Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Waiting, Yet Again

In accordance with my current lifestyle, I should be in my personal room at this time.

The slime creatures, Han Seori, and I were still in the management room.

Of course, the strangely floating sphere was also with us.

The reason we remained in the management room wasn’t all that grand.

It was simply because Kim Cheonsu hadn’t returned even though it was time for him to be back.

…Is it a big deal?

Honestly, Kim Cheonsu isn’t a little kid…

I thought it was a bit of an overreaction to be worried when not even a day had passed.

But Han Seori’s reaction was a bit strange.

She seemed to have an ominous feeling about Kim Cheonsu not returning on time.

Hmm.

Why is she acting like that?

After pondering for a moment, one possibility came to mind.

The possibility that Han Seori also has special feelings for Kim Cheonsu.

In other words… love between a man and a woman, not just a businesslike relationship.

If that’s the case, it would be understandable.

If that’s true, it means the two of them are in the fresh, youthful stages of a romantic relationship…

I’ve heard that at that stage, even the slightest mishap involving your partner can make your heart sink.

Like becoming anxious if they don’t answer their phone for even five minutes.

…It seems a bit different, but wouldn’t it be somewhat similar?

But…

From what I’ve observed so far, while Kim Cheonsu seems to have a huge crush on Han Seori…

Han Seori’s feelings were a bit ambiguous.

It didn’t seem like she particularly disliked Kim Cheonsu, but she also didn’t seem particularly drawn to him.

My eyes, which have witnessed office romances blossom, fall apart, and end in resignations, are certain of this.

They say even a tree will fall after a hundred strikes, but is Han Seori an ordinary person?

If she was, she wouldn’t have the title of Doctor at her age—

Come to think of it.

…I wonder how old Han Seori really is?

Suddenly, I became curious.

Actually, I had vaguely thought she was young just by looking at her face…

With this in mind, I focused my gaze on Han Seori’s face.

Smooth skin.

Beautiful eyes that seem cold but exude warmth.

Gorgeous appearance.

I could understand why Kim Cheonsu would be captivated, but I didn’t particularly think she looked old.

…She’s probably the age she looks, right?

Could it be… she’s actually much older but feels awkward about Kim Cheonsu’s affection because she’s a super youthful-looking person?

Nah, that’s unlikely.

Just look at her.

As I was absentmindedly imagining, I felt Han Seori’s gaze on me.

After looking at me for a moment, she wordlessly spread her arms out to both sides.

I wondered what she was doing, but she seemed to be asking for a hug.

See, this is what I’m talking about.

This kind of person can’t possibly be much older but just looks youthful.

Although she may appear cold and intellectual at a glance, she also has this vulnerable side.

If she were older, she would have a more… weathered feeling from the years.

Her vulnerable side was exposed, and she seemed to feel anxious and uneasy about Kim Cheonsu.

Do you know how hugging a big stuffed animal or pillow can have a calming effect?

She probably thought hugging me for a bit would have that effect.

…I didn’t particularly like being treated like a big stuffed animal or pillow, but considering our time together so far, I decided to oblige.

As I carefully approached, she pulled me into an embrace and leaned back in her chair.

Before long, she began stroking my jelly and murmured.

“Don’t worry too much. He’ll be back soon.”

…Wait, did she think I was worried about Kim Cheonsu?

I would have dropped my jaw if I had one at this absurd misunderstanding, but I remained quietly nestled in her arms.

The warmth of a human’s embrace felt nice, just like when I had nestled in her arms a moment ago.

In the meantime,

Daesik, who had also gone down to the floor with me, toddled over and raised his arms.

Enjoying the luxury of being held in Han Seori’s arms, I didn’t want this to be interrupted, so I stretched out my tentacles.

…No, I didn’t use my tentacles to chase Daesik away.

I used them to pick him up and hold him in my arms.

Satisfied with this, he snuggled his stuffed body against my jelly.

“Oh my, heehee…”

I think Han Seori is satisfied as well.

As I blankly stole Han Seori’s body heat, Jungsik, who had been floating around, approached me.

Then,

He vigorously bumped his body against my knowledge pouch and sprayed jelly from his back.

Startled by the sudden assault, I blinked my jelly.

What is he doing this time?

Hit by the jelly sprayed by Jungsik, Han Seori’s body trembled, but upon realizing it was just sticky, she took a handkerchief out of her pocket.

“Why is he acting like this…?”

Wiping her face with the handkerchief, Han Seori looked at me with a hint of confusion in her voice.

Her expression seemed to say, “You know, don’t you?”

…I don’t know either.

Surprisingly, even though they separated from me, they can’t communicate with me.

Reflecting on what happened inside the whale’s stomach… somehow, I was able to give them commands.

But two-way communication doesn’t work.

It’s like a general giving orders to soldiers, but not taking orders from them.

In that sense, the sphere is a special case.

So it’s kind of precious.

Anyway.

Since I didn’t know why he was acting that way either, I shrugged my jelly.

*Grumble.*

I felt a vibration on my back.

Focusing on the source of the vibration, I saw Han Seori’s stomach.

Ah.

In other words… um, it seems Han Seori’s “belly clock” went off.

Did she feel me looking?

Han Seori made an “oh my” sound with a slightly flushed face.

“Oh, that’s right, we haven’t eaten yet! Maybe he’s acting that way because he’s hungry? Yeah… it’s past mealtime…”

You don’t have to be so embarrassed.

Giggling to myself, I remembered that we had just been waiting because Kim Cheonsu said he would bring back something tasty.

I felt like I had energy stored up even if I didn’t eat regularly.

That feeling became more distinct after eating the canned food.

I think it was the same before, but after that, I could feel that energy relatively clearly.

Anyway.

What Han Seori is rambling about may not be entirely wrong.

Unlike me, the other slimes probably need to consume nutrients regularly, even if not punctually.

…No, no matter how you look at it, picking a fight and spraying jelly from your back isn’t the right way to ask for a meal, is it?

Who on earth taught him to do that?

I really want to see his parents’ faces.

…Wouldn’t that be me?

Honestly, it’s a bit weird to say I gave birth to them.

I simply released something that was boiling up inside me to the outside.

So it’s also strange to say I discarded them rather than gave birth…

…I don’t know.

Thinking like this, Sosik seems angelic.

Because he just sleeps without causing any problems.

Without sighing since I don’t have lungs, I bubbled my jelly and pointed to the kitchen.

…It’s a bit big to be called a kitchen, but for now, it’s the kitchen.

With an awkward smile, Han Seori, Daesik still nestled in my arms, Jungsik happily spraying jelly after finally getting what he wanted, and even the floating sphere with Sosik sleeping on top…

The somewhat boisterous procession headed to the kitchen.

Then I had this thought.

…Why isn’t the sphere, which calls Han Seori an “inferior species,” saying anything after seeing Jungsik’s behaviour?

Does it tolerate it because it knows I have a close relationship with that existence?

It’s a fact that Han Seori is smarter than Jungsik.

Perhaps the sphere’s criteria for labelling something an “inferior species” may not be intelligence.

While pondering this, we arrived at the kitchen.

I had to stop Han Seori, who was rolling up her sleeves to cook.

I couldn’t forget the scene I witnessed last time when we went camping.

Han Seori looks at me with a face that seems somehow disappointed.

“This is a chance to practice when Cheonsu isn’t here.”

Well.

This may sound rude, but… it might be better not to do it at all.

Just as I can’t speak, Han Seori can’t cook.

Well… I may learn how to speak in the future, but I don’t see any prospects in Han Seori.

Anyway.

Using the ingredients from the storage room, we cobbled together a rough meal and returned to the management room.

Even during that time, Kim Cheonsu did not return.

“…Hmm.”

With a serious expression, Han Seori began manipulating the panel to check something.

I also became a bit serious.

I prayed that nothing had happened, but why does it feel like things are getting complicated?

Placing my hand on the sphere, I asked it.

I asked if it could send repair drones outside the facility.

Not possible.

This guy just says it’s not possible without giving a reason.

A large amount of resources have been allocated to this facility, so it is not possible.

Yeah, thanks for the considerate answer.

What a strangely useful yet ambiguous fellow.

Is this the kind of thing that leads to an AI rebellion later on?

…Could it be that Sosik is keeping a close eye on him in case he develops strange intentions?

Haha.

There’s no way.

It was the funniest joke I had thought of since becoming jelly.

Sighing as there was nothing I could do at the moment.

“…What on earth is he doing here?”

Han Seori muttered with her eyes tightly furrowed.

On the screen she was looking at, a red dot was blinking.

Huh.

Why is it gradually fading?

“Where the hell is this place?”

Wearing a large backpack, Kim Cheonsu stood in a snowy field, covered in snow like a snowman.

Behind him, the footprints he had left were quickly erased by the falling snow.

“…This is crazy.”

Looking around at his unfamiliar surroundings, Kim Cheonsu thought.

‘…At least I have a lot of food.’

Why is the weather suddenly like this?

Feeling at a loss, he let out a deep sigh, and his breath rose into the air like fog.

In his eyes, an unprecedented blizzard was pouring down, the likes of which he had never experienced before.

For now,

He needed to find a place to take shelter from the snow.

Otherwise, it seemed he would be buried in it.