Once upon a time...

     In a peaceful kingdom far far away, a prince was born. The prince brought joy to the King and Queen, and was soon named Namjoon. The prince oddly grew an undying love for onions, specifically nice cut ones, thus a special cook was assigned to prepare his meals. But one fateful day, the cook died, as a result of old age. The prince was devastated, as his onions never looked as pretty anymore.

    Also in the kingdom, lived a pretty boy named Jinderella. He lived with his stepmother and two stepsisters, who made him do all the work in the house. Jinderella hardly ever complains, as he loves doing the chores, especially cooking, as it is also his pastime.

  Jinderella had no friends, only the birds he sang with every morning. He spent all day in their little home, doing the chores while his stepsisters polished their nails and stomp their ugly large feet on the wooden floors. It was rare that he step outside. And it is said that not many knew of his existence, as his mother died giving birth, and his father died of an illness after marrying his current horrid stepmother.

     And so the story continues as one of the palace men came into town and announced an onion cutting competition to commence and a party afterwards to celebrate the winner. The reward shall be marriage to the prince, as promised by the prince himself. All the young girls and boys immediately sharpen their knives, choosing the best of their clothes to take part in said competition. It was no secret that the prince had charmed all of their hearts.

     Jinderella heard of this, through the window in the kitchen. He wanted to go as it sounded like so much fun. He was so excited, as he heard the palace men announce that all that is deemed skilful are invited to be part of the competition. He longed to join such a gathering, at least once in his life.

“I shall go to the palace. It must be very beautiful!” He gushed out while washing the dishes, to his feathered friends, who chirped happily in reply.

“You? Go to the palace?” A shrill voice suddenly interrupted, followed by highly unattractive snorts.

“With these rags? You would only be an eyesore!” The other stepsister said, pulling on Jinderella’s shirt.

“But it said that everyone is invited. And I’m sure I can find a better attire,” he said softly, looking at his old and worn clothes.

“What is this I hear about going to the palace?” His stepmother came into the kitchen, with two beautiful dresses in hand.

“Oh, mother! Jinderella thinks he can go to the palace,” the elder stepsister sneered haughtily.

“He thinks Prince Namjoon would choose him to marry!” the younger one added.

“No, I-” he then was rudely cut off.

“Enough! How absolutely foolish of you to actually believe a useless person such as yourself worthy of the prince. You will stay at home tonight, and make sure the house is spotless, you hear?” the stepmother said, giving him a menacing look.

“Yes, mother,” Jinderella sighed in defeat.

  There was no way he was going to the castle now, for his stepmother would have made sure that the doors are locked so that he could not escape. Jinderella watched sadly as his stepsisters walked about in their party dresses, bragging about their (lack of) skill in cutting onions. He knew they were all lies, as the sisters only step in the kitchen to eat and drink.

   As he finished washing the dishes and sweeping the floor, Jinderella sat by the fireplace. He sighed, wishing for once, at least, he wanted to see the castle. Also, the prince, whom everyone had fallen in love with. He often heard his stepsisters gush about him, but never he actually saw what he looked like, for he was always locked inside the house at every event.

   He got up and entered his bedroom, or the attic to be more precise. He stood in front of his mirror, which was cracked slightly at the bottom. It used to be his mother’s, and because of that, his stepmother shoved it into the attic with most of his parents’ other old belongings. Jinderella couldn’t say whether he is happy or sad being surrounded by his parents’ things. They just brought the happy memories back, and how he wished to meet them again. He wouldn’t be treated this way if they were here.

“Only once, I wish to see the castle. I promised father I would one day step inside it. I’m sorry, father. It seems I have broken my promise,” he tugged at his shirt, tears pooling in his eyes.

    Suddenly, a flash of bright light appeared in front of him. Startled, Jinderella backed away until his legs meet the bed, and he falls unceremoniously backwards on the uncomfortable mattress. He hugged his legs to his chest as he watched the light and sparkles assemble to form the shape of a person dressed in a huge blue cloak that seemed two sizes too big for him.

“Geez, they should have prepared a small size too,” the person grumbled, as he struggled in the cloak.

“Excuse me, but who are you?” Jinderella timidly asked, and the person, apparently a young man about his age, turned to face him.

“Oh, how rude of me!” he exclaimed, showing a toothy smile. “I am Jung Hoseok, your Fairy Godbrother!”

“Fairy… Godbrother?” Jinderella repeated after him, dumbfounded.

“I’m here to make your wish come true. You want to go to the castle, yes?” He asked, waving around a long stick, his magic wand, in hand.

“Yes, yes I do,” Jinderella replied, fascinated by the sparks emitted from the wand at every flick of Hoseok’s wrist.

“Well, we better suit you up, then!” Hoseok declares, doing a twirling motion with his wand.

   Jinderella soon found himself in a casual smart attire, in which he understood to not be too formal since it is a competition, and not a ball. For transport, Hoseok had fixed his mother’s bicycle, under his request. The castle is not far, he is sure he can cover the distance well. Hoseok had promised a little boost for reassurance.

   Lastly, his Fairy Godbrother gifted him a nice silver bracelet with a unique charm which is two hearts joined as a sign of good luck. Jinderella couldn’t have been more thankful to him. As he smoothed out his attire, Hoseok warned him of one thing about his spells. That a wish can’t last forever, and it is by midnight he will have to return.

“Please beware of the time, Jinderella. Everything will turn back to what it was,” he reminds before giving him a push towards his bicycle.

     The aforementioned male nodded, getting on the bicycle with his lucky cooking knife wrapped safely in the front basket. He had chosen the bicycle because he remembered how his father used to try fix it, he said mother used to ride and cherish the bicycle a lot. Also, any other vehicle would have attracted too many unwanted attention. Taking a deep breath, he started his journey.

     The journey barely took ten minutes, but Jinderella was anxious as he entered the castle’s extravagant gates. He looked around and placed his bicycle near, in case he needed a quick escape. Following a few posters and signs, he found himself in a big hall crowded with people chattering, and tables with ingredients neatly placed on top. It seemed that the competition had not started, and he was relieved.

     He first saw his stepsisters who stood out in their fancy dresses, which was actually unfit for the competition, but they were too busy trying to formulate plans to win the prince’s heart to care. To avoid meeting them, Jinderella chose a table quite hidden from view in the corner where he is sure he can work in peace. As he set his cooking knife down, a sound of a trumpet was heard, gaining attention to the front of the hall.

“Attention, all contestants, the competition will commence shortly. Before that, I would like to emphasise that all entries must be made by yourself, and no trickery is allowed. If found, then you are automatically disqualified. The prince himself will be the head judge, and will be judging your dishes,” a palace man announced.

     As he finished talking, a young man dressed in smart attire fit for a prince walked in, earning gasps and squeals from the crowd. The young man is none other than the well-known prince, Prince Namjoon. Jinderella was awed by the prince as he flashed his subjects a dimpled smile. He could feel his heart speeding up, and a blush creeping up his face as the prince suddenly locked gazes with him.

     It was not long, however, as the competition then started. The contestants were allowed to prepare any dish desired, but the main ingredient must be onions. Jinderella took note of this as he thought of a dish that would suit the requirement. There were many dishes that involved onions, yes, but to bring out onion’s flavour as the key ingredient was a bit tricky.

     After a while of thinking, he came up with the perfect dish in mind. He quickly set up the ingredients he needed, and started cooking. He needed to be quick. Time was slowly ticking away, and Hoseok’s warning was ringing in his ears. Feeling that it was becoming a nuisance, he took off the bracelet on his hand and set it aside to focus on cooking.

   On the other side of the hall, the stepsisters were having big trouble, burning the ingredients, tossing everything unevenly into the pan. They were confident that even if their dish ends in a flop, the prince would still choose them, for they had a secret ingredient in hand. The elder stepsister put in the drop of love potion they bought from a witch in the forest. Soon, the prince will be theirs, they thought.

How foolish.

    Meanwhile, Prince Namjoon was solemnly waiting in a room not far from the hall. He was sure that most of the contestants today was drawn by the prize instead of truly having the necessary cooking skills. But one of the contestants caught his eye. Broad-shouldered and tall, his pretty features drew the young prince in. But Prince Namjoon had to hold on to his promise, marrying the winner of the competition.

      He waited and waited, until the first dishes came in hand of the palace men. They placed them in front of him, to let him judge.

     He looked at one, he looked at two, he looked at lots, but none seem to pique his interest. Some of the onions were badly burnt and Prince Namjoon was slowly giving up. He might not able to eat onions ever again for the rest of his life. He did not even try a bite of the dishes as he was too devastated. It seems the stepsisters’ was not foolproof after all.

     Back in the hall, Jinderella was anxious as he kept glancing at the clock. He had twenty minutes left until midnight, and he still had to cycle back, which took about eight to ten minutes. He momentarily regretted taking the corner table, as he was going to be the last dish to be presented. His dish was ready, plated and al, just waiting to be presented.

   At last, a palace man came to take his dish. Jinderella took another glance at the ticking clock. Fifteen minutes. He gave the man his dish and wrote ‘only his initial ‘J’ s his name. He needed to hurry. There was barely any time left. The palace man took his dish away to be judged and Jin hurriedly packed his things.

     When only ten minutes was left, Jinderella was fumbling with his bracelet. The joined hearts had somehow broken apart and he was having a hard time putting it back together. Feeling the time chasing him, Jinderella ran out of the hall, just in time to bump into Prince Namjoon, who had finally found the perfect dish. In the midst of the bump, one of the hearts fell, but Jinderella had no time to pick it up.

“Your Highness, that is the man who cooked the dish,” one of the palace men shouted, and Jinderella ran faster in panic, with the prince chasing behind.

“Wait, please!” he cried, but Jinderella had no time left.

     He ran out of the gates, with his bicycle in tow and started cycling furiously. The prince watched silently as he ran away. A palace man then came next to him, holding a piece of heart in his hand, claiming it to be a possession of the mystery winner. Prince Namjoon held onto the piece, vowing to find the mysterious cook who won his heart with the perfect dish, with especially perfectly chopped onions.

      On the way home, Jinderella’s clothes had turned back into his original rags, and the bicycle had turned back into its old and worn state halfway through the journey. He had to pull the bicycle along with him all the way home. He laughed on the way home. The night was exciting, even if he had to run away from the charming prince, literally leaving a piece of his heart behind.

      The next morning, Jinderella woke up to his excited feathery friends chirping by his window. He smiled and let them inside, wishing them a good morning. He changed into fresh clothes, and went to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast for his stepmother and stepsisters. Unexpectedly, the sisters were already waiting at the table, snapping at him to hurry up and cook for them.

      He can’t help but notice his stepsisters’ red-rimmed eyes, as if they had been crying all night. He suspected they had, probably due to the competition. As he flipped pancakes and took out the syrup from the cupboards as well as the butter, he couldn’t help but ask them what happened last night, pretending as if he was never there.

“Oh, it was horrible!” the younger one started, sobbing as she stabbed her pancake with a fork.

“The prince had chosen some young man as the winner, but apparently that young man had stormed off before it was even announced,” the elder stepsister complained, stuffing the pancake in . What horrible table manners.

“Well, I’m sure that young man had a reason,” Jinderella countered softly, anonymously defending himself.

“Reason, Jinderella? What could possibly be a reason to run away from the prince?” the younger one hissed menacingly.

“The prince didn’t even show up at the party after!” the other sister added, letting go of the fork onto her plate with a loud clang.

“My dears, get in your best condition. The prince will be visiting every home in town to find that winner, and we must not let this chance pass,” the stepmother announced as she stepped in the kitchen. Both sisters squealed in delight, while Jinderella fought a smile.

“Yes, mother!” both of them chorused before going to their respective rooms.

“And you, Jinderella. I expect you to be in your room for the time they are here. Am I clear?” she sneered, giving him a cold glare.

“Yes, mother,” he answered, bowing his head.

“Great. Now, clean all this,” she gestured to the dining table before disappearing to the living room.

      Sighing, he took the used plates, and started washing the dishes while singing softly a lullaby he used to hear as a child. He then wiped the table, and swept the floor. By the time he was done, his stepmother was ushering him into the attic, while his stepsisters were smoothing their dresses and checking their foundation.

      Jinderella watched from the window of the attic as a carriage stopped in front of their house. Prince Namjoon stepped out of the carriage, looking as handsome as ever. He smiled at the sight of the prince before he stepped away from the window. He never had a chance. His stepmother was right. He was foolish to even think he had the slightest chance with the prince.

      Downstairs, the prince entered the house welcomed by the stepmother. He was introduced to the enthusiastic stepsisters, who kept pushing each other in order to appeal to the prince. However, the prince didn’t spare them a glance, as he took in the surroundings. It was the last house in town, and none of them had any jewellery that could have been joined with the heart he is holding.

“Are your daughters the only children you have?” he questioned, disappointment evident in his tone, that the stepmother couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“No, there is my stepson, but I assure you it could not be him. He didn’t even go to the competition,” the stepmother was quick to respond, giving the prince an assuring smile.

“I will decide that for myself. Please bring him here,” Prince Namjoon ordered firmly. The stepmother gritted her teeth in annoyance, but she called him nevertheless.

“Jinderella! Come down this instance!” she cried from the staircase.

“Coming, mother!” a voice replied before the door opened. “Have the guests gone on their way?”

“No, I’m still here,” the prince replied in her stead, and Jinderella gasped aloud.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must be interrupting. I-“ he muttered before turning to go into his room again, but the prince caught his hand. His hand that was still wearing the bracelet Hoseok gave him.

“This bracelet! It’s you,” he murmured, tugging him down the stairs.

“What?! This cannot be possible! My son did not even participate,” the stepmother argued, as the stepsisters started to wail loudly.

“I did. With a bit of help,” Jinderella shyly confessed, a blush on his cheeks as the prince tightened his hold.

“Let me join the hearts,” Prince Namjoon lifted his wrists, and the hearts fit perfectly.

    Suddenly, there was a burst of sparks surrounding Jinderella and he found himself back in the attire he wore for the competition. He smiled as he saw Hoseok appear for a split second, winking at him, before disappearing yet again. Prince Namjoon was surprised, but it confirmed his suspicions, and he proposed Jinderella right there on one knee.

      His stepsisters stomped their giant feet away while supporting his stepmother who fainted at the scene. Laughing, Prince Namjoon scooped Jinderella in his arms and kissed him. His friends, the birds, sang a sweet harmony and Jinderella couldn’t have been happier. Looks like he achieved his happily ever after, after all.

~The End~

Hi everyone! It’s been a long time since I last wrote ><

This is my first time writing anything over 3k. And I forgot to mention that this story is also somewhat inspired by the cutting onion scene in Weekly Idol. Personally, I think too much nonsense was going on lol.

Anyway, thanks a lot for reading, and especially the subscribers and comments. Love you guys <3

Stay tuned for more of our twisted tales in the Bangtan Universe ;)