against it for a second "The doctor. Arin?"

"Yes!" Jisung stood up out of excitement "I've never liked someone in my 20 years of living and it feels so unreal"

Chenle fell quiet for a second, chewing on his bottom lip and just stared at Jisung fantasising. Jisung was 2 years younger than Arin, but it looked a lot like Jisung was fanboying over an idol.

"Isn't she pretty though?" Jisung turned around to ask Chenle, who didn't even respond "She even touched my hair today and I think that was the moment I decided I had a crush on her. She was so nice...and her touch was so soft"

Chenle scoffed, wryly.

So she just touches anyone's hair.

He thought back to the night she fixed his hair when he first fell ill. He had thought they had gotten closer that day but turns out, she was like this to everyone.

"Shes ugly as fuck now leave" Chenle spat out, pushing Jisung out the door. A weird surge of rage overcome here.

"Who's ugly?!" Arin, who has just returned from her small trip, crossed her arms over, her stare piercing into Chenles "Say that again Zhong Chenle"

"He didn't mean it" Jisung tried his best to recover this situation, but both parties looked quite pissed right now. For different reasons.

"You" Chenle deadpanned. A part of him was just insulting her because he was mad that she was nice to everyone, but part of him was taking the anger out on her unintentionally. It is the first time he's seen Jisung so excited over someone, and he couldn't bare to rip that away from him. That was the issue, because Chenle has never looked at a girl and thought just how pretty she was, until he met gazes with Arin.

With Chenles personality, he knew he should just let Arin go and help Jisung. Because he knew how much having a crush meant for him. Jisung had always fantasied about his future girlfriend, and Chenle similarly have been waiting for the day he met someone he liked. He could never have imagined they would end up falling for the same person. Therefore, Chenle agreed with himself that he was going to bury these feelings and suck it up. He was Captain. His priority was saving people and guiding his team members, including Jisung.

Just as Jisung was going to continue the conversation, the deafening bell ran and immediately, footsteps pounded like cows against the floor.

"Unit 3. Head to Hongdae. A bar has been set alight and they need desperate alliance. No doctors are required for this mission. Unit 3. Calling Unit 3."

The blaring sounds of the radio echoed in the room. Jisung bolted down the hallway, waving his goodbye to Arin. When Chenle was about to run off too, Arin caught his arm. The brief skin to skin contact sent a shiver down Chenles spine.

"Are you sure you're okay to go" Arin looked genuinely concerned.

Don't get fooled, Chenle. She's a doctor. She's obliged to worry about you.

"I'm fine" Chenles tone was dead cold, as he disappeared with the crowd and left the doctor standing there, worry drowning her emotions.