Wow. What the hell is this?
While I was casually enjoying the simple routine of grabbing food from the tray, one day I noticed something squirming behind me. The door hadn’t opened, so I was briefly startled.
Watching it wiggle from a distance made me feel somewhat strange.
Hmm. I couldn’t exactly identify this strange feeling.
It squirmed like a slime in a game, making my stomach churn.
Still…
…did this thing come off my body?
As I stared at it fixedly, it didn’t seem to be doing much. All I could see was the portion of me that had presumably broken off quivering softly, much like a wobbly pudding.
It wasn’t approaching me or trying to communicate in any way. It was just… quivering.
When it moved slightly farther away, it would occasionally squirm toward me.
By my standards of leading a normal life, this presence felt rather unsettling, so I made an effort not to touch it.
However, since there was nothing else to entertain myself with in the empty space, I secretly felt glad to have something to observe.
How long had I been watching this squirming thing from afar?
The locked door finally opened, and a person dressed in a spacesuit-like outfit entered. Judging from the familiar movements, it seemed to be the man who always brought me meals. I didn’t know his name, though.
In any case…
Last time, during my final meal, he didn’t appear particularly frightened, but now, I guess he was terrified of that fist-sized thing, because he had come fully armed.
…It seemed like he was overreacting, for such a small thing.
I felt my inner bond with him slightly weakening.
Ugh… Coward.
When I watched him walk in fully suited only to place the tray down and immediately leave, I could feel something bubbling up inside me.
Ah, that’s right—it was laughter.
Well, the story of that coward doesn’t really matter.
I was far more interested in what the man had left today.
The concern of the commoner being scared by such a tiny substance wasn’t my problem. The thing was clearly tiny.
What mattered most was impressing that intelligent woman.
As I squirmed closer to the tray, I could see the steam wafting up.
Even without a tongue, a strange wave of hunger overcame me as I looked upon the tray.
…There, sitting all alone, was a convenience store bento.
It felt strange for some reason.
Even though there’s not much difference between this and a hamburger, the sight of the bento made me feel particularly put off.
Maybe it lacked sincerity?
I mean, sure, I should be grateful for whatever food is given to me, but still… there’s something off about it.
…Not that I won’t eat it.
I eyed the lid decorated with a warm smile from a familiar actor before reaching for it.
This time, I decided not to eat it all in one go. Instead, I’d open the lid and consume the food, intending for this to be a way of proving my usefulness.
Until now, I had consumed the packaging and all, but I thought this method didn’t quite highlight my value well enough.
Separating the food from its packaging…
Wouldn’t that make my purpose more evident?
Slurp.
A firm yet smooth sensation as I opened the lid.
Phwoosh! The rising heat disrupted my view, but it posed no threat to me at the moment.
The contents inside were surprisingly solid.
On the top section, there were three compartments filled with stir-fried kimchi, side dishes, and other assorted greens. In the wider middle section, there were two kinds of meat— one marinated in a red sauce and the other in soy sauce, sitting side by side.
At the bottom was a mix of grains and a perfectly circular fried egg.
…I realized just how deprived of entertainment this place was, upon recognizing how seriously I was contemplating all this.
Still, I wasn’t particularly eager for any kind of experimentation…
However, last time they tried to communicate, and now it seemed like they’ve stopped that attempt altogether, so I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
Moreover, it struck me that revealing I was originally a person might either bring benefits or drawbacks—I wasn’t sure which.
Isn’t it fine, living a life where meals are delivered on time?
…It would be nice if there were a little more entertainment, though.
No, not exactly… it’s not that my current lifestyle is inconvenient… Hmm? Hey?
While I was lost in such thoughts with the lid still open, I noticed that the squiggling blob had already made its way onto the bento.
What caught my eye was…
The blob that had engulfed the fried egg and was now squirming.
I could hear a bubbling sound in my mind.
There’s no way this thing that picks off the strawberry from the cake could have come from me.
I pushed the blob that was munching on the fried egg far away.
Honestly, you should at least say something if you’re going to eat! I was about to enjoy the meal peacefully when I abruptly scooped up the bento and swallowed it whole.
I waited a little while, vaguely thinking someone might be watching me somewhere.
Then I swallowed the plastic.
After neatly emptying the tray, I pushed it in front of the door and approached the thing that was still bubbling over the fried egg.
I picked it up with both hands and glared at it.
I poured all my irritation into my glare—how dare it only eat the strawberry off the cake?
…But, naturally, it didn’t spit out the fried egg, leaving me with the impression that it was something that couldn’t communicate with me.
What the hell is this thing?
Even as I glare at it, its squirming makes it clear—it’s definitely part of me that broke off.
It looked exactly like me, so there was no denying it.
Then shouldn’t it listen to me?
Why did it just devour the fried egg without permission?
Is it because I lost my most delicious portion?
Hearing my stomach rumble, I instinctively…
…swallowed the thing without realizing it.
The fried egg was delicious.
—
*
—
“Just hang on for a little longer…”
Kim Cheon-soo, looking at the box filled with Damn Mucus with a kind tone, glanced at Han Seori who was softly muttering nearby, and then opened his mouth.
“Does it… understand what we’re saying?”
“Um…?”
Han Seori looked warily at the box. Crouched down in an easygoing manner, she examined its contents.
Then, within the box’s confines, Damn Mucus came into view. When it had first been brought back, it had seemed relatively more relaxed, but now, after fattening up, its face looked compressed.
Even though its face was squished, Kim Cheon-soo found it oddly endearing for a brief second.
However, to his eye…
…Damn Mucus seemed to be smirking.
‘…What is this?’
Though it wasn’t a very clear smirk—thanks to the box compression and limited facial expression—he felt it anyway.
…It must’ve been my imagination.
As Kim Cheon-soo felt this strange vibe, he absentmindedly tapped on the box and stood up.
“It seems to recognize me…”
“Isn’t that right? Perhaps we can communicate…”
“It looks like it has a bad temper though…”
“Hmm?”
“…Never mind. Let’s get going. Hand it over to me.”
Kim Cheon-soo received the box from Han Seori and draped a cloth over it.
As it was covered, the box quivered slightly.
‘…Does it not like being in the dark?’
For something that had come from a damp sewer.
He felt, inexplicably, that Damn Mucus wasn’t entirely to his liking. Its days of being called Damn Mucus might be numbered, but it could remain “Damn Mucus” in Kim Cheon-soo’s heart forever.
Anyhow…
The two of them returned via the somewhat convoluted path as they came, boarded a heavily tinted vehicle, and set off somewhere.
Meanwhile, as the Jelly trembled in the darkness, reflecting on its actions…
…the car glided smoothly down the well-maintained road.
Han Seori, watching the factory grow smaller in the rearview mirror, asked in a low voice.
“Um, I heard there was some trouble at the factory this time… Is everything okay?”
Han Seori, lounging lazily against the window with a bored face, responded nonchalantly.
“Well… is there any point in knowing?”
“Ah, ah… yeah, that’s true.”
Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked…
Kim Cheon-soo closed his mouth, feeling awkward.
He had tried to liven up the mood, but it seemed he had failed.
Still, Kim Cheon-soo understood Han Seori.
Since there was no point in knowing, she was likely saying this to protect him. It was how she cared for him, though it seemed indifferent.
…Damn Mucus had been treated leniently, but that was her usual self.
In the midst of this…
Han Seori, who had been absently playing with her lips, slowly opened her mouth.
“We have that Solyent Purple, right?”
“Yes.”
“For now… it might be best not to eat it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, for now.”
Kim Cheon-soo nodded thoughtfully as he mulled over what she said.
Thus, silence reigned again in the vehicle.
After a long drive, the car arrived at a barricade guarded by some burly men.
They approached the car with imposing airs, rapping on the window and demanding it be rolled down.
Han Seori, who had been half-asleep, woke up groggily, showing the security badge hung around her neck to the man who was asking for identification.
“You may pass.”
“…Thank you.”
When Han Seori replied casually to the suddenly polite tone, Kim Cheon-soo silently started the car, moving forward again.
Driving deeper in, the car stopped in front of a relatively clean and well-maintained building.
At first glance, it looked like a university campus.
Han Seori got out of the car with the box in hand and strode into the building.
The inside of the building was also just another ordinary-looking place.
When Han Seori arrived at the elevator, which had a “Under Maintenance” sign, she glanced around aimlessly before tapping her ID badge onto the panel.
The elevator lit up and slowly opened, and with a disinterested look, she stepped in and pressed the button.
The tightly-sealed elevator began to descend underground.
And almost immediately…
The lights went off as if it would never ascend again.
