The bell rang, marking the end of class. Byeoto stretched a little, and when he turned toward Dowoon, he thought about talking to him.
"Hey, Dowoon, could you show me a quick tour…?" he managed to say.
But before he could finish the sentence, a group of classmates surrounded him. Mostly girls. Lots of girls. In an instant he was completely encircled and overwhelmed by questions.
"Which school did you come from?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"How old are you?"
"Your hair is so pretty!"
"Where do you live?"
Byeoto opened his mouth to answer, but caught sight of Dowoon slipping out of the classroom almost running.
Do I seriously have to deal with this? he thought, frowning. Is my appearance really that eye-catching?
He took a deep breath, forcing a smile.
"Ahem… one at a time, please…"
And so, between laughter, questions, bright eyes, and nonstop comments, he spent several minutes trapped in a small social storm he never asked for.
...
He finally got free. He searched for the most secluded place possible. He ate in silence, or at least tried to. Everything felt more… suffocating than he imagined.
While chewing, he heard noises in the distance. Mocking and laughter. He lifted his head and, curious, peeked his body from behind a column.
A group of students who looked like thugs had surrounded Lee Dowoon, who was kneeling while receiving blows to the face.
"Hahahaha! What is this shitty hair?"
"Look at him, always with that idiot smile…"
Dowoon kept smiling. A kind smile, trembling, but sincere.
Byeoto clicked his tongue.
"It's true he's kind… but that's exactly why he's an easy target," he murmured.
Then he heard footsteps behind him. He turned slightly, seeing students approaching, smoking and chatting.
One looked at him with an arrogant expression.
"Hey, who are you? Haven't seen you around."
Another crossed his arms and added,
"This is our spot, you know? If you want to stay here, you have to pay a fee."
Seeing that Byeoto didn't respond, the third burst into laughter.
"What's wrong, pretty boy? Got a problem?"
And without warning, he spat on the bread Byeoto was eating.
The atmosphere turned dark instantly.
Byeoto lowered the contaminated bread, took a deep breath, and said with a grim face,
"Piece of shit…"
With a quick movement, he grabbed him by the neck. With the other hand, he took the bread and shoved it into his mouth before slamming his face against the wall.
The others flinched, stepping back a little.
But Byeoto turned his body and kicked the guy straight in the stomach. The thug fell to his knees, breathless.
The third one froze. Byeoto struck his solar plexus with a sharp kick that left him kneeling and agonizing.
Byeoto crouched in front of him and smiled.
"Don't be a weak bitch, I didn't hit you that hard."
He extended his hand.
The thug swallowed, confused.
A slap echoed loudly. The boy's face was marked by the palm.
"Are you stupid? Give me money," Byeoto ordered.
Trembling, the thug took out some bills and handed them over.
Byeoto took them calmly.
He stood up, but barely put the money away when a voice shouted from behind.
"What happened here?!"
"Who's that idiot?"
It was the same thugs who had been intimidating Dowoon.
Byeoto looked at them with annoyance.
"Enjoying the view?" he asked sarcastically.
One put out his cigarette and said,
"Hey, you think you can pull shit like this and walk around like nothing?"
The other two glared at him, advancing with bad intentions.
Byeoto let out a small laugh.
"Man… do I look like a weak bitch? Like you?"
The thugs tensed up, ready to fight.
Byeoto didn't give them time.
He ran toward them, jumped, and kicked the first one in the face. He landed firmly, spun, and threw a right punch straight into the second one's liver.
The third tried to back away, but Byeoto struck his solar plexus with a dry kick that left him breathless.
The three dropped, writhing on the ground.
Byeoto felt a gaze and turned.
Dowoon was there, nervous, not knowing what to say.
Byeoto narrowed his eyes.
Now that I think about it… doesn't this guy copy attacks? Could he copy what I just…?
But seeing him, with that kind and confused expression, all those thoughts vanished.
Byeoto let out a small smile.
"You gonna stand there? Let's go. I'm hungry."
He stood next to Byeoto, slightly nervous, but with a small smile. Together they walked away from the area, leaving the students lying on the ground, moving toward the exit of the yard.
As they walked outside the area, Byeoto glanced sideways at Dowoon. The boy walked with small steps, holding his arm timidly, the weak smile still on his face, as if nothing had happened.
Byeoto frowned.
Even if I didn't want to save him, if you can call it that, it didn't bother me to have company. After all, I spent a lot of time with bad company, idiots, but this guy is good, I guess that's… comforting.
But even then, in Dowoon there was something… uncomfortably familiar. Including the inability to defend himself.
Hmph… family problems, bullying… He had seen it before. He had even lived it before.
And he remembered the death, that blow to the back of the neck, the final humiliation. The same type of guy. I'd say we're pretty similar in that sense.
I guess that's why it bothers me to see him like that…, he murmured in his mind.
Byeoto looked ahead and sighed.
Besides… if I remember correctly, this guy is rich, right? Meaning… he's like a walking ATM.
The thought made him smile with barely visible satisfaction.
"Well," Byeoto said with a lighter tone as they kept walking, "do those idiots always bother you like that?"
Dowoon lifted his head, surprised.
"Ah… well… only sometimes."
"Aha. By the way, have you eaten?" Byeoto asked, shrugging.
Dowoon shook his head immediately.
"N-no…"
"Then let's hurry before class starts. Come on."
Together they walked farther and farther from the area, leaving the thugs lying on the ground.
Byeoto, hands in his pockets, thought with an inner smile,
"Free food, here I come."
.....
The cafeteria was half empty.
Byeoto dropped onto a chair, crossing his arms with shameless confidence. "So, what are you gonna order for me?" he asked without an ounce of shame.
Dowoon looked at him in surprise. "Huh? I… I just came to keep you company. I wasn't planning on eating."
"Oh yeah? Well now you are, didn't you say you hadn't eaten?" Byeoto smirked, as if he had decided for him. "If we're together, we eat together. And you pay. Think of it as a thank you for handling your bullies."
Dowoon opened his mouth to say something, but ended up scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I… wasn't planning on eating, but… okay, I guess…"
Then he got up and came back with food. They started eating in silence, until Byeoto, out of nowhere, asked,
"By the way… I heard rumors about someone named Seung Taehun. Who is he?"
He asked to confirm what part of the story he was in at that moment, although he already suspected that he wasn't friends with Dowoon yet, otherwise, they wouldn't be picking on him.
The question made Dowoon almost choke. He got more nervous and answered softly,
"I suggest you don't get involved with him. He's a taekwondo enthusiast… and a sadist. He hits for no reason. It's a fact he's definitely the strongest in this high school."
Byeoto raised an eyebrow, chewing calmly while watching Dowoon talk.
"The strongest, huh?" he murmured. "Well, considering the level of the guys in this place, it's not surprising, but still, I'd like to see what level this taekwondo genius has."
Dowoon looked at him nervously. "No, seriously… Taehun isn't like the others you beat up." Feeling Byeoto's gaze, Dowoon lowered his head and spoke even softer. "No one has ever walked away unharmed."
Byeoto let out a dry chuckle, resting his elbow on the table. "That would only make it more fun to fight him."
Dowoon's eyes widened. "Fun? Are you crazy? That guy could kill you!"
Byeoto stared at him with a crooked smile. "You wouldn't understand. Fighting is pretty addictive, and that guy is strong. Isn't that a good opportunity to improve?"
Dowoon lowered his gaze, tightening his chopsticks between his fingers. "Improve… at what cost? That just sounds like unnecessary trouble…"
Byeoto laughed briefly and kept eating, wearing a mocking smile. "And you, why don't you try it? I mean, defending yourself."
Dowoon fell silent, uncomfortable. He knew Byeoto said it jokingly, but deep down he also knew it was impossible; he wanted to be a good kid for his parents, without making things complicated for his family.
The rest of the day passed without incidents. At the end of school, Byeoto said goodbye to Dowoon and went to buy groceries. He walked with bags in his hands, thinking about what he could do to make money without having to rob thugs.
As he walked through the supermarket aisles, he noticed some girls looking at him, repeatedly. That made him smile with a strange feeling.
"Tch… in this world, the face decides everything, huh?" he thought bitterly.
In Lookism, appearance was a currency… a door wide open for some and an impossible wall for others.
Before having his current body, those glances he was getting now didn't exist. The only ones he knew were looks of disgust or rejection. Looks that made you feel like trash.
And while he walked, he realized something. Maybe his current appearance was an advantage he had never used… or never even considered.
As he left the store, he stopped in front of a lit-up sign. On it was an idol, smiling kindly and surrounded by bright lights.
Byeoto touched his chin, thoughtful.
"An idol, huh?" he murmured with a smile.