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The next few weeks were something of an adventure fore me. I had a whole new life I was discovering, and an old life I was finding hard to separate myself from. And I really did want to separate myself from it.
Are you confused as to what I'm talking about? Don't worry, so am I. Not all that long ago, I was an averagely hideous highschooler with a deadbeat stepdad and overbearing mother. We were on the lower spectrum of middle class, and I honestly couldn't name any friends I'd miss if I were to never see them again.
Now, I'm aparently the second eldest child of two neglectful parents on the ridiculously rich end of the 1%. I live alone...with my butler and 30+ servants. I have a younger sister, who's still in middle school that sometimes drops in to visit me.
Her older brother. Her mute older brother. Her mute older brother who used to be a girl obsessed with the universe I now find myself in.
I've always wanted siblings, though. And, if I do say so myslef, I make an epic older brother. Joy loves me. And her presence only confirms the fact that I am where I think I am.
I'm in Lookism. I know I've probably gone insane, but honestly I couldn't care less. I hope that, if this isn't real, that it's a beautiful dream I never wake up from. My days are pretty great.
I wake up to a delicious breakfast every morning. I don't think I've ever eaten this well in my life! Then either I'm dropped off at school by Garran, or I drive myself there on my snazzy electric bike.
The school is exactly how I remember it from Looksim. Zack Lee is still a jerk, trying to get Mira's attention in the most stupid ways possible. I kinda have to hide smiles though, because the person Zack tends to bully the most is none other than Jiho, who I hate. Also, Zack ends up being an awesome guy...he's just a little slow.
What surprised me the most about this world were the teachers. I can't recall reading very much in the Webtoon about adults in this school, but the teachers are very much present. However...they seem to step out a lot. Much more than teachers would in my old schools, in my old life.
But this class is all about fashion design, obviously. I had nearly forgotten, because it's a detail slightly glossed over in the Webtoon, as to what makes the Fashion department different from the others, and why each of the various students are in this class.
Zack, obviously, is only here because Mira is. She, on the other hand, wants to be a serious designer one day. Most of these people do. A few people--like Jiho, two of Zack's minions, a couple of the girls and one of the rich brand-obsessed kids--are only in the department because they thought it'd be easy.
But for the most part, this class has some really interesting people with unique ideas. Of course there are your basic subjects taught, like math and science, but they tend to have a fashion or clothing design spin to them. For example, having a measuring conversion focus in math, and a unit on fabrics and dyes in science.
Some days I forget that this could all be a dream, because of how interesting I'm honestly finding the classes.
Even still, as the first semester draws to a close, I can't help but grow anxious in anticipation...Daniel Park would be joining the next semester. I don't know how I should act to him. Jay, original Jay, seemed to be awkwardly smitten with bromance. To be honest, I've been withdrawn this whole semester, just people watching. And yet, I've managed to more or less befriend Mira, Vasco from Architecture and his friend Jace.
I hope I haven't messed things up, I don't remember Jay having friends in the Webtoon. It was all on accident though. I ran into Mira the first day. She was the first character I'd recognized besides Joy. I was so shocked at how ADORABLE she is. Seriously the illustrations, amazing as they might be, didn't do her justice at all.
I would have killed to have a figure like hers in my past life. And her eyes are so big and sweet. Not to mention her voice sounds like an angel. I had a serious girl crush for a moment until I remembered that I was technically a boy now. Then I just felt awkward.
She noticed me staring and smiled, though it seemed a little forced. "I'm sorry, can I help you?" She asked, tilting her head, but angling her body away from me. As an ex-girl, I was an expert in reading that kind of body language. I understood. Here was this fit but unknown boy staring at her. She was being polite, but preparing to move away as quickly as possible.
I panicked, and it must have shown on my face because she relaxed a little, trying to think of how to explain myself without use of a voice.
I raise my hands in a surrendering gesture that I hoped she'd interprete correctly. Then I signed an apology, knowing she probably wouldn't understand but hoping she'd realize I was disabled and not rude when I didn't verbalize a response.
[I'm sorry!] I flailed. [I was trying to guess if you were in my year.]
"Oh..." Mira looked a little guilty. But she also lost her defensive posture. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."
I chewed my lip thoughtfully then pointed at myself and mouthed the word LOST as slowly as possible. Her face cleared. "You need directions?" Relieved, I nodded vigorously. Mira smiled. "You're new here, I guess?" I keep nodding. "Are you a freshman?" I give her two big thumbs up and she giggles.
"So am I," she admits. "I'm not entirely sure where I'm going either. But we can be lost together if you would like?"
I press my hands together in front of my and bow. [Please!] She laughed.
"What class are you in?" She asked as we began to walk. I point at the crest on her uniform with the fashion department's logo. "Same as me!" She said joyfully. "It'll be nice already knowing someone! Eh...I'm Mira, by the way. What's your name?"
I hold out my hand, and she smiles with a confused look, but gives her hand to me anyway. I turn it over so that her palm is up and I trace a big letter 'J' as clearly as I can.
"J?" She repeats out loud. "Oh! Your name is Jay?" I smile and nod before turning her hand back over and clasping it in both of mine to shake it warmly. She blushes and giggles.
"HEY!" I turn around upon hearing an angry voice accompanied by rapidly approaching footsteps. I barely have time to recognize Zack before he roughly pushes me away from Mira. Not expecting it, I stumble backwards and land on my rear end. Mira gasps, her hands flying to her mouth before she turns on her head and stabs one perfectly manicured finger into Zack's chest.
"What do you think you're doing?" She demands. It's kinda funny how genuinely confused Zack looked.
"He was bothering you?"
Mira does a cute little foot stomp. "He was introducing himself!"
"He had his hands all over you!"
"It's called a hand shake, Zack Lee!" I jump to my feet and smile placatingly at the both of them.
[It's fine] I sign slowly, hoping that the motions are understandable enough. [Hello, I'm very pleased to meet you Zack Lee.]
Zack scrunched up his nose and makes a face at me, like he can't decide what to make of me. "You deaf or something?"
"Zack!" Mira scolds, mortified. "Don't be so rude!"
I laugh, soundlessly, and do my [Don't worry about it] hands. I shake my head at Zack and point to my throat. Then I cup my ears and nod.
"So you can hear, but not speak?" Mira interprets.
"That's stupid," Zack says as I nod. I can only shrug, then laugh helplessly as Mira digs into Zack again for being "heartless".
Ever since then, Mira and I have been pretty close friends, and Zack pretends to tolerate me. Though I'm pretty sure he sees me as his biggest competition for her affection. I've been teaching Mira sign language little by little (even though I'm not entirely sure how I even know it in the first place), and so we can hold decent conversations now, even if she has to do a lot of guessing. Zack, on the other hand, very pointedly ignores me when the three of us are together, and belittles me when him and I are alone.
Like I said, though, it's hard to really be upset with him. And part of why it was so easy being amicable with Zack Lee was because, for his part, he was never actually rough with me out of respect for Mira. Sure, he'd trip me or knock over my drinks, but it was harmless actions like that. I always pretended like I'd thought it was an accident on his part and corrected whatever it was he did with a gentle smile. It confused him, and that made me laugh inside.
Furthermore, whenever I saw the two of them alone together, I'd give him a big thumbs up and a blindling grin before walking the other way and leaving them alone. When he walked up to Mira and I, or she walked up to us, I was always quick to play wingman. This, combined with the fact that I started playing up the whole "I don't really understand whats going on" thing and waving my hands around randomly like I was trying to say something important made Zack to start feel guilty about his behavior towards me.
Towards our last days of the first semester, Zack even told someone off for making fun of me behind my back. Apparently, the right to bully me belongs to Zack alone.
Which is how I met Vasco.
It was one of the times that Mira ate with her female friends rather than me and Zack. I'd gotten my tray and a couple of drinks (chocolate milk because, why not?) and sat down by myself at the edge of the cafeteria, quietly scrolling through my Pacebook timeline, mentally comparing it to a combo between my world's Twitter and Facebook.
I hadn't been paying attention until Zack slammed his hands down on my table, making me jump slightly. I flinched, then looked up at him. When I saw who it was, I gave him a big smile and waved happily.
[Are you going to eat with me today?] I asked him before gesturing to his three cronies who had followed him. [I'm not sure your friends will all fit at this table, but we could pull some chairs over if you want?] Zack's expression faltered slightly.
"What?" He asked, then shook his head when I made to repeat myself. "Know what? I don't actually care, you dumb mute. What? Don't have any friends besides Mira to sit with? I think we both know that she's just too kind to not bend over to be nice to a cripple like you," he sneered at me.
As always, I smiled and agreed. [Yes, she is very kind.]
"What's the cripple saying?" Asked one of the three minions in a tone of voice that made it hard to tell if he were mocking me or actually asking a question so I turned to him with a smile.
I raised my hands to reply, but was stopped by a sharp cuff to the side of my head. My head snapped to the right, and I'll be honest--it kinda hurt. "He asked you a question, cripple." One of the other minions mocked me with an ugly expression. I forced my facial expression into one of confusion before smiling again and raising my hands as if to reply once more.
I expected it this time, so I made sure to allow my head to move with the blow, making it not hurt as much while making it seem as though he hit me harder this time. A few people around us had started to look our way, gawking.
"Answer us, stupid," said the third minion. "Why won't you say anything? Are you really so rude?" The other two cackled obnoxiously, one wiping off his shoe on my pristine pants leg, leaving a long smear.
I look to Zack as if asking for help--not really expecting anything-- but to my surprise he looks angry...on my behalf.
"Hey, back off," he steps forward authoritatively. The three look confused and so Zack is quick to correct his course. He looks down at me, a little hesitant, before he grabs one of my milk boxes and squeezes it all over my meal, rendering it unedible.
I give Zack a pathetically confused look, and watch in silence as Zack leads his group away from me, throwing a "Enjoy your meal, mute!"
But then Zack walks right into somebody.
Vasco. "You shouldn't be mean." He said plaintively, and I found it hard not to coo at him. For a moment, I thought it was going to lead into a fight, but Zack just scoffed and walked around him. However, as the one who hit me made to follow, Vasco slapped him across one cheek and the force of the blow knocked him over.
With a growl, the minion stands up and makes like he's going to retaliate. But suddenly, Vasco looks hella terrifying. The other student stops advancing and pretends like he thinks Vasco isn't worth it.
Jace puts a hand on Vasco's shoulder, stopping him from chasing after Zack's crew. The big guy turns his attention to me. "He is not your friend," he says to me. Except he says it reaaaaaally slowly as though I have a hard time hearing. So it's more like
"HHHHHHEEEEEEE. IIIIIIISSSS. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT. YOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRR. FRRRRIIIEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNND."
Jace looks like he wants to face palm as Vasco continues. "Yoooouuuuuu doooooo noooot haaaaave toooooo beeeee niiiiiiiiice tooooooo hiiiiiiimmmm!!!!"
I nod agreeably, and offer Vasco my remaining chocolate milk. [Thank you] I tell him. For those of you who don't know, sign language for thank you is basically blowing a kiss. Vasco looked shocked before tears started flowing down his chiseled face.
I jump up and wave my hands around, not really knowing what to say. [Don't cry! You're too cute to be sad! I wanna squish your adorable cheeks, but I hate you crying! It makes my heart hurt, please stop crying!]
"You're such a loving person, " Vasco says through his tears. "And I can see you are very forgiving and kind, but I can't return your affections. I am sorry."
My hands freeze. I need a second for my brain to reboot. Behind Vasco, Jace's entire face is red with second hand embarrassment. In the end, I just smile at him and hold out my hand, which he takes. Like with Mira, I draw a 'J' on his palm.
"I don't understand what you are saying, sweet cripple."
Jace sighs. "It's nice to meet you Jay," he says, though his face says I'm so sorry. I smile at him and shake his hand as well. Vasco looks at his best friend in wonderment.
"How do you know his name?" He asks with wide eyes. I smile at Vasco, and point at my temple. Vasco gasps in understanding. "Jace! You can read minds?"
"Uh, yeah," Jace says sheepishly. "You caught me."
"Do it again!"
In the end, I sat with the Burn Knuckles, one of them getting me a new tray of food, and played a game a charades with Jace while Vasco looked on in wonder.
After that, I never sat alone during meals. I was either with Mira or the Burn Knuckles. Jace and I would share smiles and sighs behind Vasco's back, and in the hallways whenever I passed by Vasco, I'd blow him a kiss. Jace would sigh or smile ruefully. Vasco, at first would only give me a tearful smile, but as months past, he seemed to get the joke and began to blow them back. Something that baffled the male population of our school and made the girls squee at his cuteness.
All in all, I was really enjoying school. I'd never had many good friends in my first life...I wonder if this is how Daniel felt? In any event, I can't wait to add him to my little friend group!
And more importantly...I have to stop him from dying.