Quick Transmigration: On The Path Of A Second Chance

1

"- an He? Fan He?! Fan He!"

Dark eyes sprang open in alarm, squinting at the surroundings as a yawn fell past dry, rosy lips. Alice was in a car.

"Wake up already. We're almost at your school." Said a low voice impatiently. It was a boy -- well, a young man but Alice would be hard-pressed to call him a man -- with short dark hair, pale skin and a tired but meticulous demeanor, but what captured her attention the most were his eyes.

Not because they were pretty or something, but because they were identical to those of an Asian, like Chinese, Korean or something. Her mother had worked for many years at a Gelateria in Rome as a waitress, so Alice had encountered in passing a lot of tourists from all over the world as the ice cream shop was situated in a very popular tourist spot, Fontana di Trevi.

Nevertheless, she still couldn't tell what nationality the guy came from and even the name of the original owner didn't clue her in. Had he called her with a -chan or -san suffix, she would have understood immediately that she was now Japanese as she quite liked reading mangas and watching animes before to pass time, but nope, unfortunately that wasn't the case.

That would've been cool, though.

"Ah!" Alice felt a sudden burning burst from her temples and she hissed in pain as she gripped her hair tightly. Memories swirled in her mind chaotically as they jumbled and organized themselves out. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She cursed distressedly.

"Hey! What's wrong with you? Are you alright?" The boy asked her worriedly, looking away from the road to glance at her in panic, owning him a few beeps and curses from nearby drivers.

When her suffering finally stopped, the car had long been parked and the young man -- Fan He's cousin, Gu Feiran, who looked younger than he actually was -- was leaning over her in concern. Alice looked up at him, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, smiling in reassurance to show that she was alright now. From his reaction, she didn't quite succeed.

"I'm fine..." Alice muttered, her voice pitiful. "Just a headache." She asserted at his doubtful look, lips unconsciously pursed in the typical 'Fan He pout'. And she really was, though she was a bit angry that the system hadn't warned her of the pain at all.

After insisting several times that she was fine and that no, she did not need to go to the hospital, Gu Feiran finally turned on the engine and drove to her new school.

Fortunately, the two cousins headed out early, otherwise, Gu Feiran would have been late to his work after her episode.

Alice took out a handmirror from her school bag and looked at her reflection, hoping her eyes weren't red or puffy from crying.

And, wow! Fan He sure was lucky in the genetic lottery. Her appearance was pretty, very pretty. She had delicate and refined features, with bright, peach blossom eyes framed by long eyelashes, and rosy cheeks the same shade as her perfect lips.

Oh my, oh my! Alice felt very pleased with her current appearance, no wonder the original host of this body had such high aspirations. Sure, in the entertainment industry, having a pretty face wouldn't help you much in the long run, but Fan He had been part of the theatre club since elementary school. She wasn't a bad actress per se, just...kind of above average compared to her peers due to her passion.

Alice was in the fourteen-year-old body of the original's host, ten months before her death. One of the reasons she had chosen this task wasn't only because it was probably the safest choice between the three, but because she didn't have the knowledge to securely lead an adult's life.

She had died at age fourteen and so, wearing the mask of teenager Fan He would be considerably easier and more natural than donning that of Olivia's or Tatiana's.

Plus, Alice had always wanted to try out being an actress as she had a talent at reciting poems.

Whenever she recited one, the class would be for once completely silent and in the end, they would burst in applause. Even her teachers had clapped loudly when she recited in front of them many famous poems like 'If this is a man' by Primo Levi and such for her last exam at middle school. Her art teacher had even told her to be part of a theatre course to further herself and her literature instructor remarked proudly that whenever she interpreted poems, she had this profound intensity within her.

For the insecure Alice that had never stood out, their praise had been cherished very much in her heart.

Sure, she knew that it wasn't much of an edge if she truly wanted to thrive in the entertainment industry, but at least she'd get to experience something that she never thought she would be able to in her entire life.

Alice felt giddy from excitement and nervousness, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She had a purpose now and she had to give her all to make it to the end.

She was going back to her family, she must or she'd turn insane in that horrid place.

"Fan He, are you sure you're okay?" Gu Feiran asked again doubtfully, and Alice smiled at him warmly. He wasn't so bad, after all.

"Yes, thank you. Have a nice day, Ran-ge." The young man couldn't help returning the smile, pleasantly surprised at the sincere words.

Gu Feiran had been living away from his hometown since earning his scholarship at the most prestigious University here in the city four years ago and thus didn't interact much with this younger female cousin of his due to their different personalities and age.

To be honest, he had thought Fan He, the orphaned niece of his mother, rather annoying and frivolous due to her obsession and constant preaching about some famous idol so their conversations had been all quite polite and distant the few times he managed to return home, but now he berated himself for his shortsightedness.

Perhaps, Fan He had simply been just timid and not comfortable opening up to people she didn't habitually socialize with like him.

Gu Feiran reached out a hand to gently pat the young girl, unaware of the subtle grimace she made upon contact.

Alice had always hated it when people touched her head, she wasn't a dog, after all, but said nothing considering she would be living in Fan He's cousin's house until the end of her senior middle school years.

It was quite the fortunate timing, she mused to herself as she exited the car and followed the rest of the student body inside the school.

Gu Feiran and Fan He never had much interaction alone in the past and due to the original only arriving a week prior and his busy work as a newbie engineer, they didn't get to know each other further.

A good start, indeed.