Suddenly, I Became a Slime

[This is too much...]

Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu stared at the awkwardly scrawled letters on the paper with puzzled expressions. The large sketchbook displayed what seemed like a sentence scribbled by a child who had just learned to write. If a child had written this, they might have smiled indulgently.

But the author was 7496-KR.

Despite her childlike appearance, she was unmistakably a unique anomaly. This was enough to leave both individuals feeling distinctly uneasy.

What made it even stranger was that this was the first written phrase outside of testing produced by 7496-KR, the jelly girl, who seemed to understand both speech and writing.

This is too much.

…Hmm.

So.

“…It doesn’t seem like she’s very willing, does it?”

“Just look at her face. She’s full of sulkiness… It’s clear she doesn’t want to do it at all.”

Kim Cheonsu barely refrained from saying these words aloud as he looked at the jelly girl holding the sketchbook.

[This is too much...]

The jelly girl, having written the phrase, raised the sketchbook with a disgruntled expression, showing its contents to the two of them in protest.

Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu were honestly a little taken aback. Until now, the jelly girl had obediently followed their instructions. This was her first act of defiance if it could even be called that.

…In truth, calling it defiance felt like a stretch.

It wasn’t “I don’t want to!” or “I can’t do it!” or “Don’t boss me around, humans!” Instead, it was just a single phrase: “This is too much.” If it wasn’t someone’s name, it was nothing but a very timid rebellion.

A rebellion as cute as her appearance.

Han Seori awkwardly smiled, lowered her posture, and met the jelly girl’s gaze. In response, the jelly girl also lifted her head to face Han Seori.

Carefully stroking the jelly girl’s soft jelly-like antennae, Han Seori gently asked:

“…Hmm, do you not want to go somewhere else? You’d come back after we finish.”

At her question, the jelly girl seemed to mull it over, her face showing signs of contemplation. In the meantime, Han Seori replayed what she had said to the jelly girl earlier.

It hadn’t been anything shocking…

…It was simply something the jelly girl had always done.

Cans, labyrinths, whales, steel snakes, mysterious monsters that entranced people, and more…

The jelly girl had already “processed” quite a few anomalies. Since she had faced these anomalies without much complaint, Han Seori found the jelly girl’s strike declaration both surprising and intriguing.

Why was the jelly girl striking?

Was there a different reason for her cute rebellion?

Or was it simply that she didn’t want to leave this place temporarily?

…Maybe she just didn’t want to work.

Come to think of it, this was the first time she had acted like this.

“Should we mark it as an anniversary?”

While Han Seori entertained such odd thoughts, the jelly girl flipped through the sketchbook without hesitation and started moving her pen again.

Scratch, scratch.

Before long, the sketchbook spun around, revealing a new creation to the waiting Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu.

“Hmm...?”

“Huh...?”

Their assumption that the jelly girl had written another phrase was entirely off the mark.

Instead, the once-pristine page now displayed a drawing made by the jelly girl. She turned the sketchbook to face them, her expression brimming with confidence as she awaited their reaction.

Feeling the intensity of her gaze, both of them broke into a cold sweat.

“…What on earth did she draw?”

“What is this?”

The drawing was difficult to decipher.

A black rectangular something, blue shapes, and various colors mixed together.

The only recognizable part was a sphere that resembled the one constantly hovering near the jelly girl.

Everything else was indecipherable. However, the jelly girl’s proud and self-satisfied expression made it hard for the two of them to voice their confusion. After all, she was already staging a cute strike. Upsetting her wouldn’t do any good.

Still, they couldn’t help feeling a bit overwhelmed.

It felt like trying to interpret modern art. Like one of those pieces that changes meaning depending on the viewer.

The two stared at the enigmatic drawing, trying to uncover its hidden message.

What was going through the jelly girl’s mind was unknown, but her soft shoulders seemed to puff up slightly in pride.

After a moment of intense scrutiny, Han Seori muttered:

“…Is this a TV, by any chance?”

“Oh? Now that you mention it… It does look like one.”

Han Seori pointed at different parts of the avant-garde drawing as she spoke:

“If this is the TV, then… this might be 7496-KR. The color matches, and it’s the largest figure in the group. Then… That tiny one resembling 7496-KR must be Unit 2… and next to it, Unit 1… And that squished one over there must be Unit 3.”

Kim Cheonsu nodded, adding his own interpretation:

“Judging by the bright colors, that does look like Unit 1. And those scattered dots… could that be mucus ejected from its back?”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Their satisfied smiles seemed to suggest they had cracked the code. However, the jelly girl’s face reflected a sense of something being amiss. Still, perhaps due to their smiles, she quietly let her jelly wobble without protest.

Then, as the two finished deciphering the drawing, a tiny word at the top caught their attention:

[Reward]

Seeing this, Han Seori’s jaw dropped slightly in surprise.

Ah, so that’s what she wanted… A reward.

In hindsight, it was a simple and logical request.

Even Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu were receiving payment and various compensations for their work.

‘…Now that I think about it.’

Though they constantly assigned tasks to the jelly girl, they had likely never provided her with anything resembling a reward.

At most, they had bought her plenty of food.

Realizing this, Han Seori felt a pang of guilt.

Recalling how the jelly girl had risked herself to lure the steel snake, Han Seori couldn’t help but reflect on how she’d treated her as nothing more than an unusual anomaly.

An anomaly that was convenient for achieving significant results without any compensation.

At the time, she had felt uneasy about it but had somehow come to accept it as normal.

If Han Seori hadn’t met the jelly girl, she might not have even considered such concerns. But now, they resurfaced in her mind.

The exhilaration from interpreting the drawing quickly faded, replaced by a growing sense of self-reproach. Han Seori pressed her temples to suppress a sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

“…We'll talk Later.”

Not wanting to discuss it in front of 7496-KR, Han Seori shook her head at Kim Cheonsu’s curious expression.

In truth, her actions and thoughts weren’t all that unusual. After all, Han Seori had been the first to suggest “using” 7496-KR upon recognizing her potential. Her primary motivation had been to keep 7496-KR out of the hands of the now-disgraced director.

…Am I really any different from that director?

Though she didn’t know the director’s exact intentions for 7496-KR, the weight of her own choices felt heavier than ever.

Feeling a sense of suffocation, Han Seori patted the jelly girl’s head as she wiggled her antennae and spoke:

“So, you wanted a TV back? Alright. I’ll have one ready while you’re off working. And something else too…”

Even as she made the promise, Han Seori felt it wasn’t enough. She began considering what else she could give the jelly girl.

She recalled a scene she had seen on camera, where the jelly girl had admired Unit 2’s clothes, gently touching them as though in envy.

…Does she want clothes?

Or is it specifically the ones made by Yang Hana?

I don’t know.

Then why not prepare both?

With this thought, Han Seori imagined the perfect outfit to gift the jelly girl. Given her adorable appearance, anything would likely suit her. The idea brought a small smile to Han Seori’s face, lifting her spirits slightly.

While Han Seori still hadn’t decided how to treat the jelly girl, she resolved to at least reward her efforts.

The jelly girl’s dedication to protecting them during the steel snake incident deserved recognition.

Yes, this much should be fine.

Convincing herself, Han Seori worked to calm her conflicted emotions. Watching the jelly girl brighten at the mention of a reward, Han Seori felt a sharp pang in her chest.

To suppress the feeling, she began explaining their destination to the jelly girl in simple terms she could understand.

Even so, Han Seori couldn’t completely quiet her restless heart.

Perhaps the seed planted within her was beginning to stir.

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