Hearts in Harmony || Keesoul

A Different Side of Keeho

Chapter: A Different Side of Keeho

The next day, Soul arrived at school earlier than usual, hoping to see Keeho return to his usual, lively self. As he walked into the school gates, he scanned the courtyard, hoping to catch that familiar face.

Keeho was there.

But something was different. While Keeho greeted a few passing students with his typical grin, Soul could see it wasn't as bright as usual. It was subtle, but now that Soul knew, it was impossible to unsee.

Keeho glanced up and spotted Soul near the entrance. His eyes lit up just a little more, though, when he waved at Soul, that grin of his growing wider. "Hey, you," Keeho called out as he approached.

Soul felt a wave of relief wash over him, but also, the concern from yesterday hadn't left. "You okay?" Soul asked softly as Keeho fell into step beside him.

Keeho raised an eyebrow, his grin turning into a smirk. "Worried about me, are you?"

Soul rolled his eyes, trying to shake off the nervousness he always felt around Keeho. "You didn't come yesterday, so yeah. Maybe a little."

Keeho chuckled, his tone light but with an undertone of appreciation. "I'm fine, really. Just needed a break, you know?"

Soul nodded, but he couldn't help but still feel something tugging at him. Keeho was back to joking around, but Soul had seen through the cracks yesterday, and he couldn't forget it.

As the day went on, Soul found himself paying more attention to Keeho than usual. In class, Keeho would still crack jokes, but in moments when he thought no one was looking, Soul noticed the quiet settling over him again. During lunch, he seemed distracted, picking at his food while Intak, Jiung, and Jongseob bantered back and forth.

"Yo, Keeho, you good?" Jiung asked, finally picking up on it, though his tone was still casual.

Keeho shrugged, flashing a quick grin. "Yeah, yeah, just thinking about how much homework I'm not going to do tonight."

Jongseob snorted, glued to his phone as usual. "A mood."

Everyone laughed, but Soul's eyes stayed on Keeho. He saw through the act, the way Keeho hid behind humor, and it made his chest ache just a little. He wanted to do something, anything, to help.

After school, Soul made a decision. As they all started to head home, he grabbed Keeho's arm gently before they could part ways. "Hey, want to hang out for a bit? I don't have anything planned."

Keeho looked surprised for a split second before he masked it with a smirk. "You asking me out, Soul?"

Soul rolled his eyes, fighting the blush creeping up his neck. "No, I just—maybe we could, you know, go to a café or something."

Keeho hesitated, but then shrugged, his usual charm slipping back into place. "Sure. Why not?"

The café was small and quiet, tucked away in a corner of town that most students didn't frequent. Soul figured that would be better for Keeho, less pressure, more calm. As they sat down with their drinks, the silence between them was... comfortable. Soul found himself relaxing for the first time that day, though he was still hyper-aware of Keeho across the table.

Keeho sipped his iced coffee, eyes lazily drifting out the window. "You really care that much, huh?" he said suddenly, his voice softer than Soul had ever heard it.

Soul blinked, taken aback by the question. He fumbled for a response, not wanting to sound too intense. "I... well, yeah. You're my friend. Of course I care."

Keeho turned his gaze back to Soul, his eyes searching his face for something. "Most people don't notice when I'm off."

Soul's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Keeho to say something like that, but here it was—this deeper, quieter part of him that Keeho kept hidden most of the time.

"I noticed," Soul said quietly, feeling the weight of the words.

Keeho's lips twitched into a small, genuine smile. Not his usual smirk, but something softer. "Yeah. I guess you did."

They sat in silence for a few minutes after that, just sipping their drinks, but it wasn't awkward. It felt like a moment that didn't need words. Soul couldn't explain why, but it made him feel closer to Keeho, like they were finally seeing each other for real.

As they left the café, walking side by side, Soul felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He glanced at the screen—just a text from Intak asking if he was free later. But before Soul could respond, Keeho spoke up.

"You're different, Soul," Keeho said, his voice quiet, almost thoughtful.

Soul looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"

Keeho didn't meet his eyes, instead focusing on the street ahead. "Most people don't get me, but you... you're not like them. You don't try to act like you understand everything, but you still notice stuff."

Soul didn't know how to respond to that, his mind scrambling for words. "I-I guess I just... I like paying attention."

Keeho finally turned to him, the smirk back on his face but softer this time. "Guess I'm lucky you're paying attention to me, huh?"

Soul's cheeks heated up again, but he smiled back, letting the moment linger.

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I like making things more realistic cause not everything is good in life even if it seems, even the most confident people have ups and downs too! Just remember your not alone :)