Perfect Illness || lookism x reader

5. Liquid Courage

Daniel texted an address, and the two of them met outside a rundown shack in a deserted street.
YN had already known what to expect due to their reputations, but it appeared that Daniel was expecting something far nicer. He looked shocked.
"Hey." YN whispered. "No one can force you to drink, eat, or smoke anything here." That appeared to sooth his nerves slightly.
"What are THEY doing here?" Zack asked.
"I invited Daniel... I dunno what SHE is doing here."
YN sighed. All four guys were giving her dirty looks. Normally she would have charmed her way out of the conversation, but that wouldn't work after she had threatened them last night. Luckily, Daniel saved her.
"I invited her."
The three guys hmphed and turned to Zack. "This bitch threatened us last night."
"Yes, Zack, thats definitely what happened. I totally didn't witness harassment and was totally not trying to do the right thing by calling the police." YN glared at the group. "And they totally didn't try to hit me before I was valiantly saved by Vasco." YN wouldn't call it 'saving', as she had had the situation perfectly under control, but it was a nice touch.
Zack glared at the trio then addressed YN. "Sorry if they harassed you." YN was shocked by his words and revised her impression of him. He wasn't so bad, especially after being beat by Daniel. SPeaking of which, Daniel hadn't even asked what had happened, or if YN was okay, which kind of threw her off. She had thought he would care more.
Zoe, who must have snuck in as well, hmphed, but couldn't say anything because she was an uninvited guest as well. Daniel sat next to Zoe and YN next to Zack. Immediately, the boys began knocking back shots. Daniel politely refused, and Zoe did too to seem closer to Daniel. No one offered YN anything, which was one of the perks of being an invisible classmate. When Daniel refused, Zack began drinking more, probably trying to seem more manly. At least it would be easier to interrogate him while he was drunk. Daniel uncomfortably looked at YN. She shrugged. You were the one who wanted to come. You can leave if you want, but I need to talk to Zack. So please don't leave. She thought. Luckily, Daniel seemed much too shy to leave.
"So Daniel," ONe person asked, "Where do you live?"
Daniel started "Huh? Oh I live alone."
There was a chorus of approval. Zack grit his teeth and began drinking even more.
"Let's chill there!
"Sweet!
"Can we come hang?
"No!" Daniel exclaimed. Silence. Daniel rushed to explain his outburst. "See, I live with a friend."
"Friend!"
"Does he go to our school?"
"Oh, He's a dropout." Daniel explained. "He works at night and sleeps during the day. If I brought friends home, it might not be good."
YN wondered why 'it might not be good'. Daniel didn't seem particularly alarmed, so YN assumed his mysterious roommate wasn't violent... Zack began drinking even more.
"But Danny, your clothes are a bit big... You like to wear oversized styles?" Zoe asked. YN had noticed that too.
Daniel sighed good naturedly. "These are my friends' clothes. His frame is a bit big so..." The vague descriptions intrigued YN.
"Hey, kids." Came a voice. It was the store owner. "Anyone else coming?"
"Nope.
"Then just stay quiet okay? Just stay out of trouble.
"Hehe ok."
The owner noticed Daniel and her jaw dropped "Hey kid. SOmething else you want to eat?" SHe asked, sliding into the booth next to Daniel.
"N-no thanks!" Daniel replied.
"Pick anything," the owner pressed. "It's on the house."
Zoe got jealous. YN sighed exasperatedly, regretting coming, and tuned out the rest of the conversation. Meanwhile, Zack continued to knock back shots.
"Zack chill on the drinks. No one's willing to take you home." YN said, voicing the thoughts of the group.
"Don't tell me what to do." Zack spluttered before knocking another one back. He fell on the table. "Hey Daniel Park." He muttered. Zack surged forward, and Daniel jumped back. "You're really handsome! Lets be friends. Let's hug it out ok?" Zack leaned forward and kissed Daniel on the cheek." YN burst out laughing. Zack's head lolled onto Daniel's shoulder. "You know Mira's mine. Right?" Zoe gave Daniel a cup.
"Here's a drink, you must be thirsty."
"Wait Danie-" YN tried to stop him, but Daniel drank then spat the booze out.
Some adults swore at the group from another table. "Keep it down!"
YN decided now was a perfect distraction to ask Zack. She sidled over.
"Hey Zack," she whispered. "Remember Johan Seong?" Zack got more red. Currently, the high schoolers were heckling with the adult group, and Daniel was breathing kind of weirdly.
"Johan liked Mira." Oh did he? That information didn't really help her. "I tried to protect him... he pretended like he didn't know me...He humiliated me at the competition." Zack broke down in ugly sobbing. Unsure what to do, YN awkwardly patted him on the back. Meanwhile, the situation with the adults had escalated.
"Excuse me sir!" YN called to the large leader. "We apologize for any inconvenience, but don't you think your acting childish? Sorry about any disturbance, well be quieter now." A vein bulged in the leader's forehead. He couldn't believe he was being called childish by a little girl who looked the youngest of the bunch. No matter how pretty she was. YN turned, feeling a hand on her shoulder. It was Daniel, and he was looped.
"Mind your own business." the big man said, moving to grab YN's hair, but Daniel grabbed his hand. Zack was uselessly muttering "I'm so sorry Im so sorry Im so sorry."
"Hey!" Daniel shouted. YN clenched her fists, ready to intervene if necessary. "What do you think you're doing?" Daniel was red and breathing heavily. He stood and pointed to the three bullies. "Now guys, you're being disrespectful!" He huffed. "Drinking and... Insulting mothers... ALways looking for trouble... Is it fun to hit people? Do you enjoy being an ass?" YN wondered where the words were coming from. It must have been the liquid courage. Daniel continued, pointing to one of the bunch. "Hey you!. Pointy! Give me your phone."
"Huh? Here..." The guy handed the phone over. Daniel crushed it single-handedly. Woah. Daniel turned to the other party. He grabbed at a bottle, but it slipped and smashed.
"I wanted to pour you a drink... But my hands got slippery." Danile huffed. "I'm sorry." The bottle hung clutched in one hand, looking very much like a weapon. He raised it. "I'm really... sorry." Scared, the other group backed off. The J high party congratulated Daniel, with the exception of YN who watched as Daniel swayed, clearly still under the influence of the alcohol. Pointy tapped Daniel on the shoulder
"Danny! Don't worry about my busted phone! I will just steal G-hole's phone, hehe." He continued to ramble, but quailed under the death glare Daniel sent.
"Let go." He growled. "You guys having fun? You jerks ever once put the shoe on the other foot? Don't pick on me. Do you even know how I feel?" YN decided this had gone on long enough.
"Umm, Daniel? You seem to be quite drunk... Where are you- Wait don't drink tha-!"
Daniel gulped from the glass of liquor. He promptly passed out. YN kneeled and slapped him. He didn't stir. She pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. She stopped on the one labelled 'mom'. Before tapping it, she paused. Judging by how uncomfortable Daniel was, YN assumed he may not want his mom to know that he had been drinking. Besides, what would his mom do? He said he lived alone? Except for the roommate. Daniel didn't have any other contacts though... YN put hers in, just in case.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group had been trying to wake him. YN decided to let them carry on, but it didn't seem like he would be waking anytime soon. The door swung open and in walked a short and plump dude, the worker from the convenience store.
"Heh? Who is that kid? I swear I've seen him before."
YN rolled her eyes. You definitely weren't harassing him last night, she thought sarcastically. The group recognized him then. Immediately, the reactions of the people in the shop turned hostile.
"Who are you?" The store owner asked. "Show me your ID or get out."
"PIGGY!" Came a cry from overly-drunk Zack. "Great to see ya piggy!" He turned to the rest of the group. "DOn't you dare tough my piggy you bastards! You insulted his mom! And took a picture! And punched him!"
Wasn't it you who hit him? YN thought, reaching over to slap some sense into him.
"Zack, let him go." She said
"Uh, actually I'm here to see get a friend." The guy stammered.
" A friend?
"Who?
"We're the only ones here.
"Umm, him... Daniel." The employee specified.
The reaction was instantaneous.
"What?
"You're a friend of Daniel's?
"No way!
"Are you a stalker?
"Ah!" Zoe interjected "So then you are the friend who lives with daniel?"
YN could see the guy panicking. She peered at him, taking in his appearance. He looked awfully familiar. In fact... he looks like Daniel. Its as if I'm looking at him in a concave mirror...
"Oh.. that... THe guy who lives with him ordered me to come get him."
A lie, YN could tell. But the others bought it.
"Poor piggy- i'll delete your nude pic." Pointy said. Daniel destroyed your phone. YN thought.
"Poor piggy... " Zack added. "Getting beat up all the time... Oh right! Piggy... I'll show you something good. As a gift of reconciliation." The guy picked up Daniel, and Zack led the group out.
"You need help?" YN asked the guy.
"No, thanks though." He replied.
"By the way, what''s your name?"
"Daniel."
"Oh, just like the other Daniel. Here's your friends phone by the way, I was looking for someone to call. I put my number in just in case. Feel free to call me if you need help or anything."
"Okay, thanks."
Secretly Daniel was appreciating YN more and more. Zack led the group to a punch game in the arcade.
"Watch close!" He said, squeezing his wrist. "Haven't done it in ages." Zack instructed small Daniel how to throw a punch. The score showed 892.
"Psh. I bet I could get better." YN challenged.
"Oh yeah?" Zack said, raising his eyebrows. YN stepped up to the game and sized it up. She stepped to the side of it, did a tornado kick, and the score rocketed well above 900. Everyone's jaw dropped.
"Hey that's cheating!" Zack complained. YN laughed and the group did a double take. That was the first time anyone had heard her laugh. It was quite pretty. Her eyes gleamed with a new light.
"Let me try again." YN mimicked Zack's straight, and the score was a little less.
Zack tried to look tough. "Haha see? It's not so good." Then he burped. "I shook up my insides!" That marked the end of the gathering, and the group split up. YN lingered behind with the Daniels.
"You wanna try?" YN asked. "I think you'll be pretty good." Daniel stammered and insisted that he'd be trash, but YN pressed. So he reluctantly stepped up and mimicked Zack's pose. He swung, but missed the target, grazing the side. YN was shocked to see it was ripped. Daniel blushed
"A-ah, well.. It's not my thing. I should probably get going now."
YN nodded open mouthed. "Oh yeah, and I know you are actually roommates with other Daniel, but don't worry, your secret's safe with me!" She mock saluted and short Daniel smiled., then when Daniel walked away, carrying tall Daniel, inspected the target. It WAS ripped. Vasco walked up.
"You saw that too?" YN murmured. Vasco nodded, then punched it. It didn't beat YN's kick record, but was pretty close.
"Oh, hi YN!" Jace said.
"Hi."
"That's your record right? Vasco told me about you! Have you given any thought to joining Burn Knuckles?"
"A little bit."
"Well keep thinking."
"I will. I should probably go now. Goodnight."
"Goodnight!"

YN walked back to Eli's apartment, consumed by pondering the Daniels.
"How was it?" Eli asked.
'Ugh terrible' YN started to say. Then stopped herself. "It wasn't bad. It was, if not anything, enlightening. I'm going to turn in."
"Goodnight."
"Night."
It was only after YN lay in bed, that she remembered her real purpose for going. Johan Seong. She contemplated the information she had found. He was a sweet kid, went to church, liked Mira, lived alone with a going-blind mom that worked as a hairdresser, got involved with a cult, disappeared with a dog, reappeared to defeat Zack Lee in a boxing match, became a gang leader. Johan... YN thought. I can't believe this, but I NEED you.Despite only having  fragment of memory of you. Johan was the among the last remnants of YN's old life that she remembered, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he was the last. Why did YN cling desperately to her memories even though her life was horrible? Because they're what I have left of HIM, Sinu Han.
Replays of Sinu comforted YN as she drifted off to sleep.

(revisited) Liquid Courage, Concave Mirror combined