Reality Quest: Lookism

Siyeon stood with arms crossed, her gaze locked onto Dowan like a judge deliberating a lost cause. "Is this really what you consider wearable?" she asked, her tone flat but cutting.

Dowan fidgeted with the hem of his oversized shirt. "It's just casual..."

"It's terrible." she replied, blunt as ever.

I returned to the scene with a bored expression, hands shoved into my pockets. "Enough lecturing. Let's go to the mall." I said, brushing past them.

They both looked at me in surprise.

"You clearly need help." I added, pointing at Dowan's unfortunate outfit. Then, I smirked. "And I've got a suit to buy."

....

At the mall, Siyeon ruthlessly sifted through racks of clothes, throwing outfits at Dowan with the efficiency of someone who wasn't here to waste time.

"Try this."

"No, this."

"Burn that."

Dowan stumbled around, holding a growing pile of clothes, his attempts to protest drowned by Siyeon's relentless critiques.

Meanwhile, I wandered into the formal section, my eyes scanning through the racks until I spotted it. A sleek black three-piece suit that looked like something straight out of a mafia movie.

"Perfect." I muttered, beckoning a clerk.

"How much is this?"

"500,000 won." the clerk replied with a professional smile.

I froze for a second. 'Five hundred thousand won? That's highway robbery!'

Still, I pulled out the cash Siyeon gave me and paid, grumbling internally about the bullies I'd need to rob later to make up for it. After putting the suit on in the fitting room, I stepped out, feeling like a million bucks.

Well, almost. The suit was a little big, the sleeves hanging past my wrists and the pants pooling at my ankles. I rolled the ends, trying to salvage what I could.

I approached Dowan and Siyeon. Dowan was now wearing a horrendous combination of a shiny leather jacket and pants that looked like they belonged on a 90s pop idol.

"Ugly." I said, gesturing at Dowan with no hesitation.

Both of them turned to me. Siyeon raised a brow, her lips twitching slightly in what might've been amusement. "And you look like a kid playing dress-up." she said in her usual calm, detached tone.

My smirk faltered. "Tch. Whatever." I turned away, muttering to myself.

After leaving the mall, Dowan invited Siyeon to grab a meal. She accepted with a small nod, and I, of course, tagged along.

The day passed with stops at a restaurant, the cinema, and a café. Dowan stumbled through most of it, trying to make small talk and impress Siyeon, while she gave polite but curt responses.

I stayed in the background, chilling and occasionally throwing in a sarcastic comment to break the tension.

At karaoke, Dowan's attempts to woo Siyeon hit their peak, with him belting out off-key love ballads. Siyeon sipped her drink quietly, showing little reaction except for the occasional glance in my direction whenever Dowan's singing got too unbearable.

....

The day culminated at the arcade, where Dowan finally saw his chance. A quest window had appeared for him:

[Quest: Impress the Lady]

He straightened up, his confidence seemingly boosted. Turning to Siyeon, he smiled. "Let me show you something cool."

She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable, but she didn't object.

Dowan scanned the room before locking eyes on me. "Jin!" he called out.

I raised a brow. "What?"

"Let's have a match." he said, gesturing toward one of the racing games.

I smirked. "You want to challenge me? Alright, bring it on."

We sat down at the machines, the screens lighting up as we picked our cars.

The race started, and Dowan immediately took the lead, his focus sharper than I'd ever seen. Meanwhile, I fumbled with the controls, the game's mechanics somehow slipping through my fingers.

"Eat my dust!" Dowan shouted, laughing triumphantly as his car crossed the finish line miles ahead of mine.

I leaned back in my seat, arms crossed. "Beginner's luck."

Dowan stood up, beaming. "I'm gonna go cash in my rewards." he said confidently, heading toward Siyeon.

I watched him walk away and shook my head. "That kid has a long way to go." I muttered. Then, I turned to Siyeon, who was quietly observing the scene. "So, how much longer are you planning to waste my time?"

She met my gaze, her expression calm as always. "For today, you're with me."

I sighed, shoving my hands in my pockets. "You better make it worth it." I said, walking toward the next game.

....

Dowan returned triumphantly, holding the small plush prizes he had won at the arcade. His chest puffed out slightly as he called out, "Siyeon! Look what I got for you!"

Before Siyeon could respond, a hand roughly grabbed Dowan by the head, pulling him back with a yank.

"Who are you to call Si-yeon's name all friendly like that?" The voice was sharp and dripping with arrogance. Dowan yelped as the guy tightened his grip on his hair.

"AH! My hair! My hair roots! Hair loss!" Dowan screamed, his voice echoing through the arcade. His legs flailed as he tried to escape the iron grip, but the guy's hold didn't waver.

Jin stood a few feet away, leaning casually against a game machine. He watched the spectacle unfold with mild amusement, not moving an inch to help, one hand casually in his pocket while his other absentmindedly scratched his nose.

The man gripping Dowan's head was Kang Se-hoon, dressed in a flashy athletic tracksuit, tattoos peeking out from his sleeves. Two girls stood beside him, giggling as Se-hoon yanked Dowan around like a toy.

"Who is this kid?" Se-hoon asked, smirking as Dowan struggled. "Some wannabe hero?"

Dowan stammered, unable to form a coherent response. Before he could say anything, Siyeon's voice rang out, sharp and cutting.

"He's my boyfriend. Take your hands off him, Kang Se-hoon."

Se-hoon and Dowan froze for a moment, caught off guard. "Boyfriend!?" they both shouted in shock as they looked back at Siyeon.

Her expression remained calm, her arms crossed as she stared him down. "I said, let go of him."

Se-hoon blinked in surprise, then let go of Dowan, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright." he said, stepping back.

Dowan collapsed to the ground, rubbing his head and panting heavily.

Jin crouched beside Dowan, his sharp eyes gleaming with mischief. "Hey, Dowan."

Dowan looked up, his face red with embarrassment and frustration.

"You're just gonna let some guy bitch you around like that?" Jin asked, his tone dripping with mockery. "What happened to all that confidence from earlier?"

"I-I…" Dowan stuttered, avoiding Jin's gaze.

"Pathetic." Jin smirked, shaking his head as he stood back up.

Se-hoon, having overheard Jin's words, narrowed his eyes and turned toward him. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

Jin glanced at him, unfazed. "Just someone who doesn't need to announce himself to guys like you."

The tension hung thick in the air as Se-hoon's narrowed his eyes, but Siyeon stepped forward, cutting off whatever retort he was about to make. "We're leaving."

She grabbed Dowan by the wrist, pulling him to his feet. Jin followed behind them, hands in his pockets, whistling a tune as if nothing had happened.

Se-hoon watched them leave, his frown never leaving his face, but there was a flicker of irritation in his eyes. "This isn't over." he muttered.

----

1233 words.

I hated writing about the canon details but they were necessary to introduce Se hoon.

Okay now It's time to diverge and fuck up everything.