hearts & bones analysis
A few days ago, @strivingwaytofar asked if it was possible for me to do an analysis of hearts and bones and because I thought it would be really fun to do so, I did!
(I honestly wasn’t expecting the analysis to be so lengthy but life is unpredictable am I right)
Disclaimer: This is about 4k long so
Here we go!
Brief description of characterization
Jongin: I wanted to portray him as a free-spirited person. He’s pretty introverted and doesn’t really like to get involved in things that make him uncomfortable (i.e. socializing with a large crowd etc). He’s also very certain about what he likes and only pays attention to these things, casting out the rest of the world. Very passionate guy!! I think he develops the most throughout the story! He’s initially unconfident / uncertain (swims to avoid everything and runs away from his problems more than he fixes them) and even slightly insensitive at times in terms of how he treats the people around him (e.g. Chanyeol and Sehun), but that’s because he’s really guarded and doesn’t really share what’s on his mind. He wants to shoulder everything on his own which is why he keeps everything to himself, but it all changes when he meets Kyungsoo and realizes there’s someone who understands him and that he doesn’t have to do everything alone.
Kyungsoo: He’s definitely a character with much more emotional complexity. I tried to make his characterization in this story as similar to his character in real life as possible! In this story, Kyungsoo is fiercely independent and a very private person. He’s also an introvert like Jongin and usually tries to avoid things that make him uncomfortable, sticking to things he enjoys like photography and manga etc. Even though he’s quiet, he’s actually very sensitive and observant, and it makes him very endearing to people. So people do take to him very quickly, and they literally adore him. And it is especially because of how stoic he seems to be, he makes people just want to get to know him more, want to tease him, want to make him laugh and so on. Jongin was drawn to him partly because of this too and he knows Kyungsoo has this effect on others as well, and this has caused him a lot of jealousy throughout the course of their relationship. Kyungsoo changes a lot too when he meets Jongin, which I will elaborate more on below!
Character / Relationship development (in chronological order)
Chapter 1 It all begins with Jongin swimming because I wanted to establish how much he loves that right from the start, and how it’s his safe place where he goes to whenever he wants a break from everything. So it’s especially significant that he meets Kyungsoo there, who later becomes a personification of his safe place. He’s drawn to Kyungsoo the second he meets him mainly because of how it doesn’t feel unnatural to have him there, and Jongin doesn’t feel uncomfortable around him even though he’s a complete stranger (Jongin usually is around new people).
We also!! See!! That Chanyeol and Jongin are really close here. Chanyeol was so surprised about Jongin befriending someone new because Jongin rarely ever does that, which again, makes his interaction with Kyungsoo that much more significant because he’s already doing things out of his comfort zone.
Then Jieun is introduced and it’s quite obvious that he’s not really excited about being on a date with her. She obviously isn’t a priority and that’s not how anyone normal behaves with someone they love so it’s clear from the start that Jongin isn’t really into her. He runs into Kyungsoo again, and is reluctant to introduce his girlfriend to him, and that’s when it starts to become clear that he’s probably already starting to become infatuated with Kyungsoo. They have a cute moment on the bridge and that’s the only thing Jongin remembers from that day, and nothing from the date he was on with Jieun.
He’s also like this with Sehun—reluctant to introduce Kyungsoo to him, because at this point Kyungsoo feels like a secret that Jongin very much wants to keep to himself. Then he can’t help but go look for Kyungsoo, mysteriously drawn to him (much like his relationship with water). Kyungsoo is obviously very reserved and guarded, and doesn’t reveal more information than necessary. He’s still nice to Jongin because he understands that swimming must mean a lot to Jongin, and here’s someone who’s quite similar to him, or at least because of how much they both enjoy being alone while doing the things that they like. The most important thing Jongin finds out from this interaction is how even silence between them can feel so comfortable, and he finds it fascinating precisely because he barely even knows Kyungsoo, yet this person already makes him feel at ease.
Kyungsoo rejects his offer to drive him home the first time round because as mentioned above, he’s very independent and doesn’t want to feel indebted to anyone. But Jongin is very persistent!! Visiting Kyungsoo becomes a routine.
They have also evidently grown more comfortable with each other and Kyungsoo shows some concern, which makes Jongin very happy, so it doesn’t matter that much even though Kyungsoo is still very reserved (not wanting to tell him what’s in the box). Kyungsoo accepts Jongin’s offer to drive him home this time mainly because he’s carrying the box and it’s very inconvenient to lug something so bulky home. When Jieun calls and asks for a ride, Jongin’s lack of affection / love is once again made evident. He doesn’t prioritize her at all and even though Kyungsoo feels bad about it (offers to walk), Jongin is determined to drive him home (the first time he instructs Kyungsoo to do anything). So off to Kyungsoo’s house they go! Jongin feels shitty about his new friend coming back to what appears to be an empty home (you know that feeling when you really care about someone and don’t want that person to be alone and not taken care of?) but he can’t do anything about it because he has boyfriend duties to fulfill, and his reluctance indicates how wrong the relationship he’s currently in is for him.
Chapter 2
Chanyeol and Jongin in the pool after training hours!!!! Chanyeol is obviously Jongin’s closest friend and they help each other a lot. Despite their closeness, Jongin still feels uncomfortable when Chanyeol talks to him about competitive swimming in the future. Jongin isn’t confident and doesn’t really know what he’s going to do yet and doesn’t like how Chanyeol seems to (note: he’s just overly-sensitive about this) be pushing him, which is why he rarely talks about this with Chanyeol. Then they talk about the party blablabla, Jongin says that he doesn’t like social events blablabla, gets reminded of Kyungsoo, and ditches his friend for the smol cute boi.
When he goes into the clubroom and sees Kyungsoo asleep, his heart is all doki doki. It should be quite clear that Kyungsoo is extremely introverted and wouldn’t be into social events, but the fact that he’s willing to go for his friend shows how highly he regards people who have proven themselves worthy of that label. Jongin agrees to go to the party simply because Kyungsoo is going (his infatuation has already developed into a crush). Also here Kyungsoo is inferred to be smart (rightly so because he focuses only on the things that he deems important and studies very hard). He doesn’t reject Jongin’s offer to drive him home again and this is when Kyungsoo actually starts to open up a little more to Jongin. He has already unknowingly started to depend on Jongin, but only to a very small extent. Same as the previous time, Jongin hates watching Kyungsoo walk into what appears to be an empty house, but he’s cheered up by the fact that they’ll be meeting the next day.
From the way Jongin treats Jieun here, it’s evident that even though he’s not exactly in love with her, he’s still a decent gentleman who knows how to take care of a lady. His friends (and girlfriend) are shown to be very different from him; they enjoy social events and cannot possibly understand why Jongin doesn’t.
This is later contrasted to Kyungsoo who is just as uncomfortable as Jongin is. Jongin eventually ditches his girlfriend (only after making sure Sehun will take care of her) to go look for Kyungsoo. He already feels better at the sight of Kyungsoo and they talk a little bit, but they’re both aware they don’t really dig this party. A wild Junmyeon appears and Jongin gets jealous and actually acts on that anger, which surprises even himself. Jieun finds them afterwards and wants to go get food, and observant Kyungsoo tells her that Jongin is too drunk to drive. This makes Jongin really happy because he feels good that Kyungsoo was paying attention to him (and is/was such an understanding person). Anyway they go off to get food, but only after Jongin has made sure that Kyungsoo will not be left alone. Chanyeol starts to suspect something which explains the intense staring and Jongin is aware of that too, but once again ignores that rather than confront it because he too doesn’t really understand his own actions.
Jongin only gets to go look for Kyungsoo after he has sent everyone home and this is where he gets to learn more about Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo reveals that he’s usually alone at home and even though he’s so indifferent about it, Jongin can see that Kyungsoo is lonely deep down inside. Again, this is something he can relate to because he feels lonely too from not having anyone who really understands who he is as a person. It’s significant that he invites Kyungsoo to go swim with him because we all know that the pool is Jongin’s safe place, and to invite someone says a lot.
This is also the part he starts to realize that his feelings for Kyungsoo are a little different, though he hasn’t and doesn’t want to admit that to himself yet.
Chapter 3
Jongin is surprised to see Baekhyun and Kyungsoo sitting with them, though it’s mostly because Baekhyun and Chanyeol are close friends. I stole the “you just need to know how to approach him” line from what the real Jongin said because I think it’s a really great line that summarizes their relationship and reflects how compatible they are, how well they understand and are able to get through to each other. Their interaction here also reveals how much closer they are to each other now, with how Kyungsoo is willing to play along.
They even text in class because Kyungsoo is on Jongin’s mind a lot and he is the first person Jongin wants to share stuff with (our boi Jongin is obviously in love now). Kyungsoo is shown to have a cute / funny side that Jongin loves.
The pressure from the upcoming competition and his future renders Jongin practically non-functional, performing poorly for his training. He doesn’t really know how to translate the frustration / anxiety he feels into words and finds it difficult to talk to Chanyeol about it. His best friend understands that and leaves Jongin alone to figure out his thoughts (wanted to show how Chanyeol is a very supportive friend who understands Jongin enough to know what kind of support he would appreciate ((and that Jongin is wrong in thinking no one understands him which he will soon to come to realise))). Kyungsoo finds him at the right time and provides immense comfort to Jongin, who then feels more equipped to start dealing with his thoughts (and he does). When Kyungsoo acknowledges how Jongin is in the water, our boi Jongin’s heart goes doki doki again because he feels like he has finally found someone who understands how important swimming is to him. Also he now feels convinced enough to admit that he feels very different about Kyungsoo as opposed to say Chanyeol or Sehun.
Heats! Jongin doesn’t care about Jieun being there, only about Kyungsoo, and he thinks about Kyungsoo even when he’s swimming. He does well and his instinct is to look towards Kyungsoo, because he only needs acknowledgement from one person – Kyungsoo.
Crashes at Kyungsoo’s house because Jongin is convinced that Kyungsoo is some sort of lucky charm and that he managed to overcome his mental block in the first place because of Kyungsoo. So he stays overnight at Kyungsoo’s house, holds him to sleep, and sleeps really well. Wakes up in optimal condition and heads to the competition. (Kyungsoo is surprised about waking up in Jongin’s arms, but he’s even more surprised that he doesn’t find it weird at all, and was in fact so comfortable that he slept so well through the night.)
Jongin is pleasantly surprised to see Kyungsoo before his match and when Kyungsoo wishes him luck, he realizes that he only needs this encouragement to pull him through everything. These emotions overwhelm him and he pulls Kyungsoo into a hug (here Kyungsoo is again surprised by how this is starting to feel natural).
Our homeboy Jongin slays the tournament and Kyungsoo feels genuine happiness at that (Jongin has already unknowingly started to become someone dear to him).
Chapter 4
Jongin asks Kyungsoo out to the summer carnival even though he hates crowds (he likes Kyungsoo enough to ignore that). I think it’s significant that the person Jongin wants to relive his happy childhood memories with is Kyungsoo.
They have fun there and Kyungsoo is so much dorkier than he usually is, which makes Jongin very happy (unlocking a different side). It’s also significant that they have fun together, that their mindsets are aligned when it comes to having fun (compare this to his friends at the party). Cue sweet moment when Jongin realizes he’s in love with Kyungsoo, and is 100% okay with that fact. In fact, he feels blessed to be able to fall in love with someone so amazing. This is also where Kyungsoo starts to get a lot more attached to Jongin! He’s completely at ease around Jongin now and jokes around with him, and he enjoys spending time with Jongin.
Kyungsoo also starts to share little things with Jongin, such as the encounter he had with the squirrel.
The seniors step down from the swim team. Chanyeol asks Jongin about what has been going on between him and Kyungsoo, to which Jongin tries to avoid. Chanyeol isn’t convinced, but he doesn’t press on further because he thinks Jongin needs time and he wants to wait for his friend to voluntarily tell him the truth (only Jongin doesn’t realize that).
Drunk Jongin goes to Kyungsoo’s home because he’s the one person he wants to celebrate his victory with, wants to come home to after a long day. He confesses to Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo really is confused about his own feelings at this point but it’s quite clear that he feels, or at least is starting to feel the same way, because he started kissing Jongin back + willingly stayed in Jongin’s arms.
Jongin leaves first because he knows they both need some time to think through everything.
After a few days, Jongin decides to go look for Kyungsoo, only to find out that he’s not in school. There are two things that bother him: 1. his jealousy 2. Not knowing beforehand that Kyungsoo wouldn’t be in school. He runs into Jieun and makes a decision he should have made long ago, and while it seems like Kyungsoo is the propelling force behind this, it’s really one that’s for himself too. Kyungsoo was the person who made him realize that he didn’t want to be stuck in a relationship he doesn’t care about anymore, because now he has found someone who means so much to him, he can’t imagine being with anyone else. So look!!! He’s starting to confront his problems because of Kyungsoo.
Chapter 5
Jongin waits outside Kyungsoo’s house just to tell him that he’s has broken up with Jieun and that he will wait for him. This is the moment Jongin hardens his resolve too! And it’s not explicit but Kyungsoo’s smile is actually very telling. He’s glad to hear that Jongin has broken up with Jieun (because he don’t wanna be a side hoe), not realizing how much that bothered him until now, and realizing that Jongin really meant what he said about liking him. (From this you can also infer that Kyungsoo does like Jongin too, only that he hasn’t realized it himself.)
Jongin goes out of his way just to buy Kyungsoo chips (you know how it is mate, you’re willing to do anything for the person you love), and Kyungsoo finds it very touching because he has always done things for himself and he’s not used to anyone treating him like this. At the same time, he feels bad that Jongin might have sacrificed his swimming team to do this for him because he’s not a self-entitled little shit. This also indicates that he understands how much swimming means to Jongin (Jongin realizes that too).
Fun fact this (Jongin picking Kyungsoo on the rainy day) was my favorite part to write! I think most of it is quite self-explanatory and I don’t want to elaborate too much because it’s very obvious what Jongin feels. I’ll just briefly talk about what’s going through Kyungsoo’s head in this part! Once again, Kyungsoo is touched that someone would be willing to go to great lengths for him, and because he’s not used to this, he feels undeserving of it. He asks Jongin to reconsider his decision because he’s really starting to let Jongin in and he doesn’t want Jongin to end up leaving / realizing he’s not that into him after all.
This is the part Kyungsoo goes oh shit, I think I’m in love with him too because he got!! JEALOUS!!!!
They kiss kiss fall in love I really don’t think I have to elaborate on this part.
Chapter 6
Lots of relationship development! Kyungsoo, being the good boyfriend he is, is strict about wanting Jongin to do well (personally I really prioritize studies a lot and I think it’s really good to find someone who will push you and make sure you are doing the best you can do). Jongin is more interested in kissing him but he does learn his stuff (and scores well!).
Evident that Jongin is really starting to understand Kyungsoo and how he behaves. He’s there for Kyungsoo even though Kyungsoo didn’t tell him about how he was feeling, and this makes Kyungsoo realize that he really doesn’t have to shoulder everything on his own anymore. He can share them with Jongin!!! And the epiphany Jongin gets realizing that Kyungsoo really means so much to him because he has found someone who makes the world that much more beautiful and worth living in. You experience the whole fucking world differently when you’re with the right person.
Then comes the awkward why-are-we-hiding-this phase because they never really talked about whether they wanted to announce their relationship with their friends! Jongin feels a little hurt because he feels like Kyungsoo is embarrassed or something but they move on quickly.
I wrote the rest of this chapter using a random word generator so don’t ask me to analyse it.
Chapter 7
Jongin is forced to confront Jieun!!!! There’s not much to talk about here, just how much Kyungsoo cares about Jongin and wants to make sure he’s feeling okay. Which would explain why he keeps watching Jongin when they’re all in the car together, and how he held on to Jongin’s arm to reassure him like hey, it’s fine, you have me with you. Jongin is happy about the possibility of him and Jieun becoming friends again because he feels mad guilty about hurting her!!!
Again, just wanted to draw attention to how Kyungsoo not only understands, but also appreciates / respects Jongin’s love for swimming, which later helps him make a big decision.
Kyungsoo watches out for Jongin after his conversation with Jieun. I mentioned that Jongin swims to escape, and wants to go into the water whenever he’s in an uncomfortable decision. But this part here!!
‘He wants to swim. He wants the water to comfort him. He needs to swim. He doesn’t realize he’s fidgeting, shifting his weight from one leg to the other until he feels the pressure on the small of his back.
An anchor.
The concern in Kyungsoo’s eyes is almost overflowing and Jongin doesn’t have to be in the sea to feel comforted now. He doesn’t have to go anywhere, Kyungsoo has brought the sea to him. The hand pressed to the small of his back coaxes him out of his restlessness as Kyungsoo rubs slow circles with his thumb, and doesn’t stop until Jongin can’t remember why he had been so agitated.’
^ Self-explanatory! Just wanted to draw attention to this. Kyungsoo gives him the same comfort and has become Jongin’s safe place too.
Kyungsoo later asks Jongin if he wants to stay over, and this really highlights just how much Kyungsoo cares about him to do something completely out of demeanour. Which is why Jongin doesn’t mind so much that Kyungsoo is unable to say “I love you” back because he has already shown it anyway.
Love is when you derive happiness from doing the simplest things like walking home together. Jongin establishes that Kyungsoo is a really understanding and empathetic person (their relationship is also built on their respect for each other).
The part where Kyungsoo tells Jongin that “I don’t need you to protect me” is meant to convey how fiercely independent he is, and how he’s still a little guarded because he has literally been doing everything on his own and he doesn’t want to suddenly depend fully on someone else (he’s a bit scared actually). But he still really likes Jongin and he’s really glad that Jongin manages to figure that out on his own by the end of this chapter.
Chapter 8
Lots of relationship and personal development going on in this chapter! Kyungsoo helps Jongin arrive at a decision he was afraid to make by guiding him towards the right path and Jongin is just mind-blown by how good Kyungsoo is for him (which Chanyeol acknowledges as well). He shares his world with Kyungsoo because he loves him and Kyungsoo is able to appreciate it (compatibility!!).
Chanyeol finds out about them and he’s honestly rather disappointed that Jongin didn’t voluntarily tell him, but he’s still happy for his best friend. This is also the moment Jongin realizes he hasn’t been appreciating Chanyeol enough and resolves to be a better friend.
After the talk they had in the alley (how Jongin had seemed pretty uncertain), Kyungsoo decides it would be great to do something for Jongin to prove to him that he’s very much in love with him too. Yet, because he’s not so good with words, he does it through his project. He had been fearful about Jongin becoming so important to him initially, but now that he knows it’s safe to fall (because Jongin has assured him through his actions), he does it without any lingering reservations.
Jongin informs Kyungsoo of his decision and Kyungsoo finally says “I love you” back after sensing Jongin’s uncertainty, because he’s proud of Jongin for chasing his dreams and doesn’t want to let his fear of losing him get in the way.
Chapter 9
Only two things I want to highlight:
1. Friendship! Jongin grows a lot closer to his friends during the retreat camp and I consider it personal development. He finally steps out of his comfort zone to try new things and meet new people and doesn’t regret it one bit.
2. Love! There’s absolutely nothing holding him back anymore after Jieun accidentally finds out about them and he’s now free to be open about his relationship with Kyungsoo. He’s obviously the less sensitive one (compared to Kyungsoo who still tried to hide from Jieun), but that was what he had to do. His love for Kyungsoo has led to personal development – compare this level of confidence to not even being able to reject Jieun in the past.
Chapter 10
There’s really not much to talk about here! Just further relationship development because they finally came out to their friends and it’s a huge milestone. Gaining the confidence to love freely without caring what anyone else might think! I just wanted the readers to get the sense of how everything is falling into place and they’re happy with each other. They’ve both helped each other grow a lot.
Ended the story with Jongin swimming again, but this time with so much more confidence, and as a much stronger person too. We have come full circle and there is thus a sense of completeness!
If you are reading this, thank you for putting up with such a poorly written analysis lol I hope it has provided more insights / answered any questions you might have! To summarize everything, this story revolves a lot around them helping each other grow. They were both pretty lonely before they found each other even if they (Kyungsoo) didn’t acknowledge it. You know how you automatically want to become a better person when you’re in love because you think your other half deserves nothing but the best you can give? That’s exactly what they feel towards each other here, so there’s a lot of focus on personal growth as well.
After Jongin met Kyungsoo, he got out of a relationship he doesn’t care about, he grew closer to his existing friends, he made new friends, he gained the courage to pursue his dreams, he became a more confident swimmer, he no longer had to run to the pool all the time for comfort, and he was happy.
After Kyungsoo met Jongin, he didn’t have to be alone anymore, he didn’t have to shoulder everything on his own, he made new friends, he realized it was okay to lean on someone else for support (that he never realised he needed), and he was happy too.
AND THAT IS ALL.
(Side note: H&B fanbook preorders are open until 22/3 here! For group orders, please refer to this!)
