His eyes sparkled under the studio lights, reflecting glitters of the neon signs behind us. They seemed to hold the galaxy, but some of the stars from them spilled onto his cheeks as freckles, scattered over his lightly tanned complexion. Bangs of dark hair flowed over his eyes, and he tucked some of it behind his ear as he rose from a respectful bow of greeting. 

Even Hyunjin seemed surprised— he had stopped sipping his precious Americano and stood absolutely shocked. 

I immediately closed my mouth when I realized that I was also staring at him with my jaw on the floor. 

Was he... attractive? No, that was a severe understatement. 

Chan smiled proudly, showcasing his dimples as he motioned towards the new intern. "This is Lee Felix."

Felix bowed slightly again, smiling brightly and waving at each of us. "Hello."

There was a short-lived silence of awe that followed his introduction, before Hyunjin finally stepped up and introduced himself, and I followed. 

"Hi... 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘹." Hyunjin forced a smile, but pronounced Felix's name as if speaking it left a bad taste in his mouth. Was it already a bad first impression? Did something go wrong? 

They eyed each other with a gaze of recognition. Did they already know each other?

I ignored their behavior and introduced myself next.

"It's nice to meet you, Hana." A warm smile brightened Felix's face, looking into my eyes as he spoke to me. 

"Same here." I smiled back. 

I noticed that Hyunjin voluntarily resumed the consumption of his Americano in the back corner of the studio... away from Felix. 

I watched him curiously, but Chan's voice brought my attention back to the small circle made by he, Felix and I on the opposite side of the room. 

"Why don't you two get to know each other? You're gonna be hosting the morning hours with her," He notified Felix. "'Kay?"

Felix nodded excitedly before surveying the room, his eyes flitting over every piece of equipment with interest and curiousity like a kid in a candy store— before his gaze landed on Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin avoided eye contact with him, his body language portraying uncomfort, suddenly deciding to leave. 

A whip of wind rolled off his body, sending a chill through me as he quickly walked past us, a simple "I should leave first" as his only parting remarks.

Felix's curious gaze followed him, but I couldn't really read his expression. 

The click of the studio door closing echoed around us as Hyunjin left. 

Felix's brows furrowed as he stared after Hyunjin, but I couldn't quite tell why.

Something was happening or had happened between them, and I was determined to find out what. Then, that thought surprised me — and I scolded myself.

 I shouldn't be so nosy.

"Oh, Hana, we're on air in two minutes!" Chan pushed his tablet into my hands, either completely oblivious to the tension in the air or choosing to ignore it.

I almost dropped the tablet, I was so preoccupied with trying to figure out what was going on, but my hands instinctively wrapped around it. 

It seemed that Felix was also distracted by Hyunjin's unusual actions, but his attention snapped back to the studio as Chan spoke. 

"Here, just introduce Felix and play this game with him for this break," Chan continued, pointing to the tablet. "I had his co-host introduction set for 8:15, but we're already late for it, and we need to stay on schedule today."

Looking down at the screen, I was surprised by the bright light. I squinted, quickly lowered the brightness and scanned over what Chan had typed out. When did he have time to think of all these interactive questions?

Chan usually trusted me with the more impromptu aspects of the broadcast, but the script, however messy, was often already prepared... But two minutes before the break with no script, plus brand new material and a new co-host was a bit—

"One minute, Hana," Chan rushed over to the desk and pulled out the chair for me. I quickly sat down and slipped on my headphones, still slightly bewildered, but trying to go with the flow.

Okay, no stress, no stress, I am stress free...

I tried to think of what I would say as Chan pulled another chair for Felix and gently but hurriedly placed both hands on his shoulders and pushed him down, forcing him to sit. Felix flailed in the chair for a split second before finding his balance and putting on a headset.

I took a deep breath as Chan counted down and the red neon "On Air" sign flickered on above us.

I am... stress free.

The mics were turned on, and I promptly piped up. 

"Hey, I hope you enjoyed that last song—" I quickly pulled up the set list on Chan's tablet. The last song was '𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘪𝘯.'

"—That one always gives me such warm, summer vibes. But, I have a surprise for you!"

I turned to Felix as I spoke my next line. "I have a guest with me in the studio."

He smiled. It was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile back. 

"Say Hi, Felix!"

"Hello, everyone!" Felix waved with both hands as he spoke into the mic, forgetting for a moment that he was in a radio station.

But his tiny waves were adorable. 

"From now on, Felix will be with yours truly, Hana Young, every morning from 6 AM to 3 PM here on The Sound."

I picked up the tablet Chan gave me and glanced over the questions. "So, Felix, since you'll be co-hosting with me here at The Sound, you must have an interest in radio. We're so happy to have you here! What made you want to join us?"

Felix clasped his hands, leaning forward on the desk, putting sincere thought into his answer. 

"I have a very deep love for music. It's my passion, and so I've always been intrigued by the profession of radio." Smiling again, he continued, "I'm so honored that I get the chance to try this, so a big 'Thank you' is due to Bahng Chan for giving me this opportunity."

He was doing so well under pressure in such a spontaneous setting — I was already gaining an admiration for him. Had he done this before, or was he just a natural?

"We're very much alike, then," I commented. "The Sound is my happy place because of my love for radio. But enough about me— let's get to know you a little more!"

I scrolled through the list of questions Chan provided.  "Where are you from, Felix?"

His face lit up. "I'm from Australia!" He enthusiastically answered. 

"Australia?" I repeated, interested. 

He nodded, but quickly said "Yes" after realizing that our listeners couldn't see him. "It's so pretty there, and it's always pretty warm. Sydney, where I'm from, it's beautiful, and if you visit you have to see the famous Sydney Opera House!"

I felt a smile spreading across my face once again. His cheerful spirit was so contagious, and I could feel his happiness when he talked about his home town. "That sounds so fun! Should we add Australia to our traveling list recommended by The Sound?"

Felix nodded. "Definitely."

I gave Felix a reassuring 'Thumbs up' sign, and he smiled. 

Chan caught my eye behind Felix and gave me a signal. 

I nodded and began, "Felix, I'm so glad that I found out more about you! And I hope I learn even more about you in the future."

"I feel the same way, Hana." He grinned. 

I prepared the next track and finished up. "Don't worry, everyone, we'll talk even more with our charming new host, Felix, after our next set, as well as some discussion on the newest updates with AE products. You're listening to The Sound on 91.1 FM."

I switched on the track and muted my mic, motioning for Felix to do the same. 

Chan clapped proudly. "I apologize for putting you both in that situation, but you both did so well!"

Felix smiled, shyly receiving the compliment. "Thank you."

I sighed, glad that it was over, but the thrill was definitely exciting. And Felix flowed so well, I was impressed with his professionalism. 

I swiveled in my chair, turning to Felix. "Good job. I'm looking forward to co-hosting with you for many mornings to come!"

He nodded. "Same here. And I didn't realize that you also had a passion for music! I hope we get to learn a lot more about each other." He reached out a hand. 

I shook it, smiling. "Me too."

As I gazed into his eyes, I suddenly felt like I was falling... Or maybe it was just my stomach that was falling.

 Did I just... get butterflies?

He smiled back at me, and I felt it again. His beautiful smile seemed to light up the entire room, and I think my heart skipped a beat—

I cleared my throat and quickly snatched my hand from his, embarrassed.