Returning to the Main Plotline
After the R.K. collapse and Burn Knuckles joining our business, life started moving back toward the original Lookism storyline:
Zack & Mira's tension was rising
Jay secretly followed Daniel everywhere
Vasco was preparing for a clean-up of bullying around school
Daniel's hidden second body strength was becoming a quiet rumor
Class 2-3 was becoming strangely peaceful
And Daniel's growth was noticeable.
At lunch, Mira commented:
"Daniel… you look healthier. More confident."
Zack nodded reluctantly.
"He even walks different now."
Daniel rubbed his neck.
"T-thanks… I've just been working hard."
They didn't know the half of it.
Meanwhile, the business kept growing — too fast for the small kitchen.
Daniel's mother struggled to keep up.
"S-slow down boys… too many orders…"
Daniel panicked.
"Mom, don't push yourself!"
That's when I realized something.
If we didn't get help soon…
Daniel's mother would collapse.
We needed a chef.
A real one.
A strong one.
Someone who understood Burn Knuckles.
A name came to mind.
A legend in the underground.
A man of pure strength.
Brekdak.
2. Hiring Brekdak — The Master of Burn Knuckles
I contacted Vasco first.
"Vasco," I said.
"I need someone strong.
Strong enough to handle heavy lifting, cooking, and training your boys."
Vasco scratched his head.
"Hmm…
Someone PURE…
Someone STRONG…
Someone who can teach Burn Knuckles the way of CLEAN FOOD AND CLEAN FIGHTING…"
He gasped dramatically.
"I KNOW EXACTLY WHO."
Before I could ask, he sprinted off like a tornado.
Thirty minutes later, he returned dragging a mountain of a man.
Literally dragging him.
A massive tattooed arms, a deep scar across his cheek, and eyes like he'd survived three wars.
Brekdak.
The guy who once beat twenty gang members for touching his cooking knife.
Daniel's mother peeked from the kitchen, horrified.
"A-a-are you sure he's a chef…? H-he looks like he came from jail…"
Brekdak bowed respectfully.
"I did."
She fainted.
Brekdak's Introduction
Brekdak crossed his arms.
"I don't cook for cowards.
I don't teach weaklings.
I don't join gangs."
Vasco saluted him.
"WE ARE NOT A GANG!
WE ARE PURE!!"
Brekdak blinked.
"…pure?"
"Yes!" Vasco yelled proudly.
"Burn Knuckles fights bullies and delivers food with their HEARTS!"
Brekdak scratched his beard.
"Hmph. Noble."
I stepped forward.
"We need a chef.
Someone who can teach discipline through cooking.
Someone who can help Daniel's mom."
Brekdak looked at Daniel.
His gaze softened slightly.
"You're the kid who stood up against R.K.?"
Daniel froze.
"H-how did you—"
"Rumors travel.
You protected your mother.
That's good."
He nodded once.
"I'll cook."
Daniel gasped.
"R-really?"
"Yes."
Brekdak's voice deepened.
"But I have one condition."
We waited.
"I will also train Burn Knuckles."
He pointed at Vasco.
"And this idiot will listen."
Vasco saluted again.
"Yes, sir!!!"
Brekdak the Chef — First Day
Immediately, Brekdak took over the kitchen.
He inspected every spoon, every pot, every grain of rice.
"This kitchen is a warzone.
To cook, you must be disciplined."
He handed Daniel a giant rice paddle.
"From today on, you train while you cook."
Daniel blinked.
"H-huh?"
Brekdak grabbed a sack of ingredients and dropped it into Daniel's arms.
He nearly collapsed.
"Hold it.
Walk with it.
Breathe steady.
Strength comes from the basics."
Daniel struggled, sweat pouring down his back.
But he didn't complain.
Daniel's mother watched, confused but deeply relieved.
Brekdak noticed her exhaustion and gently said:
"You rest.
Let me handle the heat."
Her eyes softened.
"Thank you…"
Burn Knuckles Training Under Brekdak
Behind the building, Brekdak gathered the Burn Knuckles.
They lined up instinctively — scared.
Brekdak roared:
"YOU CALL THESE ARMS?!
YOU CAN'T DELIVER A PAPER BAG!"
He tossed them weighted delivery boxes.
One by one, they toppled.
Vasco struggled hardest of all.
"WHY IS YOUR BOX SO HEAVEEEE—"
"BECAUSE YOU NEED IT THE MOST."
Brekdak cracked his knuckles.
"Training starts now.
No crying.
No excuses.
No impure cooking."
He turned to Vasco.
"You will lead everything.
Delivery routes.
Order discipline.
Customer respect."
Vasco saluted again.
"YES, CHEF-SIR-MASTER-OF-PURITY!!"
The Burn Knuckles wept in confusion.
But the training worked.
They became fast.
Reliable.
Organized.
And Daniel's business?
It exploded.
Back to Canon: Daniel's School Life Moves Forward
With the business stabilized, the story returned to its main course:
Zack began preparing for the Mira confession arc
Jay started showing subtle signs of attachment
Vasco's purity crusade around school escalated
Teachers noticed Daniel's improvement
The class began respecting him genuinely
Rumors of a "stronger Daniel" began spreading quietly
Daniel's confidence was rising, just like in the original story
But now…
He had us.
He had Burn Knuckles.
He had Brekdak.
He had a growing business.
He had training.
He had direction.
The main storyline was still intact —
but Daniel was becoming stronger much earlier.
And more importantly…
He wasn't alone.The School Arc Resumes (Canon-Aligned)
Morning sunlight filtered through the classroom windows as Class 2-3 buzzed about trivial gossip:
"Did you hear? Zack and Mira fought again…"
"Daniel looks different these days."
"Isn't he working after school now?"
"Someone said Vasco is delivering lunch boxes?!"
Daniel, sitting at his desk, felt the weight of everything at once:
School.
Work.
His mother.
His two bodies.
And a business depending on him.
As the reincarnated MC inside the second body, I watched him from across the room.
He wasn't breaking.
But he was stretching.
Too thin.
During break, Zack approached Daniel, looking oddly nervous.
"Hey… you uh… look tired."
Daniel blinked.
"Is it that obvious?"
Zack scratched the back of his neck.
"Just… don't push yourself too hard, alright? You look like you're gonna collapse."
This was new.
Canon Zack didn't say things like that so early.
Daniel smiled awkwardly.
"Thanks, Zack."
Jay, sitting behind them, glared silently at Zack for speaking to Daniel first.
2. Business Growth — and Growing Pains
After school, Burn Knuckles lined up in uniform aprons, doing warm-ups under Brekdak's terrifying supervision.
"FASTER!"
"DON'T YOU DARE WOBBLE WITH THAT BOX!"
"CLEAN YOUR SOUL WHILE YOU CLEAN YOUR HANDS!"
The neighborhood had begun whispering:
"Burn Knuckles delivers food now?!"
"These boys look disciplined… what happened?"
"That chef with tattoos scares me but the food is amazing."
Meanwhile, Daniel's mother finally had breathing room.
But not peace.
The orders were too many.
She looked proud, but overwhelmed.
So Daniel and I devised a plan.
We expanded. Slowly. Carefully.
A second stove
Additional tables
Burn Knuckles taking shifts in pairs
Brekdak preparing bulk ingredients in the early morning
Us creating a daily special menu
And then came a turning point.
A prestigious middle school teacher ordered lunch boxes for an entire staff meeting.
When the delivery arrived — Burn Knuckles lined up like soldiers — the teachers were stunned by the professionalism.
This led to:
Contracts.
Small.
But steady.
The business started earning real money.
The kind that could change Daniel's mother's life.
But success brought new problems.
Unexpected Competition
A rival shop down the street started spreading rumors:
"They use street thugs!"
"The cooks are ex-criminals!"
"Daniel's shop is unsafe!"
Brekdak nearly flipped a table.
"WHO SAID THAT?! LET ME—"
I stopped him.
"No fights. We handle this the clean way."
Vasco nodded solemnly.
"Pure way… pure way… pure way…"
Daniel sighed.
"This is harder than I thought…"
I patted his shoulder.
"Hard is good. You're growing."
Slowly.
Realistically.
Canon-aligned.
3. Slow-Burn Character Development (1, 2, 5 Combined)
Daniel's Development
Daniel was changing.
Not fast.
Not like the big glow-up arc yet.
But his shoulders were straighter.
His eyes more focused.
He was learning responsibility — and stress.
He practiced cooking with Brekdak every night.
He trained lightly with me and Vasco.
He studied earlier.
Sleep later.
Worked in both bodies.
Existed between two lives.
He was carrying more weight than anyone his age should.
But he didn't complain.
Because he had a goal now:
Make his mother's life easier.
Become stronger.
Grow into someone who can stand tall.
Vasco and Burn Knuckles
Under Brekdak, they slowly became reliable.
Still idiots.
Still pure.
But disciplined idiots.
They learned:
how to talk to customers
how to deliver politely
how to control their strength
how to work without fighting
Vasco improved the most.
He began saying things like:
"We must protect customers… and food… and Daniel's mom… and—"
Brekdak threw a ladle at him.
"STOP MONOLOGUING AND FOCUS."
Zack's Development (Slow-Burn)
Zack was feeling something new:
Jealousy.
Not romantic — not yet.
But he saw Daniel improving.
Growing.
Changing.
And Zack, who had always been strong, felt like he was stagnating.
After class, he pulled Daniel aside.
"Hey… you're getting better at everything.
Are you training or something?"
Daniel stiffened.
"Uh… kinda?"
Zack narrowed his eyes but didn't push.
"…Let's spar sometime."
This was huge.
This was canon foreshadowing.
Zack didn't challenge Daniel this early.
But he sensed something.
The timeline wasn't broken —
just evolving naturally.
The MC (You) Development
As the reincarnated MC in Daniel's second body, I was learning how limited my influence should be.
Interfere too much?
Canon breaks.
Guide too little?
Daniel suffers.
So I stayed subtle.
Whispered corrections during training.
Helped him with cooking.
Smoothed out conflicts.
Observed threats.
And watched Daniel grow into the person who eventually would stand at the top of the world.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Step by step.
The Chapter's Turning Point
After a late night rush, Daniel collapsed onto a chair.
We both sat outside the shop, watching the orange streetlights flicker.
Daniel wiped sweat from his brow.
"It's hard…"
I nodded.
"But you're doing it."
He leaned back, exhausted but fulfilled.
"I just… want mom to smile more.
I want her to stop worrying."
I looked at him — the real Daniel, vulnerable and sincere.
"You will," I said.
"Because you're not doing it alone."
His eyes softened.
"…Thank you."
And at that moment, for the first time since reincarnating,
I truly felt the weight of my responsibility.
To guide him.
To protect him.
To elevate him.
Without stealing his destiny.
The main storyline was approaching:
Zack's turmoil
Mira's emotional confusion
Vasco's rise
The bullying cleanup
And the first dangerous antagonist of the school arc
Everything was gathering.
And Daniel was almost ready.
Almost.