…Should we demand better treatment for the Singularities?
—
No… I can’t say I don’t understand. Even I, who wandered around observing all sorts of things, have never heard even a whisper about these so-called Singularities.
—
Ah, it must be a top-secret matter. Very secret indeed.
—
So I get why we need to move so covertly!
—
But do we really have to drag them around like animals?
—
Should I be grateful it’s not worse—like being dragged around on a leash?
—
When I think about it that way, being transported in this strange box seems… relatively bearable in comparison.
—
No, no, I mustn’t fall into that trap.
—
Every time my body jostles against the walls of this box, it’s like… well, like how a dog or a cat would feel being caged up on their way to get neutered.
—
I… I’m not a dog or a cat, dammit!
—
I wanted to shout that, but hearing only the boiling-bubble-like noises coming from me, I slouched my body instead.
—
Sigh.
—
So, how great is it that I don’t move on my own?
—
No, let me reframe this.
—
It’s not like I’m being moved around like a caged animal. I’m actually utilizing Kim Cheon-soo, human taxi, as my mode of transportation.
—
Oh.
—
That thought makes me feel oddly uplifted, almost exhilarated?
—
Right, you clumsy oaf, hurry up and take me where I need to go. Afterward, I can finally go back and demonstrate what it means to be a couch potato.
—
While I was momentarily giddy with excitement, a sense of awkwardness started to creep in.
—
…It’s probably because moving around trapped in this box isn’t exactly desirable.
—
Sigh.
—
What can you do? The side that feels sorry probably needs to endure it, right?
—
Hm.
—
But which side is the more sorry one?
—
Is it me, deprived of my TV?
—
Or… is it the side that asks for my assistance?
—
The latter should feel worse, right?
—
I don’t know.
—
Even though it’s happening to me, it feels distant, like something out of a fantasy I used to have when I was still human.
—
Perhaps it’s because of this body that it doesn’t feel real.
—
The sensation of being human is fading.
—
Maybe that’s why nothing feels very concrete.
—
On deeper reflection, even though I added the goal of getting a TV, the fact that I’m so willing to get involved in this feels strange.
—
If I still had my human body, there’s no way I’d have agreed to this unless I wanted to watch TV.
—
And yet, I jumped at the chance for a TV.
—
…Huh?
—
Am I losing my mind? More than I thought?
—
Was I always someone who suited being jelly more than being human?
—
At that moment,
—
Clunk!
—
A sound accompanied by the back of my knowledge pouch hitting the box.
—
Hey, driver dude, how exactly are you driving?
—
Irritation swelled as I imagined covering Kim Cheon-soo’s face in jelly the moment I escape this box.
—
How much time passed?
—
Being locked in this box, it’s impossible to tell the passage of time.
—
At some point, the box opened, revealing sweet snacks, and I decided against jelly-coating Kim Cheon-soo’s face.
—
After all, it showed he hadn’t forgotten about me.
—
Finally,
—
“Whew… that was far.”
—
The driver’s complaint floated into my ears.
—
How far did we go?
—
Now that I think about it, I was only told vague details, never the exact location.
—
Is it Seoul?
—
Or… somewhere in the metropolitan area?
—
Or… maybe even a foreign country?
—
Hmm.
—
Did I just get scammed?
—
As I was contemplating that, the bag opened, and sudden blinding light spilled onto me.
—
“Chomp.”
—
My body, along with the box, floated into the air.
—
A large face appeared close to the box, staring at me intently. For a moment, I thought Kim Cheon-soo had sold me off, but on closer inspection, it was him.
—
His face looked oddly deformed from being so close, a reason why I initially failed to recognize him.
—
“You must’ve been suffocating. We’re here now, so I’ll let you out.”
—
…Hmm, perhaps describing his face as ugly was too harsh. Let’s go with ‘distorted.’
—
With a twisted smirk, the guy mumbled an apology as he opened the box and helped me out.
—
With a thud, I fell to the ground, regaining my original shape.
—
At the same time, the coolness of the open sky and refreshing breeze swept over me, something I hadn’t felt in a long while.
—
Things I used to notice easily, but since becoming this form, I hadn’t been able to experience… the raw outside world.
—
Even though I’ve wandered around the snowy field where I reside, I still felt an odd sense of novelty.
—
There was no clear reason, yet a strange melancholy settled over me.
—
“What’s wrong?”
—
I absentmindedly responded with “It’s nothing,” but the only sound that came out was a bubbling noise.
—
…Something is off.
—
Kim Cheon-soo asked in a concerned tone, and I shook my head to reassure him.
—
Still, an unsettling feeling persisted, so I idly fidgeted with my jelly form.
—
“Whoa!! Is this jelly the legendary 7496 – KR?!”
—
“Oh, yeah… yeah.”
—
“Long to meet you, 7496-KR!”
—
“Me too! Me too!”
—
Suddenly, a crowd swarmed around me.
—
Kim Cheon-soo panicked and tried to push them back, but the sheer numbers overwhelmed his efforts.
—
And I… well, I was put in a difficult position in another way.
—
The throng stared at me with glowing eyes, offering various snacks, and before I could even respond, they began pawing at me, claiming to ask first.
—
Why touch if you didn’t mean to?
—
Even weirder, why ask at all?
—
Though it was absurd, I decided to let it slide since delicious treats started entering my body.
—
Still, the feeling of being in a zoo exhibit was undeniable.
—
“Wait, what is going on here…”
—
“Ah, tone it down a bit! You see this every day, so you take it lightly, but we don’t!”
—
“Waaah!”
—
“Switch places with me!”
—
“What’s your secret? Where do you keep it hidden?”
—
What is this…?
—
Not a zoo, it’s more like… an idol visit?
—
Wait? Is that me they’re talking about?
—
It felt strangely familiar. Come to think of it, this is similar to how Yang Ha-na greeted me the last time.
—
Of course, it’s nowhere near Yang Ha-na level, but it’s somewhat comparable.
—
A total pandemonium.
—
Somewhere along the line, Kim Cheon-soo had collapsed on the floor, looking disheveled and defeated, like an antagonist from a drama who’d been disowned.
—
Hey, someone… Anyone, do something!
—
Honestly, if I were to push back, it wouldn’t be hard to silence them…or rather douse them in jelly. But I refrained, fearing it would escalate the situation.
—
It seemed like this could go on endlessly, so I decided to try and do something.
—
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing. Put 7496 – KR down gently and go back to your stations.”
—
“Huh?”
—
“Yes, sir!”
—
A frigid voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. The crowd, who moments ago squealed and screamed, snapped back to reality and quickly dispersed.
—
Clack, clack, clack.
—
Eventually, the source of the chilly voice approached, confidently striding toward me, sprawled on the ground.
—
And then…
—
“Do you actually think this can solve problems?”
—
The voice dripped with disdain as the figure reached out and prodded my knowledge pouch, her tone dripping with disapproval.
—
The woman, whose name I didn’t know, stared at me with eyes full of distrust, muttering softly,
—
“This seems highly contaminated… Maybe it would be better to just eliminate it.”
—
What…
—
This feeling…
—
Could it be because I’ve only received compliments from Han Seori, Kim Cheon-soo, and Yang Ha-na?
—
Gazing up at her suspicious eyes reminded me of the bald-headed director of my second location.
—
Though she was prettier and more charismatic than the bald-headed director…
—
Something felt off.
—
And maybe my jelly sensed my discontent?
—
“Eep!”
—
Before I realized it, I spat jelly onto the woman’s face.
—
Oh no… I went too far.
—
Or, was it… was it self-defense? She provoked me first, right?
—
Is she going to suggest they “eliminate” me now?
—
I began to shake as my jelly sensed the increasing hostility. With her face covered in jelly, the woman dropped me, causing me to instinctively hide behind the sprawled-out Kim Cheon-soo.
—
“Wh-what? Behind me?”
—
—
But, of course, hiding behind him was futile. After cleaning the jelly off her face, she merely laughed.
—
“So you’ve got guts, huh? I like that.”
—
Hmm.
—
Could it be that this organization is mostly comprised of people with questionable sanity?
—
Why does everyone seem a few screws loose?
—
Is this the group that’s been keeping the Singularities hidden from the world?
—
Is it really easier than it seems?
—
Or…
—
Is it the case that only these oddballs can survive in such a chaotic environment?
—
In any case…
—
My first memory at my first field assignment wasn’t particularly pleasant.
