#23

The Time-Loops

First of all, to clarify, Daniel is trapped in a time loop. Shenanigans ensue.

Second of all, the world slightly alters with each loop, sometimes is something small like what someone wears one day, and sometimes is something bigger, like being looped into the wrong time period. Think of it more so as Daniel going through different AUs that mostly stick to the relative timeframe in which the events of lookism take place.

Third, my version of Daniel may seem OOC, but this Danny has gone through things his cannon version hasn't. He has killed, died, and repeated a few episodes of his life at least a thousand times. He's traumatized and feral, if you don't like him don't read!

Also, I'd love it if you could come up with ideas for the loops and I appreciate every comment, like, and reblog more than you can imagine.

Chronological Order for now: (not sure if it makes sense but I tried)

#22 Young and hopeful (hopeless)

fem!Danny beats names and takes ass

#17 Danny and Robin's first meeting (haven't really decided if it's before or after #7 yet)

#7 Angst and therapy make Danny go brrrrr

#4 Danny loves Jay

#24 Jay's Danny

#2 Worst Pick-up Lines

Viral Hit crossover Loops (the placing is temporary and the link is to the first one)

First meeting with fem!Jay

#3 Parking Lot Cat-fight

Dorks in Love~

#16 Big Deal raises a feral Baby

#13 Dramatic Death caused by temporal mishaps

Most people are gay and Janiel is sweet and fluffy

#11 Titanic in the cafeteria

#5 Cheetah-print abomination hunting

#10 Macarena Funeral

Yakuza fem!Danny

#6 Secret Brother Danny

#21 Allied but better

Shopping with fem!Danny & simps

#8 No-sleep Gang!

#1 Daddy Danny and Baby Johan

#12 Detective Jace on the case

#18 The consequences of hubris...and something else...

#23 The most romantic date ever!!!

#15 Danny Snaps and Gun is Traumatized

#9 Petty revenge

#14 Raising the Simp Army

#19 The Banana Cult Takeover

Jay obsesses over Danny through loops

Mommy Sammy Loop

Stuff that is divergent from the timeline & may not be part of the story but share the same AU:

#Error

Repeat falling in love

If you need clarification on anything just ask!

#1

Danny didn't expect a lot of weirdness when he started this loop. He was sorely mistaken.

The realization came to him when he realized he had retained the previous loop's features and still looked like a 25-year-old gangster, tattoos and all. Not to mention he was staring down at the tiny version of one Johan Seong.

Taking a deep breath of his cigarette he allowed himself another glance downwards, which he immediately regretted.

"Could you give me your shoes?' Johan looked up at him with his big brown eyes shining with a sort of innocence Daniel had never seen on the boy before.

He exhaled the smoke upwards, as far away from the little one's face as possible, then crouched down and extinguished his cigarette on the pavement while his free hand reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a wad of cash that had seemingly traversed back with him and handed it to the wide-eyed boy with the gentlest smile he could manage.

"Take care of yourself" He ruffled little Johan's hair before getting back up and continuing down the sidewalk.

Without hurrying he made his way to a hotpot restaurant, keenly aware of his little shadow. He stopped right in front of it and turned around startling the boy so badly that he instinctively cowered.

"Have you had anything to eat yet?" The man asked, softening his expression so as not to frighten the boy more than he already had.

Johan shook his head and Daniel gestured for him to go in. He marveled at the boy's innocence as his eyes grew larger and he sprinted into the hotpot shop with an expression of childish glee that tugged at the older's heartstrings. This boy had not yet lost the spark in his eyes, though judging by his appearance he had already suffered through the whole cult ordeal.

Daniel chuckled at his enthusiasm and allowed Johan to choose what to order while they sat down next to each other.

"Hey mister, you're really nice!" The boy exclaimed, biting into a piece of meat. "You didn't even kick me when I asked for your shoes and gave me money and everything!"

Danny hummed back while swallowing his own food before wiping a trail of broth off the boy's chin. Johan watched him with keen eyes but didn't lean back or in. It was like the boy was trying to decide whether to be suspicious or revel in this tiny moment of affection that made him feel all fuzzy and warm inside. His mommy used to make him feel like that a long time ago when he was really little but hadn't done so since. Adults only play nice when they want something from you, he reminded himself when the tall dark-haired man retracted his hand and placed the crumbled napkin back on the table before returning to his meal. Something about him made Johan feel safe, something he hadn't felt since they had taken his mommy away, and made him want to cling to him. That's why he had followed him in the first place.

Seeing the boy lost in thought Daniel suppressed a tiny smirk and gently flickered his forehead, only hard enough to wake him from his reverie. He was rewarded with a pout that almost made him coo, but the boy's attention quickly went back to his remaining meal which he once more began to swallow feverishly.

"Slow down." The man chided while handing him a glass of water when Johan accidentally choked.

His actions seemed to have taken a more paternal turn ever since his eyes had landed on the tiny boy, but he didn't really care at the moment. Every bone in his imposing body screamed to take the boy home, wrap him in a blanket and protect him from this cruel world but he suppressed such thoughts. Although his morals had long since been distorted he had yet to completely lose his sense of boundaries. Kidnapping a child wouldn't do, not when he himself seemed to always get into trouble somehow. He didn't even have a place to stay at the moment, so that plan went out the window before it even began.

"Hey, mister", a tiny, high-pitched voice put a stop to his spiraling thought and his tired black eyes clashed with bright brown innocent ones, "what's your name?"

Daniel almost got whiplash with how suddenly his other thoughts paused but didn't show any outward signs of his newfound weakness. The child was making him soft.

"Daniel", he wiped his mouth with a napkin, "and you?"

"I'm Johan!"

His enthusiasm seemed to be infectious because he soon found himself smiling and humming while following along with the small brunette as he chatted about anything and everything. Yep, the child was definitely making him soft. And wasn't that a weirdly welcome surprise?

----------------

In the following days, the two of them kept bumping into each other, and each time they did they ended up back at the same hotpot restaurant.

Daniel had gotten a job at a nearby supermarket that reminded him of his old convenience store, with the added bonus that it paid better and no one dared to look down on him (not that most even could anyway). That way he had the funds to keep taking little Johan to eat at least once a week, although he had yet to find a place for himself. That particular thing wasn't really a problem, since he had long since learned the best sleeping spots in the city during some of his past loops and no one dared to attack him while he slept, out of fear.

In the last loop, Daniel had gotten really jacked up and covered most of his upper body in tattoos symbolizing various things, from his friends to events from other loops and so forth. Unless you really paid attention you probably couldn't tell what they meant, since the man had paid special attention to hiding such details in the very images representing them.

That evening, as he was making his way back from his job Daniel stumbled over a sight that made his blood boil. On the ground was a brunette little lump, covered in blood and bruises, with shards of broken glass and pieces of broken bottles surrounding it. Burying his anger deep in his chest the man stumbled to the child's side, crouching down to take a better look at the damage. No one other than him was around, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened.

With his foot, he nudged away most of the glass before kneeling over the unmoving Johan. He breathed a sigh of relief after finding a pulse, took off his ratty black trench coat, and scooped the bundle up into it. Careful not to hold him too tight and risk making his injuries worse Daniel made his way quickly to one of his nearby hideouts in an old abandoned building. Johan stirred and let out a weak whimper when he bangs climbing the crumbling stairs.

"It's okay, just hang on for a little longer. You'll be okay." He hushed the child suppressing the urge to cuddle him until he felt better no matter how much his chest ached at the notion of having to prolong his pain.

"Just a little longer" He promised the half-conscious boy, finally reaching the floor he had claimed as his own.

Without letting go of Johan he reached underneath an old, rotten dresser and pulled out a backpack that was obviously newer than anything else in this room, though, upon a closer inspection, one could see that it was missing a strap and looked torn in places. Daniel didn't once stop whispering reassurances and praise for how well he was doing as he removed the shard from his skin and bandaged the cuts. While relieved that the boy didn't seem to have any broken bones, he still gritted his teeth while applying cream to the patches of sickening blue and yellow covering his skin and wrapping his wounds.

Once he was finished dressing his wounds he wrapped the boy in one of his jackets and placed him on a relatively clean mattress he had managed to procure from a lovely lady at a yard sale, allowing himself a moment to marvel at how much younger and smaller he looked while sleeping. That night he didn't sleep, instead guarding Johan and making plans on returning the favor tenfold to those who had dared to lay their filthy hands on his kid.

When the first rays of sunlight slipped through the cracked window Johan began to stir. His whole body hurt, but not as much as it had when those guys beat him up. He was on something soft and he cuddled into the warmth before his mind caught up with his awake body. Warmth? He lurched forward in a panic before a pair of big warm hands gently pushed his back.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're safe."

He didn't recognize the voice at first but his brain automatically associated it with safety so he relaxed and allowed himself to be pushed back into what he now realized was a jacket almost three times his size in which he had been wrapped in. The pain in his back flared, but he pushed it away in favor of analyzing the room.

It didn't look like anything special. The walls were cracked and the paint had fallen off in some places. He was laying on a mattress that looked like a dog had bitten off one of its corners. Opposite him was an old wooden table with two plastic chairs that didn't belong to the same set on either side of it and next to it was a dresser that looked like it had come straight out of a haunted victorian mansion.

Finally, Johan's eyes landed on the figure at the foot of his bed and a shy smile bloomed on his battered face. Daniel returned it even wider while leaning towards him and placing a calloused palm on his forehead. The action made him fidget, but he soon calmed down when the man took his hand back, seemingly satisfied.

"Where does it hurt?"

The boy's first reaction was to deny that there was anything wrong with him but the look in Danny's eyes made him think otherwise. Timidly he pointed at the parts where he could still feel the pain, watching with bated breath as the man's expression seemed to grow darker and darker.

Finally, he hummed in the way Johan had learned to distinguish as him having gotten what he wanted and let out a deep breath. Although his hand itched for a cigarette, he remained steadfast in his refusal to smoke anywhere near the boy these days. Instead, he forced on a blank expression and began rummaging through the backpack. He pulled out a bottle of water and a store-bought sandwich and handed them to the child after checking the expiration date.

He made sure that the copycat didn't choke while wolfing down the slightly stale sandwich and reflexively wiped the crumbs off his cheeks after he had finished, lamenting at how sunken they were. He resolved to hound the boy to go with him to the hotpot store more often, if only to make sure he ate enough.

"Why?"

"Mhm?"

"Why-Why did you take me to your place? Why did you take care of me and feed me? You haven't asked for anything back? I-I don't have anything to give you! I can't-"

The boy's broken tirade was cut off by a pair of scarred but warm hands circling around his trembling frame and bringing him into someone's chest. The dam broke, and tears began flowing down his pale cheeks like waterfalls. He didn't even know why he was crying, but the building ache in his chest seemed to have finally bubbled to the surface and overwhelmed him. It wasn't fair! Why did this stranger he had met not even a month ago care for him more than his mommy did? Why? Why couldn't he be a normal kid? Why couldn't he go to school, and make friends, and play with toys?

Daniel listened to the little one wrapped in his arms choke on his own sobs and hiccups while mumbling unintelligibly and his heart shattered. The unfairness of it all hit him straight on and at that moment he found that he didn't care if his shirt was wet with tears and snot and bits of saliva, nor did he care that his work would start in half an hour. He could afford to lose his job (even if it would be a rather nasty blow to his income) if it meant that the little boy who was drifting off to sleep on his chest, having already tired himself out crying, wouldn't be alone when he woke up.

No, he thought clutching Johan closer to himself, he wouldn't let him be alone again. He wouldn't abandon him and he would do his darned best so that he would get a normal childhood.

small snippet from my WIP

Shards and Splinters | Weeping Embers

Dried leaves fluttered in the breeze, crunching amongst each other as if whispering secrets into the wind to be carried away. The streets lay abandoned, everyone still asleep tightly in their warm beds awaiting the dawn of yet another day like any other before. But today wasn’t going to be a usual day.

From the moment his eyelids opened, and he jolted out of bed breathing as if he had been chased around the whole world by an army of demons Archer Uberto could tell there was something different about today. The sun rose to the skies just like every other morning, drowning the world in light and warmth as it had done perhaps trillions of times before, yet still, the boy could not shake the feeling something was out of place. It wasn’t anything obvious, else he would have noticed by now, like how you’d know if someone had moved your socks from their rightful place, but not if a splinter was missing from your desk. The feeling, although persistent did nothing to deter him from entering back into his routine almost robotically, forgetting about the dream that had startled him awake, or of the pungent smell of creos in his home...

Archer paused repeating the thought that had just passed through his mind. Creos? What even were creos and why did he think of that? A puzzled expression flashed on his face before the shrill ringing of his phone broke his line of thought, pulling him back into reality harshly. His body moved on its own, traversing the neat and clean room all the way to the small bookshelf adorning the whole left wall of his room before turning off that blasted noise, so he could once more rejoice in the softer morning sounds.

A crow stood atop one of the branches that neared his window, silently observing the teen as he exited the building dressed in an old baseball shirt and dark green jeans. It cawed out twice before taking off into the mushy clouds in search of its morning meal.

The sudden flapping of feathers alerted a nearby mouse and sent it scurrying back beneath the dumpster it had crawled from, the dark feathered bird now taking its place, atop the lid that rested on the wall behind it. From there it had a clear view of the lanky teen as he scurried into the backroom, before coming out with a green apron and getting behind the counter, just as the doors of the cafe opened to let in a stream of groggy and grumpy customers who couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries at such an early hour.

Archer sighed in relief upon hearing the bell hung above the door ring one final time that day, the last customer exiting the small Starbucks, coffee in hand. With a sudden sense of accomplishment, the boy grinned to himself, returning to the backroom. He greeted the rest of his colleagues politely and made a bit of small chat before changing from his uniform back into his soft dark jacket and exiting the building while humming a soft tune and swinging his arms in

Page Break

the air as if he were conducting a band of invisible musicians. There were barely any people on the streets at the time to judge him, and even those who saw him as mad he could not be bothered to pay attention to.

Upon crossing the street, he stopped in the middle, waiting for someone to come out of nowhere and run him over, but after a few minutes and not even the sight of a bike, he let out an exasperated sigh and continued on his journey back to his warm bed and fluffy pillow. Perhaps next time he would have more luck, Archer pouted jokingly while swatting a few stray strands of mahogany hair out of his eyes, only for the evening breeze to blow them right back into his face, blinding him momentarily. And it was all it took, just that one moment, he smelled that same scent his room had that morning, and that feeling came back over a thousand times stronger.

He whirled around clutching his sides, as a stinging pain bloomed right where his ribs caged his lungs and the wind picked up, raising clouds of fallen and dried leaves into the air and surrounding him. Archer clenched his eyes tightly, burying his head into his chest, now fully aware that that feeling of something being awfully wrong had not been only in his tired mind.

“There’s no way I’m going to die to a cloud of leaves today” he screeched, before choking on something and falling into a coughing fit, his eyes watering and his ears ringing.

As Croissant fumbled around in the dark for his beeping comm, he cursed every single one of them. Alphabetically. 

#22

18-year-old Daniel sprung out of bed and ran out of his home, still in his pajamas. He ran until he reached the gates of J High, then up the stairs and burst into his classroom like hell was biting at his heels. The room was empty save for one boy that always got to school early.

Jay rose from his seat, concern painting his delicate face and Daniel froze in his tracks, eyes roaming for any injuries he knew logically weren't there. He had to make sure- He had to!

"You're okay!" He breathed a sigh of unbearable relief, the with of the world now gone from his shoulders.

Jay regarded him momentarily before nodding and stepping closer to the panting boy as if to pressure him that he was alright. He didn't expect that the moment he got within reach Daniel would grab his arm and pull him into a desperate hug that he melted into. The boy's hand lingered around his neck and Jay wondered if he could feel the skin beath his touch grow warmer, thankful for once that at least his face was buried in the other's chest so that he wouldn't see him blushing. The blond waited for Danny to finish checking for whatever it was that had him in such a state, noting that with each place he searched and found unblemished his shoulders would sag more, until bit by bit he relaxed entirely.

The baffled but relieved boy cupped Jay's cheek and brought his face up and close to his, taking in the sight of him like a starved man. Finally, he gave one last sigh and angled his head so that he could rest his forehead on his. He simply reveled in the moment for a bit, pretending like he didn't hear the blonde's sharp intake of breath, before pulling back.

"I'm sorry if I scared you...I think I just had a nightmare," Daniel rasped, unwilling to cause him even more worry. Gods, I must've lost my bloody mind or something! Jay just gave him a gentle smile and nodded understandingly before motioning for his desk.

The repetitive rhythm of tic-tac-toe allowed him to contemplate that morning's events. He had acted irrationally, there was no doubt about that, but the situation hadn't left much room for cold logic, not when time had once again dripped in reverse just as he and his crew had lost their lives.

The first time it had happened he had cried out joyfully, thinking that was his second chance. Only, it hadn't turned out as he had planned. He still ended up dead, but this time he hadn't been the only one. Daniel closed his eyes and envisioned the bloody bools in which the broken bodies of his allies, his friends had laid. His stomach churned at the memory of their cold dead eyes straight right through him and the pencil in his hand snapped.

"Ah, sorry!" He distractedly apologized to his friend, who shook his head to indicate that it wasn't a big deal. Danny let his head fall onto the table with a soft thump. "I think I'm a bit more out of sorts than I realized, sorry about your pencil Jay!"

The boy reached, at first hesitantly, and pat his head lightly as if to say it didn't matter. Daniel leaned into the touch, prompting him to begin gently playing with his hair until he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Danny had, in fact, not fallen asleep just yet. He pondered more so than he had the first time how time travel worked and how it was possible that it happened twice [Oh, boy! You have no idea!]. Undoubtedly, he was thankful for this chance to right his wrongdoing. The first time he had awoken two years in the past he had been rash, eager to save people he had no business saving and in the process losing those he shouldn't have lost. The memories haunted him, but that was good! This way he wouldn't forget. This way he would never make the same mistakes twice. This way he would learn to be cautious, even if it had to be drilled into his bones!

Daniel Park made an oath to himself that autumn morning, that he wouldn't repeat his mistakes and that he wouldn't lose anyone this time. To his credit, he stuck to it. He lived a long happy life surrounded by those dear to him and put an end to any unsavory activities that could harm them. He was a hero...too bad heroes never get a happy ending~

18-year-old Daniel sprung from his bed...and froze.

It hadn't worked.

He was back.

Why was he back?!

[Daniel Park is 18 by Korean standards and 16 by U.S. standards but I used the former in this.]

Danny: Don’t worry, I have a few knives up my sleeve. Vasco: I think you mean cards. Danny, pulling knives out of his sleeves: No, I do not.

Danny: Due to personal reasons, I will be fucking sinking to the bottom of the ocean in a large metal box. Zack: Did Jay say 'I love you' and you said 'Thanks'? Danny: THE REASONS ARE PERSONAL–

Something clicked my mind. How about a loop of genderbend Jay and genderbend Gun.

I just want to see both of them fighting for Daniel attentions.

Jay was a girl, again. That in itself was not a problem.

The problem came in the form of a tall fit black-eyed hellspawn who also happened to be of the fairer sex this time around. Gun was just as hard to deal with in his female form if a bit more due to society's somewhat-acceptance of women competing rather aggressively for their crushes. Having been a woman himself, Daniel knew the many nuances of the affection a girl may harbor for a man, and while it wasn't much different from the one between same-sex couples, it brought a few issues that were experienced more rarely by our lovesick idiot. Namely, rejection.

"I already have someone I like." Had been his first attempt to dissuade Gun from her chosen path the first time she had approached him at the festival. Although no fight had occurred between them she had somehow gotten interested in him. (Forget being her successor, she went straight for the kill this time, no pretenses or anything!)

"It doesn't matter."

"I'm already in a relationship and you're not my type." Was his second try. Danny didn't want to be rude to her and thus relied on borderline polite phrases to shoo her away, to no avail.

"What does she have that I don't?"

"She's..." He scratched his nape with a far-off look, wondering how he could try to sum up his vast love for Jay. Reducing her to simple qualities felt downright insulting. She was so much more than he could ever articulate.

Misinterpreting his silence, a smirk painted Gun's blood-red lips, but before she could speak she caught a flash of blonde hair in the corner of her eye. Her mind suddenly came up with a scheme to humiliate her rival while simultaneously staking her claim on the interesting boy.

"Is she richer than me?" She asked in a honeyed voice.

"Mhm..." He replied distractedly as if he couldn't care less.

"Is she prettier than me?"

"The prettiest..."

Gun gritted her teeth in frustration. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Once again her gaze was drawn to the little blonde who had suddenly taken a step towards them before both girls froze in place as Daniel opened his mouth again and spoke in a tone that was so clearly drunk on love it sent a shiver down the black-eyed girl's spine.

"She's more beautiful than the sun, and I sometimes wish I could go blind so that she would be the last sight I ever get to see. The way she laughs makes me feel all dizzy and clumsy, and I get flustered when she smiles at me. I can't help it. She's beyond perfection in every way that matters and I'm so lucky I met her." He gave a long sigh and continued, despite how stupid he felt or how the tips of his ears burned bright red for all to see. "That's not why I love her though...that...I can't put it into words...she's just...Jay...and that's more than I could ever ask for..."

He gave Gun an apologetic smile, but the girl was too stunned to react.

"So I'm sorry. But I would be a fool to ever let go of such a blessing. I can't date you."

With that, he turned and left, without noticing a flustered blonde quickly retreating from the scene and fleeing into a bathroom to calm down the thundering breathing of her heart and the feverish blush on her cheeks. Good thing she had pulled out her phone just in time to record that last part.

(Jay played the recording over and over for herself until Danny finally found out about it. After he was done stuttering and looking like a fresh tomato he embraced her tightly and promised her that she didn't need a stupid recording and that he would have no problem making those kinds of confessions to her every day if it made her happy. He was awarded many kisses and cuddles and savored his reward thoroughly.)

-----------------------

BONUS!

After Gun was left by her lonesome in the parking lot she finally snapped out of her trance. A bright blush coated the apples of her cheeks and her eyes turned hazy with desire. That kind of adoration, she wanted it for herself.

She would get his heart no matter how long it took. That silly little blondie wouldn't stand a chance! She had to have that man and bathe in his adulation for herself!

"Just you wait~Daniel Park~"

Danny: You call yourself my soulmate, but where were you when my meme only had four likes? Jay: Making four accounts. Danny, tearing up: Really…?

#3

Forget politeness, Danny was just downright feral. Simply put, he had woken up and chosen violence.

He made his way to school like he owned the place. Bought himself at the Slave Auction like it was nobody's business and went off into the sunset with a baffled Jay in his arms, being held in bridal style. Then he came back because he had forgotten that he had to sing with Duke and put the blonde back down remorsefully before making him promise to watch his concert.

Somehow, and because the universe was a bitch he had once again ended up in the parking lot with Crystal and Gun staring at him. Before he could walk away the girl opened her mouth and began berating him for "judging people based on their looks".

"I'm gonna stop you right there" He cut her off, something no one had ever done before judging by her gobsmacked expression. "I don't know you, nor do I care to so you should keep your hypocritical view to yourself, okay miss?"

Unfortunately, Crystal managed to recover before he could book it out of there.

"Just who do you think you are? Calling me a hypocrite?"

Daniel regaled her with a thoroughly unimpressed stare before opening his mouth.

"Siri, could you please tell me the definition of hypocrisy?"

"a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel" The robotic voice came from his back pocket, echoing through the empty parking lot.

Gun had a mysterious coughing fit that ended with a pointed elbow in the ribs from the smaller girl, though even that didn't manage to wipe the grin off his face. He eyed the boy more closely, feeling suddenly intrigued about whether he had the skills to back his cheeky attitude.

"You judge people based on how they look. I saw how you looked at one of the other girls in the crowd." Crystal continued to press on stubbornly.

"And you don't?" He retorted without missing a beat. "Besides, the girl I was looking at was Lala Kim, and she's notorious for how badly she treats the dates she buys at the Slave Auction."

That at least seemed to have gotten his point across.

"But you still act like you are better than anyone else."

Spoken too soon.

"I am better than everyone else!" His cocky reply seemed to only infuriate the beautiful girl more.

"Prove it!"

"Sure!"

They were now shouting and so close to each other that it was just one shove away from ending up really awkwardly between them. Daniel didn't let his confidence waver when she suddenly revealed a sharp smile that promised pain and humiliation, instead, he gave her his own taunting smirk and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Gun, fight him."

If the command surprised the bodyguard, he didn't show it. In one swift move, he took off his sunglasses, revealing the black sclera of his eyes and plastered on his infamous insane grin. Crystal moved out of the way and Daniel squared his shoulders but didn't wipe off his mocking expression.

Before he could blink an all-too-familiar kick began heading his way and the boy slipped into his fighting mindset. He blacked the click with his own leg using a basic movement that made it seem ridiculously easy. Gun's eyes widened as well as his smirk.

"You're pretty interesting, huh?"

A fist flew towards his face.

"Uh, Daniel."

The boy in question dodged the blow and caught his attacker by the throat, lifting him in the air.

"Hm?" He hummed inquiringly, turning to see the cowering form of Jinho looking at him like he was a monster.

He let go of his opponent, whose body hit the pavement with a muffled thud and made his way toward his smaller classmate.

"Uh-uh, Duke's looking for you, he-he asked me to-to get you." Jinho stuttered, eyes glued on the predator before him and knees trembling.

"Oh right, the concert, I almost forgot!" It was like a switch had been flipped and Daniel's cold facade melted back into a friendly smile. "Thanks, Jinho."

The boy nodded so fast he almost knocked his glasses off his face and scurried back.

"Ah, sorry, we'll have to continue this another time." He told the pair who were still frozen in shock, either at his skill or his quick change in attitude, he found that he didn't care much either way.

Shooting them one final sharp grin Daniel jogged back to the school festival, ready to perform for the beautiful blonde who would be watching him. Once he was out of sight Gun's posture finally loosened and he leaned onto the side of the car, pulling out a cigarette. A drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead and he absently brushed his fingers over the already-forming hand-shaped bruise on his neck.

"He could have broken my neck without breaking a sweat." He mumbled and Crystal blanched at the thought.

"That boy...", the fighting maniac took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke slowly, "could've killed me if he wanted to."

The pair shared no other words as they left, both slightly trembling, though due to different reasons. Daniel Park was a real beast and they were lucky he had been interrupted when he had. Gun massaged his neck again as he drove, an impossibly large smile on his face.