LOOKISM: LIFE SKILL SYSTEM
Chapter 1 – The Same Morning
Daniel Park woke up coughing.
The thin mattress pressed against his back as if reminding him—again—that comfort was expensive. The room was small, barely enough for a futon, a desk, and his school uniform hanging from a nail in the wall.
"Daniel," his mother called softly from the kitchen. "You'll be late."
"I'm up," he replied, voice rough.
He sat up slowly. His body felt heavy, sluggish, like it always did in the morning. When he stood in front of the mirror, he avoided looking at his face for too long.
Round cheeks. Messy hair. A body that looked like it had already given up.
Nothing had changed.
At school, everything went exactly as it always did.
The whispers.
The stares.
The laughter that followed him down the hallway.
"Hey, Daniel," someone snickered behind him. "You block the sun when you walk."
The shove came next. His shoulder slammed into the wall, but Daniel didn't react. Fighting back only made it worse.
By lunchtime, he was sitting alone, eating in silence.
Why am I even here?
The question echoed in his head the whole day.
That night, Daniel sat at his desk staring at his phone. Bruises bloomed faintly under his uniform sleeves. He hadn't told his mom. He never did.
He opened social media.
Perfect lives. Perfect bodies. Perfect smiles.
He closed it.
"I hate this," he muttered.
Not school.
Not people.
Himself.
Daniel lay down, staring at the ceiling.
"I just want… to live normally."
The room was quiet.
Then—
A soft chime rang in his ears.
[Life Skill System – Initializing]
Daniel froze.
"…What?"
Blue text appeared before his eyes, clear and unreal.
[User: Daniel Park]
[Mental Stress: High]
[Physical Health: Poor]
[Social Confidence: Extremely Low]
System Type: Life Skill Assistance
Purpose: Sustainable Self-Improvement
Daniel swallowed.
"This isn't real," he whispered.
He waved his hand. The screen didn't disappear.
Another message followed.
This system does not grant combat power.
This system does not alter fate.
Growth depends entirely on your actions.
"…Then what's the point?"
The answer appeared immediately.
Because doing nothing changes nothing.
Daniel didn't know why—but that sentence hurt more than any punch.
A menu unfolded.
[Available Skill Trees]
Daily Discipline
Physical Maintenance
Nutrition Basics
Learning Efficiency
Social Fundamentals
No strength stats.
No fighting techniques.
No miracles.
Just things he had failed at his whole life.
Daniel hesitated, then tapped the first option.
[Skill Unlocked]
Daily Discipline – Lv.1
Slightly improves task completion consistency
Effect is minimal without repetition
"…That's it?"
His body didn't change. His heart didn't race. He still felt tired.
Then a small window appeared.
[Daily Tasks]
Wake up on time
Wash your face properly
Eat breakfast
Reward: Skill EXP (Minor)
Daniel stared.
"This is stupid," he muttered.
But the next morning—
He woke up before his alarm.
Not because he felt motivated.
Because the task window was there.
Watching.
He washed his face slowly, water cold against his skin. He ate breakfast with his mom instead of skipping it.
[Tasks Completed: 3/3]
Daily Discipline EXP +0.1
Nothing happened.
But at school, something felt… slightly different.
Daniel still got shoved.
Still got insulted.
Still avoided eye contact.
But his head felt clearer.
His body didn't feel as heavy.
And when he got home—
[Consistency Recorded: Day 1]
Small effort acknowledged.
Daniel sat on his futon, staring at the message.
For the first time, change didn't feel impossible.
Just far.
Very far.
And somewhere beyond that distance—
Fate was already moving.
A night would come when Daniel Park would go to sleep…
And wake up in a different body.
But for now—
This was still the beginning.