Lookism: What If

Please read the Synopsis and the Auxiliary Chapter to avoid confusion and make questions that you would already know the answer of if you read.

I will show the stats of the characters but it's only for you readers to see it and to add a layer of enjoyment, but keep in mind that it's not the exact tier system of Questisn even though it has a similar stats type.

It's how i think the characters strength is, so don't try to tell me if someone stats are wrong or something else, as this is AU.

----

(Thursday, February 13, 2025 – 1:23 AM)

Lying on his bed is a guy, the dim glow of his phone screen illuminated his face in the darkened room. His thumb lazily scrolled up as he read the latest chapter of the Busan arc, his brows furrowing deeper with each passing panel.

"Tch." His tongue clicked in annoyance. "Vin and Vasco again? Seriously?"

His frustration mounted as he skimmed through the pages. Zack's fight against the No. 2 of Busan had started off promising, but now it was drowned out by yet another unnecessary interruption.

"Zack finally found his light… And here we are, PTJ ruining everything like always." He exhaled sharply, tossing his head back onto the pillow. "Why does he keep doing this? Why can't we just get a proper, uninterrupted fight?"

A heavy sigh left him as he locked his phone for a moment, staring blankly at the ceiling.

'I wish I could be in a Lookism reality… One where PTJ's horrible plot decisions don't exist.'

The thought lingered in his mind, but before he could dwell on it further..

[New Survey for Lookism Fans! Participate Now!]

The notification popped up at the top of his screen. His eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"A survey?" He muttered before tapping on it.

[Tired of the same plot decisions?]

The bold text at the top of the survey made him raise an eyebrow.

"No way." he muttered, intrigued. "They actually know."

He smiled, scrolling down. The first question appeared.

[Who is your favorite character in Lookism?]

Without hesitation, he tapped Daniel Park. The guy was the heart of the series, even if PTJ seemed hell-bent on keeping him down.

The next question loaded.

[Why did you choose this character?]

He scoffed, already typing.

"Daniel is too nerfed, especially with his mentality. He should've been top-tier by now, but instead, PTJ keeps holding him back. It's frustrating."

He hit enter, expecting the usual "Thank you for your response" message. Instead, another question appeared.

[When would be the best time to reincarnate into him?]

His fingers hovered over the screen.

"What the hell?" He muttered, sitting up slightly.

The question was bizarre. It wasn't even if he wanted to reincarnate, it was when.

'Is this some kind of weird joke?'

Still, he played along. He typed his answer.

"The start of the canon."

The moment he pressed submit, the screen flickered.

[Good journey.]

His heart lurched.

A searing pain shot through his chest, his breath caught in his throat as his phone slipped from his fingers, landing with a dull thud on the bed. His vision blurred as an unbearable pressure crushed his ribs.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't breathe.

Then... nothing.

....

(Monday, April 15, 2024 – 11:42 AM)

The dim, flickering light overhead buzzed softly. The bathroom walls, stained yellow with years of neglect, reeked of cheap cleaning supplies barely masking the stench of sweat and urine.

Daniel Park stood inside the cramped stall, his head lowered, fists clenched tight at his sides. His school uniform, cheap, slightly oversized, and wrinkled from countless washes, clung to his chubby frame, damp with nervous sweat.

[Image]

A deep, grating voice cut through the stale air.

"Bark."

Daniel swallowed hard.

His silence earned him a harsh kick to the back of his knee. His leg buckled, sending him collapsing onto the dirty tile floor.

"I said, bark, pig."

Logan Lee loomed over him, his massive frame blocking the entrance to the stall. His bloated muscles pressed against his tight shirt, stretching the fabric almost to its limit. The smug curl of his lip, the sheer weight of his presence, it all made Daniel's stomach churn.

[Image]

Two of Logan's lackeys snickered in the background with their laughter bouncing off the walls.

Daniel closed his eyes.

'Just do it. Get it over with.'

"...Woof."

The laughter exploded into full-blown hysterics. One of the guys smacked the sink, doubled over from how hard he was laughing.

"Yo, did you hear that? The fatass didn't even bark, he woofed!"

Logan grinned, crouching down so he was eye-level with Daniel.

"You call that barking?" His voice was almost playful. "You sound more like a kicked dog."

Daniel hesitated.

A mistake.

Logan's thick fingers grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head up. The sudden jolt sent pain shooting down his scalp.

"Louder, pig."

Daniel's breathing grew shallow. The humiliation burned through him, but what could he do? Logan was bigger, stronger, and had the entire school wrapped around his finger.

"Woof… woof!"

The words tasted like acid, but it was enough to satisfy Logan.

"Damn, you really are a mutt." He finally let go, shoving Daniel's head back. "Alright, one more thing before we wrap this up. You know what to do."

Daniel felt his stomach drop.

His hands trembled as he reached forward, picking up Logan's cigarette from the sink. He didn't even smoke, but by now, his fingers knew the routine.

He brought the cigarette to his lips.

Logan pulled out his phone.

"You know the deal. Smile for the camera."

Daniel forced a weak grin as Logan snapped the picture, another addition to his ever-growing collection of blackmail material.

"Good little pig." Logan cooed, ruffling Daniel's hair like he was a damn pet.

His laughter echoed as he walked away with his lackeys trailing behind him.

The moment the bathroom door swung shut, Daniel collapsed against the sink, his chest rising and falling in short, erratic breaths.

His reflection stared back at him from the cracked mirror, pale, sweaty, pathetic.

'I hate this. I hate them. I hate… myself.'

His fists clenched tighter as his knuckles turned white.

And yet, like every other time, all he could do was swallow it down.

....

(6:35 PM)

The evening air was crisp as Daniel trudged home, his school bag slung over his shoulder. The city bustled around him, but he barely noticed.

His jaw still ached from where Logan had slapped him earlier. His scalp throbbed from being yanked around like a ragdoll. Every step felt heavier than the last.

When he finally reached home, a cramped, one-bedroom apartment tucked away in the cheaper side of town, he hesitated at the door.

The smell of warm broth and rice seeped through the cracks.

His mother's voice greeted him before he even stepped inside.

"Daniel, you're home!"

Seonhui Park sat on the floor near the small kitchen, her sleeves rolled up as she stirred a pot. Her wrinkled hands, worn from years of labor, moved with practiced ease.

[Image]

"I found some leftover crab legs at the market today." she said cheerfully. "It's not much, but I made soup with it. You like crab, don't you?"

She glanced up, her soft eyes filled with warmth.

Daniel felt his stomach tighten.

He wanted to be grateful. He wanted to sit down, eat, and smile like nothing was wrong.

But the frustration from earlier still boiled inside him, festering like an open wound.

"That's all we ever eat!" His voice came out sharper than he intended. "Leftovers. Scraps. Can't we ever have a real meal for once?"

His mother blinked, her hands stilling.

"Daniel, I-"

He didn't wait for her to finish. He tossed his bag onto the floor and stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Seonhui sat there for a long moment, the ladle still in her hand.

Then, with a quiet sigh, she stirred the soup again.

"...I wonder if Daniel has tried this." she murmured. "He'd like it."