LOOKISM: DAILY SKILL SYSTEM
Chapter 1 – Another Ordinary Day
Daniel Park woke up to the sound of his alarm ringing for the third time.
His hand slapped the phone blindly until the noise stopped. He lay still, staring at the ceiling of their cramped apartment. The paint had started peeling in one corner. He'd noticed that crack months ago.
It hadn't changed.
Neither had he.
"Daniel," his mother called gently from the kitchen. "You'll miss the bus."
"I'm coming," he replied, though his body didn't move right away.
When he finally sat up, his back ached. His legs felt heavy before he even stood. The mirror across the room reflected a body he hated acknowledging—round shoulders, uneven posture, a face that always looked tired.
He looked away quickly.
At school, nothing was different.
The hallways felt narrower when people laughed behind him. Whispers followed him like shadows. Daniel kept his head down, moving carefully, trying not to exist too loudly.
"Watch it," someone muttered as they bumped his shoulder on purpose.
Daniel bowed slightly. "S-Sorry."
Laughter.
He sat alone during lunch, poking at his food. His appetite disappeared the moment he felt eyes on him. He wondered, briefly, what it felt like to eat without fear.
By the time classes ended, his chest felt tight—not from running, but from holding everything in.
That night, Daniel lay on his futon, phone resting on his chest. His mom was already asleep after another long shift. The room was quiet except for distant traffic.
"I'm tired," he whispered.
Not sleepy.
Tired of living like this.
His phone vibrated once.
Daniel frowned and lifted it.
The screen wasn't showing any app.
Instead, blue text slowly appeared.
[Daily Skill System – Initializing]
Daniel froze.
"…Huh?"
He sat up, heart pounding.
[User Detected: Daniel Park]
Status: Mentally Fatigued / Physically Untrained
System Type: Daily Skill Support
He stared, unmoving.
"This is… a prank?" he muttered.
More text appeared.
This system does not grant power.
This system teaches skills usable in daily life.
Skills must be practiced to improve.
Daniel swallowed.
"What kind of skills?"
As if answering him, a simple list appeared.
[Skill Pool – Beginner Level]
Basic Cooking
Rhythm & Timing (Dance Fundamentals)
Body Coordination (Sports Basics)
Posture & Balance
Focused Learning
No strength.
No fighting.
No miracles.
"…So what's the catch?" Daniel asked quietly.
You still have to live your life.
The words felt heavier than they should have.
A small notification popped up.
[Today's Skill Assigned]
Basic Cooking – Lv.0
Task: Assist in preparing a simple meal
Goal: Observation and repetition only
Daniel stared toward the kitchen.
His mom always cooked alone.
He hesitated.
"…Just once," he said to himself.
He stood up and walked out quietly.
"Mom?" he asked.
She looked surprised. "Yes?"
"Can I… help?"
She blinked, then smiled softly. "Of course."
Daniel chopped vegetables awkwardly, fingers clumsy. He moved slowly, carefully, watching her hands more than his own.
No sudden understanding came.
No instant mastery.
But he noticed things.
Heat.
Timing.
How often she tasted the soup.
When dinner ended, the system appeared again.
[Daily Skill Task Completed]
Basic Cooking EXP +0.1
Daniel didn't feel different.
But when he lay down to sleep, his chest felt… lighter.
For the first time that day, he hadn't felt useless.
Just inexperienced.
And that felt changeable.