Face Value | Lookism x Reader Oneshots

31. Jae- Mr. Brightside (Part 1)

(Requested)

i'm such a bad author i stg

sorry for not updating in like a lifetime :')

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Attention. Jae Yeol hated it. The mere mention of the word limelight was enough to shoo him away, back into the shadows where he realized he belonged. Sure, he was the heir of the company, ever since his (now late) father had given him the rights, but originally, he was planning a much simpler life. One without the drama, business, the mess of his family.

And the harassment.

C'mon, rich boy, give us your money. Your daddy's dead anyways, so you can't tell on us, can you?

What kind of middle schooler carries this big amount of money? Holy shit!

Yeol, you better not tell anyone, 'cuz if ya do, you're going to be in a lot of trouble tonight.

The private institute he went to was hell. Everywhere, people would tease him about everything. His father, the business, his eyes, his posture, his body. Just because he came from an affluent family. He'd get in trouble, then money would bribe the charges away. What was the point? His life was supposed to be great, so why?

Why was life like this?

Slowly he'd talk less. Everyday he'd shut himself in his room and asked for no one to bother him. Days went much slower, to his dismay, and in that time period he'd practice martial arts, in hopes of getting stronger, in hopes of beating his rivals. But then after the high, came the slope.

Just this one day, he cried himself to sleep. Wails and heaving sobs raked his chest, guttural heaves spilling out of his mouth. He beat a hole in the wall, knuckles bleeding, pent up rage finally coming out. He tore at his skin, trying to crawl out of it, desperate to become someone else and not himself. The monster, the reject that had become his reflection. Every time he looked in a mirror the boy had only felt disappointment, disdain towards every single inch of his skin, his body, pinching and pulling at him mind to let him out.

Not once had he'd ever want to just tear off his flesh, just to use scissors and cut himself out of his skin, this shell that people had seen of him, the outside that everyone knew, and expose the inside, his real self, that no one had tried to befriend.

Jae Yeol had felt the weakest in that moment.

So he changed. He changed himself. No longer was he the golden child of the family, the one that everyone knew was weak. Jae Yeol cut his hair, bleached it, dyed it, arranged it so it would cover his eyes. He quit the institute and spent his time studying on his own at cram schools, keeping to himself, not bothering to know anyone else. Then he began working at the Jujitsu studio. His teacher made him a warrior.

After that year, he moved to Seoul and joined Jae Won high, some dump that he wouldn't benefit from academically. But he knew with one hundred percent certainty that no one would know him. With this facade, he just needed to make it out of high school. No contact, disappearing as the bell rang. It was too risky to let anyone stare at him for longer.

He wouldn't bother to know anyone, at least.

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"Jae!" The blonde bombshell flinched at the loud voice as someone clapped him on the shoulder. "Dude, what're you doing here? And why are you in a suit?" Turning around, he was met with the sight of a grinning (Y/N), carrying their skateboard, cap on backwards, tilting their head just a bit. He visibly relaxed, knowing that it was them. Shaking his head and shrugging, he responded to their question.

"Nothing much? Bro, you're in a suit and tie, and you're telling me it's nothing much?" (Y/N) laughed heartily and readjusted their hat. "Are you the manager of this shop? How did I know, you ask? You have a badge on your suit." Jae gasped inaudibly, flustered to have forgotten that obvious symbol. The skater in front of him chortled again, patting him on the shoulder.

"It's fine, dude. I see you have business to attend to, so let's hang later!" (Y/N) slapped their board on the ground, placing a foot on the material. They winked and saluted with two fingers. "Peace." With that, they propelled themselves away, riding smoothly along the ground. For a moment, Jae just stood and watched them bounce their shoulders, flipping the skateboard as they rode to the nearest park, free as can be.

He smiled, admiring the back view and appreciating their charm before heading into where he needed to be. Inside, he was immediately greeted by the actual manager of this department store, who quickly grew bashful and compliant to his presence. As always.

The meeting quickly ended with him dismissing everything, finding that the store and income was running smoothly. Jae went out, taking out his phone, finding one message stored in his inbox.

Still up for a meet?

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"My place is kinda small, sorry about that." (Y/N) slipped off their shoes and placed them on a rack they kept near the front door. "If you don't mind changing into slippers, that would be great." Jae simply nodded, looking at the unfamiliarity of the tiny space. It was homey, if you could call it that. It was fairly organized, just with the occasional shirt of pair of pants thrown either on a piece of furniture of just on the ground.

"You can sit, if you'd like. There's not much room to do so, but I have a couch, at least." (Y/N) chuckled, getting two cartons of chocolate milk out of the plastic wrapped cardboard box, and handed one to their friend, who humbly sat on the couch, hands folded in his lap. He looked at them, smiled, and cracked open the straw, and took a sip, refreshed by the somewhat artificial chocolate taste.

"So, I heard we're expecting a new student in the Fashion Department," (Y/N) started, drinking the beverage. "I wonder who it'll be. Maybe another girl, or another boy." Jae kept quiet, as usual, but nodded politely to everything they said, following along just fine, but mind somewhere else.

"Yeah and- I've been talking a lot, I just realized," (Y/N) blurted out. "You also seem kinda bored. Why don't we go out somewhere? Take a breather. The mall, the park, anywhere you want is completely fine." Jae lifted his head, unaware he had seemed so out of it. (Y/N) noticed and quickly jumped to intervene.

"Actually, just staying here is alright too, you're like, my best friend so I don't mind." The blonde smiled and relaxed, leaning his back on the couch and emptying his carton of chocolate milk before placing it back onto the table. Best friend, huh? (Y/N) laughed awkwardly, trying to clear the mood.

"I kinda feel like I'm boring you somehow, Jae. Is there anything wrong that you'd like to talk about?" Jae Yeol shook his head and smiled, waving his hand like everything was fine.

Ha, bullshit.

"Okay, but seriously, if you need to talk, I'll be here. In the meantime, it's almost supper. Should we stay here and eat, or go out somewhere? ...Here? Y-You don't have many choices here. So you don't mind? Okay..." As (Y/N) got up, Jae Yeol mentally beckoned for them to scurry on into the kitchen so he could be alone. It was selfish, he thought, but alas, as soon as the heel of their foot disappeared into the other room, he gave a breath of relief.

Bad memories come up at the worst possible times.