Reality Quest: Lookism

Pls stones 😩.

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The sound of the evening breeze drifted through the open window as I lay sprawled on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been a few days since I returned from the mountain, but the scolding I'd received from my parents still echoed in my ears.

"You disappear for days, and you don't even call us?" Mother had shouted, her hands on her hips. "We thought you got kidnapped!"

Father, usually the quiet one, had chimed in, his tone unusually stern. "You need to grow up, Jin. This behavior isn't funny."

I had nodded sheepishly, taking their words without much protest. It wasn't like I could tell them the truth, Hey Mom, Dad, I spent 30 days in a jungle punching tigers and eating leaves while training to be a superhuman. Oh, and I fought a giant panther too! Yeah, that would've gone over well.

I sighed, my stomach grumbling.

"Jin!" Mother's voice called from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

With a groan, I pushed myself off the bed and headed to the dining room, where the scent of freshly cooked rice and grilled fish filled the air. Father was already seated, scrolling through his phone, while Mother placed the last dish on the table.

"About time you got up." she said, giving me a look.

"Yeah, yeah." I replied, plopping into my chair.

We ate in comfortable silence for a while before Mother spoke. "So, what are your plans for spring break?"

I paused, a piece of fish halfway to my mouth. "I'm thinking of training."

"Training?" Father asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I want to form an empire." I said with a grin.

They both burst into laughter.

"An empire? Oh, Jin, you've always been such a dreamer." Mother said, shaking her head with a fond smile.

Father chuckled. "As long as you don't disappear again, I don't care what you do."

I laughed along with them, not bothering to explain that I was completely serious.

After dinner, I decided to head out and unwind. I threw on a casual hoodie and jeans, slipped into my sneakers, and made my way to the local arcade. The neon lights of the place were like a beacon of nostalgia, pulling me into its warm, chaotic embrace.

The arcade was alive with the sounds of clinking tokens, electronic music, and enthusiastic shouts. I wandered around for a bit, watching people play claw machines, dance games, and shooting simulators. Eventually, I found myself at one of my favorite spots: the fighting game section.

Sliding a token into the machine, I picked up the joystick and started a match against a random player. The kid looked to be about 14, with glasses and a determined expression.

"Ready to lose, old man?" he taunted.

I smirked. "Bring it on, kid."

The match started, and I quickly realized the kid was pretty good. His combos were tight, and his reactions were sharp. But he underestimated me. By the second round, I'd figured out his patterns and countered every move he threw at me.

"W-what? How did you-?" he stammered as my character delivered the final blow.

"Experience, kid." I said with a wink.

He grumbled something under his breath before walking off, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

After a few more rounds, I decided to check out the computer section. That's when I spotted a familiar figure.

Dowan.

He was seated at a computer, his face red with frustration as he argued with two other guys.

"You're obviously cheating!" Dowan yelled, pointing at one of them.

"Cheating? Please. I'm just better than you." the guy replied smugly. His friend, seated beside him, chimed in, "Yeah, you're just salty 'cause you lost."

Dowan looked like he was about to explode. I walked over, leaning against the desk. "What's going on here?"

The two guys turned to me, their expressions turning sour. "Who're you?"

"Just someone who doesn't like cheaters." I said, smirking.

Dowan's eyes lit up. "Jin! These guys are totally hacking!"

"Is that so?" I said, eyeing the two. "Tell you what, why don't we settle this with a match? You two against me and my friend here."

The cheater scoffed. "You think you can beat us?"

"Pretty sure I can." I said, sliding into the seat next to Dowan.

Dowan looked nervous. "Jin, are you sure about this?"

"Relax." I said, cracking my knuckles. "I've got this."

The match began, and it quickly became clear that the cheater and his friend relied heavily on underhanded tactics. Their characters moved unnaturally fast, landing impossible combos and dodging everything we threw at them.

"Damn." I muttered. "They're good."

"I told you!" Dowan said, panic creeping into his voice.

But I wasn't about to let them win. With quick reflexes and careful planning, I began to adapt to their movements, baiting them into traps and punishing their mistakes.

Dowan, inspired by my confidence, started playing better too, landing a few key hits.

"Impossible!" the cheater shouted as my character landed a devastating combo, knocking his health bar to zero.

"That's one down." I said with a grin.

The second guy put up more of a fight, but with Dowan covering me, I managed to land the finishing blow.

"Victory!" Dowan cheered, throwing his hands in the air.

The two cheaters stormed off, muttering curses under their breath.

"That was amazing!" Dowan said, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Eh, it was alright." I said, brushing off imaginary dust from my shoulder. "You weren't too bad yourself."

We spent the rest of the night playing games and laughing, the tension from earlier forgotten. For the first time in a while, I felt… normal.

It was a good night.

....

The smell of melted cheese and fresh dough filled the air as I leaned back in my chair, casually munching on a slice of pizza. Across from me, Dowan looked like he was trying to solve a life-or-death puzzle, poking at his pizza like it had insulted his ancestors.

"So…" he finally said, his voice low. "What now? You're a target of the entire bully council. What's the plan?"

I grinned, chewing leisurely before swallowing. "Simple. I'll train and get stronger."

He blinked at me, his face a mix of disbelief and frustration. "It can't be that simple."

I shrugged. "It is. That. Simple."

He let out a heavy sigh, dropping his fork. "Man, I wish I could be as confident as you."

I tilted my head, looking at him. "Confidence? You think I was born with it? Nah, Dowan. Confidence is built."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. "I'm not fearless, you know. Back at that bully council meeting, you noticed the guy sitting quietly, didn't you? Eunsung Han."

Dowan's eyes widened slightly. "The representative of Sillim-dong?"

"Yeah. He's not just a rep." I said, setting my slice down. "He's an MMA fighter. One of the strongest people in the entire council. And unlike most of those thugs, he's legit, trained, disciplined, dangerous. He works directly for the headquarters."

Dowan stared at me, his expression shifting from surprise to concern. "So… you're scared of him?"

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "Nah. I'm not scared of him. I'm scared of the fact that I can't fight him at full power yet."

"What?" Dowan asked, narrowing his eyes. "That doesn't even make sense."

I smirked, tapping the table with my fingers. "Look, it's not about being fearless. Fear is natural. Everyone has it. But it's what you do with that fear that matters. You either let it consume you, or you use it to push yourself further. Me? I'm using it. Right now, I'm scared I won't be strong enough to make Eunsung take me seriously. That fear keeps me moving."

Dowan stared at me for a moment before slumping back in his chair. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Probably." I said with a grin, grabbing another slice. "But trust me, Dowan. Fear isn't your enemy. It's your fuel."

He muttered something under his breath, looking at his plate again. "Easy for you to say. You're not afraid of anything."

I burst out laughing, almost choking on my pizza. "Come on, Dowan. You're not listening. I am afraid. I just don't let it stop me."

He crossed his arms, pouting like a kid who just lost his favorite toy. "Whatever. I'm still calling you fearless. You don't act like someone who's scared."

"That's because I fight my fear, Dowan." I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "I win against it every day. And when I can't? I use it to get stronger. You should try it sometime."

He scoffed but didn't argue further. I could tell he was thinking about it, though. Hopefully, something I said stuck.

After finishing my pizza, I leaned back, patting my stomach. "Alright. That hit the spot. What about you? Done sulking, or do you need another slice to fuel your pity party?"

He glared at me half-heartedly before cracking a small smile. "You're annoying, Jin."

"And you're slow, Dowan. But hey, nobody's perfect." I stood up, stretching my arms over my head. "Let's head out. I've got some training to plan."

"Training for what?" he asked, following me out of the pizzeria.

"For my empire, of course." I shot him a grin over my shoulder. "What else?"

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1565 words.

Stooooneeeesss