Inequalities [Lookism X Reader]

NINETEEN : Drunk Daniel

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Y/n walked to school alone that morning, her earphones plugged in as she tried to shut out the world and enjoy her walk, even though it felt emptier without Daniel. She couldn't shake the odd feeling of his absence. Daniel always showed up at her door, greeting her with his usual bright "Good morning" before they set off together. Today, though, there was no text, no call, not even a heads-up. It wasn't like him to leave her hanging.

Did I do something wrong? she wondered, her mind replaying their recent conversations and interactions.

"Maybe he's just busy," she mumbled to herself, though her own words didn't feel convincing. "Or maybe he overslept..." Still, the uneasiness lingered. Daniel acting out of character was rare—too rare to ignore.

As she neared the school gates, her thoughts were consumed by every possible reason for his absence. Did he get hurt? Was he attacked? She almost laughed at the ridiculous idea. "What? Kidnapped because he's good-looking? Get a grip," she muttered under her breath with a sigh.

Lost in thought, Y/n wasn't paying attention to where she was walking until she collided with someone. Jolted from her reverie, she looked up and—for a split second—thought it was Daniel. But as the person turned around, her heart sank. It wasn't him.

It was Eli Jang.

Y/n mustered a polite smile. Eli returned it, looking just as startled to see her.

"Good morning, Eli," she greeted him, her voice warm despite her lingering unease. "By the way, your new hairstyle looks great on you. It really suits you."

Eli blinked, clearly caught off guard by the compliment, but he managed a shy smile. "Good morning, Y/n. Thanks," he replied.

As they began walking together, Y/n found herself relaxing. Eli kept pace with her, and they fell into an easy conversation. Despite not knowing him well, she found his company surprisingly nice. They chatted about small things—school, music, random observations—and for a moment, she forgot about her earlier worries. When they arrived on campus, however, Eli was quickly swarmed by a gaggle of fangirls. Y/n instinctively stepped to the side, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and discomfort.

The girls surrounded him like bees to honey, their voices overlapping as they showered him with compliments. They begged for his number, only to be met with his polite response: "I don't have a phone." Though he tried to stay calm, Y/n noticed the flicker of annoyance in his eyes.

Eli shot her a helpless glance from the center of the chaos. He looked like he wanted to escape, but his kind nature made it impossible for him to brush the girls off outright. Y/n couldn't help but admire his patience, even though it was clear he was struggling. Still, she hesitated to intervene. She hated getting involved in messy situations like this, especially when it came to jealous fangirls. Her mind drifted to similar moments with Daniel, and how she'd usually manage to steer him out of trouble without causing a scene. Y/n sighed, crossing her arms as she mulled over a plan.

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You watched Eli as he was surrounded by his fangirls, feeling a bit uncertain about how to help him escape the situation.

"Hey, Blue," Vin Jin called out with an annoyed sneer. "You blocking the way or something? You wanna die?"

Blue? you thought, an amused image of a bird named Blue popped into your head, making you chuckle. Oh great, now I've got a bird and a sunflower squabbling like characters in a kids' show.

Eli didn't even seem to care much. With his usual calm, gentleman-like demeanor, he simply apologized and made his way toward you, grateful for the break. Vin Jin gave a satisfied grin, clearly proud of himself because he feels like the boss that day, while the fangirls shot him dirty looks, clearly annoyed at being interrupted.