| Original Chap— Lookism ep. 26 |
Ep. 23 Fight part 2

"Nice try man" You smirked before glaring up at him "But I'm not going to be beat twice"

As soon as these words left your mouth the guy immediately shot you a frown. Gun changed his footing quickly as he jumps back, knowing that it was dangerous to be standing in arms reach of you at the moment. He didn't know who you were, or what you're capable of.

And it wasn't bad to be weary.

He adjusts his glasses as Daniel and the pretty rich lady watched with nervous anticipation, wondering what was going through your mind. You, however, just straightened your back as you tilt your head around, cracking any joint or tight muscle in the process. 

"Personally little girl, as much as I'd like to go all out on you, I have to listen to the one who's paying me." Gun states before stalking towards your direction. "But—"

"— You shouldn't get too cocky punk"

You only continued to stretch out your back and shoulders, cracking your knuckles too.

"If anybody touches you— I have to crush them" Gun states dryly as he looks at you, furrowing his brows when he saw you doing knee to chest exercises.

"Hey glasses"

"I saw everything you punk" Vasco glowered, his first gripping the milk carton in his hands tightly.

"Whew- Who are you. Their friend?" Gun whistles, looking at Vasco up and down. He was a bit impressed with Vasco's physique, for a high schooler he could easily past as a kid to late twenty something.

"Yeah" Vasco began before jabbing a thumb at his chest proudly, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks "I'm their best friend"

You stood up straight as you felt completely relieved and loosened up. Not really paying attention to any dialogue at this point.

"So don't mess with her. Or you mess with me" Vasco winds up his arm as he glared down Gun.

As Gun completely knocked Vasco square in the face, Gun smirked.

But it was soon wiped off when he felt a sudden impact on his rib cage, making him cough out violently before he hit the pavement shoulder first. Immediately jumping and pinning down the fallen man, your fist winded back you aimed for the side of Gun's temples, your eyes were wide with a murderous glint in them.

Crystal screamed.

In the last second before you could absolutely rock glasses boys ever living world, your instincts screamed for you to jump off and dodge.

So you did just that, noticing the wind of Gun's punch passing the tip of your chin as you kicked off of him. You watch Gun coughing, and basically foaming at the mouth as he shot a haunting glare at you.

"You fucking brat. I'm gonna kill you."

Vasco was the first to step in front of you, his eyes determined as his large build shielded you from Gun. You wiped the spit off your bottom lip, hunching over as your arms hung by your side lazily.

You straightened your back, head tilting up as you smirked down at the weapon named adult.

"I'd like to see you try, pussy." You spat out as Daniel snaps out of his pure shock. His breathing was irregular as he watched the fast paced fight that happened in front of his eyes, he noted every move, moment and even breath that happened between the both of you.

Memorizing it for later, Daniel decides to run over to your side, grabbing your arm as he quickly ushers you two to just quit it and run.

The atmosphere was getting a little too dangerous as he could only watch in pure anxiety as Gun staggered to his feet, a loose gelled hair falling from his perfect dome as he ignored the throbbing pain on his rib cage.

"Gun! I order you to stop right now!" Crystal shouts, "If you don't my father will be hearing about this! Do you want to lose your position to Goo?"

Gun only spits at the ground, eyes dangerous as he grunts. "Tch."

'Is nobody gonna say anything.' You thought as the thought of a human being named Goo just echoed in your head a couple of times.

Gun looks at Crystal for a second before his muscles relaxed a bit. He turns back to you. "You." His eyes locked with yours "If I see you again, you're dead."

You stuck out your tongue at him, which earned another vein popping at the surface of his forehead. But you saw him take a breath before he continues, "Fuck it. I have to study for my GED Test anyways, can't lose anymore brain cells on a bitch."

... Wait, this grown ass man is a teenager?

As Gun walks away, Crystal sighs, glad she was able to intervene before he got too serious. It would be bad, especially if Gun decided to actually beat up a girl, which she couldn't put it past him. Gun was one of the more barbaric guards along with Goo. Jeez, she really needed to get them to fix that violent behavior of theirs.

As Crystal turns her back to walk to her expensive ass luxury car, Daniel suddenly remembers something, and reaching out he shouts. "Wait!"

Crystal pauses as the chauffeur had already opened the door for her.

"I meant what I said before! I can't do the date with you." Daniel spoke confidently "I'll try to pay you back, all that money you bid—"

"Save your breath." Crystal seethes, "That money was nothing, just forget about."

'Damn, wish I could say that about a hundred thousand won.' You thought to yourself before dusting off your shirt. As you watched her get in the car and driving away.

'I guess... that was solved?' Daniel thought with a confused poker face, he felt somewhat rejected before Vasco's voice perked up loudly.

"Y/N?!" He had shouted as Daniel whips his head to turn around to see you blood trickling down your nose.

"?" You were equally confused as you felt the warm fluid run down your philtrum and onto your lips. You touched the blood gingerly as you pulled back to examine it.

'That bastard... If he had hit me...' Your mind wandered off, imagining the gruesome outcome as you subconsciously licked the blood.

"Hey, tilt your head back!" Daniel said worriedly as he softly touched your neck.

"Do you need a first aid kit?! I'll carry you to the nurses office!" Vasco said equally panicky before his head started to throb.

"Ew, blood tastes gross." You spat as you stuck your tongue out to blow a Raspberry.

"Vasco?" Daniel whispered out as he was still by your side. You only turned your head towards him as you held the handkerchief Daniel gave you to your nose.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asks out to Vasco as you looked down at him.

"W-Who was the one in the glasses?" He asked you, you took notice of Vasco's eyes— a glint of some sort of emotion you couldn't describe was running through them.

"W-We don't know" Daniel answers truthfully.

"I-I can't possibly defeat that guy" Vasco says as he looks down, a dark shadow covering his eyes as you knew that look. It was that looming danger anime character shadow over the eye thing. Means shit is gonna go down or something. "I barely even processed it when he almost struck Y/N in the head. And I knew he was holding back on that punch he gave me too..."

Vasco's head throbs even more as he clenched his teeth, he was lucky his nose wasn't broken, but for some reason. Even with Vasco's thick skull and strong bones, that punch that was clearly not even a hundred percent of his full strength, had gotten to him.

"I-I'm... just too weak."

...

"Dumbass."

This caught Vasco and Daniel by surprise, they both looked up at you.

Busy with wiping your nose down, you only yawned before saying the next following words.

"You aren't weak. Sure your reflexes could use improving. And relying on your thick skull of yours was kinda dumb. But with all the words I can describe you as, weak is definitely not the first thing I thought of."

Vasco was taken aback from the rapid insults as well as what he thought was a compliment at the end. He just stayed baffled as you placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a nod of acknowledgement, similar to what a father would do to his kid when they would accomplish something.

"Thanks for standing up for the both of us." You finally said, "Best Friend."

Daniel was frozen, he couldn't say anything. Yes, he felt a bit of jealousy bubbling inside of him because of how you were clinging onto Vasco but at the same time... He held his head down as his hair shadows his eyes; not able to even look at the scene anymore.

Vasco still held his shocked look, before his face softens. He shakily spreads out his arms— wanting to go in for a hug but he immediately tensed. He pauses before retracting away from you, just accepting the moment.

"No problem, best friend." Vasco repeats those words on his tongue before he grinned even wider. "Best friend... Best friend..." He repeats, getting more thrilled as he spoke.

'Y/N... and Daniel... Are my Best Friends.' He thinks excitedly, holding his hands down in his lap as he smiles stupidly to himself, blushing a hue of light pink.

"Oh!" Vasco suddenly spoke up before pocketing through his sweats and taking out a chocolate milk carton.

You only looked at the milk with a strange look as he hands it to you.

"I- I found it on the street." He lied through his teeth with a blush tinting his cheeks, he was unable to hold any further eye contact with you as he only looks away. "Y-You can have it now, since we're friends."

"Nice." You nodded as you smiled down at the drink, "I'm kinda thirsty I guess."

"Remember our d-date alright?" Vasco stutters in the middle of his sentence.

"Ok, ok" You nod, before Daniel's head snaps up.

"What?!" Daniel grabs onto your sleeve as you reactively slapped his hand off you.

This caught him off guard once again, his eyes widens as he retracted his hand back with a stunned look.

You bit your bottom lip before it hits you, "We're gonna be late to the performance!" You stood up immediately as you started to run off.

Daniel, who was still taken a back, only glared at Vasco who just gave him an innocent confused look, he held another carton of milk in his hand.

"Wait Daniel—" Vasco spoke up "Here I got you some milk too if you like"

Daniel sees Vasco tossing the carton to him, gently. It was an easy catch, anybody with basic reflexes could've caught it. But for some reason Daniel only merely stayed still, letting the carton fall to the floor like trash.

Vasco's eyes widen a bit when he saw Daniel make no attempt of even picking it back up.

"Ah sorry!" Daniel smiles, hands up in the air, "I don't like that kind of milk."

Vasco stays quiet for a second before breathing out a, "...Really?"

"Yeah, plus milk that you found on the street isn't healthy for you. I could get a stomachache. That would be bad for the performance." Daniel said with a sickly sweet smile, Vasco's mouth dropped slightly. The way Daniel flashed his pearly whites at him radiated everything but friendliness. Even if it looked like he was just being honest about his feelings.

It wasn't hard to pick up the animosity Daniel was conveying, and Vasco had to admit— it was absolutely spine chilling.

Daniel starts jogging away, following where you went as Vasco only sat back. Looking at the splattered chocolate milk that seeped into the ground of the parking lot. He watched Daniel's retreating figure, and he suddenly notices a strange detail about him. Daniel's hands were curled up tightly. And even if Vasco couldn't see Daniel's face right now, he had a pretty good idea on what Daniel's expression looked like.

'...'
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The crowd goes whistled as they clapped for the people on stage. "Ooh!" "Awesome!"

"Okay! That was a great performance from the vocal and dance department!" The announcer yells into his mic "That was a duet by Vin Jin and Jeong Gi!"

"Ooh!"
"Sick!"
"Holy-"
"Vocal and dance are the bomb"
"Jung be careful with that sorta language!"
"We're not in America you dingus"
"Oh yea"

'Hoohoo' Vin thinks as he squats down for a second, his legs aching as he finished the dance routine, sweat just dripping down his temples like there was no tomorrow 'I'm fucking tired'

The highlight of the festival had just started.

Now things are really heating up.

Behind the frenetic stage...

"A collaboration of both Vocal and dance with fashion!" The announcer speaks.

"Lets go Daniel! Y/N!" Duke shouts at the both of you.

"Vocal and dance again?"
"Someone from the Fashion Dept?"
"Who it be?"
"Hey go up!"

You looked at Duke's clothing, he was awfully fashionable today— with a black, slimming long sleeve shirt and a silver chain hanging on his neck. He wore golden rings all across his fingers as he gelled up his hair.

Made you feel a bit bad that you didn't really try with your outfit, I mean, you just kinda wore a jacket over your uniform.

"You guys just sing naturally alright?" Duke instructs. "Alright? Daniel and Y/N?"

"Okay, got it." Daniel smiles as he appears out of nowhere behind you, wearing a white cap that was worn backwards. He wore his usual school uniform with it too because he didn't have much time to change.

You heard hundreds of students outside cheering for us to go up there. Seeing Daniel being nervous you pat his shoulder  before passing him and Duke as you began walking up the small staircase to the stage.

"Follow behind me" You said without turning back. The look of admiration were evident on both their faces as they mustered up the courage to follow.

"Okay come on out! Daniel Park, Y/N L/N, and Duke Pyeon!" The overhead speakers roared as everybody cheered.

This bold text is supposed to tell you how excited and brave I'm feeling right?

You walked up to the stage as your eyes trailed over to the large crowd of students as you ascended up the stairs.

But truthfully...

You saw hundreds of students. Packed down like ants just feet away yourself. The loud screaming and the echoes of their voices were enough to make you go deaf.

You faked a confident look and kept your head high enough so nobody can see the dread filling in your eyes. Silently hoping you can just fake it until the jittering in your stomach disappears.

I want to throw up.