The gym had become my second home, but even with all the training, I knew there was more to Lookism than just fighting. People like Daniel and Vasco weren't strong just because they could throw punches—they fought to protect others. That's what truly made them powerful.
So, when I heard about Duke's trouble in the Vocal and Dance Department, I knew I had to step in.
I hadn't spoken much to Duke since I reincarnated into this world. He was one of those guys who always tried his best despite how others treated him. He had talent, but the people around him refused to see it.
I was walking past the Vocal and Dance Department when I heard a familiar voice.
"You call that singing?" A mocking tone rang out. "You sound like a dying cat."
I stopped in my tracks.
Vin Jin.
The guy was a menace—always running his mouth, especially when it came to Duke. I stepped closer, peeking inside the practice room.
Duke stood in the center, shoulders slumped, gripping a microphone. His face was red, eyes downcast. Vin Jin stood in front of him, smirking, his sunglasses pushed up slightly as he sneered at the shorter boy.
Beside him, a few other students snickered.
"You really think you belong here?" Vin scoffed. "This department is for real artists. Not for nobodies like you."
Duke opened his mouth but hesitated. I clenched my fists.
[Analyzing situation...]
The Nano Machine's voice echoed in my mind. I didn't need an analysis to know what was happening. Vin was trying to humiliate Duke, just like in the original story.
I stepped into the room.
The moment I entered, all eyes turned toward me. Duke's expression shifted from embarrassment to surprise. Vin Jin, on the other hand, looked unimpressed.
"And who the hell are you?" he asked, arms crossed.
I ignored him and looked at Duke. "You okay?"
Duke hesitated before nodding. "I'm fine."
Vin snorted. "What, you his babysitter now?"
I turned to Vin, my expression calm. "No. I just don't like seeing people who actually have talent getting bullied by a guy who hides behind sunglasses."
Vin's smirk twitched. "Oh, you got jokes? You think you're tough?"
"I don't think," I said. "I know."
The room went silent. The tension was thick.
Vin scoffed. "Tch. I don't waste my time with nobodies."
"Then stop wasting Duke's."
Vin's jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he'd try to take a swing at me. But instead, he just scoffed and turned away. "Whatever. This loser still ain't making it anywhere."
He walked out, his group following. The moment the door closed, Duke let out a shaky breath.
"Thanks, Jinwoo."
I patted his shoulder. "Don't thank me. Prove them wrong."
Duke's eyes widened. Then, he clenched his fists and nodded. "I will."
Later that evening, I was heading home when I saw something that made me stop in my tracks.
I saw Vin Jin and his friends laughing loudly as they stood near Duke's grandmother's food stall.
"Oh my, are you friends with Duke?" she asked kindly.
"Yeah, we're in the same class," one of them replied with a grin.
"Hoho, be nice to Duke," she said warmly.
"Of course," Vin Jin smirked, but his eyes held nothing but amusement.
Duke stood nearby, his hands clenched into fists as he watched, sweat forming on his brow. He knew exactly what they were doing.
His grandmother, ever so kind, offered them food. "You must be hungry, have some."
The three guys accepted without hesitation, eating greedily and making a mess at the stall. They didn't care about the effort Duke's grandmother put into cooking. Even after they finished, she still smiled, treating them with warmth.
"You are eating well. Eat lots and be nice to Duke," she said again, and they nodded with fake enthusiasm.
"Don't worry!"
She even wrapped up the leftover food and handed it to them. They took it, but I could tell they had no intention of keeping it.
Duke looked at the stall with pain in his eyes. "They… they ate everything. Grandma must sell those."
Just then, someone stepped forward.
It was Daniel.
He approached the stall, hands in his pockets. "Oh, young lad, do you want some?" Duke's grandmother asked kindly.
Daniel shook his head. "Thanks, I'm not hungry. But here, I'll pay for what those fools took." He pulled out his wallet.
"No, no, you don't need to," she insisted.
Daniel's face was serious. "Shut up and take this before I kidnap you."
She was stunned by his bluntness, but Daniel placed the money on the table and turned to Duke. "Next time, don't be gentle with assholes." With that, he walked away. I followed him.
Vin Jin and his group were still laughing as they walked away, talking loudly amongst themselves.
"Hahahaha, did you see how ugly she was?" one of them sneered.
"Yeah, yeah, and she even gave us the food for free!" another cackled.
Vin Jin smirked, tossing the bag of food into the air. "Heh, no one would buy that crap from the smelly old woman."
Before the bag could hit the ground, a hand caught it mid-air.
"What a disappointment," a voice muttered.
The laughter stopped instantly. The three bullies turned around to see Daniel standing there, holding the bag of food, his eyes cold.
"Daniel…" Vin Jin said, glaring at him.
I stepped forward, cracking my knuckles. "You know, for someone who acts tough, you sure pick on the weakest people."
Vin Jin scoffed. "Tch, I don't need to explain myself to you."
"You don't," I agreed. "Because I already know what kind of coward you are."
The tension exploded as Vin Jin lunged at me.
I dodged his punch effortlessly, twisting his wrist and slamming my elbow into his gut. He coughed violently, stumbling back. His friends rushed in, but Daniel intercepted them, throwing a devastating punch that sent one of them sprawling to the ground.
The fight had begun.
Vin Jin gritted his teeth and wiped his mouth, adjusting his sunglasses preventing it from falling off. "You bastards…"
I smirked. "You wanted to act tough. Now prove it."
With that, we charged at each other again.
**"Look at yourself," I said. "Bullying others instead of training and searching for the person who killed Kim Sujin."
Vinji rushed toward me. "How did you know that?! Don't say that name!" he yelled out loud.
**BAM!**
I stood there, unmoving. "Was that supposed to hurt me?" I asked.
"Did you really think that with your kind of strength, you could move me?" I said out loud.
Then, I kneed him in the face, his glasses falling off.
Vinji shouted, covering his face. "Why?!"
I looked down at him. "Even though God gave you this gift, you decided to hide it," I said as I crushed his glasses beneath my foot.
Vinji lost it. He lunged at me, his eyes glowing.
I flipped him upside down, punching him while he was the air.
"do you know The person who killed your lover is still alive,?" I said to him.
His face twisted in confusion."**
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