Chapter 25: Chapter 24: It’s You!

“Uh, um.”

Han Seori raised her drowsy body. She got up from the bed, stared at the mirror with a dazed face, went into the bathroom, tidied up briefly, and came out.

It seemed like the effects of the drink she had last night on impulse still lingered.

As she sat in a chair and recalled what happened yesterday, what came to her mind again was the thought of the slime girl.

The more she thought about it, the more regret she felt.

The regret that… she could have done a little better.

But what can she do about the spilled water? Unless there was an anomaly that could turn back time.

There was no way such a convenient anomaly existed.

…Even if there was, well.

It didn’t seem like it would lead to a very good ending.

The lamentation ended there.

Han Seori picked up her notebook and employee ID and left the room.

She had the misfortune of running into the director on the way, but since there were many eyes watching, the director was busy pretending to be friendly with a hearty laugh, so she didn’t feel bad.

Naturally, the place she arrived at was the isolation room where the slime girl was being held.

But for some reason, it was a little noisy in front of the isolation room.

Feeling suspicious, Han Seori cautiously approached the isolation room, hiding her footsteps.

And she saw familiar silhouettes.

‘…They look like people from the suppression team.’

They seemed to be the ones who had given the slime girl the terrible nickname ‘Damn Snot’.

Realizing their identities, Han Seori scratched her head.

Could it be that they gathered here to take revenge for making them wander in the sewers?

…No way.

Unless it was an anomaly that wasn’t officially ‘secured’, it didn’t make sense for them to do such a thing to an anomaly that was properly isolated.

In the first place, it was something they had to risk their lives to do, and this place wasn’t lenient enough to let that slide.

‘…Unless there was a higher-up who turned a blind eye to it.’

For example… someone like the director?

Well… even if the slime girl seemed easy, they wouldn’t gather like this and openly try to mess with her.

Then why were they gathering?

The question turned into suspicion, and Han Seori carefully approached them from behind.

They seemed to be examining the inside of the isolation room, with the internal screen turned on.

And there… was of course the image of the slime girl reflected.

“Hmm…?”

Seeing that, Han Seori inadvertently let out a voice. Hearing her voice, the suppression team, startled, looked at Han Seori, but her attention seemed to be already focused on the screen.

On the screen, the slime girl was wriggling while holding a doll.

She wasn’t just playing with the doll, the scale was quite large.

She gathered the toys that were put into the isolation room, placed the wriggling jelly-like substance in the center, and surrounded it….

“It seems she remembers what happened in the sewers.”

“Ah, I see… I think I read about it in the report.”

At the voice that suddenly came, Han Seori realized the source of the déjà vu.

It looked like they were surrounding the jelly-like substance in the center.

…That was what it was called, but since there were plenty of toys and dolls, it was a rather cute sight.

‘She must have liked it.’

By the way.

“Why are you all here?”

Han Seori, who turned off the video by manipulating the panel, stared at the gathered people as if interrogating them.

Those who were questioned examined Han Seori’s face while clearing their throats and muttered in a small voice.

“We just came to see what kind of face it has. It made us suffer so much, can’t we at least see its face?”

“Hmm… is that so? You didn’t come to do something bad…”

At Han Seori’s doubtful voice, they waved their hands and shook their heads.

“Oh, how could that be?”

“I guess so…?”

They exchanged awkward laughs and disappeared beyond the corridor.

After confirming that, Han Seori manipulated the panel again to display the internal video and smiled unknowingly.

‘…Even if they came with bad intentions, seeing this would make them lose that desire.’

Anyway.

Seeing that the slime girl liked the toys, Han Seori, who put them in, felt satisfied, but on the other hand, it was a bit chilling.

…It seemed she clearly remembered the incident in the sewers, so she would probably remember what Han Seori had done as well.

But what can she do?

“…”

It was what she had to do.

Han Seori stood there for a while, blankly taking in the sight of the slime girl, and then moved her feet.

At my age, playing with dolls couldn’t be particularly fun.

In the first place, I couldn’t even remember when I had played with them, so I impulsively named the one that was close to me, but there didn’t seem to be much to do.

So, using Alice as a pillow, I briefly lost consciousness.

…Saying I lost consciousness may sound a bit strange, but to explain it in terms of this body, it could be said that I fell asleep.

Surprisingly, if I wanted to sleep, I could do something roughly similar.

This body seemed to not get tired if it had energy, but I was a human, so I felt mental fatigue.

So, how long had it been since I fell asleep hugging Alice?

Since the passage of time wasn’t felt here either, in fact, it might not have been that long since I fell asleep.

Still, I felt a sense of refreshment, so I looked around.

I still see scattered toys and wriggling jelly-like substances.

Come to think of it, I named the doll I saw for the first time today, but I didn’t name that one.

…I can’t call it a trash can either, so it would be good to give it a name.

I can’t call it anyway.

Many name candidates passed by, but none of them were particularly appealing.

Alice looked just like Alice, but when I looked at the jelly-like substance, nothing came to mind.

I can’t call it Liar either, you know. For some reason, I was worried that if I gave it that name, it might eat me up someday.

…Even if it would disappear immediately if I swallowed it, it’s an absurd imagination, but don’t they say there’s some power in names?

Then….

Wouldn’t Daesik be a good name for it?

It’s a name that feels somewhat affectionate and somehow looks loyal.

So.

…Now what?

Not knowing how much time has passed means that time feels like an eternity to me.

It’s a fresh realization, but smartphones and computers melt time tremendously, and I realize it only after becoming this body.

But it would be nice to have them anyway.

It’s odd to have this thought when I was trembling until a while ago, but now that there’s no immediate threat in front of me, I feel like the curiosity that was suppressed inside me is coming back to life.

Get out of here and run away?

Well.

I, who looked around instead of just lying down and sleeping, couldn’t find a way to escape from here.

Isn’t it a cliché to have a way to escape through a vent or something?

When you feel disappointed by the strictness, you naturally reminisce about your glorious days.

When were my glorious days?

Ironically, I want to pick the time when I was in the sewers.

Although I could only put tasteless things in my… not mouth, but body, it was a time when I could drive away even armed people and make my own choices.

The sweetness of freedom… is that what it is?

When I came to my senses, I found myself already moving to gather the surrounding toys to express that time.

…Is this what auto-hunting is?

It might just be an excuse.

Anyway.

Now that I’ve gathered them like this, it’s more exciting than I thought.

In the center, Daesik was playing the role of a crocodile, and the dolls, including Alice, took on the roles of the armed group that came to find the crocodile and me at that time.

They didn’t have the weapons they were holding, but it could be called a doll pl… no, a soldier play.

As expected, it was clear that people go crazy when they have nothing to do.

I thought so.

But I couldn’t help but find this trivial play fun.

Just as the crocodile couldn’t kill anyone, it’s natural that Daesik can’t eat anything either, right?

The operation begins and the dolls gradually move towards Daesik.

…They were moving, led by my sticky hands.

The dolls that passed through the wall of toys and reached near Daesik….

What am I doing?

Instead of a sigh, only bubbling sounds were heard.

The moment I lay on the floor feeling self-loathing.

The sound of the closed door opening was heard, so I hurriedly threw Alice in my hand into the corner.

The thought of being caught by an adult woman playing with dolls as a grown-up was dizzying.

Then.

“Hehe….”

The familiar woman smiled somewhat contentedly and lifted me up.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I was too excited… Anyway, I’m glad to see you like my gift.”

…Could it be that she saw everything I was doing until a moment ago?

How?

Co, could you see me from the outside too…?

While I was bubbling in shock, the woman who put me down picked up the doll from the corner and put it in my hand.

“I’ll bring you more if they break, so play with them as much as you want.”

No, that’s not what I mean.

She seemed to believe that I would understand what she said.

Wait a minute.

…Does that mean she noticed that there’s a person inside this jelly?

Then… why is she treating me like this?

It might not matter at all… that I’m a person.

A sense of unease slowly rose that I might face even more terrible things if they knew I was a person.

Even that woman who was smiling kindly at me.

In the end… she’s a woman who belongs to this strange group, isn’t she?

Even if a way to let them know I’m a person appears.

Is it really safe to let them know that?

My dilemma deepened.

In the meantime.

Something large entered the room.