Ziik.
With the sound of a zipper opening, a somewhat fresh breeze of air and a faint light came in.
And… the voice of an ordinary person came in as well.
“Well, since we’ve arrived, it’s fine for you to come out now.”
Upon hearing those words, I carefully stuck my head out of the bag.
However, I didn’t come out.
Why would I when this guy is going to take care of everything and bring me to the management room anyway?
Did he sense my thoughts?
Kim Cheon-soo sighed, looking like he had a slight headache, placed the bag with me on his back, and started walking again.
His body swayed up and down.
Yes.
Why wouldn’t I let him carry me after all the effort he went through earlier? Surely, I, who am exceptionally light, wouldn’t be any burden.
He wouldn’t even feel my weight, so it wouldn’t be particularly exhausting for this ordinary person, right?
I felt a faint sense of nostalgia as I swayed.
In the midst of it, a familiar door came into view, and with a “puhwaak” sound, the tightly shut door opened.
Realizing that this was the door leading to the management room, I quietly came out of the bag and stood on my two feet.
Though it was comfortable in the bag, I didn’t want the other Jellies to see me like this.
Especially Sosik, who was lying stretched out on Sphere, was the last person I wanted to see me this way.
“Aah! You scared me! When did you come down?”
It seems I unintentionally startled Kim Cheon-soo.
Satisfied with that, I moved inside.
The sound of rustling clothes came, followed by the sensation of someone enveloping me in their arms.
Since the only person in the management room who would hug me like this was Han Seori, it was naturally her.
“Welcome back!”
Feeling the soft pressure of a Jelly wrapping around me, I awkwardly wiggled around.
From behind, the voice of the ordinary person reached my ears.
“Ah, I’ve returned as well.”
“Ahhh, Mr. Cheon-soo, thank you for all your hard work.”
“…Yes ma’am.”
For some reason, it seemed like Kim Cheon-soo’s shoulders were drooping… and it didn’t seem to be just my imagination.
Though he was trying not to show it, perhaps he felt a bit hurt that I was taken care of first instead of him?
Heh.
A strange sense of superiority arose within me.
Though I doubt Han Seori would ever see me as a man…
Still, feeling good is feeling good.
Chuckling inwardly, I let the guy bask in the feeling of defeat as I extended my Jelly and patted him on the shoulder.
At this, the ordinary person looked at me with an odd expression, sighed, and muttered.
“…First, I’ll go tidy up the things I brought.”
“Ah, shall I help with that?”
“Ah, if you offer, then that would be good.”
…That naive Kim Cheon-soo quickly brightened up his face again, carefully placing me down with Han Seori, then disappeared toward the kitchen.
Which meant that left in the management room…
It was just us golden ones.
Thinking this, I saw that Daesik (Alice) was running over from where Han Seori had been sitting.
Looking at the doll-like figure running, I thought about how dolls could run this way.
Daesik reached me with a “thonk!” and started rubbing herself against my legs.
I wasn’t sure if it was because she had seen me on the screen with Han Seori or just because I had been gone for a while, but the feeling was somewhat strange.
Recalling the time when I’d made a bump on the back of this ordinary person’s head, I gently picked up Daesik and placed her on my shoulder.
Then, she pressed her doll face against my cheek.
She seemed happy, yet it felt strangely weird.
Daesik was, after all, inside Alice, the doll, so she had no real expression to speak of.
It also felt oddly stiff.
…If Daesik had a body closer to a human’s, would I more clearly feel her joy?
While feeling these strange thoughts combined with her face tapping mine…
Jungsik splashed some Jelly as they lunged at my stomach.
With a wave of my Jelly-like stomach, a sticky Jelly fountain splattered on my face.
This kid spouts Jelly whether they’re happy or mad, huh?
…No, wait, they’re probably happy, right?
Or are they angry because I left them behind somewhere?
This feeling of unease rises once again.
Even though we’re all Jelly, we can’t really know what each other is thinking.
…I think the guys probably know my thoughts, but at least I can’t clearly discern what they are thinking or feeling.
In comparison, Sosik is relatively easier to understand.
Because he was like a mini-me and had features.
Recently, though, he spends most of his time sleeping, which is a problem.
Anyway…
Approaching Guche, I had these two impulsive Jellies stuck to me.
Over there, atop Sphere, I saw Sosik still lying stretched out.
‘They’re always the same, no matter what happens to me,’ I thought.
The Jelly eyes of the guy, who appeared to only half-open, weakly waved his hand at me.
Even though it felt ridiculous, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Is this how it feels for a breadwinner coming home late at night?’
Though I’ve never been married, I thought this was roughly how it would feel.
Finally, as I placed my hand on Guche, he murmured calmly.
[It was quite an impressive battle.]
…So stoic.
Still, since I had some form of interaction with everyone, it truly felt like I was back.
Reflecting on the strange sensation I felt when opening the door to an empty studio apartment late at night…
I thought it wasn’t so bad to have turned into Jelly.
As I felt my nonexistent heart racing, I indulged in this feeling for a moment.
The next day after defeating the mysterious monster, we held a small party with things Kim Cheon-soo had carefully brought back in the bag.
To celebrate Kim Cheon-soo’s safe return, and also as a celebration of my victory over the monster. (Though the reason wasn’t exactly clear…)
Just the thought of having something delicious after so long made me feel wonderful.
Especially considering the most recent thing I ate was that tasteless chunk of meat from the monster.
I was confident that anything now would taste like a heavenly delicacy.
And in my sight…
There were beautifully grilled steaks neatly lined up.
The thought ‘Another chunk of meat?’ didn’t arise.
It would be disrespectful to compare those unsalvageable chunks of meat to these steaks.
The regular person… no, Chef Kim Cheon-soo displayed remarkable skill, bringing not only the steaks but also various other dishes to the management room.
Next to me, Han Seori was watching them with what looked like an aggrieved expression.
Why was she so upset?
If someone was capable of knocking off a few servings like this, why wouldn’t you just be happy about it?
…Whatever… I wasn’t about to understand Dr. Han’s thoughts, so I let my Jelly wiggle as I smelled the food.
The memory of eating that chunk of meat had been overwritten by the lovely steaks.
While I felt this Jelly-like sensation…
I suddenly remembered something I wanted to eat.
When I was still human… I had once eaten pudding in Japan.
The melted brown sugar atop a wobbling yellow pudding I had there wasn’t particularly expensive but was quite tasty.
…I wanted to eat that but…
How is that not possible?
I couldn’t suddenly suggest we go to Japan, and even if I could, suggesting we go abroad just to eat pudding was absurd.
Forget the overseas trip… how does one say, “Let’s go out for pudding” anyway?
It’s kind of… embarrassing.
Even while thinking that…
The image of pudding kept floating in my mind.
They say if you’re told not to think of an elephant, the first thing you’ll picture is an elephant.
…I was now living that.
Though it felt strange to be thinking about pudding when presented with all this good food, what could I do if I suddenly had a craving for pudding?
Engrossed in this private dilemma while my Jelly wiggled, I heard…
“This is the last of it.”
With that, Kim Cheon-soo entered the management room carrying a tray.
On the tray he held, something made me utter…
“Huh?”
It was pudding.
I did think about eating pudding, but what was all this about?
Between my stammering and wondering, Seori tilted her head in a similar state of curiosity and asked aloud.
“Eh… what’s with the pudding all of a sudden?”
“Hm? Well… I just got this feeling that I had to make it.”
“Do you like pudding?”
“Not particularly, but…”
Hm…
If Kim Cheon-soo himself doesn’t like pudding, why would he suddenly make it?
Just as I was feeling something was off, the Jellies who were waiting eagerly began to sneak towards the plates the moment Kim Cheon-soo arrived.
And soon…
With Kim Cheon-soo and Seori’s laughter, a modest party began.
Sure, calling it a party might be a stretch; it was closer to enjoying the delicious food Chef Kim Cheon-soo graciously provided.
I, too, decided to chalk the pudding up to coincidence and resumed eating, forming little teeth near my mouth to chew the steak, which I took and bit slowly.
The juices mixed with my Jelly as a pleasurable texture filled my mouth.
Of course, meat is better cooked than raw.
Since all of Kim Cheon-soo’s dishes matched my taste buds, I was quite satisfied.
…And,
The pudding wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for but was definitely satisfying.
It somehow felt like I was eating something similar to myself, which was a bit odd.
Still…
The soft pudding dissolving in me made me recall the thought I had set aside moments ago.
Pudding.
Was this a coincidence?
What else could it be?
…If I started to think that Kim Cheon-soo and I had some form of telepathy, it’d make me a little uncomfortable, but barring that, everything seemed normal.
