Transmigration: The Narcissistic Cinderella

Moon Jiwoo leaned down beside the lake and stared at her reflection at the water. Her hair was a mess, and dust particles could be seen on her face.

Jiwoo's eyes widened at that. 

Extending her hand at the lake, she cupped up some water with her hands and splashed some of that on her face. As the cool water hit her face, she felt refreshed.

She continued to splash herself with water, and she did not know what it felt so addicting to her. After a while, she stopped doing so, and removing her hair tie, she tried to fix her hair.

She then mumbled, "At this rate, you are going to turn to look like an Old Woman! No, that can't happen. You need to take better care of yourself. You will be single forever if you get ugly."

A sigh left her mouth.

As Moon Jiwoo turned her head to the left, the small pebbles fell in her line of sight, and extending her hand towards it, she picked up some pieces of it.

She threw them at her reflection and watched it being distorted. The ripples made her throw more pebbles at the lake.

"Ah! This actually feels better! I don't even understand why I felt so suffocated then. All of this is completely annoying. This must be due to the affect of being this strange. No, why does it hurt this much."

Moon Jiwoo's eyes widened when she realized that tears were starting to form at the corner of her eyes, and releasing her grip on the pebble, she raised her hand to touch the corner of her eyes.

Feeling the droplets of tears there, she spoke out, "Yah! You Fool! What are you crying for? You are not that weak to start crying about something as silly as this. Geez! Stop being so pathetic. You are not this big of a loser."

Despite of Moon Jiwoo saying those words to herself, a droplet of tears fell down her eyes, and sliding down her cheek, it stopped at her chin.

As more tears formed in her eyes, Moon Jiwoo felt a tight squeeze inside her c.h.e.s.t, and a pout formed on her face. The d.e.s.i.r.e to let out all of those suffocating feeling came within her.

"This is bad! Really bad. Don't cry! Stop! I am telling you to not cry. This is really embarrassing. What if someone walks upon me crying? Ah! You are not that weak, so stop this."

"But this hurts, really hurts! I really want to go back! This is all too scary, and I don't like how things are going! I don't like Oh Sookyung; I don't like Min Hyungwon either. I don't want to be involved with this! I don't want to give up my life for Oh Sookyung and want to lead a normal life.

I don't want to continue to do this anymore. I am working hard, but this is hard. What if I can never have a normal life after this? That is scary! I want to live normally. I don't want to be involved that world. Will there be a turning point?

I don't know! This is frightening. I don't know what I am getting into, and this thing is difficult. Everyone is so hateful. I don't want to continue doing this. This is horrible."

Moon Jiwoo began to throw more pebbles at the lake as she started to cry and poured out all of her feelings. 

°°°

Jiwoo had no idea on how long she sat in front of the lake and lamented. Finally, she felt calmer at her heart and stopped crying.

Raising her hand, she wiped away the remaining tears, and looking up, Jiwoo's eyes fell on the sky before.

It seemed that it was already night by now, and she pursed both of her lips into a thin line. Now that it was night, it would be difficult for her to find her way home.

As she stood up, she stared at her surroundings, and that's when, a realization came upon her. Everything looked more or less the same to her, and she did not know which way she had come from.

The howlings of the animal and cries of owl reached her ears, and a chill went down her back. She hoped that there would not be any wolves at here or else she would be dead.

"Are you done?"

Hearing that unfamiliar voice, Moon Jiwoo's eyes grew wider, and she whipped her head in the direction of that voice.

A dark figure emerged from amidst the shadow, and she realized that he was the man that had saved her previously multiple times.

A gasp left her mouth as she spoke out, "Ah! It's you, but what are you doing? Were you spying on me the entire time?"

He nodded his head.

Moon Jiwoo took a step closer to him at that and stared at him sternly. Creases formed between both of her eyebrows.

"Why?" she asked.

That was the only thing that left her mouth. Seeing how he had saved her multiple times previously, she could not utter any rude words at him regardless of how rude it felt being spied at.

Before he was able to answer, she added, "You saw what had happened earlier, right? I am telling you that whoever you are, I won't hesitate to finish you off if you reveal these things. I hope you understand that part."

"I had no intentions of revealing them," he voiced out.

"You did not answer my first question. Why were you spying me? Are you a bad guy? No, that doesn't make sense. Why would you reveal yourself and show yourself to me then?" she vocalised.

"To protect you," he said.

His words took her by surprise, and she took a step backwards. Her eyes showed disbelief as she stared at him.

"Repeat that again," Jiwoo said.

"I want to protect you; that's why, I am at here. I was not assigned to this. I want to do this on my own," he responded.

She scoffed and voiced out, "Doesn't that sound too dubious? Why would try to protect me? Both of us don't know each other, and there is no reason for you to protect me. Whatever the reason is, there is no need for your protection."

"Moon Jiwoo, I know what you are actually—"

Before he was able to continue further, she extended her hand towards him and grabbed on to the collar of his shirt. Pulling him closer to her, she glared upon him.

"Who are you!? How did you know my name!?" she questioned.

"That will be revealed with time, but, Moon Jiwoo, I am on your side. Whenever you want to cry or let out your frustrations, I will be there for you. That's why, don't hold it in all within you," he said, "If you feel all alone, just know that I am there for you."

"Why are you saying such cheesy words? Are you con man as well? Anyway, you're too suspicious to be trusted, and I don't need you to cry to. I am perfectly fine, and remember that whatever you saw today was a mere illusion," she said.

Although those words sounded nice, Moon Jiwoo could not bring herself to trust that man, and as for pouring out her feelings to some stranger, Jiwoo was too prideful for that.

It would be horrible for her if the matter of her crying came out to the world, and she did not want to be looked as weak as the other. Today was too careless for her, and whatever happened today was not something she should repeat.

"I promise you to be silent, so do trust me more," he stated.

Releasing her hold from him, she spoke out, "Well, if you want to protect me, then protect me I guess. It doesn't matter to me. Anyway, do you know the way back? I believe that I am lost."

"That's why, I was waiting for you," he stated, "I will take you back home."

Reaching into his pocket, he took out a handkerchief and extended his hand towards her. Staring at the handkerchief in his hand, she accepted.

Giving him a small smile, she said, "Thank you about that."

"If you need anything else, do let me know about it. Although it doesn't seem like it, I am there beside you all the time," he spoke out.

"You sound too cheesy and suspicious," she pointed out.

"I will be working hard to earn that trust of yours, and remember that, you have someone to care for you as well."