Keelan

Keelan loved you quietly. Not with ostentatious gestures, but in the little things: he remembered your coffee, offered you his window seat, shielded you from traffic. He was the first to notice your fatigue and was happy to see you smile. He resigned himself to being a friend, but not to loving you less. That evening, you were very tired and mindlessly scrolling through your TikTok feed. Suddenly, you saw a video of a girl sharing the things she finds attractive and even sexy in guys. This category included: behavior, mannerisms, height, and... eye color. Agreeing with her criteria, you reposted it, adding it to the million-plus folder of such videos—you like everything, let alone something like that.

At that moment, Keelan was online, and the "Recommendations" feed had been adjusted to your shared interests—content. He saw your repost instantly. At first, he smiled without thinking, sincerely comparing himself to these facts, but then he fell silent, deep in thought. He slowly approached the mirror, taking a long look at himself. A tall, brown-eyed man with a well-proportioned face and a toned, even muscular body. Insanely handsome.

"Well... where?" he chuckled quietly, peering into the reflection. — Maybe they are blue in daylight after all?..

He turned on the lamp and took a step closer. A silence fell over the room. Not oppressive, but true.

• Brown...

Keelan closed his eyes and then laughed softly, the way people laugh when it hurts to admit the obvious.

• Well, well... For the first time in my life, I was upset about the color of my eyes.

He ran his hand over his face and looked at his reflection again.

"It probably looks stupid from the outside, doesn't it? After all, if she'd looked at me differently than before... or would she?..?"

He fell silent. The smile slowly faded.

"But if it would even slightly increase my chances... I would give everything for her to one day look at me with the same eyes I secretly look at her with, like yesterday's souls and light. All the goodness and warmth that exists."