Modern Cinderella (1)
Modern Cinderella (Part 1)
As you go through life, you really end up experiencing all sorts of things.
For instance, leaving a critical comment on a web novel by that damn gender reversal story author who went on hiatus, only to have a goddess bitch suddenly show up at my house at night and send me flying into a gender-reversed world.
And that gender-reversed world turned out to be a horrifying place where sons and daughters are forcibly exchanged and women stab men with their dicks.
And in my current situation...
"Now now~ Kang Cheol-ssi, don't force a smile. Smile naturally and look this way~ Kimchi!"
"K-Kimchi~"
Click!
As I forced out the same strained smile at the photographer's unreasonable request, the cannon-sized camera emitted a bright flash along with the characteristic click sound.
"...Oh! Your features are so good that there's not a single wasted shot!"
Fuck, I'm making the exact same expression as before, and now you say it's good?
While thinking I'll never understand artists' minds, I felt relieved that the photo session that had started first thing in the morning was finally over.
"Hehe~ Reporter. How about taking some more intimate shots instead of these classic poses? Like me, the mayor, hugging our champion of justice, Kang Cheol-gun?"
Oh shit?! Is this woman really crazy?
Just moments ago she said 'A photo just handing over the award certificate doesn't seem cool enough, how about a handshake photo?' and used her lump of fat hands that could barely be distinguished from clay monsters to thoroughly grope my hand, and now she wants to change poses again?
And hugging?!
"M-Mayor, I think hugging might be a bit..."
"Why? What's wrong with that? I just want to hug you like a son and give your firm buttocks a little pat-pat and squeeze-squeeze?"
What kind of crazy bitch does that to a grown man?!
If it weren't for the reporters surrounding us with cameras and pens writing articles, I would have sighed deeply enough to make the earth collapse at the sight of this insane mayor woman trying to grope me, though I didn't show it outwardly.
Yes, this was exactly my situation.
'I woke up to find I had become the nation's champion of justice...'
I was aware that the incident I experienced yesterday was far from ordinary—it was an enormous event—but I never imagined that first thing in the morning, a big shot like the mayor would show up for a Brave Citizen Award ceremony and photo session with reporters.
"Now then, since our protagonist Kang Cheol-ssi hasn't even had breakfast yet, could the reporters and secretaries please step out, and Mayor... ahem, please give Kang Cheol-ssi, who's worked so hard, a h-hug, and we'll conclude the morning schedule."
"W-wait, no... Ggwaaek~!?"
Wait, if the photo session is over, why are we hugging?!
In an instant, the mayor woman charged at me like an ogre and trapped my entire body in her embrace, leaving me unable to move a muscle.
Now that there were no eyes watching, she started openly groping my buttocks with her massive lump of fat hands!
Somebody help~!!
"Pao-hu pao-hu~ You've really been through a lot, Kang Cheol-gun♡ Even though I'm just a mayor overseeing one city, think of me as your mother and feel free to contact me anytime~ Here's my personal contact information..."
As she said this, she forcibly pressed a business card into my hand...
'Fuck, do you think I'm crazy enough to contact an ogre?'
This isn't some fantasy erotic story—I have zero interest in filming interspecies content with an ogre!
And so, thanks to the high-ranking officials who showed up first thing in the morning, creating chaos and preventing me from cleaning up, I found myself looking at the underwear still hanging on the drying rack in one corner of the living room as the mayor's departing figure marked the end of this situation.
"Sigh~ What kind of chaos is this first thing in the morning."
I had somewhat expected things like this to happen, but I didn't anticipate this level of commotion the very next morning.
Still, the modest reward money and the Brave Citizen Award certificate in my pocket made me feel proud, so I guess it's okay~
At least the big event was over.
I went out to keep the date I had scheduled with Ye-rim, who had waited anxiously outside my house with a worried expression until late the previous night, to reassure her...
"Hey hey, that guy over there. Isn't that the Angel-nim?"
"Oh? I think you're right?"
"Wow... I thought he was super hot in the videos, but he's insane in person!"
"I can understand the criminals' feelings too. That inhuman appearance..."
Even before, when I went outside, I would get countless stares and whispers, but this was on another level.
Voices buzzing loudly as if meant to be heard, and movements of people trying to approach me despite the presence of the healthily built Ye-rim beside me.
If it were at a reasonable level, I would have just hidden my face and continued the date, but without any exaggeration, it felt like every single person on the street was looking at me.
Moreover.
"But who's that woman next to Angel-nim?"
"Is she like a private security guard?"
"She doesn't look that strong though? Maybe she's his girlfriend or something...?"
"Eh~ No way! Probably not!"
The stares and attention directed at me soon spread to Ye-rim beside me, and people began mentioning sensitive topics about us, given that she's an internet broadcaster—almost like a celebrity.
"O-oppa, let's just go home today."
"Y-yeah, today doesn't seem like the day."
In the end, we gave up on our date and hurried back home without even getting to properly eat the jeyuk deopbap we wanted.
"It's disappointing that our date didn't work out today, but we can always do it another time, so don't worry too much, Ye-rim-ah. I'm not some famous celebrity—I'm just an ordinary citizen, and this attention will die down in a day or two! So don't get too discouraged~"
"R-really...?"
Since we only dated once a week, Ye-rim was quite dejected about skipping that special day, so I finally calmed her down with my ultimate move 'Want to touch my chest?' and sent her home.
But contrary to my expectation that the attention would quickly fade away...
[The Korean man that the whole world admires, Japan trembles before, and China is shocked by—Angel Kang Cheol-nim!]
[This is a K-Male! Even criminal organizations surrendered to Kang Cheol-nim, while Japan laments 'Why don't we have a wonderful man like Korea's Kang Cheol-nim in our country?!']
[The 'Modern Cinderella' who appeared in the 21st century! Dating rumors between Angel Kang Cheol-nim and Selena Kim, CEO of Paprika TV and heir to a conglomerate!]
"What the fuck is all this?!"
Even though five days had passed since the incident, the heat hadn't died down—instead, it was burning even hotter with nationalistic news stories featuring my name and dating rumors with Selena on YouTube and other major internet news sites!
Normally, even if an incident causes a big stir in society, if the subject is an ordinary person, it quickly fades away, and I thought I would have been quietly forgotten by now amid other issues, but this was really something else.
Thanks to this, I would have normally updated my sex counter by dating and having relations with my girlfriend Ye-rim on Saturday evening or Sunday, but since I couldn't even step outside without people wide-eyed and rushing toward me, my sex counter was still at 0.
"That much I can understand, but what's with these dating rumors with Selena?!"
In a world with messed up gender ratios, I could understand the world going crazy over the issue of a man with my appearance wiping out criminal organizations, but the 'Modern Cinderella' topic that always came up alongside it—the dating rumors with Selena—was something I couldn't comprehend at all, and it was causing problems in my relationship with Ye-rim, who was already furious about not being able to go on proper dates.
Even though this is a world where men can date multiple women, news about your partner having something with another woman couldn't be pleasant, and as time passed and my relationship with Selena became established as more than just acquaintances, Ye-rim's attitude started to change strangely.
For example, when I approached Ye-rim, who was waiting for my stream to end at my house since we couldn't go on a date:
"Y-Ye-rim-ah, you came again today? Today I'll go to your place..."
"Why?! Are you annoyed that your "pure fool" girlfriend with fewer viewers than you and less capability than that CEO bitch comes to your house to meet you?!"
"N-no, that's not what I meant..."
"Hah? Then do you mean that now that you have a super capable woman named Selena Kim, you're going to gradually dump a useless younger woman like me?!"
That feeling called inferiority complex or sense of inadequacy.
No matter what I tried to say, Ye-rim would nervously cut me off and burst out in anger first—her behavior was exactly like that of a boyfriend unnecessarily getting irritated at his girlfriend for hanging out with a more capable male friend, and since I had the experience of having my crush stolen by Geum Taeyang in the previous world, I understood that feeling, but honestly, it was annoying.
"Ah, seriously! I told you before that Selena and I aren't like that! Why do you keep doing this, you "pure fool"!"
The moment I burst out angrily in my heated mood, Ye-rim's expression twisted strangely.
"P-pure fool? And you said Selena instead of Selena-ssi? Is that bitch your friend or something? What is this... You say it's not true but your words say otherwise, oppa?"
Shit, I messed up.
I recently learned that in this world, the meaning of "friend" between men and women isn't just a close relationship without formalities—it means people who enjoy sex together, essentially the same meaning as sex partners.
You might think that's similar to girlfriend, but in this world, girlfriend means a marriage prospect.
That is, it had the same meaning as main wife.
"S-sorry, Ye-rim-ah. I didn't mean it that way—I meant that you're my only girlfriend. Selena...ssi and I just became close because she saved me that day, so we started speaking casually, but it's not the kind of relationship you're thinking of~"
Ye-rim was special to me.
She was my first girlfriend, and at the same time, she was the precious woman who helped me survive in this world.
Even though we had arguments due to our different perspectives now, I didn't want to break up with her over something this trivial.
"Then... prove it."
"Pro...ve? Prove wha... Kkeut?!"
Ye-rim suddenly pounces on me, her face that had turned strange now twisting into a different expression!
Startled by her sudden action, I was about to struggle, but when I saw the look in Ye-rim's eyes as she roughly tore at my shirt buttons as if trying to undress me, I relaxed my body and accepted her touch.
"W-what the fuck, why are you just lying there! Even if it's your girlfriend, if she does something this crazy, you should resist, shouldn't you?!"
Drip drip drip...
Tears falling through my half-torn and crumpled shirt from her rough handling.
There were various reasons why I dated Kim Ye-rim, but ultimately, I was drawn to her kind heart.
The appearance the goddess gave me was like an aphrodisiac to the women of this world—something incredibly sexy—and indeed, 99.9% of women who saw me wanted to have me.
But even when Ye-rim felt desire toward my appearance, her feelings of liking me as a person were stronger, so she showed restraint multiple times, and I liked that about her.
"Don't cry, Ye-rim-ah..."
Seeing her crying while on top of me, I reached out from my lying position and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes.
"S-sorry, oppa!"
Whoosh!
Ye-rim hurriedly left the house with an expression twisted by joy and self-loathing.
Left alone in the house, I...
"Selena... I need to meet her...!"
Grit!
I was dialing Selena's direct phone number that I got during our second meeting...