Heartbeat By David Yoo Summary

The short story “Heartbeat” written by David Yoo demonstrates how Dave, nicknamed Heartbeat due to how skinny he is, tries to change how he looks. He adds extra layers under his jacket to make it seem as if he beefed up. He realizes that adding too many layers may have unintended consequences that affect his body and how he feels. When Dave’s crush, Sarah, calls him skinny, Dave vows to become bulky and thick. He lifted heavier weights and supplemented his meals only to see that he made no progress in becoming thicker. One day Sarah says to Dave. “Have you been working out?” Dave inspects himself in the mirror only to find out that he had worn two shirts under his rugby shirt. Dave starts wearing four shirts under his plaid button-down to make