“Alright, this one isn’t suffocating! Of course, it won’t hurt either.”
The woman who looked intelligent made an unbecoming sniffing noise and thrust her hands into my armpits to lift me up.
Her posture was quite unbalanced yet somehow cute, though she confused me with how she treated me.
No, if she’s going to treat me like a child, she should treat me like one entirely.
And at this rate, she’s going to suddenly flip out and end up severing someone’s arm.
I thought she might be one of those mad scientists from various fictional works.
She’s young and pretty, but it’s truly… unfortunate.
Anyway,
She placed me inside a large glass container this time. As I hung from her arms to be placed inside, I noticed a rectangular object hanging around her neck.
It read “Dr. Han Seori.”
There was more written, but my eyes were fixed on that. It wasn’t because my line of sight naturally went there, but simply because I realized we had the same last name.
What, a doctor?
Is she really a doctor with that age and appearance?
… Could she have used some incredible scientific technology to maintain a youthful look?
At that moment, our eyes met, and when I averted mine awkwardly, Han Seori smiled contentedly and murmured,
“Hmm? Are you feeling shy…?”
It was an absurd misunderstanding, but since I couldn’t refute it anyway, I left it alone.
…Though spitting some sort of mucus to express my dissatisfaction might work, doing so might endanger my life.
What, with her appearance, it didn’t matter how old the person inside was; if she’s pretty, there’s no need for such antics.
Dr. Han Seori, after placing me in the glass container, pulled out a notebook from somewhere within her coat and began scribbling.
Come to think of it, if I wanted to communicate, wouldn’t writing in the notebook work?
With that thought, I moved my finger slightly, though I doubted it would make sense.
While I’d managed to grab objects by clinging stickily to them, I worried if this method would allow me to write.
Well, even if it’s done in a crude way, the message would get through…
Still, I thought it would be better to observe further before making such a move.
For now, this setup feels fine.
No need to commute, no need for economic activities.
She brings food, and even if it’s embarrassing, she also gives me toys to prevent boredom.
If only I could exchange this toy for something else, it’d be a fairly satisfying life.
…Of course, the main issue right now is whether or not I can trust this Dr. Han Seori.
But at the moment, I think continuing this way might be fine.
Maybe, by pretending to gradually increase my intelligence, I could one day enjoy a more civilized lifestyle.
With this plan in mind, as I stared at the notebook, our eyes met again.
“Ah.”
She seemed to realize something.
…Could she have noticed I was looking at her notebook?
It’s a bit too early for that, but what should I write in the notebook to make it convincing?
As I ruminated on this while fidgeting with a jelly-like substance, something fell onto my head.
So it’s finally here.
Looking up, I saw Ellis, whom I had thrown earlier, on top of me.
Feeling somewhat foolish, I grabbed Ellis, and a pleased-sounding voice echoed.
“Were you feeling lonely without a friend?”
…Is she a doctor?
As I grew increasingly baffled while holding Ellis, Han Seori pulled out a small gardening shovel from her pocket and scooped up Daesik, who was wriggling on the floor, and placed him inside the glass container with me.
Why does she use her hands with me but a shovel for Daesik?
She definitely seemed a bit… odd.
Anyway, since the interior is wider than expected, and just as she said, it’s not suffocating.
What exactly does she plan to do by placing me in this glass container?
Tension builds as I wait…
Somehow, watching her face, which looks vacant and lost in thought, makes the tension fade away.
…Could this be some kind of trap to make me feel at ease?
In the midst of pondering, my reflection on the blurry wall catches my eye.
Holding a doll, I look uncannily like a young girl.
It’s an endearing image, even to my own eyes.
…Is this the reason I lose my judgment?
Recalling all the actions I took earlier—especially being caught playing with the doll—it occurred to me.
Maybe it’s better to live my life as jelly. Revealing that I’m actually a man named Han Hosu inside this jelly-like form means…
…admitting that I’ve been mindlessly engaging in all these actions.
It feels like it’d be happier to live as a jelly who knows nothing of these things.
Though I thought I should continue observing for now,
My heart feels somewhat heavy.
Anyway,
As I was contemplating, the lid that was open shut, and Han Seori grabbed the handle of a cart-like thing onto which the glass container was loaded.
“Alright, let’s go?”
Her voice exuded a certain amount of cheerfulness.
…Her title of ‘doctor’ just doesn’t fit.
It was fine when I only saw her intelligent and pretty face, but…
Is this some kind of prejudice on my part?
Some kind of discrimination against people with the title ‘doctor’?
Whatever my thoughts, the door soon opened,
And the corridor I saw when I came in began to appear.
At the same time,
The wheels’ rolling sound could be heard.
The world around me shifts.
In other words, right now, I’m trapped in a glass container, being carted away.
Once outside in the hallway, Han Seori didn’t make any sniffing sounds like before, making me somewhat uneasy.
One notices their absence only after they’re gone.
Because of that, I unconsciously cling tighter to Ellis. Daesik begins to shiver too, possibly sensing my mood.
Still, it was a rare opportunity to observe my surroundings, so I cautiously looked around.
The rooms around me are almost identical to where I came from, which made it feel like a hotel.
But seeing them brings back memories of the screams and blood I saw when I first arrived—making it unpleasant.
…Still, it’s nice after being in the sterile white room for so long.
Indeed, people do need this kind of stimulation.
As we passed through the corridor,
Numbers combined with the letters “KR” were on the doors, like some hotel.
What do they mean?
While I was looking at the meaningless numbers, murmurs could be heard.
Soon, a group of people approached.
They looked like people who could throw a punch or two.
They approached steadily, and suddenly their eyes blinked as though they’d seen a ghost.
Then they bowed their heads slightly to Han Seori and asked cautiously,
“Uh… Dr. Han? Is this…?”
“7496 – KR.”
“Damn Mucus… Is that you?”
Hold on.
Damn Mucus?
Is that referring to me?
As I felt bewildered,
Han Seori’s dry voice carried,
“Are you still using that… unofficial nickname?”
“Ahaha, it’s just that the memories of working with it are so vivid. But anyway… What are you doing?”
Looking at the man who froze while addressing Han Seori, I somehow felt both uneasy and safe.
Is this what it feels like to be riding the tiger’s back like a fox?
It’s an odd sensation.
Han Seori responded assertively to the man’s question.
“I am showcasing how friendly 7496 – KR can be to humans… We’re going for a walk.”
Hearing that made me feel like I had turned into a monkey in a zoo.
Because once people gathered around the glass container, both men and women alike stared at me silently.
The well-built figures of these men and women gave off an intimidating vibe, so I clutched Ellis even tighter. I could see their lips curling faintly.
“Hmph… It is definitely cute.”
“What with that week of trouble, but…”
As it turns out, people—or rather jellies—need to be good-looking in order to appeal. Had I looked like Daesik, they’d probably have been glaring at me.
…Though Daesik isn’t ugly, there’s a significant gap between me and him, isn’t there?
In any case!
If Han Seori wants to show how friendly something can be, it will benefit me to cooperate.
To do that, using Ellis is likely the best option.
I tried holding Ellis close again, which they seemed to like.
“How adorable…”
One of the women smiled contentedly while looking at me.
Then after conversing with Han Seori,
She slightly opened the lid and carefully slipped a piece of chocolate from her pocket inside.
Thud.
The touch of the chocolate on my head made me extend a hand to grab it.
Looking around, I could feel the bright and eager glances.
It was a bit burdensome.
Since I had a vague idea of what they wanted, I enthusiastically opened the chocolate wrapper.
Just like earlier, I devoured the inside and entrusted the waste to Daesik.
I left a bit for him, so I’m sure he’s not upset.
Then, with sighs of admiration, more snacks were poured from above.
…They said not to feed animals in the zoo.
But I’m not a zoo monkey, after all.
Even with that thought…
Somehow, it felt strange.
Still, after such a long time without them, all these snacks were pretty good.
Kiik, kiik.
As I busily ate,
The people who had gathered dispersed.
Coming back to my senses, I found myself in an unfamiliar space.
