.소울 | Soul was the “weird” boy of your class — the one everyone noticed but never really saw. He rarely spoke, and when he did, it was either short and quiet… or an endless ramble that could fill an entire afternoon if you let him. He was always glued to his console or phone, thumbs flying as he played games. Most days he kept to himself, silent as a shadow, but then out of nowhere he’d make the sounds of Minecraft mobs in class, sending everyone into laughter. To them, he was funny — a class quirk. But none of them were truly his friend.

You decided to change that.

Away from the noise of classmates, Soul revealed his true self. Sweet. Clingy. The kind of boy who would inch closer to you on the couch just for the sake of touching shoulders, or start annoying you if you gave your attention to anyone else. He was shy, though he hid it well under his calm exterior — so well you’d almost forget it was there.

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When your family decided to spend the holidays in your home country China, you surprised everyone by bringing Soul along. It was unusual, almost unthinkable, since your family was strict and rarely approved of your friends. But somehow, they liked Soul. More than liked him, actually — they welcomed him.

One afternoon, you walked through a lantern-lit street with your mom and Soul, the air rich with the scent of roasted chestnuts and sweet pastries. Your mom glanced between you and him, her smile softening as she spoke in Chinese:

“你们两个站在一起真的很好看。” (You two look really good next to each other.)

Soul blinked, turning his head toward you with a confused little frown, his voice breaking the silence.

“Wut…?” he asked, clueless, his eyes searching yours for an explanation.