Chapter 15: Promise
I want to remind everyone that the story won't focus only on Daniel, let it be clear as this is a Lookism What If, so i will write about the other characters as well sometimes follow the canon but showing the changes thanks to Daniel.
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(Wednesday, April 24, 2024 – 8:02 AM)
The day at J High was mostly the same, with students going through their lessons while the usual conversations and side chatter filled the classroom. Doo Lee, who usually spent his time messing around with his friends, kept sneaking glances at Daniel.
He had been watching him ever since the first day, and one thing was clear, Daniel wasn't normal. Strong, calm, and completely unbothered by anything. Even Mary Kim had failed to throw him, and Vin, the loudest guy in school, got completely ignored.
Doo respected that.
After class, he finally decided to approach him. He walked over with his usual grin, but his tone was more genuine than usual. "Hey, Daniel. We're having a little get-together after school. You should come."
Daniel looked at him.
"I don't associate with bullies."
Doo froze. The class went quiet. Even his own friends stopped talking, their attention now locked onto the scene.
Daniel didn't stop there. He leaned back in his chair, glancing at Doo's nervous face before adding, "I also don't smoke. And I'm not interested."
Doo swallowed hard. The rejection stung, and the way Daniel spoke so casually, as if dismissing him entirely, made it worse. He laughed awkwardly, raising his hands in surrender before backing off and returning to his seat.
Lunchtime came, and Daniel was at his usual table, chilling with Zack, Jay, Mira, and Zoe. The conversation was lighthearted, with Zoe teasing Zack about something dumb he had said earlier. Daniel wasn't really paying attention, though.
His eyes were fixed across the cafeteria.
A familiar scene was unfolding.
Vin Jin, as loud and obnoxious as always, was standing over a chubby guy in a tracksuit and a cap. Duke Pyeon.
[Image]
Daniel recognized him immediately.
In the original story, Vin bullied Duke constantly because of one simple fact, Duke was better at rapping than him. Jealousy. That was all it took for Vin to harass him every chance he got.
Daniel tapped Zack's shoulder. "Who's that?" He already knew, but he wanted to hear Zack's answer.
"That's Duke. He's in the practical music department." Zack took a bite of his food before adding, "Vin gives him a hard time 'cause Duke's actually got talent."
Daniel nodded, already making up his mind.
He stood up.
Zack raised a brow. "Where you going?"
Daniel didn't answer. He walked across the cafeteria, his steps were slow and deliberate, until he stood right in front of Duke.
The table went silent.
Vin, still mid-rant, turned and looked Daniel up and down. "What the fuck do you want?"
Daniel didn't answer immediately. His eyes scanned Vin from head to toe with his expression shifting from neutral to something close to disappointment.
Then he shook his head.
Vin's brow twitched. "The hell was that?"
Daniel sighed. "I'm just disappointed."
Vin's scowl deepened. "Disappointed? In what?"
"You."
Daniel turned around and started walking away, completely dismissing Vin's existence.
Vin stood frozen for a second, caught between anger and confusion. He had expected a confrontation, maybe even a fight, but Daniel? He just looked down on him and walked away.
Something about that pissed him off more than anything.
Still, the moment was gone. With Daniel no longer paying him attention, Vin lost interest in bullying Duke and stormed off.
Duke, who had been sitting stiff the entire time, let out a breath of relief. He glanced toward Daniel, his expression was filled with both confusion and gratitude.
....
The rest of the school day passed without much incident, and by the time the final bell rang, classes were over. Students gathered their things, some heading to after-school clubs while others rushed to leave the building.
Daniel packed his bag with his mind already shifting to his own schedule.
Training. Drawing. Growth.
The day wasn't over yet for him.
....
(9:47 PM)
The karaoke room was dimly lit, filled with the heavy scent of alcohol and smoke. Doo Lee and his friends lounged around the table, laughing loudly, bottles scattered across the surface. The air was thick with the sharp bite of cigarettes, the occasional ember glowing in the low light.
Zack Lee sat among them, a cigarette resting between his fingers, its tip burning faintly. He inhaled, letting the smoke sit in his lungs before exhaling slowly. He wasn't much of a drinker, but smoking? That was different. It helped him think. It gave him something to focus on, something steady.
But tonight, he had been drinking too. More than usual.
The liquor warmed his throat, numbed his senses. His usual sharpness dulled as the time stretched on, the weight in his limbs making him slump further into his seat. His cigarette burned low, the ash tipping over onto the tray beside him.
Doo smirked, nudging him. "Damn, Zack. You're getting all soft on us."
Zack exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly, but he didn't deny it. The alcohol was making him too comfortable, too relaxed.
Then, things went south.
At the next table, a group of older guys sat watching. Gangsters, they had been eyeing them for a while with their annoyance of Zack group noise increasing. Maybe it was Zack's presence, maybe it was just bad luck, but one of them finally spoke up.
"Hey punks, stop making noise!"
The words cut through the background noise, and the room went still.
Doo's group turned, their laughter dying as irritation set in. Zack, drunk and slower than usual, flicked his cigarette into the tray and stood up.
"You got a problem?" His voice was steady, but his stance was off. Too loose.
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Name: Zack Lee
Height: 180 cm
Drunk
Strength: |-{D}
Speed: |-{D}
Potential: |-{A}
Intelligence: |-{D}
Endurance: |-{C}
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The gangsters chuckled. One of them leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Yeah, I do. You look like a dumbass trying too hard to act tough."
Doo reached out, trying to grab Zack's wrist. "Yo, let it go, man."
But Zack wasn't listening. The alcohol made everything seem farther away, and his usual instincts were blurred.
Before he could react, the first punch landed.
A fist to his ribs, knocking the breath out of him.
He staggered with his vision blurring for a second. Another hit. Then another.
Zack swung back, but his movements were sloppy. The gangsters were faster, stronger, and completely sober. Within moments, he was on the floor, coughing, his cigarette crushed beneath his hand.
Doo and the others jumped in, trying to stop it, but it was already over.
Someone pulled out their phone. "Call Mira."
(10:15 PM)
When Mira Kim arrived, she didn't hesitate. She stormed through the door as her dark eyes locking onto Zack immediately.
[Image]
He was a mess, his face bruised, his knuckles scraped, his shirt slightly torn. He was slumped against the couch, one arm resting on his knee, a cigarette still barely hanging between his fingers.
The sight of him like this, beaten, drunk, completely out of it, sent a sharp wave of anger and worry through her.
She marched straight up to him, her hands clenched into fists. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Zack didn't respond immediately. He blinked up at her, his movements were still sluggish. The alcohol was still in his system, making everything feel slow.
Mira turned to Doo and his group. "And you idiots just let this happen?"
Doo rubbed the back of his head, avoiding her gaze. "It got outta hand, alright? We tried-"
"I don't care." Her voice was ice cold. "Zack isn't hanging out with you anymore."
Zack's head lifted slightly at that, his bleary eyes narrowing.
"Mira-"
"No." She cut him off, stepping closer. "I mean it, Zack. This isn't you. Getting drunk? Fighting for no reason? Hanging out with losers like them?" She shot a glare at Doo's group. "You're better than this."
Zack felt something twist in his chest.
She wasn't just angry.
She was disappointed.
"I don't want to see you like this again." she continued, her voice quieter now. "And I don't want you wasting your time with people who drag you down."
"Promise to me that you won't fight."
Doo tensed but stayed silent.
Zack stared at her for a long moment, then exhaled a slow breath.
"…Alright." He said quietly.
Mira held his gaze, making sure he meant it.
Then, without another word, she reached down and snatched the cigarette from his fingers, crushing it on the plate.
She grabbed his arm, pulling him up.
Doo and his friends watched in silence as they walked out.
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I know it wasn't exiting, it was boring writing this chapter but it's necessary for Zack development and i also wanted to show the butterflies of Daniel absence.
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