It felt like this…
Han Seori trembled unconsciously as she felt the body of the Jelly Girl wrapping around her own.
In fact, the Jelly Girl had initially hesitated, wriggling and not coming closer due to Seori’s earnest voice.
Seeing this, Han Seori had slightly become disheartened.
…Is it because she doesn’t do the same for me?
Well, considering the rather long separation because of this incident, and the unpleasant experiences she endured, it’s not completely incomprehensible…
No, wait a moment.
Didn’t I hear Ms. Hana bragging about something?
Why doesn’t she do it for me?
Eh, oh? Did I do something wrong?
Eventually, as Han Seori began to seriously contemplate if she had done anything wrong, the Jelly Girl, showing a bashful movement, approached and began clinging to her body.
The Jelly Girl started climbing up from her ankles and quickly ascended Seori’s body, gently settling on her back.
As Han Seori felt the soft and cold touch of the jelly, she eventually adjusted the control panel in the maintenance room to check her appearance.
Even though she was wearing clothes that fit her perfectly, she couldn’t believe that the Jelly Girl was clinging to her back.
Only upon close inspection could one notice her back was slightly bulging, but not enough for someone who didn’t see her every day to notice.
Han Seori gazed at it silently then grabbed the hem of her clothes as if to take them off and check further, only to stop her hand when she heard Kim Cheon-soo give a small cough from the side.
Seemingly reading her regretful feelings, Kim Cheon-soo shook his head slightly and said,
“…Didn’t you already prepare to leave? You can confirm it when you return.”
Even he couldn’t outright tell her not to check.
He probably also believed that if he told her not to check, she would anyway.
…Or maybe he gave up trying.
Anyway.
For the time being, Han Seori was satisfied with the Jelly Girl sticking to her.
Though she would’ve liked to try various things, there wasn’t enough time right now.
Han Seori reluctantly suppressed her curiosity and prepared to leave the laboratory with the other Jelly beings, Kim Cheon-soo, and Hwang Bo-yul.
Kim Cheon-soo was assigned a Jelly named Daesik and another Jelly named Jungsik, while Hwang Bo-yul received one called Sosik.
The remaining Jelly beings, unable to cling to bodies like the Jelly Girl, were placed inside a carrier that the Jelly Girl used when going to another laboratory.
After everything was ready,
the group boarded their individual one-person steel snake pods, bidding farewell to Yang Ha-na who was fervently sending them off.
“Be careful on your way out! And bring back melon flavored ice cream when you come back…!”
“Puhehe… I’ll bring something other than ice cream. Oh, take care of the lab while we’re gone. Let us know if anything happens using the method I taught you.”
“Yes! Understood! Leave it to me!”
Han Seori felt like she was leaving her child at the water’s edge as she received Yang Ha-na’s enthusiastic farewell.
While Yang Ha-na was legally an adult… honestly, judging by her age, she was closer to a child.
She was the one who had told Kim Cheon-soo not to worry because Ha-na was an adult, but,
…when she saw her sending them off so innocently, concerns she didn’t even have began to crop up.
Looking at Yang Ha-na with worry, Seori glanced at the sphere of Jelly floating beside her.
…Oh, that one is here.
Han Seori felt relieved when she looked at the sphere.
It seemed like its ability to communicate worked, but it only approached her when it thought she needed it, so Seori didn’t know what it was up to.
However, it seemed more reliable than Yang Ha-na.
Because it didn’t seem like it was keeping the laboratory safe just to follow her orders—it seemed like it would do so for its own reasons.
And,
it appeared to have a peculiar obsession with Yang Ha-na, so it might be the best composition to leave behind in the lab.
“Well, we’ll be back.”
“Yes.”
“…Make sure you eat properly…”
“Yes!”
“Take care.”
“Yes, yes!”
With that, the steel snake pod doors closed and the group emerged at the spot where the Jelly Girl and Hwang Bo-yul had exited last time, via underground transport.
The silent and quickly disappearing steel snake pod spat out the group outside and, as always, vanished into the ground without a trace.
While looking at the spot where the pod disappeared, Han Seori murmured in admiration as Hwang Bo-yul echoed the same sentiment.
“This is smooth too… Hmm…”
“Ugh… This was more dizzying than I expected…”
“Let’s head out. We have a long way to go.”
Responding to Hwang Bo-yul’s muffled voice covered by her mask and hat, the group nodded.
After confirming that the Jelly Girl was securely attached to Seori’s back and that the Jellies in the carrier were safe, the group stepped out towards their destination.
Once they disappeared, turning around,
a faint light flickered from a place filled with dense bushes, but due to the distance, none of them noticed it.
“Oh… I’m so exhausted.”
“Your shift change is coming soon. Just hang in there.”
“Tch… Why should all these meetings at our lab happen during such a chaotic time?”
While yawning outside a checkpoint, Jin Hasoo complained to his colleague standing with wide eyes by his side, keeping vigilant watch.
Hearing his complaint, his colleague laughed and nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. Because of this, our vacation got canceled… Will something bad really happen?”
“Hey! Words are like seeds. Don’t say that. You know they said something about that ‘Singularity’ thing.”
“Pfft, even if it’s like that, it’s not gonna happen…”
“Still, damn it!”
“Alright alright, I get it…”
Between their conversation, a vehicle started appearing in their sight.
Judging by how it approached without hesitation along the road, it seemed likely they were visitors to the laboratory.
With that, Jin Hasoo and his colleague, who were leaning casually, straightened their posture and maintained a solemn look.
Thinking that if the person had mistakenly taken the route, they’d turn them away,
but contrary to their worry, the car that stopped in front of them gave an impression of being very accustomed to such procedures as it gradually slowed down and rolled down its window.
As the window rolled down, an amicable man gave a friendly greeting.
“Ah, good work.”
Despite seemingly already knowing what this place was, they kept the possibility of ‘if’ in mind, answering back in stern and imposing voices.
“The area ahead is private property. Are you here to visit?”
“Ah, yes… I haven’t been here in so long, I almost forgot…”
The man, after receiving something from the passenger seat, handed it over to Jin Hasoo and his colleague.
After thoroughly examining it, Jin Hasoo finally relaxed his expression and spoke softly.
“It checks out. Would you mind opening your trunk? You know, just procedure.”
“Ah, sure.”
While Jin Hasoo was dealing with the man, his colleague meticulously checked the trunk that was opened with a creak.
However, nothing unusual was found except for a fire extinguisher in the trunk, so the man, the woman in the passenger seat, and… the slightly odd woman in the back seat were allowed to pass through the checkpoint.
Of course, one could pick on things if they wanted to.
The driver and passenger seat woman were unproblematic, but the woman in the back seat looked somewhat suspicious.
But, if you can be picky, you can also not be.
Most of the researchers tend to be eccentrics anyway.
Thus, they didn’t want to bother unnecessarily detaining individuals whose identities were confirmed.
In this way, after allowing the vehicle to pass, Jin Hasoo watched the vehicle drive away.
At this moment, his colleague, smirking, spoke.
“Hey, did you see the girl in the passenger seat?”
“Don’t worry about it. She seemed to be a doctor.”
“Really? Suddenly seems so unapproachable…”
Seeing his colleague grimace, Jin Hasoo chuckled and gave a light tap on his shoulder.
“She wouldn’t have been interested in you either way.”
“Hey! You don’t know that until you try. They say there’s no tree a hundred strikes can’t fell.”
“Nowadays, something like that could just land you in jail.”
“Shut up…”
As Jin Hasoo and his colleague exchanged insults and laughter while looking at each other’s faces, Jin Hasoo suddenly remembered something and muttered to himself.
“Speaking of which, didn’t they say the reason we’re being gathered in such a hurry is because the Singularity killed a person… Do you know anything about it?”
“Hmm? Honestly, it’s kinda uncomfortable to say this, but… isn’t it normal that the Singularity kills people?”
At his colleague’s response, Jin Hasoo gave a wry smile.
Because there was nothing he could really reply with to what his colleague said.
For the same reason, Jin Hasoo was somewhat grateful for guarding the gates at this checkpoint rather than dealing with people.
Because they had to deal not with the Singularity, but with people.
Regardless.
That’s why Jin Hasoo was curious. The death of a human by the Singularity was horrifying to them, but from an internal perspective, it didn’t seem like something they should make a big fuss over.
What exactly is going to happen this time?
Hopefully, nothing major happens…
Ironically, Jin Hasoo, who had just told his colleague that words can become reality,
quietly prayed inside that absolutely nothing would happen.
Separate from his prayers.
The vehicles entering the research facility continued, and soon enough, they handed over their shift to the relieving personnel and headed back.
Regardless of what was happening above,
their days went by the same.
As usual.
