Hm…
To be honest, I’m not just a little… no, very much confused.
“Ugh… I don’t wanna work….”
Since there was nothing I needed to do anyway if I got up, I was squirming under the blanket when Han Seori came in as the door opened.
Because she left with a gloomy face just a while ago, I thought something must have happened… But looking at what she’s doing now, it’s certain that something unusual is indeed going on.
She walked in sluggishly like a zombie, and suddenly climbed into the bed where I’m lying.
I flinched in surprise, but Han Seori hugged me and started muttering.
“Haa… I don’t wanna work… But why am I like this? …?”
Since I had no choice, I listened to her muttering while being held by her, but… somehow it felt… so silly.
Han Seori has been making quirky but intelligent moves occasionally like before, but fundamentally, she’s been logical and composed.
The sort of person that colloquially comes to mind as a cold beauty… or a career woman.
But the voice that’s mumbling while holding onto me now… Hmm, what should I call it?
“Why does a person have to work… No, got to… Got to work but… I don’t want to….”
She felt like a social animal exhausted by life.
…No, what was I called again? Oh, yeah, a Singularity.
Managing entities like me, the Singularities, means that not everyone is a superman, but the whole situation felt somewhat unreal.
It also reminded me of something from the past, giving me a sense of shared experience.
Well, if Han Seori just came to me seeking a resting place because she was really exhausted… I didn’t see any harm in playing along a little.
Not like I would lose anything, right?
If the person who held me right now was the ordinary Kim Cheon-soo, the story might’ve been a little different.
But… something was strange.
“Ugh, what am I doing here…? It’s warm… cold but soft… Should I call it soft? Hmm… I want to stay like this forever….”
Could she be losing her mind?
It didn’t seem like she just regressed into a childlike state due to work stress.
… Don’t ask me how I know that, please.
Anyway.
The atmosphere kept swinging like someone alternately diving into hot and cold tubs.
It’s as if dual personalities are fighting to take control of her consciousness.
The original Han Seori and the one who wants to roll around in bed are battling.
Although I have no idea why she came in here acting this way, her condition was clearly abnormal.
…While it might have been fine to just stay like this and feel her silhouette burrowing into my jelly.
It felt like Daesik (from Alice’s world) and Sosik would have stared at me disdainfully as if I were pathetic.
So, I carefully nudged Han Seori’s face away using my jelly.
As I pushed her face away with my small hand with a sticky sound, Han Seori, looking somewhat shocked, murmured with a trembling voice.
“I, I don’t want to… No, uh… My head….”
Han Seori suddenly winced as if a headache hit her, and tightened her grip around me.
Thinking it might help, I draped my knowledge pouch over her forehead, and her crinkled eyes softened a little.
After suffering for a while, Han Seori sprang out from under the blanket like announcing her grand revival, still holding onto me.
“…What is this…?”
Muttering with a confused face, she blinked when she noticed me in her chest.
“Eh? Why are you here…? Oh wait? This isn’t my office?”
Holding onto me, Han Seori let me down with an awkward voice, then suddenly turned serious.
Her firmly closed lips were a clear indicator that she wasn’t in her right mind just moments ago.
Returning to the Han Seori I knew, she left my room (?) with a serious expression.
A feeling like a storm had passed.
Somehow, it felt like the gazes of the two mucus-like beings looking at me were piercing.
I carefully tidied up the blanket that Han Seori left behind.
Just as I was about to climb back onto the soft bed, the door opened again, and the sound of zombie-like footsteps came through.
This time, it was Kim Cheon-soo, the ordinary man, carrying something in both hands.
Peering closely, unlike his usual self, his arms were full of instant foods.
From instant noodles to cans and more… everything visible was easy-to-prepare or ready-to-eat items.
Among them, I noticed some retort pouches I had eaten before. It seemed like they were made from the Chunk of Meat from some cans.
…I won’t eat that.
Anyway, it’s already dinner time.
He usually brought food on a tray, but today he just carried them in, oh well, as long as it’s tasty, it’s fine.
While I was rubbing my jelly and Daesik came out from Alice’s world, with Sosik wiggling closer,
The wobbling Kim Cheon-soo dumped the food with a clatter on the floor, then flopped onto the bed I just tidied while muttering.
“So tired of this…”
…Why is everyone acting like this today?
They say that in a one-eyed village, the two-eyed person is considered strange.
Since the two people who almost always visit here are acting odd, I’m starting to wonder if I’m the one who’s strange.
Well… I was lying in bed feeling lazy just a little while ago too, but….
I scratched my chin and prodded the ankle of Kim Cheon-soo sprawled across the bed.
Didn’t Han Seori regain consciousness after touching my jelly just a little while ago?
The one whose ankle I poked slightly winced and sighed wearily, speaking in a low voice,
“Why… I brought it for you… Eat it yourself… Besides, you eat the packages anyway… Ugh….”
He seemed to be in a worse state than Han Seori.
Anyway.
My kindness ended right there.
It does feel a bit odd… but what can I do stuck in this white room, rolling around on the bed and fiddling with toys?
…Feels like giving up, almost.
By the way.
Am I… going to smell his odor?
Hold on a second.
Could he know that Han Seori came and left…? Nah… Can’t be…
Eyeing the common man suspiciously, I headed toward the spot where he dumped the instant food for the meal.
There, I saw the two mucus-like beings wiggling demurely in front of the food.
Ah, the training seems to be paying off.
If I were to look in the mirror, I bet the corners of my jelly’s mouth are curving upwards in satisfaction.
After swirling my jelly, I sat down and surveyed the things he brought.
…First of all, why did he bring the instant noodles?
He didn’t bring any gas burners… Am I supposed to eat it raw by crushing it?
Although in the past I might’ve enjoyed the satisfying crunch of such textures, honestly, it doesn’t appeal to me now.
I precisely split the noodles in half, shook the seasoning packets properly on both sides, and commendably handed them over to the two mucus-like beings without eating them first.
Seems like these two can handle them without issues since they have Korean nationality.
Satisfied, I added the plastic wrappers and tore open a can of spicy tuna.
Rather, I tried to open it, but it didn’t work easily.
So, I just put it in my stomach.
The familiar taste of spicy tuna hit after savoring the sound of the spoon licking.
Since I couldn’t chew, it wasn’t as enjoyable, but it was satisfying.
As I cleared the snacks one by one, only the retort pouch made from ingredients stored “down there” was left.
…Why did he bring this?
I ate all I needed to down there; I don’t feel like eating it again.
This thing has a strange taste anyway.
Hmm.
How about Daesik and Sosik?
Maybe they’ll like it.
Deciding to give them a try, I began to tear the packaging.
The Kim Cheon-soo lying on the bed suddenly sat up.
Kim Cheon-soo, who suddenly sat up, cast a shadow over my body, and snatched the retort pouch from my hand.
While I could only stare dumbfounded at his absurdity, Kim Cheon-soo attempted to put the retort pouch in his mouth with a happy face.
At that moment, someone barged in through the door and subdued Kim Cheon-soo, dragging him out.
Then the retort pouch he was about to eat was also confiscated and disappeared from the room.
It felt like something was going on.
…But it didn’t seem like it was my place to know, so carefully I returned to the bed and covered myself with the blanket.
Since I ate, taking a nap should be a rule.
“Do you mean stop the sales?”
Someone raised their voice in anger, and Han Seori, who a moment ago looked like the world was bothersome, sat down and stood up again abruptly.
After regaining her composure, Han Seori yelled at the other party, pressing her temples, and paced around the room.
Things seemed a bit off lately, and there definitely seemed to be a problem.
In 7496 – KR, after regaining consciousness thanks to the Jelly Girl, Han Seori, sensing the oddity, returned to her office and asked for a report on the status of the people in the laboratory and the branch offices.
She sent someone because Kim Cheon-soo’s state when he entered the Jelly Girl’s isolation chamber seemed unusual.
The bizarre scene she noticed in the process.
Kim Cheon-soo forcibly taking the retort pouch from Jelly Girl.
The face Kim Cheon-soo made while trying to take it from Jelly Girl was clearly not sane.
‘…Hold on a second.’
If this was the cause… could it be.
Han Seori’s face turned blue as she operated the panel and turned on the news.
[Sudden complaints of extreme lethargy are increasing ─]
[The exact causal relationship has yet to be identified ─]
It was clear something significantly wrong had happened.
After understanding the situation, Han Seori immediately set about dealing with it.
‘…How many of these did he say are sold in a year?’
If this was her condition after trying a sample, what must the others be like…
Han Seori sighed deeply.
It seemed to exceed what she could handle.
