It was a common occurrence amidst the chaos, so I briefly tried to reach for the temporarily transferred smartphone.
—
Isn’t it natural for it to be chaotic with this many people around?
—
To be honest, it’s quite impressive. Despite the large crowd gathered here, there hasn’t been any incident.
—
If the assembled crowd had been just a little disorderly, someone might have gotten hurt, beyond just the market floor turning into a mess.
—
Hmph.
—
Still, it seems like it’s because these people like me, so they’re all well-behaved. As they say, ‘you become like those you love.’ That seems to be the case here.
—
“Liking” someone doesn’t necessarily mean in a romantic sense, so what I said earlier wasn’t entirely wrong.
—
Perhaps…?
—
If someone were to ask if I should also resemble those who like me, I’d have to honestly say, though I’m sorry, I don’t think I reach that level.
—
To begin with, there are just too many of them.
—
You could call it a one-sided love directed at me.
—
For a moment, I felt like I was some kind of garbage. But then again, it’s not like I’ve hinted for them to revere me, so it’s not entirely my fault, right?
—
Still, why do these people like me so much even without any subtle hints from my side?
—
Could it be that, somehow, without my knowledge, I’ve let slip a desire to be loved?
—
…Umm, I don’t know.
—
I’m not quite sure, but if that’s the case, I might feel a little bad.
—
While I was feeling somewhat awkward and fiddling with the smartphone, the commotion didn’t subside—instead, it only seemed to grow. No, it definitely got louder.
—
Various voices were intertwining, making it impossible to tell what exactly the commotion was about.
—
Around that time, someone I recognized from the town created by Electric Scent (Gihyang) approached Hwang Bo-yul. After hearing the story, Hwang Bo-yul alternated her gaze between me and the direction the noise was coming from, with a troubled expression.
—
She seemed to be gauging whether she should go there or stay by my side.
—
This gave me a strange, twofold feeling—one of both joy and unease, like a tiny toothpick scratching at a corner of my heart.
—
It wasn’t due to anything particular; it was just nice to think that she cared about me. But at the same time, it felt like she assumed I’d get myself into trouble if left alone.
—
I couldn’t tell whether it was babying me or treating me as a potential hazard. Either way…
—
Whatever it was, her uneasiness seemed quite evident.
—
In that case, I couldn’t just sit still.
—
Because I am Jelly, the helpful one who can’t leave people in trouble.
—
And conveniently, I already had the perfect tool in my hands to express myself.
—
With the notes app open, I tapped the hardened Jelly firmly against the smartphone, producing a “tock, tock” sound.
—
Nowadays, even kids handle smartphones with ease, so it’s not surprising that I, the smart one, could manage this much.
—
First of all, the premise is that I can read and understand speech.
—
In this manner, while sending a message suggesting we go together, I tapped Hwang Bo-yul’s leg.
—
She seemed to have made her decision quickly because she was already seeing off the people who had come by. Judging from her preparation to move, she might have concluded that I could stay alone without any issues.
—
However, I was now curious about what was happening, so I waved the smartphone right in front of her face.
—
“Um?”
—
Looking at me with an expression of intrigue, Hwang Bo-yul whispered softly, her tone carrying a hint of surprise:
—
“You want to come along too…?”
—
Having said that, Hwang Bo-yul reached out gently and picked me up, cradling my bottom with her forearm and leaning my body against hers.
—
…This person also has more “volume” than I expected… Ahem, what am I thinking about, anyway?
—
As we moved together, I suddenly felt like I’d forgotten something.
—
And yes, it was still in my hand—the smartphone.
—
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quickly transferred ownership of the smartphone back to its rightful owner who had been following closely behind.
—
It’s a shame. As a smartphone of the latest model, I wanted to play with it a bit longer since I’ve never seen anything like it when I was human.
—
Still, I felt grateful that the owner had lent it to me without hesitation.
—
…But what if Jelly getting inside caused it to break?
—
Out of sudden uneasiness, I instinctively pressed myself closer to Hwang Bo-yul, blocking the original smartphone owner from my sight.
—
It was for no particular reason.
—
“Um? Is something wrong? You don’t have to follow if you’re feeling unsettled.”
—
Eek, my conscience is hurting.
—
As the smartphone’s original owner, now bereft of a communication device, vigorously shook their head, my cheek made contact with Hwang Bo-yul’s body.
—
In the midst of this awkwardness, Hwang Bo-yul resumed walking, bringing us closer to the source of the commotion.
—
First of all, it wasn’t the Singularity.
—
Considering there were no screams, this was one assumption crossed off the list immediately.
—
Still, it seemed the problem stemmed from people.
—
This situation reminds me why humans can be such a problem at times, though in this case, literally—people are the source of the disturbance.
—
What is going on?
—
Could it be that some people are upset because someone didn’t follow the queue and insisted on seeing me first? If that’s the case, they shouldn’t even be here. Hwang Bo-yul must’ve realized this as well.
—
Feeling perplexed, I glanced around while tilting my head—and the atmosphere seemed somewhat off.
—
First off, the people creating the commotion were facing off against the townsfolk.
—
Meanwhile, the ordinary people who had come to see me appeared delighted by my presence despite the chaos. However, the group opposing the townsfolk continued their racket, unperturbed.
—
Curious to understand what their objective might be, I scrutinized the situation more closely. It seemed they were bickering, leaving no time for any other focus.
—
Additionally, the faces of the townspeople weren’t usual expressions either.
—
It wasn’t simply about disapproval of skipping lines—it appeared more intense, almost hostile, what you might call a “murderous aura.”
—
Hmph.
—
Is skipping lines really enough to make someone this angry…?
—
During my pondering, Hwang Bo-yul strolled confidently between the townsfolk and the contentious group.
—
Only then did the quarreling individuals shift their attention to me, stopping their fight.
—
…It really is for me… right?
—
Still grappling with various odd feelings, I heard an agitated voice from among the townspeople.
—
“You don’t have to deal with these people. They’re terrible people!”
—
“That’s right. They’ve been very aggressive—”
—
“Hey, let’s stop right there, shall we? We’re not here to talk to you anyway.”
—
“Look at what they’re saying! They’re all talk and no substance.”
—
“What the hell?!”
—
The quarrel resumed.
—
No matter how amusing fighting might be to watch, seeing full-grown adults arguing like children was… discomforting.
—
On the other hand, it wasn’t exactly a desirable sight to see them escalate into a fistfight, though it seemed like that’s where it was heading if left unchecked.
—
Watching the scuffle, Hwang Bo-yul likely concluded the situation wasn’t going to resolve itself and addressed the townsfolk standing slightly behind her.
—
“It’s probably best to send the others away today.”
—
“Oh, come on…”
—
“…I’m aware it’s tough, but I’d appreciate your assistance. We’ll handle these people.”
—
“Be careful. From what I remember, they’re not exactly good sorts.”
—
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
—
Acknowledging her words, the townsfolk approached the crowd of visitors and began sending them away.
—
“But what do you expect us to do with this? This is sudden!”
—
“I came here on my vacation!”
—
“Where’s the law in this?!”
—
“Look, you didn’t pay to see anyone, right? Unfortunately, circumstances have changed. We ask for your understanding and ask you to head back today!”
—
“This is unacceptable!”
—
…This scene over there seems like a mess too, doesn’t it?
—
As soon as the outsiders were sent away, the group standing opposite the townsfolk puffed their noses arrogantly, apparently feeling victorious. They seemed to believe Hwang Bo-yul had taken their side, though their misplaced confidence wouldn’t last long.
—
Regardless, seeing that Hwang Bo-yul was willing to talk, the group that was previously quarreling stopped and began looking at me.
—
At this moment, I understood why the townsfolk had warned us about the group being “bad people.”
—
A familiar and overtly sticky gaze that I hadn’t felt for a while now.
—
The same type of gaze I had received when I was kidnapped and locked in a box, far away from Han Seori and Kim Cheon-soo.
—
…The eerie gaze I encountered inside that strange board game.
—
And right about then, I realized their identity, though no one explicitly told me. I instinctively understood.
—
You guys… you’re otaku/nerds, aren’t you?
—
Upon reflection, I recalled hearing that there were townsfolk from their community as well.
—
Perhaps the ones blocking them are also from their side?
—
Admittedly, they’re all pretty much the same, but then I recalled Lee Yoo-jin’s face, and I felt slightly awkward.
—
…Hmmph. In any case, the people currently in the village must consist of people like Lee Yoo-jin, right?
—
And yet, they were opposed to these people.
—
Do we really need to speak with them?
—
Ordinarily, it would be wise to hear both sides before making decisions to avoid getting swayed by one-sided arguments.
—
But the concealed unpleasantness behind their smiling faces while gazing at me did not sit well with me.
—
There’s no way these guys have come here with good intentions.
—
The reason they’ve remained unharmed until now is paradoxically because there are still people who unknowingly came to see me.
—
We can’t handle such trash in the presence of innocent visitors.
—
Even though I don’t pretend to fully understand the world, it’s common knowledge that if you eliminate someone, issues will definitely arise. It’s a reasonable measure.
—
Indeed.
—
Our Teacher Hwang Bo-yul had already thought everything through.
—
I couldn’t help but let out a sinister smile.
—
The expressions of the trashy people staring at me began to reflect their growing unease.
—
Finally realizing what was happening around them?
—
But it’s already too late for them.
—
