…Aren’t you ashamed?
Han Seori proceeded with an interview with some unidentified woman in the snowy field while concealing me underneath her desk.
No matter how big it is, it’s still a desk.
The closer Han Seori leaned towards the desk to talk to the interviewee,
the closer her lower half came to me, sitting helplessly in the chair.
It felt as if things were becoming far too explicit.
Though I turned my gaze away, I couldn’t avoid seeing it, leaving me powerless but to stare blankly.
Hrm.
I decided to stop thinking about it for her dignity.
Anyway.
As I heard the voices while the jelly nearby was bubbling, it felt less like an interview and more like one of those “just follow me, don’t ask questions” scenarios.
Han Seori appeared to be planning to hire Yang Ha-na at this facility.
Based on her responses, Yang Ha-na, presumably an aspiring job applicant, didn’t seem to want to lose this opportunity.
Though I cannot deny Han Seori’s persuasive skills, something about Yang Ha-na struck me as… off.
Even if she’s desperate… would she just grab a job offer at such a random place?
As I listened to her voice, though it seemed like a woman, I wondered… Isn’t she scared?
Had it been me, I would’ve run away immediately.
A woman who doesn’t even remember how she arrived in this snowfield.
A stranger who suddenly appears and saves her.
An unfamiliar, mysterious-looking facility that materializes in front of her.
A job offer that follows.
This situation… while it all laid out like this does sound somewhat appealing.
Putting aside issues of salary and benefits, if you think only about the progression of events…
It feels much like a motorcycle or a car pulls up, and a mysterious beauty or muscular guy throws open the door shouting,
“Finally found you! We’ll talk later, hop on behind me!”
The moment when the ordinary turns extraordinary.
Although my transformation into liquid jelly earlier was closer to an accident, this situation seems similar in some strange way.
Honestly, any man would find this irresistible, especially someone like me who longs for the extraordinary and adventure.
Thinking about it, Yang Ha-na’s actions began making some sense… but when I dwelled on it, she didn’t seem to be chasing some romantic dream.
She appeared more influenced by tangible, realistic conditions.
If someone were to ask whether it was wrong, it would be hard to say, but I couldn’t shake a vague sense of regret.
That person…
I just thought she’d really thrive under the jade floorboards.
Maybe she’d believe that we could cook up some hexagon water if prepared the right way.
Perhaps a secluded place like this might be better for her than the challenging outside world.
However…
Could it be possible that things like “singularities” or hexagonal water actually exist?
I almost dropped the jelly line considering such terrifying thoughts but managed to regain focus.
When I finally came to my senses, I realized I was in Han Seori’s arms.
I felt her curves after a long time, and a touch of embarrassment came over me.
Anyway, I was outside the desk and embraced by Han Seori while thoughts raced through my mind.
Then, an alarm sounded throughout the control room.
“Hmm? Already?”
Han Seori, still holding me, operated a panel and displayed something on a large screen.
All I saw was an empty chair with a solitary play button.
Confused, I looked at Han Seori’s face, which also showed a perplexed expression.
“…Hmm. Didn’t I explicitly ask for a video message to be recorded?”
Han Seori’s voice carried a slight discomfort as she operated the panel to play the video.
A familiar voice soon came through.
[Uh… Would you like to take a seat over here?]
[Yes!]
As expected, it was Kim Cheon-soo’s voice followed by Yang Ha-na’s response.
Yang Ha-na approached the chair with sprightly steps and sat down per Kim Cheon-soo’s request.
Sitting now, Yang Ha-na spoke with enthusiasm.
[My name is Yang Ha-na! I’m 2─]
[Wait, wait just a moment! This isn’t for an interview; it’s a video letter to your parents!]
[Oh no!]
I suddenly had a déjà vu that made me feel as if everything would instantly turn to garbage.
Embarrassed, I looked at Han Seori hugging me, but she grinned slyly, silently encouraging me to watch more as the video played on.
Coughing lightly, Yang Ha-na again turned to the camera with renewed vigor.
[ Mom! Dad! I’ve got a job! Although I’m not exactly sure where I am, the salary is great, and they’re taking care of everything! Oh! I still don’t completely know what I’ll be doing, but the people here are super kind and it feels great! Already, they gave me this watch?]
She proudly showed off her wrist device with a bright smile.
This device feels oddly familiar.
Indeed, it wasn’t mistaken; it’s the same thing that was constantly around my neck.
Maybe it couldn’t fit around the neck, so they placed it on the wrist instead.
But calling it a watch makes it seem different from what was around my neck.
Still, its function remains the same—likely some kind of monitoring device.
She didn’t just do this without thought.
[Oh, by the way! Since we’re in the middle of mountains, I won’t be able to contact you for a bit, so I’m leaving this message. Once I get some leave, I’ll visit! So please stay healthy! I’ll save my salary to buy you some good food!]
Afterward, the video stopped. Sighing deeply, Han Seori cupped her forehead.
And… I thought similarly to her.
Even though I said earlier that this situation might be irresistible, I still wondered…
Is this truly the best option?
Especially considering Yang Ha-na’s cheerful and carefree face in the video, something felt slightly off.
It almost felt as if we lured someone unaware and are now sending fake videos.
Even though there’s no set format for sending well-being videos, I couldn’t help but worry if this was truly okay.
Would it only lead to unnecessary suspicions?
Glancing slyly at Han Seori, she mumbled with a very complex expression,
“If this person truly acts this way… maybe it’ll be okay?”
Indeed.
That’s the real problem.
If this is her natural behavior, forcing her to act differently might make things more awkward.
Even though I hadn’t interacted with Yang Ha-na face-to-face, reflecting on what she said during her conversation with Han Seori…
I couldn’t imagine her sitting neatly with sincere words expressing genuineness.
Kim Cheon-soo likely realized this too, or maybe he didn’t insist on recording a new video because editing could sort it out.
Adding this particular part could possibly enhance the video’s reliability.
Still…
This kind of worry isn’t for me to handle, so feeling relieved was somewhat fortuitous.
Leaders always have it tough, don’t they?
Thus, rather than these concerns,
I wondered more about how Yang Ha-na ended up here.
That seemed like a much more relevant question to ponder.
But frankly, it’s hard to grasp.
Every decision, every thought I make daily…
Who could possibly remember all their thoughts throughout the day?
Not to mention when or why such decisions were made.
Unknowingly, did I perhaps think that I wanted to see someone else?
Could it be that the stressed-out Yang Ha-na ended up here by chance?
Maybe I need to create a device to block the signals escaping from my jelly.
Or maybe, like separating Jung-sik, I should isolate his powers, creating a new jelly…
…to confine someone who can’t act like this?
Until that point, I shook the jelly lightly.
“Huh? You also think this is a bit off, huh? But it can’t be helped, right…?”
It was an attempt to shake off the disturbing thought that had arisen, but Han Seori misunderstood, unable to read my mind.
Her voice reminded me of the final part of an experiment we had conducted not too long ago.
Reflecting now, maybe Han Seori and I aren’t that different.
Is it because we’ve spent quite some time together and grown similar?
Or could it be that I’m also losing my human sensitivity?
Not that I’m saying Han Seori isn’t human either…
She just gets lost in experiments, but she’s actually a pretty decent person in private.
Sigh…
My head hurts.
Let me think about this a bit more.
—
—
‘Water…’
Yang Ha-na woke up with a tousled face from the bed and left the room feeling an intense thirst.
Walking out as if she were in her own home, she suddenly realized that this was not her room and shook herself alert.
Oh.
I’m employed now.
She looked blankly at the giant hallway, absentmindedly touching the device strapped around her wrist.
Even though she didn’t yet know what her job entailed, the tangibility of the device made her employment feel real.
With a pleasant smile, she set her footsteps forward.
Due to her intense thirst, she aimed to go to the kitchen, which Kim Cheon-soo had shown her.
As she walked, an odd question popped into her mind.
Being employed here is great… and the lack of transmission signals is also fine…
“Isn’t everything a bit too spacious?”
Counting herself, she’d only seen three employees so far.
But… this facility seemed excessively large for just three people.
Moreover, it was eerily well-cleaned for being so big.
Realizing this, Yang Ha-na shivered.
Surely not…
Surely I don’t have to clean this massive place every day starting tomorrow, do I?
To the girl who often got scolded for not cleaning her room properly, this felt like a significant issue.
“Should I say I can’t do it?”
Just as she was wearing a serious face, unlike her usual self, a strange sound began to reach her ears.
Rustle… rustle…
“Glulp.”
From the darkness of the hallway, the sound of something moving could be distinctly heard.
Surely… surely there aren’t any bugs or mice here…?
Yang Ha-na, whose face had turned pale, cautiously stepped towards the kitchen.
Rustle… rustle.
The sound was coming from the kitchen.
It didn’t sound like a person…
Which means the only possible sounds in the kitchen would be… those creatures, right?
“No, it can’t be!”
With a racing heart, Yang Ha-na gripped the door handle leading to the kitchen.
Praying it wasn’t what she imagined,
she peered into the room hesitantly.
The moment her head peeked in,
Pffhhht!
A translucent and sticky liquid burst onto her face.
“Kyaaahhh!”
Letting out a blood-curdling scream, Yang Ha-na fainted on the spot.
