Suddenly, I Became a Slime

Looking faintly amused, Han Seori stood up and began approaching me at a leisurely pace. Soon, she placed her hands on both sides of my face, looking slightly tired. It felt like that picture of a famous chef on the internet who yelled at someone with their face sandwiched between two slices of bread.

What is she doing?

Is she about to yell at me?

Feeling oddly tense, I let my jelly wobble, and Han Seori asked me in a voice more composed than I expected:

"Did you perhaps do something weird?"

...Excuse me?

Her voice was gentle, but the question came out of nowhere. It felt as though she were asking, “How many times do you think you deserve to be hit?”

Feigning ignorance, I blankly stared back at her. She sighed faintly and muttered:

"There's no reaction... So, what's the problem?"

Unbelievable.

What does she even think of me?

Feeling a bit annoyed, I made my jelly sag in protest. Han Seori removed her now-sticky hands and looked at me.

"Um... What's wrong?"

...If I kept acting like this, I'd just seem petty. So I pulled myself together, shrugged, and dried my saggy form like a man.

Seeing this, Han Seori picked me up without a word, hugged me, and sat in her chair. While stroking my head with her hand, she began poking my soft, squishy body.

I wasn’t sure why, but I stayed still as her fingers poked and my jelly sprang back each time, making her smile loosen up bit by bit.

She must be really stressed.

What could have caused someone so sharp and clear-headed to act like this?

I couldn't help but think that if people malfunctioned, they might end up like this. While she kept toying with my squishy body, I glanced at the screen she had left on.

The screen only showed the snow piling up outside. There wasn’t much else to see. But then…

Something odd caught my eye:

[Individuals who consumed MREs displayed a tendency to impulsively purchase pudding.]

[Among those who had direct or indirect contact with 7496-KR, some exhibited a desire to offer pudding to 7496-KR.]

[This raises the possibility of unspecified individuals seeking the hidden location.]

[Critical threat. Investigation and report required.]

There it is again: pudding.

If my memory serves me right, 7496-KR refers to me. Could it really be a coincidence that Chef Kim Cheonsu brought me pudding?

Now that I think about it, him leaving and coming back with a spoon was pretty strange.

…What does this mean?

This had never happened before, so it must be a result of the abilities I gained after eating that hunk of meat.

Could it be true?

I focused my thoughts, still feeling the poking sensations from Han Seori's hands. Then, imagining Kim Cheonsu and focusing intently, I thought: “I really want pudding right now.”

This seemed ridiculous, but the sentences on the screen piqued my curiosity enough to give it a try.

The jelly became warm and sticky from Han Seori’s body heat when suddenly…

The door creaked open, and Kim Cheonsu cautiously entered.

In his hands…

…was a plate, presumably holding pudding. A spoon was already sticking out as if he had been eating it himself.

“Um?”

Han Seori made a curious noise. Kim Cheonsu, who was approaching slowly, looked a bit sheepish and said:

“…Would you like some as well, Dr. Han?”

“Oh… Is that pudding?”

“Yes. For some reason, I felt compelled to bring it here.”

“….”

Han Seori turned her gaze toward me, silently asking, "Did you really not do anything?" My jelly began trembling slightly.

No, really, I didn’t plan for this…!

"This time, there’s a reaction?"

Oh no.

Kim Cheonsu looked puzzled, but Han Seori handed the bowl of pudding to him and then dumped it over my head.

Plop, plop.

Sweet, creamy pudding cascaded down my head, and the stainless steel bowl fit over me like a helmet.

“Uh, what are you doing?”

“Hmm… I thought I’d run an experiment.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

Han Seori chuckled like someone who’d just found a breakthrough. She grabbed me under my armpits and hoisted me up. My jelly stretched in an attempt to escape, but my underarms were securely gripped, leaving me no choice.

Not that I’d get far if I ran away—it’d only delay the inevitable. Running would just be childish.

Come to think of it, why avoid this? I didn’t cause any of it on purpose.

Adjusting the stainless steel helmet, I turned to look at Han Seori, conveying my readiness (probably).

Still, this helmet brought back military trauma… A creeping unease.

In any case, pleased by my cooperation, Han Seori whispered quietly, too softly for Kim Cheonsu to hear:

“Hmm… Could you ask him to fetch the sandwich in the fridge?”

Despite appearing worn out earlier, Han Seori now grinned mischievously as though revitalized.

What is she so happy about? The thought of controlling Kim Cheonsu? Or conducting experiments?

I couldn’t tell, so I simply imagined him fetching the sandwich from the fridge.

Sure enough, he scratched his head as though compelled by some inexplicable impulse, then turned to leave.

Han Seori asked him, feigning innocence:

“Cheonsu? Where are you off to?”

“Oh, well… It just occurred to me that there’s a sandwich left in the fridge. It seemed like… this guy was hungry for more.”

“Aha.”

Kim Cheonsu offered an unnecessary explanation,and then walked out. Han Seori stifled her laughter and said to me:

“Were you that hungry?”

…You’re the one who made me do it!

Feeling incredulous, I wobbled my knowledge pouch in protest. The stainless steel bowl perched on my head clattered to the floor with a resounding bang.

“Oh, are you upset?”

Looking sheepish, Han Seori pulled out a chocolate bar and pushed it into my body. The sweetness spread through my jelly, melting my indignation.

Did she think this would placate me?

Well, she was right.

I wasn’t truly angry to begin with.

Getting chocolate in exchange for wobbling my pouch seemed like a good deal. While I savored the chocolate’s taste, Han Seori murmured as she picked up the fallen bowl:

“Hmm… This doesn’t seem to block it either. What a headache.”

What is she talking about?

She sometimes mumbles to herself in her own world, and this seemed like one of those moments. Soon enough, Kim Cheonsu returned with the cold sandwich.

Han Seori rubbed her chin and asked him:

“How are you feeling right now?”

“Uh… Neither good nor bad, I suppose.”

“When you thought about getting the sandwich, did it feel like you absolutely had to do it?”

The question was bizarre, enough to leave Kim Cheonsu momentarily flustered. However, being a professional, he quickly composed himself, closing his eyes to ponder her words.

“Hmm… Not really. It just felt like I should do it.”

“What if you hadn’t done it?”

“…I hadn’t considered that, but it felt more like an impulse than anything serious.”

Satisfied, Han Seori showed him the screen and explained her thoughts. Kim Cheonsu alternated between staring at me and the screen with a dumbfounded expression.

“So… are you saying this little guy has some sort of brainwashing ability?”

“Not quite brainwashing. More like transmitting desires as impulses. Asking for pudding is such an adorable wish, isn’t it? By the way, you didn’t experience any headaches or feel like your head might explode if you resisted the impulse, right?”

Kim Cheonsu shuddered at her words, unnerved.

But Han Seori took it further.

“…Shall we test it?”

“Uh… Are you suggesting we test whether my head explodes?”

“Oh, don’t worry. The documents we received didn’t mention anything like that.”

Kim Cheonsu let out a long sigh, but perhaps trusting her judgment, he nodded silently.

Whether it was due to trust or something else was unclear. Though, judging by the smile creeping across his face when she called him by name…

…It was probably the latter.

In any case, their gazes turned toward me. Curious about this ability of mine, I decided to cooperate.

Hopefully, it won’t end with Kim Cheonsu’s head exploding.

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