At first glance, it was truly a heartwarming scene.
A small blue girl, having completed her task, rested in the arms of a beautiful woman. The sight resembled something out of a myth or fairy tale. The girl’s exhausted face and the woman’s cold yet slightly softened expression perfectly complemented the ambiance, making it all the more beautiful.
Yet, those who watched this scene felt more fear and horror than admiration or positivity.
It was undoubtedly an injustice to little Lime, who had worked so hard to save them. But it was a reaction they couldn’t help, and not entirely without reason.
With hazy eyes, the onlookers shifted their gaze from the small blue girl Lime to Hwang Bo-yul, and finally to the dark red mass lurking behind them.
“…Swallow.”
Their parched throats managed to gulp down dry saliva.
They couldn’t shake the memories of what they had just witnessed moments ago—a creature that wouldn’t stop even after repeated attacks, a sudden monstrous transformation with flapping wings. And the sight of their companion struck by some unknown substance from the creature’s mouth, instantly reverting to their original human form, was etched vividly into their minds.
Such a horrifying scene was not something anyone should become accustomed to. Their fear was entirely understandable.
Someone might ask: now that Lime has defeated that menace, shouldn’t the fear subside?
But that was a way of thinking that saw humans as mere numbers. Humans were far from simple, no matter how much training they had undergone.
Why would soldiers who’ve been to war suffer from PTSD for no reason?
Where, then, had their fear shifted?
Naturally, the fear had been transferred to Lime. Though they knew rationally, with their intellect, that Lime had saved them, their primal instincts reacted differently.
As they watched her soft form and how she clung to Hwang Bo-yul, rubbing her face against her chest, cold sweat trickled down their hands. Some even felt their bodies trembling.
The reasons behind their fear were not overly complicated.
Could this Singularity, who had effortlessly killed an indescribable monster, be even more powerful?
What if it suddenly changes its mind and attacks us?
If it can cut through the Singularity’s tentacles like slicing through tofu, what stops it from doing the same to humans?
…Is it really not possible that it will suddenly get upset and attack us? After all, it knows her but we are strangers meeting for the first time.
…Singularity? It could do that.
They trembled with fear, thoughts Lime would find deeply hurtful if she heard them.
But blaming them for their thoughts seemed unfair as well.
The piles of dark red flesh scattered beyond Lime and Hwang Bo-yul were too threatening to simply brush aside with a laugh.
Only when Lime, seemingly fatigued, fell asleep in Hwang Bo-yul’s arms, did their fear slightly ease.
During the time Hwang Bo-yul conversed with a man while cradling the sleeping Lime and signaling flares, reinforcements arrived to help move the dark red corpse.
Though exhausted from the earlier events, these people immediately joined in moving the Singularity’s body to the laboratory—there was no time for complaints.
With insufficient manpower despite the equipment, their task was unavoidable.
They muttered to themselves but internally sighed in relief. After all, moving an already dead Singularity was better than staying near one that could go berserk at any moment.
No matter how peacefully she slept… she was, after all, part of the Singularity.
To them, their reactions were normal, and Hwang Bo-yul, who embraced Lime without hesitation, was the odd one. Even the man poking at Lime’s sleeping body beside her appeared equally insane—or at least strange.
Even with such fear, their eyes inexplicably kept turning to Lime.
Complicated emotions filled their hearts as they attached the equipment to the red corpse of the Singularity.
—
Oh, I must have dozed off.
Was it the comfort of Hwang Bo-yul’s embrace? When I regained consciousness, I saw a ceiling that felt both unfamiliar and familiar. Not as familiar as the one I had fallen asleep under last night, but my eyes had certainly grown accustomed to it.
The fact that I’m here means that ‘it’ was successfully ‘handled,’ right?
By ‘it,’ I mean the monster that was once a mansion—no, the Singularity.
I used my jelly tentacles, stretching them out like threads in all directions, and after much focus and effort, managed to cover its entire body with jelly. Like a network of nerves enveloping its entire being.
Will this work?
It works.
I was surprised myself, but since it’s done, it doesn’t matter anymore.
Reflecting on how smoothly things went makes me wonder if I’ve been underestimating myself all this time. Or maybe I’m still thinking within the confines of being human.
Though my body has turned to jelly, I still remain in this human-like state.
Perhaps the reason I’ve taken this small form is related to that.
While basking in the softness of the bed, I reflected on the day I became this way.
To be honest, it was a memory I didn’t particularly want to recall, so I had buried it deep within. Recalling memories is like rummaging through a drawer, and not finding the key to the lock made it somewhat difficult.
If you can’t find the key, breaking in forcibly is inevitable.
The reason I wanted to retrieve these memories wasn’t anything grand. There was just a fleeting curiosity—if somewhere within those memories lay the reason for my transformation.
This curiosity stemmed from the questions that arose while dealing with that Singularity.
Anyway…
Unable to find the key, I resorted to a cutting tool and soon unearthed the memory of the moment my body began to melt. I can’t recall the name anymore, but the memory itself was relatively clear once retrieved.
The moment I began to melt without even a scream.
As my vision darkened, I remember thinking—I wish someone would help me, save me, protect me.
Of course, it’s a natural thought when you find your body melting away. Though no help ultimately came… well, it was an exceptional situation, so let’s put that aside.
Thinking about it now—might I have believed this form was the optimal shape to receive such ‘help?’ And that’s why my body took on this small girl’s form?
Reflecting on it, it seemed plausible.
My thoughts while wandering in the dark were likely similar. If asked whether I’ve always been this way, I can’t say for certain. I do remember my body gradually inflating while eating rats and dogs… it could be that my jelly form was decided at that time.
Had I thought of nothing at all back then, I might have retained my original appearance, which I no longer remember.
Since I rarely see my own face, I don’t miss it anymore.
I’m getting used to this form now.
This appearance, while small, is convenient as people tend to lower their guard quickly around me.
Of course, the downside is being excessively touched all the time—but isn’t it natural to want to pet something cute? It’s human nature.
Though there is a strange feeling of being treated more like a pet than a human, I recognize that I’m not one, so it doesn’t bother me too much.
Hmm…
Though I’ve pondered why I took this form, I can’t seem to reach any definitive conclusion. There’s no one to explain my condition since I don’t have a status window, and the person who knows my body best is likely just me. So, I doubt anyone can answer this question.
Still, why bother understanding this when, even if I were to return to my original form, I’d likely still end up as a human?
Yet, this form feels infinitely better than just being a blob of goo.
While lazing about in bed after my reflections, the door opened, and Hwang Bo-yul entered. Seeing that I was awake, she placed the food she was carrying in her arms in front of me.
“You’re awake.”
I nodded, and she gave me an ambiguous smile before pushing food into me. The hamburger, wrapped in paper, was shoved inside me.
Before I could react, the flavor of the hamburger hit me.
As if urgently dealing with something, Hwang Bo-yul quickly filled me with food. Then, she opened the suitcase that transported me here and muttered quietly.
“We need to hurry back.”
Hearing her words, I grew serious.
I interpreted her urgency as a sign that something had happened at my home(?).
Without hesitation, I climbed into the suitcase. Inside, some of the Jelly Army that we had parted ways with inside the Singularity were wriggling around.
Without even celebrating our reunion, the suitcase closed, and Hwang Bo-yul began to rush out with me.
With nothing else to do until we returned home, I entrusted myself to the suitcase and peeked outside through the small window while petting the jellies inside.
Yet, something felt off.
Earlier, people had fondly touched me. Now, as I leave after completing the mission, the atmosphere seems strange.
Have I exceeded my cuteness expiration date?
Why is this happening?
—
And so it went.
