Hearts in Harmony || Keesoul

Mall Mischief

Chapter 48: Mall Mischief

Soul stood in front of the mirror, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt. He had dressed casually, but still wanted to look cute. He'd gone with a simple but stylish outfit—an oversized pastel hoodie and jeans that were slightly cuffed at the ankles, paired with white sneakers. His hair was a little messy, but in that purposeful way that looked like he hadn't tried too hard. He wanted to seem effortless, even though the butterflies in his stomach were anything but.

Keeho had asked him to go to the mall today—just the two of them—and Soul wasn't sure what to expect. Lately, their interactions had been full of tension, teasing, and moments where it felt like something more was hanging in the air. But this was just a casual hangout, right? He tried to convince himself that it wasn't a big deal.

When Soul arrived at the mall and spotted Keeho waiting outside, his breath caught in his throat. Keeho looked amazing—like, unfairly amazing. He was dressed in a sleek black bomber jacket over a tight-fitting t-shirt, paired with ripped jeans and boots. His hair was styled perfectly, and the way he stood, leaning casually against the railing, made him look like a model straight out of a magazine. The sight of him made Soul's heart race even faster.

Keeho spotted Soul and broke into a grin, pushing off the railing and walking over. "There you are. Took you long enough."

Soul swallowed, trying to calm the nervous energy bubbling up inside him. "I wasn't that late."

Keeho's grin widened as he looked Soul up and down, clearly impressed. "You look cute."

Soul felt his face heat up. "Uh, thanks," he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You look... good, too."

Keeho chuckled softly, as if he knew exactly the effect he was having on Soul. "Come on, let's go inside. I've got some places in mind."

As they stepped into the mall, the cool air and bustling energy of shoppers surrounded them. Keeho led the way, glancing back at Soul every now and then with that same mischievous smirk that always got under Soul's skin. It didn't help that Keeho kept walking close to him, their shoulders brushing occasionally, sending tiny sparks through Soul every time it happened.

They wandered through a few stores, casually browsing clothes and accessories, Keeho making comments about everything they passed. Soul couldn't help but laugh at some of Keeho's ridiculous suggestions—like the time he held up a bright neon jacket and insisted it would "totally suit" Soul.

"You'd look like a walking highlighter," Soul said, giggling as Keeho put the jacket back on the rack.

"Hey, it's called being bold," Keeho said, shrugging. "You should try it sometime."

They passed by a sneaker shop, and Keeho stopped in front of the window, eyeing a pair of limited-edition kicks. "Those are fire," he muttered, more to himself than to Soul.

Soul glanced at them. "You thinking about getting them?"

Keeho shrugged. "Maybe. I've been eyeing them for a while. But I didn't come here to spend money on shoes today." He looked over at Soul, his smirk returning. "I came to spend time with you."

Soul's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away, trying to ignore the heat creeping up his neck. "You're so cheesy."

Keeho laughed, reaching out to ruffle Soul's hair playfully. "You love it."

They wandered further into the mall, eventually stopping at a small café for drinks. Keeho ordered a coffee, while Soul went with a sweet strawberry smoothie. They sat down at a table by the window, watching people pass by outside.

As they sipped their drinks, Keeho leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Soul. "You having fun?"

Soul nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Yeah. It's nice hanging out like this."

Keeho's gaze softened slightly, and for a moment, the teasing disappeared from his expression. "Yeah. It is."

There was a brief silence between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt... easy. Natural. Soul found himself relaxing, despite the fact that Keeho still looked incredibly good, and being this close to him was kind of overwhelming.

After finishing their drinks, they wandered around a bit more, eventually finding themselves in an arcade. Keeho, of course, immediately gravitated toward the basketball game, challenging Soul to a friendly competition.

"You're on," Soul said, determined to beat Keeho at something.

They each took turns, Keeho going first. He effortlessly sank shot after shot, his competitive side showing as he racked up points. When it was Soul's turn, he struggled at first, but after a bit of Keeho's playful coaching (which involved standing way too close and whispering tips in his ear), he started to get the hang of it.

By the end, Soul had lost—badly—but Keeho didn't rub it in too much. Instead, he threw an arm around Soul's shoulders, pulling him close as they walked out of the arcade.

"Not bad for a first-timer," Keeho said, grinning.

"Not bad?" Soul huffed. "I was terrible."

Keeho laughed, squeezing Soul's shoulder. "You were cute, though."

Soul's face heated up again, but before he could respond, Keeho stopped in front of a photobooth. "Let's take a picture."

Soul blinked. "A picture?"

Keeho nodded, pulling him toward the booth. "Yeah, to remember today. Come on, it'll be fun."

Before Soul could protest, Keeho had already dragged him inside. The small space forced them to sit close together, their knees almost touching. Keeho fiddled with the machine, selecting a few different filters before the countdown began.

Soul barely had time to react before the first flash went off. Keeho, of course, was completely composed, flashing a bright smile at the camera, while Soul's expression was more caught off guard.

By the second picture, Keeho had thrown an arm around Soul's shoulders again, pulling him closer, their faces inches apart. Soul felt his heart race as Keeho leaned in, just before the flash went off again.

The final picture was a blur, but Soul had no doubt that his face was bright red by the end of it. When they stepped out of the booth, Keeho grabbed the printed strip of photos, grinning as he looked at them.

"These turned out great," Keeho said, holding them up for Soul to see.

Soul glanced at the pictures, his eyes immediately drawn to how close they looked in the final one. His face was definitely red, while Keeho looked as calm and charming as ever.

Keeho pocketed the photos, giving Soul a wink. "I'll hang onto these."

Soul's heart fluttered again, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the photos or the way Keeho was looking at him.

As they made their way toward the mall's exit, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over everything. Soul felt a strange mix of emotions—nervousness, excitement, confusion—but above all, he felt happy. Spending the day with Keeho like this, even with all the teasing and tension, had been... fun. More fun than he'd had in a while.

As they walked out into the fading light, Keeho bumped his shoulder against Soul's, smiling down at him. "We should do this again sometime."

Soul smiled back, feeling the warmth of Keeho's words settle in his chest. "Yeah. I'd like that."

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I love writing cute dates 😭🫶