#zack lee

“A test of loyalty. Honesty. Trust. Emotional—”

He looked like a puppy, whining, drenched in the rain, getting told to stay outside the house because he destroyed the sofa. You feel so bad for him so you stay with him for 30 more minutes outside your house to calm down.

Gun Park:

“Love you.”

You: “Alright."

You blink, and he’s suddenly standing five inches closer.

“Say it.”

You: “Say what?”

“You know.”

Stares at you so hard your soul leaves your body, you say “I love you” with your full chest just to survive.

Goo Kim:

“Love you~”

You: “Mhm!”

“MHM???”

Starts spiraling instantly. Drops to the ground like a dying Victorian man.

“You said ‘mhm’ like I handed you a napkin, not my heart.”

Demands reparations in the form of 20 kisses.

Johan Seong:

"I love you."

You text: "Thanks, you too."

"You too..?"

Goes dead. Goes silent. Doesn't reply or even see your texts for a whole day.

You return home and see him glaring at you.

“I knew it. I was right all along. Trust is an illusion. Love is a scam.”

You comfort him and assure that it was just a prank, and after a while of convincing you still love him (of course you do), he breathes a sigh of relief.

You practically see Eden and Miro facepalming.

Zack Lee:

“Love you! See you later!”

You: “See ya!”

He stops. Blinks. Turns.

“…Wait.”

Follows you like a shadow. You lock the door? He stands outside. You go to work? He shows up during your lunch break.

“You forgot. I can wait. I’m patient. You’ll break before I do.”

Vasco:

“I love you!!” 🥺

You: “Hehe okay bye!”

He doesn’t move.

He just... stands there. For a while.

Then he goes to Jace:

“…Do you think they still love me even if they didn’t say it?”

Jace: panicking internally “THEY ABSOLUTELY DO.”

Jake Kim:

“Love you.”

You: “'Kay. Later!"

He nods. Then he realizes.

“Damn. That’s crazy.”

Lua overhears and with a stroke of luck (for Lua, not Jake) gossips to the girls at Big Deal street.

Word gets along fast in the street and Jake gets clowned in the groupchat within minutes.

Samuel Seo:

You: “Bye! I'll let you know when I get there.”

Samuel: “Sure. Love you.”

You wave and get on the elevator without saying it back.

He blinks.

...?

???

???????????????????

Loses his composure for a second but realizes he's in public and regains his nonchalance fairly quickly.

"Tch. Typical.”

Pretends he doesn’t care. Totally does.

Spends the rest of the day overthinking while fixing his hair in every mirror he passes.

DG/James Lee:

He texts it casually: “Love you.”

You: “Alright, later.”

Doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t comment.

Just quietly nods and moves on.

But his next text to you is noticeably more formal.

“...Let me know when you get home.”

No emojis. No pet names.

That’s his code for: “I noticed. I’m not mad. But I noticed.”

Ryuhei Kuroda:

“Love you!"

You: “Okay, bye!”

Malfunctions instantly.

“No no no NO. Run that back. Say it again. With feeling. Full sentence. I’m not letting this slide.”

Dramatically reenacts the moment for the rest of the day like it’s a trauma flashback.

You kick him out of the house and begs you to take him back.

Jace Park:

"Bye. Love you."

You: "Mhm."

His first instinct? Apologize to you.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable by saying it first I didn’t mean to rush anything unless you do love me then that’s cool but if not that’s okay too unless it’s not then—”

Send help. He’s spiraling respectfully.

Hudson Ahn:

"Love you."

"Okay, bye."

You stare at each other for 5 more seconds, like you both had something to say.

In the end, he just nods calmly.

Looks away.

You turn around and catch him brooding at the sky like he’s in a coming-of-age film.

Or so you thought.

It has been a week since the main character started attending J High but the two of you didn’t cross paths again. The number of students visiting you during breaks have doubled though.

“Excuse me.” Soft knocks on the clinic door interrupted your lunch. 

With a sigh, you told them to come in.

A girl stepped inside. “Hello…”

“Stomachache? Or do you need sanitary—”

“No! No… My name is Zoe Park and I’m here because…um…”

You knew what she was here for. “Well, don’t just stand there. Come in and take a seat.”

Every newcomer was like this. They would twiddle their thumbs, hesitate and get all shy. Sometimes they would run away before you got the chance to ask them what was wrong, but you could tell that this girl has been gathering her courage for weeks now. 

You just wanted to eat your sandwich. 

“You look like something’s on your mind.”

“I have…a friend and she has a problem.”

Yeah, right. “Go on.”

“My friend has a crush on this guy, but she’s worried because there’s another girl in the picture. She’s…aggressive and doesn’t think twice about making the first move. She also has a job so she buys gifts for my—my friend’s crush.”

“So your friend is jealous.”

“Yes, she is. She’s worried because she really likes this boy but what if he ends up falling for someone else.”

Ah, young love. You wanted to throw up, but luckily, you’ve built up an immunity after working with teenagers for so long. “This boy must be a real player to have two girls pining for him.”

“He’s not a player!” She flinched and apologized before muttering, “He’s not like those guys who string girls along for fun. Sure, he’s handsome but he’s also sweet and thoughtful.”

“Mm~ sounds to me like your friend has another rival.”

She blushed and looked away. “A-anyway, what should she do?”

“Dear, does that boy like the other girl back?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does he know that you like him back?”

She said nothing.

“I’m not going to say ‘go and confess,’ I know it’s not that simple.”

“Then what should I do?” It seemed that she was asking herself more than you.

“...don’t overthink it.”

“Huh?”

“This guy isn’t in a relationship yet, right? Well, there’s a saying in the West: ‘all is fair in love and war.’ If you want to defeat your rivals, you need to be more proactive.”

“Y-you’re right! I’ll get a job and buy him gifts, too!”

“Wait, no–”

“I’ve been meaning to get a job anyway!”

“You mean your friend’s been meaning to get a job?”

“Ah. Ahahaha…” She rose from her chair and bowed. “Thank you for listening to me.”

“Hey, wait, before you go—”

“Yes?”

As a reader of the story, you used to hate Zoe because she was mean and superficial, but she became your favorite after she changed and became a better person. However, that change came at a price—she was stalked and almost murdered because of her future job. “...there’s been a rise of weirdos in the area so be careful when you’re out at night.”

“I will, thank you so much, unnie!”[1]

And just like that, she was gone. 

As usual, people will hear what they want to hear. 

You rubbed your temples. You wanted to tell her not to waste her money on something as foolish as boys, but you guess this was part of youth too. 

“I hope it works out for her,” you mumbled, hoping your words won’t mess up Zoe’s development.

***

“And you are—”

“Zack! Zack Lee, ma’am!”

“There’s no need to shout, plus I already know who you are.” You fixed him up after his first fight with Daniel.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.”

“And don’t call me that. Makes me feel old.”

“R-right.”

“Well, what brings you back here, Zack? You don’t look injured to me so I’m guessing you’re here to talk.”

There was a beat before he took a few steps back away from you and then knelt down on the floor. “Please teach me how to court a girl.”

“Uh—”

“Hear me out, please! There’s this girl I’ve liked for a really long time, and I think she likes me too, and we go out together just the two of us—but it’s always as friends. I want to confess, but I don’t know how. Please help me, please!”

“Okay, fine! Just calm down!”

***

Two boys, one of them looked old enough to be a father and the other had Dumbo ears, stepped inside. You knew exactly who they were.

They bowed in unison. “Good afternoon, miss.”

“Yes, hello. Are you feeling sick?”

“Please let us introduce ourselves first. I’m Jace Park and this is my friend, Euntae Lee, but we call him Vasco.” 

“Okay, why don’t you two take a seat first—”

Vasco fell to his knees and kissed the floor with his forehead. “Please, madam, teach me how to attract girls!”

Jace grabbed him by the shoulders. “Vasco, no! We talked about this, you can’t surprise her like that!”

“Please, I want to experience a sweet romance, too!”

You and me both, buddy.

Sighing, you gestured towards the monoblocks. “Come on, sit down.”

***

Jay Hong sat in front of you like he was sent to the principal’s office after doing something bad. He hasn’t said a word since he knocked at your door, or maybe he did and you didn’t have Daniel’s telepathy. 

He looked troubled though.

How should you deal with this…

“Let’s see, is this about a classmate?”

His head shot up. 

You were right!

“Is this about a male classmate?”

He nodded.

“Something tells me it’s not about bullying.”

He shook his head.

“Okay, hold on, lemme think… Are you struggling with certain feelings about this classmate?”

He looked down and twiddled his thumbs shyly.

Right. 

You swallowed the desire to laugh, not wanting to embarrass him. “He must be a very special person.”

He raised his head again, smiling.

***

Another week passed and Zoe was back in the clinic, looking redder than before. 

“Hi Zoe—”

“Good morning!”

“...anything interesting happened to you lately?”

“What? No, why would you think that!”

“It’s written all over your face, you know,” you teased her. “You got the face of a young woman in love.”

She squeaked and covered her face. “Please don’t say that!”

“Did you finally get together with your crush?”

“No, actually…there’s someone new…”

“Judging by that lovestruck expression, he must be really charming.”

“N—well, yes. He’s a little chubby, but he’s cute and brave and kind.”

“Heh~”

“Please don’t look at me like that!”

Every now and then you got a kick out of the kids’ reactions. 

[1] Korean. What girls call their big sisters or older women.

Disclaimer: The image used is a screencapture from Ep. 4 of the Lookism manhwa.

ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊

Vasco

Flirting Style: Earnest puppy with zero game

Tells you you’re strong even if you just opened a pickle jar

Brings you random trinkets like a rock that “reminded him of your vibes”

Accidentally says “I love you” way too soon and then panics so hard he does damn near melts about it

Thinks doing 200 squats in front of you and flexing his muscles is flirting (it’s working lol)

He blushes so hard when you compliment his tattoos. Expect full stammering, possibly passing out. His tattoos mean a lot to him so for you to like them is amazing.

Bonus: Jace is always 3 feet behind, aggressively mouthing “say something cool!!”

Big Daniel Park

Flirting Style: Shy golden retriever who doesn’t know he’s hot

Can lift a car but gets nervous when your hands brush

Tries to be smooth and immediately fumbles (“You look… great. I mean… good. I mean… you’re wearing clothes.”)

Bakes you something or brings coffee with a little sticky note (“I didn’t know what you liked so I got everything”)

Will die if you call him handsome. Like actually shut down for 2 minutes.

Constantly checks if you’re okay. Doesn’t realize he’s basically boyfriending already.

Bonus: You could kiss his cheek and he’d be so flustered he apologizes for existing.

Zack Lee

Flirting Style: Aggressive gym bro with a gooey center

Challenges you to a fake sparring match so he can definitely lose on purpose (and touch you 😜)

“What? I didn’t mean to fall on you. Maybe you should’ve dodged.” 😏

Will get jealous easily but tries not to show it. He fails miserably like every time.

Literally punches walls after flirting attempts go wrong (He asks Mira for help with you. But she lets him squirm and makes him wing it lol)

Will compliment you mid-argument: “You’re so fucking annoying… and hot. Shit.”

Bonus: If you sneak a kiss during a fight, he’ll melt and forget what you were arguing about.

Johan Seong

Flirting Style: Brooding feral dog boy trying to love for the first time

Glares at anyone who gets too close to you (yes, even strangers. It can be embarrassing)

Has no idea how to flirt so he just… does things for you. Fixes your bike. Carries your books. Murders your enemies.

Once brought you an injured bird and said it “reminded him of you.” You’re still trying to unpack that symbolism.

Will not say “I like you,” but will take a punch for you and then ask if you ate today. Like????

Blushes if you catch him staring. Denies it even when red as a tomato.

Bonus: If you patch him up after a fight, he will fall in love. Again. Harder.

Vin Jin

Flirting Style: Chaotic loudmouth with hidden softboi vibes and a negging problem lol

Roasts you 24/7 but would actually die if someone else did

“You’re kinda ugly when you laugh… I mean it’s cute–wait–no, shut up”

Sends you memes instead of saying “I miss you”

Offers to DJ a playlist just for you but insists it’s “not a big deal or anything”

He’s LOUD but if you whisper something sweet in his ear? He’ll short-circuit.

Bonus: Take his glasses off and tell him he looks good. He’ll probably combust and start teasing you about something dumb to hide his flustered face.

Jake Kim

Flirting Style: Low-key mob boyfriend energy, acts chill but is dying inside from the cuteness aggression you give him.

“You good?” translates to “I’ve been thinking about you all day and I’m obsessed”

Leans on things when you talk: doors, walls, your shoulder if he’s brave

Subtly matches your outfits and pretends it’s coincidence

Buys you something practical (“Thought you might need this.”) but won’t admit it took him 3 hours to pick out

Gets quiet and smiley when you laugh. He notices everything about your face when you laugh.

Bonus: When you gently trace your fingers along his scars (face or body, you pick), he’s flustered and already imagining joint bank accounts.

Warren Chae

Flirting Style: Golden retriever x protective big bro hybrid

Calls you “bro” for way too long even though everyone knows he’s into you

Starts working out harder after you compliment his muscles ONCE

Brags about you to the other Hostel members like: “Y/N said I was cool. They meant it, man!”

Offers to teach you how to fight, but is terrified of accidentally hurting you

Gets flustered by physical touch. Like you bump shoulders and he suddenly forgets how to breathe.

Bonus: If you ask to wear his hoodie, he’ll go speechless and just nod like an NPC loading new emotions lolol

Zack

Loser, puppy boy appeal. Need I say more?

He’s DOWN BAD for you.

He’s a bit wary in the beginning because he’s not the most friendly guy, but that doesn’t last long. He’s quick to warm up to you and will be fiercely protective and caring even before you start dating.

He’ll be the most obvious with his crush on you, even if he does his best to hide it.

His insecurities are the overarching theme of his story. He does his best to improve and be a better man for you, but he fails again and again, and yet he keeps getting up and trying just one more time, and another after that.

He’s the most popular dateable. As in, the players like him the most for themselves. His yumeships dominate his tag on social media.

He’s the fandom’s wife. His fan art always has him looking submissive, like in maid outfits or nurse costumes.

Slutted up on AO3 too, in all positions. He’s quite the all-rounder.

His bad ending makes the player look bad, but it is still implied that his door will never close for you if you choose to change your mind and come back to him.

Vasco

Earnest, simple-minded sweetheart.

Vasco likes you from the get-go, so his route progresses the quickest.

He’s planning your kids by day two, and tbh it can be a bit much for some players, so he’s not the most popular pick.

But he’s the purest-hearted guy in the gang. He wears his heart on his sleeve and will never lie to you.

His way of showing affection can be a bit unorthodox and you’d definitely need to teach him stuff about romance and how you want to be swept off your feet.

The execution can go either way, but you’ll never not feel his sincerity in everything he does.

His route is the shortest, but it’s definitely the sweetest.

His route can go really wrong, though. Vasco can easily misunderstand the things you say. The worst-case scenario is that he thinks you’re evil, and he’ll have to take you down.

In the good end, ya’ll already have kids and a happy home. In the bad end, he’s hunting your head for being the “bad guy”.

There are mid endings like the friend zone route, where he genuinely just thinks of you as a friend, and there’s no chance of it evolving into more. There’s also the ending where you date for a bit, but he breaks up with you because it’s for your “safety”.

His friendship route secretly unlocks one of the purest CGs in the game: him giving you a matching helmet.

Vin Jin

THEEE HARDEST ROUTE!

And it’s not rewarding either…

He’ll put you through the WRINGER for CRUMBS.

His route is the darkest, too. Like they have to put in trigger warnings before his flashbacks and cut scenes.

He’s rude asf when you first meet him and continues to be rude even if he’s interested in you. Almost everything you say decreases affection and no one gets his love ending on the first try, without consulting an online guide.

He’s funny asf though… has the best quips, especially in other routes. But in his own route, it’s just pain.

BUUUT he does stick around. He says the snarkiest things, but he’s never leaving your side like an annoying barnacle on a ship.

Polarizing in the fandom. People either hate him or would DIIEEE for him.

He gets the most slander on Reddit, but he also has more fans who bulk buy his merch.

His fans all have a savior complex.

Shit attitude aside, his route is incredibly well-written, and his good ending is pretty realistic, all things considered.

He’s not immediately sweet, but he shows that he’s willing to open up a bit more.

He has one good ending and three whole bad endings.

Jay

He’s the MOST popular character, full stop. Zack might be the most dateable, but Jay gets the most love because he’s highkey shipped with another male lead (we all know who this is)

His most popular tag is “x Daniel”, with “x Reader” as second.

But he’s you’re typical rich boyfriend. All your problems are solved because he’s rich and insanely sweet.

Probably has the blandest route icl and it’s not his fault. Most of his trauma is off-screened and you don’t get any elaboration on it because he doesn’t want to seem weak in your eyes (or the devs just didn’t care enough to add it).

The devs lowkey didn’t expect him, of all male leads, to be the most popular one… he might get an exclusive swimsuit DLC just to appease the fans.

He doesn’t really speak, so he’s big on actions. That also leaves a lot of his thoughts up to fans’ interpretation, so best believe that helps fuel his massive repertoire of fan content.

He doesn’t have a bad ending… It’s just one of the least romantic of the two endings he’s got.

Hudson

Done absolutely dirty by the devs.

He’s even excluded from a lot of the merch because the devs assume he won’t sell well.

He’s insanely hot, though, and rich with his self-made wealth.

He’s not actually that unpopular; his fans are just quiet. There’s ONE Hudson daily account and all his fans just like and retweet its posts, but they don’t make a lot of content themselves.

His route has the least main plot development, but it makes up for it with character introspection.

You learn a lot about Hudson, not because the story spoon-feeds you his backstory, but because of the sheer consistency of his actions. Compared to the others, he doesn’t change much for you. But instead, incorporates you into his working principles and philosophies. The Hudson you meet, and the Hudson the game ends with are the exact same; the sole difference is you.

He’s not the flashiest guy, but he’s an acquired taste.

His fans are a tight-knit group in one Discord server, and they all cheer at the crumbs he gets.

To a lot of players, they may not think much of his endings. But his endings, good or bad, are very meaningful conclusions to his character and his story with the player.

His route is the “most complete” in the sense that it wasn’t created to make you want more. All that’s left when you finish is a lingering courage that makes you want to stick to your guns a bit harder, just as Hudson would.

He’s the only one whose route epilogue directly acknowledges the player’s growth, and it’s played for both good and bad endings.

Bonus: UI Daniel

Secret route.

In his route, all the fragments of the plot are finally tied together to make the ultimate game conclusion.

In order to get his route, you need to unlock all of Daniel’s endings and at least one ending of each of the other leads.

Horniest fans known to man, oh my god.

He gets no advertising, though… to keep the mystery.

There’s a hidden stat called “moral standing” that only affects UI Daniel’s ending, but no one fully knows how it works.

His route is mostly plot, but at the end of it, you do get a little UI Daniel reveal.

Players are forced to pick between Daniel and UI Daniel, and if you pick UI… It’s the game’s overall bad ending.

But you do get a small cut scene at the end. In it, we see that he’s all quiet and distant, but he lets you do his makeup and touch his face with little to no violent reaction. So I guess he’s warming up to you?