Lookism: What If

(Tuesday, April 23, 2024 – 12:09 PM)

Daniel sat down with Zoe, Zack, and Mira, the usual group, but this time Jay joined them. He didn't say much, just sat across from Daniel with his tray, eating quietly.

The conversation quickly shifted to a rising webtoon that had been gaining popularity.

"It's about betrayal and fantasy." Zoe explained, leaning forward with excitement. "The story's insane, and the fights are intense!"

Daniel raised a brow. "That so? Sounds interesting."

Curious, he pulled out his phone and searched it up. The moment he opened the first chapter, his brows furrowed slightly.

The art… was rough.

Not terrible, but full of inconsistencies, anatomy issues, poor perspective, awkward paneling. Even the fight choreography felt stiff. He scrolled down, scanning everything critically.

Zack noticed his expression and nudged him. "What's wrong?"

Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "The concept is solid, but the execution? Not great. The art has way too many mistakes, and the fight scenes could've been drawn much better."

Zoe crossed her arms. "Really? I thought it looked fine."

"Watch." Daniel turned his phone around, pointing at a fight panel. "See this? The character's supposed to be swinging a sword with full force, right? But look at the motion lines, they don't match the momentum. The way the limbs are positioned makes the movement look stiff instead of fluid."

He flipped to another panel. "And here? The perspective's completely off. The background doesn't align with the character's pose, so it looks unnatural."

Mira leaned in, her eyes widening slightly. "You… actually know a lot about this."

"Where'd you even learn all that?" Zack asked.

Daniel leaned back, shrugging. "I'm an artist. I love webtoons, so I study them."

Mira perked up. "Do you have any drawings? I'd love to see!"

Daniel smirked. "I'm working on my own webtoon right now. Me and my twin brother."

Zoe nearly choked on her drink. "Wait, you have a twin?!"

Even Jay, usually silent, paused mid-bite.

Zack squinted at him. "When the hell did you have a twin?"

Daniel waved a hand dismissively. "We don't look alike. For now." He sighed, shaking his head. "He needs to lose some fat."

Zack and Mira exchanged looks, still processing the information, while Zoe laughed. "Damn, that's wild. Can't wait to meet him."

As they talked, Daniel suddenly remembered something.

His first body.

With all the things happening, he had been so busy that he completely neglected training it.

He exhaled, mentally noting that he needed to fix that.

(12:21 PM)

The sound of confident footsteps approached from behind before a firm grip landed on Daniel's head, pulling his face close.

A voice followed, laced with mocking curiosity.

"So you're the handsome guy they talk about…"

Daniel didn't even flinch. He recognized those tinted sunglasses immediately.

Vin Jin.

Vin stood in front of him, dressed in designer brands from head to toe. A black hoodie with bold "PPP" lettering, paired with fitted gray pants and flashy sneakers that probably cost a fortune. Gold chains hung around his neck, adding to his over-the-top style. But despite all that, his most distinctive feature was the permanently tinted sunglasses covering his eyes.

[Image]

Daniel had read about him. A loud, arrogant, insecure guy who believed he was J High's most handsome student. The moment someone else started gaining attention? He had to put them down.

Vin released Daniel's head and straightened up, rolling his shoulders. "Tch. I'm more handsome than you anyway. I'm sick of all the glazing people are throwing your way."

Zoe sighed in frustration. "Vin, stop being a dumbass."

Daniel, however, remained calm. He slowly stood up, towering slightly over Vin. At 185 cm, he had a clear height advantage over the 179 cm rapper-wannabe.

With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, he tilted his head. "Grabbing someone's head like that is kinda disrespectful." His voice was even, but firm.

Then, with the same relaxed expression, he added, "Also, Vin… you're chopped as fuck."

A vein twitched on Vin's forehead. "What?"

Daniel smiled and poked Vin's glasses. "And these don't help."

Vin's hand snapped up to grip his sunglasses, covering his eyes immediately. "Mind your damn business." he snapped.

Daniel's grin widened. He took a dramatic sniff near Vin's glasses, then looked up thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Sniff, sniff… I smell…"

He suddenly shouted, "Insecurities!" before bursting into laughter.

The cafeteria erupted, some students snickering while others outright laughed.

Vin's face darkened. He grabbed Daniel's collar with his jaw clenched. "You bastard-"

---

Name: Vin Jin

Height: 179 cm

Strength: |-{B}

Speed: |-{D}

Potential: |-{SS}

Intelligence: |-{C}

Endurance: |-{A}

---

Before he could swing, a sharp voice cut through the tension.

"You two are stupid."

A tall, blonde-haired girl in glasses walked up with her arms crossed.

Mary Kim.

Her long golden hair cascaded down her back, slightly tousled but naturally elegant. She wore the J High uniform, her skirt slightly shorter than regulation, and her sharp eyes behind thin-rimmed glasses held a mix of intelligence and exasperation.

[Image]

She glared at both of them. "Are you two really about to fight over who's hotter?"

Daniel stood there, hands still tucked casually in his pockets, watching Mary Kim with mild curiosity.

From what he remembered in the manhwa, Mary had a laid-back but blunt personality. Most of the time, she just commented on Vin Jin's nonsense without getting too worked up. But beyond that, she was 'dangerous'.

Her nickname, "Empress of Two Seconds." wasn't just for show.

Judo mastery. Explosive strength. The ability to floor opponents in the blink of an eye. She was a specialist.

Daniel smirked and turned back to Vin. "Yeah, listen to your big mommy like a good boy."

He was clearly provoking Vin, testing if the guy would lash out. What he didn't consider was the trigger word.

Big.

Mary's expression shifted instantly.

"The hell did you just say?"

Before Daniel could explain, she rushed at him.

Vin's eyes widened as he slowly stepped back, shaking his head. "Ohh… you just fucked up."

Mary closed the distance in seconds.

"Who did you call big!?"

Her hands shot forward, gripping Daniel's collar. She pivoted effortlessly, twisting her hips with good form.

Her stance was precise while her grip was good.

Her technique was textbook accurate.

She had already won.

At least, that's what should have happened.

But the moment she tried to pull..

She couldn't move him.

It was like trying to flip a mountain.

---

Name: Mary Kim

Height: 165 cm

Strength: |-{B}

Speed: |-{B}

Potential: |-{B}

Intelligence: |-{A}

Endurance: |-{C}

---

Her muscles strained, but Daniel didn't budge. Not even an inch.

Still gripping his collar, Mary hesitated with her mind racing. 'How?'

Slowly, she turned her head and looked up.

Daniel was watching her calmly with his head slightly tilted and a relaxed smile on his face.

His hands? Still in his pockets.

Silence fell over the cafeteria.

Vin's jaw dropped, his hands gripping his own hair. "No way… no fuckin way!"

Mary's breath hitched. She had felt this before.

Two years ago.

Against Shigeaki Kojima.

But this time… the oppression was even heavier. Daniel nodded once. "If I offended you, my bad." Mary let go, stepping back silently with a conflicted expression.

Meanwhile, Vin reevaluated everything. His usual arrogance was gone. He stared at Daniel with genuine seriousness for the first time.

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