Lookism: What If

(Sunday, May 12, 2024 – 7:09 PM)

The evening air was cool, the dim light of the setting sun casting long shadows across the empty park. The once humid warmth of spring was beginning to fade, giving way to the early hints of summer. The Daniels stood in the center of a secluded clearing, both bodies moving in sync as he rolled his shoulders, preparing for another round of sparring.

Two weeks and one day had passed.

During that time, he had relentlessly pushed his training to master synchronization, sharpening his ability to control both bodies simultaneously. What had once been clumsy and unnatural had now become second nature. He could move, react, and fight with both bodies at once, as if they were a single entity.

And the results were already showing.

Lil Daniel had changed drastically in just two weeks. His body, once round and heavy with excess weight, was now lean and athletic. His frame had stretched, growing to 167 cm, his limbs longer, more defined, yet still carrying a natural lightness.

His jawline was sharper, his face no longer puffy, and his posture had improved, no longer hunched from carrying excess weight. The fat had melted away, replaced by faint muscles with some fat hidden beneath his loose training clothes. His strength had increased, his endurance had skyrocketed, and most importantly, his body was now built for speed.

[Image]

But he still wasn't there yet.

He bounced lightly on his feet, keeping his breathing steady as he locked eyes with his opponent, himself.

---

Name: Daniel Park

Height: 167 cm

Synchronization

Strength: |-{A}

Speed: |-{A}

Potential: |-{SSS}

Intelligence: |-{S}

Endurance: |-{A}

---

Big Daniel stood across from him, relaxed but poised, his presence imposing even in stillness. His stance was effortless, every muscle primed for movement without tension. He wasn't preparing to attack, he simply could whenever he wanted.

---

Name: Daniel Park

Height: 185 cm

Synchronization

Strength: |-{XXX}

Speed: |-{XXX}

Potential: |-{SSS}

Intelligence: |-{S}

Endurance: |-{XXX}

---

'Let's see if I can handle it now.'

Lil Daniel took the initiative, stepping forward in a quick burst. His movement was smooth, refined, no longer weighed down by excess fat. He threw a quick jab, aiming for the centerline, testing the reaction speed of his bigger body.

Big Daniel tilted his head slightly, avoiding the strike with the smallest movement possible.

Lil Daniel's body reacted instantly, snapping into a low feint before pivoting into a real strike, a sharp left hook aimed at the ribs. His foot placement was clean, his weight shifting smoothly as he rotated into the attack.

Big Daniel caught the punch mid-motion, gripping Lil Daniel's wrist effortlessly. Without hesitating, he retaliated with a controlled front kick, his foot striking toward Lil Daniel's midsection with perfect form.

Lil Daniel barely managed to twist his torso, redirecting the force, but the impact still sent him staggering back.

'His strength is still too much. Even with my weight loss, I can't overpower him… But I don't need to. Speed and precision, that's what I have now.'

He lowered his stance, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, then closed the distance again. This time, he didn't attack head-on. He circled first, adjusting his angle before suddenly stepping in, launching a quick one-two combination aimed at the chin and solar plexus.

Big Daniel didn't move until the last second.

Then, he countered.

A clean, textbook right straight came toward Lil Daniel's face, the force behind it enough to rattle his entire body if it landed.

Lil Daniel's instincts screamed, and his body reacted before his mind processed it. A quick shoulder drop, just enough to let the punch graze past his ear. But before he could recover, Big Daniel's leg was already in motion, a fast, precise low kick targeting his calf.

The impact threw him off balance, forcing him to stumble slightly. He caught himself just before falling, gritting his teeth as he adjusted his footing.

But he wasn't discouraged. If anything, this was exactly what he wanted.

Taking a sharp breath, Lil Daniel reset his stance and went again.

(Monday, May 13, 2024 – 12:00 AM)

The apartment was silent except for the faint hum of the laptop as Lil Daniel sat at the desk, eyes locked onto the screen. Big Daniel was already asleep, his body recovering for school tomorrow, but Daniel himself wasn't out. His mind remained sharp, fully present in his smaller body as he prepared to begin the next stage of his plan.

The screen displayed the completed 3D environments, character designs, and detailed background elements he had worked on for weeks. Every alley, every classroom, every city street had been meticulously crafted, ensuring perfect depth, perspective, and atmosphere. But now, as he stared at it all, he made a final decision, he wouldn't use 3D renders directly.

'Hand-drawn is better.'

While 3D offered perfect accuracy, it lacked the soul of hand-drawn art. His instincts told him that the raw energy of a sketch, the weight of each brushstroke, would elevate his story to another level. So he would use the 3D models as references, but every panel would be drawn by hand.

Anyway his skill can't be replicated by AI with the current models.

He cracked his fingers, took a deep breath, and began.

His pen moved with unnatural speed and precision, outlining the first panel with an ease that no human artist could replicate. The first image set the tone immediately, a bleak, overwhelming school, its architecture oppressive, the sky above it dark and cold. The school wasn't just a setting; it was a beast, something that consumed its students.

With his reference models, every window, hallway, and staircase was drawn perfectly to scale. He manipulated the perspective carefully, warping certain angles to make the environment feel suffocating, almost like a prison.

Next, he moved on to the main character, a skinny, frail student, shoulders hunched as he walked through the school corridors, head down, avoiding eye contact. His body language had to be perfect. The way his clothes hung loosely on his thin frame, the slight inward bend of his knees from years of avoiding conflict, the subtle tension in his fingers from gripping his bag strap too tightly. These were the details that made a character real.

Then, the supporting cast.

Bullies with cruel grins, relaxed postures, standing like they owned the place. Teachers who looked tired, indifferent, or outright corrupt, turning a blind eye to the chaos. Students who either laughed along or pretended not to see anything, their expressions crafted to show the guilt of bystanders.

Every panel was layered with emotion and movement. A slight tilt of the head, a hand clenching into a fist just out of sight, a shadow stretching across the floor to hint at an incoming threat. These small cues were what separated an average webtoon from a masterpiece.

By the time he finished the first chapter, two hours had passed.

(2:07 AM)

Daniel leaned back slightly, analyzing his work. What should have taken a full week for a team of professional artists had been done in a fraction of the time. The art was flawless. Every frame, every stroke, every detail peak.

But he wasn't done.

He immediately moved on to coloring, layering shadows, highlights, and textures with speed that made traditional digital artists look like amateurs. The lighting wasn't flat, it had depth and atmosphere, changing between warm and cold tones depending on the mood of each scene.

The dialogue came next.

Daniel crafted every conversation carefully, making sure each character's tone was distinct. No wasted words. Every line of dialogue served a purpose, either pushing the story forward or adding to the tension. The bullies didn't just talk, they mocked with a rhythm that made their cruelty feel casual. The protagonist didn't just speak, his words were hesitant, almost swallowed before they left his mouth.

He worked without stopping, fully immersed.

By the time he blinked at the clock, it was morning.

(6:13 AM)

Five full chapters were complete.

Daniel smiled, his eyes scanning the pages. It was perfect. The pacing, the tension, the visuals, everything exceeded his expectations.

Now, it was time to release it to the world.

He opened the webtoon publishing site, uploading the first two chapters for free to hook readers in. The remaining three? Locked behind a paywall. If they wanted to read ahead, they had to pay.

As the files processed, he let out a deep laugh, the sheer satisfaction of his plan coming together filling his chest.

But he wasn't done yet.

With Big Daniel still sleeping, Lil Daniel looked at the short promotional video.

Some days ago he used the second body to make it, a video that with the second body handsome appearance, will go viral.

"Something new is coming." Big Daniel said with a smile, his deep voice holding just the right amount of intrigue. "A story about power, survival, and the real world hiding beneath the surface. Lookism: True Flow."

The video was short, perfectly edited, and had just enough mystery to spark curiosity without revealing anything.

With a single tap, Daniel uploaded it to TokTik.

The screen flashed 0 views.

Daniel leaned back, unconcerned. He had patience. It wouldn't stay at 0 for long.

....

Did Daniel lost weight too fast? Nah, the efforts he put into did the work.

Wait! He's stronger than the current J high kids, nahh, well that's the difference in potential.