[Evanthe…]
Han Seori and Kim Cheon-soo looked at the crooked writing on the paper with perplexed expressions.
It was drawn in a rather large sketchbook… The text looked like it had been written by a child who had just learned how to write.
Had a young child written such a sentence, they might have smiled warmly.
But the one who wrote it was 7496 – KR.
A figure that looked like a girl, but was unmistakably from the Singularity.
It was enough to give the two a strange feeling.
Especially since it seemed that 7496 – KR, who understood words and letters, had written this sentence for the first time outside of testing.
Evanthe.
Hum.
So…
“…It doesn’t seem like you’re really into it, does it?”
“Judging from the expression, it does seem reluctant. And the writing in the sketchbook, too.”
Look at the expression— it’s full of spite… Clearly, she doesn’t want to do it.
Kim Cheon-soo refrained from saying that, and in his eyes, he saw the Jelly Girl holding the sketchbook.
[Evanthe…]
The Jelly Girl, with a look full of dissatisfaction, lifted the sketchbook as if demonstrating a protest to the two.
The two, Han Seori and Kim Cheon-soo, were honestly a little flustered.
Until now, the Jelly Girl had obediently followed instructions, and this was the first time she seemed to act rebellious.
Though, calling it rebellion seemed a bit ambiguous.
Not “I don’t want to!”
Or “I can’t do it!”
Or “Don’t command me, human!”
Just this single word, ‘Evanthe,’ which was almost embarrassing to call a sentence.
If this wasn’t someone’s name, it truly was a timid rebellion.
A very cute rebellion fitting for someone who looked like a girl.
Han Seori awkwardly smiled, lowered her posture, and met eyes with the Jelly Girl.
In response, the Jelly Girl tilted her head toward Han Seori.
Han Seori gently stroked the wobbling jelly-like texture of the Jelly Girl and softly asked:
“…Hmm, is it that you don’t want to go somewhere else? It’s just a trip and we’ll be back.”
At her question, the Jelly Girl seemed deep in thought, displaying a contemplative expression.
Meanwhile, Han Seori reflected on what she had said to the Jelly Girl earlier.
It wasn’t anything particularly shocking.
After all, it was something the Jelly Girl had been doing until now.
Cans, mazes, whales, steel snakes, mysterious monsters that bewitch humans… There had been quite a few Singularities that the Jelly Girl had “dealt” with.
She had undertaken these tasks without much complaint until now, so Han Seori found both the Jelly Girl’s “strike” announcement confusing and intriguing.
Why is the Jelly Girl refusing to work?
Is there another reason for this cute rebellion?
Or is it simply that she doesn’t want to leave this place for a while?
…Maybe she just doesn’t feel like working.
Looking back, this was the first time she’d shown any such behavior.
“Should we designate this as a memorable day?”
While Han Seori was lost in strange thoughts, the Jelly Girl, after some calculations, flipped through the sketchbook effortlessly and started moving the pen again.
Square, square.
Before long, the sketchbook spun around, and what appeared before the waiting Han Seori and Kim Cheon-soo was a picture drawn by the Jelly Girl.
“Hm…?”
“Hmm…?”
The two had expected to see words, much like before, but their guess was way off.
Instead, drawn on the pristine sketchbook was an illustration by the Jelly Girl. Holding the sketchbook, the Jelly Girl looked at them with an expression brimming with confidence.
Feeling that look, the two instinctively broke out in cold sweat.
“…What in the world is this supposed to be?”
“What is this?”
It was a picture that was hard to understand at a glance.
A black square-like something and various colors mixed with blues.
The only thing identifiable was the floating sphere beside it, which seemed to be the ever-present Sphere that followed the Jelly Girl.
Other than that, it was difficult to comprehend, but given the Jelly Girl’s very confident and smug expression, the two hesitated to express their doubts. After all, she was already in the middle of this adorable strike, and it wouldn’t bode well to upset her.
But their thoughts couldn’t help but drift into abstraction.
It felt like appreciating contemporary art. Depending on the viewer, different interpretations would arise.
The two stared intently at the cryptic picture, trying to decipher its hidden meaning.
Noticing this, the Jelly Girl’s soft shoulders seemed to rise slightly, as if she was thinking something.
After a moment of serious contemplation, Han Seori murmured:
“…Could this be… a TV?”
“Hmm? Now that you mention it… it does look like one.”
Han Seori pointed at the avant-garde picture with her finger as she continued.
“If this is a TV… then this one must be 7496 – KR. The colors match, and it’s the largest in this chaos. Then… this small entity similar to 7496 – KR could be Object 2… and the one next to it Object 1… and the squished thing Object 3.”
At her explanation, Kim Cheon-soo nodded and added his own interpretations:
“The colorful bits must be Object 1. Looking closer… the scattered ones beside it could be the residue secreted by the Sphere.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
As the two smiled contentedly after their deductions, the Jelly Girl seemed to realize something was amiss, but due to their smiles, she silently made her jelly wobble.
After a while,
Once they finished interpreting the picture, a small word at the top caught their eye.
[Reward]
Upon seeing the word, Han Seori’s mouth opened wide in surprise, as if having seen something unexpected.
Ah, she wanted a reward.
Upon reflection, it was a rather straightforward reasoning.
Even she and Kim Cheon-soo received various forms of payment, didn’t they?
“…Now that I think about it.”
They had asked a lot from the Jelly Girl but had never given her what could be called a reward.
At most, they bought her plenty of food.
Realizing this, Han Seori felt a fleeting sense of self-reproach.
The memories that came to mind while looking at the Jelly Girl, who didn’t spare herself to lure the steel snake.
That she had viewed her as merely a slightly odd Singularity…
Especially how convenient it was to get big results without having to pay any cost…
She had become accustomed to it without fully realizing it.
…If Han Seori hadn’t met the Jelly Girl, she might not have given it much thought. But now, the thought resurfaced in her mind.
The excitement she felt after interpreting the picture had disappeared, and as a wave of self-blame washed over her, Han Seori pressed her temples firmly and sighed.
“Why are you like that?”
“…Later.”
Since it wasn’t something that should be discussed in front of 7496 – KR, Han Seori shook her head at Kim Cheon-soo’s puzzled inquiry.
…In truth, her actions and thoughts weren’t particularly strange in their context.
After all, it was Han Seori herself who had been the first to notice 7496 – KR’s potential and suggested “using” it.
Besides, the main reason was just that she didn’t want 7496 – KR to be taken away by the curator, who was now unknown whereabouts, in whatever condition.
…Am I ultimately the same as the curator?
Though she wasn’t sure of his intentions for eyeing 7496 – KR, it seemed like a heavy weight had been attached to her heart.
Han Seori, feeling this oppression, stroked the wobbling Jelly Girl’s head while she stared blankly at them, and spoke:
“So, you wanted your TV back, huh? Alright. I’ll prepare it for you while you’re out doing your work. And something else…”
It felt insufficient, so Han Seori paused to ponder what else she could give to the Jelly Girl.
She then recalled the scene captured by the camera before bringing the Jelly Girl.
The moment when the Jelly Girl lightly touched Object 2’s clothes, showing an envious look.
…Does she want clothes?
Or does she want the clothes made by Yang Ha-na?
Uncertain.
Then, why not prepare both?
That’s what Han Seori thought, imagining the clothes she could gift the Jelly Girl.
The Jelly Girl was so cute-looking that anything would suit her.
Her lips involuntarily twitched as she felt the oppressive feeling that had been buried below begin to lift.
How should I treat the Jelly Girl?
Han Seori still couldn’t make a clear decision on that matter.
At the very least, giving a reward for what the Jelly Girl has done shouldn’t be wrong, right?
At the very least, the Jelly Girl’s dedication to protect them from the steel snake shouldn’t go unrewarded, right?
Yeah, at least this much.
This much should be okay.
Han Seori forcibly reasoned with herself, trying to calm her confused mind.
As she looked at the Jelly Girl’s brightened face upon hearing about the reward, Han Seori felt her heart being pricked.
She tried to suppress that feeling by beginning a simple explanation of their destination in terms the Jelly Girl could understand.
Still, Han Seori couldn’t easily settle her restless heart.
Perhaps,
The seed implanted in Han Seori’s heart had started to stir a little.
