Chapter 1: Modern Loneliness
Summary:
aka Beginnings (1)... (original arc)
Notes:
Music used: Modern Loneliness by Lauv
Lyric Video by 7Clouds
Chapter Text
TW: Mentions of su*c*de. Don't worry, this isn't as angsty as you think it is. (for now)
3rd pov
A boring white ceiling was the first thing that he saw after opening his eyes. A conveniently-sized bed was the first thing that his body felt, one that felt more uncomfortable even with the addition of a plus-sized blanket covering it. The only thing that felt close to comfort was the white pillow that lays under his head.
Observing his surroundings, he soon realised that his suspicions were indeed correct. Several empty beds, the overbearing presence of the color white, a tall wooden shelf that only have a box of tissue. On top of all that, he was wearing a white patient gown that doesn't suit his liking.
'Yep, this is definitely a hospital.' the boy concluded.
But that also comes with various questions. How did he end up in this hospital? How long was he here? How much does the medical bills? How is he gonna pay it back?
His brain was overwhelmed with spiraling questions that he let out a sneeze on accident.
"Oh. Looks like you're awake." said a gentle voice that catches his attention.
He turned around to see a girl with wavy black hair that have a slight blue tint. Noticing her blue uniform, he deduced that she is a nurse working in this building. Alas, someone that could give him some much-needed answers.
Beside her was a brown-haired woman whose extremely pale complexion caught the boy's attention. He was pleasantly surprised about seeing her, since he was absolutely certain that he was the only one in the ward. Still, that fact alone calms his anxiety down a notch regarding his loneliness in the situation.
But something hit him over the reason for believing that earlier. The woman had fallen asleep on her bed. Gosh, no wonder the room were quieter than expected.
"Are you okay?" the girl asked her out of curiosity. "Do you need anything?"
"Yeah, but can I have some water first?" he replied. The girl then filled an empty mug through the drinking dispenser, placing it on the shelf. The boy then drank it like their throat depends on it.
"Hm, this is some good water you got there." he spoked in delight. As he sips through his water, he discovered that the window was displaying a ray of sunlight on the sleeping woman. He also notices that the hot pink sky was ablaze by the glowing sun.
"Is it sunset?" he asked the nurse.
"Yes. Around 7 p.m." she responded before closing the curtains of the woman. "Is there anything you wanna ask?"
"Where am I? What day it is? How do I end up here?"
"You're at Hanguk University Hospital. You were admitted to the hospital last night."
"How though?"
"Someone found you on the pavement in an unconscious state." she explained. "The ambulance were called to bring you here. The doctors concluded that you suffered minor injuries, nothing concerning to gather their full attention."
"And before you ask, they assigned me to relay you such information in case you woke up." she mentioned.
Ignoring the fact that she knew what he wanted to ask, the weirdest part was that they didn't even find out the reason for his state in the first place.
"Can you tell what my name is?"
"Huh?" the girl wondered in confusion. "Did you suffer from amnesia or something?"
"O-Oh, its nothing like that." he assures her while waving his frantic hands. Jeez, how do you tell her that you want to be certain of something without sounding suspicious?
"Kim Min Joon." she said in amusement. "Looks like your hands were working well. Any pain there?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Good. Are you able to walk?"
The boy stood up and walked carefully to the other side of the room before making it back. When the nurse asked him about his experience, he commented that he felt perfectly fine after that walk.
"Be right back. I already put your belongings near your bed." she spoked before waking out of the room. With the door closed, he looked over a small blue bag that was conveniently placed near his shelf. Being a lazy piece of potato, he brought it near him without leaving the bed, finding a smartphone and a wallet on top of his cleaned pack of clothes.
Opening his phone, he found out that the battery was already 100%, something that amused the boy considering his circumstances. And in good condition too? Damn, somebody really did a great job taking care of his phone.
After he stopped admiring the phone's condition, he proceeded to check the date on his calendar app. Upon seeing the date, he placed his phone down and lie on his bed in defeat. The only question that could come up on his mind is one that bewildered the boy.
Holy shit, how the hell did he survive his suicide attempt?
"The doctors said that you can leave now." spoked the same girl. Min Joon gave her a thumbs up before she informed him to visit at the counter. After she closed the patient door, he looked back on his phone to see his lockscreen.
'18th of August, huh?' he noted to himself before packing his belongings.
...
'Ah well, at least I can continue my rants at home.' he noted to himself.
"That will be 300,000 won." spoked the receptionist. "Want to pay in cash or digital?"
"Digital?" said the confused boy, who wore an oversize beige t-shirt with his black jeans and his black sneakers.
"This hospital is accepting digital payment through the QR code." she explained before displaying the QR code for him.
Min Joon shouldn't be surprised by this at all, since this kind of payment became increasingly popular on an international level. But he'd admit, this is probably the first time he heard of a hospital accepting such payment methods into the healthcare system. Totally different from the last time that he visited one.
Using the scanner from the KKPay app, he successfully paid off his hospital bills. He let out a relief that he could quickly get away from this place and enter his comfort zone.
"Um...Sir? Are you just gonna stand there or-"
"Oh. Um...Sorry. I'll take my leave." he apologised before leaving the hospital in a hurry. How embarrassing...
Putting on his earphones, the only thing that he could hear was the music coming from his phone. Ever since getting the Malon app, he'd find the time to listen to music whenever he could. You could say that it is his source of escapism, a source to escape his own problems from.
It only took him 10 minutes for him to arrive at the doorsteps of his apartment. He was thankful that the hospital isn't so far from his home, as the two places resided in the district known as Gangbuk.
All that was left was placing his fingerprint on the digital lock to unlock the front door. And that's exactly what he did.
Opening the door, he quickly went inside and closed the locked door to ensure that nobody sneaks into his house. Staring at the short white hallway, he immediately took out his shoes before laying on the greyish couch.
He told himself that he would put his shoes back later, since his current mood was nothing but a couch potato. After all, wouldn't it be nice to reunite with his so-called 'comfort zone'?
(credit to @Jin on Naver.Blog)
Staring at the ceiling, the feeling of returning to his little home was nothing short of comforting for the boy. Something that he absolutely needs after everything that transpired. Who needs therapy when their house can give you one through its aura?
And then his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his rumbling stomach.
This prompted him to go to his little kitchen corner to find something to eat. Investigating his fridge and pantry, he concluded that his options were severely limited. Too lazy to whip something up from the stove, he settled on making soy-bean paste bibimbap that he brought from a convenience store.
Slightly opening the sauce packet and the rice packet, he then placed inside the microwave for two minutes.
Truth to be told, he should've stock up on his food supplies in the first place. But in his defense, he wasn't expecting to survive his own suicide attempt. Min Joon wonders if this was a cruel twist of fate, that he wouldn't get to reunite with his loving parents in the afterlife.
Was jumping off a high building not enough for his wish to happen? Does the gods don't understand that he was tired of the goddamn world? And even if that didn't happen, couldn't he just isekai to a better reality instead of getting stuck here? The bane of his misery that was his world?
Hell, if it wasn't for his hungry stomach, he would've committed suicide again right now. But his stomach was so desperate for some much-needed digestion that he reluctantly decided to delay succumbing to his suicidal thoughts and settle on his hunger first.
I mean, isn't it better to die with a satisfying meal than with an empty stomach?
With the sound of a beep, he took out the microwaved packets and placed it on his table. Dumping the rice into a large cup, he then pours the paste into the rice. He proceeded to mixed it up together with a foldable spoon that was provided alongside the food.
Taking a bite of the food, he admitted that it tasted like homemade food. Not that it was some kind of masterpiece, but any homemade food that reminds him of simpler times is a win in his book. Besides, soybean flavored tofu was something he didn't expect to enjoy as much as he currently is.
Feeling bored, he decided to watch something on his phone while eating his food. A NewTube video about a texts video using Haikyuu! Characters to do a Kardashian Spoof skit. More specifically, having Oikawa, Hinata and Lev deal with the purge, all while the others were watching the events unfold through the lack of text logic.
Definitely not a criticism for the genre, since Min Joon himself was chilled the sheer chaos that the videos often provided. Although to be fair, none of it would be possible had a little app named Wit garnered such international fanfare.
After all, Newtubers videos are a reliable source of escapism. Any kind of video that catches his eye can be use as a source of escapism from reality. Why would he need to face his life problems when he can jut watch them to his heart content?
And yet, the fact that he tried to kill himself means that its appeal as an escapism device didn't last very long. It became a daily thing for him to do, a pattern if you will. Don't get him wrong, he still enjoy watching videos on Newtube. Its just that he can't just rely heavily on it to satisfy his desire of escapism.
But something peculiar happened when the video reaches the part where the purgers break into the house. He received a text message from someone whom name is a phone number, who wanted to have a chat with him. Min Joon assumed that it was just some spam message, so he decided to just mute the phone number.
But it soon becomes clear that this wouldn't be such a simple task as he thought. The number was nonexstent in KK Talk, instead having to reply to it through the Messages app that his phone comes with. It was very suspicious to say the least.
His question was immediately answered with another notification from that same sender, telling him to message him on an app called Whatsapp. Understandably, Min Joon was confused about the existence of such name, since he have never heard of such app before.
The number immediately replied that he should go to his email account, since the afromentioned app doesn't exist. It also send him a notification regarding a list of instructions for some kind of 'process'.
True to its words, this 'Whatsapp' app doesn't exist on the Internet at all. Not in the app store. Not on the search engine. Not even on the news articles at all. Almost like Whatsapp was some texting app that never exists.
This raises some obvious concerns for the guy. How the hell is he gonna message this person on a nonexistent app? Still, he proceeded to follow the instructions and go to his email account. The faster he finishes this, the quicker he can go back to mind his own business.
Upon tapping on his email icon, he discovers a new function called 'Switch to R mode.' Normally, he would've ignore it and assumed that it was some random function that barely people use. However, the combination of his curiousity and the insistence within the instructions got the best of him and he pressed it anyway.
The moment that he did that, the screen changes into...the exact same app?
The only reaction he could felt was confusion. Did he went through all of the instructions for nothing? Did he missed out a step or two?
No, he did follow through the instructions carefully. He was absolutely certain of that. So what happen?
His question grew larger when his eyes noticed the name of his email. Everything remains the same except for the first letter of the word email. Did the company forgot to call it that and call it gmail instead?
Speaking of the company, why were they called Google instead of Moogle? Did they change their name or something? He doesn't remember a single news about it.
But it wasn't until he got to his home screen that the differences became much more clearer. Some apps have similar but altered names, some apps have different names, some have the same names, and the others are apps that he didn't knew that they existed until now.
For example, the popular messaging app KKTalk is call KakaoTalk here instead. It's lierally the same app but with a slightly altered name instead. As amusing as this fact is, Min Joon didn't have much time to waste on figuring out which name rolls his tongue better.
After scrolling through the home screen, he finally found the app that he was looking for. A green logo of a text message with a white phone icon. He assures himself that this is indeed Whatsapp, as if the accompanying text underneath it didn't make things clear enough.
The first thing he noticed when pressing it was that his number was already logged in despite being the first time encountering the app itself. Another thing he noticed was that the only contact he have here was the mysterious number. Putting his worries aside, he proceed to text the number himself while laying on his couch.
.
.
.
XXX-XXXX XXXX
So um...Did it work?
Hi, Mr. Stranger. And yes, your instructions surprsingly works
Who are you?
Someone you don't know.
A stalker?
Haha. No.
Sure, as if that's enough to convince me 🙄
Pls don't block this number.
And why would you not want me to?
Oh, idk.
Maybe bcuz that'd help explain whatever your new mode is?
New mode? You mean the one on my account that reads 'R'?
Exactly.
Surprised that you refered to your account instead of your phone.
Just get this over with
So, what I'm about to say is something that may be shocking.
Wait, is this about the world being in danger or something?
If that's the case, then sign me tf out
Um, I'm not done...
The world isn't in danger, get a grip. 😑
Phew, at least I can die the way I want
😶
...Bruh. You're serious?
Nah, I'd rather not have other people prying on my shit
Is that all that you have to say?
Unfortunately, yes. I have other matters to settle.
And besides, you're gonna find out anyway.
Find out what?
Oops. 🤭
No way that you're about go offline after the hassle that I went to message you
See ya.
Wait, I still have some questions that I wanna ask
*Unknown Number went offline*
...Not even a name? 😐
Fine, I'll figure the answers myself. So much for 'helping' me 🙄
Bye, ig
.
.
.
Staring at his screen with a heavy sigh, he proceeded to finish his food before filling the cup with water. So much for wanting a peaceful moment. Now he can't even both to go through his original plan, not without leaving his questions unaswered.
Whoever that number belongs to, they better be grateful that his bilingual self can understand the language of the English lexicon.
Looking over his screen, his initial reaction to the time during was one filled with confusion. He doesn't remember the time being an hour before midnight, so he checked the time through his wall clock for some comparison. He learned that the timing for 'R' mode was two hours ahead of the clock, the one that aligned with the 'L' mode.
Yes, 'L' mode. That's what the system called his original version of the operating system for, which he learned through his desrie to switch mode. he even wondered about the purpose for naming them L and R. Were they meant to be some sort of symbolism or something?
Whateve the case was, he chose to ignore that bothersome matter and went up to his bedroom instead. A room with a large mattress that was filled to the brim with the desirable comfortability. To him, he viewed the room as a place that brings him comfort. One that functions as a good place for many things.
Sleeping. Reading. Relaxing. All of these are examples of the things he could do in this small corner of the house. But today, he just wanna lie down on the bed to explore more of this 'R' mode.
Still doesn't roll well with the tongue, but he'd get use it it eventually. He hope.
(credit to @Jin on Naver.Blog)
With nothing much to do, he proceed to check out the different apps that was available on the R mode. He decided to open an app named 'Webtoon', one that he often uses to browse through his favourite webtoons. Scrolling through the many available webtoons, he eventually encuntered a webtoon that caught his attention.
An unattractive boy who wake up in a different body? That sounds like a very intriguing premise to him. It doesn't matter if that sounds unrealistic, isn't that the point of fictional medium? He told himself that when recalling the various animes that either revolves around overpowered protangonists, people with psychics or quirks, or having them isekaied to another world.
You can guess where he got the 'isekaied' idea from?
But immediately, a few questions popped up in his head. If this story was around since 2014, why did it only got recommeded today? As far as he knows, he doesn't remember encountering a story like this before, nor had he heard online users talked about it. Then when did the story garnered over 700+M reads?
These oddities alone should've make him back off from this story. And yet, he decided to do the opposite instead. If anything, he choose to read the story out of a mix of pure curiousity and a desire for another source of escapism.
But little did he know, that this small decision would end up affecting his worldview in more ways than he intended. It doesn't matter if this was a good or bad decision, Min Joon would end finding out something that he felt that he wasn't suppose to know.
And if you're wondering what the story is? Well, let's just say...
...
Have you heard of 'Lookism' before?
Chapter 2: To Feel Something
Summary:
aka Beginnings (2)...
Notes:
Music used: K. by Cigarettes After Sex
sped up ver. by yukiqsx
Chapter Text
3rd pov
The first thing that Min Joon notice upon opening the first chapter was the presence of a fat man smoking. A fat man that look like a typical delinquent by the tattoos. He guessed that the character was nothing more than some typical bully who only appears in one or two chapters to bully the protagonist.
And unfortunately, he was absolutely correct when he bullied the main character of the story. A small, chubby guy with glasses that didn't show his eyes. He wondered to himself on how that was possible, but he just shrugged it off as manhwa logic.
Speaking of which, seeing the 'interesting' artstyle send his brain into an array of confusion. He was confused on how did the author went from this to the current artstyle. He then realised that this all boils down to the evolution of the author's drawing skills, which makes sense considering the webtoon's 8+ year run.
Despite that, he managed to get invested through sympathy for the main character. In his own words, he doesn't deserve such harsh treatment from his peers, to the point of being called a 'piggy'. It reminded Min Joon of the bullying incidents around his country.
For such a cutesy name, its usage as a derogatory word feels quite uncomfortable.
Although, Min Joon secretly hopes that the MC stop being harsh on his kind mother. He doesn't mind the MC venting his frustrations out, but what he does mind was the person that ended up receiving the harsh end of the stick. His mother was too much of a sweetheart to be treated like shit anyway.
Two chapters later, he learns what the premise meant by a different body. The MC ends having control over two bodies; his original chubby self and a tall and attractive body. The whereabouts of the latter was never explained, so he just chalked it up to manhwa logic again.
However, something peculiar catches his attention. It wasn't the high amount of people that complimented him, but rather the school that the MC was attending.
Jae Won High School...Why did that name rings a bell in his mind?
Almost immediately, Min Joon opens his computer to search the school. After doing some research, he comes to a realisation that Jae Won High isn't some fictional school. Jae Won High is an actual popular school when it comes to unconventional schooling experiences in Seoul.
No wonder the names sounds familiar to him. How the hell did this manage to fly under the radar that is copyright infringement?
He was thankful that he overheard a conversation about the school in the past. This school didn't become famous for creating
He then tries to search the school on his phone, to try and see if the school is available on 'R' mode. To his surprise, there isn't a school website available. Instead, the name directed him to a page on the 'Lookism Fandom Wikia'.
In terms of similarities, both of them describes the school's various departments; ranging from the fashion department to the animation department. They also listed the preparatory school as an alternative to the typical school, offering practical training and given more liberty to the students as an example. However, that's when the similarities ends.
Based on what was displayed on his computer, the school's website has a fully-detailed description of each department, including the benefits of being in one of them. They even have an application process available there, so that's a benefit.
But on the fandom page, the school didn't went into full-detailed on the departments, only listing some trivia about these departments. Rather, it ends up listing the MC and every notable student who attended there, no matter how big or small their role were.
If anything, the most surprising fact about this was that the bully was listed as a former student. Looks like his initial judgement of him being an irrelevant bully was wrong all along.
Regardless, the differences were enough for Min Joon to grow suspicious. Was it merely a coincidence or that there was something more? But the fact the school does indeed have this students alone is enough to prove that it ain't a coincidence.
But it wasn't until he reached a certain arc the coincidences became much harder to ignore. An arc that focuses on the protagonist auditions for an entertainment agency to become a K-pop idol. It would've had been a normal arc had the agency and its idols was fictional. But alas, they were also real here in Seoul.
It was at this point that Min Joon could no longer passed these off as mere coincidences. No, there's more to this story than what meets the eye. It has to be. Right?
With not much of an option, he reluctantly decided to message the unknown number once again. He doesn't care if the number doesn't respond, he's gonna get his answers one way or another.
.
.
.
Unknown Number
Hey.
Unknown number, are you there?
I doubt that you'd read this message, but...
Wow, such an original name.
😶
That got me off guard, ngl
Hru?
I'm doing fine, thank you very much.
What about you?
Mostly fine, except that I have encountered a webtoon that puzzled my brain.
Name?
Lookism
Oh...that.
Do you like that story?
After reading through several chapters, it was absolutely engaging ngl
But, I did find some things that stood out like a sore thumb
Jae Won High School, PTJ Entertainment and its idols as an example
Surely, these real things weren't put there for no reason, right?
Nope.
Wait, you already reached Chapter 96?
Yep
The greatest 2 hours of my life 😁
Astonishing. Definitely some weeb energy, lol.
Can we get back to the question?
Hm...🤔
Have you figured out an answer yet?
No
Then why not type it out here? Anything that you notice, even the wild ones.
...Fine 😑
Tell me, what do you find? List them all out.
While it would normally be a bad thing to tell that to some stranger, part of him felt that this person could be the one that can understand his explanation without assuming that he was a madman. Besides, that number started the conversation that led to the current debacle, so he was hoping that they could provide some answers this time.
And so, he begin to list out whatever peculiar things that stood out to him on this 'R' mode.
.
.
.
Unknown Number
1. The protagonist's school is a real school.
2. The agency that the MC auditioned is real.
3. The K-POP idols associated with the agency are also real.
4. The mentioned webtoon can only be access through 'R' mode.
5. Some apps in this mode were altered.
Only the names?
Not just that, but never-before-seen apps.
Like Whatsapp?
Yeah. And Spotify.
That didn't exist. Most people listen to music on Lemon
You mean the equivalent to Melon?
Melon?
Oh, right. You can say that
What else?
6. The date and time displayed are different from the actual time and date.
How different? What's the date for you?
18/8/2021, 11.15 PM KST
And what's the date for the other mode?
3/4/2023, 1.00 AM UTC
Woah, that's a huge gap.
Ikr?
It was simultaneously confusing and not at the same time.
Like, it'd explain the recent content that I've encounter online.
Like that Wednesday show on Netflix?
Yeah...
Wait🧍♂️
How do you know that? 🤨
Know what?
About these things?
Because of your messages?
That's what I thought.
But no. You don't sound surprised by the info I told you
Rather, you were hoping that I find the answers myself...
I suspect that you know more than meet the eye
Am I right?
...
Not denying it, huh?
...
*sighs*
You're one smart mf.
Ignoring the fact that you just sigh through text, thx 😊
But I want you to figure this question yourself.
Taking everything into account, what is your conclusion?
Go on. Quickly.
.
.
.
Seeing the person's message made him sink into deep thought. What was the answer that connected all of these points together? What is the answer that tie those loose ends?
This ultimately led his brain to an answer. An answer that sounds so unbelievable, that it was comparable to someone's imagination or delusion. But no matter how far-fetched the answer is, it is the only logical answer that ties all the loose points together.
It has to be this answer, he reminded himself. He couldn't see it going any other way. With a deep breath, he then typed out the answer on his keyboard to the number.
.
.
.
Unknown Number
That the world of Lookism is real?
Or more specifically...
The world that I grew up with in my entire life is nothing but fictional?
Is that correct?
...
Yes and no.
Wdym both?
Yes, as in you mostly got it correct
No, as in your entire life being nothing but fiction was more...
Complicated?
Yeah, that's the word. 😌
In short, your world is indeed real to you.
But to those outside the 4th wall, they would view it as a fictional one.
4th wall? You mean-
Yes. People like readers, artists, writers. You get the picture.
Does that apply to every single fictional story out there?
Potentially. Maybe?
Not 100% sure yet, actually.
So my world is viewed through the fictional lenses outside the 4th wall?
Correct.
That's wild af, ngl
Is this legal?
Does it look legal?
...Fair point
Don't worry, you won't get charged for a 'nonexistent' law.
Noted. 📝
Putting this whole internal crisis aside...
Who are you, actually?
You didn't answer that question last time
Well, I can't answer the whole thing. So I'll make it short.
I'm someone who you can only text here, because of my circumstances.
Call me a guide, if you must.
Oh my. That really is vague af
Does that explain the whole 'L' and 'R' situation?
Yeah. Guess what it represents.
'R' is 'Reality', because this reflects someone outside the 4th wall
And 'L' mode is essentially the system from my world
...Holy shit 😶
Another one, thank you. 🥳👍
Took you a while for realisation to hit you.
Does the modes also applies to my computer?
Of course. It all links to your email account.
But will someone find out?
Unless you tell the person, then no.
Wow, you just straight up answer that question.
Well, its better not to test it out in case of...incidents...
Fair enough
Any other questions?
Why am I the one who gets to learn about this?
I'm sensing main character vibes from this chat
Not only that, but I don't even appeared in the webtoon
You wanna know why?
Yes, pls
Sorry, but you'll have to figure that out. 🤭
You mf...
😁
Fine. Have it your way 🙄
Does this mean that I have to interfere with the story?
Depends. I'm not forcing you.
After all, didn't you said you were planning your death, Kim Min-joon?
...Okay, that felt like an invasion of privacy 🧍♂️
I'll give you till Friday night to make a decision.
Understandable. Have a nice day
Goodbye, Mr. Unknown
Mr. Unknown?
That's what I call you
You haven't pick out a nickname, right?
Nope, but I like that.
It's giving me mysterious vibes.
Haha
NOT THE MONOTONE LAUGH I- 💀
lmao, goodbye.
🚶♀️
*Mr. Unknown went offline*
.
.
.
As soon as he went offline, Min Joon proceeded to move his cursor to the home button. True enough, the mode is applicable to any devices that are linked with his email. With that confirmation, he shuts down his computer and placed on his dresser.
Plugging his phone to his charger, he wore a pair of blue earbuds to listen some lofi jams under the sleepless night. Like webtoons, music serves as another source of escapism for the guy. But more specifucally, this type of music provided him the intropection that he needed at the moment.
It didn't take long for his brain to registered everything that he just learned. The eerily feeling of people viewing his world as nothing but a fictional one. The unfathomable feeling of knowing something that you shouldn't know, yet it didn't felt as consequential as he was expecting.
Almost like it was better for a background character to know the truth of this world than a main character would. How fantastic.
But didn't he also view other fictional stories the same way? If anything, it felt like hypocrisy speaking to him. A dilemma that only himself could answer for. An answer that he isn't sure yet.
One thing he wascertain, he must make sure that nobody knows this secret at all. And even if people do, he would absolutely make sure that the person wouldn't fucked up the timeline here. So he can't wait until the very moment that he jinxed himself, because that's how these kinds of stories works, right?
Hold on, why is he so invested in this whole thing? Wasn't he the same person that plans on ending his own life? Wasn't he the same person that was dissapointed that he survived his own death?
But why isn't he motivated to do so? He doesn't even feel like commiting suicide right now. His desire to reunite with his parents remains, but his motivation have hit a wall.
All of that leads to one single question. What was stopping him from doing the one thing that he desire?
Because for the first time in his life, he felt something that he didn't think he would need. The desire to do something worthy in the place he calls life. To do something that makes the passing moments more bearable in this depressing life.
And so, he comes to make a decision. He would succumb to his suicidal thoughts anyday, but now isn't the right time. This doesn't mean his suicidal tendencies are gone, far from it. Rather, he now has something to focus on that helps him run away from his own problems. Even if its temporarily.
Sure, it will be toxic in the long run, but wouldn't that be the same for his desirable escapism?
...
And then he falls asleep.
(Kim Min Joon, credit to myself)
Chapter 3: Grocery Shopping
Summary:
aka Beginnings (3)...
Notes:
Music used: ONLY by Lee Hi
Lyric Video by Jendukie
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Min Joon's eyes were met with the sheer brightness of sunlight. It was so bright that he forcefully got up from his bed, close the entire window with the curtains, then went back up to his bed. And if you think that's a walk in a park, try doing that while climbing up and down on the only staircase that connects the room together.
So much for wanting some peaceful sleep. Damn you, sunlight.
Trying to close his eyes, it became pretty clear that his mood isn't allowing himself to sleep. So, he opens up his phone to see the time being 2.00 p.m. on 7th April 2023. Had he not remembered that his phone was still on 'R' mode, he would've been greeted by a shock to the heart.
What a fancy way to describe getting a heart attack, am I right?
He switches his phone's mode to the 'L' mode, which is just his normal operating system with a new name. With the time reading 12.00 p.m. on 19th August 2021, part of him was glad that the entire week was a winter break. I mean, would he get a long sleep if it wasn't?
Well, at least this confirms that last night's events wasn't a fever dream.
Sitting up straight, the first thing that he did was scroll through social media. Seeing posts surrounding the fandom culture of his favourite stories does bring some warmth to his moody heart, ranging from the many impressive fanarts to the various fan theories that people come up with.
Besides, how could he hate something that provided the necessary escapism for his life?
(credit to @Jin on Naver Blog)
Looking from the top of his bed, he remembers just how small his apartment is. The fundamental parts of a typical house, like a kitchen and a living room, are all condensed into a single big room. And yet, the convenience of this type of housing help pleased the guy himself.
A few minutes later, he left his messy bed alone and went downstairs to get some food. Once again, he was met with the realisation that his pantry was becoming a wasteland. With much not options, he chooses to eat an instant cheese ramen bowl.
Definitely a sign that he needs to go grocery shopping. So much for being a lazy piece of shit.
Pouring the soup base into the bowl, he then fills it up with hot water before closing the lid. With a timer set to 4 minutes, he then prepares to open up his computer to binge-watch some NewTube videos.
It was at this moment that he remembers the goal that his mind was set on achieving. A goal about an adventure that involves tempering with the MC's storyline. For that idea to work smoothly, he gotta be smart on approaching this.
Making sure that he doesn't get heavily involve with the MC's storyline is absolutely important, as the opposite can result in a time paradox. One that can essentially fuck up his world to the point of no return. So preventing that from happening is one of his main priorities.
Another priority is to finish reading Lookism within this week, to avoid getting surprised by any sudden development. The only downside is that the story's incomplete status means that any new chapter may come out at inconvenient times, but he was already used to these kinds of hassle.
Although, judging by the time system from the 'R' mode, he can't fully trust that the story will update on a perfect weekly basis.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his beeping timer. Opening the lid, he removes it from the bowl and wrapped it into a ramen holder. He then added the provided cheese sauce into the noodles and mix it well.
Feeling that it may not be enough to satisfy his hunger, he decided to fry an egg for good measure. While it doesn't end up looking like a perfect egg, he wasn't intended on doing that anyway. Just some plain-looking egg shall do.
Lifting the noodles with his chopstick, he slurps the noodle into his mouth. The chewy noodles tasted creamy alongside the strongly flavoured cheese broth. Even the tiny bits of luncheon meats sprinkled on the noodles tasted nice with the added egg.
It was a satisfying meal for Min Joon, to say the least.
While eating his meal, he continues to binge-watch more Newtube videos for some entertainment. Whether it was a cooking video or an analysis video, anything that can entertain his bored self is a good thing in his book.
Hold on, was there something that needs to do? No, he clearly remembers the task of grocery shopping, so it must be something else. But what is it?
It wasn't until he viewed his search history that he remembers exactly what needed to be done. He needs to fill up an application form in order to transfer to Jae Won High School. Luckily, his position as the only guardian of his own family allows for a smooth process of transfer. Plus, his dislike towards his current school helps make him less guilty.
And even if it doesn't work out, he's certain that manhwa logic can solve his issues neatly.
With that out of the way, he cleans up his food and went into his small bathroom to get ready. A mirror that stores his toiletries, a sink that stood next to the toilet, and a small shower area with a glass barrier on the side. All of that within the compact bathroom that can be access with a sliding door.
With not much, he quickly changed his clothes into a casual outfit. A plain beige shirt with a pair of long black jeans. Something simple for something plain like grocery shopping.
(Min Joon's clothes for reference)
While brushing his teeth, he didn't realise how little that he pay attention to his own face. A typical black hair with the typical Korean skin tone. The only thing that people may consider 'ugly' was the pimples surrounding his cheeks, but that didn't bother Min Joon one bit.
So why is he tempted to poke his oily face? Since when did he have the desire to take those oily bits out of his face?
...
...On second thought, perhaps applying face ointment on his face is a better idea.
After settling the whole face fiasco, he arrived at the grocery store. A big E-mart store that was a 10-min walk from his apartment. How oddly convenient that thing is.
Entering the store, he filled up his shopping cart with anything that his heart desires. Anything that he wants as long as his bag doesn't become a heavyweight.
This all leads to the cashier aisle, where some people were lining up to get their groceries paid. Not fully crowded like on a weekend, but a healthy amount of people to guarantee a thriving grocery mart.
Thankfully, there was a self-checkout counter available. As such, he quickly walked all the way over there to scan every item that he brought. All of that for a total of 75,000 won.
No wonder people find it cheaper to dine out here. These kinds of prices are enough to deter people's wallet, and that was considering that he brought a mix of essentials and convenience foods.
Luckily for him, being the only living member of his entire family has its own benefits. A swipe of a credit card is enough to pay off the high cost. Telling him that his family were rich would be an overestimate, considering that all of their assets belongs to him now.
Not that this privillege would last any longer. Without a source of income, to be exact. But he'd settle that issue later, especially with packing the items into his bag.
Leaving the grocery store, he put on his earphones and listen to some music while making his way back home. All that he wants was to go home and read through the entire Lookism story to catch up to speed with the latest chapter. He was so focused that he couldn't properly look at his surroundings and accidentally bump over someone.
Stumbling over the ground, Min Joon quickly picked up his things and apologised before looking at the person himself.
A short, light brown haired guy that was styled into a mullet with bangs. A tall pale skinned guy with a well-built muscular body and his long legs. With a black bomber jacket that suits his white long sleeve shirt and black shorts, he looks like the type of attractive bad boy that people fond over.
"Hey, do you have 500 won?"
Is he poor? Was this guy in need of some desperate cash?
No, his brown eyes wasn't giving off friendly vibes. He felt a cold stare into his soul instead. One thing's for certain, Min Joon doesn't want to face off someone who looks pissed.
And so, Min Joon quickly give him a single piece of 500 won in cash to the guy. He once again apologised to the guy before carrying his bag and walk out of the place as soon as possible.
'Heh. Such a weirdo.' the guy yawned before walking to his bicycle. At least he got some money.
Arriving at his house, Min Joon quickly placed his bag and lay on his couch once again.
Phew, thank god that he avoided what could've been a death situation. He hoped that the guy he accidentally pisses off doesn't come to find him. Because if he was expecting a fight to occur, you bet that he would run off instead. People may call it cowardly, but he sees it as an effective means of safety.
While unpacking the groceries, Min Joon pondered on the question of the guy he encountered a while back. Who was that guy? Why does he look familiar? Has he seen him somewhere before?
Even after clearing his grocery bag, his questions remain lingering in his mind. That was until he encountered a notification on his phone, telling him to access it on his 'R' mode. There, he learned that the person was added into his 'PTJ Dictionary' app. (whatever that was)
That sounds creepy as hell, but whatever. Anything to answer his questions.
And oh boy...was he not expecting the result. How could he forget the Seong Taehoon?
No wonder this guy look familiar. Seong Taehoon, a former Max FC fighter who was kicked out because of his wildness. Not that he was a fan or anything, just that his former classmates talked about him enough for his name to ring a bell.
Oh, and also the son of some Taekwondo legend. Not sure why he would mention it.
But that amusement of his appearance doubled when it comes to the listed information. Everything that connected to him was listed, from his likes and dislikes to the types of fighting styles that he have. It was almost as if someone was stalking him and listed down any information they could find, down to the personal-oriented ones.
What caught his attention was the status that was listed on his info page. Having someone like him being referred to as a main supporting character was odd enough, but he doesn't remember encountering him in Lookism.
So he went to the Webtoon app and his appearance on a thumbnail of a story named 'How To Fight' intirgued him. Up until this point, he assumed that the webtoon was nothing more than a story that will come out in the future. However, learning that the story begin serialisation since 16th November 2019 was a shocker to say the least.
And also, learning that it was written by the same author got
In all honesty, how the hell did he not notice this earlier? How was he suppose to know that the story took place in the same world as Lookism? He was flabbergasted, but who wouldn't upon learning this?
And then another question pop up in his mind. When did that app existed? He's pretty sure that such an intuitive app wouldn't exist in both modes. Gosh, these are making his brain hurt...
Scratch that. Put these questions on the back-burner and instead get investing into this webtoon. Just like his mental health.
20 chapters in, and he became invested in the story alright.
40 chapters in, and the conflicts and drama becomes juicy as hell.
60 chapters in, and he was brawling his eyes out in silent tears. Never thought he would get emotional over an 'asshole's backstory, but here he was doing exactly that. From today onwards, he can never hear the '500 won' line the same way.
Not that the situation wasn't on the news, but seeing this from a different perspective absolutely broke him. So much so that he needed to take a break from it and went onto to explores the story's fandom instead.
He ended up encountering a lot of things there, from people arguing over who is the best fighter to people shipping the characters with other characters or themselves. Heck, as someone involved in fandoms, he experienced a whiplash of emotions that switches constantly.
From edits and fanarts to stans and fanfics, it wa safe to say that this fandom is running smoothly alright. He even encountered stories that were link to these works, like Quest Supremacy and Manager Kim for example.
In short, he has fallen into a loophole. A loophole that is called the 'PTJ Universe'. And in all honesty, he doesn't mind it one bit. Besides,...
...
...its about damn time for some escapism.
(Taehun's women face filter. Edited by @glitzyruba on Pinterest)
Chapter 4: Dojang
Summary:
aka Beginnings (4)...
Notes:
Music used: Seoul by RM
Lyric Video by Lemoring
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Two days. That's how long it took for Min Joon to finish his reading marathon. Except for meal times and a messy sleep schedule, he mostly read through the stories without ill effect. Ending it with a satisfying finale to a short webtoon was such a great cap-off to the marathon.
As he sat back on his dining chair, his ginormous windows show a clear view of the peaceful night sky. No, he doesn't live under a rock to not understand the shimmering night. But he admitted that he rarely have any time to do nothing but to stare at it forever.
Whenever the night shines through his window, the feeling of calmness fills the entire house. The feelings of a peaceful and quiet environment that benefited him with its charms. And as cheesy as it sounds, it was the only sentence that he could think of for a question like this.
In his ideal world, he would just spend time in his house doing his favourite activities, all without a care of the world. If only reality could be this romantic, he wouldn't hate the world as it was.
But unless he ends his own life, he'd have no choice but to suck it up all over again and accept the disappointing reality. And while that idea felt tempting, it would make everything that happens here useless. It left an awkward taste in his mouth, much to his own chagrin.
Learning that same reality being fictional does not help, but at least he's trying to cope with it. In fact, it was a shocker to him that he got used to it quicker than he expected. He thought he would go down on a path of denial by now.
It's the weeb inside him. Yep, that's definitely it.
Looking at his phone, he encountered his messages to Mr. Unknown. Had it not been for their help, he would've been stuck in his room figuring out the mess. Not enough to lessen his supicions, but at least he got some answers out of their texts.
One of them was about the timeline of the universe. Since most of its manhwas are standalone stories, he could only rely on its references to connect the dots. Excluding 'Manager Kim', both he and Mr. Unknown could only speculate regarding the others' placements.
Speaking of the aforementioned story, its status as a prequel of his world essentially thrown all of his doubts out of the window. Its ongoing story serves as a history lesson behind some important legends, but he felt a sigh of relief over not interring a story that already happened years ago.
As for the others stories, only four of them matter in the grand scheme of things. One of them being such a good story that it felt best to not interfere with it. If only he wasn't using his opinions to mask his hatred of the Daily Pass system on the website. Damn you.
In conclusion, he would mostly get involved with the story of Lookism, while How To Fight and Quest Supremacy is more like a side mission. Funny how the holy trinity involved his home district in one or another.
Quite the coincidence, he dare say. Almost...too much.
Since when was Gangbuk a hotspot for delinquency?
Whatever. He should cut back on the stargazing for now. There's a new dilemma on the loose, and that is none other than money and morality.
The first one is finding an source of income. Even though he lives comfortably, it would only be a matter of time before money runs out. He was thinking of a part-time job, but that might interfere with this whole journey thing he have going on. Maybe becoming a NewTuber?
Right, he can make money from the site once he figures out the algorithim. But what kind of content should he do?
Whatever. He'll probably figure something out about the income, because he has an even bigger issue to settle. One regarding his stance as a morally grey person.
Should he fight or not fight? Living in a world of action manhwa, there is bound to be some fighting involved. That shouldn't be a problem, considering that he liked seeing ficitional people throw hands. Otherwise, why would he like Tokyo Revengers in the first place?
And there lies the fundamental problem. He likes watching people fight, but he doesn't like getting involve in one. Heck, he argued that some fights can be avoided if people just use their mouths instead of their fists. Or legs, if they're quite the kicker.
I mean, what could he say from someone who grows up as a pacifist in a world that actively encourages violence? People told him that his mindset is wrong, but he argued that choosing to be a good person in a world full of opposites is his way of fighting. That, and also from the lack of interest in martial arts.
But now? How could he remain pacifistic when his world is an action manhwa? Is there a way to compromise without losing his former self?
As much as he dislikes admitting this, learning self-defense skills is the only viable option here. There's no way he can interfere with the story without any fighting capabilities. Almost like a mandatory thing to do for the absolute survival.
So much for wanting to be a peaceful person. But then again, since when was life fair? If anything, reminding himself that he was doing this for his goal is one way to cope with his decision.
...
Sigh, if only the world was fair towards pacifism...
"Well, at least its better than nothing." he told himself while staring at the building.
Truth be told, he wasn't expecting to come here. The entire night was spent going through his options, which leads him to a Taekwondo center. He did not expect himself to show up here, yet here he is.
I mean, can you blame him for being interested in fictional stories instead of martial arts? That alone makes him sounds like he's not like other boys. That connotation only makes him feel uncomfortable, believing that there are others like him in this world.
Wait, why is he thinking about this? Shouldn't he be focusing on coming here in the first place?
Hayan Taekwondo. A dojang that he passed by every so often. The sight of children in accompanying their parents with their taekwondo uniform felt bittersweet to a parentless boy like boy. Oh, the craving of the parental love that was taken from him...
But nowadays, these sighting became rarer as the years went by. It was so bad that he assumed that the place was closed with the sign remaining intact. Thanks to reading 'Viral Hit' however, he learned that the place was indeed up and running with the help of tutoring sessions.
How bad was it that you have to rely on tuition classes to keep a place like this running? Wasn't it a common after-school activity for most Korean kids?
Now that he think about it, maybe that's the reason why this place was struggling. With its recognition as an after-school activity, taekwondo became such a common thing that people would rather invest their time in other martial arts instead. Plus, the fact that people raely taught as a legitimate martial art contributes to this issue.
If a beginner wants to learn self-defense, taekwondo is a good option for beginners. And Min Joon fits into this sentence like the stars aligned itself.
Letting out a sigh, he proceeded to walk up the stairs until he reached the second floor. Noticing a window, all that he noticed was the complete absence of people. Something that he amused him somewhat, despite being used to that kind of quietness.
Strange. Did they just close for the day? But the moving fan and the open sign indicates something else. Where is the owner?
He shouldn't be surprise by that peculiar sight after seeing the webtoon. But since Viral Hit only took place a year later, he was expecting a few attendants at best. The dissapointment over his shattered expectations were immeasurable.
"Um...Hello? Is anyone there?" Min Joon called before opening the door.
Entering the building, he saw the empty dojang* with green mats on the floor. All that he could do was scratch his head over the lack of people around.
He noticed a colorful leaflet on the blue notice board, listing the activities in a timely fashion. Taking a look at his phone, the time was shown as a quarter past 5 in the evening.
15 minutes before the first activity. Quite early for someone tardy like himself.
Thank god that the webtoon features a flyer of the place for him to screenshot it.
"Who the hell are you?"
Min Joon turned around to see the sight of a tall boy in his taekwondo uniform. Its the guy he bumped into on his grocery trip. How fun.
"Wait a minute, you're that same guy who bumped into me a few days ago." the boy widened his eyes in realisation.
"And you are?" asked Min Joon, acting clueless to the guy in front of him.
"Taehun Seong." the guy spoked. "What's your name, loser?"
"Kim Minjoon." he sighed calmly. "I'm here to-"
"No."
"No?"
"No. Get lost, I'm not gonna teach another loser."
"Wow, what a great teacher." he responded nonchalantly. What was he expecting? Taehun wasn't exactly the friendly type, so he expected that to happen.
Taehun ignored the shady comment that came out of the guy's mouth.
"So um...Where is the actual teacher?" asked Min Joon. "Your father?"
Taehun could only glare at him in response. The implication behind that question hurts his pride.
"Are you're saying that I'm not good enough to teach?" he growled in disbelief. His eyes were staring at him like a menacing hawk. It was clear that he was pissed as hell.
"But weren't you the one who doesn't want to teach me?" he clapped back. "So then, where's the actual fucking teacher?"
Min Joon quickly crossed his arm to defend himself from a back kick. While he defended his body with success, his arms weren't quite lucky. Almost immediately, he lay on the floor to grab his arm in pain.
"Ow! That fucking hurts!" he groaned in pain. Jeez, how do people suppress their pain when defending themselves?
"Heh. Guess you really are all talk and no bite." spoked Taehun.
"That's because I'm bad at fighting, dumbass. " said Min Joon. "Can you at least chill?"
Taehun pulld him closer through the collar, startling Min Joon with his angered eyes. The afromentioned could only gulped in silence.
"I'll show you chill when I kicked your ass."
"Kinky." he boldly stated, preparing to brace a punch to his face. Except, the punch was replaced by the confused expression from Taehun.
"Seong Taehun!" someone shouted.
Both of them turned towards the front door and saw a guy with brown hair and semi-rimmed glasses. A guy in his 40's who Min Joon also recognises from a webtoon, but choose to act clueless on.
"Dad? You came back? " asksd Taehun, who quickly let go of Min Joon's collar.
"Yes, Taehoon." the father spoked in dissapointment before placing his food on the receptionist table. "Can I suggest that you continue your intimacy session somewhere else?"
The two boys were bewildered by the absolute misunderstanding that the father implicated.
"What the hell, Dad!?" shouted a mortified Taehoon as he quickly grabbed his food from the table.
"Don't worry, it's a good thing that I brought the condoms."
"That makes it sounds worse!!" he shouted in embarrassment over his father suggesting something like that. While his father assures him that he was only joking, Min Joon stood up to comprehend the situation.
But in the end, he could only laugh at the absurdity of this situation. One moment he was about to get beaten, the next was a father and son bonding through a laughbly misunderstanding. It was quite the tonal whiplash of a situation.
"Damn, what a fruity asshole." he jokingly mumbled to himself. Something that fans of Taehun and Viral Hit called him as a joke. No way he would escape that accusation anytime soon.
"Don't mind my son. Puberty can do wonders to a person." the father told him. Was he referring to his attitude or his fruitiness?
"Are you the owner of this place?" he asked him, subsiding that question. "Hansu Seong?"
"Yes, that's my name." he adjusted his glasses. "Something wrong?"
Hansu Seong. A former taekwondo athlete that was helm in respectable terms, he was so good at taekwondo that he was invited to teach the martial art at North Korea at one point. Being the father of Taehun sounds like a surprise to some, but take a look at his past and you'd understand who Taehun inherited his wild personality from.
I mean, who would be bold enough to wear a taekwondo uniform for any occasion? Ah, the things he would do with that kind of confidence...
'Um...Are you just gonna stand there or-"
"O-Oh. Sorry, I just wanna ask you something." said Min Joon, awokened from his internal thoughts with a blink of an eye.
Gosh, he should really be more aware of his surroundings.
"Um, do you have a vacant spot for any of your classes?"
"Oh? You came here as a new student?" he noted in suprised. "Sorry for the misunderstanding. I thought that my son came out of the closet."
"Eh, it's fine." he said while shaking his head.
"Sorry, but my classes are full."
"Full? But there isn't anyone here?" he asked him.
"I'm the one taekwondo teacher in this place. So I have my limits." he responded. "Besides, this wouldn't cause me much stress for a small dojang like this."
With everything that he learned regarding the treatment of taekwondo amongst society, Hansu was making a good point there.
What was he expecting from a dojang that wasn't quite successful? One that relies on tutoring sessions to pay its monthly debt. Not to mention, being the only taekwondo tutor of this place comes with its understandable limits.
So, in a brink of irony, he felt dissapointed enough to let out a sigh.
"So be it. Put me on the waiting news in case a vacant spot appear."
He clenched his fists while turning towards the exist. His dissapointed was measurable enough to felt soul-crushing. The one thing that could start his progression towards his new goal was halted by a big rock. If anything, he felt a sense of confusion over his dissapointment.
If he couldn't learn in an actual dojang, who says that he couldn't learn about it through online? Newtube videos and martial apps exists within the comfort of his phone, yet he still felt dissapointed over something that may go against his pacifism. But why?
Was it becoming the chance of getting taught by a legend was gone?
...
Yeah, definitely because of that.
"Hey. How about I'll teach ya instead?"
The touch of a hand on his head forced Min Joon to turned around to view a smirking Taehun.
"Really? I thought you don't wanna teach me."
"Jeez, take it or leave it."
Definitely not what he was expecting, but he'd take anything at this point. Even from a jerk like Taehun.
"Sure. I accept it." he nodded. "Is it free?"
"Do you think everything is free?"
"...Fair enough."
Shortly after, he officially signed up for Taehun's taekwondo session. Aside from a question regarding Min Joon being his own guardian, the application went smoothly. Not like he haven't encountered such comments before, Hansu won't be the first nor the last person to do so.
"Don't forget to add his phone number." reminded Hansu as the two boys exchanged their numbers.
"Thank you, Taehun."
"Call me Master Seong during our class." spoked Taehun arrogantly.
"Ooh, kinky." he mumbled before noticing his unamused face.
"Sure, Master Seong." he nodded while rolling his eyes.
"Meet me here at 4.30 tomorrow." he said before Min Joon leaves the dojang. As he stumbles over the steps, he overheard Taehun snickering with a smug face. And so, he decided to show him one last thing.
"Farewell, asshole. See ya tomorrow." he bidded farewell while not facing him. All while sticking up his finger towards him before leaving the place. Safe to say, Taehun was tempted to chase the hell out of him but stopped with a malicilous grin.
...
Just you fucking wait, Min Joon. Just wait till he gives you hell.
(credit to @kaasjee on Tumblr)
Chapter 5: A New Start To His Life
Summary:
End of Beginnings Arc, Start of Exposition Arc
Notes:
Music used: Sure Thing by Miguel
Lyric Video by DAN Music
Chapter Text
3rd pov
True to his word, Min Joon does indeed go through hell.
By the time that his first session ended, he came out looking sweaty as hell from the tiresome training. Despite knowing that Taehun wouldn't go easy on him, he wasn't expecting him to be harsh to him from the get-go. Especially on the first session, mind you.
Call it an exaggeration, but this is coming from someone who places fitness as an afterthought. So much for karma hitting him like a truck.
But the most painful part was when he was instructed to do a split. Despite having a skinny body, he wouldn't call himself a flexible person. As such, it comes as no surprise that he can't do a single one to save his life.
Gosh, the internal pain from his sore legs is still present. Thank god that Taehun choose to have their session on a weekly basis, because he can't see himself surviving a daily session.
But despite that, it wasn't all that bad. As harsh as the session was, Taehun was an expert tutor
Having a cool taekwondo uniform is one perk that he can accept. A white uniform with a black and red collar on the V-neck top and a white belt to signifies his status as a beginner. The Adidas logo also makes it look fresh, so it was definitely worth getting the freebie.
Plus, as wild as he is, he'd admit that Taehun is an excellent taekwondo tutor. Enough to prove that his black belt isn't just for show. Bonus point for teaching him ITF-style instead of the commonly used WT-style. That'd be useful for any incoming fights.
So in a weird sense of admiration, his first session was a successful one. As long as he practice the basis, then everything would go in his favor. Oh, and getting used to Taehun's teaching methods. That's the price to pay to achieve his newfound purpose, he sighed.
But kicks can only get you so much till it reaches its limits. A street fight requires you to use your body to defend yourself. So what's the point of kicking someone if you don't know how to punch someone?
For that reason, Min Joon turned to the Internet as a source of guidance. Thanks to the webtoon 'How To Fight', he already has a name for the Newtube channel in mind. A channel that the story's MC encountered when he accidentally made a typo on his search bar.
It goes by the name of 'ehrgkTKdna', but he (and the fans) would like to call him 'Samdak.' A fitting name for the tutor that donned a big chicken mask.
Initially, he was confused with the content of the channel. 'Samdak' not speaking a loud tone, the realistic-looking video, no gibberish on the title, and 50k+ subscribers? Is this channel really the same channel that the MC watched?
And then his computer said that it was on 'R' mode.
Whoops, how embarassing...
Almost immediately, he switches it back to 'L' mode in shame.
No wonder the website was called Youtube instead of Newtube. You massive idiot!
He then searched up the channel again and it matches the details of the webtoon down to a tee. The gibberish titles, a louder Samdak that stayed true, the single zero digit on his subscriber count, and the similar yet familiar tips within the videos. Definitely the same channel that appeared on the webtoon.
Best to bookmark the channel link instead of subscribing it. Having no subscribers with little views gives the impression that the Newtuber only view his videos. Quite the smart idea from a dumbass, he told himself.
Skipped forward to Sunday evening, Min Joon decided to go to the salon for his monthly haircut session. Nothing too special, just the usual routine of trimming, washing, and drying his hair. Not that he can dye his hair anyway, that privilege belongs to the beauty department.
While waiting for his hair to be blown, he decided to open his smartphone and scroll through social media. There, he saw a video that was circulating online like a a viral phenomenon. A video about a handsome guy bullying a small chubby guy through a punch to the screen. One that he recognised as the MC himself.
Well, at least he doesn't look like a Kim Jong-Un lookalike.
Though, that makes it harder to watch the video itself. No wonder the MC didn't appear at the salon, it seems to follow the anime route of him getting beat up by the guy over a misunderstanding.
On one hand, part of him wanted to interfere and protect him from the bully, but that'd attract too much attention. He needs to keep his goal discreet unless he wants to fuck up the timeline. And as much as it hurts to think like that, the show must go on.
Still, reading the mean comments on the video shows just how much time these people have. People can easily put a mask and mock someone online and get away without any repercussions. A depressing fact to think about, but that's the way the world works.
Hell, had he not known that the MC didn't mean to come off as creepy, he would've been glad that someone stopped a potential creep. That creepy smile did not do him any favors.
On the other hand, knowing the entire situation through the MC's lenses got him realising just how much of a simp the bully, punching him despite his girl's plead to do the opposite. I felt bad for her in a way. Too bad that he caused quite the scene to go viral on Pacebook.
Sucks that he couldn't help the MC, but doing so out of the blue will put him on the limelight. He has many opportunities to do so, but today isn't one of them. So much for being a morally grey person.
"Um sir, may I blow your hair?" he heard someone asked him.
Min Joon faced the mirror to see a guy with dark blue hair with pink and lavender highlights. Once again, it was another person that he recognised from a fictional story, but for the main story this time.
"Sorry but I can you repeat what you said?" he asked nicely.
"I said, would you like me to blow your hair?"
Oh, that's what he meant. He felt relief about it.
"Sure." he replied before the worker start drying his hair. At least he isn't cutting his hair, he would rather trust anyone but him on doing a haircut.
"There, it's done." said the worker after turning off the hairdryer. "How is it? Is it good?"
"Good enough." Min Joon stood up and stared at his new haircut. Just the same haircut that he have before but his sides are around the short length. The typical monthly haircut that he grew accustomed to, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Thank you, um..."
The worker pointed to his nametag for my eyes to see.
"Jang Hyun?"
"Yep, that's my name. And you're welcome."
(image credited to @Xyosan on Pinterest)
Jang Hyun, or more commonly known as Eli Jang. The only boy from the female-dominated beauty department, he is considered by many girls to be quite attractive. Seeing his tall structure and slender body frame up close, Min Joon could see that the girls weren't lying.
Though, what's with his hideous hair? Comparing this to his many hairstyles, this is one of the hairstyles ever. Keep the highlights but toned down the blue dye to a lighter tone. But as much as he wants to voice his opinion, Min Joon would rather let Eli figure that out instead.
Too bad that he isn't getting much fanfare to the point of irrelevancy, but that's a story for another day.
Thank god that his attractiveness distract people from his amateur hair cutting skills. Becaue to be honest, let's just say that he won't be on any list of recommended hairstylists anytime soon. And if any Eli stans were hurt by this comment, Min Joon would tell you all to grow up and accept the truth.
"Um...Are you just gonna stand there or-"
"O-Oh. Sorry! I'll go now." Min Joon apologised before quickly leaving the salon. "Bye, Eli."
"Eli?"
"I-I mean Jang Hyun." he covered his face in embarassment.
Ugh, how embarrassing! Thank god he pay the salon bill.
The sky already turned to nightime by the time he arrived at home. After eating some takeaway katsudon for dinner, he decided to double-check all the things that felt essential. Precisely because it will be the last day before the second semester started. Something about it felt bitter, mostly from his desire for the holidays to never end. But as the saying goes, nothing lasts forever.
So with that thought out of the way, he concluded that there were a few small things that he haven't done yet. A few days have passed by without texting the unknown number, but Min Joon assumed that the man was busy. He hasn't even started his source of income yet. And also, what the hell is he gonna wear for school?
Calm your horses, he told himself that. One question at a time.
He can text the number later, he's starting to grow on him despite his suspicions. He doesn't have to start his Newtube channel immediately, he can put that aside from now. As for the clothes? Well, signing up for the fashion department has its advantages. And that benefit is that he can wear normal clothes to the school. Sort of.
The school technically has a dress code like many other schools, but with a touch of liberty. The difference is that the fashion department allows him to alter his school uniform without any hassle. One day he could wear a sweater underneath his school shirt, another day would be wearing a pair of sport shoes. If anything, joining the department allow him to have complete freedom over his choice of school attire as long as it doesn't cross the dress code.
To put it simply, he can alter the uniform to look like normal clothes. Quite the privilege to have for a school like this.
And with that out of the way, he sent a message to Mr. Unknown to no response. Thinking that he was busy, Min Joon decided to go take a shower to pass the time. He hopes that he can text him him back by the time he finishes. If not, then he better respond before he sleeps.
...
Can't wait for tomorrow to arrived...
He should've woken up the minute his alarm was silent.
He woke up around 7.30 am today. That might sound like good timing, considering the 20-minute drive from Gangbuk to Yongsan. But one thing that you may not know is that Min Joon takes a hefty while to ready himself due to his distrated nature. So in his mind, he's behind schedule.
Definitely regretting his decision of staying up late last night. Why the fuck did he do that for someone to respond to his message?
With no time to spare, he settle his breakfast with an item called 'Egg In The Hole'; which consists of 2 slices of bread with a sunny-side egg in the middle. All that he have to do was to put it in a microwave for a single minute. Once it's done, he quickly bite the hell out of that delicious garlic bread.
And then the uniform. The school did not provide the uniform, so the responsibility is place on the students themselves. Don't worry, Min Joon could use part of his old uniform for his new uniform instead. His white long-sleeve uniform can still fit, along with his long grey pants. The only thing he brought was his blue tie, but that isn't enough for him to stood out amongst the crowd. Something that he desire for his first day of school.
As for his shoes, he choose a pair of white off-brand sneakers. Plain and simple, not noteworthy enough for attention. Exactly what he envisioned for the day.
With everything ready, he turned off all the lights and grab his backpack before leaving the house. Checking his phone, he realised that he only have 45 minutes till school starts. He quickly runs towards the nearest bus station where people were lining up for their destination.
Seeing the correct number from the bus, he quickly flash his transportation card before finding a seat. Luckily, there was an empty seat available for him so he takes the opportunity to take it. It was a good thing that the bus has designated seats for the pregnant and the elderly, thus avoiding the possibility of talking to people.
By the time his bus stopped, he was five minutes away from reaching the half an hour mark. He quickly walked out of the bus door and make his way to the school. Even though he dislike school in general, something about entering a new school filled him with a wrapped sense of optimism. Not because of the school itself, but rather that he have something looking forward to for the first time in his life.
Meeting people that he's familiar with thanks to a webtoon. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Staring at the school itself, he check his watch to see that he reached here at 8.25 a.m, a 5-minute walk from the nearest bus station. He entered the school to see that a bunch of students staring at a boy, with whispers flying around the environment.
A tall boy with a healthy athlectic build that makes him handsome. Everywhere he goes would leave women infatuated and men intimitated by his beauty. His handsome look was comparable to that of a famous celebrity, a mix of an KPOP idol and a fashion model.
Min Joon wasn't guilty for following the crowd. He can't help but admit that he was amoured by his handsome look. Despite wearing similar things, he certainly think that he rocks it better than he could ever do.
...
Afterall, who could serve main character energy better than the MC himself?
(credit to @_maashk_ on Pinterest)
Chapter 6: Day 1
Summary:
aka Expositions (2)
Notes:
Music used: Day 1 by Red Velvet
Lyric Video by Jenirus(Just a heads-up. The narration will call some characters by their English names, while the dialogue will refer to them by their Korean names.)
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Park Hyungseok, also known as Daniel Park. The protagonist of Lookism, he was one of the most popular characters of the story. And seeing his beauty up close, Min Joon could sense the main character energy coming from him.
To have such beauty as him that catches everyone's attention. Boy, he could never!
Still, he does have a soft spot for the guy despite his naivety. After all, how do you feel if you suddenly found yourself in another body? Let alone the ability of switching between this and his original body?
Yes, the guy in the video was Daniel's original body. The one where he was constantly bullied till the point of transferring to this school. That fact alone makes him guiltier for not helping, remembering that this was the only way to avoid getting bullied from the video. Society functions on pretty privilege, after all.
Naturally, the most obvious thing to do is to strike up a conversation with him. Both of them are indeed the new students for this semester, so bonding over their new circumstances makes total sense. As for how he's gonna talk to him, Min Joon will have to thanked Mr. Unknown for providing him tips to talk to a real 'fictional' character. No more talking to imaginary people in his head; that can be done later. He better not mess this conversation up!
"Wow, only your first day here and you manage to garnered people's attention." started Min Joon, trying his best to not sound awkward.
"Yeah..." he responded. "But how do you know that?"
"Because this school doesn't have someone as handsome as you." complimented Min Joon. "If you weren't a new student, you would've been well-known in this school."
"Sure..." he responded timidly. Min Joon sensed that Daniel was worried about getting bullied, something that resulted from his low self-esteem. But for now, best to not address the elephant in the room.
"So what's your name?"
"Park Hyungseok. You?"
"Kim Minjoon. Which department are you in?"
"Fashion department."
"Really? The exact department that I'm joining." surprised Min Joon. Not like he doesn't know that from the start, but gotta act oblivious for plot's sakes.
"You're a new student too?" he asked him before he nodded his head. "That's great! How about we become transfer buddies?!"
"Transfer buddies?" he wondered while staring at Daniel's eyes that filled with hope. Damn, this guy is good at doing puppy eyes.
"Fine, I accept." smiled Min Joon calmly. He then grabs Daniel's hand and enters the school together. Phew, at least things went with his favor.
While doing so, Min Joon can't help but admired the school's lively environment. Despite looking like a typical school with the emphasis on the color white, seeing people talking to each other makes this school less of a barren wasteland. Not something that he'd engaged unless with a 'fictional' character, but it does make his day less boring to say the least.
Jaewon High School. Can't wait to enjoy this prestigious school.
...
If only he wasn't lying to himself again...
"Okay class, settle down." called the teacher. "We have two transfer students today."
"A transfer student?"
"Two of them?"
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Maybe its the best of both worlds?"
The classroom went silent upon a student entering the class.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Min Joon." he introduced himself. He was met with a neutral response, not much to write about an average boy. This won't let him down though; this was the response he was expecting afterall.
And then, the whole room shifted the moment Daniel enters the class.
"Hi. I'm Park Hyungseok. Nice to meet you."
The moment he was introduced, his presence caused a stir among the class. The girls whose heart was racing, and the boys being cautious about him. Even Min Joon imagined a pile of flowers scattered across the room upon the girls' squeals.
"There's a lot of things they don't know since they're new, so everyone be nice to them." told the teacher. He then assigned their seats, with both of them taking the empty seats that was near each other. Coincidence? He hardly knows them.
Turning to his left, he noticed a guy with long dyed yellow bangs that covered his eyes. Judging by the Chrome Hearts rings that he wore on his fingers, he can deduce that he is indeed a rich boy. Not surprising coming from someone whose quite closed-off from others.
"Hi, what's your name?" Min Joon whispered softly.
' Jaeyeol. '
'Jaeyeol, huh?' he smiled casually before realisation hits him. Did he just understand his silent language?
But wait, who the hell is Jaeyeol? Well...
Jaeyeol Hong, or as many fans would like to refer him as Jay Hong. The son to the Hong group, he is someone who is an extremely quiet person who rarely speaks, if at all. This, combine with the fact that he never opens his mouth, makes it hard for most people to understand him; which mades it all the more shocking that Min Joon could.
"Jaeyeol it is, then." he gently told him. And judging from Jay's surprised reaction, Jay was also astonished that he could understand him too. Min Joon was squealing in his mind, being grateful over the fact that he can understand Jaynese.
Yes, that's the name he gave for his language. Don't ask.
Looking behind him, he sees Daniel talking with the guy beside him. With his slick-back haired and sharp glaring eyes, he recognises him as the jerk who punched Daniel's original body in the video. Seeing his eyes were enough to tell him that he has a short-temper, so best to not mess with him for now.
"There she goes. Again." someone muttered that drawn his attention. His eyes focus on a girl with shoulder-length hair that curves at the bottom. Her curvy figure was quite attractive, despite her uniform exposing her large set of boobs.
"Hyungseok? Hi, I'm Ha Neul." she introduced herself before telling him that he has something on his face
"Huh? Where?"
"Handsome thing." she responded in a cheeky tone. To Daniel, he blushed over the first time a girl flirted with him. To Min Joon, he can't help but chuckled at how cheesy her joke is.
"Hey, Ha Neul. stop flirting and sit down. It's annoying." spoked the guy beside Daniel.
"Oh, Jin Sung! Scary~" she yelped, faking it to mask her anger on the jerk. That was enough for Min Joon to giggled at her ridiculous antics. He finds amusement in her irritation, after all.
Yep, that's Ha Neul alright.
Park Ha Neul, also known as Zoe Park. A kind but flirtatious girl, she was initially only interested in handsome people before going through character development Whatever that development is, Min Joon would not want to spoil it on accident. Still, she remains pne of the most popular female characters, one that have some kind of relevance in the story.
If only that rings true for the rest of them...
"Why are you acting so weird, Ha Neul?" groaned Jin Sung.
"Hey, the announcements aren't over yet." said the teacher. "Park Ha Neul, go back to your seat." he continued before she sadly walked back to her seat.
At least Min Joon avoided the furious wrath of the guy.
Fast-forward to lunchtime, and the students rushed towards the canteen. When he entered the room, he saw the room was amazed by the sight of Daniel. It was as if time froze whenever he goes; for people to admire his astonishing looks.
Seeing him talking to Zoe, Min Joon's only concern was about the lunch that the school provided. Some rice and fish soup that serves with three different kinds of banchan; side dishes that consist of vegetables, chicken, and kimchi. The typical school meal of a Korean school, nothing special.
He also chose to sit beside Daniel, who was glad to get his own food instead of serving others. Since lunchtime was an hour long, this gives him enough time to struck a conversation with the protagonist. Min Joon knowing him from the forbidden webtoon was a double-edge sword; he could easily talk to him thanks to that hindsight, but he also needs to act like he doesn't know him before. Maintaining a facade is hard when the chances of slipping up exists, but that's the thrill of it all, he supposed.
"Hey newbies!" called someone who looked like a goon. "We need to talk after lunch."
Min Joon could only groan in response. Can't he just enjoy his food in peace?
Seeing his friend's terrified face, he calmed Daniel down by assuring him that everything will be okay. He hesitantly smiled in return.
After lunch, they find themselves in an alley surrounding by three students that looked like thugs. Unlike Min Joon, Daniel was shaking in his shoes, worrying that they're only here to get bullied by these thugs. Min Joon silently sighed over his worries. Who the hell would bully him with his handsome look?
"So your names are Hyungseok and Min Joon?" asked one of them. Min Joon silently nodded, patting Daniel to do the same.
"Where you guys from?" he asked before handling us a pack of cigarettes.
"Man, you're freaking tall."
"You...hehe...made trouble and that's why you're here, right?" he told Daniel. "Look at them shoulders...do you work out? You must be a ladykiller."
"And you, Min Joon. You look...very basic." the skinny goon complimented him. "A basic person but quite blunt too."
"Thanks." he said, taking in the backhanded compliment. An honest person? Min Joon wouldn't call himself that. Far from it.
"Sorry, but I don't smoke." he bluntly stated. "Tried it once and it didn't go well. Rather have normal lungs instead."
He wasn't lying about that. He did try to smoke once after hearing that people used it for escapism. Let's just say that it was unpleasant enough for him to never do it again. In his eyes, anything fictional is a healthier source of escapism than smoking.
"What about you, Hyungseok?" asked the goon. He and his friends seems pissed from that earlier comment, but they did a good job in hiding it.
"I quit smoking." he flat out told them. "And I don't know any girls."
One lie, one truth. He could tell that Hyungseok was shivering right now. So, Min Joon decided to intervene before the conversation turns awkward.
"Sorry, but we should go now." he told them before grabbing Daniel's hands and leave the alley.
Skipping forward to the final class of the day, Min Joon was already feeling bored from the teacher's teachings. He keeps saying things about concentrating on the lesson for exams; it honestly makes the lesson more boring. And judging by the others students, he wasn't the only one.
He looked over to Daniel's seat to see him passed out on his desk. Min Joon wonders if Daniel got any sleep at all, since sleeping in one body equals to waking up in another. And he doesn't mean the bodies themselves, he meant his consciousness from the absence of dreaming.
As much as he doesn't wanna think about it, he was glad that he doesn't have two bodies. What a relief.
The moment the bell rings, everyone collectively packed their bags and leave the room. All except Min Joon, Daniel and Zoe. While staring at her trying to wake him up, Min Joon took out his phone and opens a text notification from Mr. Unknown.
.
.
.
Mr. Unknown
Hey, has your class ended yet?
Yeah, just ended. Y?
Well, you do know what will happen tonight, right?
Of course! I didn't read the webtoon for nothing 😐
Chill, my friend. Just wanna ask a question.
Do you want to interfere with tonight's events?
Is there any consequences for picking the wrong option?
There is no wrong option. Plain and simple.
.
.
.
Right, tonight's events involves a FamilyMart and a bullying case for Little Daniel. Knowing this, it makes him deciding on his actions kinda tedious. Should he or should he not interfere with the bullying?
On one hand, doing so would get to meet Daniel in his original body. Helping him could lead to a blossoming friendship, although you may end up making an enemy with the bullies. Heck, if anyone were in his position, they would gladly help the poor guy out.
On the other hand, the place is too far from his home in Gangbuk. Not to mention, wouldn't he accidentally reveal to him that he knows more than he lets on? That'd be suspicious as hell; he wouldn't know how to come up with a logical excuse to cover it up.
Debating the question in his head, he notice Daniel standing up to thank Zoe for waking him up. Min Joon smirked at the sight of a blossoming ship; a ship about the protangonist and the love interest. Sounds cheesy as hell, but isn't that any rom-com in general?
Looking back on his phone, he officially made up his mind. He has come to a decision that will impact the timeline that he grew up in.
.
.
.
Mr. Unknown
No, I won't interfere with tonight's events
Hm...Interesting...
Normally, someone in your position would jump at that opprtunity.
But you choose to do the opposite. Why is that?
For timeline's sakes
That's all?
Yep. Idk what else to say
Okay, noted. Gotta go. Bye!
*Mr. Unknown went offline*
That was quick, ngl
.
.
.
With a sigh, he leaves the classroom and makes his way to the bus station. Nothing to do but listening to music on some earphones to put himself at ease.
He have a lot of reasons for making that decision, but his brain couldn't decipher the mess. As heartless as it sounds, it is an important event that the protangonist must suffer for. He doesn't want to see Daniel get bullied, in fact it felt guilty over not doing anything. But without it happening, a butterfly effect may end up happening. And he doesn't have the time to handle it right now.
...
Sorry, Daniel. It all will pay off tomorrow.
(credit to @built6724 on Pinterest)
Chapter 7: Class Fight
Summary:
aka Expositions (3)
Notes:
Music used: Class FIght by Melanie Martinez
Lyric Video by Divinity
Chapter Text
3rd pov
With a ring of a phone alarm, Min Joon woke up from a tedious nap. Even though he tries to deny it, he accepted the fact that his guilty conscience overtook his peaceful sleep. Still, the past is the past; there's no way for him to go back and change his mind.
Another day, another trip to school. Funny how things simmer down the moment the first day ended. Almost like you have adapted into a new situation with what little curiosity remains. And for Min Joon, he's pretty much having that same feeling. Albeit, a bit more chill than he expected.
Probably because he got used to seeing the 'fictional' characters as his schoolmates. He should definitely stop calling them fictional, but the line between fiction and reality can be blurring sometimes. Especially having their information on a dictionary app that doesn't exist to all but himself.
Oh, well. He could think of that for another time. He better get ready before he misses the bus.
Minutes later, he gets out of the bus and walked towards his school. School is a dull occasion for the guy, even he was shocked that such a special vocational high school haven't changed his opinions regarding schools. One might wonder why he didn't choose to go homeschooling. Well, why would he be homeschooled when he can go meet some notable people?
As an introvert, that thoughts sounds way out of place for him. Is meeting people who are fictional characters a good way to come out of his bubble? Hell no, he'd only interact with people when necessary. And building a good friendship with some of them is a strategic move that comes handy in the future. The more you know.
He was thinking so much that he forgot where he was looking and accidentally bumped into someone.
"Shit, sorry for bumping into you." he quickly apologised. Ugh, how embarrassing!
"Oh, it's fine." she forgave him through a smile. "Say, are you from the fashion department?"
"Um...Yeah?"
"Wait.. You're that other new boy from my class, huh?" she asked him with curiosity.
"Yeah." he responded before realising what she meant. "Wait, are you the girl with the braided hair?"
"Yep." she said, pointing at her auburn hair. "Have I introduce myself yet?"
"No, I don't think so." he replied. If she did, she would've appeared on the character dictionary by now. In all honesty, he was expecting that the moment Daniel enrolled in this school. Still, he doesn't mind being on the sidelines, quite a good option to have for now.
"Well, call me Mi Jin then." she smiled before leaving him alone. "Well, shall we get going?"
(credit to @Xyosan on Pinterest. Quite hard to find her in her old hairstyle)
Kim Mi Jin, also known as Mira Kim. Another popular girl in the story, she is a kind and caring girl who dislikes fighting and believes that problems can be solved through alternate means. Although, Min Joon prefers her well-knowned hairstyle as opposed to this braided one.
Come to think of it, Min Joon only realises that his stance on fighting is similar to hers. As for why it took learning this from the character dictionary to realise this remains a mystery till this day. No, he will leave the perplexing question on the sidelines. At least let his brain relax a bit, would ya?
Regardless, he should be grateful that Mira isn't wearing glasses here like in the anime. Not that it doesn't look good on her, but he rather have that apply to a new person instead of an existing one. Still, at least he gets to meet someone who was absence from recent chapters.
After she disappeared from his sight, he continues to walk until he reaches his classroom. Reading a class sign that reads 'fashion department', he enters the classroom and make his way towards his seat. Once taken his seat, he looked around his classroom to see that school hasn't started yet, meaning everyone was minding their own business.
Some were doing their homework. Some choose to talk to their classmates. Some choose to get their dearly-missed sleep, while others were scrolling through their phone. Basically, people are doing anything to pass the time, and Min Joon isn't any different from his peers.
Not wanting to get bore quickly, he took out his phone to scroll through some webtoons that he read. He proceeded to read a story called 'Quest Supremacy', a story that doesn't take itself too seriously. That notion is enough for him to appreciate the otherwise flawed story.
'What are you reading?' someone silently asked him.
"Just an interesting story, Jaeyeol." he replied to the quiet teen. He still isn't used to understanding a silent person.
His response...wasn't what he was expecting. How could Jay mistaken the story for that famous manhwa? And then he remembers that his phone was in 'R' mode, combining with the fact that Quest Supremacy takes place in his world.
Guess it wasn't lying when only Min Joon himself can view the 'R' mode, otherwise the fourth wall couldn't been too broken to no return.
"Really? Have you read it before?" he asked the quiet guy, deciding to go along with the misunderstanding.
"Oh, you only know it because of your sister?" he translated his words. "And you're not interested?"
'Yep.' nodded Jay before looking at the window.
Gosh, he is still not used to the silent language, let alone deciphering his words conveniently. What kind of main character energy was this?
Nevermind, Min Joon have that energy the moment his worldview was changed. Why bother asking?
"Oh, Hyungseok. Hi, how are you?" he heard Zoe greeted. Min Joon turns his face to look at Daniel's arrival, greeting him with a simple wave of the hands. He awkwardly waved back before his attention was on Zoe.
"Come here. He has something funny to show us!" she exclaimed before one of the goons explained that it was a photo of a naked Daniel in his original body.
"Geez! Nude? You took a photo of that?" she exclaimed in shocked. "Nope~ I can't see. Gross!"
If only it wasn't an act of coyness to look good in front of Daniel, Min Joon would've given her the benefit of the doubt. Thanks to the source material for revealing her thoughts.
Hearing the incident makes him feel guilty. His decision regarding last night's event still lingers in his heart over his decision to not interfere, but the story must go as it should. A part of him felt like a hypocrite, but he was too deep into his guilt to figure out its whereabouts.
While they were on the topic, Jin Sung was getting praised for such a lighting-fast punch. He pretends to brush it off, saying that he isn't proud of using a straight punch instead of throwing a jab. But one thing that was evident from his voice was the growing ego of a bastard.
But the one thing that tipped Min Joon over was the comments towards Daniel's parents. The big goon was taking his insults towards his mother too far; ranging from potentially stripping them naked to suggesting she'd be better off aborting her child if he was in her position.
Suffice to say, Min Joon was fuming on the inside. This bastard really wants to be on every single mother's hitlist, huh? Would he still say that shit to his own mother then? Or, a much better question, how would you feel if someone says the same thing to you? The absolute nerve to say such thing.
'Hey, are you okay?'
Hearing Jay's concerning question got him realising that his facade was slipping. Not that he doesn't feel wrong to be angry, but he couldn't tell him why it bothers him so much. Afterall, how should he tell him that his tension came from his guilt?
"Kinda. Just...a little pissed. That's all." he responded to him. That's all he could think of before he heard Daniel telling them that they have gone too far. Sure enough, seeing Mira looking at him got Jin Sung so pissed that he kicked his table across the floor.
"Hey. You'e fucking funny, y'know that? Get up you fucking worm." he challenged him. Within a blink of an eye, people immediately gathered around to watch the fight unfolds. It was like watching a reality show; where infighting between people are what kept viewers entertained. But aside from that, why do people like to see others fight?
Do people like to see animals within humanity doing all sorts of actions? Do people like to hear the filthiest language coming from both sides? Yes, but the most common reason for this kind of fascination is because of how cool it looks. And Min Joon hates to admit it, but fighting looks cool whenever it involves unfamiliar people.
But this fight is happening in his own eyes. Not through a webtoon, but through an actual classroom involving real 'fictional' people. While Daniel seems tough, his thoughts were filled with panic. For someone who isn't a fighter, this is his nightmare on steroids. But as much as Min Joon wants to interfere, he gonna have to let him fight for the story to flow.
Similar to yesterday, but with less guilt involved. Gosh, why he needs to remind himself that?
"H-Hey. Can we just don't fight?" asked Daniel. "I wasn't trying to start a fight."
"Hm, I can see that. If you were, your pose wouldn't be crap to begin with." stated Jin Sung.
Mira tried to intervene by telling him to stop, but the sight of her eyes laying on Daniel instead of him triggers him more. Just as he was about to throw a punch, his arm was grabbed by none other than Jay. Seeing him step up for the first time stir up more chatter from the others. All but Min Joon whose interest on the fight was outweighed by his awareness of the outcome.
"Let go, you dick!" shouted Jin Sung who shakes off the blonde's grip. He proceed to throw a punch towards Daniel's face, only for him to dodge it with ease. This surprised almost everyone in the room, since Jin Sung was a speedy boxer. Well, everyone except Min Joon himself.
Knowing the outcome, he decided to take out his phone and scroll through Tumblr. Some might find it odd to do so in the middle of the fight, but isn't pulling out thier phones to record the fight weird too? Besides, he won't get involved with this fight. Just like the teachers here.
Meanwhile, Daniel continues to dodge the punches with ease until he was backed against a row of lockers. Seeing this weakness, Jin Sung uses this opportunity to land a punch on his face. Unfortunately, Daniel catches his punch so fast that it got people taking even more.
While Jin Sung panicked that he was fighting an experience fighter, said fighter was worried over not knowing what to do. But through remembeirng everything leading to this incident, he gained enough to motivation to punch him in the solar plexus. It hurts so bad that Jin Sung could only lie on the floor and clutch at his stomach.
Seeing the sight of that was enough for Min Joon to stopped what he was doing.
"Didn't expect you to be a fighter too." he spoked nonchanlantly. His eyes weren't focusing on Daniel, but on Jin Sung instead. Or as he like to call him in his head, Zack Lee.
(found it on Pinterest.)
Lee Jin Sung, also-knowned as Zack Lee. A kind person at hear despite his poor manners and lack of imprudence, this 'bully' is an important main character in the story. In fact, the only reason this whole fight happened was due to his own jealousy over his affection to Mira.
Yes, he is a simp for the girl. As if it wasn't quite blatant enough.
Despite him starting out as a asshole, he will go through the one thing that happens over the course of the story; character development. It was for that reason alone that prompted Min Joon decided to help him lift him off the floor. He give him a piggyback ride to the nurse office; ignoring the possibility that it could be heavy for his average body.
"Need any help?" asked Daniel.
"Nah, I think I could handle it." responded Min Joon. As soon as his assured him, he quickly left the classroom and make his way to the nurse office. Despite his best to ignore the increasing eyes that lay on them, their mindless chatter was gonna bring Zack to a breaking point. So Min Joon decided to speak up.
"Hey, don't you all have class or something? Go back before the teachers arrive."
People quickly became less interested and went on their seperate ways.
Finally. Some much-needed peace.
Arriving at the office, a nurse noticed us and immediately brings Zack to a clean bed. She asked Min Joon to bring in an ice-pack from the freezer, which he gladly obliged.
"Take off your shirt." she asked him. He reluntantly proceed to do so, exposing a large bruise around his abdomen. "Hey, could you pass me a small towel?" she asked Min Joon. He then passed her a small turquoise towel that wraps around the ice pack.
As she holds the ice on the bruise, he was frantically wincing over the shock of the cold. Min Joon couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction; he finds his reaction quite amusing anyway. The nurse then askedhim to hold on the ice, while she finds the first-aid kit. This essentially leave both him and Zack alone, leaving enough room for a conversation.
"You didn't have to help me, y'know?" mumbled Zack.
"I know." spoked Min Joon. "You got a problem with that?"
"No. Just curious, that's all."
"I just felt like it. That's all."
He noticed a surprised expression form the guy's face.
"What? Are you that surprise?"
"No. I just thought you have an agenda or something."
"Agenda?"
"Yeah, like um...like you wanna help me in exchange for a favor. Something like that, I guess?"
"Well, its hard to find people who don't have one anyway." he sighed. "Besides, I don't like people who pulled that kind of stunt. Then again, its the human nature in us that got us doing shitty actions anyway."
Like how he allowed Daniel to get bullied for the sake of the timeline. Gosh, he really needs to do something about his guilt.
"Oh, you're back nurse." he looked at the door to see her carrying a first-aid kit. She then applies arnica ointment on the bruise before applying some elastic bandage on it.
"Good news, it isn't a serious injury. But you may need some rest for the next few days." she calmly stated. "Also, don't do too much physical actions as possible."
"Oh."
"As for you, you can go back to your class." she told Min Joon. Do let the teacher know though."
" Yes, Mrs. Nurse." he nodded before he leave the office. But not before waving goodbye to Zack. The guy responded with the same action too before Mon Jomm closes the doors.
Good, he's on respectable terms with the boxer. For now.
As he make his way towards his class, he bets that the other departments are taking notes of what transpired today. Daniel will definitely attract new allies and enemies, ones that may or may not held importance to the overall plot. But enough about that, now Min Joon is left with one perplexing question.
...
What shall he do next?
(credit to @maybekoya on Tumblr)
Chapter 8: Late Night at a Convenience Store
Summary:
aka Expositions (4)
Notes:
Music used: Always by Daniel Caesar
Lyric Video by Cassiopeia
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Well, say goodnight to his sleep, he supposed.
Still, that won't stop him from going to a convenience store in the middle of the night. Not just any convenience store, but the store where the MC's original body works as a part-timer. But since it isn't nearby his house, he took a bus towards the nearest station across the store.
Not like he cares about being sleep-deprived anyway. So much for having insomnia.
It was easy to find the store thanks to its signature colors of blue, white and green. He was actually shocked that it was a GaJang store, as he thought all of their stores were rebranded as 'C.U'. How the hell did Daniel gets to work at one of the rarest convenience stores in Korea? Like hell he knows!
Once he enters the store, his eyes were focused on a short, chubby boy with glasses that stood behind the cashier counter. So focused that he ignored the chiming bell that came before him. With his mint shirt and his long sleeves, Min Joon could absolutely tell that he was indeed the person that he mentioned. All alone on his night shift, ain't that sound depressing enough?
Nevermind, that sounds way too much like himself. But Min Joon has something to escape his problems. Daniel, on the other hand, not so much. That's one difference between the two of them.
Seeing Daniel in his original body got him feeling pity for the little guy. Despite all the bullying he went through, he mostly doesn't treated others the way that he was looked down upon by others. Sure, he would take out his anger on his mother, but that'd undoubtedly changed in the future.
Perhaps his sympathy toward the guy is what prompted him to waved at him before walking through the aisles of the mart. Something he wouldn't normally do whenever he isn't trying to put on a facade. Then again, who wouldn't want to greet the protagonist anyway?
Plus, eyeing on Min Joon may look stalkerish, but the latter knew better that it was for good intentions. Daniel's earnest smile should spell out any doubts. Too bad that his appearance was what people pay attention to. The usual fucked-up beauty standards in the home that is South Korea...
Makes you wonder how people could cope with these kinds of bullshit.
Hearing his stomach rumbling, he grabbed a peach-coloured ramen cup from the ramen isle. Carbonara-styled chicken ramen, eh? Just the mention of it sounds appetising enough, especially when it comes from a brand like Hamyang. And accompanying it with a can of orange juice help elevate his basic meal. Not that he minds it, he just wanna not get bore by the routine. Y'know, to spice things up a notch?
But before he left the drinks section, a sudden thought appeared in his name. He could do a nice favour for the little Daniel, that'd give a good impression. With that in mind, he took an energy drink from the chiller and make his way to the cashier counter.
"W-Welcome." greeted Daniel.
"Hi, Daniel." he greeted him back.
"Daniel?" confused Daniel before pointing to his name-tag. "I think you're mistaken. I'm Hyungseok, not Daniel."
Damn, he messed up a bit. While he isn't technicallt wrong, Hyungseok doesn't refer to him by his English name.
"O-Oh, sorry. My bad." he rubs his head in embarrassment. "Park Hyungseok? I didn't know there was another guy like with that same name?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking confused.
"Well, I have this classmate with the same name. Long story short, he became the talk of the school the moment he enters." explained Min Joon, going along with the guy's 'confusion'. "Isn't that weird?"
Daniel was sweating, scanning the items faster in an attempt to not expose his secret. As much as he wants to know the consequences, telling the guy that he knows that secret isn't the right time to do so. Maybe another time...
"That'd be 10,700.55 won."
Min Joon paid the necessary amount before grabbing all but the energy drink. He then handed it over to the little guy, who was confused about his actions.
"Um, your drink."
"Nah, you keep it." he offered, surprising the little guy. "I suspect that you're thirsty, especially on a night shift like this. So...I let you have it.
Daniel was grateful for his action, thanking him for the kind offer. Min Joon gave a small smile, that should be enough to earn Daniel's trust. The power that is the act of kindness, quite the overlooked type in the modern age.
"You're welcome. Have a good night." he responded nonchalantly before going to the service counter. He can't wait to microwaved his meal and sip his drink under the starry night. Who cares about getting sufficient sleep, this is more important.
Although, he'd like to confess, he was grateful to not get burdened by two bodies. Imagine your conscious not getting its well-deserved rest while your bodies to do that. He dreaded suffering from that thing so much that it was a miracle that Daniel haven't succumbed to these circumstances. Then again, since when was his world ever normal?
Safe to say, anything that doesn't involve losing dreams is accepted in his books. Gotta need that damn escapism!
Just as he was about to open the cup lid, he heard the chime of a bell coming from the door. There lies a fairy short, bespectacled teen with a round face and a bowl cut. Seeing the guy was enough to let out a hidden smirk. Finally, the true reason why he was here. Yes, the food and drinks were minor in comparison to the main reason he was here late at night.
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the most divisive character within the fandom. A character that was loved after his tragic fate, while simultaneously someone who was despised to the point of death threats. No, he wishes that he was joking. Sometimes he wonders if those 'fans' are also Twitter stans. The sheer length they'd go to put down someone is both absurd and revolting.
But enough about that, time to interfere with a potential stealer.
"Hey, are you gonna leave with an unpaid charger?" he pulled him by the back of his shirt.
"B-But I'll pay it back next time. I promised." the guy shivered in fear.
"Sure..." he rolled his eyes, pointing at something. "That security camera says otherwise..."
The guy sweated more bullets as a result.
"Hold up, you look familiar. You're also in my class right?"
"Yeah?" answered the guy before Min Joon let go of his shirt. "The name's Jiho. What do you want?"
Park Jiho. A weak-minded person who easily gets influenced by others. That, combine with his obsession with status, was what ultimately led to his
downfall. Literally.
Seeing his baby face, it was hard to imagine that Jiho would turned into one of the most divisive characters ever to exist. Hell, even Min Joon have a hard time differentiate this Jiho to his current self. It was like looking at two different people, and then 'then vs now' trend that pops up on his social feed.
Hold up, he's talking to Jiho right now. He should probably think about him later.
"Jiho Lee, huh?" he spoked in amusement. "Why were you tryna steal the charger? Are ya poor on something?"
"Hey, I'm living comfortably. Thank you very much."
"I was joking." he chuckled.
"Whatever. I gotta hurry before they realise I went missing?"
"Who?"
"Jin Sung's friends. " he answered Daniel. Needless to say, the little guy was scared for understandable reasons. Reasons that Min Joon and Jiho could understand.
"Well, why not just fool them into thinking you actually steal it?" suggested Min Joon. "Y'know, as if you're acting like you stolen a paid product. Did I word it right?"
The place was filled with silence. Just silence between the three people.
"Holy shit, why didn't I think of that?" said Daniel after registering the suggestion in his head.
"But will it actually work?" asked Jiho curiously, wanting to get this done as soon as possible.
"Maybe. Maybe not." he responded nonchalantly. "Does it look like I know what will happen?"
He doesn't look like one, but he does know. As much as he wants to suggest him to don't follow them, it would've been difficult for something important to happen. So...
As Daniel scanned the item, Jiho paid him the required amount before grabbing the item and leave in a hurry. Caught off-guard by this, Daniel chased after him to give him back the change.
Heh, at least a crime got prevented. Surely, things would go down like usual right?
...
...
...
Right...?
...
...
...
Or second thought, maybe not?
...
...
...
Man, fuck it.
The second he thought of that, he immediately ran out of the store to find Daniel and Jiho. True to the source material, he saw the two of them getting into a fight while the goons and a blonde bitch watches it unfolds near a back alley. Well, more like Jiho throwing some weak punches towards Daniel, who was just letting him win.
Seeing them fight triggered something he remembered when reading a future chapter. Their fight now was tame in comparison to the next time they fight each other, and that's not even getting to the brutalism of it all. Min Joon was absolutely getting a sense of déjà vu for sure.
"Enough." someone spoked out of the blue. Everyone collectively stopped to stare at a guy with jet-black hair and a well-built body. His facial hair above his lips accompanied his slender face, while his singlet exposes some of his tattoos on his arm. Some people might think he was scary, but Min Joon knew damn well who this person is.
Alas, another main character that was considered by many to be a fan favourite. The president of the Architecture department, and the leader of a gang within the school. It couldn't get wilder than this, but things are going just the way he wants.
And here he was wondering why he had a tobacco joke in mind?
Euntae 'Vasco' Lee, a pure-hearted and kind guy underneath his scary-looking appearance. You can say that his personality is more unique compared to the others introduced. A strong-willed person, he cares deeply for those who get treated in an ill manner in society and risks his own life to protect them, while also surprisingly very sensitive and delicate whenever he is emotionally upset. He really was kinda like Robin Hood; protecting the weaklings while hating the so-called bad guys. These factors alone made him such a fan-favourite, and Min Joon couldn't disagree with that.
Hiding behind a wall, he watched in awe as Vasco lifted the skinny goon through the throat. As soon as he lets go, the goons and the blondie scram their way outta here. Min Joon then came out of hiding and make his way towards the others.
"That...was hella cool." he panted before bending down to catch his breath.
"Thank you." the guy responded nonchalantly. "And you all should work out or something?"
Wow, as if that's enough to motivate his lazy ass. Too bad that it doesn't work for this mess of a teenager.
"Thank you, Vasco." thanked Jiho before he looked at Min Joon's face. "And weren't you at the store?"
"Yeah, but my instincts were tingling. So, here am I now."
"Oh dear..." mumbled Daniel, worried about the safety of the store.
"Do I know you? You from my school?" asked Vasco.
"Yep, from the fashion department." responded Jiho.
"Fashion? Isn't that the tranfer student's class?"
"Yep!"
"The one who knocked Jin Sung down?"
"Yep!"
"Tell the new guy to not screw around." said Vasco. A tear went down from his eyelid, which Min Joon and Jiho told him not to cry. Vasco agreed with them, before leaving the place with his earphones intact.
Min Joon then looked at his right to see a trembling expression from Daniel, whom was anxious throughout this whole thing.
"Are ya okay, Daniel? You looked like you seen a ghost?" he asked in a cheeky tone.
"My name's Hyunseok, not Daniel." he reminded him, slightly irritated.
"My apologies, Hyungseok. Same goes for this plan."
"Huh?"
"I mean, they didn't suspect whether it was actually stolen or not. But it got both of you into trouble, so..."
"Hey, you don't have to apologies for that. We didn't expect that to happen too."
"Hyungseok's right." agreed Jiho. "Besides, the outcome would've been the same regardless."
"Oh..." he rubs his head in solidarity.
"Well, gotta go back now. Don't wanna leave the customers complaining." said Daniel before he leave the two alone. The wonders of having two bodies and an unrest conscious was too dunitng for somelike Min Joon anyway. If anything, he was grateful to not get burdened by that. Leave the dilemma to Daniel, even if its nonexistent.
"So um...Jiho? Anything that you wanna do?" he asked him.
"Go get some damn sleep. Duh." he yawned before saying goodbye to him.
"Wait." interrupted Min Joon. "Do you have a phone number?"
"Absolutely. Why?"
"Because I don't see your phone anywhere."
"Oh, haha. Funny." he shrugged off the attempted humor. "But for real, what's the true reason?"
"I don't know. Somewhere along the lines of 'adding someone's phone number'?"
"Oh." he said dumbfounded. "But why me?"
"Because you sound like a cool person to hangout with."
"Cool? A loser like me?" he repeated in confusion. "But-"
"Besides, it's not like I have many friends. And judging by what transpired, you're the same as me?"
"Same as me?"
"In terms of social status. I ain't a fan of standing out anyway."
He then took out his phone and lend it to Jiho. The latter added his number to Min Joon's contacts before handing the phone back. Looking at his phone number, it was hard to fathom that the only contacts that came from his class were Daniel and Jiho. Too bad that Vasco left early, otherwise he could get his number too.
Oh well, maybe next time. What's important is that things went exactly how it should, despite some minor differences.
As Jiho waved goodbye for real, both of them went their seperate ways. For Min Joon, he can't help but feel bad for Jiho despite his actions. Right now, he's talking to someone who haven't done that one incident that change his life forever. So befriending him should be a good start to something anew.
No clue on what it is but he hoped something better for the guy?
When Min Joon passed by the store, he saw Daniel holding two items that looked identically familiar. He must've recognised his face from the window, because he quickly ran out and hands him a plastic bag.
"Min Joon, I believed you left these behind? Don't worry, I've packed them into this bag."
The afromentioned guy checked the bag to see his ramen and his drink inside.
Part of him felt relief over almost leaving these things behind. He could definitely used these for some other time.
"Thank you." he rubbed his head before waving goodbye to him. He then boarded the incoming bus and make his way back home. Hearing his constant yawning on the trip, he can safely say that he gotta get some goddamn sleep within four hours. Five when counting the time school starts.
When he arrived at his house, he closed the door and lay on the couch like no tomorrow. Once again, the comfortablity of his couch was to die for. It felt so soft that he could fall asleep at any moment. He could lie down here whenever he feels like it; that's what makes it quite the good relaxing space.
...
He fell asleep shortly after.
(credit to the original artist. Found it on Pinterest)
Chapter 9: Tabasco Wine
Summary:
End of Expositions, the entire Breakaway Arc
Notes:
Music used: Attack on Bangtan by BTS
Lyric Video by Lemoring
Chapter Text
3rd pov
By the time the lunch bell rang, his eyelids could barely keep themselves open. Never would he thought get bored from a fashion subject. Then again, he wasn't expecting today's lesson to be just like any other lessons; a textbook and a teacher explaining the contents of the book. He should definitely check his own expectations.
Not to say that having a late night sleep doesn't contribute to his issues, but he was already expecting that from the get-go. It was all worth it to see Daniel meeting Vasco for the first time, an essential moment that kick-started their friendship. Oh, and Jiho was also there. Not much to say about him, other than hoping he won't use this new friendship for his own gain. And even if that happens, what would get from an average boy like him anyway?
Speaking of him, Jiho was absent for today. Min Joon was amused by this outcome, but quickly remembered that he doesn't have insomnia like him. Such a shame, he would've tried to hang out with him. Maybe even change his fate a little?
No, best to not do that. Who knows how much would change upon preventing his fate? Maybe even the current storyline of Lookism will change too, and that'd throw him off for sure. Sucks that the webtoon stays the same despite the changes, otherwise he won't be debating this dilemma right now. Well, expect releasing the latest chapters in an inconsistent fashion.
But enough about that, time for some fucking food.
Leaving his classroom, he passed by many students who probably were also heading to the cafeteria like him. Nothing speaks of this school more than the ever-presence hierarchy surrounding the seven departments. In fact, him being in the fashion department is akin to being on top of the food chain.
Consisting of 7 departments over a 3-year education, the school experience can largely differ depending on what department you choose. For example, students from the Comic and Animation department are often ridiculed for simply being on it. Its status as 'the department for losers and otakus' puts it on the bottom of the food chain. So to any aspiring artists, best to pursue your dreams elsewhere.
Another instance of anime lovers and artists being looked down in a bad light. Sounds familiar?
Thankfully, a gentle reminder from the lunch lady snapped him from his thoughts. He apologised for taking up the queue before leaving with his lunch tray intact. He then made up his mind the moment he saw a familiar person talking to another familiar person.
"Hi, Hyungseok. How's the lunch?" he asked him.
"Tastes nice, Min Joon." he smiled. The aforementioned guy noticed the slightly irritated expression that was coming out of Zoe, so he decided to greet her.
"Oh, and hello. Ha Neul." he greeted her before taking a bite of his meal. "Damn, this curry tastes so good!"
"Hehe." she chuckled with a fake smile.
"By the way, do you know who Vasco is?" asked Daniel.
"Oh, you wanna know him? Why?"
"I-I was just curious."
"Well, his real name is Lee Euntae. He leads the Burn Knuckles in the Architecture department, which is the leader of."
"Leader?" asked a curious Daniel.
"He runs a gang?" asked Min Joon, despite knowing the answer.
"He's nice to the weak, but hates bad guys." chimned in one of the goons. "A brawny idiot. That's who Vasco is." he went near Daniel's ear.
"Okay, since when the hell were you here?" asked Min Joon. Seriously, when does this scenario follow the Netflix route?
"Yeah, what are you doing?" groaned Zoe. "You're interrupting my super romantic lunch with Hyungseok."
"Hey, don't be like that." said the skinny one.
"We want to be friends with Hyungseok too."
Fakers. What a bunch of fakers, he groaned internally. Luckily, the goons switched their attention to a group of people entering the cafeteria. Oh, how relieving that felt now that they're no longer on his shoulders. Metaphorical, I mean.
All eyes on the table soon paid attention to the same group with grey tracksuits, whom Min Joon recognise by the familiar face of the leader. Burn Knuckles, the most prominent gang of this schoolm was following behind a sleeveless Vasco at the helm of its leadership.
Yep, they're definitely from the Architecture Department, alright.
"H-Hey!" Daniel stood up with a smile. "It's Vasco."
Oh boy, he forgot about the exact details of the two went. But now that he does, he wanna eat his food quickly to get this situation over quickly.
As he expected, Vasco walked to the table with a look that got all but Daniel to back off. In his defense, seeing the person who beat Zack in a fight could give someone a wrong impression. And unfortunately, Vasco believed him to be nothing more than a bad guy.
Min Joon wants to argue that it was untrue, but that'd prevent the two from a building friendship. So it was better to shut up and enjoy his food.
But hearing Daniel said the word 'yesterday' made Min Joon regret being anywhere but here. Did he seriously forget that he wasn't the Daniel that Vasco saved yesterday? That'd settle his impression of him even further. The desire to hide his face from embarrassment was tempting, to say the least.
So, he handled it by bringing his food to another table. Best to enjoy some food while some kind of drama unfolds. Just like reality television shows...
"You. You've never been taken down, huh?" asked Vasco, making Daniel flinch. "Even if you're good-looking and strong, don't screw around."
The moment he said that, he quickly grabbed Daniel by the shoulder. It wasn't an ordinary shoulder grab; it was a grab that brought others who were unfortunate to their knees. Or to his chair, in Daniel's case. But while everyone was shocked over what's happening, Min Joon sat there and enjoyed his meal like the unbothered person he was.
"Hey, what's going on?" someone whispered in his ear.
"Oh, Jin Sung. Where were you?" he asked in surprised, chewing on his rice.
"Forget it. No way that he can escape Vasco's grip." he noted. "He may be stupid, but he's strong too."
And then he became amused when Daniel did just that with one hand. He, alongside the crowd, was understandably shocked to say the least. Dodging his punches in the speed of light was one thing, but removing a strong grip from someone as strong as Vasco is another thing entirely. And it wasn't like he didn't struggle, his wincing body said it all.
"Are you sure about that?" smirked Min Joon before finishing his meal. This motherf-
"Haha, yeah. So you thought that he was someone else, right?" someone cut in between them, grabbing Vasco's fists to prevent this fight from escalating.
"Yeah...Sorry." said Daniel.
"Nah, don't worry. It hapens." he chuckled. "Am I right, Vasco?"
Vasco remained silent, but his confused expression remains. Min Joon sighed, the person who stopped the fight was a supporting character, judging by his big ears. But to keep up his act, he asked Zack who the guy is.
"That's Bum Jae, Burn Knuckles's No. 2." he stated. "The guy who knows him like the back of his mind."
Well, Zack couldn't be further from the truth. They ain't loyal friends for no reason.
Park Bum Jae, aka Jace Park. Ranked No. 2 on Burn Knuckles, he's considered to be the brains of the gang. Not only that, but he's a loyal friend towards Vasco, a friendship that dates back to the childhood times.
But this isn't the time to explain it. Not when Jace stopped the fight because of his friend being in a disadvantage, one in which disgraced Burn Knuckles as a whole. Regardless, Min Joon was glad to see the guy himself. Even from a distance.
Finishing his food, he left the table with his dirty tray for the workers to settle. As much as he wants to stay around, he can already guess what will happen after the fight. The goons inviting Daniel to a friendly hangout, while the latter having too much expectations for the so-called hangout. Min Joon many rolled his eyes at his naivety, but he can't fault him on that notion. The guy was lonely for many years to the point of lacking social interaction. Give the guy some slack, will ya?
Hold on, isn't that describing himself? But he is quite content with his loneliness, only making friends for interaction. Hell, he struggled more talking to non-fictional characters that making friends with Daniel was a miracle itself. Albeit, one that benefits from his fictional character status.
Whatever, Daniel will get his reality check soon enough. About time that he get some long-overdue BBQ.
...
Besides, he isn't gonna regret this, right?
On second thought, maybe he is...
A small barbecue restaurant on the second floor. What could absolutely go wrong? Well, the restaurant being an open-smoking area is one such example. The smoky odor coming from the cigarettes were invisible but unpleasant, reminding him of how he isn't used to this kind of establishment.
Hell, if it wasn't for his desire to witness tonight's events, he'd probably go somewhere else for some Korean barbecue. He was lucky to wear his hoodie and his facemask to hide his identity, otherwise he would've got recognised by the others at the nearby table.
Jeez, Zack ain't beating the bisexual allegations, huh?
Between Zoe competing with the boss of this place for Daniel's affection and a drunken Zack confessing his desire to be friends with him through a kiss, Min Joon would say that the night is hella chaotic in here. Chaotic enough to ignore with the tip of an earphone. And some alcohol.
Yes, he drank alcohol many times. He pleasantly enjoys the booze that got him through his problems. Small doses for casual, big doses for escapism. Too bad that his high alcohol tolerance prevented him from getting his desire. But hey, at least the bitter drink tastes better once you get use to it.
Then again, it have been a while since he last drank one. A small cup of soju should be fine for now. Sucks that the place only has alcohol drinks, not even some freaking water. At least they have some decent food, but don't expect him to come back here anytime soon.
"Ah, keep the fuck down. Kids nowadays have no goddamn manners."
Min Joon looked to see another group of people on the opposite side; a group of two guys and a girl alongside the cigarettes on their hands. That was enough to piss off the goons, but the flat-chested girl push it even further by implying that ugly girls walk around with their boobs out in a voluptuous manner. A not-so subtle jab at Zoe, a hypocritical one in fact.
Wow, is it always the bitches that put down other women for their body confidence? How 'cool'.
"Why do flat chested girls walk around in a bra? To stay warm?" sneered Zoe, adding fuel to the flaming fire. It wasn't long before the two girls dragged each other, lon enough for the bigger guy to stand up and approached the group. While it may look like they're at an disadvatage thanks to Zack's drunken state, the pissed look that Daniel may have spoken otherwise.
Just as the guy grabbed the skinny goon by the hair, Daniel stood up with a face that went pink from the booze that they gave him earlier. In case if it wasn't clear, having a drunk Daniel is never a good idea.. And if you're wondering why that's the case, tonight's actions should be evident enough.
First, he berated the goons for their disrespectful behaviour, from their drinking habits to their habits of insulting mothers. The words came flowing out as if he lost control of himself, akin to someone who snapped after years of putting up another's bullshit. Then, he asked the skinny goon to hand over his phone, which he proceeded to break it violently with ease.
Almost everyone was scared of him, which was understandable when all it takes for someone to become violet through alcohol. Now that he think about it, it was an absolute relief that Min Joon never got drunk before. Perhaps its for the best; he doesn't want to incure the wrath of his dead parents.
As Daniel stared at the guy from earlier, he attempts to raise a glass of wine in order to not make this worse. However, accidentally breaking the bottle and holding it like a weapon with an apology had the opposite effect, despite his best intentions. Who would've thought that it would scare off some people? Oh, the sarcasm coming from his mind.
In the end, the other group decided to leave the establishment out of fear for him. The goons and Zoe were nothing but prasing him, recounting the events that took place. As the conversation went on, Min Joon finishes his food with some lingering questions.
Why do these kind of people proud of getting into fights? Why do they harrass people with no consideration for others? Are his questions becoming too similar to Daniel?
Maybe. Maybe not.
But what he could agree is that the liquor is definitely affecting Daniel now, as seen when his cold stare at the skinny goon effectively shut down all plans the latter had. Alcohol made him a different person, resulting in his deepest thoughts to came rushing out. And before the others could even comprehend what he was talking out, he passed out from the overdoes of booze.
Normally, he should help out a drunken person back home. But knowing what will happen next, he focused on the skinny goon with the broken phone instead. The only goon that felt noteworthy to remember anyway. No offense.
(credited to @u/sweet_pumpkin_01 on Reddit)
Lee Hyungdo, or Doo Lee for short. A bully who will also go through some character development, albeit one that got put in the sidelines. Despite that, he plays an important in a few of the arcs, resulting in fans worshipping him like a god. Memes like him being the strongest of this world ran rampant throughout the community, satire or not. So it's safe to assume that he does have a fanbase indeed.
And all it took was searching his name on Reddit to underatand why fans looked up to him as a lord of sorts. The typical community shenanigans, probably one of the most iconic ones. This is normal, he swears.
Still, that isn't enough to distract the sight of the others are trying to wake Daniel up, whom passed out on the floor from expected circumstances. It made him feel a bit pity; he have seen the side effects of a drunken state but not experiencing it himself. But knowing the dangers of being in such state, he was glad to have such a high tolerance. So he decided to one special bit of favor.
He's gonna leave this establishment behind.
Yes, he'd let the others settle him instead. There's only one reason that he make that decision, aside from not hearing the constant drunken cries from Zack. Because as soon as he uses the staircase, he passed by the small fat guy once again. Little Daniel to the rescue!
At this point, he only came to see some drama unfold and nothing more. While he was indeed satisfied with how thing turns out, you bet that he'd never go to this establishment ever again. Not even for a little barbeque meal.
But just as he walk away from the bulidng, he quickly hide behind a corner. One last thing he gotta do for the night. Just to be sure.
And just like he expected, he saw Daniel carrying his other body down the stairs. But he wasn't the only one; the others accompany him. Zack, Doo and the goons, Zoe, you name it. That was all that Min Joon needed to see; to see that Daniel ain't lonely for now. And that the timeline went along the pathway too, he can't forget that.
Unfortunately, he can't stay back for long to see Zack demonstrate a punch at a arcade machine. One that will become important for Daniel's fighting capabilities. So, Min Joon make his way back home for another day of boring school.
...
Can the week just end already?
(founded this on Pinterest. Don't ask)
Chapter 10: End of a Schoolday
Summary:
aka Vasco Arc but Min Joon's a background character
Notes:
Music used: Hell N Back by Bakar
Lyric Video by tinyfont
Chapter Text
3rd pov
A school day on Friday is a step closer to freedom.
That's what lingers on Min Joon's mind as he walked down the hallway with Big Daniel. The latter asked him if he wanted to accompany him for lunch, to which he politely agreed. Who wouldn't want to sit next to the main character? Quite uncharacteristically for him in general, but characteristically inclined for fictional characters like him.
Walking beside him, he noticed how many people grasped their attention on Daniel. Everywhere he goes, his presence can enchant anyone around the room like a male lead in a romance manhwa. Min Joon couldn't help but feel envy about that kind of attention, while simultaneously grateful for not being the one on the spotlight.
"Hyungseok! Min Joon!!" greeted Zoe walking beside us. "So, how are you feeling today?"
"I'm doing well, thanks for asking." responded Min Joon in a nonchalant tone.
"Same, I'm fine." responded Daniel. Min Joon was thankful that his friend isn't drunk currently. The events that transpired yesterday were a handful to handle, to say the least.
As they entered the cafeteria, Min Joon saw Jiho struggling to balancing a meal on his head and on his hands, topping it off with a phone to his right ear. Seeing him struggling got Min Joon to walk towards him with a helping hand.
"Hey, need a hand?" he offered his help. Before Jiho could even respond, he took the trays from his head and placed them on a nearby table.
"It's you, Min Joon." he spoked with surprise. "What a shocker, huh?"
"Jiho? Why didn't you come yesterday?" asked Daniel.
"I couldn't wake up yesterday." he explained after putting the remaining trays on the table. As he went into detail about the previous night's events, Min Joon yawned over hearing the same thing and stared at the table. This was indeed the goons' table, such lazy folks treating a 'loser' as their guinea pig. Such sore losers...
"I'm glad. I was worried, y'know?" spoked Daniel calmly. Jiho found it confusing, wondering why is he and Min Joon acting friendly. But what follows was something that caught him off-guard.
"Let's cut to the chase." sighed Min Joon, putting his hands in his pockets. "Do you want to eat with us?"
Jiho gasped at the request. He was speechless over his offer, he definitely heard the whispers of the girls' jealousy. I mean, he was offered a chance to sit with Daniel, Min Joon and Zoe of all people? Why would they offer such a thing to a loser like me?
"I-I'll accept." he responded, making Daniel chuckled a bit. Min Joon, on the other hand, was grateful that this could be an opportunity to grow his friendship with the complicated person. He just gotta hope that Jiho doesn't use him to enhanced his image like what he'll do to Daniel. He must find a way for his impression of him to be one of genuine friendship, not one of a backstabber. But where shall he start?
"So...Why were you trying to walk with a lunch meal on your head?" he started. "Wouldn't the risk of dropping it increased?"
"Well..." he opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.
"Was it those goons again?" he guessed.
"How do you know?" confused Jiho.
"Do you think I forgot what happened a fortnight ago? My guess is that they didn't let you off the hook, huh?"
He nodded in silence, albeit with a hint of hesitation in his voice.
"Um...So what do you think about the food?" asked Daniel, taking a bite out of the kimchi.
It was at this moment that Jiho realised that he hadn't taken his food yet. He quickly rushed his way to take his meal, garnering a chuckled from the guy. How wholesome, if only things stay that way for him.
"So what do you think about this school?" asked Min Joo, directing that question towards Zoe and Jiho.
"Oh, what makes you want to ask that?" wondered Zoe.
"Don't know."
"Well, this school is absolutely good. I mean, I wouldn't get to pursue my passion if this doesn't exist." she spoked with enthusiasm. "Plus, the linear uniform rules work in our favor. Don't ya think?"
"Yeah, I guess..." said Jiho. "At least I don't have to wear the same thing all year, am I right?"
"Yeah, Jiho. Yes, you are." chuckled Min Joon, staring at his pair of Adidas-branded sneakers underneath the table. He then continues the conversation, telling Zoe that his impression of her massively differ from her current personality.
"And what do you mean by that?" asked Zoe, her voice sounding annoyed from her fake cutesy accent.
"I meant, my impression of you as a flirty girl was disproven." he straight up told her. "Color me stoked, Ha Neul."
She laughs it off as some kind of joke, but Min Joon could feel the tension coming from her emotions. Thankfully, her attraction to Daniel distracted her enough for a conversation to continue.
"My apologies, Ha Neul." he said with gratitude. Not before taking a bite out of a piece of potato from some Japanese curry his meal had. Needless to say, it eventually turned into a full-on conversation between the four of them.
As their conversation continues, Min Joon catches a glimpse of Zack staring at them in a confused manner. Not just him, the goons were mummering questions regarding Jiho being friends with Daniel. If that wasn't an indication of their confusion, then you must be joking.
Ignoring his lack of presence aside, Min Joon and the others finished their food 5 minutes before classes resumes for the day. As they all walked back to their class, Min Joon felt a tap from the shoulder. He turned around to see Jiho, presumely wanting to ask him something.
"What is it?" asked Min Joon. "If it' sabout my phone number, didn't I already gave you a fortnight ago?"
"N-No!" he assured him awkwardly. "How would you helped me out on my absence if I didn't?"
"Right. Then what is it?"
"Well, you told Hyungseok that I wanted to add him to my contacts." he explained. "But...how do you know that?"
"Know what?"
"Know that I wanted their numbers?"
Shit, come up with an excuse.
"Um...Because you look like you wanna do that?"
Oh god, he doesn't seems to believe that. He should probably come up with a quick diversion fast.
"Now that I think about it, I don't think I'd have time to ask you. But-"
"But?"
"Uh, I'm not finished." he clarified before continuing. "Do you wanna hang out with me tomorrow?"
That question astonished Jiho somewhat. The lunch talk was already a weird enough thing to happen, but this takes the cake to further heights. He has gotten used to people not wanting to hang out with him, since his status as a loser deters people away. So the fact that the other new classmate of his wanted to do that was astounding to say the least.
Was he dreaming? Was Min Joon only saying that for his own personal gain? The few interactions he had with his classmates were always one-sided, but something within those words of his felt genuine in comparison. And so, with a glimmer of hope, he decided on the course of action.
"Sure, but where?"
"Tomorrow evening. I'll send you the location later." said Min Joon.
"No, I meant where?."
"Like I said, I'll send you the location." he assured him. "Besides, class is gonna start soon."
"...Sure." he muttered before they went to their classroom. That wasn't what he was intended, but he shrugged it off as the teacher enters the classroom and lessons continued. He just hoped that it wasn't a lie.
Meanwhile, Min Joon was grateful that things didn't go awry today. Forming a friendship with Jiho was easier than expected, but that makes his job easier to bring him to the bright side. Not that he can guarantee that his fate will be better as a result, but at least its worth a shot.
And yet, that begs the question. Why is he doing this? Why is he doing all of this when he could live his life in peace?
Those questions still lingers in his mind even after school ends. Instead of disappearing like he thought, the questions became more intense as the day goes by. And with passing question, it was becoming quite the headache to answer them while in his head.
In short, he really needs to drink something to prevent a headache from occurring. And what better way to settle it than getting caffeinated from a nearby café?
It wasn't far from the school, just a 10-minute walking distance to the city center. After all, Seoul wasn't the famous Korean state for nothing. Plus, hearing people raving about the place online help settle in over going to an unfamiliar place.
Entering the place, he was greeted by the average interior you'd expect from a café. A wooden floor, some nice-looking seating, a cozy shade of the ceilings lights and some eye-catching decor is enough to make this place a good place to socialise. While it may seems like he was missing out an opportunity to enjoy the environment here, he probably would just avoid people instead.
As he walked to the counter, he proceeded to order a cup of latte. It wasn't until his drink was handed to him that the worker that took his order was none other than Jace himself. No wonder he was so comfortable ordering, his 'fictional' senses were quietly tingling the whole time. Even though that doesn't make any sense whatsoever.
Grabbing his latte, he passed by another familiar person. It was Daniel in his uniform accompanying what looks like a middle-aged woman. Her short height and her perm hair matches the typical ajumma that he was familiar with, which helped he quickly recognised her as his actual mother. Despite his desire to greet the two, he knew better to not pry on others' business. Not that he didn't do that before, just that he can't interfere with every single thing people do. Let them have some respect, for damn's sakes.
As he walked out of the cafe, Min Joon could feel his mind becoming clearer thanks to the sip of his latte. The questions became much easier to digest, no longer irritating him to a potential headache. So does that mean those questions will get answered his ease? Not really.
Will he accept that he talks more comfortably with 'fictional' characters than real people? Absolutely, otherwise he wouldn't talk to his classmates with ease.
Is he ignoring his mental issues to pursue this journey? Hell yeah! Best to left his depression untreated, fictional stories can solved it like a drug. Ain't no way he will let anyone know about his own issues for the sakes of looking normal.
Will it catch up to him? Maybe, but he ain't giving a fuck about that. This is definitely a healthy option, right?
Maybe he would've answer that had he not bumped into someone on accident. As he falls to the ground, he felt relieved when he discovered his drink was grabbed by the same person. A tall and muscular guy with a bald head and three scars on his face.
"Oh dear, are you okay?" he spoked with concern, lending his hand for Min Joon to lift upon.
"Thank you, I'm fine." he responded, adjusting his clothes. "I'm sorry for bumping into you."
"Oh, don't worry. Here's your latte." he handed over to him. "Is there a cafe nearby?"
"Yeah, right across the streets."
"I knew that Gimyung was right. The cafe was here all along." he mumbled before thanking him. As he passed by Min Joon, the afromentioned guy was met with a revelation.
'Did...Did he just mention Gimyung?' he realsied as he turned his face back to see the person once again. While he can't see his face, he does sees the muscular body. It was at this moment that he recognised the guy all too well.
'Oh my god... Did I just met Jerry?'
Yep, that was Jerry alright.
No wonder he looks so familiar. People really do look older than their age, huh?
Kwon Ji Tae, aka Jerry Kwon. A guy who is incredibly loyal to the leader of a gnag that will be important throughout the story. Yes, this teenager is part of a gang. Let that sink in.
But don't get it twisted. He's a good person underneath his tough exterior. Another case of the Vasco side of Lookism, where people who looked tough on the outside are genuinely nicer on the inside. Still, Min Joon can't help but view him as a baby to protect. Even though the guy can take care of himself.
Putting that aside, Min Joon went back home empty from his empty wishes. While he wishes to get his number, Jerry isn't an important person for now. Besides, tomorrow is gonna be a school-free weekend that he can enjoy at last.
A hangout with Jiho? Min Joon hopes that everything can go well tomorrow. Because one thing's for certain, he could pray for Jiho with one fucking sentence.
...
Get ready for your legs to pass out tomorrow...
(Credit to @_Iguilty on Twitter)
Chapter 11: A Different Kind of Hangout
Summary:
aka an original chapter
Notes:
Music used: Deep End by Fousheé
Lyric Video by Mr.Radio
Chapter Text
3rd pov
"So, Min Joon. Why do you choose to hang out at such a place?"
A genuine question coming from Jiho's mouth. Min Joon quickly answered him without second thoughts.
"Because I want to?" he snickered as they stare towards the familiar signboard. Having his hangout take place during his class would've normally clashed, but who says you can't combine the two? Pretty sure that the son doesn't mind having another person in his class. At least, he thinks it is. Talk about being delusional.
"Honestly, I thought you were joking." said Jiho. "A dojang for a hangout spot? Are you crazy?"
"Nah, the class held on Saturday evenings. And since today is an evening, I thought...why not do this?"
"...No wonder you asked me to bring a towel and a bottle." Jiho remarked, realising what he meant in his message.
"Wasn't the location clear enough?" retorted Min Joon.
"Honestly, I wish it was anywhere but here instead." he rolled his eyes before noticing his disappearance. Seeing him walking up the stairs, he called for him to wait while he catches up. By the time he does so, Min Joon had already opened the door on the second floor.
"Woah, you looked exhausted." he smirked, noticing the exhausted sigh from Jiho. "Hope that you can keep up the energy, especially for a kick."
"What are you-?" he asked before getting interrupted by the sight of someone doing a spin kick on a punching back. With the presence of the taekwondo uniform, Jiho gulped in response.
"Taehun! Guess who's back?" called Min Joon, catching the attention of his hyung when he turned his head.
"Min Joon, you're not late this time." he said in an amused tone. Min Joon rolled his eyes; what a way to call back to his first session.
"Haha, funny." he rolled his eyes in a sarcastic manner.
"Change to your uniform. We're gonna star-" Taehun halted when he notices Jiho standing beside his student. "A friend of yours?"
"Yes, Taehun. He'll only join us for this session." said Min Joon. He was then greeted by a tense glare from him, right before opening his mouth.
"And you didn't text me that, because..."
"Because I forgot?"
Taehun wanted to facepalm so badly. This kid is gonna be the death of him, he swears.
"Whatever, I'll see if there's a spare uniform for you." he pointed at him before leaving the room. Jiho felt slightly awkward about the situation, tapping on his classmate's shoulder to talk.
"I didn't expect your master to be a teenager." he told him. "He definitely looks like a sunbae, or a hyung."
"Well, that's the perks of being a year older." he replied nonchalantly. "Not like his father can teach me or anything."
"Really? But why?"
His question was left unanswered when Taehun returned with a uniform that was similar to Min Joon. Smaller in terms of size, but quite indistinguishable nonetheless. Quite the detail that he wasn't expected, seeing as his height wasn't far off from his classmate.
"What's your name?" asked Taehun, glancing at Jiho.
"Me?" Jiho pointed to himself.
"Um, duh?" he said with an annoyed tone. "You think I'm talking to a wall?"
"N-No, you don't." he shakes his head. As he took his uniform for a little changing session, it leaves an opportunity for Min Joon to strike a conversation.
"So, how's your day?"
"Pretty boring. Sucks that the arcade closed today, but it is what it is." he sighed. That was a lie; his pissed expression said otherwise. Min Joon can't help but let out a silent chuckle at his cute face. No wonder he'll have a large female following soon. Even if that won't occur till later for the tall teen.
"Why do you invite him?" Taehun asked him curiously.
"Who?"
"Your scrawny friend?" he specified.
"Just classmates, too early for the friendship status." added Min Joon, before explaning his reason to him.
"Huh? Since when did you get the genius idea to combine the two?"
"A genius? Sure..." he rolled his eyes in a plain manner. He scoffed, as if he's actually that smart. Just more adaptive, that's all. Besides, he can sense the sarcasm from his mouth anyway.
Taehun was then interrupted by the presence of Jiho in his uniform. He noted that he looked like a toy figurine, which got a small chuckled from Min Joon before complimenting his classmate.
"You're training with glasses?" asked Taehun, raising his eyebrow upon noticing.
"Of course. Do you want me to go blind?" he retaliated.
"Contact lenses?" I suggested before being rejected by him. In all honesty, the disappearance of the glasses when it comes to development were always shrouded in mystery. Like, do people improve their sight upon getting character development? Why have it exclusive to the main characters?
But as much as he wants to settle them, he can't let his master wait for long. With 10 minutes being wasted, Taehun called them to their standing positions and started the session.
"Refer to me as Master Seong." he blinked his eyes.. "Welcome to your next session, Min Joon. I'm surprised that you came back, considering that you were exhausted last time."
Well, as much as he wanna stay at home, his legs gotta have to suffer for the sake of survival skills. Not like he'd mention it regardless, but its worth talking about it in his head.
"However, you did not notify me that your friend will come." he frowned. "So don't expect me to go easy on you."
"You on the other hand, I will go easy on your scrawny ass." he told Jiho. The latter ignored that he cursed and smiled a bit.
"But don't expect any favoritism. Don't think I'll let you off the hook."
Jiho's smile turned into a frown pretty quick. His expectations of an easier session are crushed immediately, how unlucky of him. Talk about strictness...
"Now, with that all being said... We shall warm up first before doing some splits." he finished, before immediately instructing them to some warm-up exercise.
"Did he just mention some splits?" whispered Jiho.
"Yes, Jiho. I hope your legs are flexible." responded Min Joon. As he rolled his eyes, he spotted a malicious grin coming from Taehun. Almost like he was practically enjoying seeing them going through his session. Funny how getting used to the glare on a manhwa doesn't translate to real life.
A few minutes passed, and the two classmates finished their warm-ups. Taehun then instructed Min Joon to do 10 push-ups, which the latter struggled but managed to finish them all. An improvement from giving up entirely, but not enough for his lazy ass.
It wasn't until he was done that he moved up to the splits. Once again, he could feel his body aching from doing such a painful act. It got him wondering if people go to great lengths in the name of flexibility. Because he's sure as hell won't do it, alright. Not outside of the dojang, that is.
His eyes were staring at Jiho, whose legs were noticeably shaking the more he lowers himself. Even though Taehun gave him clear instructions, Jiho wanted to do anything but that. No wonder Taehun wore that devilish smirk, something tells him that the master found amusement in their displeasure. Gosh, that bastard...
...
Yep, this'll take a while, huh?
----------------------
Color him stoked, but it ended shorter than he expected.
Sure, it took almost an hour for the class to finished. But in all honesty, he was actually expecting it to be longer. Not only because of the dojang being essentially empty with no classes left, but also it sounds like something Taehun would do for his amusement. So the fact that he didn't kinda catch him off a little.
Still, that doesn't mean that things were entirely over. After ending the session with a bow, the three of them decided to clean up the place. Jiho was wiping the window, Min Joon handles the mopping aspect, and Taehun helped out in whatever way he can. The latter may be a asshole, but he isn't some kind of monsters. Monsters don't have great morality, Taehun does.
"So... Taehun? How's life holding up?" asked Min Joon, pushing the mop back and forth.
"Pretty typical, nothing noteworthy." he replied honestly. With his uniform top on his waist, Min Joon can't help but admired the muscles that came from Taehun. His black tank top was absolutely doing him a massive favor here. "What about you?"
"Well, the first week of school is...fine." Min Joon calmly said. "Nothing special, just a mix of chaos in between."
"What kind of chaos?"
"The 'new kid catches the attention of everyone' kind of chaos." he told him. "I swear, I can't help but feel some kind of envy..."
"You? Looking like that?"
"No, Master Seong. I'm talking about Park Hyungseok." he emphasized before placing the mop on the floor. He then shows Taehun a photo of Daniel, who noted that he indeed look like a model. Seeing his impressed expression, Min Joon recognise one similarity between the two; it regards the way their looks impacted their fanbase. The only difference is that one was nice and naive, the other was brash and honest. And yet, they're both well-liked in both reality and fiction.
Min Joon took a glimpse at Jiho, who was finishing wiping the windows. Sensing an opportunity for interaction, he picked up his mop and continue mopping the floor. Forget going near him, the place was compact enough to just strike a conversation on the spot.
"So Jiho, on a scale of 1 to 10, describe the class that you just went through." he asked him, focusing on his task.
"Oh. Well..." Jiho stopped in his tracks, contemplating on his words. "It's actually good, I really like it."
Min Joon was the one taken aback. Something about his words didn't sit him right, probably because it was coming from Jiho of all people. Not that he mind him enjoying taekwondo, but the way he says it comes out as trying to fit with the crowd.
"Are you sure? You were clearly struggling with the splits." he questioned
"Y-Yes. Absolutely." Jiho responded defensively. "Is that clear enough?"
"Listen, I don't mind you not joining away, considering that your friend chooses my class as a hangout spot." chimed Taehun. "Y'know, the only reason you're here in the first place?"
"Yeah, man. Your tone contradict your own sentence." noted Min Joon before his mind fully registered the guy's words. "Wait, you're actually okay with it?"
"Um, yeah? It's not like he's actually signing up or anything, judging by his complaining."
"Is this the same Taehun? Did you became soft?"
"As if I'll ever do that." he clapped back. Min Joon let out a grin, knowing that the boy will contradict himself in the near future. Even when his pride won't admit it. "What about you, Mr. Loner? I'm surprised that you have one."
"We haven't reach that stage yet." he clarified before clapping back at him. "At least I have a better chance at having one. What about you, Mr. Ego?"
"You motherf-"
"Guys, can we just stay on the main topic?" called Jiho. The both of them then stare at him.
"Fine." sighed Jiho. "My legs hurts from the splits, but at least I learn some combat moves?"
"Which means?"
"I'd rather stay at home than coming here." he stated. "But, I'd say that this session ain't that bad."
Damn, that's a bold statement. Having the words come out from a guy like him was an exprerience.
"Hmph." was all that Taehun could muttered before his phone rang. He mumbled out a curse, realising that the contact was his father. "You both continue your task, I gotta take in a call."
"Bye, Master Seong." he rolled his eyes before looking at Jiho. "Don't mind him. He's a good person underneath that brashness." he assured him. Jiho only nodded before finishing wiping the window. He then carrying the bucket with his one hand and holding a piece of cloth on another. As much as he wanted to contiue the conversation, Min Joon was already behind schedule on the mopping. So he proceeded to finishes as fast as he could.
With the whole place looking cleaner than it was prior, the place shuts its operations for the day. After Taehun locks the doors, the three of them walk together down the stairs and stared at the evening sky simuteneously. Almost like they were in sync or something. Quite an eerily thought.
"I gotta go now, don't want to leave my Dad waiting." stated Taehun before walking off without a farewell.
"Hey, tell Hansu shi that I said hi!" called Min Joon, gesturin his hands in a calling position. But alas, his actions were anything but fruitless from his dissapearance. Jeez, he really was quite the rush when it comes to the dad, huh? Nothing against him though, maybe he would've act the same if his own dad was alive.
"Y'know, all things considered. I don't find him that bad." stated Jiho. "A wildcard for sure, but not a tutor to mess around."
Min Joon silently agreed. His classmate does make a good point there, not gonna lie.
"What about you, Jiho?" he asked him. "How would you go back home?"
"Well, I'll walk back home." he responded before asking him the same question. Learning that his classmate lived in Gangbuk was unexpected, but a plesant one nonetheless.
"Gangbuk is like home to me." Min Joon smiled. "It holds so much nostalgia..."
Nostalgia for the yearning of the olden days. The times where his parents were still alive. The times where he was nothing but a innocent child. Oh, how time passed in a blink of an eye...
"Oh, look at the time." he exclaimed while pointing at his watch. "I'd take my leave. Goodbye, Jiho. Take care of yourself" he waved at his friend before making his way back home.
Will he call today a success? Considering that Jiho may take a liking towards him, you'd expect it to be quite succesful. However, in Min Joon's mind, the possibility of alienating him is somewhere in the middle. If only JIho didn't push any potential friendships away due to his insecurities, then maybe Min Joon would've place more trust in him.
The downsides of an establish canon, he told himself.
It didn't help that he saw Jiho getting into someone's car, pressumely the one from his parents. Not that he held a grudge for that kind of action, he was absolutely content with it. Just another day of his classmate lying to sound cooler than he was.
...
Ah, Jiho. Y ou never learn...
(found this on Pinterest. Credit to the original artist)
Chapter 12: XOXO
Summary:
aka Festival (1)
Notes:
Music used: XOXO by Jeon Somi
Lyric Video by Jaeguchi
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Funny how time quickly passes without an inch of notice. One moment you could be having fun, the next thing you knew, everything went back to normal. And attending school is one of those normal things that a teenager have to fulfill. Much to the dismay of the protagonist of this fanfic.
You might think his feelings towards would change thanks to attending J High. And in all honesty, Min Joon's hatred for the place does simmers down thanks to the more linear approach for such a vocational school. But as much freedom as it provides, Min Joon still held a grudge for the school life itself.
But he'd admit, the presence of his classmates lessen that grudge a little. In fact, it is possibly the only thing preventing him from dropping out entirely. That, and that the fashion course ain't even that bad. Some of the subjects seems cool enough, especially since he could pull off the right outfit. Just don't expect him to be a fashion designer, since his sewing skills are left much to be desired.
Now that he thought about it, his class felt different compared to last week. It may not look like it, but it was the little details that counts. For example, Mira went through a hairstyle change; sporting a bun instead of her braids. A hairstyle that most fans associated her with, even since her date with Zack a few days ago.
That was one of the benefits of knowing them through a manhwa. Just because Daniel was the MC there, doesn't mean that it won't focus on others' perspectives. But Min Joon won't let the couple know, for obvious reasons. Plus, best to not face the wrath of a simp that sucks at masking their jealousy.
Speaking of the simp, there was something inevitably different about Zack. While his personality remains the same from last week, it was the little details that stood out. Like how he stopped picking up fights so often, for example. The influence that Mira have on him was undeniable, almost like a loyal dog to its owner.
In all honesty, Min Joon was glad that the boxer could be calm for once. From a bully to a better person, he wouldn't be one of the popular main characters had his personality remains the same. The perks of a character development, ain't no other way to describe such a change.
But other than that, school was boring as usual. Nothing special.
And then, a student walked in before class started. A short student with stylish black hair and a pair of square glasses. He may be wearing a typical school uniform, but the difference was highlighted by a few small details.
A pair of limited edition sneakers. A pair of expensive glasses? A second-handed Chrome Hearts ring? That effectively speaks rich, and he would've believed had the manhwa not existed. Too bad that it was there to impress people with materialistic possessions.
Namsoo Lee, the name of the aforementioned student. The kind of person to judge someone's wealth off their looks. Min Joon knew better to not bother the irrelevant guy, so he shifted his attention to the window instead.
Still, he wouldn't mind prying into a conversation. And judging by what he overheard, he let out a soft laugh over a comment made between Zack and Namsoo. That being, the former thinking that two people wearing the same pair of shoes look like a couple. An untrue suggestion, but fun to giggle at.
At least the hot-headed boxer let him off without much of a grudge. How peaceful.
He then turned his focus towards Jay, who was silently gazing without moving his mouth. Everything about his attire, from the many varieties of Chrome Hearts rings to his luxurious watch, was plastered to the brink with expensive brands. Heck, that's not even considering his branded kicks and his custom-printed bag.
If that doesn't speak rich boy, then what does?
An independent rich boy whose mouth doesn't utter a word. A good-looking boy with a good reputation, but so quiet that his presence wasn't well-known. In fact, Min Joon can't remember hearing him speak before, which made his understanding of the silent language all the more engaging. Perhaps he could experience what Daniel went through to understand him more.
With the ring of the school bell, it was time for some lunch. With everyone leaving the classroom, Min Joon stood up by the tap of his shoulders. He looked behind to see Jiho again, staring at him with a confused expression.
"Um...Min Joon? Do you want to eat with us?" he asked him. "Almost everyone left the classroom anyway, and I don't have many friends here. So..."
"Us?" confused Min Joon before noticing the guy behind him.
"Oh, Hyungseok. Is that who you meant?" he asked Jiho, who nodded in response. "Eh, why not? I can't be alone forever, do I?" he sighed before standing up.
"So...how's the day holding up?" he asked them as they leave the class. "For the two of you, I meant."
"Today's kinda good, the lesson is quite enjoyable." smiled Daniel. "Although, I'm not sure how to answer the girls' questions."
"Ah, don't worry. They're just fluttered with your looks, that's all. Though, do tell them if you felt uncomfortable. I'm sure they'd obliged." assured Daniel before he was met with the face of envy coming from his other friend.
"Oh, don't worry. I won't ignore you, Jiho." he assured him. "Especially considering our little hangout two days ago."
"My legs were sore from all the kicks and splits." Jiho sighed. "But I'd give you this, its an experience nonetheless."
"Thank you."
"That-That wasn't a com-"
"What are you two talking about?" Daniel asked them. Before Jiho could even speak, Min Joon quickly explained the events that transpired two days ago. Needless to say, Daniel responded by noting that the two of them bonded well, which they shrugged it off as a mere hangout.
"Well, I hope they serve sausages today." said Daniel, getting a chuckle from Jiho. Min Joon pleasantly enjoyed their conversation, considering the things that'll dissolve their friendship in the future. Hopefully, things will remain peaceful for the day.
Or that was what he would've assumed hadn't his eyes landed his attention on the scenario in front.
Shoving someone's face to a nearby wall. And by the hair of all things, not only unethical for the bully but the victim as well. Quite an original tactic. So original that Min Joon wanted to loathe so badly in his sarcasm.
"Hey, about the next class..."
"O-Oh yeah. PE. Shall I get it for you then?" he groaned in pain as the bully tighten his grip on the hair.
"Get it then, fatass." he demanded before pushing him down to the floor.
Seeing the unbearable sight felt uncomfortable to him. While he never went through such experience, many stories that he read involves such instances of bullying. The feeling stings like a bee; a mix of sorrow and displeasure filled within his heart. Knowing the two aforementioned people only heightened them up further, maybe even a breaking point.
"Where...Where is Hyungseok going?" muttered Jiho.
Funny how that was enough to calm his emotions, alongside the sight of Daniel confronting the bully. As he looked around, he realised that most people were anticipating for a fight to break out, if the appearances of phones isn't a huge indication. So instead, Min Joon switches his attention onto the victim.
He was a short and obese boy whose face looked like a messed-up rhino. Some may say that he looked like the original Daniel, and possibly he could've had it not been for the wrinkles. Regardless, he knew this boy well-enough to ensure that he was quite the beautiful human. Both on the outside and on the inside.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked him, lending him a hand.
"Pyeon Duk-Hwa." he introduced before rejecting his offer. "And, I can stand up by myself. Thank you very much."
Pyeon Duk-Hwa, also known as Duke Pyeon. A student from the Vocal Department, he was a determined person whose dream was to be an aspiring rapper. Despite his status as a supporting character, many fans generally felt sympathy for him enough to become a fan-favourite. Too bad that he was entirely forgotten in the recent chapters, but maybe that's for the best.
"Hey! Why are you boys stalling there?" he heard from a nearby teacher. A teacher doing something noteworthy here? What a miracle!
Min Joon quickly stood up to adjust his clothing, moving out of his way to avoid blocking the bully and his friends. Seeing the sunglasses from him got him buried inside his mind, but something tells him that there were other matters to settle.
Oh well, maybe someday...
"So Duk-Hwa, do you wanna-" he halted his speech when he saw Duke quietly leaving the hallway, leaving behind a role of confused chatter from the others. Min Joon also notices the appearance of Jay, suggesting that he probably would've thrown hands had things escalated.
"Who the hell were those two?" Min Joon asked, wanting to start another conversation.
"That was Duk-Hwa from the Vocal Dept." answered Jiho. "I was just like him before eating with you guys. Bastards."
"The Vocal Department,eh?" noted Min Joon. "And the sunglasses' dude who looked like a rapper?"
"Jin Hobin." said Jiho. "Also from the Vocal Department. Quite the popular asshole."
"I could see that." muttered Min Joon, for his brain was confused upon hearing Hobin. That's definitely not the same Hobin from Viral Hit, right?
No, the bully was not the same Hobin; his shitty personality already made him a stark contrast to the protagonist of that story.
"Well, um...shall we go to the cafeteria?" asked Daniel.
"Absolutely. Don't wanna stick around for long." responded Min Joon before heading his way to the cafeteria. Daniel and Jiho followed suit. "Besides, I'm fucking starving. Aren't you two?"
Both of them nodded in agreement.
Nothing much happened after that. The trio took their lunch and enjoyed their meal with a side of chatting, although Daniel and Jiho seems to do the most talking. Min Joon was so focus on consuming his delicious meal that he took a backseat to the talking and resided to the role of the listener instead. Not that he would mind, quite the opposite actually.
Skip forward to the last class, where the teacher was teaching about the impact that 60's hippie culture held in the way the younger generation dressed. Sure, this piece of info isn't relevant in the grand scheme of things, but the brain may find interest in the most random places. If anything, Min Joon would registered it as something that got his curiosity piqued.
Feeling bored, his eyes landed on the attention of Daniel, who was focusing on the class like normal. He notices two important things surrounding the guy; his old-looking schoolbag and the same pairs of Converse shoes he have for a week straight. While he'd usually not be bothered by such things, the gossips that was caused by them was nothing short of irritating.
What's the problem with having old things? It may not be on par with the latest trends, but why bother chasing them when they works just fine? He partially blame it on the materialistic society surrounding fashion, especially when those rumors came from the people that brags about name brands.
A bunch of insecured Namsoo clones, he joked internally. Maybe he should put it on a T-shirt or something...
But he didn't get the time to think about it, because the school bell chimed shortly after. With most people leaving the classroom, Min Joon waved a goodbye to Jiho before packing his own bag.
"Oh? Mom? Yeah, school just ended."
He turned around to see the surpised reaction coming from Daniel, whom probably received a phone call from his mother. Since he already knew the content within it from the manhwa, he didn't bother sticking around to find out and waved a goodbye to Jay instead. And with that,, he left the school and enters the bus for his way home.
He opened his phone to check on the calendar. Judging by the call, tomorrow will be Daniel Park's birthday. Frankly, he doesn't know what to do with this information, since he mostly treats the special occasion as nothing more than an ordinary day. An ordinary day with a candle on top of a cupcake or a small cake to enjoy.
Still, he'll probably figure something out for him, even if the gift is smaller than the typical ones.
And then, he received some notifications regarding the releases of recent chapters from certain manhwas. He quickly started reading them to catch up on his intel, including Lookism itself. The things he would do to keep his life afloat, even when it isn't healthy in the long run.
...
'Wonder what's Mr. Unknown doing?' thought Min Joon.
(credit to the original artist. Found it om Pinterest)
Chapter 13: Recess
Summary:
aka Festival (2), with a mix of Netflix
Notes:
Music used: Recess by Melanie Martinez
Lyric Video by Divinity
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Another day of school, another day of suffering. Min Joon groaned, wondering how many times will he repeat that sentence in his head. Thank god that his classmates can ease the burden, just seeing them should guarantee that notion.
As he makes his way towards his seat, he can't help but lay his head on the table with his hands surrounds for support. So much for staying up late to binge on the latest chapters, they were quite addicting to his brain. His conversations with Mr. Unknown were also a contributor, but in his defense, he hadn't texted him for a while. Why give a damn if it affects his wellbeing? He's too lazy to give a shit about it anyway.
And then, the squeals coming from the girl. He looked to the door to see Daniel coming in with some fashionable attire. A beige Balmain coat from the current season, a pair of Valentino Camo Rockstud sneakers, a Givenchy Rottweiler bag and a Hublot watch. If it wasn't clear enough what was going on, Daniel was dressed with items from luxury brands from top to bottom. Add on together, and they're worth a grand.
As expected, the jealous boys could do nothing but stare in astonishment over his appearance. Hah, that should shut them up for trying to spread rumors of his poor background. Though, Min Joon admits that this was one of the better ensembles that Daniel wore, whose fashion senses were atrocious to put it lightly.
It wasn't before his eyes landed on a smiling Jay. Min Joon concluded that his desk mate was feeling on cloud nine was because of the birthday gift he gave Daniel yesterday. A lot of expensive casual wear that he claimed to have 'outgrown' him. He probably heard of the gossips those people were spreading, hence his generous act of tossing his clothes to him in a bag. A collection of them, he may add.
No wonder fans start shipping the two together. Jay's actions for him couldn't be read other than some gay undertones, no other how others try to deny it. Heck, the smile only appeared after Daniel tried to thank him to no avail. At this point, Min Joon won't be surprised if Jay ends up being gay for him, even if his feelings will most likely be one-sided.
Holy shit, he just made a rhyme. What a coincidental setup to a punchline...
Moving that aside, it wasn't long before lunchtime arrives again. The same old routine that became the norm ever since Jiho was invited to their lunch table. Min Joon greeted them with a handshake before they make their way to the cafeteria.
"By the way, nice clothes you have." he complimented Daniel. "Where do you get it?"
"Jay gave it to me as a birthday present. Saying that it can't fit him anymore." he replied.
"Hold up, you can also understand him?" asked Min Joon. Daniel also asked the same thing, only being far more genuine in his surprise expression.
"You both can understand him?" wondered Jiho in amusement. "Damn, how do I understand the silent language?"
"I don't know. It just came naturally."
"Really, Min Joon? Does that mean" said Jiho as he looked towards Daniel, who nodded his head as a result. "Man, that's so unfair. You both can understand the silent boy where others don't."
"Well, probably one of the benefits of being a newcomer. Am I right, Daniel?" said Min Joon. The aforementioned person went silence towards the awkward situation, while Jiho was mildly frustrated about his comment.
"Let's...Let's just get on with the food." he said before they entered the cafeteria. So much for taking a joke seriously.
The moment was quickly interrupted by an unbearable sight. A student demanding his so-called servant to bring it the lunch to their table. But it wasn't some ordinary student, it was Duke getting bullied again by the same sunglasses bastard. Fuck that shallow wannabe, he doesn't deserve sharing the same name with someone opposite of him.
But as much as he wanna delved into that cam of worms, the bigger issue was presenting in front of his eyes. People like him and Jiho are destined to be at the bottom of the food chain, unfortunately. Daniel was just like them, but he has his bigger body to handle them easier. That doesn't help him escape his problems, but he could temporarily stall it to a breaking point.
Still, Min Joon found it odd that his plain-looking self isn't getting that sorts of treatment by others. Not a single instance of bullying in his entire life, replacing with being sidelined to a background role. Not that there wasn't anything wrong with such a position, it definitely suited him very well. Just an observation that he concluded when comparing himself to the others' circumstances.
But isn't that what he wanted? Not being the center of attention? Why shall he tell himself that he had it better when he's deliberately crafting a mundane image for personal reasons? Gosh, he sound like a hypocrite there. Was that even the right word?
Whatever, he has a fan favourite to settle. Better ignore his questions for now.
"Mind if I help?" he greeted him. His sudden appearance almost spilled the food, but Min Joon managed to catch some of the trays before they tilt in full. Placing them at another table, he stared at the dude with sympathy in his eyes.
"You?"
"Yes, the one who offered to help you days ago." said Min Joon. "But enough about that, I would like to ask you a question?"
"Which is?"
"Do you want to eat with us?" he offered.
"Us?"
"Jiho and Hyungseok." he mentioned, looking at the table across him. Duke noticed them and felt nervous, wanting to decline the offer.
"Don't worry, that lunch table accepts all kinds of people. Including you." he assured him. Not enough to remove his doubts, but enough to accept his offer reluctantly. The two of them then sit beside together on their seat, opposite of Jiho and Daniel. Seeing as everyone but Duke got a meal, Min Joon decided to do him a favor.
"There, have my meal for a change. I go take a new one." he said before pushing his plate to Duke's side. He then stood up and took another meal from the line. Lucky that the cafeteria have some spares meals left for his empty stomach.
After returning to his table, he proceeded to eat his food like a hungry lion. It was a satisfying meal, getting him impressed with the school maintaining the food quality here. They actually delivered their promise unlike some schools, call him shocked. That aside, he looked around to learn that everyone but Duke was eating their meal. From barely lifting his chopsticks up to just silently staring at his plate. What's going on inside his head?
"Is something bothering you, Duk Hwa?" he asked him while biting on his tofu.
"O-Oh. My bad." he responded before sighing. "It's just that I have a question for you and Hyungseok."
"Go on."
"Why are you being nice to us?"
"Huh?"
"Why do you want to invite me to eat with you guys?" Duke looked at him before facing Daniel. "And Hyungseok, why do you accept me into this table?"
"What kind of question is that?" confused Min Joon.
"It's just a bit weird that you asked me to have lunch with you, let alone not looking down on me." he explained in a serious tone. "We're not popular like you, Hyungseok."
"Oh."
"We? What do you mean 'we'? Don't group us together." irritated Jiho before taking a bit out of the potato. While all of this was going down, the mutters from the nearby people were becoming increasingly present. All of their mutters were nothing more than wondering why Daniel would sit with a bunch of losers. So much for wanting a peaceful meal.
Though, he wondered what got Duke to act like that. He doesn't remember him like this from the manhwa, with his counterpart being more open-arms to Daniel from the moment Daniel invited him for lunch.
"Sorry, are you not happy sitting with us?" asked Daniel calmly.
"No, it isn't that. Just curious." he responded, looking down on his seat.
"Because...I just want to be friends with you." both Daniel and Min Joon said simultaneously, surprising Duke from their answer.
"With someone like me? No way." he exclaimed. "But why?"
"Because I want to?" Min Joon told him with no hesitation, with his plate leaving only the miso soup left.
"Because I'm like you." smiled Daniel. The answer prompted Duke to stand up, scoffing at the idea that someone handsome as Daniel could be just like him. Oh, the irony. But with the defense of hindsight.
"How could you be like me? I'm not handsome and my family's poor."
"..Mine is too." Daniel told him.
"Hold up, so the rumors are true?" chimned Min Joon, acting surprised over that fact.
"What rumors?"
"The rumors of you being poor, duh." said Jiho nonchalantly. "You don't know about it?"
Daniel shook his head in response. Quite the oblivious person, huh?
"Oh, look. My meals' finished." he said after his last sip of his soup. He then stood up and left the table with his tray intact. "I'm gonna go back to class now. See ya." he said before quickly leaving the table to avoid an awkward situation.
As he stared at Daniel's eyes, he noticed the silent tears foaming around his eyes that never dripped. He was clearly saddened by the rejection of his friendship, even Min Joon found it odd that his own offer was accepted but not for Daniel. Could it be due to taking over Daniel's role as the one offering to sit with them? Was this a consequence for his actions? Min Joon can't help but feel a lingering sense of guilt over the outcome.
"Hey Duk Hwa, get me some water!"
The loud voice caught Min Joon's attention, alongside noticing a cup rolling on the ground from an unsuccessful throw. Hearing that same voice offering Daniel to get a smoke, it was obvious that the source was none other than that bully with sunglasses again. Despite knowing that he'd have a character development in the future, all that he wants to do was just glare the hell out of him.
Oh, and remove the sunglasses if you're gonna prove to be more handsome Daniel. For crying out loud.
Leaving the tray near the water dispenser, he was gonna pick the cup up but decided not to. Sure, it sounds tempting to pour water on him for some petty points, but he doesn't have the time nor the skills to fight against an argubly good fighter. A fighter that claimed to have passed his prime in middle school. Such irony in that stamement thanks to hindsight.
"Hey, Ho Bin! Is your hand broken?" called out Zack, shifitng his attention.
"You want to get fucked up, cheeky burger?" asked Ho Bin before getting up on his feet.
"Can't you see anything with those glasses? I bet you like stealing honey butter chips." Despite their comments sounded corny as hell, it sure grabbed everyone's attention.
"Hey, black glasses. Pick up your cup. You can put it in the sink." chimned Vasco.
"What? Are you trying to start something? Mind your own business."
"Didn't your mom tell you to not throw things on the floor?"
Safe to say, it garnered even more attention. Some were anticipating for a fight to occur, others were whispering about the outcome of the situation, and yet none were thinking of the big elephant in the room. Where the hell are the staff workers to interfere? Almost like they're barely present in these kinds of scenario. Typical questionable manhwa shenanigan.
Oh, and Jay's glare at Ho Bin. How could he forget that?
"Take off your glasses." said Vasco.
"Forget that. Bring it!" Ho Bin shouted, attempting to ignore that.
"I don't hit someone with sunglasses." he said. Needless to say, Ho Bin dropped his willingness to fight and kicked a table in frustration.
"That was uncalled for." mumbled Min Joon, seeing the boy leaving the cafeteria with his gang. Something regarding his sunglasses was definitely an uncomfortable topic, but he can't just outright said to not bother it for he may get suspicious. At least, not when he is nothing more than a bystander to him.
With the situation calmed down, Daniel gets bombarded by girls again, everyone else went back to their usual routine, and Min Joon places his tray in the bin for the workers to wash. Not much to do than go back to class and wait for school to end for the day. How typical.
"Daniel, are you gonna go for the auction?" he overheard someone asking him that.
An auction? Why does that sound familiar?
Right, an upcomming festival to commorate the school's 10th anniversary. A festival that celebrats all aspect of Jae Won High School. All within the deadline of a freaking week. And one of the activites is an auction for girls to bet on handsome boys. Poor Daniel, he'd have to represent the Fashion Department as the canon stated.
But hey, at least it won't be himself. He'd be aghasted if he has to, Daniel's too handsome to ignore his potential. The big one, he meant. No offense to the smaller one, he still liked him.
That being said, he can't help but feel dissapointed by how things turned out. Sure, the cafeteria confrontation still happened like usual, but Duke didn't instantly befriended Daniel like he did with him. Quite unlike his canon counterpart.
Could it stemmed from his trust issues? Considering the bullying he went through from Ho Bin and his 'friend' group, and the fact that many people judged him on his looks, perhaps that was the case. In all honesty, Min Joon would most likely denied the notion of Daniel coming from a poor background had hindsight not exists. While he doesn't have the experience of a bullied victim, he read enough stories to feel sympathy for them.
Unless they turned out to be psychopaths or killers. In which, that won't be enough to ignore their crimes.
Still, he hopes that his actions doesn't jeopadize an important event to occur before the festival. An event so fundamental to the start of a friendship that Min Joon feared that the opposite may came true. Never have he become so concerned about the deviation of a canon event, but considering the concept of the butterfly effect, he knew better than to deal with it at the moment.
Those doubts lingers thoughout the remaining hours of school, all the way till the end of the school. When Daniel was tasked in sweeping the class for the day after school, the fears somewhat calmed a bit but not fully dissolved. It remains this way as Min Joon left the classroom and waited at the school bench for a few minutes.
And then, something happened. A voice of an angel singing beautifully from the window class. The realisation of the source for said voice fully distinguished any seed of doubts from his own heart.
"Duke and Daniel are getting along." he spoked quietly. Soft enough to not attract unwanted attention, but loud enough for his own ears to listen. He wished that he could go up to the classroom to see the possible event transpired, but he belived that it's best to leave the two alone for a chat. Thus, he finally left the school and make his way home to relax with what little time left.
Alas, things shall go smoothly for Duke and Daniel. A blossoming relationship should definitely blossom at this point. Right?
...
Hopefully...
ran out of fanart to add, so have some Jay fanservice from the manhwa itself)
Chapter 14: GGONDAE
Summary:
aka Festival (3) with a side of Netflix espresso
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Can't believe that he's repeating this, but today is another day of freaking school. You may think it would've bored him out at this point, and honestly it should've been had it not been for the past few days. In fact, he'd like to call it the epitome of a chaotic school week.
Ever since the announcement of the annual school festival, everyone was busy preparing for the big day. Flyers promoting the event went rampant across the school, encouraging everyone to invite as much people as they could. The field was busy setting up the various booths and stages required, while the cafeteria was busy whipping up food designated for the occasion.
Moreover, it wasn't just the staff workers taking this serious. In fact, he believed that the departments are the ones taking this even further, seeing this as an opportunity to showcase their talents. That perfectly explains the higher than normal rate of people's activities surrounding the place.
The constant smell of baked goods. The overflowing garbage bins filled with all kinds of stuff. People singing and rapping their hearts out on a daily basis. Suffice to say, it was indeed a stressful and chaotic week. So much for wanting some peace.
The fashion department were no exceptions. He heard that his seniors were busy preparing for a fashion show, one of the three famous events for the festival. The other two were the charity auction and the talent show, whatever the latter was called. But that could be talk about much later, since he isn't going for either of them. That belongs to his classmate Daniel, whom he felt pity for going through what's essentially a slave auction for a single date.
Putting his salty comment aside, that wasn't the main focus on Min Joon's mind. Rather, it was learning that Daniel and Duke were hanging out together more. After all of his initial worries, it was relieving to learn that the changes in the path didn't alter from its original outcome. That being, Duke and Daniel starting a friendship together and should be set to perform that day.
Still, Min Joon wouldn't count on such miracles for every single time things diverge from the canon. Just because he got lucky once, doesn't mean it'd most likely happen again. Things would've been easier if the latter was true, but reality can be a bitch sometimes.
But this isn't time to delve into complicated thoughts. This is the time to think about the festival. For once, having 'fictional' people being there was a good motivator for Min Joon to be weirdly interested in this so-called social event.
So much for wanting to stay at home. Well played.
Anyway, it was a pleasant sight to see Duke more willingly to eat lunch with them. Comparing to their first encounter, this was quite the massive improvement for the two. Min Joon could feel the blossoming friendship between them, all while him and Jiho eats their food on the sidelines on the table.
While it initially went like any other day, all of that changed when Duke told them that he want to show them something later. Hence, the reason their meals were finished earlier than usual. The four of them then went out of the school building and gathered at the surrounding pathway that was filled with greenery. Nothing like relaxing here in the city life.
Turns out, Duke called them here to review a piece of paper. A piece of paper that details the song that he wrote for the festival, to perform with Daniel together. As he passed the sheet to him, Min Joon and Jiho also glance at it alongside him to see what Duke wrote.
Looking at the lyrics, Min Joon was rather amazed by the lyrics he wrote. Shame that society is too judgmental on appearance, because why the hell isn't Duke getting the props he deserves as a lyricist? The song was indeed a masterpiece in terms of content alone, and it seems that the others shared the same sentiment.
"I love this." said Daniel, which turned Duke's frown upside down.
"Really?" he questioned.
"Absolutely. This is incredible." complimented Daniel. "You said that you wrote this under a day? You're incredible, Duk Hwa."
Duke chuckled at the comment as he scratches his head. "I always jot down my thoughts whenever I think of ideas of lyrics."
Just like Daniel, Min Joon was amused by the lyrics on his notes. When Duke said that he dreamt of becoming an aspiring rapper, his pen didn't come to play at all. No wonder he looked up to Eminem, judging by how comparable the relatability of their lyrics were. Such a shame that his appearance shunned people from acknowledging his talent, if only society wasn't so judgmental on beauty.
"That's a good technique. I'm hella impressed, but what does it sound like?" he asked Duke.
"Should we start practising?" he said before leaving the bench. Daniel proceeded to do the same, leaving an empty spot for Min Joon to sit on. Duke took out his phone to play the instrumental first before starting their pratice.
As he stared at the two singing their parts, he can't help but admired the vocals coming from those two. Duke was rapping like a motivation speaker, while Daniel's voice sound angelic. Put them together and you got an unexpected combination that served well. Needless to say, Min Joon was impressed enough to give them some applause.
"Amazing!" exclaimed Jiho as he stood up from his seat. "Man, I am shook!"
"Honestly, I thought you'd have trouble connecting to this song. But, I felt your sincerity from your voice." said Duke.
Daniel thanked him for the compliment, before Duke told him to improve his technique despite his expressive voice. When asked on how to improve within the time left, he advised him to focus more on memorisation as opposed to his vocals or breathing.
Min Joon would agree on that matter. As much of an angel he sounds, it was evident that he was trying to get the hang of it.
Oh, and don't overwork the vocal cords to prevent damage, but that won't be a problem for Daniel. Not when he has two bodies to solve the problem.
...
Damn, Daniel. You're one lucky angel.
Two days has passed, and things were moving steadily for the festival. Daniel's vocals were such an improvement that Duke was astonished that he did that without practice in two days. Heck, even calling him a genius was kinda far-fetched, but whatever.
If anything, the only reason he stuck around for the sessions was to interact with Jiho more. When the opportunity to talk with a favourite character, people will use it to their advantage. Who says that he can't interact with his favourite 'fictional' classmate?
Funny how he still referred to them as 'fictional' people. Didn't he made a promise to do the opposite? Though, in his defence, it's hard to differentiate from fiction when they act exactly like their canon counterparts. And that's coming from someone who lives here, for fucks sakes.
Anyway, the day was coming to an end. As the evening sun shines brightly, Min Joon bids his farewell towards his schoolmates and head his way to the nearby cafe. Once arrived, he ordered a lemonade before walking out with the receipt in hand. Just as he was taking a sip on it, he saw some kind of commotion going on from afar.
A group of people with hoodies confronting two people? Said people looked fairly familiar to his schoolmates? And one of those hoodies people having a similar white cap? It suddenly hit him what was absolutely going on.
Oh, this isn't gonna be a pleasant situation. His instints were telling to do something about it, but he can't just run immediately without spilling his drink. And he doesn't like wasting his order like that. So what could he do?
"Hey, are you just gonna stand there or-?"
Min Joon quickly turned around to see a girl who possessed quite the unrivaled beauty. A tall and slim figure, a fair complexion, and long natural black hair. He recognised the person immediately, but with time not being in his favor, all that he did was give her the drink.
"Can you hold this for me?" he asked her. As soon as she grabbed his drink in confusion, Min Joon politely thanked her before dashing off in the speed of light. He can't lose sight of the group. Something about it gave him nothing but bad vibes.
And unfortunately, his suspicions were absolutely correct.
Turns out, Ho Bin was bullying Duke once again in an attempt to sabotage his plans. Then, he instructed Jiho to hit him too, even threatening him of getting beaten twice as hard otherwise. Hearing his whimpers in cowardice alongside the bully's friends laughing in unison boils his anger. Such a disappointing way to use a dirty alleyway.
Needless to say, his emotions got the better of him and went to confront them.
"Hey! What y'all doing?" he called, halting their laughter to get their attention.
"Another student from our school?"
"Never seen him before."
"I said, what's going on here?" he repeated with a pissed tone.
"Min Joon? What are you doing here?" asked Jiho, worried about what Ho Bin might do to him.
Min Joon wants to facepalm so bad. Why reveal his name in a situation like this?
"Ooh, so you're the other newcomer, huh?" said Vin Jin. "Almost forgot that you exists. Want a cigarette or something?"
"Let them go."
"Huh? Sorry, I can't hear you."
"I said...let them go." glared Min Joon with a burning passion.
"And what if I don't?" asked Ho Bin, walking towards him like a predactor hunting its prey. Staring at the guy, he was hoping that the newbie will flinched in cowardice, but the remaining glare from Min Joon. How fascinating.
"I will tell everyone your secret?"
He scoffed at his reason. "What kind of secret?"
"The secret about your sunglasses?" he retaliated. "It looks so heavily tinted, definitely not on accident."
This seemingly innocent response got Ho Bin triggered, almost got him trembling a bit. Still, his ego wouldn't allow that so he decided to pressed further.
"How the fuck did you know?" he snarled at him.
"I don't know. If I were the one using them to hide something, I might try to consider why." he responded, getting another snarled from Ho Bin. "You never know, someone might find it cool?"
The moment that they glared each other in silence, that's when the tension became deadly. It was so cold that the others could only mutters regarding the speculative outcome. Alas, it took a phone call from Ho Bin's phone for the tension to dissolved completely.
"Fuck, you're lucky that I'm letting you off the hook." groaned Ho Bin as he aggresively take his leave. "C'mon guys! I have to go for vocal lessons." The others leave alongside him, but not without some mutters from the others. Not like it matters anyway.
"So long, asshole!" finished Min Joon before looking at his schoolmates.
"That's Vin Jin for y'all! When my rapping career begins!"
"Haha, funny." he mumbled before rolling his eyes. Better to call him that than whatever the hell 'Ho Bin' is. At least he won't have to waste his energy fighting him, not when he isn't a good fighter anyway.
Jin Ho Bin, also known as Vin Jin. A student from the Vocal Department, he has quite an arrogant and selfish personality. He wishes to be superior among everyone, feeling jealous when someone else is better than him. This leads to bullying being his resolve, stepping on others so he can remain at the top.
Now, he wouldn' give a damn about him if he was just some asshole. But just like Zack, he'll eventually gain some chracter development that earned him a sizeable fanbase. Not like Min Joon will forgive his actions, but it most likely stemned from his insecurites that made him who he was. So he'd have the benefit of the doubt.
"You guys okay?" asked Min Joon, running towards them in a hurry.
"No, we aren't." spoked Jiho with his shaken breath. "Sorry, Duk-Hwa."
"Huh? Why would you be sorry?" he groaned.
"I...I'm such a scumbag!" he admitted.
Well, he wasn't entirely wrong. Kind of. Refusing to take accountability counts, right?
"No, you're not." Min Joon assured him. He lended a hand for Duke to grip on, allowing him to stand up.
"How did you managed to not get beat up?" Duke asked him. "And by Ho Bin, of all people."
"Intimidation. Blackmail. Threaten him by expose him?"
"Yeah, but...is the glasses thing true?"
"Judging by his reaction, possibly." he concluded. Not like he could tell them that Vin Jin has polycoria. His issues surrounding his condition led to the angry and closed self that he currently is. So best to not tell anyone out of respect.
"Oh."
"Um...Jiho. Do you remember-" he was gonna finish his sentence when he noticed a pair of eyes staring at him. A pair of eyes belonging to the same girl that held his drink during the whole commotion.
"Your drink..." she called as she tries to catch her breath from all of that running. Funny how it wasn't enough to spill his drink. Quite the relief for his thristiness.
"Hey, sorry for leaving on a short notice. I'll take it from here." he grabbed the drink from her hand and sipped it like he was short on water. "What's your name?"
"Choi Soo Jung." she sighed before going on her seperate way. Not even for a short conversation. She just left without any words except for her frustrated expression. Guess she was pissed at him for the sudden task, which in his defense, should've seen it coming.
"Who was that?"
"Some random girl that I passed my drink to, Jiho."
"Choi Soo Jung? Isn't her surname familiar?" asked Duke in confusion.
And then it clicked. No wonder her name was familiar. That was Crystal Choi, for damn sakes.
Choi Soo Jung, or more famously knowned as Crystal Choi. The daughter of the CEO of a famous company, she is a kind person with a prejudice. A prejudice that impacted the way she viewed people in a cynical manner. Heck, Min Joon was grateful that he wasn't attractive enough to warrant her prejudices, even if things went south.
"Um..Earth to Min Joon?" asked Jiho. "You were gonna ask me something?"
"O-Oh. Right." he stuttered, blinking his eyes to focus on his schoolmates. "Do you remember the store incident a week ago?"
"Yeah? I didn't apologised to the store worker." he frowned over that reminder. "Why? Do you want us to go there?"
"You could say that." he sighed before forming a small smile.
...
"It could be fun."
Turns out instigating a canon event does a timeline good.
When the trio stepped into the store, they encountered the same worker mopping the floor. Referring to him as 'Little Daniel', Min Joon greeted the worker before letting Jiho apologies to him for the previous endeavour.
A rare moment of Jiho taking accountability. What a shocker.
Being the nice person he was, Daniel accepts his apology with sincerity. It wasn't until Duke introduced himself to him that he shoud've realised earlier that they're talking to a different person entirely.
By the time Daniel joined them outside during his break, the starry night was glimmering in all of its glory. He gave them a soda can each for them, as the four of them sit along the silent pavements in the cold night.
"Do you remember the guys who got me to steal your charger and hit you?" Jiho asked him. "Well, those guys are from my school too."
"Oh. I figured." sighed Daniel before opening his drink. "You don't have to apologise to me. That's their bidding, not yours.
"I know, but I...I didn't sign up to get bullied for my entire time there. I came to my school to learn everything about fashion, but met only bullies instead."
"Same here. I...I came to pursue my passion for music but its hard to fit in when everyone looks attractive." admitted Duke.
"M..Me too! I also used to be bullied real bad at my previous school." Daniel chimned in, leading to Jiho and Duke looking at each other in disbelief.
"Hold on, what year are you?" asked Min Joon in an act of disbelief.
"1st-year of high school. So I'm around the same age as you guys."
"For real?"
"Yeah, so you don't have to be too formal."
This leads into the three of them having a bittersweet conversation. A conversation of them recounting the various ways they got bullied by their peers. Essentially, bonding over the shared experience of being a victim of bullying.
"My face has smashed into a toilet once."
"Really? Me too!"
"There was one time I had to do a naked somersault."
"I was a human fan once."
"I have done a forward roll naked before."
"Like Pikachu? I was forced to lick a shoe."
"I was a human punching bag."
"I got beaten up in front of my mom."
That last sentence was too enthusiatic coming from Daniel. Even the rest of them were taken aback by his words.
"Dude, what the hell? Are any of y'all okay?" asked Min Joon, feeling legimiately concerned.
"No." they responded in unison.
Reading the ways they were bullied were one thing. But hearing them talking 'bout it? That's a different thing entirely. And a more effective method of hitting him right in the guts. Poor them...
"What about you, Min Joon? Do you have anything to share?" Jiho asked him.
Shoot, what is he gonna say? He doesn't remembered being bullied before, only judgement from his previous school.
"Um... People telling me to gain weight?" he responded awkwardly.
The others looked at him in confusion.
"That's all I could say, really. I was never bullied in the first place." he sighed as he sips on his drink. "I only know them through stories, not through experience."
"It's okay, not everyone has the same privilege as you."
Min Joon rolled his eyes.. He wasn't wrong, his finacial status was the only reason people didn't attempt to bully him. His old peers weren't the best for private school standards. Still, what a unintentional way to call him out.
"Well, you're not wrong. Rich privilege still exists." he told him. "Especially when you don't have parents anymore."
The others stared at him with concerned. Great, now he's the one making it awkward.
"Sorry about it." apologised Daniel.
"Nah, its fine. Its been months anways, Lil Danny. I have moved on from it." he assured them. You know, like a liar.
"...Anyways, things have gotten better ever since Hyungseok transferred." Jiho continued, taking out a cigarette to smoke. "You guys want one?"
"Gross. Something tells me you ain't a seasoned one." Min Joon covered his mouth and leaned away.
"What are you talking about? I smoke whenever I'm sad."
Liar. It was obvious that it was his first time smoking. All of that just to act cool in front of others. Unironically, the thing that leads to his future downfall.
The conversation continued on with acknowledging the changes came after Big Daniel's arrival. From Zack no longer being buly Jiho to Duke admitting that Daniel was a genuinely kind person, one look at Little Daniel's face was enough for Min Joon to understand how touching it felt to hear compliments. Even if its directed at his other body, a compliment is a compliment nonetheless.
"Wow, thank you." he mumbled. A bit too loud for that matter.
"Huh?"
"Why'd you say thank you for that?"
"Um..Um..I-I mean..."
"Is that true?" someone asked, revealing to be none other than Vasco. His suprised appearance caught the others off-guard, except for Min Joon who just silently waved at him. Vasco waved at him back before snatching the cigarette away from Jiho.
"Is what you're saying is the truth? About the transfer student." he asked again, looking unsure by what he heard.
"Which one?" asked Min Joon.
"Park Hyungseok."
"Hyungseok? Yeah, he invited us to eat." responded Jiho.
"He doesn't show off his strength." added Duke.
"And he had no choice but to fight Zack..." Not sure if that claim was true, but Vasco would probably assumed that it is.
"But I caught him taking your mother's money." said Vasco with a contemplative look.
"Huh? My mother's money?" spoked Daniel in confusion. And then, he gasped over the realisation that Vasco saw his other body with his mother and misread the situation entirely. No wonder he fought him back then.
"N-No, you got it wrong. My mother gave him that to pay for her coffee." he interjected.
"Is that right?"
"Yes, I swore that it's true."
After Vasco heard about this, he stood there deep in thought for a while.
"Hey, part-timer. Thank you. Seems like I was mistaken by him." he told Daniel. "Also, you should work out. If you don't know how, come find me."
"Alright." he said, adding his phone number to the list. Shortly after he left, Daniel went back to the store to continue his shift. That was when the others bid their farewell and went for their seperate ways.
As Min Joon make his way back home, he stared at the starry night in solance. Something about it felt peaceful, like a shinning beacon of light in a void filled with gloom. Perhaps for the first time ever, he was looking forward to something he was absolutely certain he wouldn't. In a unironic way, he was anticipating for the festival for once.
...
Probably under a hex or something, he's certain of it.
(credit to @sir-pink on Tumblr)
Notes:
Music used: GGONDAE by Wetter
Lyric Video by Band Wetter
Chapter 15: Festival
Summary:
aka the End of the Festival Arc
Notes:
Music used: Fly Up by Hwang Chang young, Door
Lyric Video by Jamong
Chapter Text
3rd pov
After 10 long days of preparation, the day of the festival have arrived upon them.
The moment that the school opened its gates was when everyone started rushing inside like the start of a meet-and-greet. In all honesty, the manhwa doesn't do this place justice when describing just how crowded the place was.
Stalls were filled to the brim with crowds, leading to a positive aura surrounding the place. A multitude of activities took place, ranging from department-oriented to carnival-styled. Heck, they even got two former seniors to stir up the crowd with their club music.
Man, this was indeed the life of the party.
Normally, he would've been a stall helper like most students should. However, since the stalls were packed with enough workforce, he was no longer needed for any enquires. Whatever, at least he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. And the first course of action was to check out the stalls.
The first stall he encountered focused on boxing, with Zack held as the target to beat. The goal was to land a hit on him within a single minute, all under the cheap price of 5 won. Being the boxer that he is, he went untouched around 10 people in a row. All of that just to avoid attending the slave auction, if his unfocused expression was anything to go by.
No surprise that Daniel was chosen as the representative for the auction. Not like he had a say in the matter anyway. Part of him felt pity towards him, but Min Joon quietly brushed it off for its necessity as a canon event.
Plus, seeing Jiho getting treated fairly for once felt pleasant to him. Even if the boxer's friends have their own way of doing it.
Moving on, he passed by the booth held by the Baking Department. With the only two students having a spat over their incompetence, something tells him that they'd take a huge loss from their poor sales. Not even a decade-old bread sword could salvage their disaster.
Not feeling hungry at the moment, he skipped over to the Architecture Department booth. It was an arm wrestling match against Vasco, which managed to make a sustainable amount of money. Despite that, he wasn't happy that its audience was limited to only males, even letting out some tears for comedy effect.
Hearing Jace telling him to change their plans, Min Joon decided to stepped into the conversation for once.
"Hey, Jace." he greeted him, who waved at him in response. "How's business?"
"Good, but it could be better." he sighed with uncertainty. "Any suggestions?"
"Well...,I do have one idea."
"I'm listening."
In the end, his idea on attracting a diverse audience works.
Turns out bets can make you a lot of money. People were willingly to bet a lot on to see the variety of objects Vasco could pick up. Heck, it even attracted some of the females' attention like Vasco hoped. Although, Min Joon honestly felt that they were only attracted to the muscles that his schoolmates flexed under his tank top.
With the architecture department ranking in lots of money, he bid farewell to them and made his way towards the booth for the Animation department.
There, the booth was selling an array of products; ranging from different sizes of artistic portraits on display to the art prints and stickers laying on the table. Each with varying degrees of prices. The booth was indeed popular with the people, so he decided to check it out for himself.
Once reached, he was greeted by the presence of a female student at the counter. She had dark brown hair, fair complexion and a slim physique that was similar to the shape of a pear. Not to sound like he was discriminating her body, just pointing out from what his keen eyes viewed.
"Welcome to the artist booth. How may I help you?" she greeted with a smile.
"Hey, can I buy something here?"
"Sure, what kind of anime merch you want?"
"Anime merch?"
"Most people came here to buy some anime merch, which is...unfortunately the only thing keeping this booth sustainable." she rolled her eyes in frustration. "Same thing with manhwa and webtoon merchs. All of them overtaken the real artform."
She wasn't wrong. The Comic & Animation department wasn't at the bottom of the food chain for a reason. Its reputation as a place for otakus prevent people from taking them seriously. In a way, he can't help but feel bad for those affected by the negative bias.
Before opening his mouth, his eyes noticed a portrait of a girl in her hanbok carrying a bouquet of flowers, while being surrounded by many flowers herself. Combine with its pastel-coloured background, it was enough to intrigued the boy nonetheless.
(credit to @stellaimhultburg on Instagram)
"What is that gorgeous art?" he asked her, pointing at the portrait.
"'The Rise of Spring', by Stella Im Hultburg. Created for her art show 'Mago' in 2017." she responded. Seems like she was the knowledgeable type, perhaps because it was in her field of interest.
"And she actually commissioned it here?"
"No, one of my seniors recreated it as part of his project." she admitted.
If it wasn't evident enough, Min Joon made up his mind.
"I'd like to buy it then. How much does it cost?"
"300 won. That's the cheapest I could put." she told him. He then take out his wallet and pay her the same amount. Too bad that booths only accept cash, otherwise his e-wallet would've done the trick easier.
"Thanks for your purchase. Would you like a bag?"
"Yes, please."
"Y'know, I kind of surprise that you didn't buy the um...more popular options." she said as she grabbed a beige-cotton bag below the counter and put the portrait in. "Still, I'm glad that you're one of the rare instances of appreciating fine art."
A not-so subtle shade to the anime and manhwa art community. No further comment.
He grabbed his purchased item and continue his exploration, thanking the girl before leaving.
He stopped briefly when his eyes spots the fashion show, one of the three famous staged events of the festival. But it wasn't because of how extravagant the fashion was. Rather, it was because of the hideous designs that garnered the most attention.
A shark head accompanied by a white tank top? What were the sophomores thinking when designing such blasphemy? As embarrassing as it was for the models involved, the show must go on in infamy. Best to ignore it like he didn't harbour any interest at all.
"That fashion show's quite the wreck, huh?"
He turned around to see a guy with light-blue hair with pink highlights. Almost immediately, he recognise his face as Eli Jang.
"Yeah, Jang Hyun. That is." he snickered.
"How do you know my name?"
"Because you're popular?" he reminded him. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I should ask you that question. This is the Beauty Department's booth."
Right, he was so focused on that disaster of a fashion show that he didn't register where he was initially. Judging by the stools lining up horizontally, the booth indeed belongs to the Beauty Department.
"So um...how was your booth?" he asked him, thinking he was a worker by his brown apron.
"It was a massive success. Though, that's mostly because I was in the picture. A lot of people, especially the girls, want me to cut their hair." he admitted, rubbing his head in sincerity. "Although, my cutting skills still need some improvement."
Judging by how some of the girls' hair looked, that was an understatement.
"Hey, do you want to get a haircut?" he asked him. Min Joon almost gave in. Almost.
"Hey, Jang Hyun!! The auction's about to start!!" someone called him.
Eli silently cursed before taking out his apron. "Sorry, but I gotta go for the auction. What's your name?"
"Min Joon."
"Well, nice to meet you Min Jo-"
"Hurry up, Jang Hyun! They gonna start any minute now!!"
He waved farewell at him before scurried out of the booth. Even though he wanted to bring up their first encounter, anyone could forget an unimportant event within a month. That, and his relief over avoiding occurring the wrath of the guy's terrible haircutting skills.
Turning his focus to the same stage, everyone was gathering to see the annual charity date auction. Another famous staged event, girls bid on freshmen guys until there is a higher bidder. The winner gets an eight-hour date with their chosen bachelor on the day of their liking. But only during the daytime, since nightime isn't allowed.
To put it bluntly, Min Joon doesn't get the appeal of this event. Sure, you could spend a day with the bachelor of your choice, but both sides have to pay attention to one another. Kind of like the saddest way of getting the attention of someone.
Heck, the term 'slave auction' felt like a better-sounding title here. Because it reminds him of a mafia boss picking his wife through human trafficking, except the gender roles were reversed. Sad that nobody was questioning the dark implications of such activity, but it isn't like he could do anything about it. No other options but to watch from the sidelines.
With every name that the announcer listed out, more girls yelled out random numbers out of desperation. So far, none of the guys were anything interesting except for Eli, whose department collaborated for a bit of 500 won. The undeniable power of a shared goal.
When the next name was announced, he watches Vasco stepping onto the stage. While the crowd was amazed by his body, all of that disappeared the moment his expression came off as scary. Too bad that he can't bid money on him, but the show must go on.
"Alright! With no other bids, sold for 100 won!"
Well, that was unexpected. Even Min Joon himself was caught off-guard by the results.
Was he happy for Vasco? Absolutely.
Was he expecting him to fail like the canon counterpart? Yes.
Was he surprised by the outcome? Oh, definitely.
As much as he wants to know the girl who bid him, he shrugged it off as some inconsequential event. Nothing to be bothered about. Not when the next person on the list was the protagonist himself., that's for certain.
As people started bidding for him, the price eventually rocketed up to 1000 won. Everyone stared at the person who bidded the high amount; a short and chubby girl who went by the name Lala whose reportedly a frequent bidder for this auction. Judging by the notion of her going on a date was akin to torture, Min Joon would definitely want to avoid her at all costs.
"2,000 won." someone raised their hand. Knowing whose voice was that, Min Joon spotted the familiar face standing in front of a bodyguard of sorts.
It was the same girl he encountered a week ago, the one whom he asked to hold his drink. Though, he wondered why Crystal bidded for Daniel if it wasn't for romantic intentions. Was it because of the task her father assigned?
Seeing the two girls argued over the prices, it was inevitable that Crystal came on top with a whopping price of 5,000 won. Wasting no time at all, Min Joon left the booth and make his way behind a corner of the parking lot. Weird for him to spy on someone, but it was all for the sake of the story.
Hearing her sharp voice, it was clear what the conversation was about. When Daniel tried to thank her for bidding him, she gave him a speech about looking down on others based on looks. Quite the misunderstanding at first glance, but her speech wasn't without its value. Afterall, the way Daniel expressed his gratitude came off as such despite his intentions.
And yet, fans ignore that and instead ride along the Crystal hate train. What a society he lives in.
"Min Joon, what are you doing here?"
He turned to see Vasco sipping on his small box of milk by himself. No sight of the date who bidded for him.
"Vasco, where's your date?" he asked him.
"Oh..." he sighed before explaning. "She bidded for me out of sympathy. Not because she fallen in love."
Bitter. The way he said it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"But it's okay. At least it's better to get bidded than not getting one at all." he smiled, with silent tears coming out of his eyes. He patted the guy's sholders, assuring him that he'd be fine.
The once bitter taste turns into bittersweet instead. If anything, Min Joon would've done the same thing if he was in the girl's shoes. Perhaps he shouldn't judge too hard for their actions, that felt hypocritical.
Hypocritical. A fitting word to describe what Crystal was acting right now. How funny.
"So, who was the girl anyway?" he asked him, feeling curious.
Before Vasco could even answer his question, they overheard a loud voice reminding someone that they would only assigned to keep watch. Min Joon doesn't need to figure out what's happening; a fight between Daniel and Crystal's bodyguard over a misunderstanding.
He felt his heart was beating faster than usual, almost like his anxiety was kicking in again. While normally won't occured when talking to 'fictional' people, the bodyguard felt like a exception thanks to some unfortunate hindsight. Hell, he can't even turned to Vasco for advice. Not when he dissapeared from his sight and showed up behind him instead.
"Hey glasses. What do you think you're doing?" Vasco asked him.
"Whew, who are you? His friend?" asked the bodyguard, turning around to face him.
"Yeah. His friend." he responded. A small thing that does warmth the heart in the protagonist's chest. Daniel's chest, he meant.
"So...don't mess with him or you will mess with me." he threatened, placing his milk box aside.
Barely a few seconds after that, the bodyguard immediately places a fist on his face. But to his surprise, all that it did was crushed his nose enough to bleed out blood. Other than that, his face was pratically left unaffected.
Hearing the request from his muffled voice, the bodyguard proceeded to take off his glasses as requested. While he proclaimed that the school was indeed fun, Min Joon took the time to analyse his apperance.
A tall and lean-yet-muscular build of a man with fair complexion. A button-down yellow striped shirt with black straps that was linked to his bottom half of his attire; a black pants that accompanined his black formal shoes. The revealing tattoos on his arms and the scar that stretches between his eyes was enough to stood him out, but the most distinguishable trait of his was his set of pitch-black eyes with white irises.
Talk about looking like a monster. Quite fitting for good reasons.
Still, something tells Min Joon that interferring with this fight sounds like a good idea. Not that it won't get prevented, he wouldn't be worried about that had it not been canon. He just felt like expressing his hidden thoughts for once.
"Hey! Isn't it against the rules to fight on school grounds?" he shouted, walking towards the scene. The others were taken aback by his sudden appearance, aside from Vasco who was too focus on his fighting stance.
"Hold on, I recognised you." widened Crystal, remembering the situation.
"Yeah. But that's all in the past." he spoked in a polite manner. He then grabs Daniel's hand and lift him up from the ground. "So, why are my friends fighting what I assumed is your bodygaurd in the first place?"
"It's getting settled." she told him before threatening his bodyguard to tell her father to fire her.
"That doesn't answer my question." he frowned before asking with a serious tone. "Now, could you each explain your side of the story?"
"The reason I was upset was because he was grateful for being chosen by a pretty girl instead of an ugly one." she explained.
"And what about you, Hyungseok?"
"I was only grateful because I heard how she poorly treated her bachelors. You know, not landing in a sticky situation sounds nice." he explained.
"I...I didn't know that."
"Because you didn't allow me to properly explain my intentions. I was mad at myself for the misunderstanding, but still."
He laughed. Min Joon could only laugh in response to this mess of a situation. Despite knowing where the situation will go thanks to the manhwa, it was still an amusing situation regardless.
"Hyungseok? Could you check on Vasco for me? I'm about to go on a rant." he requested. Daniel obligned, helping his friend up by checking for any injuries.
"Let me get this straight. This mess of a situation happened because of a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding caused by your assumption of my friend's judginess on looks. Is that correct?"
She nodded in agreement.
"In your defense, your assumption wasn't without substance. My friend here unbeknowingly looked down on Lala because of her size, hence why he tried to apologised to you." he sighed before continuing his rant.
"But, that's not why I'm upset. Rather, it was because you didn't allowed him to explain his side of the story. Hell, this situation wouldn't even happen had your bodyguard allowed him to explain it all." he scoffed in anger, not wanting to see the guy's face out of internal fear.
"Judging by your surname, you must be the daughter of the CEO of HNH Group, am I right?" he asked her, who nodded in response. "Well, I imagined that you've encountered many handsome man with ugly hearts. But as a friend of Hyungseok, I want to assure you that he has a beautiful heart."
He looked over his friend with sincerity. Having hindsight works for casting his opinions on an individual. In this case, probably Crystal.
"Also, doesn't that make you a hypocrite? You get mad at people for judging based on looks, yet here you are doing the exact same thing. Kinda makes you sound like... Like um..."
"Like what? Say it." she asked in frustration.
"A bitch." he emphasied before closing his mouth.
Needless to say, his rant was enough for the air to go silent. The others could only react in shock over what came out of his mouth. It took a laugh from the bodyguard to break the silence, which earned a slap in the arm from Crystal.
"Never in my life someone have the nerves to call her a bitch before. Let alone live to see another day." he noted before taking out his glasses. "You're intriguing, I give you that." he told him before looking at Daniel.
"You. I lost my reason to fight, since I haven't for ages." he puts his glasses back on, before telling Vasco to put his arms down. "Well, I gotta tone it down. I have to take a GED test."
Right, he forgotten the fact that the bodyguard was a teenager. Then again, its not everyday you'd encounter a gangster-looking teen.
"Don't worry about the bid money. It doesn' come form my pockets, its intended for donations anyway." said Crystal before she turned away. "Next time you see me, come say hi. And...sorry that he kicked you."
Min Joon gave her a small nod, accepting her apology regardless of his feelings.
As Crystal and her bodyguard dissapeared, Min Joon turned around to see Daniel talking to Vasco on the pavement. Seeing the latter offering his drink to him, he could smell the start of another important friendship for him. Not only that, but the guy was pondering more on the encounter. Mostly because Vasco was upset that he couldn't defeat the guy with glasses.
Well, the bodyguard wasn't called Park Jonggun for a reason.
Park Jonggun, or Gun for short. A highly composed man who maintained a stern-looking expression on his face, he's also one of the most formitable fighters in the story, let alone in the entire PTJ Universe. While he won't go into heavy details, let's just say there's a reason everyone who knows his name hated him with a fiery passion.
Anytime you saw him in a fight, you'd pray that you won't be on his bad side. Even the most dedicated Gun stan will admit just how much of a monster he is. If anything, his mixed reception was like night-and day; hated for his actions but beloved for his character. The fans would hate him if he really exists, but they can't help but root for a memorable antagonist.
Hence, you could say that Min Joon's feelings were rather justified. Anyone would be scared confronting such a man, let alone knowing the reputation he have.
Acting like a clueless person around him was difficult but neccesary to not attract unwanted attention. While his act was indeed a success, catching the interest of the demon was not what he was expected.
And the dreadness of said outcome didn't hit him till after their encounter.
How could someone like him be intrigue by calling his client a bitch? Sure, people don't often have the balls to say it due to her status, but Gun's the type to be more interested in strong fighters. Something that doesn't fit Min Joon in the slightest.
Whatever. He's certain that Gun would lose interest in him, as long as his fighting skills remain hidden. And even if it gets shown, don't become stronger. That's the best option for now, so he better hope that fate won't jinx him.
Not much happened after that, even when the evening sky turned into the glimmering night. Well, all except for one final event. The talent show where Daniel and Duke performed a song to the audience by the name of 'Fly Up'. And to say that they were good was an understatement. In fact, they absolutely delievered it.
When Daniel's stage fright got the best of him, Duke started rapping his verse to compensate for the rough beginning. Almost everyone in the crowd was caught off-guard by him, but their surprise increase tenfold when Daniel began singing his heart off.
It also helps that the song was emotional as hell. It reminded him of what the future will entail, how things won't stay the same forever. Once again, he gotta give props to Duke's songwriting skills.
Good thing that Min Joon took out his phone to record the whole performance. Ain't no way he could trust another person doing so, not after they delibrately edited Duke out of it. The nerve of it all...
By the time they ended their performance, they were met with excitement over the audience. Thousands of cheers and applauds can ob heard across the stage, even some people were acknowledging Duke's talent for once. And that was enough to enlighten Min Joon.
Just before he decided to stop recording, he saw a producer who offered a business card to the duo. He quickly recorded the conversation, which revealed that he only intended on signing Daniel a contract to his agency due to his looks. Hearing his rejection, Duke proceeds to leave the place broken-hearted.
Min Joon wanted to comfort him, but decided to leave him be. Besides, he got a footage to record. A footage that could be use for blackmail purposes.
In the end, Daniel rejected the offer entirely, which shocked the producer himself. Daniel may cited his reasons on living expenses, but Min Joon felt that he sided with Duke over this. Even though the public can be cold-hearted to someone like Duke, not embracing it doesn't solve the issue. Only amplifying the concept of lookism itself within society.
It wasn't long before he left the place. Nothing more relaxing than lying on his couch in the comfort of his home. Seeing the unedited footage, a lightbulb lit up in his brain. He could use this opportunity to spread the footage across the platform, especially with leaving Duke intact.
And so, he proceeded to upload the video to Newtube before taking a shower. Yes, even the recorded conversation of the duo with the producer remains as well, serving as a bonus scene to maximise the length. But one might wonder, why did he decided to make such a decision anyway?
Well, isn't it plain and simple? Because he sensed an opportunity to make some money from it. He could start becoming a Newtuber, earning money through monetisation on a monthly basis. Like a normal job would.
...
Alas, a solution to his finacial problem.
(credit to @ihaninose on Tumblr)
Chapter 16: PaprikaTV (original cut)
Summary:
edit: updated to include the original chapter 17. it'd still be on Wattpad since it'd lose reads, but at least you're see my original intention on writing the entire arc into a single chapter.
aka, the entire PaprikaTV arc
Notes:
Music used: Cool Kids by Echosmith
Lyric Video by DopeLyricsMusic used: Telephones by Vacations
Lyric Video by Lyrics of rolita uwu
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Well, the results weren't what he was expecting. Call it a double-edged sword, if you will.
Sure, the video went viral enough to amassed a total of 500 thousand views on the platform. The producer who rejected Duke for his looks was under scrutiny for his comments, getting cancelled from international users on Tweeter. Hell, it was so bad that the agency had to announce in a statement that he choose to retire from the industry as a whole.
Despite feeling pity for the guy, part of him noted that he got his comeuppance for his actions. Even though said action wasn't a great justification for such intense backlash. Good thing he chose to keep his online identity a secret, that's a smart move.
However, the media circus surrounding it sadly overshadowed the performance as a whole. The hope of Duke getting more recognition only resulted in a small fanbase instead. And that's considering the fact that most of them were from international viewers, not local ones.
As for Daniel... Does he even need to explain it? Your guess was good as his.
So in short, Duke still ended up being underappreciated like his canon counterpart. A small fanbase was created, but not necessarily for the talent.
That being said, it was an amusing start to his Newtube career. His channel met the requirements to start monetization, leaving him an opportunity to earn some money. But for now, time to focus on going through the hellhole that is school.
Speaking of school, he saw a girl going over to Daniel's seat, praising his performance before offering a beige wallet with patterns belonging to some expensive brand. Being the generous person he was, Daniel rejected her offer before she went back to her seat. Needless to say, he has fallen in love with her, much to the chagrin of Min Joon.
He can't completely fault his classmate for falling for her; his naivety stems from his lack of social interactions, afterall. And who wouldn't fall for the beautiful girl with long hair and adorable eyes. Too bad that underneath her sweet exterior lies a personality that could only be described as a two-face bitch.
Not like he has any better way to describe Yui Kim. That's literally her in a nutshell.
Yui Kim, a classmate of his in the Fashion Department. She's a popular streamer on PaprikaTV, the most popular in the whole department. But don't let her pretty looks fool you; a false impression won't be enough to cover her mean personality, fortunately.
Of course, it was ideal to refrain himself from telling that to Daniel. It's better for him to discover the truth than risking a potential loss of friendship. It may come off as
Still, he can't help feeling sympathy for Zoe, who was cast aside from her classmates thanks to Yui's influence. Like a queen bee controlling her hive of bees to do her bidding. That...actually makes a lot of sense, to be perfectly honest.
Whatever. It's not like Yui is someone important or anything. She was barely present in the current arcs of the manhwa, so much that Min Joon only remember her existence from her rivalry with Zoe. And he had a pretty accurate image on why the girls here feels hostile towards each other.
Most girls, no matter how nice they were, follows the so-called 'alpha' of the pack in fear of getting shunned. Every action was determined by what the alpha's choices, form their likes and dislikes to their personal desires. While this isn't exclusive to girls, they tend to be more mentally-involved as opposed to physical ones for the boys.
Boys breaks your bones, girls breaks your pride. Guys will be open about their hatred, girls hide it behind a sweet face filled with venom. Girls rely on each other like sisterhood, yet simultaneously competing against each other to be the Queen Bee. They can switch effortlessly between an angel or a devil depend on the situation, that's what makes them so vicious at times.
People often called it 'Girl World'. Something that Min Joon learned its existence thanks to 'Mean Girls'. Yes, that iconic film.
Unfortunately, his brain was so occupied that he couldn't eat finish his meal. When the others asked about it, he politely told them that he wasn't in the mood for hunger before leaving the food. After dumping the leftovers in the rubbish bin, he proceeded to make his way to the classroom.
...And he would've reach there had he not bumped into someone on accident.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry." he apologised to the girl, whom thankfully didn't fall down. She forgave him with a nonchalant face before her eyes widened over his familiar face.
"Did you brought this art from the art booth yesterday?" she asked him, taking out a familiar portrait of a girl in habok surrounded by flowers. Registering the fact it was the same portrait, his brain finally clicked over her familiar look.
"You're the booth owner, isn't it?" he asked her, feeling nervous over talking to a non-fictional person. She nodded to his question, handling him the bag before informing him to not leave his stuff behind again. Min Joon sheepishly agreed, embarrassed over a callous mistake. A mistake that he only remembered at this moment.
"How do you find it?" he asked her.
"The staff found it and gave it to the booth. Thankfully, the bag colour makes it easier to identify you." she replied. "I was planning on giving to you, but it seems like I don't need to."
"Well, at least things got resolve-"
He stopped mid-sentence when his eyes caught Daniel and Yui walking down the hallway together. With their smiles facing towards each other, they almost look like a perfect couple. Almost.
As the two of them leave, Min Joon turned to see that the girl was frowning at them. Was it jealousy? I mean, Daniel was popular afterall, so it shouldn't come off as a suprise. Still, it won't hurt him to ask her.
"Is there anything bothering you?" he asked her sincerely.
"Nothing. It's just...The popular guy has fallen for her bait, huh?" she responded. Not the answer he was expecting, so he chose to pressed further.
"Absolutely. You're not the only one suspecting that."
"Yeah. Too bad that her status conceals any suspicion on her." she sighed before noticing Zoe walking down the hallway with a sad expression. "And judging by her face, Zoe was successfully manipulated by her."
"Really? How did she do that?"
"By using the new popular kid, that's how." she answered him. "To Yui, Hyungseok is just another pawn she can manipulate in the politics of Girl World."
"Interesting. You're quite the observant person, huh?"
"When you spend a few months in Girl World, you'd pick up a few things." she noted before sighing with displeasure. "Alongside being a student of the Animation Department, that's like social suicide in this place."
She wasn't wrong. Most students view the department as a otaku's hangout, resulting in it being the bottom of the hierarchy. Min Joon wonders if this mirrors the lack of respect animators and artists got in the industry.
"Shoot, lunch's almost over. Gotta go." she glanced at her watch before leaving in a hurry.
"W-Wait! What's your name?" he called out to her, who then turned her head around to answer his question.
"Lee Soo-Yeon." she told him with a smile. "You sound like a nice person. Um..."
"Kim Min Joon."
"Right! I'm surprised you didn't look down on me, considering that most prefer to do that." she smiled before leaving the hallway.
Then again, who would want to mention their association to the Animation Department if they actively want to avoid getting ridiculed anyway? Sad that a bunch of otakus and thugs effectively pushed its reputation to the drains, but it's not like he could anything about it.
As she disappeared from his sight, the bell that signifies the end of lunchtime rang loudly through the school. Letting out a sigh, quietly make his way to his classroom and let the day pass by like the speed of light.
...
Because who gives a damn about school anyway?
A few days have passed and things went smoothly as intended. His channel was eligible for monetization, earning him approximately a 500 thousand won check to his bank account. Funny how the Newtube algorithm works efficiently in promoting new creators, especially after its the real-world equivalent leans more towards luck. A history of essay videos and the texts from Mr. Unknown was enough to form such opinion.
Speaking of Mr. Unknown, Min Joon was slowly trusting this person. Despite not seeing his face, their messages felt more like human interaction than a bot. While he was unsuccessful in gaining any personal info about him, Mr. Unknown did provide him tips regarding the 'R' mode.
For example, he was able to listen to music that wasn't available here, either due to its future release date or interference with the timeline. He was taken aback at first when some popular idol's music was credited to an artist called 'G-DRAGON' there. Though he eventually got used to it, it wasn't uncommon for him to mistakenly mix the two modes up.
Plus, the 'PTJ Dictionary' app was updated whenever he encountered a manhwa character. Each of them seperated by their respective manhwas, then a list of their names in alphabetical order. He found it quite intuitive to use, thought he holds a grudge over only accessing the ones that were unlocked. Hell, even the choice of accesing the Lookism Wikipedia makes it quite redundant, despite the dictionary's more accurate information.
Whatever. He doesn't have time to bother that. Not when his mind want him to check out a platform named PaprikaTV for important reasons.
PaprikaTV, a live-streaming platform where users can upload and view videos, live chat with other users, and participate in discussion boards. It features game streamers and IRL streamers, the latter of which is considered to be its most popular content. It's like the Korean version of Kwitch, but caters towards the local market.
Scrolling through the rankings, he encounter Zoe's live stream that was climbing up the ranks. He could only feel pity towards her, knowing what will happen in the future. As cold-hearted as it sounds, it's probably best to not disrupt it for the sake of her character development.
He also noticed Yui's live stream amongst the rank, placing higher than Zoe but not climbing up as fast as usual. Going through their live streams, it was clear that they were acting cutesy in front of the camera, using their pretty looks to draw in a massive crowd. Hell, the massive amount of balloons they received shall be enough to make a living in the platform.
But that's not why he was on the platform, nor did he planned on posting content there. He's more of a Newtube fan despite its flaws. Instead, he only came to watch the livestream that skyrocketed to the top of the rankings.
A livestream by the name of 'Duke's Rap Room'.
Going into the livestream, it was showing Daniel and Duke performing a song together. The chat was going wild over the apperance of Big Daniel, with the live chat running like wildfire with the thousands of comments. And with more viewers, comes in more baloons than ever before.
Remembering that a single baloon was equivalent to 100 yen, Min Joon decided to give them a generous donation. A generous donation of 1000 baloons in one go. Better to use the 100 thousand won that he earned to good use, especially to someone whose looks overshadowed his talent.
To his suprise, the chat was also filled with people who became fans after the controversy. Turns out someone managed to share the link to Tweeter, resulting in international fans watching the livestream too. That, alongside a bidding war between two users challenging the amount of baloons they can give out.
Overall, it was a chaotic livestream to say the least. A livestream that garnered a total of 33,893 baloons that equals to 3,389,300 won. Deducting the amount from a 40% fee, and you got a total of freaking 2,033,580 won.
2 million won!? It was shocking how easy it was to make a lot of money. So easy in fact that he understood the motive behind everyone using the platform. It felt freaky just thinking about it, to be honest.
And that was enough for him to close the tab once the livestream finish and continue on watching Newtube videos. At least it has much more content to offer than just livestreams, with its variety of genre and topics. An essential part in fueling one's desire of escapism like himself.
Hold up, why is he delving into that can of wormhole? Better suppress it to the back of his mind before it becomes a hindrance to his goal. No time to face that side of himself on a peaceful day like this.
Pushing that depressing thought aside, his mind was focused on the fact that Jay send Daniel and Duke a lot of baloons. In fact, he's the one that contribute the most to them. Quite a way to flex his status as a chaebol, huh?
Oh, and another way to fuel the Janiel ship train. Can't forget that.
Feeling bored, he decided to go to 'R' mode to text the unknown person again. To his luck, Mr.Unknown was indeed online per his status. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he proceeded to strike a text message in his DMs.
.
.
.
Mr Unknown
I just started reading Ulzzang Generation, and it's pretty good
My goodness. Don't scare me like that, Min Joon. 😓
My bad
Encountering new stories on 'R' mode was a delightful highlight, btw
Well, you're not wrong.
New stories constantly pop up weekly, alongside new chapters of existing ones.
Damn right! Without it, I wouldn't fall in love with Reality Quest
Not that I haven't already, but it increased even more
Yeah. Too bad that it's on a Daily Pass.
Daily pass?
Since when was it on Daily Pass? 🤨
Wdym?🤨
It was on Fast Pass, I last recalled
😶
No fair!! You're damn lucky, aren't you!?
Isn't it always on Fast Pass?
Not for English speakers. Best to read on scanlation websites.
I don't care if its illegal, I'm desperate for new content.
Same, lol. Mostly on raws tho, unless they become Daily Pass
Yeah, I don't get why it even exists.
Like, there are better ways to make profit than this.
Fr
Hru, btw?
Good. What about you?
Practically doing fine, ig?
Ig?
It means 'I guess'
No, I get what you mean. But thanks for telling me.
Then what's with the questioning?
...Nothing.
Um...Chill, anyway so...
It's kind of sad that I couldn't be able to see u
Physically, I mean
Well, I don't keep a low profile for a reason.
And the reason?
Not telling you.
*sighs*
Did you just sigh in text?
Yeah, so what? My argument still stand
Especially since we've been texting for a month or two
Didn't you text me before on respecting people's privacy?
And I still stand by that, fyi
Just that...I find it odd that you don't reveal a lot about you
No face reveal, no personal info, just hobbies and interests
Like, I respect your decision to not reveal a lot about yourself
But...I can't help but found it peculiar, to say the least
Not even a voice reveal?
One day you'd understand.
That sounds ominous, ngl
And generic af
Wow, what a roast.
I'ma just ignore your sarcasm there
Anyway, gotta go. Feeling tired right now.
Aw man 😔
I was hoping that we could continue our conversation
But I guess not...
Don't worry, maybe some other day. 🥱😄
Oh ok. Take a good rest
Noted.
Actually, you don't mind me sharing something about myself?
Sure, go on 🍵
I don't mind
Of course you'd pull up the tea emoji 😑
Nothing without some tea to sip on drama topics
Well...
I tend to procrastinate a lot. Like, too much.
How much?
Judging by how much I leave my chair every few minutes, quite a lot.
Oh 🧍♂️
That's quite severe. Should I be concerned?
Nah, I'm sure that it won't affect me 😅
That emoji says otherwise
I'm pretty sure that you have ADHD
You think so?
Honestly, that's quite the plausible explanation.
I'll think about handling soon. Or take a test, I don't know.
Yeah, you should
Well, don't want to waste too much of your time. So...
Gn then, my unknown friend
Goodnight to you too, lol.
Haha. Funny 😐
*Mr. Unknown went offline*
.
.
.
The moment that the person went offline, Min Joon closes Whatsapp and listen to some music on Spotify through his wired earphones. Another personal advantage in using 'R' mode; accessing to all kinds of music that are currently unavailable. From future acts like NewJeans to new releases from veteran acts like Tyler, the Creator, Min Joon was consuming the hell out of this form of escapism.
And oh boy...were they delightful to put it bluntly. Never had his ears squealed in delight over a mix bag of collection, from attention-grabbing production to mesmerizing vocals. It was like a universal truth that music's the one thing that'd be considered timelines, and he couldn't help but wholeheartedly agree with that statement.
Placing his phone in his pocket, he made his way to the kitchen before grabbing a drink from the fridge. Nothing like a cup of lemon tea to comfort himself through the cold night. One final drink of the day before he will succumb to his desire of sleep. He'd argue that alcohol should make this easier, but his tolerance forced him to choose a lazier option instead.
After closing his fridge door, he climbed up the stairs and placed his drink on his bedside table before retreating to his bed. Just lying on his bed brings him comfort during some leisure time. It also helps that his bedroom was open-air, almost like a little hangout spot in his apartment. He could stare at the living room with ease, like an owner staring below a house party underneath his roof.
But he isn't in the mood to do such a thing. Rather, he decided to scroll through some fanfictions on his phone to pass the time, a perfect activity for sipping his drink to. Nothing like dedicating some leisure time to himself.
Fanfiction is another form of escapism for him. While the quality may differ depending on the creator's skills, there's just something about seeing your favourite fictional characters in a story that makes your heart pumped. The possibility are endless for your imagination; ranging from a soft fluffy fic to a heartbreaking angsty fic.
In this case, he's using A03 to read through some Lookism fics that appeared here. Specifically, a fic about Jay expressing his romantic feelings to Daniel through milk and algebra. Something that he needed to fullfill the shipper inside of him, despite the confusing nature of shipping his classmates together. Even if it ends up being one-sided, these fics shall be enough to fill his shipper heart of the two.
By the time he was reading another fic, his eyes were growing increasingly tired. And soon enough, he ended up passing out on his bed with his dimly-lit nightlight and his unfinished drink. Alas, he could have a peaceful rest to himself.
...Until a certain sound woke him up.
A ringing sound coming from his phone, that's what.
Blasting through his eardrums, he let out a yawn before looking at his phone. The screen was showing a call screen with a name of the contact, asking him to accept or deny it. Despite his frustration over the timing, he proceeded to accept the call just to get things over with.
So much for having a nice sleep.
"H-Hello? Who is this?" he asked, wearing his earphones for his microphone to have better audio.
"It's Hyungseok." the caller responded. "The one who you call 'Daniel'?
Judging by his voice, that's definitely his original body talking. But why midnight of all times?
"The store worker? I'm grateful for calling me, but how did you get my phone number?" he asked suspiciously, acting oblivious to his secret.
"Doesn't matter. I need some advice." responded Daniel, "What to do if you see a suspicious person?"
"What kind of suspicious?"
"The kind that watches a popular streamer while holding a knife."
Something about his sentence felt familiar, but his mood was too drowsy for him to figure it out.
"Well, where are you right now?" he asked, sitting on his bed with his pillow comforting his back.
"At my shift. Something tells me that he'd do something suspicious, so I wanted to secretly follow him."
"In the middle of your shift?"
"I could place a notice listing my restroom break, but what else shall I do?" asked Daniel in a worried tone.
Sighing, Min Joon suggested calling for help in case things go south, preferably the cops to handle their jobs. When asked if the police doesn't pick up, Min Joon suggested him to call a fighter within his friend list. He also advised him to be careful when following such person, reminding him to stay alert and not giving away his location. In response, Daniel thanked him for the advice before ending the call.
Lying on his bed, he unsuccessfully tried to go back to sleep. No matter how long he closed his eyes, his brain was focused on the call itself. Why did Daniel call him at midnight? Is there some kind of secret message behind his questions? These aren't normal questions to ask, but why does he felt some sort of déjà vu?
And then, the realisation hits him. A suspicious guy who follows a popular streamer? While holding a freaking knife?
Holy shit... It means that the 'Gangnam Landlord' incident is happening right now.
For context, the suspicious person that Daniel was referring to was a guy who went by the username 'Gangnam Landlord'. Someone who wasted loads of savings on sending balloons to female streamers, to the point where his father's disability pension was involved. But what does he have to do with the incident?
Well, he was the one who send ridiculous amount of balloons to Zoe. He was the one who stalked Zoe's home thanks to her window exposing her location. Judging by how he stole her clothes and sniffing them in the manhwa, safe to say that Gangnam Landlord was both a pervert and pedophile.
Such a sick individual. His ugly looks enforce the bias of a typical stalker, which was unfortunate to say the least. Discrimination for his looks ain't a viable excuse for his actions, afterall.
Min Joon had already decide not get involve with the incident, citing it as an important event for character development between Zoe and Daniel. The former gaining a new crush and character growth, the latter learning to overcome his differences thanks to Vasco's words.
Yes, Vasco was present in the incident, defeating the stalker from causing any harm. Fitting for someone whose ambition was akin to a superhero. But that isn't the main focus for his own worries.
Thanks to giving a certain person some advice, he is unintentionally involved in the incident no matter how small his role was. With that hindsight in mind, he wondered why Daniel asked him for such advice when he practically figured it out in the canon.
Heck, his mind was so focused on that realisation that he could no longer get a proper rest. Not like he could just get up and make his way to the store, too much time and energy would've been wasted.
The world just doesn't want to go in his favor, huh?
As such, there was only a single course of action he could think of. Getting back to sleep while silently hoping that the situation went exactly like how it originally does. Y'know, assuming his actions doesn't prohibit a happy outcome from occuring...
...
Does staring at the raining sky helps with sleep?
Needless to say, he didn't get much sleep throughout the night. Whoever told him that staring at the sky through the window as a sleeping advice should reevaluate their skillset.
Having the next day be a schooling day does not help. His expression was nothing short of tired, his eyes constantly trying its best to stay awake without passing out. But the more he tried, the more tempting passing out on the desk looks.
Luckily for him, he arrived in school earlier than usual. And so, he let himself fall to his temptation and fall asleep on the table. It may not be as comforting as a bed, but it was something nonetheless.
Besides, he could relax the fact that his hope remain fullfilled. The news report of a stalker getting arrested was evident that things went exactly like it supposed to, down to the identity of the stalker and the unfortunate pleas from his father. He can't help but feel empathy for him, having to defend his only relative who neglected him to the point of hunger.
Even though it doesn't make any headlines, he wasn't expecting for that to happen anyway. He was glad that the stalker gets what he deserves. Afterall, that's the unfortunate result of parasocial relationships consuming the hell out of a miserable person. Not that he'd ever agree with his actions, just some food for thought.
He was awakened by the soft tap on the shoulder, turning his head to see Jay on his left. Letting out a small yawn, he thanked the quiet blonde before spotting Daniel and Zack from behind; the former who was deep in thought and the latter sleeping quietly on his desk. Knowing that Vasco's words about overcoming difference kept spinning in his head, Min Joon choose not to interrupt his classmate and let him be.
"Hi, Hyungseok! Good morning." greeted a familiar girl, whom Min Joon recognised as Zoe.
"Ha Neul...are you okay?" asked Daniel in a concerned tone.
"Yeah. I guess there's no such thing as a free lunch!" she assured him, adding that he donated all the money she made to the stalker's father, aside from the commission.
Zoe wasn't lying, the situation was traumatizing enough for her to quit boardcasting altogether. It felt awkward to say this, considering she was a victim of stalking afterall, but she definitely benefit from that incident through character growth.
And yes, implying that a woman must go through a traumatic event to grow as a person is absolutely disgusting. Not just woman, but anyone in general. But sadly, that's just the way the world works. The only reminder he could tell himself was to get used to it.
"Um...I was wondering...your chubby friend. I-I mean...where does he lives?" she asked Daniel, before internally regretting her decision. Almost like suffering from after-effects.
Ah, yes. Falling in love with the person who protected you from getting hurt. The most-likely canon ship of them all, even a multishipper like Min Joon could sense its horizon. Just like how he shipped him with Jay, Daniel and Zoe are a cute couple to behold indeed.
"Hello." someone greeted, catching his attention. It was Yui once again, only that her face was covered with bruise. Most evidently on her right cheek and her nose, all while her sparkling eyes remained.
"Oh, hi Yui." greeted Daniel with an awkward tone.
I mean, could you blame him? How would you feel if you found out that the person you have a crush was a two-faced bitch all along? Let alone lying about their relationship status when they're actually taken.
Well, more like formerly taken. Both Yui and her ex-boyfriend were like a perfect couple; one who'd use anything to gain her favor while the others potentially could've been an abuser. Although, he can't help but be thankful for her breaking off their relationship, despite his own feelings towards her.
In fact, he can't help but snickered a bit when she offered an handkerchief to Zack. The person who took down her ex the moment he punched her face, all while the original Daniel witnessed it from the counter. If anything, Zack's expression looked more troubled as Daniel was.
Behold, a useless love triangle. A love triangle that went nowhere as Yui eventually faded into the background, while Mira was absent throughout the future events. Despite that setback, he'd rather prefer Zack dating Mira than Yui dating anyone. All aboard the ZaMi ship train, he reccommend!
That or VinZack but ain't got time to go through that can of worms.
"Okay, class! I hope that you'd come prepare, because next week will have the mid-terms!" announced the teacher, catching everyone's attention.
...
Great...Thanks for ruining a perfect day, teacher...
(credit to @sscarletvenus on Tumblr)
Notes:
(don't expect me to include the birthday art. It's been months since Taehun had his birthday...)
Chapter 17: Exams
Summary:
aka the entire Midterms arc (why call it that??)
Notes:
Music used: Open Arms by SZA, Travis Scott
Slowed + Reverb ver. by WerTayin
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Exams. An important education assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, classification or aptitude in many topics. For something that was so ingrained into the education system, its existence proves to be divisive amongst many people.
On one side, exams can stimulate the learning aspect within students. With a good result, you could practically achieve the future career you desire thanks to the opportunities it provides. After all, there's a reason people place emphasis on its existence in the first place.
On the other side, it was undeniably a source of stress and anxiety amongst students. Exams could be a source of low self-esteem and makes you feel defeated. Plus, exams doesn't accurately represent the intelligence of an individual, as much as some may deny.
This was the reason Min Joon wasn't a fan of exams. While he does respect its existence, its negatives were a huge turn-off for him. In fact, he'd argue that his country handle it poorly. Not in terms of academic achievements, but more so the mental toll it took on people's health.
Even though South Korea is known as one of the top ranked education system of the world, it came at the cost of sleepless nights and mental health. Its rigorous and competitive nature was often blamed for the high su*cide rates here. Not that his would ever get acknowledged, but he assures himself that his grades aren't the reason for them.
Still, he couldn't help but view it as something miserable. Something that everyone including himself must accept in this society. But hey, at least his goal was on the realistic side; having decent grades should do the trick.
Not like he'd live past high school anyway.
Hence, the reason he was heading to the library to study. Something out of his comfort zone as he much prefers studying at home. But what could he do when Daniel asked him out on a study hangout? Surely having a study group won't affect the course of his world, does it?
Besides, it's not like he coyld rely on NewTube for study comfort. He find himself more distracted there, plus the only study NewTuber he subscribed to was on a exam break. His mind couldn't think of the name right now, but his circular glasses was memorable to say the least.
He brushed that thought off immediately. Time to leave the house, damn it!
Leaving the house, he was munching on his piece of bun as he makes his way to the bus station. Arriving there, he threw the plastic wrapper that he held away before the bus made its grand entrance. Once inside, it'd take at least 10-12 minutes before arriving at his destination.
Yongsan. The district smack in the middle of Seoul. The district where J-High School held its operations. And most importantly, the place where most students could study at the nearby library. Quite the convenient spot for a study group.
With the bus departing to the next station, it wasn't long till he arrived at the entrance. A small building whose design stood similar to public schools. Alas, his eyes focus on a familiar group of people, with one of them waving their hand as he called out his name.
"Daniel, nice to see you." greeted Min Joon, shaking his hand. Besides him were Duke and Jiho, who were greeting him with a smile. A few seconds passed before Duke asked them to come in, entering the library as a group of four.
Almost immediately, all the attention was on Daniel thanks to his looks. Not that Min Joon mind that stuff, but being called one of his underlings got him feeling pure disgust. That's not even close to the truth, the distance's too far to count for such. Same thing for Duke and Jiho, but it's not like society can change in the matter of a single action.
Well, in terms of moral codes, that is.
As they make their way to their table, Daniel chose to sit between Jiho and Duke. When asked about it, he told them that someone's stuff was on his seat, believing that the person was saving it. Min Joon grabbed a pack of chips to see a little note pasted on it, which was just someone listing their numbers in the hopes of Daniel calling them.
Even though he wants to tell him about the misconception, he doesn't want to disturb their little wholesome moment. What's wrong with seeing the protagonist getting along with the friends he deserves? Let them enjoy their time together before all went on a separate path within a year's time.
Plus, hearing the success that Duke garnered after the festival was splendid. Not only did his classmates properly acknowledged him for once, his broadcasts got more popular too. A true example of not blaming discrimination for excusing your potential. Something that should probably wake Daniel's senses.
A few moments later, their quiet little corner was shattered by the sudden presence of their classmates. A flirting Yui was trying to get Zack's attention, the latter in which was frustrated he can't spend time with Mira alone. It was enough for Min Joon to wear his earphones and stood up from his seat.
"Excuse me, guys." he told them before grabbing his things and leaving them behind. Spotting an empty corner, he places his stuff there before continuing his session. Alas, some much-needed peace away from the nerve-inducing noises. Nothing but himself to attend to.
Surely no one would dare disturb his peace, right?
"Um...Min Joon. You don't mind?"
Hearing Jiho's voice, he sighed before responding to his question.
"Yes, Jiho. You may sit beside me."
Both of them continue on studying their own, occasionally exchanging tips regarding subjects they don't understand. Like a couple only staring at their phones on a date. Boring but peaceful in a sense
Eventually, it turns into a routine of theirs within the week. His classmates weren't discreet when it comes to notice such details, it wasn't like he heard the whispers of confusion of a loser sitting beside an 'NPC'. To which he says, mind ya damn business!
Besides, he finds it comforting that he was spending time with Jiho, even though he would rather do anything but study. Regardless, it's not like those accusations weren't true; blending in as the average student is a crucial part to not stand out. That's the main characters' job, not his. And sure, hanging out with Jiho may get some stares, but don't they have an exam to focus on?
Time passed by like the sound of speed when exam week arrived. The tables were arranged in five separate rows, with the teacher's desk being situated at the back to prevent any cheating. For Min Joon, he was smacked in the middle of the room behind Mira and in front of Yui.
Almost immediately, he could feel a jealous glare from a certain person at the front. Better to shrug off the glare of a barking simp.
The tests weren't all that special, just an average exam with the addition of fashion-oriented subjects. Some questions gave his brain a headache, while some ease his brain like a soothing massage. The best of both worlds, he supposed.
But what was common was his habit of falling asleep in exams. It doesn't matter at what point it occurs, there will be one instance of that happening. What else could he do when his eyes couldn't stay awake any longer? Once you finish the necessary paper work, it becomes tedious to just wait and check on the paper.
Towards the end of the week, he glance over a peculiar pattern on the corner of the room. Starting from the second day, Daniel starts falling asleep in exams more than ever. And it wasn't the usual exam nap either, sensing how his eyes caught him whispering Jiho something.
Judging by Jiho waking him up within 5 minutes everytime, it wasn'ta surprising assumption on what Daniel was doing. He was using this opportunity to cheat on exams, by using the other body to check if his answers were indeed correct. Quite the immoral thing to do, but something he can't deny seeing himself doing if given the chance. Best to take advantage of your skills, y'know?
Besides, it won't be long till he regrets his actions. Give him a week or two for it to sink it. So let the canon event occur, for damn sakes.
Fast-forward to two weeks, it was time for the most anticipated aspect of exams. Once the students finish checking for any marking mistakes, the staff would combine all the marks on every testing paper to determine the overall placement of the class. A ranking that was sought after by many to determine their status within the school system.
Talk about judging a book by its cover. Perfecto.
When the teachers announced his placement, he was placed somewhere in the middle. Not low enough to be a target, but not high enough to bring any unwanted attention. Just some plain average grades that people won't consider anything noteworthy. Something that Ayanokoji from Classroom of Elite did in order to not draw attention to himself.
Not that he knows his exact mark, but a 'C+' grade should be enough.
As for Jiho, he's somewhere around the same predicament. Despite being a grade lower than him, that's still somewhere around the average. Considering they added a 'E' rank to the system, the grades for his bespectacled classmate wasn't bad at all. He was indeed proud of him.
The same can't be said for Zack. When they announced his placement, his expression was nothing short of disappointment. His only hope was that Daniel was dumber than him to compensate for being last place of the entire class.
"The top student for this exam is...Park Hyungseok."
Well, that was enough to crush his thoughts. And to catch most people by surprise.
For Min Joon, he knew that Daniel will absolutely be on the top. Hearing a few girls complimenting his classmate felt hypocritical knowing his methods on achieving it. It doesn't matter that he got help from Jay, Zoe and Duke, his mistakes were evident enough for him.
Though, he felt bad for the class president. Even though his role wasn't big enough to have a name, the sadness that came from him over not achieving the top spot was such a huge blower to his self-esteem. As he watches him sobbing on his desk, Min Joon took one look at Daniel's shocked expression.
Alas, it wasn't long for the guilt to sink in hard on Daniel. The kind of guilt when you realised you did something wrong. Almost like committing a foul, which wasn't further from the truth.
This was the moment he realised that he couldn't be proud of something he felt undeserved. Everyone that he knew worked hard on this exam, but he did nothing but wait for someone to guide him. With that in mind, he vowed to turn over a new leaf on both of his bodies. And by that, he meant putting in much effort like the friends around him.
Alas, it wasn't long for the guilt to sink in hard on Daniel. The kind of guilt when you realised you did something wrong. Almost like committing a foul, which wasn't further from the truth.
This was the moment he realised that he couldn't be proud of something he felt undeserved. Everyone that he knew worked hard on this exam, but he did nothing but wait for someone to guide him. With that in mind, he vowed to turn over a new leaf on both of his bodies. And by that, he meant putting in much effort like the friends around him.
As for Min Joon, he'd silently support the self-improvement journey of his classmate. Just because he won't follow such journey, doesn't mean he can't support another fellow. Perhaps this was the reason Daniel was beloved by fans; a protagonist who chooses to improve himself in order to become a better person.
Seeing the smile on Jay's face was quite the sight to see. Something tells him that he was fine with Daniel taking over the top spot. Does this confirm his feelings towards him? Honestly, Min Joon could hope that it does. Afterall, the shippers aren't impactful for a reason.
After that, school continued on as usual. Nothing much happened that caught his interest, not even some baseless drama. To him, it was just another boring day once things went back to normal.
Once the school bell rang, Min Joon bid his farewell towards Jiho before walking out of the classroom. With everyone moving at a fast pace, it took a while for him to reach the bus station. Something tells him that a guide on adapting to crowded place would definitely be appreciated.
Making his way towards the bus, he passed by Daniel holding his phone near his ears. He didn't thought too much about it, not even when he took a seat upon entering the bus. It wasn't until he opene the Webtoon app that the sight was actually a familiar sight. A sight of Daniel frowning in guilt while his mother celebrate over his son's grades.
With that in mind, Min Joon felt grateful that things went down the way it should. It doesn't matter now many times he'd repeat in his head, he just want to make sure that the boat sails smoothly as to not occur the wrath of a butterfly effect. That shit's dangerous like a pill, y'know?
Before his eyes could sleep from exhaustion, the bus came to a halt that inadvertently woke him up. Letting out a yawn, he saw a sign spelling out the name 'Gangbuk' before walking out of the bus. Nothing like going back home and felling asleep on the couch on a exhausting day.
Finally, he can relax from the hell that is exams. But still, a question remains lingering in his brain. And that has to do with the exams taking place towards the second half of the semester. The timing wasn't the problem, the naming does.
...
Why tf does Webtoon call it 'midterms'?
(Credit to @LooksimJH on Twitter)
Chapter 18: Retreat
Summary:
aka Autumn Boot Camp Arc (1)
Notes:
Music used: So Beautiful by DPR IAN
Lyric Video by thriftedsweater
Chapter Text
3rd pov
As the colourful leaves fallen elegantly, it signifies the change of the season. No longer was the weather hot like summer, it simmers down to a breezy autumn. As such, it serves as the reason Min Joon was wearing baggy clothes for the day. A greyish ensemble with a long-sleeve San Jose shirt with dark greyish jeans that were accompanied by a pair of black converses.
Needless to say, it was a comfortable fitting for him. Just something he needs.
Arriving at the bus stop, he walked out with his bagpack. He then made his way to the school gates, specifically stopping at the assembly area. He spotted his classmates in their travel attires; all in varying fashion styles. Spotting Jay waving at him, Min Joon walked over to their side before placing his bag down.
"Hey, guys. Didn't expect you all to come this early, huh?" he asked them with a sigh.
"Well, what were you expecting?" responded Zack, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Nice outfit by the way."
"Thanks, Jin Sung. Love the long sleeves." he told him, complimenting his striped shirt. He then turned his attention towards Jiho, complimenting his cap that resulted in the boy getting flattered. In all fairness, having a Suprememe logo on his shirt and cap matched well with his blue jeans.
And then, he heard the voices of his female classmates greeting someone. A guy with long yellow sleeve shirt, some blue jeans and a pair of red sneakers. Initially astonished over Daniel rocking that stylish ensemble, his reaction faltered once remembering the person who provided him such clothes. That also counts the Louis Vuitton luggage that stood near his leg.
Soon, the attention was turned over to the principal, who gave a boring speech regarding the duty of a study. He wasn't the only one who felt that boredom, pretty much everyone was feeling that sort of way. Shortly after, it was time to board the bus.
While most people hand over their luggage, Min Joon boarded the bus with his backpack remaining on his back. He followed the direction of his classmates before finding a seat near the window. As he took a seat near the window, he placed his backpack on the vacant seat next to him, knowing that he'd most likely be on his own.
"Hey, is this place taken?"
He looked over to the owner of the voice, acting somewhat surprised that it was Jiho out of all people. Then again, they were distant study partners during the exam month, and that his original seating with Zoe had little effect in the grant scheme of things. So, he shook his head and moved his backpack to allow a seat for the guy.
Since their seats were in the middle, they didn't get the opportunity to play with those at the back. Min Joon doesn't mind that, considering how chaotic things could get with his classmates. He'd much rather tend to his phone, which was basically scrolling through social media.
His peace was slightly interrupted by the commotion at the back, given how Zack was trying so hard to deny his feelings towards Mira thanks to an oddly soft slap to her hands. Regardless how amusing the situation was, the loud noises were getting onto his nerves. To combat this, he put on his earphones and play some music to pass the time.
"Hey, wanna listen to some music?" he tapped Jiho's shoulders, offering him an earbud.
Jiho nodded in response, grabbing the earbud from his palm and placing it on his right ear.
"Is that an English song?" he asked with curiosity.
"Yes. A song called 'So Beautiful'."
"That sounds like an enchanting name. Who sang it?"
"DPR Ian." he answered. "An Australian singer based in South Korea."
"DPR Ian? I heard about him before, but not his music." he mentioned to him. "Hell, I didn't expect him to sing in English."
"You can understand English?"
"Kinda of?" he spoke in an awkward tone before they went silent. Then, they proceed to lock gaze into each other before breaking into a smile. The two continue their conversation throughout the trip, only stopping after Min Joon fallen into a nap. Jiho was just about to do the same before the bus came to a stop, tapping his classmate's shoulder to wake him up.
"Wh-What the hell...?" yawned Min Joon, blinking his eyes to adjust himself, "Jiho, are we there yet?"
"Yes, Min Joon. Everyone's about to leave the bus."
He proceeds to adjust his clothes before grabbing his backpack. "Jeez, how long did time pass?"
"Around an hour. The only surprising thing was that I didn't felt sleepy." chuckled Jiho before grabbing his hand.
"Thanks for waking me up." he told him sincerely. He places his earphones and phone on his bag, with the latter being hidden in a specifically designed bag. Not like he gives a shit of breaking the rules currently. Not when it comes handy for emergency cases.
"Everyone, line up!"
Min Joon shifted his attention to two guys at the front, who he presumed to be instructors of the place judging by their turquoise uniforms. One of them was a tall young man with a slim figure and short black hair, the other was a short and chubby man with an old-looking face. Unsurprisingly, many people whispers their praises towards the hot-looking man while giggling over comparing the ugly man's face to a goblin.
Seems like the bias of lookism runs through these people's veins, huh?
After getting the students to line up, the instructors proceeded to search through their bags. A bunch of things were confiscated, from an alcohol bottle in a Pringles can to a box of cigarette in a bag of chips. Heck, even some people went as far as to hide their phones in their underwear while doing squat-ups as punishment. Funny how they couldn't find Min Joon's phone despite clearly hidden in his bag. Guess he did a good job, huh?
Looking at the pretty man, he can't help but feel uncomfortable around Zeus whenever he gets praise from his looks. Knowing his true intentions, he switches his attention to the other guy in order to hide his disdain. He then smiled and bowed at Wonbin before leaving to find his room, an action he purposely did to combat the constant mocking targeted at his looks. Damn pretty privilege...
He eventually found his room, a small room that consists of a mostly dull room with no lighting and no window. The only saving grace was the sleeping essentials the room provided, but there ain't no time to go through it when time was on the loose. As such, he quickly changed into his gym wear before leaving the room himself, allowing Jiho and Daniel to take their time.
Yes, they're sharing the room together. Let them suffer together as classmates.
He strolled outside with his hands in his pockets, meeting the two instructors but look towards Wonbin instead of Zeus.
"Sir, what exactly are we doing?" he asked him.
"Some small teamwork activities. Few people have already started, you can look around."
"Thank you, Sir Wonbin."
Min Joon smiled and nodded at the instructor before turning away, ignoring the irritable glance coming from Zeus.
He then walked past the architecture department students playing the first activity, which was creating a pipeline for a ball to go across. Hearing the loud noises coming from them was annoying for his ears, but he ain't gonna ruin their fun with a fuss. All of a sudden, he turned around upon feeling a tap to his shoulder.
"Jin Sung, what do you want?" he asked him.
"Mi Jin asked you if you want to join our team." he explained. Min Joon quickly accepts his offer, knowing that such chances are rare to come by. Better take an opportunity than never take at all.
Standing between Daniel and Zoe, Min Joon hold a piece before the whistle blew. He then connected his piece to theirs, allowing the ball that Zoe dropped to go across. With the help of Zack, who tilted his piece for the ball to stay afloat, the activity was a success.
"We did it!" cheered Mira, giving a high-five to the others. Min Joon felt contented that it went well, doing the same thing Mira did earlier. But it wasn't long till they move on to the next activity; an activity where students must group together by a random number per the instructor. Those who exceeded the number or couldn't find a group will be eliminated until two members remained.
"Four!" called the instructor.
Almost immediately, Mira grabbed Min Joon out of the blue, catching him off-guard. He was then squished between Zack and Daniel, with Mira throwing her arms between them for a group of four. Min Joon wanted to comment about the scenario feeling like a BL scene but chose not to utter a single word. Definitely the safest choice to do.
The whistle then blew and they all got seperated. Hearing the number three from the instructor, Min Joon spotted Jiho and pulled him towards his grasp. He then quickly dragged him towards Eli, gently pulling two girls by the waist and put his arm around him. Oh, and Jiho's arm too.
"Alright." he clapped once the instructor blew the whistle. He noticed that Eli was in a happy demeanor, an unfortunate reminder of what's to come for his future. He let out a small frown before another whistle was blown, apologising to the girls for his methods. After all, this ain't the time to remember Eli's past. This is a retreat, for fuck sake!
Indeed, his winning reign wouldn't last. He didn't even made it to the Top 2 before his elimination occurer. Still, he didn't let that affect his mood, acting like a good-sport by clapping for them.
The next activity (and final one for the day) was the Talent Show. The students and instructors gather in a large room, where selected departments performed at the center stage. Let's just say that...some were interesting to say the least.
The moment that the Baking Department performed a cutting technique called 'Nanta', the loud noise was enough for Min Joon to get out of the room from embarrassment. After informing an instructor, he eventually made it there to calm his mood. It wasn't a pleasant environment in terms of cleanliness, but Min Joon had arguably seen worst public restrooms before. Nothing compared to this plain-looking restroom, that is.
After taking a much-needed piss, he adjusted his messy hairline while staring at his reflection. That was practically, in his mind at least, the only thing he felt like adjusting to a cooler style. As he left the restroom, he spotted a familiar-looking person near the entrance of the female restroom, wearing her gym wear with her glasses. Upon taking a closer look, he immediately recognised her face before calling out her name.
"Soo-Yuen? Is that you?"
The name caught the girl's attention, turning around to notice his face in shock. "M-Min Joon? You're here too?"
"Yeah, the performances were...Let's just say I can't hide my embarrassment for long."
"You mean cringe? Honestly, same." she chuckled. "Though... I did not expect you to remember my name from our first encounter."
"I could say the same thing to you," he responded. "I honestly expect you to only remember me as the boy who left his art."
"Heh. Guess we're in the same predicament." she smiled before the two went silent. An awkward silence occurs within the situation. So much so that Soo-Yuen breaks the ice by asking him a question.
"Hey, um... Do you wanna hangout tonight?"
"Where exactly?" he asked her back.
"My cousin's room. It isn't a girls-only hangout, since her boyfriend would take the chance to come."
"Her boyfriend?" he asked with curiosity. "Congrats to them, I guess."
"Well, if they aren't oblivious, that is..." she mumbled in disbelief. "So...Do you want to come?"
He would normally deny such an offer, liking to spend time to himself. But his guts were speaking a different language, directing him to do the opposite. Was it because he wanted to hangout with a girl he barely knew? Did it invoke a sense of deja vu? Whatever his reasons were, he opened his mouth to graciously accept it.
"Good. See ya around." she nodded before walking away. It took him a few seconds to process whatever the hell just happened, yet he eventually handled it quite well. That, and the realisation of time passing by fast judging from his watch. And so, he quickly made his way back to his seat. Just in time for Duke's performance.
Once he ended his rapping, Min Joon enthusiastically applauded him with a nonchalant face. As the next performance began, his mind wondered about the room Soo-Yuen was talking about. Who was her mysterious cousin?
...
Surely it won't impact the story, right?
Well, sounds like he'd eat his own words alright.
He certainly did not expect her cousin to be Mira of all people. Hell, he doesn't remember Mira ever mentioning a cousin. Their appearance and surnames were widely different so it was easy not to make the connection. It wasn't until Mira explained that Soo-Yuen was from her mother's side that everything made a lot of sense.
But it wasn't just her in her room. Mira was staying with Yui and Zoe as her roommates, amounting to a total of 5 people in her room. The girls were pleasant towards his appearance, essentially being okay that the cousin of their classmate invited another classmate of their own.
In short, he was part of another canon event with the addition of someone who isn't canon to the source material. How fun...
All of a sudden, a knocking sound came from her door. Mira opened it to find Daniel and Zack at her front door, the latter of which was holding a plastic bag of snacks. In the end, they joined the social circle that was occurring in the room. Even Daniel managed to invite Jiho along on the ride, sitting between Zack and Min Joon.
The lights were completely off, save for a green light illuminating from a 7-Up bottle. All was achieved by placing a brightly-lit phone underneath it. Although, Min Joon had to wonder how long it would last till the phone went out of power.
"Hyungseok, let's play truth or dare." spoked Yui, placing a few alcoholic bottles in the middle of their circle.
"Alcohol? I can't drink."
"Don't worry, Mi Jin. Jin Sung and Hyungseok are lightweights too." Zoe assured her. As if Min Joon had to remember the amusing sight of a drunken Zack confessing to Daniel a few months ago.
Surely nothing chaotic will occur during a drinking game...
He looked over his left to spot Jiho sipping down a cup of alcohol. Judging by the way he constantly move his body back and forth, it was obvious that he wasn't an experienced drinker at all. Even for a drinker like Min Joon, anyone would be insane trying to build their tolerance within a freaking day. So he quickly grabbed the cup away from his hands.
"Jiho, wait till the game starts. Jeez." he told him, placing it on the ground. "Besides, not everyone here is a drinker."
"Count me out. You guys have fun." stood Soo-Yuen as she went to sit at the corner minding her business.
"Min Joon, truth or dare?" Zoe asked him, pointing at him with a smile.
"Dare." he chose, leaving her smirking in excitement.
"I dare you to dress up as a girl for the whole day tomorrow."
Okay, now that wasn't the dare that he expected to come out from her mouth. Quite the boldest dare he ever heard. And he wasn't the only one, pretty much everyone was shocked over her choice of a dare.
"Ha Neul, I did not expect that from you of all people."
"For once, Jiho is actually fucking correct."
"No cursing, Jin Sung." scolded Mira. "But yeah, Jiho's got a point."
Yui blinked heavily so as to assure she wasn't under the booze heairng that. Even her dare was enough to gain Soo-Yuen's attention. But what came after that was even more of a shocker.
"Sure, I'll accept your dare." said Min Joon with a smirk.
Gazing at her expression, Zoe probably didn't expect him to take her dare seriously. Afterall, any normal person would take the alcohol to save their pride. However, she unintentionally provided a solution to a problem that will be important tomorrow. So, this was his way of thanking her for coming up such a dare.
"So um...Where are we gonna get him some feminine clothes?" Daniel raised his hands.
"I have some spare clothes. I could give them to you now." spoked Mira, raising her hand.
"And a wig. Your hair isn't long enough on its own." added Soo-Yuen.
"Eh, we can settle that later. Zack, truth or dare?" he pointed at him.
"Um...Truth?" he answered in a confused tone.
"Is there someone in our class you like?"
"Huh? Um...I shouldn't get drunk." he hesitated. Considering what happened last time, his reaction was fairly understandable. However, this is a canon event he can't avoid. So...
"Then answer the question." he sighed. Just as Zack was about to answer, a panicked Yui interrupted him, proclaiming she was a genie while holding her cup. As soon as she tried to grant her wish of Zack kissing her, the inevitable chaos between the two occurred.
By the time it was Mira's turn to play, all hell broke loose to the point it was becoming complete and utter chaos. A riled-up Daniel scolds the hell out of an emotional Zack; Zoe values her confusion through sheer drunkness; Jiho was talking to himself through liquid courage; and the self-proclaimed 'genie' passes out from the booze. Thus, leaving the three remaining students as the only ones that didn't get wasted.
In short, almost everyone was wasted. A classic example of why underage drinking is illegal.
"So um...About that dare..." Min Joon asked the girls. "Who brought a wig?"
Soo-Yuen raised her hand. "I could lend it to you tomorrow. Do you need a hairnet?"
"Nah. It'd only be a one-time thing anyway." he confirmed. Afterall, he would've refuse the dare had the stars not aligned well. His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he noticed Mira giving him a tied plastic bag.
"Here. The clothes." she said before waking to her cousin. Min Joon opened the bag to see two pairs of clothes inside, with the only missing was a pair of panties. Not that he minded it, his underwear come in handy despite its rougher material.
"I can't guarantee it will fit you though." sighed Mira while trying to lift Yui up to her bed. "That's the best I could do right now."
"It's okay, Mira. I get it." he yawned before closing his eyes.
He briefly heard some noises coming from the door, which he presumed to be the instructors checking on them. However, they quickly close the door once they saw the sight of passed out students. Funny how that was enough to convince them not to dig further, but at least he could get some god damn sleep.
...
Oh. And pray that he could slay in a feminine disguise...
(Soo-Yuen's design. credit to me)
Chapter 19: Disguises n Punches
Summary:
aka the second half of the Autumn Booot Camp Arc
Notes:
Music used: What do you think? by Agust D
Lyric Video by Zaty Farhani
Chapter Text
TW: MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, VIOLENCE AND BLOOD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
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3rd pov
Hearing the loud sounds of laughter was enough for Min Joon to open his eyes. Letting out a soft yawn, he adjusted himself to a sitting position before looking around the room. Aside from himself, everyone was awake from their slumber. Well, everyone except Daniel and Jiho. Just one look at them for him to understand the source of the laughters.
Daniel's face was covered with markers, specifically his face cheeks and around his mouth area. Seeing the fake moustache and beard reminded him of Vasco a bit, minus the words 'GOOF' written in full capital letters on his cheek. Oh, and a swirl on his other cheek. And yet, his marks were tamer compared to Jiho, whose entire body was covered with markers to the point that he look like a paint job. And that's not even considering the amount of puking he did last night.
The room was a mess from last night, not surprising considering what occurred last night. Still, it didn't stop Min Joon from cleaning up the room with the others. Better not get in any trouble with the instructors, that'd be more time-consuming for the day.
"Does anyone have any alcohol wipe?" called Min Joon before someone passed him a box of alcohol wipe to him. Deducing that Zack was the one passing it, Min Joon thanked him before focusing his attention on Jiho.
"Wake the hell up, Jiho!" he shouted loud enough for him to wake up.
"W-What time is it?" yawned Jiho as he adjusts to a sitting position.
"7.45 am. 15 minutes before breakfast starts." he told him before holding his hand. "Don't mind me wiping you with these alcohol wipes."
"Wait, why do you need that..." he went silent upon seeing his dirty palm. "Nevermind. Do your work."
Min Joon proceeded to wipe the hell out of his friend, desperately wanting to get rid of those markings. Unfortunately, scrubbing through several layers of markings is both a daunting and time-consuming task. Heck, he even had to give up halfway from time constraints, leaving a few barely visible markings on his classmate.
"Well, at least I made some progress?" he smiled awkwardly before lending his hand. "Jiho, sorry but I'd continue settling it tomorrow."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope, I'm not. At least you got a cool beard." he told him nonchalantly, giving him a thumbs up.
"Oh, haha. Funny." he sighed sarcastically before taking another alcohol wipe. As he stood up to wipe his chin, Min Joon felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to spot Soo-Yuen holding a wig that signalled him the next action in place. Dressing up as the opposite gender for the entire day.
To his surprise, the clothes Mira picked fits his body type. A white shirt with black sleeves matches his type of clothing, which also pairs well with the pair of jeans short provided. Not to mention, the long black wig blends smoothly with his natural hair that he almost believed it was the real deal. When all was said and done, he admires himself in the mirror long enough to fall in love with the outfit. Who knew that female clothes can suit him quite well?
Checking his legs, he was glad that his legs doesn't look too hairy. That would've been an unfortunate giveaway, especially regarding his plans for the day. After touching up his face, he stepped out of the bathroom in a confident manner.
Thank god that nobody was present in the male's bathroom when he was changing. That'd be awkward as hell.
"Woah, you look like an actual woman." spoked Soo-Yuen, admiring the beauty radiating from him. She even had to blink a few times to confirm it wasn't her daydreaming again.
Min Joon chuckled at her amusement before complimented her choice of the wig. Soo-Yuen smiled with delight, accepting his complimented. He then left the room with his head held up high, confident that he could work well with the disguise.
As he expected, most people couldn't tell the difference between the disguise and have fallen for his trap. Well, everyone but the ones who knew his dare that chose to keep their mouth shut. Still, he can't help but feel proud at how effective the disguise was.
Well...too effective, to be specific.
It was during a rafting activity, where the students were separated by gender. He wasn't expecting the instructors to mistake his gender completely to be placed with the girls. He was lucky to be seated between Soo-Yuen and Mira, though they couldn't talk. Then again, his lack of presence does explain why nobody was wondering his whereabouts, probably assumed he was some random girl from the school.
While he was deep into his thoughts, it was interrupted by the freezing touch of water. He looked up to notice Zeus splashing some water on them, which the two girls seemed to enjoy. Min Joon, not so much.
He splashed a bit of water on him as payback, resulting in a heated battle of water splashes upon them. It was fun...by his own definition, of course. Who wouldn't want to splash water at the guy that radiates red flag energy? Sure, Zeus was popular with the female students, but there is a reason why his charming looks won't work on him. Not after knowing the kind of person he truly is.
But that can wait for another time. He'd have to wait for that to come. For now, let him have some peace before the storm comes.
His eyes then landed on Won Bin, the so-called 'ugly' instructor, on another raft filled with girls uncomfortable around him. He glanced at Mira from afar, which she noticed and smiled awkwardly. Min Joon, however, smiled at him knowing the true nature of the instructor. Lookism is engrailed within society, after all.
Fast-forward to nighttime, the students were gathered for a candle ceremony. A candle ceremony where people hold a candle and think about the people they hold close to. Representing a personal sacrifice to light up its surroundings, no wonder some people were tearing up upon dedicating it to their parents.
For Min Joon, thinking about his parents felt like an emotional stab to the heart. His regret of not spending time with them one last time. The guilt of being alive in place of his parents. The loneliness he felt from isolating himself without their presence. Even after going through the 5 stages of grief, his acceptance of the situation didn't help lower his desire for escapism. If anything, it elevated to a higher level of toxicity, the manner in which he doesn't give a flying fuck.
A small tear foamed on his eye, letting it drip to his face as he stood with the candle intact. That was the only tear he let out from the silent tears in his heart. A melancholy way to describe his emotions nonetheless
After the ceremony ended, the students went back to their room before their curfew starts. Min Joon was scrolling through the Webtoon app on his phone, memorising every thing that will occur tonight. Just thinking about it makes his blood boiled in disgust, so he chooses to throw away the rubbish bag that was piled with empty snacks that were eaten.
Before closing the door, he caught a glimpse of Daniel and Jiho sleeping peacefully together. The former was sleeping peacefully in his black singlet, looking like an angel from above. The latter, on the other hand, was snoring with the dried-out markings remaining intact. He won't tell him that his roommate looked hilarious there, but a small giggle shall do the trick.
Leaving the room, he threw the rubbish bag into the rubbish bin before closing the lid. To his surprise, he was greeted by the presence of Zeus once he turned around. Not noticing his startled expression, the instructor faked a smile on his lip before opening his mouth.
"Caught you wandering during curfew." he smiled while staring at him.
Needless to say, Min Joon was already creeped out by the guy. And in his disguise of all things, how revoulting.
"Sorry, mister. I was just throwing out the trash. Am I gonna get punished?." he rubbed his wig, acting like it was the real deal.
"Don't worry, I'll let you off the hook. If you could help lift these boxes up." he pointed at two boxed behind him. Almost immediately, his brain was picking up a sense of danger coming from him. Not like he doesn't know who the guy is, but he can't just walk away without looking suspicious.
So, he could only nod at him before picking up a box and follow him.
While doing so, Min Joon was internally panicking under a composed facade. The moment the boxes were mentioned, he realised that he was involved in a canon event. A canon event that originally had Mira in his place. Even though he was grateful she won't get traumatised this time around, he wondered how to solve through the situation with his adequate fighting skills and a feminine disguise.
By the time he figured out a plan, he and Zeus have already entered a storage room. Just as they were walking to the nearby shelf, someone barged into the room in a hurried state. Min Joon widened his eyes upon seeing Wonbin, who was staring at his direction with a worried expression.
"What's this? What are you two doing here?"
"Oh, I caught her outside throwing the rubbish. Instead of punishment, I asked her to help me."
Alas, an opportunity to carry out his plan. He must've let that chance go.
After handing the box to Zeus, he made a gesture to indicate Wonbin that he shouldn't move any further. With Zeus having his back turned, he took out a piece of fabric from his pocket and quickly wrapped around his eyes like a blindfold. Thank god he stuffed one inside the moment he noticed an unused box of fabrics earlier. Absolutely comes in handy for sure.
"Instructor Wonbin is gone now. We're all alone." he whispered softly in his ears. His feminine voice was enough for Zeus to figure out who covered his eyes, changing his expression into a perverted look. The kind of which Min Joon all so despised.
"Out of all the girls who'd fallen for my charm, I didn't expect you to be this bold." he smirked. "Was your splash of water intended to get my attention?"
"Of course. What else I could do to gain your affection?"
Wonbin was confused by what was going on, but he could only stood there due to the silent gesture the student gave. Afterall, this was a last minute plan that must work or he'd be screwed otherwise. And looking at Wonbin's face, it was also for his sakes too.
Zeus moved closer to him, placing his hands on his waist. Min Joon silently swallowed any disgust he held for the man, knowing it would interfere with his plans. And so, he proceeded to pull out one final card before he could continue.
"Y'know, your name is quite interesting." he striked a conversation, letting his voice hypotised him even further. "Zeus is the king of the gods in Greek history, yet had many affairs for a married man. He's quite the playboy, I must say."
He licked his lips before asking, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Well, let's just say..."
Zeus leaned towards him, unzipping his own pants as he awaits for his so-called fantasy to begin. Instead, Min Joon wrapped the blindfold even tighter before whispering something in his ears. Not in the feminine voice that turned him on, but in his regular voice instead.
"...your 'games' shall end here, Heemin Kim."
There. He said it. He said the one reason that led him to take on the dare in the first place. Zeus was never the likeable handsome guy that steal the hearts of girls. No, underneath his persona is a sex offender who uses his charming looks to get away from his actions. The kind of rapist that make your blood boil, which is basically rapists in a nutshell.
Indeed, Min Joon didn't expect his plan and his disguise to actually work. But in his defence, he was pratically doing a good favor on preventing the creation of a potential trauma in Mira. Oh, and to make up the fact he let the stalker incident happened to Zoe.
Finally, his guilty conscious can rest a bit. A tiny bit.
Before the guy could even react, Min Joon immediately kicked him in the nuts. It effectively caused him to scrambled to the ground, holding his balls in agony. Before Min Joon could continue, he saw Wonbin immediately tackling the guy to ensure he stays on the ground. Min Joon noticed Wonbin's phone came out of his pocket, but it wasn't like it contains any info he already knew of. The amount of candid photos of female students Heemin shared on a pervert forum was enough evidence to grand a prison sentence. Ain't got no time for a misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, the sex offender wasn't just a pretty face. He was also a black-belt holder in muay thai. Even though his eyes were blinded, he was able to punched Wonbin back before standing up. Seeing the perverted way he licked his lips was enough for Min Joon to let out his disgust on accident.
Too loud, in fact, that Heemin ran up to him and gripped him on the neck. Alas, he was stuck in a sticky situation where either his face or his ribs will be the one getting the hit. As such, he had no choice but to close his eyes as he embraces for the impact of a broken bone.
If only Zack is here right now...
And then, nothing. Nothing happened. The impact didn't happened.
Confused, he opened his eyes to see Wonbin holding Heemin's leg, leaving the instructor with another distraction for him to deal with. Seeing a golden opportunity, he lands a punch into his face in order to escape his grip. Wiping off some blood from his knuckles, Min Joon proceeded to do the one thing he learned from the 'Viral Hit' manhwa.
Firstly, Min Joon tackled the bastard to the ground before grabbing the back of his jacket while sticking to him like a leech. He then quickly grabbed the jacket from his other hand and cross his arms before holding them tight. He pinned the guy's knees long enough for his G.I. choke to take effect.
After that, he lifted him with his hands gripping on the jacket before proceeding to do a baseball choke. Even when the rapist was tapping out in defeat, Min Joon did not oblige for an opportunity for the bitch to strike back, counting down ten seconds before finally releasing his grip. The moment that he saw Heemind laying unconsciously was when he knew that he won the fight.
Ironic, isn't it? A guy who strives to be a pacifist ended up dealing the situation with the opposite. Though, in his defense, there was no sympathy held for that horror of a man who deserved his comeuppance.
Finally, it's over. He could pant his breath all he wants now.
As he took out the mostly-intact wig from his head, he noticed a shock expression coming from Wonbin. Min Joon then grabbed his hand and smear more of Heemin's blood on it, leaving the instructor confused.
"W-What are you doing?" he asked him. "And you were a guy this whole time?"
He answered his question while ruffling his hair. "Yeah. A guy who felt that something was up with that bastard. A cretive way of deception, am I right?"
"Huh? You-"
"Yes, the way he stared at Mira felt malicious. I couldn't help but do something about it." he explained before removing the blindfold from Heemin.
"But how did you even know about his criminal history?"
"...Let's just say a familiar face was on a 'Most Wanted' poster."
"Oh."
Wonbin wanted to ask more questions, but Min Joon interrupted him by opening his mouth.
"Now...I want you take credit for this situation." he told him as he wipes the blood from his hands. Wonbin was utterly confused by his statement before Min Joon mentioned his reasoning. "I'd rather not let people know I can fight. I'd like to keep it that way."
Not like he's a pro fighter or something, but you get the picture.
"I won't tell anyone. I promise." he smiled towards him.
Min Joon then let out a yawn, feeling his tired body with every passing second. Any minute now and he'd fallen asleep from the lack of sleep. A tiring night where fighting was involved would make anyone tired, but at least he could showcase his skills on a perverted fodder.
Just as his eyes were about to close, a door suddenly opened to reveal Zack. Min Joon was suprised by his presence, assuming he took over Zack's original place per canon. Even when Mira isn't in the picture, the fact he came got him confused considering they weren't closed in comparison to the boxer's affection for Mira.
"Min Joon, are you okay?" he asked him with concerned in his eyes.
"I'm...fine. Instructor Wonbin saved me anyway." he told him.
The spotlight was given to Wonbin, startled from the sudden respect Zack was giving by the way he bowed. He absolutely deserves it, noted Min Joon as he closed his eyes.
With the police arriving, Heemin was soon taken into custody with his immediate arrestment. It was times like this where not all police officers are incompetent like how manhwas perceived them to be. Meanwhile, Wonbin was taken by the carrier by two medical workers.
As for Min Joon, he was seated at the back of the ambulance while getting a check-up. While doing so, he noticed two guys mocking Wonbin's appearance, saying that he look more like the criminal than Heemin did. Their mouths stopped barking upon witnessing a glare from Zack at a distance, garnering a snicker from his tired-ass self.
...
...Some things never changed, huh?
(credit to @heliondreams on Twitter)
Chapter 20: Familiar Surroundings
Summary:
aka Aftermath of the Autumn Boot Camp Arc
Notes:
Music used: Young Dumb & Broke by Khalid
Lyric Video by 7clouds
Chapter Text
3rd pov
A boring, white ceiling. That is the first thing Min Joon saw after opening his eyes. After adjusting into a sitting position, he felt a sense of déjà vu upon looking around the room.
Everyone about this room unlocked a sense of familiarity across his brain. The overbearing presence of white, the same row of conveniently-sized beds that don't feel comfortable in the slightest, the tall familiar-looking shelf with only a box of tissue to spare, and the same white patient gown that he wore once. Call him crazy or something, but why does the room looked exactly like the room he woke up in after his suicide attempt.
Or maybe it was all just some silly coincidences. Hospital wards tend to have the same generic colour palette, so his belief wasn't far off.
"What the actual hell...?" he spoke in confusion, letting out a yawn before he covered his mouth. He then grabbed a tissue by the other hand and rubbed his eyes with it. This effectively confirmed that he wasn't, in fact, hallucinating. Instead, a few more questions appeared inside his mind.
What the hell happened last night? He's certain he didn't sustain any injury from the incident, so why was he here?
He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a knocking sound. Likewise, he looked over at the door to see a girl with wavy black hair coming in with her glasses. Her blue hospital uniform reminded him of her familiar-looking figure, while also adding another evidence to the same hospital theory.
"Ah, you're awake." she spoked gently before closing the door. Even her voice felt familiar to coincidental levels.
"Um...can I have a cup of water?" he politely requested.
"Sure, right away." she smiled before filing a small plastic cup with water from a nearby dispenser. Upon passing the cup to him, Min Joon immediately took a sip before asking a question.
"So, where am I? I meant the hospital name, the environment's familiar alright."
She let out a chuckle before telling him, "You are in Hanguk University Hospital. Surely you remember this place, Kim Min Joon?"
Yes, yes he did. That certainly answered his question. No longer can he call it coincidental, it was the real deal.
"You remember my name?"
"Absolutely. Hospitals keep your medical records, afterall."
Shit. Why did he ask such a stupid question? It makes sense she'd recognise him from the medical records, for fuck sakes!
"Well, how did I end up here this time?" he asked her, changing the subject to hide his embarrassment.
"You passed out in the ambulance last night. The staff thought it was best to put you here free of charge. You were too exhausted to respond anyway." she gently explained.
Right. The hectic fight left him in a state of exhaustion last night. As helpful as Samdak's videos were, pulling out a successful technique consumed more of his energy than he expected. For a lazy amateur like him, you could say it made too much sense for his exhaustion to occur.
At least he slightly improved from last time. Better have some progress made than making none at all, he supposed. Even if it wasn't a big leap of progress.
"If you're wondering, I don't know why they made that decision. Don't ask me."
That...was the exact question he about to ask. Her response left him wondering if she could read someone's mind. Even though it sounds unrealistically, anything is possible when you're living in a manhwa world.
Nah, he'd rather brush off that idea.
"Now that I'm awake, can I please get discharge?" he asked, rubbing his head in uncertainty.
"Almost."
"Almost?"
"Almost. Do you feel any discomfort?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't. My checkup told me my limps are fine."
"True. They even mentioned you don't have an ounce of injury." she adjusted her glasses. She then told him that his belongings were placed near, pointing to his backpack located on the shelf.
"Well, I'll take my leave. See ya at the counter." she concluded before opening the door.
"Wait! I didn't get your name last time." he called to her. "What's your name?"
The girl formed a gentle smile before answering his question. "Gyejeol. Just Gyejeol."
And with that, she quietly closed the room, leaving Min Joon all by himself.
He investigated his backpack to see everything intact as it once was. Whoever was responsible for sending his belongings here from the retreat deserves some major props for the quality control. Upon spotting his phone alongside the clothes, he immediately took it out and scroll through the various notifications he received.
One of these came from the 'PTJ Dictionary' app, where it said that a new character profile was unlocked. After switching to 'R' mode, he proceeded to open the app to learn about the new profile. To his surprise, appearing at the 'How To Fight/Viral Hit' section was none other than Gyejeol herself. The same nurse that talked to him earlier was a fictional character all along.
"What the actual fuck!?" he cursed before rereading the manhwa alongside the profile provided.
According to her profile, she was a minor character in the manhwa, treating the MC's bedridden mother during the first season. Aside from her kind and friendly demeanour, not much information was known about her. This was expected considering she faded into the background once the mother was discharged from the hospital.
In fact, the only notable information about her was that she was supposed to be a major character in the story, back when the author intended for the MC to have a harem of sorts. This was especially present in her name (which translated to 'seasons' in English), perfectly representing each girls' names of a Korean season. While Min Joon was fortunate the plot line never went through, this does ended up making the nurse fading into the background. People don't even know her age and her surname, though he presumed her to be around her 20's judging by her figure.
Now that he think about it, maybe it's best she doesn't fall in love with the MC. The age gap could've been too controversial for his own liking.
Oh, and the harem thing. Not all stories need them, for damn sakes.
Suddenly, he heard a ringing sound coming from his phone. He checked his screen to see an unfamiliar number calling him. It couldn't be Mr.Unknown since his contact was saved, so who the hell called him? Regardless, he accepted the call since he wanted to get things over with.
"Hello?" he greeted the caller, finding something suitable to wear while doing so.
"Oh, Min Joon. It's you." the caller talked, startling him from the familiar voice.
"Soo-Yuen? Is that you?" he asked for some confirmation.
"Yep, it's me alright. How are you doing?"
"Um...Just woke up, so I'm doing fine?" he responded confusingly while holding a beige shirt. "How did you even get my phone number?"
"I asked Daniel for your number. He was quite kind for providing it, hope you don't mind."
"Not at all, Soo-Yuen. But why the urgent call?"
"Urgent? Well, it's not like you didn't wore a disguise or something last night." she told him, getting straight to the point.
"...Oh. Oh." he widened his eyes upon remembering what he wore yesterday. He quickly checked his bag to see the clothes he wore in good condition. Too bad there isn't a wig inside. He wondered if she was pissed for mistreating her wig like that.
"Shoot, I almost forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me." he placed his phone on his ear while bringing his clothes to the bathroom. "I have Mira's clothes but where is the wig?"
"The wig is with me, don't worry. It's a bit messy, but I'm certain the wig is in good condition." she assured him on the phone.
"So why do you call me in the first place?"
"Just to check in on you. The others, especially Zoe, felt guilty for getting you into a sticky situation." she told him honestly. "Even Mira and I felt guilty the disguise lead you to such circumstances."
"Hey, it was the pretty instructor's actions that caused it, not the disguise." he said. "Besides, the situation would've been worsened had Mr. Wonbin not helped me. So you could say I'm lucky."
Yeah, he ain't bringing up the fact he fought Heemin there. Better to give Wonbin all the credit.
"Is that all you call me for?" he asked her, changing his clothes to a more comfortable fit. "Or are you just calling me as a reminder to return Mira's clothes?"
'Yeah, that's pretty much it. Do return it the next time you spot her." she sighed before continue speaking.
"What about you? How are you doing?"
"Doing well, thanks for asking. Same with the classmates of yours, they're doing well."
As she was saying that, he could hear the inextinguishable noises coming from the audio.
"Don't mind the noise. The others are playing a game on the bus."
The noise became louder the moment she said that. Pretty much coming from Zack's simping attitude towards Mira when he softly slapped her hands. How does he know? Their voices was recognizable enough, but having hindsight elevated the scenario too.
"Welp, I'm pretty much busy. So...I gotta go now."
"Oh." he paused for a moment after coming out of the bathroom.
"Yeah... Talk to you later?"
"You mean text you later right?" he told her as if he was telling a bad joke. Soo-Yuen chuckled with delight before correcting herself, "Sure. Text you later."
And that's where things left out once the call ended. Min Joon placed the hospital gown on the bed as it was the only place he could think of. After putting on the shoes he wore last night, he walked out of the hospital room with his backpack on his back. He eventually reached the counter where Gyejeol was doing her job attending to a line of people. Sighing with a frown, Min Joon proceeded to follow from the back in a respectable fashion.
Feeling bored, he plugged his earphones into his phone before opening the music app. Scrolling through his downloads, he selected a song that jumpstarted the sort-lived mainstream career of an artist. Min Joon may not be broke, but he's certainly young and a little bit dumb.
He'd see himself out from the joke, for sure.
By the time the song reached the second verse, he reached the end of the line and stood in front of the counter. To his amusement, Gyejeoul had swapped her hospital uniform in favor of a green sweater west covering her white shirt. It was reminded him of the preppy style people talked about online, so much so he paused his music to give her a compliment.
"Nice sweater vest."
"Thanks, Min Joon. Nice outfit, by the way."
"Thank you. I'm flattered." he responded nonchantly. A beige shirt with green jeans was the kind of drip people considered the norm nowadays, so it felt nice to be complimented for his simple attire. He swiped a bit of his hair to the side before continuing the conversation in an confident manner, fueled by the fact she was a fictional character regardless of her minor role.
"So...should I pay or what?"
"I already told you it's free of charge. I just need your ID to confirm your attendace here." she clarified while adjusting her glasses. "Could you show me?"
Min Joon put his ID card on her palm before a bunch of typing noises could be heard. While all of this was going on, he scrolled through social media to discover new things recommended by the algorithm. An algorithim consisting of fanarts, headcannons, cosplay and fan edits. Especially the spicy fanarts, they're too good to be saved in a hidden photo album.
Scratch that. Why would he admit that publicly? Act like a sane person, for fuck's sakes!
"All done." she called him with his ID card on her hand. Min Joon quickly thanked her before putting his card in his wallet, not wanting to think of explicit fanart at the moment. As he walked out of the hospital, he continued playing the song in his ears while walking his way back home. Suffice to say, he was so ready to crawled back into the comfort hole that is his apartment. Nothing like the smell of his own bed shall ease his mind.
...
Man, he's so goddamn tired...
(credit to @ihaninose on Tumblr)
Chapter 21: Bougainvillea (Original Cut)
Summary:
aka Abandoned Dog Inu Arc, but more focused on a specific female character
Notes:
Music used: Darl+ling by SEVENTEEN
Lyric Video by Lemonade [first-half]Bougainvillea by Nymphlord
Visualizer by Nymphlord [second-half]
Chapter Text
3rd pov
It had been two weeks since he was discharged from the hospital. Nothing much had changed, since people usually moved on with their life. He already returned Mira's clothes to her, all while making sure a certain simp doesn't misunderstood the situation. As for Heemin, he was sentenced to prison as new evidences were discovered regarding his previous crimes. Suffice to say, he'd have a longer sentence for the world to not get tainted by the likes of him.
Other than that, no new development had occurred for his somewhat mundane life. An odd thing to conclude considering he was living in a manhwa world, for damn sakes. That was until the teacher opened his mouth to announce something important.
"Class, we have a transfer student."
It was enough for the classroom to go on a frenzy, trying to figure out who the transfer student is. A single mention of their gender from the teacher's mouth was enough for the boys to get excited over her mysterious appearance. However, they went silent once the girl in questioned entered the classroom and faced the classroom.
She wore a female school uniform on her short and obese body. Her face looked strikingly similar to Daniel in his original body, except her hair was a tad longer than his. She then open her mouth to introduce herself to the others.
"Hello. I'm Crystal Choi. Nice to meet you."
As the girl went to her seat, he remembered that she isn't some random girl who coincidentally bear the name of the other Crystal. She doesn't bear a similar appearance to the original Daniel for no reason. But Min Joon don't wanna bother it for now, not when he observed the mean remarks she received from the others. Most notably, Doo and his two forgettable friends. He had to remind himself about Doo's character growth within the future. Otherwise, the guy wouldn't be worshipped in an ironic manner by the fandom.
Thankfully, Daniel took the job of intercepting their mockery and introduce himself to the student. Crystal offer a small polite smile in response, a smile that came off as fake to him. However, Min Joon can't really fault her for doing so, considering she'd end up a loner if her response was rude or getting called a slut if her smile was bigger.
Yes, there is another reason for her fake smile. But that won't be important for today. Not when Daniel was content with her non-verbal response despite his oblivious stance.
While minding his own business, Min Joon noticed the gaze she was giving him. She seemed to be judging him, wondering the type of person he was. It was a good thing he looked plainly average today, blurring the line between popular and outsider that made her harder to judge. After all, there's not much you can write about an average person.
Luckily, her gaze was interrupted by the voice of Zack, who told the others to not make fun of her. As the others went back to their seats, a few of them secretly Some might think he was putting on an act, when in reality it was the result of character growth. He wouldn't become such a fan-favourite otherwise.
Fast-forward to the next day, Min Joon was walking down the hallway like most students do. With a nonchalant expression, he was secretly hoping school could end anytime now. That thought faded away when he passed by the same girl walking in the opposite direction, carrying a huge stack of paper all on her own.
Beside her was Yui holding a stack of paper with ease, yet asked Zack to help hold it for her. The guy politely declined her offer, sensing the bullshit sprouting from her. Min Joon quietly snickered at the exchange, an ease of distraction from the many negative whispers regarding Crystal.
All of a sudden, Crystal lost her balance and accidentally tripped on her shoes. This resulted in papers flying from her grasp, and it would've ended with her body slammed on the floor had Zack not grabbed her on time. Despite the fact his arms were healed, Zack still uses his right foot as a way to catch her per canon.
"Watch it." he told her as she regained her balance. "My body reacts quickly, so don't get mad."
And somehow, it came off as something he'd do than the opposite. Funny, isn't it?
He also saw Daniel picking up the papers, offering to take them for her. Part of him almost forgot he was at the hallway, to be honest. Seeing the two of them walking with her felt pleasant to see, although the frown coming from her face was noticeable indeed.
"Please don't be nice to me." she told them, whose eyes were surprised by her words. "I am thankful but your kindness towards me could make my life difficult."
At first glance, Crystal may come off as rude to him. After all, Daniel was someone who genuinely want to be friends with her, yet she thought of him as nothing more than a shallow pretty boy. Pretty ironic from someone who often gets mistreated from her looks to dish out the same thing for pretty people.
Yet, at the same time, he can't completely fault her for thinking that way. If he was Crystal's position, he would've been very distrustful towards people. Besides, he only knew she was hypocritical thanks to hindsight. Without it, he would've also assumed Daniel was just a shallow person.
That somewhat reminded him of Chainsaw Man. Specifically, surrounding the first appearance of the relatable girl Kobeni on her first opinion on Denji. People tend to criticize them for thinking such thing when they would've thought the same without any hindsight. Personal experiences do shape your perception of people, after all.
As she walked away with the stack of paper, Min Joon stepped in between the two boys and opened his mouth. "Hey! Aren't you being a hypocrite?"
His statement was met with a contemplative eye from her. "What are you talking about?"
"For someone who got judged by their looks, aren't you doing the same thing?" he asked her in a serious tone. "Also, don't pushed those who have your best interest."
She responded by letting out a sigh before leaving the hallway. A rather rude response that he'd politely glossed over as he turned to face the two boys.
Definitely reminding him of the other Crystal. Interesting...
"Don't worry, she isn't...completely wrong." he assured them before glancing at the girls. If their whispers weren't enough indication of jealousy, Yui's expression surely does. It was clear that Crystal's statement towards Daniel wasn't baseless, as Yui and her friends were envy over Crystal 'flirting' with the guys. A total misunderstanding for some fuel into their agenda.
"Huh..I get what you meant." noted Zack, putting his hands in his pockets while glancing at the same direction.
"What do you mean, Min Joon?" asked Daniel, being the oblivious person he was.
"Daniel, these girls are jealous someone like Crystal talked to you two." he whispered in his ears. "They even think she slipped on purpose for her attention."
"Is that so? How unfortunate." he frowned over them.
"Why? Do you have a crush on her?" he teased him with a chuckle.
"No, I don't." he waved his hand in denial.
Zack let out a chuckle from his mouth, covering it with his hands to not embarrassed him even further. Min Joon noticed how ironic the atmosphere felt considering it was coming from a freaking simp, but chooses to keep his mouth silent.
Just as he predicted, the words Crystal spoke towards Daniel came to fruition. During one of the classes, a few girls were quietly mocking the girl behind her back. If he could remember the details from the manhwa, he's pretty sure her textbook was scribbled with insults from them. He felt bad for letting their actions slide, but surely he'd make up for it.
Fast-forward to recess, Min Joon was picking up his usual lunch from the canteen. Today's special happens to be broiled fish, alongside the usual rice plate. Even though the taste was delicious, the small portion itself left much to be desire. And that was not an easy conclusion considering the other food provided in the plate.
Call it selfish or whatever, but his stomach was craving more of it. He doesn't have the guts to ask the staff for an extra serving, not wanting to make it unfair for everyone. He then resorted into another tactic after an idea popped in his head.
"Excuse me." he told his tablemates as he stood up with his plate on his hands. He then walked around the place till he found the table he was looking for. A table of unpopular girls chatting with each other, none of which had any broiled fish on their plates. He looked to see where they ended up; stacking each other for Crystal to eat in silence. He can't help but frown over the mistreatment she was getting.
Bullying from girls was different from guys. Guys tends to get physical in their bullying, girls resorts to mean gossip and insults in getting their bullying across. A male leader shows off his strength in front of others, a female leader never comes forward. Not to say that the opposite isn't true, just an interesting observation he garnered from the topic of bullying itself.
Oh, and Mean Girls. Gotta thank that movie for being a helpful observation.
"Wow, Crystal. You like broiled fish, huh?" spoked a familiar fake-sounding voice. He looked at his left to see Yui with a fake smile, before giving her a piece of broiled fish to her. "Here, have mine too."
The others whisper with a catty manner, saying things like wondering how Crystal would lose weight with so much food to whether she'd eat them all.
Getting tired of their bullshit, Min Joon spoked something in order to catch her attention.
"Hey, you don't mind me taking some of your fish, right?" he directly asked her. Before she could even respond, he already picked up most of the fish on his plate and apologised for taking without permission. Crystal, not wanting to draw attention any further, allowed him to do so.
Leaving one piece of fish on her plate, he thanked her before leaving with his plate. He doesn't care if he garner some stares, those girls could fade into the background for all he knows. Including Yui.
"I'm back, guys." he greeted his lunchmates upon taking his seat. He took his chopsticks and gave some of the fish to Daniel and Duke, who accepted his offer despite lacking in the chopstick department. Min Joon noticed the absence of someone thanks to an unattended plate of meal.
"Um...Where did Jiho go?"
"Jiho went to the bathroom."
As they both took a bite of the fish, Min Joon placed two fish on his plate before eating. Just when he was about to bite on another fish, he spotted Jiho coming back with a hand on his stomach. Once the guy took his place, Duke opened his mouth before biting on his fish.
"Jiho, what took you so long?"
"Sorry, I...I had a stomache." he responded before noticing the fish on his plate. "Since when did my-"
"Min Joon took some extra pieces. A bit too much." Daniel told him before taking another bite.
"Yeah...Too much." mumbled Min Joon before chewing on his fish.
It was obvious Jiho was lying through his teeth. Maybe his act would've been more convincing had Min Joon not read the manhwa, but the image of Doo punching his stomach kept flashing in his brain. The power of hindsight is a dangerous kind, huh?
But Doo wasn't completely wrong about the things he said to him. Jiho only made friend with Daniel and Zack just to enhance his social image, while also never reciprocated any of his friendships. It was one of the factors that led to his downfall, alongside his inferiority complex and self-victimisation.
While he isn't certain changing his fate wouldn't bring any consequences, perhaps he could try to help his classmate a bit. Even for a little. But that begs the question, is their friendship legit or not?
"Oh, Duke and I gotta go now. See ya in class." waved Daniel before they walked off with their empty plate.
Phew, a good opportunity to ask him something.
"Hey, Jiho. Do you remember the time I invited you to the dojang?"
"Yeah?" he chewed his meal. "That tall guy...What's his name?"
"Taehun."
"Yes, Taehun. He's quite an asshole." he cursed before finishing his meal.
"You'll get use to it. That's just his personality."
"Well, why you're asking me this?"
He walked over to his seat before sitting beside him, leaning to his friend's ear before telling him what he wanted to said.
...
"Jiho, how about we hangout there again?"
"I'm sorry, Taehun isn't here right now."
A sense of confusion hit Min Joon upon hearing that sentence. He didn't come all the way to the dojang for nothing. Not when he already invited his friend for another training session on his usual Saturday session.
He already informed Taehun about inviting Jiho to the session unlike last time. Heck, there wasn't any messages from him regarding last-minute cancellation. In fact, Min Joon practically assumed Taehun would be waiting in the dojang by now. Instead, it was the opposite that came into fruition instead.
But no, hearing that from his father of all people made his mind confused. Was he mad at him for some reason? Did he have any last-minute business to settle? He needed some answers.
"What do you mean, Mr. Hansu? Shouldn't he be there for the session by now?"
"Yeah, but he's sure taking his time to come back." he responded, facing the clock on the wall.
"Well, where did he go anyway?"
"He went out for a walk a while ago. He should be back by now."
As much as his words were meant to assure him, Min Joon wasn't entirely ease by them. Instead, he was typing a message to Taehun regarding his whereabouts. The guy wasn't a taekwondo prodigy for no reason, surely nothing bad could happen to him right?
Well, except for the time he got shot in the stomach, but that's for the future. Nothing relating to the current situation whatsoever.
After hitting the 'send' button, he stared at his phone in the hopes of a response. Just one fucking response shall send his mind at ease. Maybe he's digging too deep into this but he can't be help himself sometimes.
Just then, he received a text message from his DMs, but it wasn't coming from Taehun. Instead, it was Jiho who texted about his arrival to him. As soon as he read that, a doorbell was heard from the distance. He looked at his left to see none other than Jiho in a stylish ensemble accompanying his bag.
"Ah, Jiho. Glad to see you here." he greeted with a calm expression, hiding his pent-up frustration from earlier. "Did you see Taehun on the way?"
"Glad to see you too. Why are you asking anyway?"
"Well, do you see him right now?"
Jiho looked around the dojang with his own eyes, understanding what his classmate meant.
"Nope."
"Exactly. Mr. Hansu said he should be back by now." he added with a frown. "But now I'm starting to doubt that."
Jiho took a seat on his left, placing his bag on the floor before staring at him. "Jeez, man. I'm certain that asshole would be here anytime soon."
"Heh. He'll arrive soon, I hope.." he chuckled with uncertainty. With not much to do, he decided to strike a conversation with Jiho to compensate the wasted time. "Nice bomber jacket by the way."
"Thanks." he gave a flattered response. He was definitely winning in the impression game, alright. Sort of.
"So, what state will you be once the session finishes?"
"Not sure. It hasn't even started."
"I'm just asking a hypothetical question, Jiho."
Jiho went silent for a few seconds before letting out a response, "Honestly, I would be tired by the end. The asshole is quite strict if you ask me."
"With only one session?"
"Yeah? Does that honestly change?"
Who you are calling an asshole?"
The sudden voice caught them off guard, causing the two to look at the source himself. There stood Taehun in the flesh, panting with his hands on his knees with a breathless expression. That, combine with his bomber jacket on top of his taekwondo uniform, made him look effortlessly handsome in no time. Min Joon felt something rosy on his cheek, while Jiho was squirming in his pants in cowardice.
"Man, look what the cat drag in!! About time you show up." Min Joon started before continuing, "Where the hell were you??"
"Sorry, I was freaking distracted by the arcade!" he panted while catching his breath. "Had to rush all the way here when I noticed the time."
Taehun apologising to someone before? That doesn't happen before. Unless his father told him to. But hey, at least he was distracted.
"Let me guess, Taekwon 7?" guessed Min Joon.
"You know that game?"
"Not really, but there was one character whose skills reminded me of you."
"Hwoarang?"
"Yeah, that guy. Whoever the hell he is." he clicked his fingers. He didn't notice Jiho gazing him with a puzzled expression, hoping that his comment doesn't go through the prodigy's skull or he'd be dead for sure. Not literally but figuratively.
"Let me guess, he's also your favourite?" he joined into the conversation.
"Hm, didn't imagine a nerd could know that fighting game." Taehun grinned with his hands in his pockets. Jiho rolled his eyes at the comment, biting his lips in order to not show his unamused expression.
"Just kidding. I'm just playing with ya." Taehun scoffed before walking away. "You both better be ready once I grabbed his uniform again."
Right. Jiho didn't keep the uniform he wore the last time he was here, since he was only there as a guest of the customer and not the customer itself. Guess being said guest to Min Joon has its benefits.
"Well, ya heard him." Min Joon blurted out before they stood from their seats. As they entered the dojang, they set aside their bags on a nearby bench before Taehun came back with a set of uniform for Jiho. Not wanting to waste anymore of his time, Min Joon changed into his uniform in the small bathroom. Nothing like wearing a piece of clothing for its intended purproses.
Once he finishes tying his white belt, Min Joon opened the door to spot Jiho waiting for him. He moved out his way for him to change before the door closed behind him. He then walked towards the same bench to sit beside Taehun.
"So...was the game quite addicting?" he tried to strike a conversation.
"I don't know. Take a guess." he responded sarcastically.
"Oh, haha. That's funny." he spoked in a dry tone, adding fuel to the burning flames of sarcasm. Taehun flipped him off as a result, causing Min Joon to discreetly rolled his eyes. Afterall, getting him to pipe down the cursing comes off as hypocritical for a foulmouth like himself. As much as it was considered disrespectful, he'd much rather have Taehun live the way he wants.
Jeez, that made him sound like a dad.
"So, how do I look?" spoked Jiho after leaving the bathroom. Gone were the bomber jacket he wore, instead it was replaced with the familiar-looking taekwondo uniform with the same belt.
Taehun let out a small chuckled before saying, "You look just like the first time you wore it."
Duh. He's the one who picked the uniform. Of course he would say that.
"Oh, haha. Funny." sighed Jiho before they go to their stance.
"Forgive me for being late. Don't expect me to repeat myself." stated Taehun once they bowed towards each other.
"Understood, Master Seong. Let's get this started, shall we?"
"Ah, seems like someone didn't forget his honorifics." he smiled devilishly as he tightens his own belt. "I'm impressed."
"As you should, Master Seong."
All Jiho could do was exchanging looks from the sidelines as the two of them stared at each other with a determined gaze. Perhaps it does send him some shivers down his spine, but he ain't hella gonna admit that to their faces. Not when it would come off as uncool to others in his own mind.
...
Better wrap it up before any more delays...
(credit to @MaiiKun on Twitter)
Chapter 22: fairy of shampoo
Summary:
aka Dangerous Part Time Job Arc, but only the drunk parts
Notes:
Music used: fairy of shampoo by dosii
Official Visualizer by IRRLVNT MUSIC
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Three months. Three months has passed since Crystal's 'twin' visited J High School as her own guardian. While the school remains the same as before, certain aspects have changed within those few months of school. And by changes, it specifically meant the students themselves.
Turns out, a schedule consisting of weekly taekwondo sessions does a body good. While his body remain the skinny shape that he grew accustomed to, Min Joon didn't expect his body to feel more active than ever. It was like he could do a few push-ups without struggling, He won't let go of his lazy habits, but he no longer minded a little bit of workout occasionally.
And no, it ain't enough gonna rid his suicidal thoughts anytime soon. Best to leave it suppressed for now.
But he wasn't the only one experiencing some form of change. The people around him also went through the same thing, though it mostly applies to some of the important classmates within the canon.
Jiho remains the same person he always was, but attending the same taekwondo sessions was definitely a small change on his part. Not every single session within those three months, just once or twice per month. Min Joon was initially surprised, considering it was coming from someone with a habit of victimizes himself, but he eventually got used to his classmate tagging along. He just hopes he doesn't view him as a tool to climb up the hierarchy. That mindset didn't seal his canon fate for no reason, after all.
At least Jiho can defend himself. To a certain degree.
Speaking of Jiho, the person who beat him up at the cafeteria months ago went through the exact opposite. Doo, the guy in question, got involved in a Pacebook situation where he and another person made fun of a popular 'gangster' online. As they garnered more popularity, the guy responded by kidnapping the two of them into a construction site. This resulted in Zack, Daniel and Vasco rescuing them while filming a video that outed the entire act the so-called 'gangster' put on.
Yes. The fraud put up an entire act of a gangster for clout. Sounds like any social media influencers, but that isn't what he should focus on. Rather, how does this situation impact Doo as a whole?
Well, the experience humbled the guy a lot. So much that he begins acting kinder towards people like Jiho. Min Joon can't forget seeing Doo offered the guy his pair of gym clothes, but he still got a long way to go before becoming the beloved meme within the community.
Other than that, Min Joon recalled that his seatmate got over his fear of dogs. He learnt this information through a conversation he had with Jay regarding a debate over cats and dogs. While his friend would prefer cats in the past, he changed his mind regarding the subject instead.
Apparently, he adopted four unnamed pups from Daniel since the latter could only afford to care for the mother of its pups, Enu. The quiet blonde even showed him a photo of the four pups all grown up; four golden Labrador retrievers sporting in their fabulous clothings. Min Joon wondered how does pups grew that fast but the Internet responded by dogs grew faster than humans does.
Moving on from that depressing fact, Min Joon heard about Daniel getting a modelling job. Considering how handsome the guy is, it was a no-brainer for him to accept such offer from Kian Clothing Company. Sure, he would've gotten a better offer from the other company, Oh Kee Hee Company. But with hindsight regarding their treatment towards ugly people, he was glad Daniel made the right decision. Besides, the outfits looked good on him to consider shopping there.
On an unrelated note, his NewTube channel was doing well despite having a relatively inconsistent release schedule. He did, however, released a new video covering the whole Pacebook situation. It gained some decent views around the 100k mark, but it took three months for it to achieve such a view count. But hey, at least he was making enough money from it to not consider it a failure.
One final thing to add, Zack and Mira are officially dating. The time it took to confirm that relationship created some confusion within the classroom, since they thought the two were already a couple. Regardless, it was good to have some confirmation of their relationship. Especially since Soo-Yuen saw it coming from a mile away.
Now that he think about it, he completely forgot about Soo-Yeun's existence. Though, in his defense, she was hard to remember since they don't interact that much. Her art project only pushes their distant interactions, only resorting into small talk when necessary. So you could say they're barely reaching the acquaintance status for now.
But enough about this info dump. Putting them all aside, today was practically a boring school day. Nothing more than the usual high school bullshit, but even he was used to the kind of lifestyle the school provided.
And yet, J High School is no ordinary school. Not when in terms of the wack shenanigans it ensues. Case in point, a certain protagonist walked into the classroom acting like a completely different person with a set of suit. As he took his seat in a flamboyant manner, Zack walked into the classroom with a stare towards his classmate.
"Hey. Wassup." he greeted him with a smug. Zack awkwardly accepted his greeting, wondering what was up with his usually kind-hearted friend. As Daniel asked his friend for their lunch, Min Joon sensed the smell of booze emanating from him. He didn't even need to conclude his friend was drunk; the girls did all the work for him through their observations and concerns.
He then noticed the glare Crystal was giving to Daniel, who probably questioned her father's request to watch over a guy that sucks. However, her thoughts were interrupted when Daniel attempted to flirt with her through liquid courage. Too bad it was ineffective since it only resulted in her leaving the classroom. An aggressive form of rejection.
Min Joon turned to his left and noticed Jay was gone from his seat. He turned back to the other direction and spotted him giving Daniel what looks to be a hangover medicine. Daniel grabbed the brown bottle and assured his friend he will drink it up later. Both of them then continued their conversation, with Daniel apologising for getting the clothes he borrowed from Jay dirty.
Suffice to say, he was too drunk to even remember the medicine. At all.
Skipped forward to lunchtime, where he was enjoying his scrumptious lunch at his usual lunch table. Duke was unfortunately absent from school due to reasons he doesn't know, leaving Jiho as his only lunch partner for the day. But what about Daniel, you may ask?
Well, the guy was hanging out with the Architecture Department, where everyone but Vasco was aware of his drunken state. Seeing the two interact was supposed to be wholesome for Min Joon, but the alcohol smell reeking from Daniel made the guy wanting to lose his appetite. Needless to say, he felt a slight of relief when the smell was enough to catch a teacher's attention through the force of pulling Daniel's left ear.
Once Daniel stated his name and department, he pulled out a card for the teacher in order to explain where he got his hungover from. Upon reading the card, the teacher shouted in disbelief over what he had discovered. The card belongs to an escort service by the name of 'Rainbow', leading to the shock of many upon hearing the type of place Daniel got drunk at.
Min Joon silently facepalmed over the scenery. Daniel was too drunk to realise the kind of situation it would cause from that discovery. His desire to earn more money for his mother's sakes led him to accidentally agreeing to be a host at the club. It didn't help that he drank too much alcohol to calm his nerves down, which was kinda his fault for his naivety in social situations.
Then again, didn't Min Joon drinks alcohol on a normal basis? Otherwise, how would he develop such a high alcohol tolerance in his pursue of escapism? With that in mind, it was probably why he didn't judge too harshly on Daniel's actions. He would've come off as a hypocrite otherwise.
"No wonder he reeks of alcohol smell..." wondered Jiho while chewing on his food.
"No wonder he acts so differently today." spoked Min Joon, stating the obvious.
"No wonder that woman called him 'babe'."
The two looked over their right to spot the source of that voice.
"It's been a while, Soo-Yuen. How are you?" greeted Min Joon.
"Same can be said to you. And I'm doing well, thanks for asking." she responded before sitting beside Jiho.
"Who called Hyungseok 'babe'?" asked Jiho while facing her.
"A woman in her late 20's did." she explained. "She followed Hyungseok to the school, asking him for a drink. He declined for obvious reasons."
"Wait, how do you know that?"
"Spotted them as soon as I arrived at the school gates. People were gagged, for sure."
While the two were going through their conversation, Min Joon was busy observing another commotion with his own eyes. People were gathering around to watch Daniel and Vasco fight each other like animals. With both of them exchanging blows even when one half was drunk, it's quite impressive when comparing to the absolute beasts they'd eventually become in the future.
"Hey, Min Joon. You're listening to me?"
He ignored her question, not wanting to listen about some irrelevant woman having a crush on a minor like Daniel. Instead, he remained quiet for Soo-Yuen and Jiho to focus their sights at the fight.
"Woah, they're fighting like crazy?" noted Jiho while adjusted his glasses to confirm he isn't daydreaming.
"Almost like a deadly equal." added Min Joon, taking a bite of his lunch before he continued. "Especially with the power boost affecting Hyungseok."
"The strengths of alcohol..." said Soo-Yuen in an unpleased tone.
Thankfully, the fight was halted by a senior; the same sophomore who modelled in a shark head. With his long black hair, he looked like a Korean Baji but replacing the character's chaotic energy with a chill one instead. As he walked back to his friend once his business's done, Min Joon hoped this guy could be relevant in the future.
Even if said hope was fruitless from the start.
Shortly after, Jace told Vasco to leave Daniel, which his friend told the latter to see him later before leaving the cafeteria. As the crowd mutters through the noises, Min Joon stood up and face Soo-Yuen and Jiho before excusing himself.
"Sorry, but I gotta go. See ya later."
As he waved his farewells to them, before leaving his table with his empty plate on his hand. Once he placed it in a bin, he looked at the spot once again to see another scenario happening. Little Crystal was leaving the cafeteria with a drunken Daniel on her tail, while Eli was blocked from helping thanks to his fangirls and an asshole named Vin Jin.
How does an asshole like Vin Jin have a loyal fanbase again?
Eh, we may never know beside the body.
It wasn't long till Min Joon saw Eli carrying Daniel's unconscious body on his back, while Crystal accompanied the two to the nurse's office in a fast pace. He didn't need to go there to know Daniel blacked out from all that alcohol. He doesn't know what it feels like to be drunk, but he definitely felt grateful for his own high tolerance. Wouldn't want to gain attention through this type of shenanigans, does he?
Still, he decided to take a visit to the place. Once the head doctor allowed his entry, Min Joon entered the place to be greeted by some sort of chaotic vibe. The office wasn't anything special; just an average nurse's office with a bed or two. The doctor was an average guy with a medical uniform, but his expression reads like he would rather be doing anything else but this. Considering the shenanigans that goes on in this school, that was a fair assumption.
But the chaos didn't start from him, nor did it came from the other students in the room. Well. everyone except Zoe who wept in tears over Daniel. The rest, excluding Min Joon himself, voice their confusion about her appearance here through silence.
"HYUNGSEOK!!" someone shouted from the doorway. The others turned their heads to see Vasco and OG Daniel together, with the former looking worried judging by the way he slamed the door in a sudden.
"Huh? Piggy?" blushed Zoe upon recognising him. Crystal also blushed at Daniel, as if she ever got the chance to date him. Sorry not sorrry.
"Danny? Vasco?" Min Joon widened his eyes in shock like the actor he is.
"I'M SORRY!" he loudly exclaimed after going near Zoe, who stood up and looked confusingly at him. Scratch that, almost everyone looked at him in confusion upon the guy profusely apologising to a tired Daniel. Afterall, didn't they fough each other hours ago?
"Danny, you seem to know something." Min Joon said towards the little guy. "Care to explain?"
"You know him, Min Joon?" blinked Zoe in amusement.
"The store worker? Duh. His workplace isn't far from here, afterall." he rolled his eyes before signalling Daniel for an explanation.
Once Daniel finished said explanation, most people in the room were flabbergasted to say the least. They did not expect Daniel to be this naive when it comes to these situations. Let alone leaving his 'housemate' worried like this.
"And how did you receive such information?" asked Eli curiously.
"Well...He texted me his location before he went offline. For hours now." Daniel answered him.
It wasn't long till their conversation have to be cut short. Since the big Daniel was unconscious, the OG Daniel offered to carried him on his back.
"Piggy, will you be okay?"
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Yeah. It's fine." Daniel assured them with ease.
"Then see you tomorrow, little Daniel." Min Joon waved his hand as he slowly reached the doorway.
"Tomorrow?" questioned Crystal.
Min Joon realised his mistake before quickly covering his tracks clear. "Ah, I mean see you next time!"
As he walked down the hallway, he softly tapped his forehead in idiocy for that minor slip up. At least it will be forgotten from today onwards, since it's probably an unmemorable moment for them. Good for him, I guess.
He looked behind to spot Little Daniel one last time, bidding his farewell to the others. Staring at him carrying his other body, he silently noted something in his mind. Something that shall be important in case he ever hangs out with him.
...
Hide any traces of alcohol from him...
(found this on Pinterest)
Notes:
Author-kun here.
Finals took over my schedule to the point where it took a month's time to release this chapter to this platform. My bad.
Also, happy Chinese/Lunar New Year! Stay safe, y'all.
-Author-kun
Chapter 23: From The Start
Summary:
aka the first half Illegal Toto Arc
Notes:
Music used: From The Start by Laufey
Sped-Up ver. by flxshii
Chapter Text
WARNING: Mentions of gambling. You've been warned.
.
.
.
3rd pov
Hanging out in a nearby café sounds like a good way to relax from the tedious school life. While he would normally go towards the comfort of his home once school was over, his throat was in dire need of anything other than water. Thankfully, there were several nearby cafes within the school area so that shouldn't be a problem.
Upon first glance, he initially assumed that 'Star Coffee' was a newbie within the café industry. A quick internet search proves that they were only new to the Korean market. They held quite the monopoly towards international markets, often regarded as the 'Starbucks' of the café industry.
Or at least, that's what he'd call it considering Starbucks doesn't exist here. The 'R' mode is really out here exposing some secrets to him, huh?
Opening the door, he was greeted by the plain interior that exudes a comforting atmosphere akin to the average café experiences. The seating were never the same from each other, with the colours being the only thing connecting each other. Talk about a lack of consistency on its parts.
He walked inside the place while passing by several students, who were either chatting or doing their work. Normally, he wouldn't be bothered by these sorts of activities for privacy's sakes. But how could he not be intrigued when the conversations consist of nothing but gambling? Even the people in front of him were talking about it like some kind of new gossip.
Once it was his turn to order, he was faced with a familiar face wearing a standard barista uniform. A long white shirt that has its sleeves rolled up to expose his right-arm tattoo, accompanied by a long black barista apron. Suffice to say, he looked good with that kind of cafe drip of his.
"Hello. What would you like to order?" he greeted him before he widened his eyes. "Nice to see you, Min Joon."
"You recognised me, Bum Jae?"
"Of course. Vasco considers you a friend, which means you're probably trustable."
Damn. He did not expect that coming from his mouth. Considering he rejected his invitation to his party, it was surprising Vasco still see him in a good light. Though, pettiness doesn't suit Vasco's character at all.
"I would like a honey lemon, please."
"Coming right up."
As soon as he said that, Jace proceed to prepare his drink. Min Joon then plucked his earphones to his phone before wearing it, scrolling through his playlists while pondering his music choices.
"Duk Hwa, have you tried this new website yet?"
"I have no interest in that, Jiho."
Min Joon turned behind to spot the two schoolmates seating at a nearby couch. It wasn't long till Jiho did the same towards him, widening his eyes upon laying his eyes on him.
"Hey, Min Joon." spoked Jiho as he gestured him to come over. Min Joon gave him an 'okay' finger sign before Jace passed him the drink. He then scanned the QR code to transfer the payment to the café before thanking the barista of Burn Knuckles. He then settled into his seat after placing his drink, facing the two before opening his mouth.
"So what were you two talking about?"
"Oh, we were just talking about this new gambling website that's currently all the rage." explained Jiho. "It goes by the name 'Toto'. Want to see?"
Ah, yes. The reason for all of that gambling talk. A new gambling website by the name of 'Toto' took the internet by storm, becoming the new kid on the block everyone's talking about. He couldn't go anywhere without hearing anything related to gambling and Toto from the mouths of others. It was getting annoying in all honesty, but it's all for the sake of gaining intel. Even thought the manhwa was a better option.
"Sure. I want to see why people are interested in this." he responded like a liar. Just as Jiho was about to pull out his phone, he was interrupted by two random students.
"Oh? It's Jiho. What a coincidence!" one of them ruffled through his hair. "I blew all my money you loaned me before. Let me borrow some more. I will pay you back as soon as I win."
The guy's eyes landed on Min Joon, with the two of them opening their mouth at each other's glances. "Are you Jiho's friends?"
Both of them nodded in amusement, though Min Joon like to play it up a notch. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you too." he smirked before glancing a prideful expression from Jiho.
"How much do you want?"
"50,000 won."
50,000 won? That's a lot of money.
"Um, yeah. Here." he handed over the money before they took it. As Min Joon observed their exit with the money, Duke was hushed by Jiho before he could say anything.
"Hey, Jiho. Did you get robbed?" he asked him.
"Nonono! They are my classmates!" he quickly assured him in a pretentious manner. "I loaned them the money because they are broke. When they win, they'd pay up."
Judging by their hoodies, Min Joon highly doubt they were poor.
"And what would you do if they didn't pay you back?" he asked his classmate. "Also, is he really your friend if you flinch from his touch?"
"Well, I would just...text them back as a reminder. Besides, they usually pay me back more than what they owe so I don't considered myself to be a loan shark."
"Name one time they pay you back. Quickly."
Min Joon quietly sipped his drink after saying that. The silence was enough to expose the bullshit Jiho tried to assure himself, the kind of which his pride wouldn't accept. With some dire consequences in hindsight.
"Hey, you think I've been robbed?" he questioned him and Duke before offering to smoke.
"Bruh, you're really trying to play cool, huh?" Min Joon rolled his eyes, while Duke could only side-eyed Jiho. Regardless, the three of them went on with their normal conversation until they leave the café. It didn't come to mind he was the tallest of the trio, but is there anything unusual about that?
"Hey, Jiho." someone greeted him, turning their attention to a tall guy with a barista uniform similar to Jace. "Long time no see."
"John!" shouted Jiho enthusiastically upon seeing the wavy black-haired guy. "Woah-Long time no see!"
As they both went on with their conversation, Min Joon was scrolling through social media to pass the time. He, alongside Duke, stood idly while waiting for the conversation to end. It wasn't until John asked Jiho for a loan that Min Joon's perked up over the mention.
The boy felt conflicted on picking hi choice on this scenario. As much as he doesn't like Jiho losing money thanks to some irrelevant barista, any attempt to get him to change his mind would fall on deaf's ear for him. This isn't a fantasy where a single word of wisdom instantly change someone for the better. Sometimes it takes a series of unfortunate events for a prideful person to admit their faults. Though, in the case of Jiho, his fate says otherwise.
Plus, wouldn't that come off as overbearing? His world may be fictional to most fans but he still viewed as reality. Anyone who he recognised is a real person to him; the same applies to Jiho. So, he observed in silence once John left with the loan from Jiho.
...
Sorry, Jiho. Karma will find you soon.
A few days have passed and Toto is still the talk of the town. It got to the point where a student dedicated their 10-minute break just to gamble on their luck, which unsurprisingly attracts a crowd of curious bystanders in checking out Toto. Most people, unlike Min Joon himself, won't get tired from this excruciating pattern anytime soon.
But how to play Toto, one may ask?
Well, searching for the website only shows a phone-selling site at a first glance. However, registering an account would eventually reveal its true colours. There, the site offers four game modes, but the most popular (and the most important) mode is the ladder game.
In this game, players can bet an unlimited amount of money to choose either 'odd' or 'even'. If the choice that was chosen matches the player's, they can earn double the amount of money they bet. It even automatically transferred to their bank account. And judging by its simple nature, you could see why someone like Jiho can be addicted to such a game.
Speaking of Jiho, his smirk across the room should've been an obvious sign of his ego. Ever since he spoke to that John guy, Jiho began avoiding Min Joon and the others for a while now. Not that he never spoke to them at all, only small talk instead of the usual conversations. He didn't find this surprising coming from him, In fact, the only thing that surprised him was that he actually felt guilt for not steering him to a better path.
But what could he do to deal with Jiho's inferiority complex? Any advice he offer will fall on deaf's ears. Any attempt to get his classmate on the right path may come off as controlling and overbearing. Jiho's a person, after all. The best option was for him to experience the pain of loosing everything rather than prevent it. A twisted version of the term 'show, don't tell'.
Besides, a certain rewritten fanfic made this point obvious when the author covered this storyline. Min Joon would like to thanked William Creed, the protagonist of that fic, for helping him realised the point it was trying to get across. Even though he isn't a real person here, sadly.
But back to his own internal thoughts. His guilty conscience remains even when the sky change into the dark night. His dinner consisting of restaurant-made ramen was tasty for a Japanese meal. After paying the bill, he plucked his earphones to his phone before wearing it, as he couldn't help walking around the streets with music to his ears. Just his way of going through life in general.
He passed by a corner where someone was beating up a few people. Wanting to go back to his home as quick as possible, he initially decided to ignore that sight and continue on his way. However, it wasn't until he heard the guy declaring he was a specific person's 'best friend' that he quickly changed his mind. Upon closer inspection, he recognised the person who avoided him for the past few days now.
"Jiho! Is that you?" he shouted, not caring he would get attention anymore.
"M-Min Joon? What are you doing here?" he asked in a drunken tone.
Min Joon stopped to read the situation further. The floor was littered with garbage, alongside the three people that were beaten up. The person who punched them wore a checkered coat with black jeans and a gold-chain necklace on his black shirt. Standing beside Jiho was another guy with a blue coat who he immediately recognised as that irrevelant barista.
"Johnny, is that your name?" he asked him, catching his attention from the name he given. "Care to explain what's going on?
"Hold on, aren't you that friend who was with Jiho that day?"
"If you meant when I first met you, correct. So?"
"Why not you ask him the question?"
Min Joon took one good look at his friend before stating, "He is drunk right now. I'd rather get my answers from someone sober."
He scoffed a laughter before proceeding to explain the situation. To summarise, Jiho run into the same group of 'friends' who was given the loan of 50,000 won. Turns out they were nothing more than fake people who only befriended him for the money. As such, the unnamed guy proceeded to beat the shit out of them in defending his 'best friend'.
Not like he would summarize the whole situation with John's own words. He doesn't really like the barista anyway.
"Damn, didn't expect that." spoked Min Joon with sarcasm. He looked over the guy who finished beating them up, wondering why he looked familiar yet different at the same time. He shifted his attention towards Jiho, checking on him in case he vomit out any alcohol.
"Jiho, how much alcohol did you drink?"
"Pft, nothing that could make me drunk. My alcohol tolerance is strong, afterall."
Liar. That's a bit too much...
"Sure, let's go with that." he smiled in embarassment. Another person to hide his alcohol stach from.
"Um... Who are you?"
Min Joon blinked for a bit before turning around to spot the blue-coat guy glancing at him. Should he tell him his real name or not?
"MJ. You?"
"Kim Gimyung. I take you're Jiho's friend?"
"Yeah, the genuine type."
(sorry Jake, but...😭)
Kim Gimyung? Why is that name familiar?
...
...Scratch that. Ya think he won't remember who the hell Jake Kim is? With the way he was held as the '2nd MC' by the fandom, do you really think he would forget such a character? He isn't a fan-favourite for no reason, afterall.
Though, in his defense, Min Joon's more used to seeing his present look compare to the way he looks now. Something about his facial structure rubs him off the wrong way, but this was a result of the author's old artstyle anyway. Can't be too judgemental about his look for that reason alone.
"Um...Are you just gonna stare at me or...?"
"O-Oh. Sorry." he blinked his eyes while standing beside Jiho. "It's just that I have never seen such a face like yours before."
"My face?" he raised his eyebrows.
"It definitely looks good for podcasting"
The unexpected shade coming from his mouth resulted in laughter from his classmate, whose drunken state only amplified it even further. Essentially like exposing your true feelings. John covered his mouth in his attempt to hide his laughter, while Jake stood there speechless over his roast. The latter eventually reacted with a snickered, trying to keep up the 'best friend' act.
"That was a good one. But is that all you're here for?"
"Well, I didn't expect myself to get involve with strangers. So, good to meet you, I guess?" he glanced over to Jiho. "But I think I gotta go now. See ya."
As soon as he said that, he quickly grabbed Jiho by the hood and dragged him out of the place. He glanced behind to see John and Jake looking at him with confusion. He left an uninterested look for John since he doesn't give a shit about him, but gave a sympathetic look for Jake before leaving. Talk about favoritism.
When Jiho passed out from the alcohol, Min Joon decided to give him a piggyback. While walking, he thought of the way he treated Jake earlier. The Jake that he saw was different from the Jake people grew to love. His look, while not the most flattering, was purposely intended to show him walking down the evil path. Hell, if it wasn't for his backstory, he would've assumed that Jake really wants to get people scammed from their money. A year's worth of such operation would absolutely turn someone to the darkside. And it was hindsight that resulted in him viewing Jake in a different light, hence his sympathy.
Don't worry, Jake will have a redemption arc down the line. The question is, can Jiho get one with a change of fate?
Min Joon eventually arrived in front of Jiho's apartment. It was a good thing Jiho texted his address to him prior to this situation, otherwise he would have to deal with a drunk Jiho a lot longer. And he ain't gonna repeat the whole Daniel fiasco.
He press the doorbell sound upon arriving at the doorstep. Even though it was a digital lock, he still the need for a respectful gesture. The door opened to reveal a woman with long hair, a slim figure, a greyish long-sleeved shirt with dark grey shorts, and a pair of sunglasses similar to Jiho.
"Hello? What are you doing at my doorsteps?" she yawned softly while rubbing her head.
"Are you Jiho's mother?" he asked her.
"Absolutely. Why?" she questioned before noticing her sleepy son on his back. "Is that-"
"Yes, your son is pretty tired so I offered him a piggyback. Is that fine?"
"...Yes, that's fine by me. Come in."
Phew, at least it wasn't far from the truth.
He took off his shoes before entering the house. He asked the mother where her son sleep in, to which she pointed towards a door after helping to take out her son's shoes. Entering his dimly-lited bedroom, Min Joon could summarise as a pretty simple room with nothing much to write about. He gently place him on his bed with his clothes intact, quietly leaving the room once he activated the air-conditioning.
"Going home soon?" the mother asked him after closing the door. He let out a sigh before opening his mouth.
"Yeah." he nodded to her.
"Not even for a drink?"
"It's getting pretty late. I should make my leave."
"Late? It's only 11 on the night."
He looked at his watch to see it was exactly 11 o'clock. Just like her exact words.
"Well, time passes quicker when we don't notice it." he told her, who let out a chuckle in response.
"What's your name?"
"Kim Min Joon. His classmate."
"Oh? I didn't know Jiho knows someone like you."
So he didn't told his mother about him? Interesting...
He checked the time before looking at her again. "Sorry, Mrs. But I'ma yake my leave. Goodbye."
"Wait! Can I say one more thing?"
He groaned a bit with his hands being close to the handle. "Yes, Mrs?"
"You sound like a genuine friend to him." he looked over to notice her sincere smile. "My son has a lot of friends, but I never thought you would be quite a good person."
"Heh. Thanks." he thanked her before leaving the place, not knowing what to think about it.
His mother wasn't wrong about that assumption. Jiho has more fake friends than genuine ones, which the latter was pushed aside due to his own inferiority complex. Guess you can say that he is one of the more genuine friends to hangout with the guy, even if the chance of him recipocrating said friendship may be lower.
Now that he think about it, did he ever though of Jiho as a friend? He always referred to him as his classmate or an accquaintance of his, not once as a 'friend'. Was it because he knows a lot of info about him? Does the same apply to the other people he knows of?
Or maybe...Just maybe... It's because he doesn't like burdening them with his own issues?
If not, then why does he feel like an act of sorts whenever he talked to them? Was it because he doesn't want to let out more than he could chew? All of these questions and he hasn't even arrive at his house yet.
...
Better go back sooner before a screw comes loose...
credit to @imunaiki on Tumblr)
Chapter 24: Illegal Toto (original cut)
Summary:
aka the second half of the Illegal Toto Arc, combining two chapters into one
Notes:
Music used:
[1st half]
Treehouse by Alex G, Emily Yacina
slowed/reverbed ver. by moa[2nd half]
forever rain by RM
Lyric Video by gucc tae
Chapter Text
3rd pov
A few more days passed since he brought Jiho back to his home. A few more days passed since he first met the mother of his classmate. Or...friend? Acquaintance?
Eh, he'd think about it later.
Jiho already thanked him for bringing him home, but that was the only thing he talked to him about within this few days. He was mostly greeted by silence, as his gambling addiction essentially replaces any connection he many have formed. Not like Jiho reciprocated most of them anyway.
Hell, he'd argue that Jiho looked the worst when something's troubling him. He once glanced at the boy walking down the hallway silently. When the same 'friend' tried to bully him, the way Jiho told him to fuck off was nerve-wrecking enough for that fake bitch to fade into obscurity. Not that he cared about that guy, he can rot in hell for all he knows. Jiho's the more concerning one since he has a much bigger screentime.
Today was no different. His pride stood in the way of any interactions, so he could only sit alone in silence. While he normally won't mind eating alone by itself, the unusual misstep of his normal school lunch routine does tick him off a bit.
"Something bothering you?"
He quickly turned around to spot Soo-Yuen again, who glanced at him with a curious look. Gosh, can't he have some public peace?
"What makes you say that?" he sighed, not wanting to deal with this right now.
"Your tone and your stance says otherwise." she answered. "And the way you stared at Jiho."
"...Since when were you good at reading people?"
"Old habits."
He was understandably left confused, but he shrugged it off from a sip of water.
"His face looked like he was going through shit."
"Have you tried talking to him yet?"
He looked over a table where Jiho was sitting alone with contempt in his eyes. "Not really. Not like it would get through his ears."
He wasn't wrong about that. And she figured that out through his single glance.
"Well, if that's what you think... I won't judge you." she noted before eating her food beside him. "You don't mind me talking to you?"
"Aren't you already doing that?" he raised his eyebrow in confusion. Soo-Yuen let out a giggle before saying, "Welp, you're not wrong."
Hold up, maybe he can use this opportunity to know Soo-Yuen more...
"So, how did you become cousins with Mira again?" he asked her with curiosity.
"Her father is from my mother's side." she casually explained while chewing on her food. "I could smell the sibling bond whenever they're together."
He chuckled a bit from that line. "Really? That's amusing."
"I know, right? I could see where my Korean side comes from."
"Wait, you're half-Korean?" he jerked up while raising her eyebrows.
"Would you treat me differently if I was?"
"N-No, I won't. What do you think I am, a karen?" he shook his head over that notion. Soo-Yuen chuckled in amusement, finding his current expression funny for such an introvert. She then stopped before answering his question.
"Oh, please. I was just teasing you." she rolled his eyes before things went quiet.
"Well, to be more specific, my Dad's the one whose half-Korean. Taiwanese, if you'r wondering."
Interesting. There isn't a lot of half-Koreans from what he remembered. Most of the non-Koreans from the manhwa are usually from the villains side, specifically the Chinese and the Japanese. Not that he hate them; Min Joon held respect to anyone good regardless of race and ethnicity. Just some food for thought through a little observation.
Wait, why is he thinking about it? His food's gonna run cold anytime soon, for fuck's sakes!
"Taiwanese? That sounds interesting." he responded while chewing on the remaining food on his plate. As if it purposely done to ruin his peace, the bell rang to signify the end of the lunch break.
"Shoot, I gotta go now. See ya." she stood from her seat before leaving the seat. Min Joon quickly finish up his remaining food before rushing out of his seat and discarded his plate in the bin. He walked past several bystanders until he reached his seat, resuming the tedious school day.
Fast-forward to the dawn of night, where the beautiful dark sky crossed over with the heavy drizzle of raindrop coming down. It was this raining weather that led Min Joon to find a temporary shelter in Star Coffee. Nothing much to do than drinking his choice of beverage while scrolling through the Internet on a computer. The typical café behaviour, he dare say.
The only thing preventing this place from feeling lonely were the presence of Vasco and Jace. Even though he didn't interact them much, a little bit of company did light up the otherwise quiet atmosphere. Besides, they aren't fan-favourites for no reasons.
"Bum Jae, this lime tea feels refreshing!" exclaimed Min Joon with joy, whose expression surprised the aforementioned guy.
"Didn't expect you to sound quite excited about it."
"What can I say? It's a very sweet kind of refreshing."
"Told ya Bum Jae makes the best drinks, am I right?" he glanced at his friend.
"Yes, Vasco. Thanks for the compliment."
Vasco smiled brightly upon hearing that. Like Min Joon expected, some good company for the quiet atmosphere. Hopefully nothing bad could disrupt the peaceful atmosphere.
...
And that's exactly what happened.
The moment he heard the door open, Min Joon was alert enough to recognise the little bespectacled guy standing in front of the door. He stood there with his soaked clothes and a worried expression, opening his mouth to ask Jace a question.
"Bum Jae, did John get off work?"
John? That good for nothing 'friend' of his?
"Did John get off work you say?" Jace adjust his cap before dropping a bombshell on him. "The day he left with you, he quit."
There. That one single sentence was enough to made him sniffle even more. Presumably because he got himself into some deep shit if his guess was correct. The moment almost got his heart sobbing internally with its melancholy tears. Almost.
"Can you contact him? His number isn't in service." asked Jiho in a frankly worried tone.
"Well...he always changes his number, so..."
"Ah..." Jiho sighed in defeat before leaving them alone.
As Min Joon stood up and went towards the door, the sight of Jiho walking through the rain with no protection impacted him in more ways he thought. The relatable feeling of sorrow lost hold a lot of truth to him. He can't help feel bad towards him despite his faults within his circumstances.
"What is going on, Bum Jae?" he heard Vasco spoked to his friend. While the two were talking about the situation, Min Joon made up his mind and bid his farewell to the two. It's about time he'd help solve through Jiho's problem after stalling through time for it to occur. With an umbrella held onto his hand, he walked through the streets with music in his ears. Anything to calm his mood in this rainy night.
He eventually came across a tall building, with a sign that reads 'Four Finacial'. Letting out a sigh, he opened the door to discover Jiho getting cornered to the neck by the arm of a shirtless baldie. Said baldie had an intricate tattoo on his right shoulder, while topping it off with a gold chain necklace. Typical traits for a thug despite the missing hairline.
"Excuse me? Is this place Four Finacial?"
The thug glanced at Min Joon, seemingly pissed that his confrontation was interrupted by an unwanted customer. He answered him with frustration, "Yeah, what the hell do you want?"
Jiho's eyes widened upon seeing his classmate. And at a time where his facade is cracking...
"Let him go." Min Joon spoked to the thug with a glare. "Please. Don't make me repeat myself."
He scoffed as his arm strays away from Jiho's neck. "So what? You're gonna let him off the hook?"
"Off the hook? What did my classmate do?" he perfectly raised his eyebrows in confusion.
It didn't take long for the thug, who he presumed to be the CEO of the bank, to spill out the necessary beans for this situation. To sum it up, Jiho signed a legal loan to the bank in order to win back some money he lost from gambling. How did he sign it? A homeless person disguised as his father did. Not only that, but it also puts his house as a collateral, meaning something that would be forfeited if not paid on time.
Apparently, Jiho lost all the loan money on gambling, which was ironic considering it led him to win an undelivered total of 1 million won. If the disappearance of the forgettable barista wasn't enough of a big indication, then the deserted state of their whereabouts prove that they're intending on Jiho staying at his current predicament.
Essentially, he lost everything to fucking gambling. Nothing taste bitterer than this sentiment.
Fuck everyone behind the gambling scam. Except Jake, he gets a minor pass.
"Wow...You really messed up, huh?" he directed his attention on Jiho, who gulped in response.
"So, how much does he have to pay?" he faced the thug once again.
"A 30 million won loan plus a monthly interest of 6 million won. By tomorrow." he stated before pointing at Jiho. "No point reporting to the police since he'd get caught if that happen."
Min Joon then bring out his bag and picked up something important. A little black box with a key stuck sideways to signified its unlocked status. He then
present it to the thug, telling him to open it. The thug nodded in curiosity, opening the top to find a surprise inside.
Inside were a few stacks of cash, approximately 5 million won per stack. His reaction was one of disbelief, getting an idea of what this person was doing. So baffled that he remarked to him about being Jiho's personal banker before taking out the cash for him to count. Even Jiho was surprised over this action, not expecting his classmate to do the same.
Min Joon softly smirked in delight. The perks of a financially stable NewTuber shines brightly here. It should be enough for him to make up his guilty conscious, though Jiho need to pay some sort of price.
"So, what do you think? 36 million won, right?" he closed the empty box before locking it.
"Well, damn. You got me good. 36 million won it is." he responded before looking at him curiously. "But why do you pay for him? Shouldn't it be his father who signed the signature?"
"Says the one who let someone pretending to be a legal parent sign the loan."
"...Fair enough." he sighed before taking off a slip of paper and a black pen. "Here. Sign it with his father's signature."
Legal or not, at least the collateral was no more. What else got prevented? An almost half naked Jiho whose clothes got stolen by the homeless.
No, he isn't joking. That's literally what happened to the other Jiho.
He signaled at his classmate to come over, allowing him to sign his father's signature. He then handed the slip to the thug, feeling some sort of relief over being helped by a classmate on his circumstances. As if some kind of weight was lifted over his chest.
"There. You're one lucky bastard, I give you that." grumbled the thug before grabbing the pen from Jiho. "What are you? His sugar daddy?"
"Excuse me?"
"Sugar daddy?"
"I was just joking. Now get the hell out before I change my mind." He gestured them to leave the office, as the two classmates blinked in confusion over his comment. They both decide to ignore it and walked along the rainiy streets.
"Thanks for helping me. I could've been in way deeper shit." Jiho thanked him while rubbing his eyes.
"No problem. Be grateful I have enough cash to cover the payment." he bluntly stated with an umbrella underneath them. "Still, don't expect me to help you on all of your messes."
"Oh." Jiho sighed in a dissapointed tone.
"Besides, it's not like the banker's all clean. Fucking shady thug..."
"So, where do we go now?
Min Joon stopped for a moment before tilting his head. "To a nearby grocery store. We still have the settle that last issue of yours."
Jiho blinked for a moment, realising what he meant.
"But how do I get back the 1 million won? I can't access the server anymore."
"Well, who do you borrow money from before the loan?"
"...Hyungseok?"
"The big one or the little one?"
"The little one."
"Little Danny, it is." he grabbed his hand as they walked across the streets. "Let's just go ask him for some help."
"Hold up, will he be mad over my actions?"
"What do you mean? Didn't you ask him for permission?"
Jiho stayed silent in a guilty stance.
"You didn't ask him, huh?"
Jiho reluntantly nodded to his question, scratching his head with a guilty expression.
Min Joon lets out a sigh of dissapointment before responding, "You really got yourself into this mess, huh?"
The both of them stayed quiet until they reached the store. As Min Joon grabbed the door handle, he look at Jiho before telling him something to prepared him for.
"Jiho, it's best to confess the truth than constantly lying to save yourself."
...
Jiho shivered in guilt, but reluntantly accept his fate.
"...And that's what happened."
By the time Jiho finished confessing the entire truth, he was bowing down in shame and tears towards Daniel. His apology, his promise to pay him back, the loud sobbing over the wet floor. No matter how sketchy it may seem, Min Joon could feel a sense of authenticity coming from Jiho's words. And that's considering it was coming from the mouth of a guy who'd usually not held himself accountable. A very rare moment, some may say.
Knowing what happens to his canon fate, Min Joon wished he would hold himself accountability more often.
"Jiho, I forgive you. Please get up." Daniel told him, with Min Joon offering to help get Jiho to stand up. It was already expected Daniel to forgive him since its his nature to do so. Like most typical shonen protagonists does...
It was also expected for the little Crystal and Zoe to coincidentally overheard the entire conversation. For Zoe, her crush on Little Daniel resulted in her constant visit to the convenience store. For Crystal, she was here to buy something while also checking out Daniel. But hearing the sounds of sobbing was enough to gain her sympathy, and so she opened her mouth to interrupt the sobbing mess.
"I have an idea." she started. "My sister knows someone who can help him."
The three of them looked at her with amusement, but only one of them have hindsight.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Call them."
She took out her phone from her pocket before opening the door, "I'ma go call her. Be right back."
Crystal did indeed come back, but in her other body. She was wearing a white turtleneck with a black pant and a pair of pink plats. No matter what she was wearing, her beauty stood out like a shiny crystal. Too bad most aren't too warm up to her due to their previous encounter, but Jiho and Min Joon seem to be the exception.
"Oh, you must be Crystal's sister." Min Joon perked up after helping Jiho get up. "Where is your sister?"
She crossed her arms before saying, "She fell asleep in the car. I called someone who may be able to help your situation."
"Who exactly?"
The moment Zoe said that, the door opened to reveal a short guy with purple hair. With his short structure and casual attire, most wound assume he was just some ordinary middle schooler. Or, funnily enough, a little kid. Putting his hands in his pocket, his reaction was nothing short of irritation, exclaiming his confusion over the location being a store.
"You sure this is some big business?"
"Of course."
"Looking at this place and these members, it doesn't look like big money one bit." he stated, which does put a damper on the mood. He then walked towards Min Joon for a quick sniff, which widen his eyes in a shock.
"Except for you. I could smell wherever a rich person is present."
"Broke rich." he raised his eyebrows in amusement despite knowing this sort of behaviour. "Who are you?"
"Kouji. Who are you and what do you mean by 'broke rich'?"
"I'm Min Joon, lots of money but an unstable source of income."
Min Joon wasn't wrong; the algorithm can be inconsistent when it comes to Newtube.
"Hm...I'd believe it, considering your scent."
Jeez, such a shady genius...
Kouji, a middle schooler skilled in the art of hacking. He, alongside Crystal, are part of the Ten Geniuses, a group of individuals considered to be prominent within the story. Despite being the youngest in the group, Kouji's talent is nothing to scoff at. He isn't called the 'Hacker Genius' for nothing.
It also doesn't come as a shock he figured Min Joon's monetary status, as he also have a love for money. Everytime you want to do business with him, make sure there's a lot of money involved to guarantee his help. If not, expect an outright rejection with the 'busy' card. That, and being careful around him since he's clever as a fox.
"Anyways... tell me what's the situation."
Jiho proceeded to catch him up to speed by explaining his situation again. As he sat on the cashier counter pondering over the intel, he asked Daniel and Jiho about the meaning of 'illegal betting'.
This understandably caught the two off-guard, but they couldn't even answer him when he shifted his attention towards Crystal, wondering her reasoning in helping others despite caring little of others herself. Crystal couldn't give him an answer, mostly because of her two-body secret. If only she knew someone else was aware of it...
"Oh! I see. He's here right? The person you like." he teased her, causing her to form a small blush on her cheeks. "You can't deceive me. Who is it?"
As he looked around the room with a focused demeanour, he concluded his observation with a snicker and a statement.
"Haha. Surprising. I didn't think you liked girls."
Despite it being an incorrect guess, Min Joon couldn't help but chuckled a bit. He responded with, "Sounds like a good pairing to me."
Zoe and Crystal looked at each other and blushed in embarrassment.
"Absolutely not!" shouted Crystal.
"We're not gay." added Zoe in annoyance. "I'm literally straight."
"Same as her." Crystal pointed at her.
"Don't worry, it's just a joke." Min Joon assured them. "Right, Kouji?"
"Can we just get back to the main problem?" Jiho asked, interrupting the conversation.
"Right, my bad." responded Min Joon before pulling out his phone to do a Naver search of 'illegal betting'. "According to Naver, the definition of 'illegal betting' is any sports betting activity whose operator is not allowed under the law-"
"I was just kidding when I said I don't know that word."
"Well, you should've been better at communicating that joke, Kouji."
"Haha, funny." he rolled his eyes before continuing on the main topic. "So your problem is illegal betting? Judging by the sounds of it, these guys must have thousands in their bank account!"
He turned to face Jiho, "So basically they charge you points after you send the money?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm... I got an idea." the kid smiled smugly. "The server is domestic. A Chinese server is too expensive to build here, so they use a Korean server. If it is a domestic VPN we could catch them...but our goal is to retrieve money."
Just as he expected. Kouji's one hell of a smart kid.
"Even if we catch them, we won't get any money. Therefore, I'll find your money and keep the rest of it."
Also expected. He's just as money-hungry as the scammers, but in a morally positive way.
"But since our personnel is minimal..." he paused before pointing at Daniel. "Hey, part-timer."
"Huh!?"
"Call three friends you think you can trust."
Almost immediately, Min Joon scroll through his contact list and pick someone he think could help. With the expectations of two out of the three people coming here, why not fulfill the third role with an acquaintance of his? The more, the merrier.
He call the person's contact before quickly plugging in his earphones, precisely because of the clear audio and its microphone deciphering his speech better. He waited until they accept the call before he starts the conversation.
"Hello, Soo-Yuen. Are you busy?"
"Not really, Min Joon. Just walking to a nearby store. Why?"
"I need you to come over to my location. I need your help."
"No need. I'm already there."
"What do you mean-"
Just as he was finishing his sentence, his eyes shifted his focus to the figure at the doorway. It was Soo-Yuen holding her phone near her right ear, wearing a gray long-sleeved sweater with black jeans and a pair of dark blue shoes. Both of them stared at each other as if they only exist in the room, which quickly became awkward once Min Joon ended the call.
"Oh, it's a new customer. Should I-"
"No need for that, Little Daniel. She's trustable."
She closed the door before saying, "Well, judging by the tone of this room, something bad must've happened."
Everyone who knew about the situation collectively looked at Jiho. The guy in question noticed their stares and sighed in defeat. "I got involved in a gambling situation."
"Hm, why am I not surprised?"
"Oof, that's harsh." Zoe muttered under her breath.
"You know, The way you looked at each other almost got me to believe the two of you were dating."
Min Joon choked on his saliva, while Soo-Yuen blinked her eyes in confusion. Once again, Kouji's observation steps further from the truth.
"We're not dating. Just trustable acquaintaces." they immediately denied. Kouji let out a chuckle in amusement, right before Jiho begrudgingly explain his situation once again. Gosh, he could feel his throat draining from saying the same things.
While this was happening, Min Joon was on a call with another person through his earphones. By the time he ended the call, his face was widened while covering his mouth with his hand. It was like receiving the news of something happening to your loved ones. As he rushed closer to the door, Daniel noticed his worried expression and asked him a question.
"Min Joon, where are you going and why you look worried?"
Min Joon looked around the room, realising the others were looking at him too. He took a deep breath and answered, "I'm sorry, but I forgot to do something urgent. Be right back."
Before Daniel could ask more question, Min Joon ran out of the store as fast as he could. Daniel tried to get him to come back, but to no avail. And so, he walked back into the store with nothing but a frown.
"Piggy, where did Min Joon go?" Zoe asked him.
"I don't know, Zoe. He said he have to do something urgent."
"Damn, that leaves one less person." Kouji commented before looking at Soo-Yuen. "But one more to fill the spot."
The afromentioned girl adjusted her glasses while staring at her phone. "He texted me, saying he will promise to come back once he's finished."
"Well, I hope he keep his promise." said Jiho optimistically.
Crystald and Kouji looked at each other with doubt, wondering whether his promise comes out empty or not. As Daniel walk to the cashier counter, he stared at his phone with a hint of doubt. Not for Min Joon breaking his promise, but over a friend of his who isn't replying to his messages. He can't help but wonder..
...
'Why aren't you replying to me, Vasco?'
3rd pov (Soo-Yuen's side)
Soo-Yuen felt nothing short of confusion over her current circumstances. What was supposed to be a simple trip to the convenience store have turned into a hacking ploy to get someone's money back from a gambling website. And all of that because she just wanted to buy a quick snack.
In all honesty, she wasn't surprised that Jiho was the one who got the short end of the stick. Not that she doesn't feel sympathy for his situation, but she recognised he received karma from his own actions. Who in the right mind thought gambling away millions of won was a good idea? Its addictive nature could convince anyone to do such idiotic choices.
While waiting for more people to arrive, she looked around to get herself used to the surroundings. Seeing her schoolmates in the same place felt like a high school gathering, with a few people she only just met. It didn't help that Min Joon left the place in a panic shortly after her arrival, but at least he texted her some much-needed context behind Jiho's situation.
Even though she recognised Jiho and Ha Neul, she doesn't consider herself close enough to call them friends. To her, they're nothing more than her cousin's classmates even after their sleepover during the retreat. Besides, she's too busy dealing with her school life to bother investing entirely into a social one. No matter if it makes her sound like a 'pick-me' girl.
In all honesty, the closest friend she had was Min Joon, but that's counting the few interactions they had. Family relatives outweigh friends in her social group, afterall.
Other than that, she also isn't familiar with the other three. She only recognised the girl from her visit to the school, since her beauty did cause a minor shock within the guys alongside being a sister to Crystal. The short guy beside her does make an impression on her, despite being their first encounter. Something tells her that Kouji is smarter than what his look implies. As for the store worker, she genuinely found him to be a nice person underneath his ugly facade.
Not to be mean or anything. Just an observation.
"Ahh, why aren't they here yet?" whined Kouji.
"They will be here soon." she told the whiny kid. You can guess who she was referring to.
Almost immediately, a bell rang as the door opened to let someone enter into the store. The person in question was a blonde guy whose long coat covers his entire grey hoodie and his barely visible hands. The moment she noticed the long bangs that cover his eyes does she immediately recognise the guy as another one of her cousin's classmates.
She may not be close to Jaeyeol, but she isn't clueless on his reputation within the school. The top of his class until the other Hyungseok took that position, while also being an extremely quiet person. Not to mention, his status as a chaebol was evident from his clothing alone. Which makes it funnier when Kouji started acting like a dog after sniffing his scent of richness.
Damn, didn't expect him to be down bad for money.
"He's here." Jiho shouted as the bell rangs again, leading to Kouji turning around in excitement like a puppy.
"Jiho, how you've grown, summoning me like this..."
"Sorry..."
Alas, somebody close to her was standing near the door with his streetwear hoodie and his cap. That familiar scowl face was enough for her to open her mouth.
"Hey, Jin Sung. Didn't expect you to be Jiho's friend."
The guy noticed her voice and widened his eyes at her direction. "Soo-Yuen? You're here too?"
"Obviously."
"Is she-"
"No, Jin Sung. Mi-Jin isn't with me."
She could see him frown a bit before looking at Kouji with confusion. He wondered why the kid went paled, almost like he was depressed. However, his mood changed when Kouji stated his disappointment over his scent. It took Hyungseok to prevent him from throwing hands at a kid, asking him to calm down.
As for her? Well, she can't help but giggled over his roast. Jin Sung may not be poor, but he isn't as rich as Jaeyeol.
Once he was calmed down, Hyungseok asked him the reason behind calling his friends over. Even though he believed it was for a secret mission, the truth turned out to be the absence of friends on Kouji's part from his cockiness. One observation of his confidence was enough for her to see why.
"But where is the other guy?" Kouji asked Hyungseok, leadiing him to explained Vasco isn't responding to his messages like he'd usually do. Kouji gave him a few more minutes before confirming he isn't coming, even though 20 minutes had already passed by this point.
"So, your name is Hyungseok, right?" she asked him, changing the topic to lessen his worries. He nodded in agreement with his frown intact. "Do you have a nickname?"
"A nickname?"
"Well, my school also has a guy named Hyungseok. He became a popular student within his first year because of his looks and grades. Honestly, I do felt a bit of envy towards him."
"You feel envy towards him?"
"I mean, who wouldn't? He just casually gets people's attention no matter what he does. Anyone would strive for that kind of power."
She wasn't wrong about that. A handsome guy would get the benefits of society, while anything else would be judged instead. How ironic.
Hyungseok the store worker thought about this question for a bit before asking, "The guy who left earlier... Do you know him, right?"
"Min Joon? Of course. He's an acquaintance of mine."
"Well, he always calls me 'Little Daniel'. For the same reasons you did." he told her while adjusting his glasses. "He still called me that no matter if I don't like it."
"Do you like it, then?"
"Not initially. I was a bit annoyed when he called me that." he rubbed his head sheepishly. "But overtime, I pretty much got used to it. So you can call me Little Daniel or whatever."
"Hmph, Daniel sounds nicer." she admitted with a smile before turning her attention to Ha Neul, who does a bad job at hiding her jealous glare. "Ha Neul, does it look like I have any romantic interest in him?"
Ha Neul thought about it for a minute, then shook her head upon further realisation. Soo-Yuen sighed before walking up to her.
"You have a crush on him, right?"
Ha Neul blushed in embarrassment before she whispered in her ear, "Yes, but don't tell anyone about this. Not when I haven't mustered up the confidence to confess."
As if she's good at hiding her feeling towards him. It's so blatantly obvious to the point where she compared her to the likes of Jin Sung's affections towards her cousin. Two lovebirds for a classmate must've been interesting for her cousin, huh?
"Still no reply?" Kouji asked Daniel, who nodded in silence.
"It's okay. Eight is enough. Let's do this."
Almost immediately, he tossed a lot of items onto a singular table. Several expensive laptops with a black apple logo, several smartphones that screams early 2010's, and several colourful pouches that contained a whopping 400,000 won in total. Talk about going all out for this kind of mission.
"What are you waiting for? Start the counter-attack!" he exclaimed before everyone grabbed each of the corresponding items. When it was her turn, she wondered why nobody bothered to wait for Min Joon. It wasn't until she took the items does she realised it was better to start now whether he's involved or not. After all, time would not stop just for one person's actions. People have things to attend so best not to waste anymore time.
As she start up her computer, Soo-Yuen overheard Kouji asking about the whereabouts of the bodyguard of Crystal's sister. She answered him that he must've stepped out since she herself isn't sure. While Kouji felt relief not having to deal with him, Soo-Yuen questioned whether he should tell Min Joon that they started the scheme without him.
...
Eh, probably not...
3rd pov (Min-Joon's side)
Once Min Joon got off the taxi, he quickly paid and thanked the driver before she drove off. With his umbrella held on his palm, he had a look at his phone before walking through the rain. 20 minutes had passed since he left the store. He felt a sense of regret for leaving the others behind, since he'd much preferred doing that with.
He also felt guilty for tricking them, letting them believe he had something urgent to attend. All he did was pretend to call someone, act like a panic person through expressions and body language, and ran away from the place as fast as he could. The only truthful thing he spoked was that he had something urgent to attend, except it wasn't even necessary to do so.
But why is he doing this? There are two reasons he thought of when explaining his actions.
One, he needed a solution to gain more money from his Newtube channel. Not only had he not released a new video within two months, his laziness also contributes to the lack of an upload schedule. Talking about a gambling scam should capture the algorithm's attention, but that would require some evidence to back up the claim.
And second, he wanted to see the fight that will ensue. Perhaps a part of him likes to experience watching a fight from his favourite medium go down in his own eyes. Like the fanboy he is. Although, he would have to be careful to draw any attention. More like watching in the shadows with his face mask and a dark hoodie to spare.
Not the greatest set of disguise, but he'd do with what he got.
Walking down the streets of Gangseo felt different compared to the area surrounding J-High. Rather than the bustling sounds of the city, Gangseo was surrounded by many shop lots that reminded him of the 2000s. Every step he took, he encountered racks of clothes within the entrances of the clothing stores. Suffice to say, he found Gangseo to be more lively than Yongsan ever could, despite how much of a run-down it looked. Perhaps old-looking buildings made him feel some sort of nostalgia.
Eventually, he made it into a little alleyway where residents usually resided. Not wanting to draw attention, he abandoned his umbrella and chose to hide in a corner of the alleyway while the fight went down. The sight of Jace preparing to fight Jake after he defeated his leader was a mix of excitement and dread. Excitement for seeing a familiar fight from the manhwa go down from his very eyes, dread for the chance to be spotted by the others. No matter how much he knew about the outcome, nor how much of said fight he missed.
But then, he heard a familiar voice. A voice chuckling and commenting on the funny sight. Much like Jake, a single glance at his pair of black shades and black hair was enough to recognised him. Afterall, who wouldn't recognise Gun from the cold way he stood with his umbrella?
Even when he can't hear their conversation, Min Joon read the fight enough times for him to memorise the important details. The confused expression on Jace's face, thinking who this 'Gun' person is. Gun noting to Vasco that his good physique couldn't compensate for his lack of skill, while his choice of calling him 'Tabasco' resulted in a soft snicker from Min Joon. New nickname unlocked, he joked internally.
And then, he dropped a bombshell on Jake. A bombshell big enough for the guy to react with initial shock.
For some much-needed context, Jake is the leader of one of the four major crews, Big Deal. Each of them have to make at least 100,000,000 won per month to maintain their status, part of which went into the pockets of Gun and his rival-partner. Not only that, but he was a candidate for Gun's successor program where the only rule for disqualification was engaging in illegal activities. Not because of its morally-bad nature, but because it may land him in legal trouble.
And from the way Min Joon referred to it in the past tense, you can guess what the big bombshell is.
Jake's expression then changed into frustration. He worked his ass off to collect the money to be the next succesor, with the illegal betting scam being the only way to reach the required monthly income. He tried to convince him to not abandoned him, but Gun statement of 'rules' are rules' shut his option down.
With a smirk on his face, he proceed to tear out his shirt in rage, exposing his tattoos and muscular body. Even though his body was attractive, Min Joon couldn't forget that atrocious face he currently has. But that thought was distracted by Jake ranting through his mouth about the four major crews but in an ambiguous manner. One thing that was not ambiguous, however, was the amount of money the two earned from the entire major crew operation.
50 billion won per year. With that amount of money earned, no wonder Gun preferred keeping it under the table to not draw any police suspicion.
That, and his constant yapping, was enough for Gun to take off his glasses and put his umbrella on the ground. With his question of plucking his teeth out, Min Joon knew better than to mess with the demon. He has learned enough about him to know he isn't one to mess with. No amount of bodybuilding would save Jake from his inevitable fate. As the incoming fight's about to ensue, Min Joon silently watched with anticipation for the showdown to begin. All that he could think about Jake was...
....
'...Sorry, Jake. You're doomed from the start.'
3rd pov (Soo-Yuen's side)
"Okay, We're signed up." said Kouji while sitting on the cashier counter with his computer between his legs.
The rest of them, except for Daniel and Jiho, were sitting at the bar counter with a computer for each of them. In Soo-Yuen's mind, it was odd that these gambling scammers would allow them to sign up for their site. Guess all it took was just to label the accounts as 'Jiho's friends' to not arouse any suspicion.
Whatever. Just gonna have to waste the money through these games.
"Hey, Kouji. Do you expect us to win back the money?" Ha Neul asked him. "I keep losing."
You are losing my money. Just do as you told."
"What?"
As for why Daniel and Jiho aren't involved, Kouji explained his reasoning to them. One of them have to take care of the customers, the other was needed on standby since his ID got banned. Jin Sung glanced at hm before saying,
"Jiho. I wonder what happened." he sighed before continuing, "You really are pathetic. Get it together."
Jiho looked down with contempt. Despite his harsh tone, there was an undeniable truth to it. Just like what Soo-Yuen expected him to say.
"Jeez, that's kinda harsh, Jin Sung."
"Whatever. He has the right to know." he remarked before looking at his computer. "Surely you can explain to me once this shit's done?"
"Me? What makes you believe that?" Soo-Yuen raised her eyebrows in confusion.
"Just a hunch." he rolled his eyes before continuing on the game.
After that conversation, things went the same per Kouji's instructions. Play through the games offered by Toto then redeposit the money into the accounts once the initial batch was gone. It didn't take long for all the money to be finished, too bad none of them won a single game, meaning no money to compensate the loss.
"Come on, Kouji. We lost it all. The money we deposited." spoked Ha Neul as she tried to get his attention. Said guy lowered his head with his eyes closed, but doesn't come off as defeated despite the outcome. Something that got lost in translation for Jin Sung.
"Huh? You were so arrogant..." he muttered, with Jaeyeol looking at Kouji in silence.
Kouji then got off the counter and asked Jaeyeol to help grab the computers. The quiet blonde obliged despite his cluelessness, grabbing every single computer Kouji brought and returned it to him. Kouji, with a smirk on his face, connect several wires to each of them to form a circle around him. Almost like he was in the middle of a ritual circle belonging to some kind of cult.
On second thought, best to not think about cults in front of Jin Sung. Too much...bad memories associated with that forbidden word.
"You think that's all? This is just the beginning." he stated before plugging his phone. Within a few seconds, the screens lighted up like his grinning face. "It's working! We signed up and deposited the money. They don't suspect us for a second. They don't even care."
He went on to explain that even if they suspected something, they'll practically stop caring since they (Soo-Yuen and the gang) lost their deposit. Hence, the boss will most likely leave it to their workers while he goes to hang out somewhere. He then informed each person to deposit 1 million won each.
"Again?" mumbled Ha Neul.
"Are you loaded?" asked Jin Sung.
"Scary."
"Okay, that's enough, Kouji." Jiho tried to assure him. "You don't need to deposit more money for me."
"Also, I get that it's hypothetical, but what if they still get suspicious?" questioned Soo-Yuen. "That's quite a lot of money for something that isn't certain to come true."
The boy remained unfazed, tapping on the computer while saying, "I ain't doing this for you. I'm doing this for me."
She rolled her eyes before opening her phone screen. To her shock, her account was charged 1 million points without any deposit made. Hearing the collective gasps across the store signify she wasn't the only one.
"Hey kid. How did the points get charged?" Jin Sung asked Kouji. "Did you do this, kid?"
"No way. How could I have down that? Since we applied for the charge, they did it." he sighed.
"Well...we applied for the charge, but we didn't make a single deposit." said Ha Neul.
"...You sure are curious, huh?" sighed Kouji before muttering something about being tired of these dummies. Again, another back-handed shade. He then pointed at Jiho, ordered him to explain the private betting system again. Jiho comply with his order, explaining that a person need to make a deposit, then leave an 'apply to charge' message, and wait for a manager to confirm the deposit before charging it. Kouji added to his explanation, saying that they 100% use a fake account to take deposits, which disabled internet and phone banking since they ain't using a real name.
So how did they confirm the deposit then? Kouji theorised that they must've used a program which automatically matches to the manager's page as soon as the money is in the account. These kinds of sites were built very cheap, which will only alert the deposit. And so, with a manic grin on his face, Kouji declared he's gonna use the crappy matching program to his advantage.
It clicked in her head what this kid was doing.
"Since the charge points are technically cyber money, they would charge us without actually depositing anything." she stated to him. "We can then withdraw the money, which turns into real money, 1 million won each time."
"Moreover, the large number of workers would lead them to notice the difference too late." added Crystal's sister, which was followed by the others.
"So then we repeat the entire thing..."
"Until the moeny from that account disappeared."
"Hmph, you all understood quicker than I thought." he remarked before receiving the cash he withdrew from the ATM. "However, for that to happen, we have to withdraw money from all the ATMs available in this neighbourhood."
"And who is gonna do that?" Jiho wondered.
Everyone decided to collectively look at him in silence.
Jiho sighed in defeat, feeling like it was comeuppance for getting into this sticky situation. "Okay, fine. I'll do it."
"Make sure to wear a hat. Don't want you to get caught, y'know?"
"Understood, Kouji." he told him before Daniel gave him a spare hat. With a bag hanging on his left arm, he dashed out of the store as fast as he can. All that was left was the waiting game. A boring but necessary one, especially where you can't fast-forward life like a K-drama.
"So, care to explain to me what was Jiho's situation?" Jin Sung asked, with Jaeyeol's expression being one of curiosity.
"It's a long story, Jin Sung and Jaeyeol." answered Soo-Yuen.
"Heh, tell me about it." added Crystal's sister.
It didn't take long for her to summarise Jiho's situation. Jin Sung, despite not being the smartest person in the room, understood the situation enough to reflect on his comment towards the guy being a rude awakening. Jaeyeol understood the situation too despite his silent demeanour. All they could think was feel sympathy for the guy, while also agreeing that he really needs to get his shit together.
15 minutes later, Jiho returned to the store, soaking wet to the point of dripping water.
"So, how was it?" asked Kouji.
"It went smoothly, to be honest. I did not expect to blend so well into the background." he answered him before handing him the bag. Kouji opened the bag and started counting the stacks of money inside. It only dawned on her that this was no ordinary kid; he was a literal genius in the making. A genius suited into the hacking path, something that the Computer Department desire to climb the ranks from irrelevancy.
Not that her department could ever do that. Art and creativity be damned.
"With that amount, we're in the clear." he stated once he finished calculating the money. "Jiho, did you withdraw them from every ATM in the neighbourhood like I instructed?"
"Yes!"
"Good. That should be around 300 million yen."
As he passed the 1 million yen he promised to him, Kouji gleefully packed the rest of the money into his bag. As much as she wanted some kind of compensation for helping him out, Soo-Yuen guessed that the kid may be hard to bargained with regarding monetary deals. Such a stingy kid.
That perfectly described him when he gave Daniel 10,000 won to cover his dinner. That may sound a lot, but it was the equivalent of 10 American dollars. Quite the stingy kid.
"Oh, and Jiho..." he called to him as he was about to leave. "I helped you out this time, but please get your life together now."
Jiho nodded in response before Kouji left the store. He then began to sobbed in relief with his money intact, thanking the others for their help as ugly tears came out onto his blushed cheeks. Alas, the situation was resolved peacefully with the hope Jiho could learn something from this.
...
Say, should she message Min Joon the situation's done?
3rd pov (Min Joon's side)
It was the end of a long rain. It was also the end of the fight.
Just as he expected, Gun defeated Jake after an intensive fight. Even though Jake put up a fair fight, where it resulted in some blood coming from Gun's lips, it wasn't enough to defeat the wrath of a demon. Jake wasn't just defeated; he laid unconsciously on the ground in defeat while surrounded by a pool of blood and a few broken teeth. Jake may not be dead, but his teeth certainly were. A gruesome sight for the squeamish, but definitely mild in compared to the other stuff the guy did.
Despite knowing the outcome, Min Joon's reaction was exactly like how Jace and Vasco were upon witnessing such outcome. Shock to the point of widening eyes, and silent in being totally speechless. He doesn't know what to say anymore, but perhaps it was better this way.
Regardless, Gun hoped that he'd be quiet in jail or the threat of a loosen tongue would be a reality. As much of a fan of Jake he was, it was also inevitable for him to go through such fate. It wouldn't be surprising if he'll try to get revenge on him at some point. After all, a figure like Gun was bound to gain many enemies from hurting their pride.
He then addressed Vasco and Jace, which the former interrupted by asking if he was weak. Even though Min Joon can't see it, he could vividly remember the grin on his face as he told the guy he doesn't remember weak people. The duo then left the alleyway, leaving only him and Gun left. Just as he was about to leave, the latter noticed him and walked over to him.
"And here I thought that was all of them." he looked at him in amusement. "What's your name? I don't remember if I ask you that question."
Same. Min Joon also forgot if he ever mentioned his name to him before. Not that he could remember when his sudden appearance startled him.
"Min Joon. And I'm pretty sure I didn't."
"Well, I'm also certain you didn't know my name until now. Care to repeat it?"
"Jonggun?"
"Yeah, that's about right." he muttered before lending his hand. Min Joon hesitantly grabbed his hand before standing up, which didn't go unnoticed by him. Act like a normal person, don't let him know too much about himself. Such reminder ran through his head before Gun asked him a question.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"Just a casual exploration through Gangseo until a fight occured." he lied through his teeth. Not that it wasn't a complete lie, just change it from a purposeful encounter to a random one. "Hold up, you recognised me?"
"Of course. How could I forget the one who boldly call my client a 'bitch'?" he snickered while adjusting his umbrella. "And um...where's your umbrella?"
Min Joon searched over his body to realised he isn't holding his umbrella. He turned his back to discover his umbrella was further from its original location. He hurriedly ran to grab the thing before coming back to him, noticing his smirk on his face.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Just the fact you were fascinated by that fight till you forgot to care about yourself."
Well damn. He didn't have to call him out like that.
"Heh. You did him quite brutal, huh?"
"Gimyung improved from last time, but turns out his claim is nothing more than fruitless."
That wasn't the answer he expected, but it's not like he could anything to get him stay on the topic.
"So...Are we just gonna stand here and talk for a bit?"
"Well, do you have any answer?"
"Do you considered me weak?"
"Hm?" he raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Why would I talk to you if that's the case?"
Min Joon blinked in confusion. "Even though I ain't a fighter?"
"You aren't?" he adjusted his sunglasses to expose a bit of his eyes, acting sort of amused.
"Of course. Even if I am, I'd only fight when left no options." he assured him honestly. "Unlike a certain someone who was gonna go all out once Vasco blocked his attack."
Gun, who understood the reference, grinned before saying, "Didn't expect you to notice that, nor remember that at all."
"What can I say? I tend to notice the most random things..." he sighed as he took out his phone. "So...your answer?"
"Right, right. Lemme just..." he coughed a bit before proceed to answered him. "You're not exactly wrong on your assumption. Strong people always interested me due to their fighting prowess. A rival of mine may call it sexual attraction, but I assure him it's just idiosyncratic at best."
'Sure...Go tell yourself that.' he muttered in his thoughts, but choose to respond with, "Oh."
"But you're an odd case. Normally, someone within your nature pisses me off. Why would someone chooses not to fight in a world where it is utmost desirable? Hell, I considered these kinds of people as weak or delusional."
Damn, what a way to burst someone's confidence.
"And yet, I don't seem to harbour such feelings towards you. Perhaps you could say you don't pissed me off as much."
That's an odd compliment. Strange but not out of character for him to say.
Wait a minute, he isn't falling for him, right? Isn't he attracted to fighters??
"Are you falling for me?" he dared asked him, silently gulping in case for the worse. The guy paused a bit, letting out a soft chuckle from his throat before responding to his question.
"Does it look like I'm interested in love?"
Maybe, but the fandom (especially the simps) said otherwise.
"Don't worry, you ain't my type no matter if I'm interested in such feelings. Just saying that I find you intriguing, despite our opposing ideologies."
That doesn't sound assuring, but he'd take his word regardless.
"Wait, what time is it?" he mumbled before checking his phone. "Oh shit, it's 10.00 p.m."
Gun took out his phone and nodded in agreement. "Gotta go. Don't want to keep Soo Jung waiting."
Min Joon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing himself to take in the fresh, cool air that comes from the aftermath of rain. As he opened his eyes to thank him, Gun was nowhere to be seen. Like a ghost disappearing from his sight to make him look like a lunatic.
That sound pretty cool to think about...
Whatever, it wasn't like he could return to the convenience store. He predicted that the others already hacked into Toto's system and taken their money away. A text from Jiho saying he got his money back confirmed his prediction. So, what else he could do but to head back home? Not like he could just go there to help when they already left the place by now.
As for Gun... Well, the tense feeling Min Joon felt internally diminished once the demon left. Even though he was glad Gun doesn't view him as a love interest, it doesn't mean he shouldn't let his guard down. No one should know his secrets, and he'd rather stay it that way.
It wasn't long until he returned into his apartment, placing his bag on the couch before taking a quick shower. After an entire night of events, he was pretty much tired. His plan to talk things straight to Jiho slipped away once the warm water hit his face. Not like he couldn't text Jiho about it, but it wouldn't make the message clear to him. Oh well...
Once he finished his shower and wore some clothes, he immediately went to lay on his bed with a tired expression. He soon fell asleep shortly after, not giving a damn whether his hair was dried thoroughly. But alas, he could finally get some peaceful sleep into his fantasies.
...
And then he sneezed.
(credit to @hyusolk on Tumblr)
(found this on Pinterest. credit to the original artist)
Chapter 25: Where'd You Go?
Summary:
aka the consequences for being in the rain, leading to a backstory of a ghost
Notes:
Music used: Where'd You Go by Fort Minor, Holly Brook, Jonah Montraga
Audio by Fort Minor
Chapter Text
3rd pov
If someone told Min Joon that the risk of getting sick from rain was a reality, he would've just shrugged it off and told them a hoodie shall be fine.
Whoever that 'someone' is, they surely must be laughing now that he's down with the cold. Turns out, tossing the umbrella away upon seeing an important fight wasn't a great idea afterall. Who would've thought long-term exposure to the rain could lead to a cold? Min Joon felt silly over his own ignorance, but it wasn't like his health would be heavily affected by it. Just as long death isn't waiting by the door, he ain't gonna deal with that when his goal isn't finished.
Still, he had a pleasant time staying at home throughout his rest. He already submitted a letter to his classroom teacher stating his absence, giving him about a week to not bother about school stuff. It was rather surprising for a school of such prestige to accept this quickly, but J High School ain't no ordinary school anyway.
Not like there's any other explanation aside from manhwa logic. But at least it shall be a peaceful break from school in general.
Thankfully, his cold got better the moment Friday arrives. His once-runny nose have since downgraded into an occasional sneeze. He may not be great mentally, but at least the opposite was true for his physical health. Just what he needed for his goal, he believed.
Speaking of which, Friday just so happen to be the school's annual sports day. One may think Min Joon felt bad for not joining, but he was more than delighted to not come anyway. Even though he may miss out on an 'important' event, its importance largely focus towards Daniel than himself. He doesn't need to go through an inferiority complex like a certain boxer should. Plus, him not being a sports fan lessen his guilt over skipping the entire day.
Besides, who wouldn't want a break from school?
Waking up from his bed, Min Joon went to brushed his teeth before checking on his phone. The time was stated to be the afternoon, meaning he'd have to settle for lunch as his replacement for breakfast. He didn't mind that aspect as a result of his inconsistent sleeping schedule, he pretty much got used to it at this point. As for the lunch itself, he settled on some instant ramen with a fried egg on top. A simple dish for a lazy guy for him.
Once everything was prepared, he poured himself a glass of cold water to freshen his mouth a little. He then sat on the couch and turned his computer on before eating his food. As he scrolled through the Newtube site, he checked up his channel to see it was performing better than ever before.
Ever since Jake was arrested, Toto could no longer sustain itself from bankruptcy and shut its operations down. It led to anyone who worked there getting arrested by the police. Such incident made headlines over the Internet to the point the word 'Toto' itself was trending in Korea. Despite being released after the arrestment, Min Joon's video regarding the topic elevated its presence further to the point of amassing 1 million views within a week.
All it took was some texts explaining the situation, security camera footages of their operation that Mr. Unknown somehow obtained, and an editing software on his computer to put it all together. How interested was the algorithm for it to went viral this quickly? Min Joon couldn't think of many answers aside from the topic itself, but who would question the algorithm anyway? It can be quirky sometimes.
The same can't be said for his subscriber counts. While it certainly increased to around 10k subs, its growth rate paled in comparison to the video. In fact, it seemed that the Internet choose to focus more on the video and less on the creator. While it may sound like he's offended by this outcome, he recognised the fact this was considered normal within the website. Nobody could instantly gain a lot of subscribers the moment virality hit them. Unless they're a big Newtuber or used bots, his subscriber count can be considered as the norm in terms of growth.
Besides, at least the Internet doesn't know his identity yet. Even if the users know his channel, his voice and face isn't purposely showed in the hopes of privacy. Best to remain mysterious than to get into any controversy. For privacy's sakes.
By the time he finished scrolling through the comment section, his bowl was left empty from the meal he consumed. Putting on his headset, he played some music on his computer before walking to the kitchen corner with his bowl. Something about hearing music makes washing the dishes all the more smoothing. Like a background music that constantly play as a soundtrack to his mundane life. Something that make his life a little less tedious to live through.
After finishing his task, he scrolled through his social feed on his phone. Liking some photos, sharing some reels on his story, and piling up his photo collection. Just the usual norm of a social media user. He ended up wasting half an hour on Instagram, the R mode's version of a similar-sounding app, since both his curiosity and attention span got the best of him. Eventually, a quick notice of his alarm clock snapped him out of it before proceeding to change into some better clothes.
And by that, he meant changing his pants into a baggy pair more suited for outdoors alongside some underwear. The black shirt he wore to sleep was practically suitable for all occasions, so it remained intact. Once he finished, he wore a pair of mismatch converse; red on his left and black on his right. He felt like a different person today once he properly admired his entire outfit. So much so he took a little picture of his fit at a nearby mirror, with his earphones visible around his neck.
It wasn't long that he left his apartment shortly after.
Not knowing what to do, he made his way to the nearby convenience store. He went inside to pick up some items that he want, presumably to satisfy his tastebuds for the next few days. Two package of jajangmyeon (black noodles), two pieces of triangle gimbaps, some roll cakes and a few bottles of drinks. All stuffed in a single blue basket before putting them on the cashier counter.
"That'd be 2500 won, sir." spoked the cashier once the items were scanned.
Min Joon quickly paid them through the QR scanner before receiving the receipt. He then places them inside a plastic bag the store provided before leaving the store with music to his ears. Well, literal music since his earphones were in his ears, so...
But now, he has a new dilemma. Where should he go now? While he'd normally choose to go home, he didn't feel like going back immediately. Perhaps he was craving something more fulfilling to do for the day, since he's technically free from dealing with the prison that is school. That thought somewhat explained why he appeared in front of the building where 'Hayan Taekwondo' stood. Even though his session is only on Saturdays, what is stopping him from visiting the father and son duo anyway?
Min Joon took one look at the signboard in admiration before walking up to the second floor. Upon arriving at its doorsteps, he noticed Mr. Seong teaching a few kids some Maths, somewhere around 3 to 5 of them to be exact. Judging by the aspect of the taekwondo attire being present in a few of them, this activity was his way of keeping things afloat.
(yeah, calling him '-shi' doesn't translate well in English, so...)
Was that a fourth wall break?
Anyway, not wanting to disturb the class, he decided to sit at a nearby chair with his bag being placed on his left. He then took his phone out and scroll through his playlists, changing into another song to pass the time. It didn't take long for the guy to notice him, giving the kids a little break before sitting next to him.
"Did not expect to see you today, Min Joon." he greeted him with amusement. "I thought you only appeared on Saturdays?"
"Nah, just came to stop by. Nothing much." he answered. "Honestly, I didn't expect this dojang to host Math tuitions."
"Well, anything to keep this place running." he sighed.
Not like Min Joon doesn't know that, but better to keep the conversation going.
"Speaking of kids, um...where is Taehun? Isn't he back from school?"
"Yeah, he did. But he went out to attend something."
"Attend something? Like arcade games?"
"No, he went to visit someone. His friend."
"Taehun has friends? Didn't expect someone like him to have one."
"He had a friend. He's dead now."
The mention of Taehun's friend in the past tense, combined with the mention of their status, led Min Joon to realised who Mr. Seong was talking to.
"Oh...My condolences to him." he said awkwardly, not lying about his feelings toward that person's death. He did, however, asked a question that he knew the answer to. "Sorry if this sounds tone death, but what was he like?"
"Dowoon Lee was a short boy, had shaggy brown hair that looked like dyed hair, and light brown eyes. Also, quite paled and skinny, both within his complexion and his body."
He also looked similar to the MC of Viral Hit, to the point where fans believed Taehun took an interest in him for that reason. However, since said MC isn't a people pleaser, Taehun easily debunked that headcannon. Even though the fans (and shippers) would heavily disagree.
"Honestly, aside from being taught by Taehun, I don't know the kid too well. He went to the same middle school with my son, and he discovered this place through a flyer he gave him. It also helped that his father was quite loaded."
"Was?"
"Long story short, his son got killed in an incident involving a bunch of delinquents." Mr. Seong stated before noticing his amused expression. "Judging by your reaction, I don't blame you for not knowing about it. People tend to forget about old news."
"Tell me about it." he responded, faking his reaction towards something he already heard. Doesn't make it less depressing, though.
"Once the funeral was held, I've lost contact with his father. I didn't pry on it initially so as to allow him to grieve for his son. Shortly after,...he was pronounced dead."
Min Joon's eyes widened upon hearing that. He expected his father to grieve over his guilty conscious. He expected his father to regret his actions over the years. He expected his father to feel guilt for placing such high expectations like the norm of society does.
He wasn't expecting his father to end up like that. He may not like the way he raised his son like a puppet, but he was a well-intentioned man whose raised him in a flawed manner. In short, he's internally conflicted about him.
"How did you find out about it?" he asked him with genuine curiousity.
"Taehun told me about it a few months ago. When he went to pay his blessings, he encountered Dowoon's mother and sibling there. They striked a conversation long enough to reveal the father's death."
He blinked his eyes in confusion, not knowing what to say except to mutter another question. "Were you shock when you found out?"
"Who wouldn't? Pretty much shocking news to me and Taehun." he sighed again before checking the time. "Well, gonna have to continue teaching the kids now. Talk to ya later?" he patted his shoulders before leaving his seat.
"Yeah, talk to ya later..."
As he stared at the sight of Mr.Seong surrounded by kids, Min Joon pondered about his feelings regarding the entire situation. Dowoon was a sweet kid who flew too close to the sun and lost through death. He was a people pleaser who doesn't even know what he wanted for life. The complete opposite of Taehun's personal value of living life the way he likes. You could say Dowoon influenced his life in many ways; from his toned-down cold attitude to his tagline of '500 won' whenever he was gonna beat someone up. Perhaps it was what led to Taehun taking interest in the MC, no matter the denial.
A single question crawled to his mind, asking himself whether he would prevent the situation from happening if he have the choice. He would proclaimly agreed to in a heartbeat, wanting to save Taehun and the loved ones of the fallen soul from suffering such tragedy. Would it matter if it caused the canon to diverge from its path? Answering that question was harder than intended.
He snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing the sudden change of his music. What was supposed to play some soft lofi music has now been replaced with loud rock music. It didn't help he maxed out the volume prior, so it irritated his ears to the point of redirecting his focus.
Thanks, music. Just what he needed...
Looking at the time, he realised that it was time for him to go back home. And so, he took one final look at Mr. Seong teaching the kids before leaving two piece of roll cakes on his desk. He then grabbed his plastic bag and leave the dojang behind.
Walking down the stairs, he received a message from Mr. Unknown again, congratulating him for the success of his video. He switched to 'R' mode to reply his message.
.
.
.
Mr. Unknown
Hey, congratulations on the success of the video.
Seeing it reach 1 million was astonishing, to say the least.
Thx for the compliment 😊
Didn't expect the algorithm to pick it up, ngl
Absolutely.
Hell, some of the comments were wondering where I got the footage from
Did you tell them where you get it?
Hell nah! Not like I'd expose my identity anytime soon!
Although...How did you gain footage of their operations? 🤔
Good. And...
🤨?
No comment.
Ugh, I ain't even surprise anymore... 😒
Do you have any skeletons in your closet?
Best to tell you another day.
Fine, fine. I'd have to respect that no matter what 😑
(even though the waiting game's getting exhausting)
Hehe.
Anyway, I have a gift for you.
A gift?
Exactly as what the text said. Can you read?
Jeez, you don't have to shade me like that.
But what kind of gift?
You'll see.
Should I be scared? 🧍♂️
Who knows?
.
.
.
The moment he read that text, he immediately received an incoming phone call. He quickly took out his earphones and plug it into his phone, presumely because he viewed it as the best way to hear what they're saying. At least he made it back to his home beforehand, otherwise it would've been complicated nonetheless. Even though it was another unknown number, he choose to accept it in the hopes of getting things over with.
"Hello? Who is calling me?"
"Your name is Kim Min Joon, right?"
The caller's voice was feminine, albeit not a particularly shy one. Then again, Min Joon believed it was some typical businnes etiquette. So he answered her question politely.
"Uh...Yeah?"
"Good! Just checking in case I got the wrong contact." said the caller before asking him a question, "Would you like to audition for PTJ Entertainment?"
Min Joon stood with his mouth wide open upon hearing the announcement. Is he getting invited to audition for one of the major idol talent agency within K-pop? The same talent agency whose responsible for the success of several K-pop acts within the industry? There's a whole load of questions to ask.
"Do I get paid?"
"Don't worry, you will. We don't collect money from those who don't debut."
"Wait, how do you even find me? I don't remember submiting anything to your website."
"Let's just say your appearance on social media looks cool."
"But I don't post often?"
"Getting tag on other people's posts count."
Right, he remember seeing himself getting tagged on Pacebook and Hintstagram. Combined with the fact he occasionally post photos of himself there, it was astonising they were able to reach out to him despite not listing his phone number publicly. Sounds quite suspicous, if you ask him.
"How did you get this number?"
"Some anonymous user messaged us your number, stating it was your number." she answered honestly. "I called your number to check if it was a scam, but seems like they weren't lying."
So this was the 'gift' Mr. Unknown was talking about? And here he thought the user could only text him using 'R' mode. Turns out he can text on KKTalk but probably choose not to for secret's sakes. Still, at least message him whenever he's gonna send his phone number. A part of him want to curse at that user right now, but he'd rather not say that to an important call.
"And you just went along with it? Without double-checking?"
"Well, we're quite busy preparing for auditions." she told him with slight irritation within her calm voice. "So, do you want to audition?"
"...I'ma need more time to think about it."
"Understandable. Message me once you made up your mind. Goodbye." she finished before ending the call.
All that was left was for Min Joon to made a decision. Should he audition for PTJ Entertainment? While it sounds nice to partake in such an industry, both his laziness and the dark side of siad industry makes this somewhat 'dream' more shady than what was seemed. Afterall, he isn't clueless to how people treated idols like a product than a human, alongside the amount of skeletons certain talent agencies attempt to hide. A toxic industry that he's a part of as a consumer of music.
Regardkess, two of his classmates will be involved with the agency. The manhwa made it clear of their involvement in the future, where a future scandal shall occur and other important 'characters' relevant to the story shall be introduced. Thinking about his dilemma felt like an impending headache, wondering if joining the audition would change the timeline.
After what felt like forever, he decided to message the contact with a message. He didn't bother to check if she read it or not, he had already made up his mind. No matter the consequences, one would have to deal with them eventually.
...
"Okay, I accept it. When will it be held?"
(credit to @eatshop on Tumblr)
Chapter 26: Evaluation
Summary:
aka the PTJ Entertainment Arc (1)
(and not me completely forgetting the AO3 version of this fic exists 💀)
Notes:
Music used: GROWL by EXO
Lyric Video by BaeJi
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Min Joon...passed it.
He, to his amusement, somehow actually passed the audition stage. All it took was singing his heart out to a popular song for the staff members to eat it up like it was the next big thing. Perhaps playing into their heartstrings was enough to bag a spot, but he certainly didn't expect it to work as effective as he expected.
Well, if he's gonna see Daniel and Duke in the auditioning room more often, then at least pretend to show some passionate desire to become a trainee for PTJ Entertainment. Plus, it's a good way to improve his acting skills like how some celebrities do. Just pretend to enjoy the idol industry, then quit when it no longer suits him or the stress gets too much. The industry can be mentally-inducing sometimes, afterall.
Stepping out of the bus, he followed the directions provided by the native map app. Only when he was close enough to his destination do he glanced at the tall tower surrounded by a large building. It was easy to spot where PTJ Entertainment resided; the enlarged letters that spell its name and the posters of its popular artists was a noticeable giveaway.
Letting out a sigh, he walked into the building to be greeted by a bright interior of whites and beige. He didn't expect the interior to be this bright, let alone prepare for the sudden appearance. That's when his eyes laid on a marble counter designed for secretaries in mind. He assumed it was the entrance counter and walked over there to greet the person
"Name." they spoke nonchalantly.
"Kim Min Joon." he introduced himself. "Trainee for Class C."
A few typing noises can be heard before they replied, "It should be at the Dance Studio at the right wing on the first floor."
"Thank you." he finished before walking up the staircase. As he reaches the floor, he decided to take off his earphone and shove them into his backpack. Turns out doing that while walking was a bad idea when unfocused, because he shortly bumped into someone on accident.
"O-Oh! Sorry, my bad!" he apologised in a hurry. "Are you-"
"I'm fine, don't worry. Please be careful next time." she assured him with a smile while tidying her clothes. Filled with a sense of relief, Min Joon was about to continue his way before the girl asked him a question.
"Excuse me, do you know where 'Class C' is?"
That question stopped him in his track. Another person in the same class? He took a moment to look at her from his back to observe her. Her green jock jacket that stood out amongst her set of white shirt and blue jeans. Her short stature that made him look tall in comparison. Her fair skin and black eyes that compliment her attractiveness. And to top it all off, a dark, jet-black hair with strange bangs going pass her eyebrows and shoulders.
Suffice to say, Min Joon recognised her as another person from the manhwa. As such, he opened his mouth in response.
"You're also from Class C?"
She raised her eyebrows in amusement before sheepishly responding, "Yeah, the person told me the directions, but I have forgotten which door they specified."
"Well, you're in luck. Same class and a newbie too."
She chuckled a bit at his response. "Lead me the way, then."
"And your name?"
"Jae Hye."
"Min Joon."
"Min Joon...Like MJ?"
The guy snickered at the nickname, nodding in response. "MJ, huh? Never thought of that before."
She smiled again in a more bubbly manner before the two of them continue their search for the room.
Both of them soon spot a beige door with the words 'Dance Studio' plastered on it through a piece of paper. As the two walked near the door, they also noticed a list of trainee rules to follow in order to not kicked out. Min Joon took out his phone to snap a photo ofit before the two enter the room.
Once inside the room, the two were greeted by a massive dance studio. The many mirrors scattered across the walls and the beige wooden floor were all familiar aspects of a dancing studio. One where K-pop groups and trainees practice their choreography, if those videos online were anything to go by.
"Ah! Newbies! Come here."
The call of an unfamiliar voice caught their attention, spotting a group of people in a circle. A guy in dark brown hair, whose hairstyle reminiscent of the Beatles, called the two of them to come over. However, it quickly got interrupted by the shocked reactions coming from the other remaining boys. Boys that Min Joon was too familiar with.
"Min Joon? Jae Hye?" exclaimed the two of them, though the shorter of the two stopped upon mentioning the boy's name.
"Hyungseok?" exclaimed Joy in surprised.
"Duk Hwa and Hyungseok, you're here too?" he reacted with the same expression, He then turned to look at Joy, widening his eyes upon Joy mentioning someone. "You know my classmate too?"
"You're his classmate?"
Min Joon nodded before the guy interrupted their conversation. "So it sounds like you four are acquainted in one way or another?"
"You could say that." he nodded again before asking him. "Who are you, by the way?"
"Jang Udon, a trainee for six years. But most people call me Oliver." he introduced himself with a smile before pointing to a girl with earphones attached to her red iPot. "And this is Lasol, a third year."
"Nice to meet you." she greeted upon hearing her introduction.
"Anyway, since this is the first day of Class C, how about we go to the nearby snack shop to know each other more?"
"...Sure."
And that's how they ended up at a nearby restaurant ordering some food. Go figure.
Oh, well. At least Jae Hye introduced herself to the others so that he could no longer have to call her that in his head. Like her constant smiling face, her personality screams of pure joy.
Hong Jae Hye, also known as Joy Hong. The younger sister of Jay, she has a crush on Daniel after they work together for a modelling gig for 'Kian Clothing Shop'. Not much is known about her, aside from her cheerful demeanour and her straightforward manner. Essentially, she's another character who got sidelined into background territory. Hell, Min Joon would've forgotten about her had she not been related to Jay.
Well, at least she is more memorable than the actual older brother, but who gives a fuck about him anyway?
Back to Joy, she got contacted by PTJ Entertainment because she appeared alongside Daniel's photos. As for why she accepts the call, it was a combination of her (hopeless) romantic feelings for Daniel and that becoming a trainee sounds 'fun'. It didn't seem like Joy had any serious intentions of joining, which also reminded him of his own reasoning of his recruitment. Guess everyone had a bit of hypocrisy inside of them, huh?
Whatever. Min Joon didn't feel hungry that day. He only recently ate breakfast a while ago, so he didn't felt the need to buy lunch. He then noticed Daniel's expression of excitement, getting excited to order the 'special combo' which consists of crispy cutlet and special rolls. It took Oliver stating that their class have a daily lunch allowance of 4,000 yen for his dreams to get crushed.
It was something created to form a sort of hierarchy within the agency. Since the classes are ranked based on talent, benefits usually depends on the class. His class is considered the bottom of the hierachy, essentially the poor man of the family. The other two class faired significantly better, with Class B getting a 1,000 won increase and Class A getting a 2,000 won increase.
Sounds unfair? Then you would have to improve yourself to get more money. Looking at Oliver and Lasol affording to eat basic rolls and ramen set looked sad, but that's often reality sometimes. Even Min Joon, someone whose finances came from inheritance, recognised that notion. Reality can be often cruel no matter fictional or not. A cruel but effective way of enforcing dietary restrictions and enabling eating disorders.
Oliver then talked to them about the other classes, eyeing on a group of boys ordering the special combo, He pointed out that those boys came from Class A, adding that their lack of experience doesn't undermine that they're the ones close to 'debut'. Another harsh part of classism within the idol industry.
All of these scummy red flags and Min Joon could only hope he can endure it all till the inevitable times come.
He then noticed the boys left their table together, presumably to take a smoke because somehow they look like smokers. All that was left was the practically untouched meals on their table. Min Joon could only sigh at that aspect, as wasting food should only be reserved for those whose stomach was full, not to waste your money on.
Daniel suddenly stood up and walked to the other table to shamelessly bring their food to their table. Min Joon stood up and grab his hand, telling him that they may come back to finish their food since they haven't paid the bills yet. Before Daniel could even utter something, the boys return with a glare upon noticing them near their table.
"Hey, what are you doing?" scowled the red head before whispering to his friends about them stealing their food.
"Oh! Hey guys! Are you saying hello? These two are one of the new trainees at the agency today!" Oliver covered up for them, which left the group startled a bit. They were at least respectful to their seniors, before they caught their eyes at the newbies. Specifically, the new girl that somehow got their hearts fluttered.
"What's your name? I'm from class A, gimme your number." Redhead reached over to Joy and slung an arm around her with his phone on his other hand. Min Joon internally sighed at the conversation, as his attempt at rizz was foiled from the beginning thanks to her hopeless crush on Daniel.
"Let's just give them the food, we're on a diet anyways." spoked a guy whose scarf covered his mouth. Despite his nonchalant tone, it didn't stop him from stating his condolences for Lasol and Oliver being at the bottom of the barrel for years. Such an underhanded jab to get them silently pissed, because Lasol called the red-head out for secretly having a phone. Apparently, it could get a trainee fired alongside smoking nearby headquarters ground.
The latter he could understand, but the former was too restrictive. The Internet's essential to his escapism afterall, but prefers not to voice out his opinion.
As soon as she threatened to report it to their boss, the boys flinched in fear and shut their mouth. The tense atmoshpere dissolved when Joy stated she would pay the bills for everyone. She continued on by saying she planned to treat them on the first day and that Daniel was packing the food for her so it wouldn't get tossed.
She may have lie about the circumstances, but at least she have the money to back up her claim. The power of a single black card from a family of chaebols.
"Is there anything else you'd like to eat?" Min Joon asked the Class A boys. Taking their silence as a no, he proceeded to walk out of the restaurant with Duke. The rest followed shortly after, with Joy tugging her arm around Daniel's arm for comfort sakes.
...
How long will he have to endure this shitshow again?
Two weeks have passed since. The idol lifestyle may not be his cup of tea but he was certainly getting the hang of it. He remembered the trainee rules so easily after reading it many times.
No such thing as talentless people. No bad manners or personality. Don't get caught smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Don't be late more than 3 times. No dating. And make sure to attend the monthly development evaluation. Failing to follow any of these rules will result in getting kicked out of the program.
Sounds reasonable to follow, though that means he should be more careful with his words.
For trainees in this agency, there were three required lessons: Dance, Vocals and Free Practice. , His time was usually spend on the dance studio alongisde the class. The others usually uses the studio in turns, though usually resulting in his class having to clean up the other classes' shit. Talk about another case of classism.
Since most of the newbies are beginners, Lasol and Oliver served as their dance coaches. The two of them taught them the basics, as apparently the other classes have tougher choreographies. Too tough for beginners to catch up without knowing the basics.
Min Joon followed Lasol's teachings to a tea. He wouldn't call himself a beginner to dance; a popular videogame franchise helped introduce him to the basics afterall. You could say that dancing was something natural to him, although he could use some improvement.
If anything, his predicament was closer to that of Joy. He may not attend a dance class like her, but playing a dancing videogame counts as such class.
Daniel and Duke, however, were the complete opposite. They were beginners in the most painful way possible. No hate to the two of them, but Min Joon would've had a migraine if he was in Oliver's position. The level of patience Oliver excuded to the two grew his respect for him even more. Not that he doesn't respect him nor Lasol, just that it no longer consist of only sympathy. Regardless, the two beginners managed to improve their dancing abilities, albeit each of them have different results.
For Duke, his hard work was showed through his improve movements. Considering his body and height wasn't in the so-called 'ideal' idol type, Min Joon notably found it impressive for him nonetheless. He even rememembered the time he encountered Duke showing off his moves to his friends at the store. Little Daniel, Jiho, and Zoe were throughly impressed, though Jiho tried to sound 'cool' by stating he wouldn't something where products were more valued than indie and underground artists.
He wasn't wrong, but not all idols are talentless.
Min Joon reprimanded him for that idol mindset shortly after. When asked about it, he texted out he overheard their conversation instead. Nothing creepy about behind that text at all.
For Daniel, however, he massively improved from his beginner roots. Not only did he excelled the basics, it only took him a month to do so. Two months shorter than the average time taken. So impressive in fact it got the others amazed enough to shower him with compliments.
While Min Joon complimented him for his improvement, his mind was instead focusing on how Duke's efforts weren't appreciated enough. Not he didn't receive them at all, but it absolutely paled in comparison to the feedback Daniel received.
Genius? Having two bodies to practice the moveset certainly was a genius move, albeit one that Daniel took advantage on. No shade, Joy.
And so, Min Joon walked over to Duke who took a break from his dancing.
"You did good, Duk Hwa." he said softly. "I can see the effort you're putting in."
"Not as fast as Daniel. He's certainly made for this."
Again, with the help of two bodies.
"Well, one day you're get there. The improvements will be shown, I assure you." he stated to him, getting Duke to wide-eyed before smiling.
"Thank you, Min Joon."
...
"You're welcome."
The day of the monthly evaluation arrived. A day when trainees were evaluated on their improvement and skills. Expect rankings to change within the day as a whole, so Min Joon hoped he could do good enough to not draw attention.
As Class C enters the room, Min Joon noticed a commotion was happening. The other classes were whispering to each other, either talking about his class or the elephant in the room. The elephant in question?
"Min Joon, look." she whispered to him as he noticed her eyeing on someone.
Looking at the judges panel, he recognised a few of them from the manhwa. The marketing head who recruited him, the department head who recruited his schoolmates, the CEO of PTJ Entertainment named Yongmin Jang, a famous idol with dyed short copper-blonde hair named Aru, alongside her thug-looking manager standing behind her.
However, these people weren't the ones joy was looking at. Rather, it was an attractive young man with dyed pink hair and a pair of shades to boot. His pale skin and slim body figure got him looking attractive, while his aura exudes of calmness even when he was sitting on a chair.
The whispers coming from the nervous classes says it all. Even Joy's affirmation of the guy's name needed no further explanation. Min Joon was going to be judged by one of the most famous Kpop idols of the current generation.
And his name...is motherfucking DG.
Kang Dagyum, or more famously known as DG. A famous Korean idol within PTJ Entertainment with a loyal fanbase all around. The kind of person who tend to observe silently, but can be distant to all but few whenever he talks. He's also honest, but difficult to know his thoughts due to his nature.
However, underneath his facade lays a secret related to his past self. A past where ruthless and intelligence lead him to exploits and powers during his reign. As for why he rebranded himself to DG, Min Joon (and the manhwa fans) could only speculate at best.
This probably explained why he felt unease looking at him. Not because of the pressure of impressing a famous idol, but because he doesn't want DG to notice something off about him. Something that could cause suspicion and trouble if things go wrong. Whatever he do, act like a local who knew the name, and not someone who knew his secret.
The manhwa fans' were luckier than his current predicament. Talking about his secret so openly since DG's only a fictional character to them. Oh, how he wish to be in their position...
Ignoring his thoughts for now, his class sat down at a corner just as the evaluation started. The other classes, separated by gender, performed well with their group routine. However, when Lasol and Oliver's turn was up, both of them performed better than all of them combined. Their movements were much more impressive and the other groups seemed to know it.
Aru, on the other hand, was making offhanded comments about the two not being so special. While he understood she wasn't impressed, Min Joon subtly glare at the woman regardless. Was their past together really that bad to result
After that, it was Joy and Duke's trun to perform their routine. Even though they both did good, their critiques were not like each other. For Joy, she was given a pass for being young alongside the blushes of several male trainees. For Duke, they weren't impressed with his rapping style, comparing it to a performance at a charity organisation. But the questions remained, were their critiques biased or not?
Abso-fucking-lutely. The hate train behind him for his appearance were nothing but cruel.
Soon after, Min Joon was called into the evaluation by the CEO. After introducing himself, he heard a few snickers from the others, ranging from calling him 'MJ' to nicknames about his freckles. As if his freckles were his entire personality. Despite that, he brushed those comments aside before the music played.
He took a small breath before the routine flew natural to himself. His goal was to not stood out from the crowd, while also giving them a good enough impression to not get kicked out. This isn't the right time to quit just yet, and so he'd not allow anyone but himself to decide that.
By the time his routine ended, most of the judges were impressed but not blown away by the result. A minor slip up towards the end was the only negative critique they could give, but it was mostly positive nonetheless. Min Joon was proud of himself internally, since he received the exact critiques he wanted.
Plus, DG only nodded in agreement in boredom, meaning Min Joon suceeded in not gaining his attention. Good riddance.
Once he sat down with his class, Daniel was the next in line to be called. The moment he stood in front of the judges, a mix of compliments and insults were thrown around in whispers depending on the gender of the trainees. With DG leaning forward to gaze at him, Daniel proceeded to start his routine.
By the time his routine ended, Min Joon noticed the face of amazement surrounding the other judges. The department head applauded him for his routine, calling it impressive for learning a three-month routine in a single month. Min Joon internally sighed in relief over the way things are heading.
Suddenly, a man appeared behind the CEO and passed him some paper.
"You. Try reading this script." he suggested. "Let's see how you act."
Almost immediately, whispers of shock and outcires can be heard around the room. Min Joon, recognising the script as 'The Outcast', felt bitterly uncomfortable over the scenario described within.
'The lead character, who was being bullied, lives in terrible poverty with his mom, and has no dreams or hope. He's forced to imitate an animal at school and takes his anger out on his mom at home. One day he gets mad at his mom again for putting an egg in his ramen...'
Somehow, this script managed to sum up Daniel's past in a nutshell. Min Joon wouldn't blame the acting manager for having such script; how was he supposed to know it matches up with Daniel's past all too well? A mere coincidence at best.
Thanks to its relatability, Daniel shed some tears.
"Hey, why are you crying?"
"I'm sorry, it's just...this is so sad." Daniel admitted. And also hit too close to home for him.
"Well then, if you're ready let's start." the acting manager announced.
As Daniel cleared his throat, he got on his hands and knees before bowing dramatically. He choke out an apology with a Pikachu noise, bending his head even further. The image of his former bully stepping on his head was envisioned in his head, visioning him stepping on head under tremendous amount of weight. His clawed, trembling fingers stood to held his body up from the dirty floor of the bathroom.
The praises, the gasps, the awes, and the cheers grew intensely the more details were revealed. But to Min Joon, it was a painful reminder of what Daniel went through before his transfer to J High. He quietly teared up within his heart, but an expression of silent sadness remained on his face. He looked over to Duke and noticed an expression of relatability, leaving out a sigh of guilt before the acting manager applauded his perfromance.
"That detail! That subtext! Mr. Jang, get this guy to act! He's a genius!"
The other judges followed suit.
"Didn't Lasol and Oliver teach him? They're incredible." At this, Min Joon noticed how Aru jumps into the conversation.
"So I guess, Lasol and Oliver should stay as teachers in Class C."
It wasn't a question, her tone was one spoke of a finalised decision. Nobody dissuade her from her decision, not even Lasol and Oliver. Remembering the past between these three, he couldn't help but feel sympathy towards the two.
Imagine how many rookies had come to C class, be taught by the two for a couple of months, and then be sent to the next group whilst the two stayed forevermore. Those two aren't even beginners nor bad, they were both pros in their field. He couldn't help but feel upset over their positions; staying in the same rank forever due to their past history.
"Okay. You're dismissed for now." the CEO told Daniel, who rejoined Class C shortly after.
Soon enough, everyone was allowed back to their class practices. As the others thrown in compliment after compliment towards Daniel, Min Joon noticed the judges leaving the room together. He catches a glimpse of DG observing his class for a bit. He didn't observed for long since Aru dragged him to the group of judges, but Min Joon remembered the gaze to be one of calculations and analysis. He could just be staring at Daniel, but who knows what'd happen at this point?
...
Better not jinx himself, motherf-
(credit to @Denkinji2203 on Twitter)
Chapter 27: Lack of Dialogue? Interesting...
Summary:
aka PTJ Entertainment Arc (2)
Notes:
Music used: Everyday by WINNER
Lyric Video by KPOP Lyrics
Chapter Text
3rd pov
Calling in sick on an important day was never intended to be on his list of things to do.
More specifically, Min Joon did not expect to call in sick on the day of the trainee class photoshoot. He did not expect the entertainment to believe in his fake state, which should mean his acting probably improved to credible success. As for why he did that, there were a few reasons to make such a move.
One, the higher-ups were dead-set on trainees following the normal beauty standards as flawlessly possible. And by that, they meant excluding Duke from the photoshoot and reminding trainees to hide any flaws necessary to 'preserve beauty standards'. If that means persuading Min Joon to apply makeup to hide his freckles, consider his sick day as a way of protest.
Was it overreacting? Maybe, but who could blame him for not wanting to follow the flawless beauty standards, anyway.
Two, trainees were given a limited amount of breaks every year. This does not take into account the required school attendance one per week for teenage trainees. But since he planned on quitting the trainee program anytime soon, why not just use as much as he can?
However, the most important reason for his actions regards his guilt over a canon event. The image of Aru's manager stabbing Duke's ear with thumbs tacks was painful to witness, especially knowing it will happen while the class continued their photoshoot. As much as he wanted to not let it happen, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Sorry, Duke.
Not to say Daniel didn't try to stop it, Min Joon appreciated his attempt to do so. He also respected Duke for not hating his friend after finding out the truth, thanking him for allowing him that opportunity instead. Despite learning he was only allowed to join because of Daniel, Duke's heart was good enough to not that stop him.
Still, his guilty conscience weighs in heavily on his decision. How could he not feel guilty for not preventing something cruel to someone you knew, let alone knowing what would happen in the first place?
Somehow, a bowl of home-cooked omurice and watching a food vlog on Newtube was all it took for the guilt to disappear. A temporary solution, but one where its random nature could distract him till it got brought up.
With the free time available, he decided to reread the manhwa again on 'R' mode. Even though he could focus on the latest arc, he deliberately focus his attention on the current arc occurring in the present. More specifically, the chapters detailing the backstory between Oliver, Aru and Lasol.
To put it simply, there was a time when both Aru and Oliver were poor trainees struggling to make ends meet. While he rejected Aru's love confession, his opinion on her changed when she opened up to him about her issues.. It lead to him signing a wedding contract Aru created, stating that they will marry each other if they can't debut before the end of their trainee contract.
And quickly as it begin, it took a wealthy gangster to draw a wrench into the relationship. Initially interested in investing his money into a girl group, Lasol and a few girls were considered but Aru was left out in the process. Growing desperate to escape her situation and be the star she always wanted, Aru decided to become his girlfriend in exchange for becoming a famous idol. This consequently resulted in her cutting Oliver off and the girl group idea discarded in the end, leading Lasol and Oliver to forever stuck in Class C.
Talk about a dramatic way to screw over your friends.
Hearing about this, one could easily hate Aru for her actions. Min Joon would call it a reasonable decision as the narration was highly focused on Oliver's perspective. Even he isn't immune to the hate train, referring her as a bitch for her attitude and actions. However, a Reddit post got him to reanalyse her from a different perspective, which changed his opinion on her.
Her desperation to debut as an idol was what started the decay of her life. From what was said in the manhwa, Aru was just some country girl who was the breadwinner to a family who struggled to put food on the table. From this info, it became clear she was willing to do whatever it takes to debut and make money, as showed when she literally stripped in front of everyone just to not get kicked out for gaining weight. So when an opportunity came, which was the wealthy gangster offering her the thing she had been working her ass off, she could either grab it or stay at the bottom forever with little to no chance of debuting whatsoever.
But what about the attitude change? How does a simple need to support a struggling family turn into an insatiable desire for fame and influence?
Sometimes, getting a little taste of something desirable lead to the desire for more. In Aru's case, she felt like she was on top of the world once she debuted and became popular, better than the ones who can't keep up with her. However, society often valued those born into wealth than those who worked their ass off into becoming wealthy. Crystal Choi, while not born into the rich, was innately more influential than Aru thanks to her father's connections. Like a nepo baby.
A reality check that will drive Aru into achieving a better status. To do something more to reach the top of the food chain. The lie behind fame and influence that will chew her up.
And all it took was for that single Reddit post for awakening these thoughts out. Granted, most of the points came from that post itself, so he'd have to give where credit's due. Still, their character analysis of a hated person was quite knowledgeable nonetheless.
His thoughts were distracted when he received a phone call. Thinking it was one of the heads, he accepted the call and connect his earphones to his phone for clearer audio. Instead, he was greeted to a prank call regarding car insurance. He initially assumed it was a malicious scam, but the caller was interrupted by another person informing them that they have some business to do. Judging by the laughter coming from the caller, his assumptions changed into a confused one.
Whatever. He didn't even bother going into too much detail on that call. Such a poor attempt, for real.
At least he got the name of said caller, though he isn't sure why his brain remember it. Sure, it may be memorable to him, but it felt so random.
...
Like, why 'Hakjin'?
"Hyungseok! Are you a celebrity!?"
The sudden question that Vasco asked caught Daniel off guard, who corrected his misapprehension by stating that he's only a trainee. Min Joon only sighed at the interaction, knowing there was no use explaining to the male who wouldn't focus on that anyway.
Coming back to school for the first time in a while felt surreal. Even though he may not like the school, it felt grateful to gain some sense of normality. Even if schooling for a trainee only lasts once per week.
Daniel's photoshoot went so well that the others were admiring his profile picture. A compliment from Zoe, a snarky remark from Jiho, a jealous Zack questioning Mira's choices, and Doo's desire to take a picture too. Min Joon could relate to the latter, feeling guilty he missed out on the photoshoot despite his reasons.
But shouldn't his classmates know he went to PTJ Entertainment? Well, they did indeed know since the homeroom teacher announced it to the class. The school wouldn't excuse him for his lack of attendance if it wasn't for the trainee shenanigans. Still, Daniel's popularity meant that he would the first person in mind in this class, which benefited Min Joon in staying under the radar.
Regardless, it was nice to eat school lunch with Jiho again. Him, together with Daniel and Duke, definitely reminded him of the early days of this school, where the four of them just hangout at the lunch table as usual. If only things could stay the same...
"Hyungseok! I want to check out your agency!" Vasco suddenly announced with glowing eyes. Like a puppy who would bribe its reluctant owner to do its biddings. Even Daniel couldn't reject his friend despite his request going against the agency rules.
And that's how Vasco accompanied Daniel, Min Joon and Duke to the agency after school.
No point stopping him from going on a field trip. A canon event exists for a reason...
"Oh! This is it! Hyungseok's office!" Vasco awed in delight.
"If we get caught, I'll be in real trouble..."
"It's your office, so why would you be in trouble?"
"No, I mean..."
"You rock, Hyungseok!" he complimented before noticing Duke's bandaged ear. "Duk Hwa! You pierced your ears? Amazing."
"No. Um...I'm afraid of pointy things." Duke mutturs, which briefly caused guilt to appear in Min Joon's conscience. What a painful reminder of something he didn't prevented.
All for the sake of the story, he told himself. Things would not go canonically without it.
A commotion was made shortly after their conversation. A perfect distraction from his thoughts. Min Joon then noticed a bunch of girls screaming in different languages, while bodyguards were guarding around the pink-haired idol to create a pathway for him.
The male then walked pass them, with most but Vasco bowing to him in respect. Vasco uttered a confusion, whispering to Daniel to not lose since they're both famous. Looking at his sharp eyes, he felt overwhelmed by his intense glare despite not aiming at him.
"..A convenience store? Is that all?" he muttered slightly before sighing to himself.
A random question at first glance, but it means something more to Daniel. Min Joon remembered DG to be one of the few people who knew Daniel's secret, the reasons of which left unexplained as of the current chapter. For now, all Min Joon could do was grabbed Daniel by the hand, preventing his classmate from frantically trying to find him.
"Min Joon, what are you doing?" asked Duke.
"Just trying not to cause a scene." he told him, glancing at Daniel before getting him to calm down. "Hyungseok, are you okay?"
Daniel took a deep breath before looking at him with a smile. "Thanks for that, Min Joon."
"You're welcome. Now, hurry up or we'd be late." he reminded before dragging him by the hand.
Daniel gave Vasco a brief tour around the place before they made into an elevator. While Vasco discussed with Daniel about DG talking to him, Min Joon gave a short glance at Duke while holding his hand. Once they step onto the second floor, they noticed the atmosphere was silent, if the rough states of the boys were any indication.
"Hey." he paid his attention to Aru's manager, acting with an ego as large as Jupiter and anger issues as violatile as a volcano. Probably the person responsible for the bruises in the first place. How typical...
"Not saying hello again? You ignoring me?" he sneered menancingly. "These punks are useless. So trainees can't greet someone?"
'Not when you don't respect them, asshole.' he sighed in his head, irritated by this generic gangster.
"Clench your teeth, or you'll lose them." he raised his hand to slap Daniel's cheek. With no hesitation, Vasco came to his protection by swiftly grabbing the bodyguard's hand.
"Do not hit." he glared in a serious tone.
"Are you nuts? Let me go."
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?" the bodyguard repeated before realising he doesn't know him. "You know Aru, don't you? I'm her manager. Who are you? A new trainee?"
"I'm Daniel's manager." proclaimed Vasco, which resulted in a mental groan from Min Joon. And an internal faceplam. The embarassment he felt from his choice of words...
"Va...Vasco, don't do that." Daniel urged him.
"He was about to hit you, Hyungseok."
"No...This guy is like a 'teacher'."
Almost immediately, Vasco let go of his hand and apologised to the bodyguard. The guard, confused by his response, turned to Daniel in a cruel smirk.
"Hey, is this your friend? Are you nuts? You can't just bring anyone into the company."
Despite his desire to respond back at him, Min Joon remained calm and composed for the sake of tolerating this egomaniac. That is, until he dragged Duke by the ear to his side, with the latter letting out a strangled cry of pain and the bandage started to bleed again.
It didn't take long for someone to snapped. Perhaps the sight of blood and cruelty from the fucker reminded him of his backstory. The cruel words and drawings craved into his chest in the past weren't a plesant sight in his backstory. The sight of a man in higher power abuses their power by bullying the weak was also something he can't tolerated.
In any case, Min Joon silently let the conversation continued.
"...You did this by force?"
"If you screwed up, you should be punished. His pierced ears look cool." the bodyguard bragged with his nerve.
The audacity of this guy to bragged this cruel act. Pierced ears only look cool if the person consented to it, not by force. And last time he check, thumbstacks weren't meant to be used in piercing ears. So clearly, the bodyguard could only blame himself for what's to come.
He, deservedly, got sucker punched in the jaw by Vasco shortly after. Min Joon watch on in amusement as his body goes flying across the room, teeth knocked out and blood spilling out. As much as he doesn't accept violence, the bodygard certainly had it coming.
Screams and gasps ring out around the room. It falls silent before the manager starts screaming in pain, rolling across the floor while yelling for help with his broken jaw.
"You force pain onto him?" Vasco straddles the injured man, clearly not done with him yet. Bringing his fist up and with more force and anger than before, he then landed his fists with an equal amount of fury behind it. Not on the male, but just beside him on the floor he smashed.
A badass moment from a childlike and carefree person. Quite impressive, had it been it better circumstances.
"Don't forget this day." threatened Vasco, sounding hotter than intended.
Too bad society prefers people without facial hair, because people would've fallen more in love with him. Excluding the fans, of course.
Aru, who stood by to watch the incident, screamed in terror as she rushed towards her manager who was foaming in the mouth. "Call the police!! Report this!!"
"You okay, Vasco?" Min Joon asked him worriedly, rushing over him to check his fist.
"I'm okay." he answered, moving his fingers elegantly as further proof.
"Good, because what the hell?" he hissed at him quietly. "As much as I believe he deserved it, you could've handle it another way instead of your fists."
"I only hit him once."
"And property damage." he relented at him before sighing to himself. "Look, just do me a favor and take Duk Hwa home safely. I have a feeling sessions may be postponed for the day."
"Besides, you own us a favor for saving us." added Daniel with a frown. "Is that okay, Vasco?"
"...Yes, that's fine by me." he spoked in a sad tone before leaving with Duke off the company grounds.
To be honest, Min Joon felt guilty for having to scold Vasco like that. If this was a different situation, he wouldn't had minded the bodyguard getting the punch he deserved. However, attacking an 'important' person on company grounds can potentially lead to lawsuits and jail time.
Plus, they're the one responsible for bringing him in the first place. An act that was delibrately against the compnay rules, but also an canon event required to give that bodyguard an ego check.
No one reported the incident. That sound like a bad thing to do, which techically it was indeed bad. But what could he say to a company whose higher-ups would rather maintain their reputation and stock instead of getting hit by a controversy?
...
Oh well, the favor shall repay his guilt, right?...
(credit to @avalovesvasco on Twitter)
Chapter 28: PTJ Entertainment
Notes:
Music used: GOOD BOY GONE BAD by TXT
Lyric Video by Jaeguchi
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
3rd pov
"You heard about the news about Aru?"
The question coming from Oliver's mouth wasn't said for no reasons. The recent news regarding Aru's departure from PTJ Entertainment spread like wildfire across social media. Even more so when she started her own company. Her name was climbing across the search results, alongside the damaged image of PTJ Entertainment themselves.
Funny how all of that started when Aru asked the CEO for a loan of 10 billion won to 'build a house'. A ploy to open her own company in order to climb up the empty ladder of fame. Since she's already so close to the very top, why stop there? The thirst of an obsessive artist...
Of course, he chose to response nodding his head in agreement. Nothing great comes from sounding suspicious, especially when your source of information is a manhwa that viewed your world as a fictional medium. The kind of information not meant for people in here, aside from himself who became aware.
Talk about some unintentional main character energy there.
"The atmosphere is ugly at the office, but let's just...practice hard." sighed Oliver, which snapped Min Joon out of his thoughts. He noticed him and Lasol were the most affected by the situation, while the others were more or less neutral about it. Including Vasco, whom Min Joon remained confused about his presence here. Perhaps to keep up the bodyguard lie?
"Excuse me, but I gotta go to the bathroom." Daniel told them before standing up from the ground.
"Sure, but please be safe." Oliver sighed again in response. Once Daniel proceeded to leave the room, Min Joon noticed the hesitance written all over Lasol's face. Her hand were gripped tightly around her iPot, as if something was bothering her immensely.
"Lasol, are you alright? You look like something's bothering you." he asked her kindly.
"Well...um..." she trailed off initially, looking conflicted before finding the words to answer. "I can't help but feel worried about Aru."
"I mean, I understand that her sudden departure from the company was shocking, but..."
"Do you remember the sponsor she have?"
"That one gangster who looked influential?"
"Yeah, him." she nodded before continued, "He also offered to sponsor me before Aru. I rejected him because I don't believe he's a good person."
"So you think Aru may be in trouble?" questioned Joy with concern.
"Maybe. It's only a gut feeling, so I may be wrong. But still..."
"You ain't the only one, Lasol." Oliver piped up with his tired demeanour. "How does Aru able to gain a lot of money for the company? She's a rich person, but surely not enough to start a company within a week."
"Sounds quite suspicious, if you think about it."
"Good point, Duk Hwa." Oliver noted to his statement. "What do you think, Min Joon?"
Just as he was about to open his mouth, a loud opening sound of the door caught evryone off-guard. They turned around to look at a sweaty Daniel, catching his breathe while looking worried simultaneously.
"Hyungseok, are you okay?" asked Vasco immediately. "What happened?"
"Aru's been forced to take a nude photoshoot!"
Almost immediately, Min Joon hear the sounds of gasps from the girls and saw the visible anger from the boys. As for himself, he acted shocked over an information he was aware of.
"A nude photoshoot?! But where?"
"I don't know, but I know who does. Follow me!" he told them before leaving the room. As soon as he did that, Lasol and Oliver quickly grabbed their jackets and dashed off to the room.
Never had Min Joon seen someone ran this fast before until now. Color him stoked.
"What are you waiting for, Min Joon? Let's go!"
He blinked his eyes upon hearing Joy's words. "Right, let's fucking go!" he exclaimed, not giving a damn if he broke rules regarding cursing. The current situation was too dire to follow the agency rules.
As the rest ran towards the parking lot, they spotted a girl telling her bodyguard that they have to go straight to the set for the photoshoot to be stopped. The bodyguard sighed in pity, telling her it was an order. Hearing this, Oliver shouted for them to stop before rushing towards them with Lasol, passing by Daniel in the process.
"Take us with you to Aru." they both stated before Aru added, "We are Aru's friends! We can stop this."
The others managed to catch up to them, panting their breath as they try to figure out their plan. Min Joon recognised the girl and her bodyguard to be Crystal and Gun once again, but he wasn't the only who did. Rather, someone beat him to notice them first.
"You...We meet again." he greeted them, referring to Gun.
"Jonggun and Soo Jung, didn't expect to see you again." added Min Joon, acting surprised by their appearance for obvious reasons.
"Huh, didn't expect to see familiar faces quite soon." he muttered before forming a small grin. "Soo Jung, go with them."
"Jonggun!?"
"It'll be fine with these two. Now, get in the car." he glanced at Daniel and Vasco before entering the car.
Everyone else proceeded to enter the car and adjusted themselves as much as they could. Even though the entire class sat at the back, the car was spacious enough for them to not feel claustrophobic and tight. Once everyone was settled, the car sped through the ongoing traffic as fast as legally possible, all while the others awaited with anticipation and dread.
It was total silence in the car. Too much silence, to be frank.
Joy was the first to break the silent mood. "So, any idea on approaching this?"
"Beating up the bad guys?" Vasco raised his hand. Everyone, except Gun, gave him a side-eye in response. Min Joon sighed before opening his mouth, "Considering her sponsor's a gangster, it's not out of the equation. Especially with the nature of this situation."
"True, but that doesn't mean we like it." frowned Duke.
"Aside from the bodyguard and Vasco, who else can fight?"
Nobody responded to his question, only in silence and no raised hands. It was Min Joon's turn to give Daniel a side-eye, but it was soon interrupted by Lasol asking a question.
"The three of you seemed to recognise the two at the front. Are you all friends?"
The question got Min Joon to chuckled with laughter, denying her question with a mere note of people they met before. "Shall I tell you how we met each other?"
"Oh, not this." Crystal groaned in embarrassment, not wanting to talk about it in the slightest.
"It was a misunderstanding gone wrong." said Daniel in a flash, wanting to get this conversation over with. "With a fight. And a lecture."
"Lecture from who?" asked Joy.
"Me, Jae Hye. I lectured both him and Soo Jung over their misunderstandings." said Min Joon nonchalantly before rolling his eyes. "So much for changing the mood here."
"That's all in the past. At least I enjoyed a thrilling fight nonetheless."
The car went silent again after his remark. No way could Gun deny his fighting kinks any longer.
"Jonggun, how long till we reach there?" asked Crystal with an annoyed tone, wanting to move on from the awkward conversation. As soon as she finished her sentence, the car immediately stopped at its destination.
"Just about right now."
Everyone got out of the car the moment he said that. Everyone except for himself, who remained in the car with his phone on his palm.
"There! That should be where they are filming." Crystal pointed to the warehouse and rushed to the door. As the others followed suit, Crystal tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.
"It's locked." she stated.
"No shit." mumbled Min Joon before proceeding to violently knock on the door like how Maddy Perez did on Euphoria. Duke and Joy followed his movement, creating an even bigger noise in the process.
"Allow me." Vasco offered and tried to pull the door apart to no avail.
"Okay, do we have any other ideas?" asked Lasol with a distressed face.
"I don't know. At least the cries seems to stop." noted Oliver, feeling a sigh of relief from his distressed tone.
"Hyungseok, try to help Vasco." Min Joon ordered him, prompting his classmate to push the door with him. Ultimately, the two successfully got the door to open, revealing a guy getting pushed off from the sheer force of it.
Perfect. An opportunity for a badass entrance.
"What the!?"
"It's not the cops!?"
"An attack!?"
"Y-You? H-How did you?...Soo Jung? And Class C?" muttered the CEO, caught off-guard by their apperance. As Min Joon looked around the scene, he noticed numerous guys, the CEO, the sponsor, the bodyguard, and a nearly naked Aru covering herself with a small blanket.
Thank god he and the others aren't too late. Quite the disturbing karma had they didn't intervene.
"Who is this collection of rugrats? Are you on a field trip to see adults working, Soo Jung?" he snickered.
"I came here to tell you my father's words." she responded, ignoring the not-so subtle suggestions of filming her in this photoshoot. Talk about disgusting.
"Let Aru go. Right now!" Lasol stepped in bravely.
"Are you crazy?" asked the sponsor.
"Class C is a mess, huh? What are you doing?" snickered the CEO again. "You are illegally interrupting work! I guess you don't know but this is a legal shoot. Or have you come to participate too?"
In what he considered to be a power move, Lasol brought up her iPot and played a track with high volume. A track containing her conversation of the two bastards making the same offer they had for Aru to her. The two men were shocked over the recording, as does the others but to a lesser degree of guilt.
"Aru. They came to me first. I'm sorry for not telling you." she told her before revealing further that she secretly recorded the conversation out of fear. She also revealed she didn't told Aru because she thought she'd be mad or hurt her feelings for rejection's sakes. Plus, she looked so happy back then that she shut her mouth on the issue.
"I'm sorry, my friend!" she called out to her, with tears running from her eyes. Aru, in the heat of the moment, cried too.
"I'll give you the recording if you let Aru go. I didn't call the police, for I don't want my friend's work to crumble from such scandal." she demanded. "This is the only recording, so you both know how important this is, right?"
Min Joon quietly facepalmed. He can't believed Lasol would mention that in the heat of the moment. Quite an emotional moment, but still...
"That's the only copy? And you didn't call the cops?" asked the sponsor, grinned with disgusting delight. "Guys, lock the door."
Some lackeys locked the door and started to surround them. Oliver managed to get Lasol back to the group, before the CEO announced the lackeys to not touch Crystal but allow them to do as they wish to the rest. Vasco and Daniel stepped up ready to defend themselves only for Crystal to stared at her phone unamused.
"It's too late to contact the boss, miss. There will be no evidence left."
"Well...Dad already sent some guys outside." she stated.
"What? How many?"
"Two."
"Huh?"
"Two guys."
Both the sponsor and the CEO laughed at that statement. Two guys? They scoffed with their army of 30 lackeys lead by the bodyguard he refused to call a manager.
But Min Joon, having enough insight, internally scoffed at the two for their mindset. A lot of movies taught him that size doesn't always mean an automatic win. One's proficiency in the art of fighting matters to determine the outcome of the fight.
To further examplify his point, the locked door was immediately slammed open with ease.
"Right. It's only the two of us." stood Gun with his glove on his teeth and a black coat. Standing beside him was a bespectacled guy with dyed blonde hair dressed in a fashionable beige coat. Min Joon deduced him as another person from the manhwa, secretly feeling excited considering his importance.
"Let's just get this over with." said Gun before taking off his coat to reveal his white turtleneck., before jumping immediately into the fight with no delay. He dodged the fists sent in his way before throwing his own. A single punch per person was enough to knock them out, shocking many people with his immense strength and fighting styles.
Min Joon felt impressed rather than surprise. Gun isn't called the Fighting Genius for nothing.
He turned to see Vasco staring at the blonde, who send a few guys flying with a few kicks. He then pick up a metal pipe from the ground and charge further.
"Vasco, you recognise him?" he asked him, who stood stock-still.
"Yes, I met him at middle school once." he whispered. "Joon Goo, I think."
Goo? Well, he's certainly not wrong.
Kim Joon Goo, also known as Goo Kim. An unpredicatable person who seem like an easygoing guy by many. A fighter whose unparelled fighting styles put him on equal footing with Gun. A genius whose skilled in the art of weaponry, especially in swords where his seriousness shown more. Even a watch can be a weapon under his hands.
And just like Gun, he's often regarded as a fan-favourite within the fandom. Though, his screentime was smaller in comparison.
" Hey Gun, I heard you sent your succesor who provided gambling to jail." Goo asked him.
"He was a candidate for my successor. Only a candidate." he corrected him. "You have to collect from 300 groups? Tough to do it alone."
His sarcastic remark got under Goo's skin, because he immediately slammed the back of his head against Gun's head. This soon turned the fight from fighting the enemy to fighting each other. Talk about a comedy turn of events. A frustrating one, Min Joon mentally sighed.
Like, this isn't the time to fight like a couple? Hello?
The confusion caused by that turn of event was enough for the bodyguard to slap the iPot out of Lasol's hand. Just as he was gonna stomp on it, a body lunges forward and cover it enough for the leg to hit the back.
"Oliver!" shouted Aru with shock.
"Don't be fooled. It's not like I'm doing this because I like you. Although I hate, we all dreamed of being in your position. I know how well desperate we are for your position." he spoke loudly in response. As the manager continued to kick Oliver, Min Joon noticed Daniel walking over and position himself in front of him.
"The hell? You crazy? Move." the bodyguard threatened him.
Min Joon looked behind him to see Duke protecting the girls the best he could. A small gesture he appreciated.
"Tch, cocky bastard! Get lost!" The bodyguard screamed as he unsuccefully punch Daniel, who dodged it in exchange for punches of his own. Almost everyone collectively gasped at the sheer strength Daniel displayed, but few recognised his punches looking exactly Gun's own punches earlier. Take a good guess who those few were.
"Oi, are you two done with your quarrel? Stop getting sidetracked and do your job!" Min Joon scolded at the two geniuses.
"Eh, you know those brats?" Goo asked Gun who grunted at him. "Didn't expect one of them to follow you. That was nice."
"Whatever. Let's just finish this."
It wasn't long before the lackeys kneeled towards the two powerhouse in defeat.
"Why are you all kneeling? We aren't gangsters." Goo assured them. As if their actions didn't disproved their statements. So does a few visible blood stains on their cheeks.
Min Joon turned to Aru who was properly dressed in a red hoodie with some cargo pants. He was grateful that both Oliver and Lasol set their feelings aside to help out someone, even if the guy had to look away for a moment.
"Release the recording!! Fuck!! Do you think I'd just stand by and watch? I'll rally everyone and cover up everything!!" shouted the CEO before continuing his rant. "How dare you Aru! Just wait and see! I won't release you until I drained you all the way to retirement! You legally own me three billion won, so let's see who wins!!' "
Aru looked worried by his statements, while the other two were understandbly pissed. Staring at the deranged way he ranted, Min Joon was tempted to put on some loud music in order to push his noises away. Fortunately, someone intervened his rant to deliver him shocking news.
"Mr. Jang, you are ousted from the CEO position of PTJ entertainment."
Hearing the statement from Crystal's mouth initially shocked the CEO, but it quickly turned into a scowling expression. "BULLSHIT! What authority do you have?! You're a huge company? So what? IT'S MINE! I BUILT IT! Legally, you can't."
Gosh, shutting his mouth felt so tempting right now...
"Legally? I'll have to explain that." a new voice asked.
Min Joon turned around to see a tall middle-aged guy whose presence immediately silenced the room. A guy with stylised hair with greyish hues, a full white designer beard that surrounded his lips and cheekbones, yet managed to look cynical with his squinted eyes.
His outfit consisted of expensive clothes that symbolised his wealth. Underneath his red coat exposed his right hand filled with jevelry around his fingers. Min Joon also noted the lack of a left hand, remembering that the guy lost it from some unknown incident.
Why the fuck does Mr.Choi have to look like a sexy dilf version of santa claus?
Mr. Choi, full name listed as Choi Dong Soo, aka Charles Choi. The CEO of HNH Group, a conglomerate company that own many smaller businesses. He's also the father of Crystal, as if his surname isn't a big enough indication.
But Min Joon knows him as something else. The central antagonist behind the many events of the manhwa. A popular character shrouded in mystery with new details popping out for fans to solve the mystery. A guy who became extremely wealthy through illegal means, the likes of which he doesn't want to talk about. And also, a muscular old person whose a good fighter despite his disability.
As much as he want to call it absurd, isn't his world already is?
Spotting the guy sitting down on a chair he pulled up, a crane accompanied him alongside Gun and Goo on his sight. Even though he doesn't like the guy nor wanted to hear the continue rant of a former CEO, Min Joon deduced that walking out would likely arous some unnecessary suspicion. So, he shut his mouth and quietly listen to the following conversation.
"Mr. Jang using a false contract to force a nude photoshoot. I can't allow you to do these dangerous things anymore as I have a 30% share!" He told him. "Do you know how much the stock dropped because of this nude story? I trusted you, and now where is my 30% investment?"
"You fool! That's only temporary! The nude photo was only to pressure her to stay, not to sell!" the CEO argued. "Just put out an article addressing the rumors and it will recover!"
True, but that pressure thing was a freaking lie. Min Joon recognised how often corrupted people would try to justify their actions. This man, who tried to justify his actions for company's sakes, was filled with too much greed to the point of annoying.
"But how are you gonna kick me out of the company with only 30% when I own 40%?! Adding my people's shares gives me an additional 15%, so you can't kick me out with a 55% share!"
Mr. Choi, with a relatable bored expression, asked him a question. "So, your people have 15%? Are you sure of that?"
"Of course! My people wouldn't betray me!"
"There's a guy who recently brought 10%."
The man paused a bit before scowling, "What? No way!"
"I'm sorry, sir." someone spoked before coming into the picture. It was none other than DG, who told him that he will use his 10% share from his contract for Charles's side. When asked why he would betray him, he replied that he was on his side in the first place.
Seeing him standing near Charles was quite a foreshadowing moment for Min Joon. Especially knowing the history behind it thanks to the manhwa. If only the rants of the former CEO didn't caused much interruption to his brain any further.
"I still have 45% and you only have 40%!" Mr. Jang sneered, bringing a single problem within their plan of takeover.
"Right but thanks to this nude shoot scandal, the share price have collapsed." DG responded to him, putting him in his place. "It had become dirt cheap, so I brought another 10%. Therefore, the chairman and I own more than enough to be the major shareholders. Mr. Jang, you are dismissed as a delegate."
Seconds past before Mr. Jang started begging DG to turn over to his side, offering a better position than the CEO could ever do. But no matter what he does, the writing was on the wall for the clear winner.
"A better offer? Well, the chairman will make me the next company head. Will you reture with some dignity or be forcefully out pathetically due to corruption?"
A final blow to Mr. Jang, who passed out with foam in his mouth from the shock of that statement. It was inevitable for someone like him, not he cared about his existence anyway. At least his rants won't drive him insane anymore. Good riddance.
Looking around his surroudings, there were a lot of things happening that it became easy to get lost within the chaos. For example, Daniel tried to strike a conversation with DG, which the latter rejected before stating he will find him when the time is right. He then left on those words, which Min Joon let his classmate figure out for himself.
Meanwhile, he noticed Goo and Vasco talking to each other. He couldn't hear their conversation since they were far from him, but the dialogue from the manhwa helped him fill in the blank. He still find it funny that the training routine Goo suggested to him back in middle school was a direct copy of Saitama's routine from One Punch Man. It was even funnier when Goo lazily suggested him to double the routine.
But hey, it will work out for him anyway. So that's...that.
Other than those two moments, there wasn't much to write home about. Aru were talking with Lasol and Oliver, Crystal and Daniel had an awkward stare together with Charles looking tired and cold, Joy and Duke doing...something, and the poor sponsor trying to wake the dethroned CEO up.
Speaking of Charles, Min Joon choose not to stare at him. Letting his hatred for the man leak through his face ain't gonna clear up any potential suspicion. I mean, who wouldn't hate him after knowing his actions? Too bad his appearance as a handsome grandpa leave him no suspicion like lookism does.
Best to not let his hatred get to him. He'll get his commeuppance one day.
With all of those chaos out of way, he decided to call up someone on his phone. He plugged his earphones into them before waiting for the person to pick up.
"Min Joon, didn't expect you to call me. Where were you? The others said your class left in a hurry."
Letting out a sigh, he decided to drop a bombshell on the marketing head. A bombshell he was holding onto for weeks. A bombshell that felt relieving since he could finally drop it at this exact timing.
...
"Miss, I quit."
(credit to @spaceyflowersart on Tumblr)
Notes:
updating after 3 months of inactivity here. hopefully y'all don't get mad at me :)
Mij (Guest) on Chapter 4 Wed 17 Jul 2024 05:34AM UTC
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