Suddenly, I Became a Slime

Ominous premonitions never miss.

Every time I’ve bought a lottery ticket thinking, “This time I’m going to win!”, I’ve ended up not even getting a measly 5,000 won, let alone the first prize.

Good premonitions always miss, and bad premonitions always hit the mark.

Maybe this world is a simulation? Maybe I’ve become jelly because of some electrical stimulus, and some mad scientist is observing it all with a sinister grin.

…Okay, that’s a bit too much.

But, come on, can you blame me for being suspicious when this keeps happening?

Weird singularities pop up everywhere, and the idea of this world being a grand simulation—

I decided to stop thinking about it.

Even if this really is a simulation there’s nothing I can do about it, and assuming it is, makes me feel like a terribly depressed jelly.

When those two people burst into my room, I thought they’d come to report hostile drones. But instead, they seemed more shocked to see Yang Hana cleaning the orb than anything else.

It felt like the order of what should be surprising had been flipped.

A floating orb seems less dangerous than armed drones, after all.

Well… If you think about it, the orb controlling those drones does make some sense.

But that wasn’t the issue.

After checking on Yang Hana, the two of them hoisted me up and marched off to the management room.

A sense of unease crept in as the scene felt strangely familiar. Sure enough…

Sitting in the management room, setting the mood, they pitched their idea to me: “Hey, Jelly, let’s tackle this one thing together.”

Of course, it was about dealing with another singularity, like that bland lump of meat or those canned goods.

By now, I wasn’t even surprised by these kinds of requests, but something about it made my jelly-like body stir.

You see, the tasks I’ve handled so far were about proving my necessity or preventing disaster.

…But haven’t I proven myself enough already?

It’s not like I’m saying I don’t want to do it.

I’m not one to change my tune like night and day.

I do find engaging with these things interesting.

…And maybe it’s because, in this form, I don’t feel particularly threatened.

But that’s not the point.

Now that I’ve proven my worth, shouldn’t I get some compensation in return?

In stories, that’s how it goes, right?

If you make a deal with a demon to get what you want, you have to offer tribute… Tribute sounds a bit much. Let’s call it an offering.

I hate to bring it up, but if they want to use an anomaly, they should pay the price… right?

Even as a human-turned-jelly, I felt I deserved compensation.

Otherwise, wouldn’t this basically make me a slave?

I didn’t want to think of Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu as outdated racists.

It’s the modern age; slavery is unthinkable! I refuse to make them out to be such terrible people.

So, getting compensation from them… or even the higher-ups… is the right thing to do.

But money is meaningless to me in this form.

…Since it’s come to this, wouldn’t it be nice to get something I’ve always wanted?

Like that TV Sosik loves so much.

Ah, Sosik is so lucky, really.

Yang Hana makes clothes for him, and I’m about to go on a mission to fetch a TV for him.

…It’s definitely not because I want it, though. This is all for Sosik.

Anyway, if I play my cards right, I might not get just a TV, but other things as well.

I don’t know exactly what situation I’m in, but since this proposal has come up, it means there’s a chance.

So.

…I decided to play hard to get for a bit.

Negotiating for what you want sometimes requires a little acting.

Accepting too quickly would just lower my value.

So I puffed myself up, putting on a show of reluctance, and looked around for a way to communicate since I couldn’t speak.

What I didn’t expect was how visibly flustered Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu became when I acted disinterested.

Seeing that made me realize my worth was higher than I thought, and I felt a little guilty about the act.

But what can I do? Even as a jelly, I’m a stellar actor. My talent just overflows.

Ahem.

…Wait, was I always like this?

I’m not sure anymore.

I couldn’t remember clearly.

Anyways.

When I spotted a sketchbook and pen on the management room table, I decided the timing was right. I picked them up and, after some deliberation, wrote something down.

I thought being too serious would seem strange, so I chose some trendy phrasing.

But since the response wasn’t quite what I wanted, I decided to draw what I wanted directly.

The last time the jellies saw my drawing they went on a fridge expedition, so I figured it should work this time too.

…Although remembering how that expedition turned out did make me a little anxious.

Besides, drawing seemed to fit my current form quite well.

Immersing myself in creative activity after so long felt refreshing.

Once my masterpiece was done, I showed it to the two of them.

For some reason, their reaction was again… different from what I expected. As I swelled with pride, the jellies seemed puzzled.

“Is this… a TV?”

As expected, Han Seori, ever the scientist, identified the drawing and began interpreting it correctly.

Before long, I had secured a promise to get what I wanted. Even though I felt a bit off about it, I was satisfied with the success.

…Well.

Not every part of a jelly can be perfect, right?

Maybe the two of them found it hard to grasp my jelly-drawn art because they’re human.

…Or maybe it’s because I didn’t draw much as a human. If I practice moving as a jelly more, wouldn’t my drawings improve?

As I resolved to improve internally, Han Seori’s expression while patting me on the head took a serious turn.

“So, you really wanted a TV again. Alright. I’ll prepare it while you’re out on the job. Anything else…?”

She was clearly saying she’d get me what I wanted, but why did my jelly body shudder with unease?

They’re even offering bonuses on top of what I asked for.

Is this an ominous premonition?

Or is it a good one?

I don’t know whether to feel excited or worried.

With that unsettled feeling…

I listened to Han Seori’s explanation and decided where to go next.

I placed a hand on the orb and conveyed my intentions.

I told it to keep the place safe while I was out.

…Who knows what might happen while I’m gone?

I hope nothing does, but being prepared doesn’t hurt.

The orb’s drones were well-armed, so most threats should be manageable.

After relaying my instructions, the orb, silent for a moment, spoke.

[Does that include the inferior species within this facility?]

What a dumb question.

Always scheming to get rid of people, I was glad I addressed this beforehand.

The orb might’ve “accidentally” disposed of someone like Yang Hana while I was away.

That would upset many jellies and humans, and I don’t want that.

Leaving a stern warning with the orb, I approached the jellies next.

Daesik and Jungsik toddled over to me when I came close, bumping into me with little hops.

Did they sense I was leaving for a bit?

Adorable creatures.

I’m heading out to fetch a TV, so wait here patiently.

Then, an amazing sight caught my attention.

Sosik, who had been lying on the bed like a corpse, wiggled upright and waved his tiny hand at me.

It didn’t seem like a “Get lost” gesture… so I think he was saying, “Have a safe trip.”

Seeing that made my jelly self feel a little emotional. So, you do have a conscience, huh?

Alright, I’m doing this for you, you know?

…Or at least, that’s what I think I’m doing.

After watching Sosik flop back down, I turned to leave. This time, Yang Hana, the human in charge of this room, looked at me with worried eyes.

“You… you’re going on a dangerous mission, right? W-we’ll see each other again, won’t we?”

She seemed like someone seeing a family member off to the front lines.

…Which isn’t entirely wrong.

It’s a strange feeling.

To reassure her, I patted her shoulder lightly and waddled out of the room with all the coolness I could muster.

When I reached the management room, Kim Cheonsu was waiting, geared up for our outing.

In his hands…

Was something very familiar.

Wait a second.

Before I could react, Kim Cheonsu approached and spoke softly.

“Ah, you’re here. Shall we go?”

As he spoke, he clicked open the familiar-looking box.

…Despite my cool exit earlier, I had to cram my body into a small, cramped container.

Nobody told me this was how we’d travel.

This is a scam!

And so, with Han Seori seeing me off…

I left the facility I had grown attached to, accompanied by an ordinary guy.

…Naturally, I was stuffed inside that box, tucked away in a bag.

I couldn’t see anything.

…I hadn’t even done anything yet, but I already wanted to go home.

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