Transmigrating to Heal His Heart

The school hallways were buzzing with the usual afternoon activity—students clustered in groups, chatting, laughing, and heading to their next classes. Joey walked alongside Rael, but there was a heaviness in the air that made everything feel a little too quiet, a little too still. It had started during lunch, when Rael's eyes had narrowed the moment he saw someone. Joey had followed his gaze and found the source of Rael's sudden change in demeanor.

Rishi.

The original male lead, and by all accounts, Rael's past—though not in the way most people thought. Rael and Rishi had once shared a closeness, an unspoken bond, something Joey could never fully understand, not yet anyway. But whatever had happened between them, it had left a scar, one that had never quite healed.

As the two of them walked toward the courtyard, Joey couldn't help but notice how stiff Rael's posture had become. The usual easygoing attitude that Rael wore like a second skin had been replaced with something darker, more guarded. Joey had seen Rael angry before, but this? This was different. This was like a storm brewing beneath the calm surface.

Joey glanced over to where Rishi was standing, talking to Maya, the heroine of the original plot. Maya's laughter carried across the courtyard, light and free, while Rishi's eyes lingered on her with a softness that seemed almost unfamiliar to Joey. But it was Rael who caught his attention. The way Rael's gaze flickered between Rishi and the ground, the way his shoulders tensed when he noticed Rishi's proximity—it was as if the very air between them had become charged.

"I think we need to talk," Joey muttered under his breath.

Rael didn't seem to hear him, lost in his thoughts as they walked past the group. It wasn't until they reached the far end of the courtyard that Joey nudged him with his shoulder, trying to break the tension that was practically suffocating the space between them.

"Hey, you okay?" Joey asked lightly, his voice a little teasing but laced with concern. He had been around Rael long enough to know when something was off, even if the other boy wasn't saying anything.

Rael blinked and looked at him, his expression softening for just a moment. "Yeah. Just… I'm fine."

But Joey wasn't convinced. Rael's voice was tight, like he was forcing the words out. There was something more, something Joey wasn't being told. And it bugged him. Joey had never been one to let things slide, especially not with someone like Rael.

"Don't lie to me," Joey teased, lightly bumping Rael's shoulder with his own again. "You were glaring at Rishi from across the courtyard. What's going on?"

Rael's cheeks flushed, and for a split second, his gaze darted away, avoiding Joey's eyes. It was a small slip-up, but Joey caught it. Rael was trying to cover something up—something important.

"I wasn't glaring," Rael muttered, his tone defensive. "I was just… thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Joey asked, keeping his voice casual but pushing just a little further.

Rael sighed heavily and leaned back against the stone wall, rubbing the back of his neck. "Rishi. He's… complicated."

Joey raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Complicated? How?"

Rael hesitated, his lips pressed into a thin line. He clearly didn't want to get into it, but Joey could sense the frustration building in him. After a moment, Rael exhaled sharply, his words coming out in a rush.

"He doesn't like me," Rael finally said, almost bitterly. "I know it. I've always known it."

Joey blinked, surprised. "Wait, you mean… Rishi? The Rishi?" He gestured back toward the courtyard where Rishi was still standing with Maya, oblivious to their conversation. "You think he doesn't like you?"

Rael laughed darkly, but there was no humor in it. "Of course not. I used to think he did. But now I know. He never did." His voice cracked slightly, betraying the hurt he had been hiding for so long.

Joey's heart clenched in sympathy. He had never seen Rael this vulnerable before, this raw. It was a side of him that Joey wasn't used to—this was the real Rael, not the masked one he put up for the world. And it hurt to see him like this.

"Rael…" Joey started, his tone softer now. "What happened between you two? I mean, you used to be close, right?"

Rael's gaze flickered to the ground, and Joey could see the pain in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment, clearly weighing whether or not to open up, but Joey didn't push. He knew Rael would talk when he was ready.

"He…" Rael trailed off, biting his lip. "He was everything I needed when I was younger. I thought maybe, just maybe, I could be something more to him. But…" Rael's voice faltered, and Joey could tell that this was the part Rael had been avoiding. "He didn't feel the same way. He never did."

Joey didn't know what to say to that. It felt wrong to try and make Rael feel better with empty words. But he also couldn't let Rael sink into this kind of sadness alone.

"Rael," Joey said softly, stepping closer, "it's okay. You don't have to pretend to be fine all the time."

Rael shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's not that simple, Joey. You don't get it."

Before Joey could respond, a voice called out to them from behind. "Hey, you two talking about something important?"

Maya's voice was cheerful, though her eyes were observant as she approached them. Her gaze lingered on Rael for a moment too long, and Joey felt a flicker of unease in his chest. Did Maya know? Had she noticed the same things he had?

Rael quickly put up his usual mask, smiling in that way he did when he didn't want anyone to know how much he was hurting. "No, nothing important," he said easily, though his eyes were still distant.

Joey narrowed his gaze but didn't press further. Maya was standing there now, clearly sensing the tension between the three of them.

"You know, Rael," Maya said, her voice light but carrying an undercurrent of seriousness, "sometimes it's okay to let things go. You don't have to carry everything inside."

Rael didn't respond at first, but Joey could see that her words had cut deeper than either of them realized. Rael just nodded, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips, but Joey could see the crack in his armor.

Joey watched the exchange, his mind racing. There was more to this than he could understand, more than just old wounds. Rael was still holding onto something—something unresolved between him and Rishi—and it was clear that, even now, that old hurt was eating at him.

As Maya and Rael continued their conversation, Joey stood back, watching them both closely. He could feel the tension thick in the air, the unspoken words hanging between them like a storm ready to break. And for some reason, Joey couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Rael's feelings for Rishi—his unresolved jealousy and pain—were just the tip of the iceberg. And Joey? He was going to have to navigate this unspoken rivalry carefully if he was going to help Rael heal.

But he wasn't sure if he was ready for the consequences of doing so.