The school bell shrieked, filling the crowded hallways with noise. Students hustled to their classes, some chatting loudly, others buried in their phones. Amid the chaos, Haru Kim slouched along the lockers, trying to blend in. Life had always been unkind to him—overweight, shy, and constantly the target of ridicule.
"Look, it's Haru. Bet he trips over his own feet again," a voice sneered."He's such a loser. Does he even know how to survive gym class?"
Haru clenched his fists but stayed silent, opening his locker with trembling hands. He had learned long ago that speaking up only made things worse.
That night, he sat alone in his dim room, skipping dinner and scrolling aimlessly through his phone. As sleep claimed him, the world around him seemed to shift.
When Haru opened his eyes again, he was staring at a reflection in the mirror that wasn't his own. The body looking back was tall, lean, and strikingly handsome. Muscles rippled under smooth skin, and hair fell perfectly into place. Walking felt different—confident, effortless. And the world responded.
People stared. Teachers smiled. Even the bullies who tormented him froze, unsure what to do. Haru realized, with a jolt of both fear and awe, that he could switch between this new body and his original one. One life brought invisibility and mockery; the other demanded attention and provoked envy.
By morning, he had already experimented. Arriving at school in this new form, he felt every head turn. The cafeteria, once a gauntlet of embarrassment, now felt like a stage. Students whispered his name, admired his presence, and teachers treated him differently. But lurking beneath the excitement was the same anxiety, the old fears creeping in.
Haru understood something crucial: survival meant mastering both identities. Each had its own rules, dangers, and opportunities. The world only sees what it wants, and he now had two faces to navigate it.
As the school bell rang again, signaling the start of another day, Haru faced a choice: which version of himself would he show first?