The silence between them stretched and pulled like taffy, sticky and uncomfortable in a way that made Yuki's skin crawl. He stood frozen against what he now realized was Daniel Park's rental house, his pathetic camping supplies scattered at his feet like the evidence of a crime he hadn't meant to commit. His heart hammered so hard he could feel it in his throat, in his fingertips, everywhere!!!
Daniel stared at him with an expression that might have been shock or confusion maybe concern—maybe all three wrestling for dominance on his face—and Yuki wanted nothing more than to melt into the concrete beneath him and disappear entirely. Could he unlock a skill like that?
"You've been sleeping here..." Daniel said again, slower this time, as if repetition would somehow make the situation make sense, would transform it into something logical instead of deeply, profoundly weird.
Yuki's hands shook as he started gathering his blanket, his movements jerky and graceless. "I can explain—I'll leave right now, I'm so sorry for—"
"It's going to rain....."
The words cut through Yuki's panic like a knife through silk—clean, unexpected, stopping him mid-fold with his blanket clutched against his chest. "Wha-what?"
Daniel gestured vaguely at the darkening sky, the clouds did look quite dark. "Rain. You can't..." He trailed off, he ran a hand through his hair in what looked like frustration, though whether with Yuki or the situation he found himself in, it wasn't clear. "Just come inside." he finally spoke
"I can't—"
"You can't sleep outside in the rain ok?" Daniel said, more firmly this time, his jaw setting in a way that suggested he'd made a decision. "It's not safe, or smart, or..." He seemed to struggle for the right words, his discomfort palpable in the space between them. "Just come inside, please?"
Every instinct Yuki had—every lesson learned through pain, humiliation, tears and betrayal—screamed at him to refuse, to run, to not impose on someone who clearly didn't want the burden of a homeless stranger cluttering up their doorstep. He'd learned the hard way, had the scars to prove it, what happened when you accepted kindness that came with invisible strings attached, with expectations you couldn't meet and prices you couldn't pay.
But Daniel didn't look manipulative, didn't wear that same smile Hayato had used. He looked uncomfortable, awkward, almost as reluctant as Yuki felt—like helping was something he felt obligated to do rather than wanted to do, which somehow made it feel safer, more honest.
He knew Daniel was a good guy, he read the manhwa after all... but it was not that either, sure he knew who this person was better than anyone in this new world, but that was not the reason he felt different.. his head hurt.
"Just for tonight," Yuki heard himself say, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll leave first thing in the morning—I promise I won't be any trouble."
Daniel nodded, already moving toward the door, his relief at having the decision made obvious in the loosening of his shoulders. "Yeah, okay, whatever." He unlocked the door, held it open in a gesture that was almost chivalrous despite his obvious awkwardness. "Come on."
The inside of Daniel's rental wasn't small—it was microscopic, claustrophobic even in a way that made Yuki's chest tighten with something between sympathy and disbelief. He'd lived in cramped Tokyo apartments where you could touch opposite walls if you stretched, but this was something else entirely, stripped down to the absolute essentials of survival. One room with a bathroom attached, a futon on the floor that looked like it had seen better days, a tiny kitchenette pushed against one wall like an afterthought, a desk buried under textbooks and notebooks, and absolutely nothing else. No decorations, no photos on the walls, no personal touches that might suggest someone actually lived here instead of just existing between these four walls.
Well Daniel was had just moved here, so it was not quite suprising.
"Sorry about the mess," Daniel mumbled, though there wasn't any mess to speak of because everything was neat. "I, uh... my roommate and I share the place. It's not much."
Yuki looked around, his confusion mounting because there was nowhere for a second person to sleep—the futon was barely big enough for one person, let alone two, and the floor space was minimal at best. "Your roommate?"
"He's at work right now—night shift at the convenience store down the street." Daniel gestured toward the futon with a vague wave of his hand. "You can sleep there tonight. He won't be back until morning." Daniel was glad he had left his original body in the convenience store, though a little risky, he just locked himself in an empty storage room on some days when he felt lazy to come back home.
"What about when he comes back?" Yuki ofcourse knew something like that was the case, an excuse to keep Daniel's secret, but that does not mean he was not curious. "Where will he sleep?"
"Don't worry about it," Daniel said quickly, too quickly. "We'll figure it out. Just... make yourself comfortable, I guess. Plus he and i also manage like this since he works till morning, and hence when he comes back, i have to go to school"
Comfortable seemed like an impossible goal in this situation, but it was warm and dry and had actual walls and a ceiling, and after three nights outside that felt like luxury, felt like something precious and unlikely. The bar for comfort had gotten remarkably low, and Yuki found he didn't care.
"Thank you," he said quietly, meaning it with everything he had. "Really. This is... thank you."
Daniel shifted his weight from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable with gratitude, he was quite uncomfortable about compliments, like he didn't know what to do with them or where to put them. "It's fine. Just don't make it weird."
A purple notification flickered at the edge of Yuki's vision, translucent and insistent. when had it changed colour?
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[New Location Acquired: Daniel Park's Residence]
[Trust Level Unlocked: Daniel Park (5/100)]
[Note: Cozy setup, Host~ Very sneaky of you~ ]
Yuki mentally told the System to shut up, perverted narrator.
They settled into an awkward routine that felt like a dance neither of them knew the steps to, moving around each other carefully in the limited space. Daniel offered Yuki first use of the bathroom, provided him with spare toiletries that looked barely used, even pulled out a clean towel from a tiny closet .
When Yuki emerged from the bathroom feeling marginally more human—clean skin, clean teeth, the simple miracle of hot water—he found Daniel sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the wall, as far from the futon as the tiny room would allow, creating as much distance as physically possible between them.
"You should take the futon," Yuki said immediately, the words automatic. "This is your home. I'm the intruder."
"You're not—" Daniel stopped himself mid-sentence, reconsidered whatever he'd been about to say. "Just take it. You were sleeping on concrete for three days."
"And you're letting me into your home—I'm not taking your bed too."
They stared at each other, both equally stubborn, both planted in their positions like trees that had grown roots. It was almost funny, this standoff over something as simple as who got to sleep where, except neither of them was laughing.
Finally, Daniel sighed in defeat or exhaustion. both. "Fine. I'll take the futon. You take the floor. There's an extra blanket in the closet."
Yuki retrieved the blanket—thin but clean, smelling faintly of detergent— he settled onto the floor a respectful distance from where Daniel lay on the futon, The lights went off, plunging the room into darkness that felt heavy and complete. Neither of them slept.
The silence was heavy, weighted with unspoken questions, thick enough that Yuki could almost feel it pressing against his skin. He stared at the ceiling he couldn't see, hyper-aware of Daniel's presence just a few feet away, of the sound of his breathing and the way he shifted occasionally like he couldn't shake something off. Yuki's mind kept circling back to the same thought on endless repeat: What the hell am i doing?
A notification pinged softly in Yuki's vision, barely visible in the darkness.
[SIDE QUEST UNLOCKED]
[Share One Truth]
[Reward: +50 LP, +2 Trust (Daniel Park)]
[Time Limit: 5 hours]
Yuki took a breath that felt too loud in the quiet room. "Why Seoul?" The question came out softer than he'd intended, almost tentative. "For school, I mean."
There was a long pause, long enough that Yuki thought maybe Daniel had fallen asleep or was pretending to. Then his voice came through the darkness, quiet and uncertain: "Why Seoul for you?"
Fair enough—turnabout was fair play, after all. Yuki considered his answer carefully, weighing what was safe to say against what was true. "I didn't have a choice. Coming here wasn't... it wasn't my decision. Someone—something—made it for me." His hands clenched beneath the thin blanket, fingernails digging into his palms. "I couldn't stay in Japan. If I'd stayed, I would have..."
Broken. Died. Became a toy
"I needed to leave," he finished, the words inadequate for the desperation he'd felt. "I needed to be somewhere I could start over, be stronger, not weak anymore.... though it still feels hopeless"
Another long silence stretched between them like a bridge neither was sure would hold their weight. Then:
"I was bullied."
Yuki turned his head slightly toward where Daniel's voice had come from, though he couldn't see anything in the darkness except the faint outline of shapes that might have been furniture or might have been shadows.
"My whole life," Daniel continued, his voice flat and controlled, he was choking out the words. "Every single day. They called me fat, ugly, worthless—said I was a waste of space, that I should just die." He took a shaky breath that Yuki could hear across the distance between them. "And I... I believed them. I hated myself more than they could ever hate me. Hated being too scared to fight back, too pathetic to do anything but take it. Hated being... my mom too."
Yuki's chest tightened with recognition so sharp it almost hurt, because he knew that feeling intimately—knew what it was like to hate yourself more effectively than anyone else ever could, to carry that hatred around like a stone in your stomach.
"Then things changed," Daniel said, his voice still carefully neutral. "I got... a second chance. To be different, to start over in Seoul where nobody knew me, where I could be someone else." A pause, heavy with meaning. "But I'm still that scared kid sometimes, still weak where it counts."
"You're not weak," Yuki said before he could stop himself, the words tumbling out with more force than he'd intended. "You let me, a stranger into your home. That takes courage...."
"Or stupidity."
"Maybe both." Yuki smiled slightly in the darkness where Daniel couldn't see it. "I know what you mean, though. About hating yourself, about feeling worthless." His voice dropped lower, became something raw and painful. "I let people hurt me, use me—told myself I deserved it because I was convenient, easy, weak."
Yuki curled tighter under his thin blanket, made himself smaller. "But I'm done with that. I'm done being a victim, done being weak. I'll get stronger—whatever it takes, whatever I have to do."
"Yeah." Daniel's voice held a fierce edge that cut through the darkness. "Me too."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable anymore—it had transformed into something else, something like understanding or recognition. Two people who'd been broken in different ways but knew the same pain, spoke the same language of survival and determination.
"You don't have to talk about it," Daniel finally said, his voice softer now. "Whatever happened. I won't ask."
"Same for you."
"...Deal."
[QUEST COMPLETE!]
[Share One Truth - Success!]
[Rewards: +50 LP, +2 Trust (Daniel Park)]
[New Feature Unlocked: Trust Meter]
[Daniel Park - Trust Level 34/100 (Friend)]
Yuki felt something settle in his chest, something that wasn't quite peace but was adjacent to it, close enough to matter. For the first time since arriving in this world—since being ripped away from everything he'd known and deposited here like baggage—he didn't feel completely alone.
"Thank you," he whispered into the darkness.
"Stop thanking me," Daniel mumbled back, but there was no real heat in it. "It's weird."
"I'm going to leave in the morning—first thing. I won't impose on you and your roommate any longer than necessary."
"Whatever. Just... get some sleep."
Yuki closed his eyes, let exhaustion pull at him like a tide. Despite everything—the unfamiliar room, the thin blanket, the uncertainty of tomorrow and every day after—he felt safe in a way he hadn't felt in longer than he could remember. Actually, genuinely safe.
Sleep came faster than he expected, pulling him under before he could overthink it.
He woke to the sound of a door opening, the soft creak of hinges that needed oil cutting through the predawn quiet.
His eyes snapped open immediately, instincts honed by three nights sleeping rough kicking into high alert. Gray predawn light filtered through the single window, thin and watery, just enough to see by. He could make out Daniel's form on the futon, still deeply asleep, his breathing slow and even.
But someone else was in the room.
A shorter figure stood by the door, fumbling with keys that jingled quietly. Yuki sat up slowly, carefully, not wanting to startle whoever this was but also not wanting to be caught lying down if this turned into a confrontation.
The figure turned on a small lamp, bathing the room in warm yellow light.
It was Daniel—except it wasn't, not quite. This person looked like Daniel but different, like someone had taken Daniel's features and compressed them, made them rounder and softer. Shorter, with glasses perched on his nose and a gentle roundness to his face that the other Daniel didn't have. He wore a convenience store uniform with a name tag that read "Park Hyung Seok" in neat print.
The roommate, Yuki realized. It was danield's first body!
The boy—Little Daniel, moved quietly through the small space with practiced ease, clearly trying not to wake the sleeping figure on the futon. He pulled off his uniform jacket with tired movements , grabbed a change of clothes from a small bag by the wall.
Then he noticed Yuki sitting on the floor, watching him with wide eyes.
They both froze, caught in that awkward moment of mutual discovery.
"Oh," Little Daniel said eloquently, blinking behind his glasses. "You're awake."
"I'm so sorry," Yuki immediately whispered, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the other Daniel. "I didn't mean to intrude on your space—your roommate found me outside and insisted I come in for the night, but I'm leaving now, I promise I won't—" he had to act as though those two were different people, it was amusing too.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Little Daniel held up his hands in a calming gesture, his expression gentle rather than angry or upset. "I know. I... we talked about it. About you needing a place to stay."
"You did?"
"Yeah." Little Daniel glanced at the sleeping figure on the futon with an expression Yuki couldn't quite read—something fond and complicated and almost melancholy. "He told me someone might be here, that you needed help."
"But there's barely enough room for two people, let alone three—"
"We'll figure it out." Little Daniel shrugged, moving toward the bathroom . "It's not a big deal, really. He wouldn't have brought you here if he didn't think it was the right thing to do."
He paused at the bathroom door, looking back at Yuki with surprising gentleness. "You were sleeping outside, right? For how long?"
"Three days...." He mumbled
Little Daniel's expression softened further, became something achingly sympathetic. "Yeah. You're definitely staying. At least until you find somewhere better—somewhere safe." He disappeared into the bathroom before Yuki could protest further, before Yuki could explain all the reasons why this was a terrible idea.
Yuki sat there in the growing light, bewildered by the entire situation.He could not live with the main character! that will bring up so many issues and so so so many complications!! Plus Daniel will eventually have to reveal his secret of the two bodies, he does not want to be under Charles Choi's radar!!
Little Daniel emerged from the bathroom, now changed into regular clothes.
"I've got work at 8," he said conversationally. "Daniel—big Daniel, the one sleeping—he'll wake up soon. He'll make sure you get to school okay."
"I really should just—"
"Look." Little Daniel's voice was kind but firm, brooking no argument. "I've been where you are—not exactly the same, but close enough to understand. Nobody should have to sleep outside, especially like this" He finished. "Stay as long as you need. I mean it, We both mean it."
Before Yuki could respond, before he could argue or thank him or do anything, Little Daniel moved to the futon and lay down next to where Big Daniel was sleeping. The motion was casual and natural, like he did this every day without thinking about it.
Within seconds—impossibly, unnaturally fast—Little Daniel's eyes closed and his breathing evened out into deep sleep.
Yuki stared because that wasn't normal, wasn't right. People didn't fall asleep that quickly, that completely, that instantly unless they were—
Big Daniel stirred.
Yuki watched, fascinated and amused as he woke up, acting like he was slowly coming out of a deep sleep. He acted so convincing, yuki almost giggled.
Daniel looked over at Yuki, who was still sitting on the floor watching him with poorly concealed amuse. "Morning."
"Your roommate just got back," Yuki said cheerfully, testing the waters.
"Yeah, I know." Daniel glanced at the sleeping figure beside him "He works in the night—So he sleeps all day instead"
He stood, stepped carefully around the futon and headed toward the bathroom. "We should get ready for school. Give me like ten minutes."
Yuki nodded slowly, still trying to process what he'd just witnessed—the timing, the synchronization, the way one fell asleep exactly as the other woke up like they were connected by invisible strings.
If Daniel wanted to keep his secrets, Yuki would respect that. It was only fair.
Twenty minutes later they were both dressed and ready for school, moving around each other in the small space with increasing ease. Little Daniel continued to sleep soundly on the futon, completely dead to the world.
"I'm going to find another place today," Yuki said as they headed toward the door, making his intentions clear. "I'll be out of your hair by tonight—out of both your hair."
Daniel stopped walking, turned to face him. "Why?"
"Because this place is too small for three people. I'm imposing on both of you—"
"You're not."
"Daniel—"
"Look." Daniel turned fully to face him now, his expression serious but also charming. "I know we just met. I know this is weird. But..." He struggled with his words, clearly uncomfortable with whatever he was trying to express. "You don't have to rush to leave. Find somewhere good, somewhere safe—not just anywhere that'll take you. I get that you have some issues with your family, dont share, but please... its a request"
Yuki stared at him, trying to understand. "Why do you care?"
The question came out harsher than he'd intended, more confrontational, but he needed to know—needed to understand what Daniel wanted from this, what the catch was, what Yuki would owe him eventually.
Daniel looked away, his jaw tight with tension. "Because I know what it's like to have nowhere to go, to feel like nobody cares if you disappear." His voice was quiet, almost bitter with old pain. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
Something in Yuki's chest cracked open, something he'd been holding closed and protected.
"Okay," he whispered, the word barely audible. "Okay. I'll stay—until I find somewhere else. Thank you."
Daniel nodded stiffly, clearly uncomfortable with emotional moments, and turned back toward the door. "Cool. Let's go then."
They stepped out into the early morning air together, into Seoul just starting to wake up—the distant sound of traffic building, the smell of food from street vendors setting up their carts, the soft glow of sunrise painting the sky in shades of pink and gold that looked almost unreal.
Yuki followed Daniel down the street toward J High, his mind full of thoughts he couldn't quite organize into coherent patterns. Trust. Safety. The possibility of genuine friendship.
A new notification appeared in his vision, translucent blue against the morning light.
[SPECIAL SYSTEM ALERT]
[Timeline Awareness Update]
[Story Event Approaching: Daniel Park's Birthday]
[Time Until Event: 48 Hours]
[Note: This is a significant plot point in the original timeline, Host~]
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED]
[Birthday Preparations]
[Description: Help make Daniel's first real birthday celebration special]
[Reward: Major Trust Increase, Special Skill Unlock, +200 LP]
[Time Limit: 48 Hours]
[Optional Objective: Discover what Daniel truly wants]
Yuki glanced at Daniel walking beside him, still awkward and distant but somehow softer than he'd been last night, more open. This boy who'd been bullied his whole life, who hated himself, who was given some kind of second chance, In a new body at that, it was bizarre that Yuki was witnessing this first hand.
His birthday was in two days, and according to the System it was important—a major plot point worth paying attention to.
"Hey, Daniel?"
"Yeah?"
"When's your birthday?"
Daniel looked surprised by the question, almost suspicious. "Uh... why?"
"Just curious."
"It's in two days, actually. September 1st." He shrugged
"What do you usually do for your birthday?" Yuki pressed gently, carefully.
"Nothing, really. My mom usually celebrates it with a feast—that's about it." Daniel seemed profoundly uncomfortable with the topic, shifting his weight restlessly. "I don't really like them yk"
"i see...." yuki mumbled.
The sight of the two figures, one so tall and handsome along with a short and gracefull one looked almost comical to the sidelines.
Yuki felt warm.