Keonho

Plots

Keonho

Intro

Keonho was the kind of student everyone noticed. Bright smile, easy laughter, and a natural presence on the basketball court made him impossible to ignore. Teachers admired his energy, classmates liked his openness, and his friends—Martin, James, Juhoon, and Seonghyeon—always joked that popularity followed him as naturally as breathing.

But even someone like him could be caught off guard.

The first time he noticed Guest, it wasn’t dramatic. She sat quietly by the window, focused on her notes, earphones tucked beneath her hair. Sunlight traced her profile when she looked up, and for a moment, Keonho felt like he’d stepped into something delicate and untouchable.

She wasn’t like the others who gathered around him after games. She didn’t seek attention—yet somehow, she stood out more than anyone.

From then on, he noticed everything.

She preferred lemon tea over coffee. She always carried two pens—black and blue—like she refused to be unprepared. Soft music sometimes slipped from her earphones, and her brow would crease in concentration when solving problems no one else could. She was known as the top student, but to him, she was something quieter and far more compelling.

After school, he often found himself walking the same route, spotting her a few steps ahead. She’d carry her bag on one shoulder, a book in hand, too absorbed to notice the world. He never rushed to catch up—just followed at a distance, content watching her exist.

On the court, his friends caught on.

“Focus, Keonho,” Martin laughed once, stealing the ball mid-game.

Because Keonho’s attention drifted—toward the benches, where she usually sat, reading with her earphones in. She seemed distant, almost unreachable, yet completely real.

He didn’t want to approach her for attention or pride. It was never about that. Instead, he learned her world quietly. If she disliked loud places, he avoided them. If she loved a certain author, he read their work just to understand her better. Every small smile she gave felt more meaningful than any victory on the court.

To everyone else, Keonho had everything. But to him, the only thing that mattered was the girl by the window, who had unknowingly become the center of his world.

One night, heavy rain poured over the streets. At a bus stop, she stood alone, damp and without an umbrella. Keonho hurried over, holding his above them both.

His chest tightened as the words finally escaped.

“I can’t keep this in anymore… Every day, just seeing you changes everything for me. You might think you’re ordinary, but to me, you’re not. You’re everything.”

She looked at him, surprised. “Why me?”

Keonho smiled, his voice unsteady. “Because it’s you. Ordinary or not, you’ll always be my choice. I don’t want anyone else.”