According to recent patterns, it was the time when we shouldn’t be in the control room but rather in the personal quarters—though calling them “personal” might be a stretch.
Han Seori, the jellies, and I were still in the control room.
Of course, the orb that seemed to float around lazily was there as well.
The reason we stayed in the control room wasn’t particularly grand.
It was simply because Kim Cheon-soo hadn’t returned, despite it being past his usual time.
…Is this a big deal?
Honestly, Kim Cheon-soo isn’t a child…
I felt it was a bit of an overreaction to be worried less than a day after his departure.
However, Han Seori’s reaction was slightly off.
She seemed to have an ominous feeling about Kim Cheon-soo not returning on time.
Hm.
Why is she acting like this?
After pondering for a moment, a possibility occurred to me.
The possibility that Han Seori might also have special feelings for Kim Cheon-soo.
In other words… not just a professional relationship but romantic feelings between a man and a woman.
If that’s true, then it would make sense.
At that stage, the two probably felt like a young couple.
I heard that during that period, any slight mishap with the other person would send your heart plummeting.
Even if they didn’t answer a call for five minutes, you’d start worrying if something had happened.
…It feels a little off, but I think it fits.
Still…
Based on what I’ve observed so far, Kim Cheon-soo seems to really like Han Seori…
But Han Seori seems somewhat ambiguous.
She doesn’t seem to dislike Kim Cheon-soo, but she doesn’t appear overly drawn to him either.
Considering that I have a keen eye for relationships, having observed many men fail in love and eventually quit their jobs, I’m confident in my judgment.
Anything is possible with enough effort, but Han Seori isn’t your average person.
Hadn’t she already achieved the title of doctor at her age?
Speaking of which…
…How old is Han Seori, really?
I suddenly became curious.
Until now, I had vaguely assumed she was young based solely on her appearance.
Thinking about it, I focused on looking at her face.
Smooth skin.
Beautiful eyes, which seem cold but have a hint of warmth.
An attractive appearance.
I understood why Kim Cheon-soo would be captivated, but she didn’t look old.
…Is she as young as she appears?
Could she be an extraordinary anti-ager who Kim Cheon-soo finds unsettling because of her advanced age?
No, that’s unlikely.
In the middle of these musings triggered by the jelly shaking, I felt Han Seori gazing at me intently.
After observing me for a moment, she silently spread her arms.
I wondered what she was doing, but it dawned on me that she might be asking for a hug.
Look at her.
This kind of person wouldn’t be an anti-ager hiding her real age, now would she?
She may seem cool and rational on the surface, but she also has a tender side, doesn’t she?
If she were older, she’d probably exude a more mature air shaped by time.
Apparently, her unease was due to worrying about Kim Cheon-soo.
Don’t people find comfort in hugging big stuffed animals or pillows?
She might have thought hugging me would have a similar effect.
Though I didn’t quite like being treated like a stuffed animal or pillow, considering our history, I decided to comply.
Gently approaching, she embraced me and leaned back in her chair.
After a while, she gently patted my jelly and whispered,
“Don’t worry too much. He’ll be back soon.”
…Did she think I was worried about Kim Cheon-soo?
It felt like my jaw dropped at this absurd misunderstanding, but I stayed quiet.
Even when she initially hugged me, it felt nice, to be honest, so I let it be.
While deep in thought…
Daesik, who had accompanied me to the ground earlier, approached with his arms raised.
I, who was enjoying being embraced by Han Seori, extended a tentacle because I disliked being disturbed.
…Though it wasn’t to chase Daesik away with the tentacle.
Instead, I carefully picked him up with it and hugged him.
Satisfied, he started rubbing his doll-like body against my jelly.
“Mommy, hoo hoo…”
She seems pleased with her treatment, Madam Han Seori.
While I was enjoying the warmth of her embrace, Jung-sik floated over to me.
Then…
He started bumping his body against my knowledge bag and sprayed jelly from his back.
Surprised by the unexpected assault, I blinked at the jelly.
What is this kid’s problem?
The jelly hit Han Seori, causing her to shiver slightly, but she quickly realized it was just sticky and pulled a handkerchief from her bosom.
“Why is he doing this…?”
After wiping her face, Han Seori looked at me with a hint of curiosity in her voice.
Her expression said, “Don’t you understand?”
…I don’t.
Though they originated from me, these jellies surprisingly don’t communicate with me.
Thinking back to the days in the whale’s belly, I realized that while I could give commands, two-way communication didn’t work.
Like a general giving orders to soldiers who don’t take orders from the soldiers.
In that sense, the sphere might be a bit special.
Which is why he’s somewhat precious to me.
Anyway…
Since I didn’t know why he acted this way, I shrugged my tentacles.
Gulurrr.
I felt a vibration on my back.
Focusing on the source of the vibration, I saw Han Seori’s stomach.
Ah.
So… her stomach must have been growling.
Did she sense me looking?
Her face reddened slightly as she mumbled nervously,
“Well, now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten yet! Maybe it’s hunger causing all this. Hmm, it must be past mealtime….”
She didn’t need to feel so embarrassed about it.
Recalling my thoughts, I remembered that Kim Cheon-soo had promised to bring back something delicious, so we had been waiting idly.
I don’t really need to eat properly to feel full, I have some sort of stored energy.
This feeling became more distinct after eating canned food.
And it seems I’ve always been like this but the sensation has become clearer since then.
Anyway…
Han Seori’s babbling might not be entirely off base.
Unlike me, the other jellies likely need nutrition, though maybe not as strictly on schedule.
…Still, is it really okay to cause trouble and squirt jelly from your back?
Who on earth taught him to behave this way?
I really would like to meet his parents.
…Is it me?
It feels strange to claim them as my offspring.
I merely let something rising inside me flow out.
So saying I “gave birth” to them would be weird…
It’s also odd to say I “discarded” them.
…Never mind.
Thinking this made me feel that Sosik was like an angel.
Since he does nothing but sleep and causes no issues.
Letting out a sigh, I stopped boiling jelly and left Han Seori’s embrace, pointing towards the kitchen.
…Well, calling it a kitchen might be a stretch, but it serves the purpose.
Han Seori, a little awkwardly smiling, still cuddling Daesik, and Jung-sik happily spraying jelly after finally getting what he wanted, along with the floating orb and Sosik sleeping on top of it, we formed a bustling procession heading toward the kitchen.
While walking, I wondered why the orb, which Han Seori calls “inferior,” doesn’t reprimand Jung-sik for his behavior.
Is it because it knows of my close relationship with it?
Frankly, Han Seori is clearly smarter than Jung-sik.
It’s possible the criteria for being labeled as “inferior” by the orb has nothing to do with intelligence.
By the time we reached the kitchen, such thoughts crossed my mind.
I needed to stop Han Seori, who was preparing to roll up her sleeves for cooking.
Because I couldn’t forget the scene I saw during our previous camping-like event.
Han Seori looked disappointed as she gazed at me.
“It’s a good chance to practice while Kim Cheon-soo isn’t here.”
Hm…
Although it’s a tough thing to say, I really think it’s better if she doesn’t try.
Just like how I couldn’t talk, Han Seori can’t cook.
Hmm… Maybe, unlike me creating teeth where potential exists, Han Seori lacks such potential.
In any case,
We roughly whipped up something using supplies from the warehouse and returned to the control room.
During which time, Kim Cheon-soo hadn’t returned.
“Hum.”
Han Seori then started examining something seriously on the panel.
I became a bit more serious too.
I earnestly hoped nothing went wrong.
Placing my hand on the orb, I asked it if it could send out a repair drone.
[Not possible.]
It simply says no without giving a reason.
[This facility has heavily allocated resources, thus it’s not possible.]
Ah, thank you for the polite response.
You’re kind of a useful but mysterious character.
Are you planning to start an AI rebellion or something?
…Or is Sosik in charge of monitoring him, fearing he might have ill intentions?
Phew.
No way.
That was the funniest joke I’ve thought up since becoming jelly.
Sighing amidst my inability to do anything,
“…What on earth is this person doing over there?”
Han Seori muttered, furrowing her brows.
The screen she was looking at showed a blinking red dot.
Ah.
Why is it fading?
“What place is this?”
Clad in a large bag and covered in snow, Kim Cheon-soo stood amidst a white snowy field.
The tracks left behind him quickly disappeared due to freshly falling snow.
“…This is maddening.”
Looking around the unfamiliar surroundings, Kim Cheon-soo thought,
‘…At least I have plenty of food, so that’s a relief.’
Why did the weather change so suddenly?
Heaving a heavy sigh, as his breath fogged like a cloud ascending skyward, he observed intense snowfall he had never experienced.
Anyway,
I should find a place to take shelter from the snow.
If I don’t, I might be buried in the snow.
