Chapter 1 – Two Reflections
The room was silent.
Not the peaceful kind—
the kind that pressed against Daniel Park's ears until he could hear his own heartbeat.
Little Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched, fingers digging into his thighs. The room was small. Cheap. Barely enough space for a desk, a mattress, and his suitcase still half-unpacked.
Seoul.
He had made it to Seoul.
And somehow, that made everything worse.
Across the room, leaning against the wall like he owned the place, stood another Daniel Park.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Sharp jawline. Calm eyes.
Perfect.
Big Daniel glanced at the mirror, then at Little Daniel. "You're going to tear your pants if you keep gripping them like that."
Little Daniel flinched. "Don't—don't joke."
Big Daniel sighed, rubbing his neck. "I'm not joking. I'm stating a fact."
Little Daniel looked away.
Having a second body was supposed to change everything.
It didn't.
People still stared at him. Still whispered. Still laughed when they saw this body—the weak one, the ugly one, the one he hated.
The hate boiled up suddenly, sharp and choking.
"I hate myself," Little Daniel muttered.
The words echoed in the small room.
Big Daniel didn't reply immediately.
Then—
Good.
The voice didn't come from Big Daniel.
It came from inside.
Little Daniel's breath hitched.
Say it again, the voice continued, calm and cold. Hatred is honest.
Little Daniel's hands trembled. "Who—"
I am Ruth.
The name landed like a weight.
Big Daniel straightened slightly, his expression changing—not surprised, not confused.
Interested.
Another voice followed, smoother, almost amused.
And I'm Vice.
Little Daniel felt dizzy. "I'm… I'm losing my mind."
No, Ruth corrected instantly. Your mind is adapting.
Vice laughed softly. You broke because you were weak. Now you're reorganizing.
Little Daniel squeezed his eyes shut. "Stop. Please."
Big Daniel spoke for the first time since the voices appeared.
"…They're not wrong."
Little Daniel snapped his head up. "You're taking their side?!"
Big Daniel stepped closer. He was taller by a head, his shadow swallowing Little Daniel whole.
"I'm taking our side," Big Daniel said calmly. "Look at us."
Little Daniel avoided his reflection in Big Daniel's eyes.
"Two bodies," Vice said. One invisible. One desirable.
Ruth continued, One to endure. One to act.
Little Daniel felt something inside him crack.
"…What do you want?" he whispered.
Ruth answered immediately.
Survival.
Vice followed smoothly.
Everything you were denied.
Big Daniel crossed his arms. "Money. Status. Respect. Girls."
Little Daniel swallowed. "…And how?"
Ruth's voice sharpened.
We protect you.
Vice smiled inside his head.
We use both bodies.
Big Daniel walked toward the window and looked down at the city.
"Tomorrow," he said, "you go to school as Little Daniel."
Little Daniel stiffened. "What?"
"And I go," Big Daniel continued, "to the same school."
Little Daniel's heart raced. "At the same time?"
"Yes."
Vice sounded delighted. Two perspectives. Two positions.
Ruth was colder. If danger appears in one place, the other body moves.
Little Daniel felt fear—and something else.
Control.
The next morning came too fast.
Little Daniel stood at the school gate, surrounded by noise, shoulders tight.
Across the street—
Big Daniel leaned casually against a pole, hands in pockets, students already glancing his way.
Whispers started immediately.
"Who is that?"
"He's insane-looking…"
Little Daniel's stomach twisted.
Focus, Ruth commanded.
Inside the building, Little Daniel walked the halls with his head low.
Outside, Big Daniel smiled lazily as a group of girls passed him.
Vice purred. See the difference?
At the same moment—
Zack Lee bumped into Little Daniel's shoulder.
"Watch it, fat—"
Little Daniel froze.
Threat detected, Ruth said.
Across the street, Big Daniel's smile vanished.
He straightened.
Vice spoke calmly.
I'll handle the attention. Ruth, you handle the danger.
Zack grabbed Little Daniel's collar.
Big Daniel stepped off the curb.
Little Daniel's fear surged—
—and stopped.
Ruth took over his breathing. His posture. His eyes.
"Let go," Little Daniel said quietly.
Zack blinked. "…What?"
Big Daniel entered the school gate.
Vice slipped into his movements, confidence flowing naturally.
Zack hesitated.
Little Daniel twisted free—not strong, but precise.
Zack stepped back, annoyed.
At the same time—
Big Daniel passed Mary Kim in the courtyard.
She stopped.
Looked him up and down.
"…Huh."
Big Daniel smiled.
Two bodies.
One will.
And for the first time since coming to Seoul—
Daniel Park wasn't powerless.
Chapter 2 – Parallel Lines
Little Daniel hated hallways.
Too narrow. Too loud. Too many eyes.
He walked with his shoulders tense, bag clutched tight. Every laugh felt like it was aimed at him—even when it wasn't.
Stop projecting, Ruth ordered calmly. Threats are real or imaginary. Learn the difference.
Little Daniel swallowed and kept walking.
Across campus—
Big Daniel moved like the space belonged to him.
Students turned their heads openly this time. Girls whispered without even trying to hide it.
Vice stretched lazily inside his mind. Ah… oxygen. Attention. This body breathes it naturally.
Big Daniel stopped near the vending machines. He didn't lean. He didn't pose.
He simply stood.
And that was enough.
Back inside—
Zack Lee spotted Little Daniel immediately.
He changed direction.
Incoming, Ruth warned.
Zack blocked Little Daniel's path. "You again?"
Little Daniel froze for half a second—
—and then steadied.
"What?" Zack asked. "Lost your voice?"
Little Daniel lifted his head.
"No," he said quietly.
Zack frowned. "…What did you say?"
"I said no."
The word landed wrong. Too calm. Too controlled.
Zack clicked his tongue. "You're acting weird."
Observation correct, Ruth replied internally. Proceed carefully.
Zack leaned in closer. "You think having guts makes you safe?"
Little Daniel met his eyes.
"I think yelling doesn't make you strong."
A few nearby students slowed.
Zack stared—then laughed sharply. "You're dead."
He walked off.
Little Daniel's knees shook.
But he was still standing.
Outside—
A group of girls passed Big Daniel.
One of them whispered, "He looks like a model."
Big Daniel smiled faintly.
Vice purred. Smile minimal. Mystery increases value.
Mary Kim walked by.
She stopped.
Looked.
Big Daniel noticed immediately.
He turned his head slightly. Not fully.
Enough.
Mary raised an eyebrow.
"…Interesting," she muttered, then continued walking.
Vice laughed softly. Hook set.
Two bodies.
Two worlds.
One mind watching both.
Chapter 3 – Pressure Applied
Zack didn't strike immediately.
That was the problem.
Little Daniel felt it all day—the silence, the glances, the way Zack's friends hovered nearby but never crossed the line.
This is intimidation, Ruth explained. Designed to exhaust you.
"It's working," Little Daniel whispered during lunch.
Endurance is part of survival.
During PE, the teacher announced sparring.
Zack smiled.
Little Daniel's stomach dropped.
No panic, Ruth ordered. Movement over strength.
They faced each other.
The whistle blew.
Zack lunged.
Little Daniel stepped back—barely.
Zack swung again.
Little Daniel blocked awkwardly, pain exploding through his arms.
"Stop flailing!" Zack snapped.
Little Daniel didn't answer.
He focused on breathing.
Balance.
Distance.
Zack grabbed his collar and shoved him back.
Little Daniel hit the ground hard.
The whistle shrieked.
"That's enough!"
Zack stepped back, breathing heavily.
Little Daniel sat up slowly.
He was hurt.
But he wasn't broken.
You survived direct pressure, Ruth said. That matters.
Zack looked irritated—not victorious.
That mattered too.
At the same time—
Big Daniel watched from across the field.
Vice was quiet now.
Not our fight, he said calmly. But we remember.
Mary Kim stood beside Big Daniel, arms crossed.
"He didn't cry," she said.
Big Daniel glanced at her. "Should he have?"
She smirked. "Most people would've."
Big Daniel said nothing.
That silence stayed with her.
Chapter 4 – Vice
Big Daniel entered the cafeteria late.
The noise dipped slightly.
Vice took control smoothly—not exaggerated, not arrogant.
Just present.
Big Daniel scanned the room.
Mary Kim sat near the center with her friends.
She noticed him immediately.
Big Daniel walked past her table.
Didn't stop.
Vice smiled internally. Denial increases curiosity.
"Hey."
Mary called out.
Big Daniel stopped and turned.
"Yes?"
She tilted her head. "You're new."
"Is it that obvious?"
She smirked. "You don't look lost."
Big Daniel leaned slightly against the table. "Should I be?"
Mary studied him openly now. "Depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you think you belong."
Big Daniel met her gaze.
"I don't think," he said calmly. "I know."
Silence.
Mary laughed once, sharp and amused. "You're annoying."
"So I've been told."
She stood. "Daniel, right?"
He nodded.
"Mary."
"I know."
She raised an eyebrow. "Confident."
Big Daniel smiled—not wide.
Just enough.
Elsewhere—
Little Daniel sat alone, bruised, exhausted.
But when he closed his eyes—
He felt it.
Vice's success.
Ruth's approval.
Balance.
Two bodies.
One direction.
Chapter 5 – Alignment
Little Daniel woke up sore.
His arms ached. His ribs protested when he moved. Every bruise reminded him of yesterday's PE class—and Zack's grin when the whistle blew.
He sat on the edge of the bed, breathing slowly.
Pain acknowledged, Ruth said. Function intact.
"…You're very comforting," Little Daniel muttered.
Comfort is irrelevant, Ruth replied. Readiness is not.
Across the city, Big Daniel stood in front of the bathroom mirror of the second apartment.
Tall. Clean. Unmarked.
Vice hummed lazily. Two bodies. One pays the price, the other collects interest.
Big Daniel adjusted his collar. "Let's not waste it."
Morning – Split Paths
Little Daniel arrived early.
That was intentional.
Less people meant fewer eyes.
He slipped into his seat and opened his notebook.
Zack is already present, Ruth noted. Back left.
Little Daniel didn't look.
Across campus, Big Daniel walked through the front gate.
Heads turned immediately.
Vice leaned into the movement, adjusting posture just enough to look effortless.
Visibility maximized, Vice said. Mary Kim is near the stairs.
Big Daniel spotted her instantly.
She noticed him too.
She didn't look away this time.
Instead, she watched.
Big Daniel didn't approach.
He walked past.
Vice smiled internally. Good. Let her wonder.
Classroom – Tension Tightens
Zack's chair scraped loudly as he leaned back.
"Hey," he called out. "You still sore?"
A few students glanced over.
Little Daniel kept writing.
Ignore, Ruth commanded.
Zack stood up.
Little Daniel's pen paused.
Escalation, Ruth warned. Prepare verbal defense.
Zack stopped beside his desk. "You deaf now?"
Little Daniel looked up slowly.
"Yes," he said calmly. "To pointless noise."
The room went quiet.
Zack blinked. "What did you just—"
"I said," Little Daniel continued, voice steady, "if you want attention, do something worth noticing."
A few gasps.
Zack's face darkened.
"Say that again."
Little Daniel met his eyes.
"No."
That single word was controlled. Finished.
Zack clenched his fist—
"Enough."
The teacher's voice cut in.
Zack clicked his tongue and backed off, eyes promising later.
Little Daniel exhaled slowly.
Good, Ruth said. Minimal words. Maximum effect.
Courtyard – Vice at Work
Mary Kim sat on the railing, phone in hand.
Big Daniel approached this time.
Vice adjusted pace—confident but unhurried.
"You follow people quietly," Mary said without looking up.
Big Daniel stopped beside her. "You noticed anyway."
She glanced at him. "Barely."
Vice smiled. She's testing.
Big Daniel leaned against the railing. "You always sit here?"
"Only when I want space."
"From?"
Mary shrugged. "Everyone."
Big Daniel looked out at the campus. "Crowds are noisy."
She studied his profile. "You don't seem bothered."
"I choose what reaches me."
Mary laughed softly. "That's arrogant."
"Is it wrong?"
She looked away first. "Depends who earns it."
Vice hummed approvingly. Good rhythm.
Afternoon – Pressure Test
Little Daniel felt it coming before it happened.
The hallway emptied too cleanly.
Footsteps slowed behind him.
Two behind. One ahead, Ruth assessed instantly. Corner trap.
Daniel adjusted his path—just slightly.
Zack stepped out in front of him.
"Running away now?"
Little Daniel stopped.
"I'm walking home."
Zack smirked. "Change of plans."
One of Zack's friends moved closer.
No panic, Ruth said. Hands up. Voice calm.
Little Daniel raised his hands—not surrender, not threat.
"School cameras," he said quietly.
Zack paused.
"…So?"
Little Daniel tilted his head slightly. "Do you want teachers involved?"
Silence.
Zack's jaw tightened.
Behind him, a student rounded the corner.
Zack stepped back. "This isn't over."
Little Daniel nodded. "I know."
They left.
Little Daniel's legs shook once they were gone.
But he didn't fall.
Victory without violence, Ruth stated. Optimal.
Same Time – Observation
Big Daniel stood near the gate.
Vice felt the shift immediately.
Little Daniel is under stress.
Big Daniel's expression hardened.
Mary noticed. "Something wrong?"
Big Daniel shook his head. "Just… timing."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're strange."
He smiled faintly. "You noticed again."
Mary smirked. "Annoyingly."
Night – Alignment
At home, Little Daniel collapsed onto the bed.
"…I didn't break," he whispered.
You adapted, Ruth replied.
Vice chimed in smoothly. And while you endured… I advanced.
Little Daniel closed his eyes.
He felt it.
Respect building in small, invisible increments.
Fear shifting direction.
Curiosity turning into attention.
Two bodies.
One strategy.
And for the first time—
Everything was starting to line up.