chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Unfamiliar Mirror
In Maplewood, a small, unassuming town, 17-year-old Alex Carter lived an ordinary life. His world was a simple one, filled with the routine of school, homework, and the comfort of video games and comics.


On a particularly mundane Thursday evening, Alex sat at his desk, his eyes glued to a computer screen. The soft clatter of keys under his fingers echoed in the quiet room.


"Alex, dinner's ready!" his mom called down from downstairs.


"Just a minute, Mom!" he replied, typing one last message in his group chat.


Derek: Hey, are you coming to the game on Saturday?


Alex: I can't. I have a lot of homework to do.


Mia: That's a lame excuse, Alex. We all know you're just going to binge-read Lookism again.
Alex chuckled, typed a quick response before shutting down his computer.


"Lookism isn't just a comic; it's a work of art," he murmured to himself, smiling.
Descending the stairs, he entered the kitchen, where his family had been gathered.


"There he is, our resident comic book critic," his father joked as he served spaghetti onto plates.


Alex rolled his eyes and took a seat. "It's a manhwa, Dad. There's a difference."


As they ate, his parents chatted about their day. His mother, a nurse, talked about her busy shift at the hospital, while his dad shared a humorous anecdote from the garage where he worked.


"Alex, how was school today?" his mother asked.


"It was okay. Just the usual stuff," Alex replied, twirling spaghetti on his fork.
"Did you talk to Mr. Henderson about your math grade?" his father inquired.
"

Yeah, he's giving me some extra problems to work on. I'll get it done."
"

That's my boy," his dad nodded approvingly.


After dinner, Alex retreated to his room, which was a comfortable haven filled with posters of superheroes and shelves of comics and manhwa.


He flopped onto his bed, grabbed the latest volume of "Lookism" from his bedside table. As he flipped through the pages, he couldn't help but be drawn into the vibrant world of the characters.


The phone rang, breaking his concentration. It was Derek.
"

Hey, man. I saw your message. You're really not coming to the game?" Derek's voice was a mix of disappointment and teasing.


"I really need to catch up on some stuff," Alex explained.
"

Sure, 'some stuff'. More like catching up with Daniel Park's adventures," Derek laughed.


"I can't help it. It's so good," Alex admitted.
"

I know, I know. Just don't forget about the real world; it exists too, okay?"


Alex chuckled. "I won't. I promise."
Little did he know, the line between his world and the world of "Lookism" was about to blur in the most unimaginable way.


Alex's heart pounded with excitement and a tinge of nervousness as he continued his conversation with Derek.
"

Derek, you don't get it. It's not just a comic. It's a whole different world," Alex said, his voice filled with passion.
"

Sure, but you gotta come back to this world sometimes, man," Derek replied, his tone light yet tinged with concern.


Alex sighed, staring at the colorful illustrations in the manhwa. "I know, I just… I feel more at home there, you know?"
In the background, Alex heard his younger sister yelling. Derek groaned. "Gotta go, Alex. Duty calls. Don't stay up too late reading, alright?"
"

Alright, goodbye," Alex hung up, his gaze returning to the vibrant pages before him.
If only I could be a part of that world, he thought wistfully.


Meanwhile, at Derek's house, Derek looked at his own reflection in the mirror, a stark contrast to the characters in "Lookism". He often wondered why Alex was so captivated by that world.
"

Alex needs a break from that fantasy world," Derek murmured to himself, feeling a mix of empathy and frustration.


In Alex's room back, the boundaries between reality and fiction began to blur. The vibrant colors of the manhwa seemed to leap off the page, enveloping Alex in a warm glow. His heart raced with a mix of fear and excitement.
"

What's… happening?" Alex stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief.


As the room spun, he thought whirlwind thoughts. Is this a dream? Am I hallucinating?
The sensation was exhilarating yet terrifying. He felt as if he were being pulled into another dimension, far from the familiarity of his bedroom.


Meanwhile, in the living room, Alex's parents were oblivious to the strange phenomenon occurring upstairs. His mother sat knitting, lost in thought about her son's recent withdrawn behavior.
"

I'm worried about Alex," she said softly. "He's been spending too much time alone."
His father looked up from his book, concern etched into his features. "Maybe we should encourage him to spend more time with his friends."


But their words were just a distant echo in Alex's ears, as his world continued to spin out of control.


When the whirlwind subsided, Alex found himself standing in a bustling street. The neon lights of Seoul illuminated the night sky.


This can't be real; his mind struggles to process the surreal surroundings.
But it was real, as real as the ground beneath his feet and the foreign chatter around him. He was no longer in Maplewood. He was in the world of "Lookism", a world he had only dreamed of being a part of.