The Jelly Girl’s worries didn’t last long.
The Jelly Girl imagined herself sliding down a railing.
Herself descending down a silvery pillar.
Her soft body gliding smoothly down the polished railing.
Does this jelly even know what friction is?
At first, in her imagination, it seemed quite alright. After all, the monotony of descending an endless staircase was boring.
Sliding down like a slide would certainly be fun.
But soon, the Jelly Girl, looking at her wobbly body, conjured up a less pleasant thought.
What if…
…I kept accelerating beyond my control?
If I became too fast to jump off?
Or worse, kept falling at tremendous speed without reaching the end, endlessly descending?
The Jelly Girl felt a chilling sensation.
Losing control and splattering against the end-point would be relatively fine. As long as her vital parts remain intact, regenerating wouldn’t be too difficult.
But the scenario the Jelly Girl imagined now was horrifying.
It might not be more painful than splattering.
However, remaining stuck on the railing, endlessly sliding until the end of her lifespan, was something she wished to avoid.
Of course, how it would turn out is unknown. After all, this all occurred in the slightly limited imagination of the Jelly Girl.
Still, ignoring the “what if” could turn her into a jam-slathered cat, endlessly trapped in perpetual motion.
A punishment of sliding down the railing at the speed of light.
It might be meaningful if it were for a purpose, but this seemed like an utterly meaningless demise.
Getting torn apart might even be the lesser evil.
Missing out on the TV she barely acquired, not seeing her fellow jellies like Han Seori, Yang Ha-na, and Hwang Bo-yul, would be unpleasant.
Thus, the Jelly Girl decided against sliding down the railing.
Considering unpredictable variables, it would be wise not to engage in child-like antics.
But…
Seeing the never-ending, smooth railing stirred an irresistible desire to try.
It’s probably due to the lack of dopamine.
Definitely, this urge comes from the lack of stimulation. Perhaps she should ask to watch some shorts upon returning?
Perhaps the reason she accepts their “requests” without hesitation stems not only from the unease of people dying but also from boredom.
Anyway…
The Jelly Girl, watching other jelly blobs bounce down, made an excuse of “just a little,” and grabbed the thick part of the railing.
Feeling the cold railing.
With her bottom pressed against the railing, she felt a slight excitement due to the darkness making it feel like riding an amusement ride.
Embarrassingly, she fidgeted the jelly beside her.
How did I become someone who gets excited by such things?
No, I’m no longer human.
Regardless, the environment seemed to shape her as it does to people after a year or two of military service, who return with different habits and find society a bit alien upon discharge.
Thinking about it, the Jelly Girl felt bad.
It felt like having served in the military twice, or more aptly, becoming jelly.
Maybe this situation is even more extreme than military service. Before becoming jelly, she’d heard the army had changed a lot.
It feels unfair somehow.
Shoulders slumped from the enveloping darkness, which amplified her gloomy thoughts.
Hence…
I’m sliding down the railing because I’m gloomy.
It’s not childish mischief like those kids.
In this era where mental health is so important, this is all part of it. Even bringing the TV was for that.
But can jelly get sick?
I don’t know.
Let’s go for it.
The Jelly Girl released her grip on the railing. With a cool breeze, her body began to slide–
It didn’t happen.
What?
Why isn’t it working?
She carefully examined the connection between her jelly and the railing. She noticed her bottom had formed to the railing’s shape, gripping tightly without her realizing it.
It just looks that way, probably due to the lack of slipperiness.
Then the solution is simple.
“Make it slippery, that’s all.”
Feeling her heart race, the Jelly Girl secreted a sticky, slimy substance from her thighs. It wasn’t unusual at all—just a slightly sticky, slippery slime.
But its effect was tremendous. Her body started to slowly slip down.
Swoosh!
The sound of water splashing made her feel like she was on a water slide.
This is what I needed!
Hoooray!
In a flash, the Jelly Girl traversed the long railing. A 90-degree bend appeared, where she tilted her body using past experiences from ruling the main entrance.
Swipe!
Like performing a drift, she sharply twisted her body. Exhilarated, the Jelly Girl attempted another drift around the next 90-degree curve, passing through the landing and entering the next slope.
WHOOSH!
With the sound of slime splashing, the Jelly Girl slid down the stairs with incredible speed, something impossible for human bodies.
There were no bumps to collide with, and even if there were, her jelly body lacked the critical weaknesses of her human form.
The Jelly Girl passed a jelly blob going ahead, flapping feelers in excitement.
Intoxicated by this overwhelming speed, she performed drifts repeatedly as she slid down the endless railing.
Every time the Jelly Girl bent her body, the slime oozed out and splattered across the stairs.
SPLAT! WHOOSH!
Just as she was thoroughly enjoying herself—
[@$*%!$%!]
SWOOSH!
At the unexpected, strange noise, her body stiffened momentarily before the end.
But the end was not the end. Her suddenly hardened jelly body couldn’t withstand the momentum and detached from the railing, falling onto the staircase.
KERPLOP! KERPLOP!
The Jelly Girl rolled down the stairs. Jelly splashed from her hardened body, scattering fragments like broken rice cake, leaving traces everywhere.
THUD!
She finally stopped after colliding with the emergency exit sign which shimmered in green, somehow comforting.
Feeling this warmth, the Jelly Girl thought:
“What just happened?”
That noise made me fall. It wasn’t my fault, right? The strange sound was at fault.
Feeling the warmth, the Jelly Girl observed her regenerating body bubbling.
“If someone saw me, what would they think?”
With her wrist and legs detached upon impact, they probably screamed, didn’t they?
…Wait.
Is the thing around my neck okay?
Wait a moment.
Could someone… have seen all of it? Sliding and enjoying it?
Realizing what she’d forgotten, the Jelly Girl covered her face with the regrown wrist.
Please. Please. Please.
Ah, no.
At this angle, my face wasn’t visible. Maybe… they just thought I was trying to descend faster.
Honestly, it’s a fact this is faster than walking down the stairs, right?
So, it was just a minor accident.
There’s nothing embarrassing about that.
Anyway…
What was that noise?
…And how many floors did I descend?
Without numbering, the Jelly Girl couldn’t estimate how far she’d come.
…Honestly, she had to admit she got too carried away.
Above her head, a jelly blob that had passed by earlier flew in, seemingly upset at being left behind.
…Lacking independence.
As she silently grumbled, the jelly on her head vibrated with the strange sound and noise heard earlier.
[Chiii!@$@!]
An eerie sound was heard again, accompanied by vibrations strong enough to tremble her jelly.
…What’s going on?
Could the reason for calling me be related to this?
Tensing up while observing her surroundings, the Jelly Girl noted the stairs leading downward hadn’t changed. At least until now… except for the strange noise.
And the jelly on her head seemed to have hardened.
The Jelly Girl grabbed the jelly perched on her head.
How dare it sit atop her like that.
A bit of discipline might be needed.
Muttering these thoughts, she blinked upon seeing a layer of frost on its surface.
…Why is it doing this?
Misfortunes never come singly.
This was exactly like that.
