An awkward silence hung between the two men seated across the table from each other.
Nevertheless, behind them, Electric Scent seemed to have a refreshed look on her face. The oppressive smell that had been troubling her had disappeared, much to her relief.
Regardless.
Kim Cheon-soo, or more accurately, Han Seori, had brought the man back from the restroom for a conversation and couldn’t let the situation linger on indefinitely. Clearing his throat, Kim Cheon-soo spoke.
“First, may we exchange introductions? Our time for conversation might not be very long.”
“Ah, yes, that sounds good.”
The man, who had felt slightly awkward because his first action after finally entering the long-aspired Laboratory had been to use the restroom, nodded readily.
In fact, he hadn’t just used the restroom. Somehow, he had also taken a shower and even eaten some pudding that had been conveniently placed there, enjoying a full-course experience. Reflecting on that made him feel slightly embarrassed. Outside, people were roasting game and hadn’t properly washed, yet he had indulged in such luxury. His conscience stung.
Of course, he had been encouraged to shower and there was no memory of being offered the pudding, but he had still eaten it. Maybe something was mixed into the pudding? Or maybe it was a trap?
Aside from the awkwardness, he also felt a creeping unease. Regardless, there wasn’t really much he could do about it. He was simply grateful for the opportunity to engage in dialogue.
He extended his now clean hand.
“My name is Kang Cheol-soo.”
“I’m Kim Cheon-soo.”
As Kang Cheol-soo awkwardly shook Kim Cheon-soo’s hand, his gaze flicked uneasily towards Electric Scent standing behind Kim Cheon-soo. He then carefully inquired.
“The person standing behind you…?”
“Ah, hmm… just consider them not here. It’s probably better that way.”
“…I see.”
Who could this person be, making Kim act this way?
Wow, really beautiful. How does someone just ignore someone like that? This person really seems to be ignoring them… Could they even be… not human?
I don’t know. What’s important right now isn’t this, so let’s focus.
Once Kang Cheol-soo seemed ready, Kim Cheon-soo started firing off a series of prepared questions—questions he had prepared with Han Seori and Hwang Bo-yul.
“First, just to confirm, you people were once part of the Call of Twilight, correct?”
“…Yes.”
The so-called “interrogation” that followed was drawn out and uneasy. It was not only due to prolonged contemplation but primarily because trust was hard to come by.
After all, their last ‘gift’ contained some unsavory surprises, so thorough questioning was inevitable.
Of course, the best solution might have been to simply leave them be, no matter what happens… but, regardless.
Kim Cheon-soo unloaded his prepared questions, and Kang Cheol-soo replied earnestly.
He didn’t know why he had been brought here, but he was aware that his responses would determine the fate of the people outside.
“Is there any guarantee that there’s no one like that among those who remain up there?”
“That’s… probably not guaranteed.”
“Hmm.”
While Kang Cheol-soo had answered openly and confidently to the other questions, he could not answer definitively in response to inquiries about any potentially suspicious people remaining among his group—an issue he himself considered a valid concern.
As their conversation continued, Kang Cheol-soo increasingly predicted that it would be hard for everyone to be allowed into the Laboratory. In fact, whether even a portion of them would be permitted remained uncertain. After all, they had no reason to risk helping these outsiders.
Appealing for sympathy didn’t appeal to him either. Though it may have slightly increased the chances, he did have a sense of shame.
…Perhaps someone outside might think he should try anything, but this personality of his, which had implicitly made him their leader and brought them this far, wasn’t entirely useless.
There was a world of difference between having no chance to speak and actually having the opportunity.
Thus, the two men had a fairly long conversation.
During this time, Electric Scent silently recorded their dialogue while intensely staring at Kang Cheol-soo’s body and face. Although Kang Cheol-soo was deeply troubled by this heated gaze, he desperately looked away, reflecting on those struggling outside.
…Of course, that wasn’t easy.
‘Why does she keep looking at me like this?’
Could she possibly be interested in me? Well, even without her explicit response, I did at least witness her watching over me before… Nah, surely not.
He shook his head violently inwardly to dispel such thoughts. However, although he convinced himself it was a misunderstanding, his heart still wouldn’t stop fluttering. From the moment he saw her, he had thought her exceptionally beautiful. Would any normal man remain calm in the face of romantic interest from someone like her?
Isn’t it within reason to imagine that she manipulated her way into this meeting? Especially since Kim’s words had fueled his thoughts.
“Just consider her absent.”
That implied that originally, she wasn’t supposed to be here.
Hmph.
Later, I’m sure there’ll be another chance. Calm down. Honestly, it feels like we’re at a critical turning point. We’d better handle this properly today so we can meet again… Hold on, what am I thinking about when people upstairs are struggling so hard to stay alive?!
He struggled through the conversation, and by the end, he was utterly exhausted. When he returned via the steel casket – or rather, the snake port – his face revealed how drained he was. He looked much like a zombie in a zombie apocalypse, and the effort of his earlier shower seemed wasted.
“…Why is he like that?”
Witnessing this, Kim Cheon-soo felt curious. Though it was an interrogation-like scenario, as far as he recalled, he hadn’t pressured or browbeat Kang Cheol-soo.
Of course, it was apparent that the responsibility on his shoulders weighed heavily. Kim reasoned that such a reaction was understandable but still thought it was rather excessive.
This makes me feel like I’m the bad guy.
“Hmph.”
Caught in a maze of sentiments, Kim Cheon-soo scratched his head.
Sighing, he stood and turned to Electric Scent still standing there blankly.
“Uh, did we confirm everything accurately?”
Actually, he found Electric Scent somewhat… uncomfortable. Aside from the whole Singularity issue, he was unsure how to appropriately approach or interact with her. Normally, if someone were small like Lime, he could ignore it, but… She had the appearance of a fully grown adult resembling Lime, which made her even more off-putting.
Of course, part of the awkwardness could stem from Electric Scent’s “previous” image, though that had largely faded now. Seeing her getting along well with Yang Ha-na blurred her ominous robot vibes. Still, this milder demeanor only appeared around Lime or Yang Ha-na, meaning she remained distant with him, which was now somewhat familiar territory.
So simply put, it felt awkward. Not having many opportunities to speak probably contributed to this.
If things were the same as before, I’d never have even thought about becoming close to her. But with the atmosphere of the Laboratory, what choice did I have? Han Seori wanted me to get closer, so here we are.
Anyway.
Responding to his question, Electric Scent, who’d been staring at Kim Cheon-soo, replied with a stiff tone.
“That can be discussed more efficiently once we’ve returned.”
“Ah, yes… you’re right.”
True, they would be continuing the conversation later anyway, so it was an appropriate comment, but… wasn’t it slightly too cold?
I miss Lime… somehow thinking of me as a pudding vending machine feels warmer than this. Who would’ve thought I’d start yearning for a dog-like relationship?
If anyone had heard that, they might think Lime was dead.
Behind him, her stoic voice echoed again.
“I judge that the subject spoke mainly the truth, but some unclear signs exist that require further verification.”
“Huh? Oh, uh, I see?”
After silently nodding, Electric Scent left the room ahead of him.
“…One told me to do this, I think.”
He involuntarily chuckled upon hearing her faint mutter.
So, she responded to me because One instructed her to.
What’s the ranking system within the Laboratory like?
…Surely, I’m not at the bottom, right? There are the little jellies too? Regardless, even with that… can that really be?
…Could it?
Kim Cheon-soo let out yet another sigh, but his face as he exited the room didn’t look too grim.
*
Recently, something in the House seems somewhat chaotic.
Though it doesn’t look like people are coming and going too much… It just feels noisy.
I remember noticing a new person the last time I got pudding, but I haven’t seen them since. Could that be related?
Also, Electric Scent, who was always around me, hasn’t been seen much lately.
What’s going on?
It seems like something is happening without my knowledge. It didn’t come to mind until now, but once I started thinking about it, I can’t shake it.
…Probably all because of the lack of stimuli.
As I stood up from the sofa, ready to switch off the TV, I froze as I noticed two pairs of eyes staring at me.
Daesik and Sosik were intently watching.
Seriously, is turning off the TV such a big deal to stare like that? This is probably why adults didn’t want kids watching TV. These days it would be smartphones, right?
But, I didn’t feel the need to be like a scolding old person, so I handed over the remote to Sosik and slipped out of the living quarters.
It felt awkward to watch them reverently accept it like it was some sacred artifact, but since they aren’t human, it’s probably fine.
And they’re cute.
Anyway.
If something is happening in the House, it would probably be in the Management Room where the scholars and their friends are likely hiding something.
Since no one told me not to go out, I thought it might be okay to check.
Alright, let’s find out what our doctor friends are keeping from me.
I felt a strange sense of excitement as I made my way with quick steps toward the Management Room.
