The way back was the same as the way there, but Han Seori’s mood was much better now than when she had set out.
Although there had been some minor issues along the way, she had mostly accomplished the purpose of her outing.
Once the precise investigation results come out, we’ll know for sure, but for now, the person who made that foolish mistake will be dealt with somehow.
Her perception of the Jelly Girl honestly seemed like it still had a long way to go, but even so, thanks to a division that occurred, it appeared there were some accomplishments.
She thought that reversing the situation back to its original state before this incident could be considered a success.
Han Seori couldn’t read minds, so she couldn’t be sure, but still, based on the atmosphere at the scene, it felt positive.
As she pondered her future plans in her mind, Han Seori quietly chuckled to herself.
How did I end up like this?
At first, she had merely hoped to prevent a new Singularity from falling into strange hands.
Now, she had become its protector.
For Han Seori, it was a future that was hard to imagine.
Even when she initially encountered the Jelly Girl, she had merely regarded her as a new anomaly.
But after uncovering some suspicious circumstances and acting accordingly, she found herself in this situation.
Thus, even Han Seori couldn’t answer when asked how she had come to this point.
Feeling sympathy for a Singularity that had no connection to her was nothing more than a whim.
She knew she shouldn’t have acted on such whims, but because she believed a Singularity resembling a small girl should be in proper care, she followed that impulse.
In the end, her life was indebted to that whim, as it had all stemmed from the Jelly Girl’s actions.
Even if this all had not happened, considering the Jelly Girl’s recent behavior, it seemed likely that she would have overcome the trials somehow.
It was unclear how long it would have taken, but perhaps with time, she would have grown strong enough to escape.
If that had happened, would the Jelly Girl be the same as she is now?
Is the Jelly Girl’s nature inherently good?
Or was she influenced by the good people around her?
It was now impossible to know. Unless time could be reversed.
Still, Han Seori felt relieved that such a terrible event hadn’t occurred.
The thought of a Jelly Girl who harbored hostility towards humans was truly horrifying.
Even without personal affection or familiarity, when considering the Jelly Girl’s potential, it seemed as if it would lead to calamity.
Of course, it might not have turned out that way either.
If the Jelly Girl inherently possessed a predisposition for liking humans, it was possible she could endure anything thrown her way.
However, Han Seori didn’t want to imagine the Jelly Girl like that.
Although they couldn’t determine the Jelly Girl’s true nature,
Han Seori quietly praised her own impulsive decision, made secretly while no one was watching.
Wasn’t that probably the best choice she would ever make?
Even though it had greatly changed her routine, forcing her to seek refuge in a place that everyone had forgotten, she didn’t have any complaints.
Thanks to the Jelly Girl, her thoughts on Singularities had shifted slightly, and she felt a bit exhilarated.
The possibility of her actions eventually being recorded as a great choice felt distant, but it still made her heart flutter a little.
Even if it seemed unlikely, Han Seori couldn’t deny she had such ambitions.
Just now, there was something more important.
Regardless,
While Han Seori was lost in these thoughts, the Mini Steel Snake Port arrived and dropped off the group at the Laboratory.
The fact that it had come to greet them meant the Laboratory, along with Yang Ha-na and Sphere, were safe.
After leaving the Mini Steel Snake Port, the group released the Jellies from the carriers, letting out a sigh of relief.
As the released Jellies gathered and headed toward the room with the TV, the group smiled faintly and made their way to the monitoring room.
Of course, the Jelly Girl also wriggled out of Han Seori’s arms, walking “chuk, chuk.”
Upon arriving at the monitoring room,
The group was greeted by a stranger—a woman, whose presence evoked an odd sense of déjà vu—and Yang Ha-na, who was chattering away to her in a tiny voice.
The scene was peculiar.
Firstly, the fact that an unfamiliar woman had entered this place was strange enough.
Could Yang Ha-na have caused an accident?
But if that were the case, the Steel Snake Port wouldn’t have arrived normally to pick them up.
That meant Sphere was intact too.
Had Sphere not already handled the situation if Yang Ha-na had caused an accident?
So why was this unknown person here?
Why was Yang Ha-na chatting with her so familiarly?
The group, observing the scene, felt it to be oddly familiar.
It was like watching Yang Ha-na talking to Sphere.
But the strangeness didn’t stop there.
Yang Ha-na’s voice, while lively, seemed oddly weak. Her cheeks were gaunt, and dark circles hung under her eyes, much like someone who had been starved for days.
She looked as if she had been through a severe ordeal.
Stunned by this unexpected sight, Han Seori’s group momentarily froze, their bodies tensing up as they approached Yang Ha-na and the mysterious figure.
Hadn’t it been necessary to inform them of such an event?
Han Seori wanted to interrogate Yang Ha-na on the spot, but something about her emaciated appearance didn’t sit right.
As Han Seori’s group finally approached, Yang Ha-na’s head turned toward them with barely any energy.
She, who had been speaking at a sluggish pace, glanced at Han Seori, Hwang Bo-yul, Kim Cheon-soo, and the Jelly Girl,
and suddenly began to cry.
“Wah… Wah…”
“What…?”
“…?”
“Wh-What? Whaaat?”
The shuffling.
Even the Jelly Girl, who had been wondering whether Yang Ha-na would get scolded next, was surprised.
Because Yang Ha-na, who always smiled brightly, had unexpectedly started crying.
Though her tears seemed more of joy than sorrow, the returning group was too flustered to notice that.
They were so startled that they even forgot about the strange woman standing next to Yang Ha-na.
As Yang Ha-na cried in confusion, the strange woman sighed and spoke with a cold tone.
“If you keep crying like that, we can’t explain anything.”
“You can explain for me…”
“No.”
Upon hearing this mutter from the woman, Yang Ha-na suddenly stopped crying and grumbled like a child being scolded, wiping away her tears with her arms.
Although she had impulsively cried from overwhelming emotion, she was aware that it wasn’t the right moment.
Cheerfully raising her emaciated face, Yang Ha-na turned to the group.
“I’m glad you’re back… There was an issue, but I missed the chance to contact you… Uh… so, I’ll explain slowly.”
The group perceived a change in Yang Ha-na.
It was as if a loose screw had been tightened, but still, she still appeared somewhat disheveled.
Feeling this peculiarity, Han Seori asked the question that was most pressing on her mind.
“…Take your time explaining, but who exactly is this person here? …For some reason, I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
“A.”
Han Seori’s question prompted nods from the rest of the group, but the Jelly Girl’s imaginary mouth dramatically widened as she looked at the mysterious woman with curiosity.
The woman, too, caught the Jelly Girl’s gaze, momentarily flinching as if caught off guard and quickly averting her eyes.
As the Jelly Girl approached the woman,
Yang Ha-na cleared her throat and spoke.
“Th… that person is the Sphere you met before leaving. The one who drove the vehicle you took when leaving this place.”
“…What?”
“…What did you say?”
“…Huh?”
As shock spread across the faces of the group, the Jelly Girl tilted her head uncomfortably as she looked up at the Sphere… or rather, what was no longer just Sphere anymore.
It was quite astonishing.
From grumbling about primates and lower species earlier, it was now completely transformed into human form.
It was like watching a dragon who hates cars drive inside one, taking human form to do so, like in certain comic books.
Something was definitely off, but it was bizarre, to say the least.
…What had happened during their absence?
Believing that no news was good news turned out to be far from the truth.
Though the sight of Yang Ha-na emaciated like a shadow was shocking, for the Jelly Girl, the human-like form of Sphere seemed even stranger.
Especially the face…
It looked like a strange amalgamation of Han Seori and Hwang Bo-yul.
Though the two were both beauties, resulting in another beautiful woman, it still felt artificial.
Anyway,
What mattered more was understanding their situation.
As the group pulled over chairs placed around the monitoring room, they waited for Yang Ha-na to begin speaking.
Once her story began,
The expressions on the group’s faces became very complex.
