Suddenly, I Became a Slime

The peculiar scene shifted the attention of those tipping their glasses toward the jelly girl and Han Seori.

Unlike Hwangbo Yul, who had a somewhat awkward expression, the group accustomed to the combination of Han Seori and the jelly girl found it an unusual sight.

Han Seori, who usually cradled the jelly girl affectionately, now shook her head with a stiff expression. In contrast, the jelly girl, seated with a pout, swung her legs discontentedly.

The jelly girl didn’t seem aware of her leg-swinging, though the angle looked precarious. The wiggling jelly appeared somewhat cute, resembling a swaying jellyfish.

Those watching her flailing blue legs soon noticed the long brown bottle wrapped tightly in the jelly girl’s tendrils.

It was so securely held that it was hard to discern its contents without the bottle resting on the table.

Meanwhile, Han Seori’s pale fingers prevented the jelly girl from grabbing the beer.

Han Seori seemed to be stopping the jelly girl from taking the beer, but the scene was quite odd.

Considering the jelly girl’s strength, far exceeding that of Han Seori, their standoff suggested the jelly girl was letting her win.

‘Reflecting on what I've observed… it’s clear the jelly girl is holding back.’

Had she not, Han Seori’s resistance would have been meaningless, and the jelly girl would have likely taken as much beer as she wanted. This wasn’t limited to beer.

Based on reports from their early encounters, it would have been almost impossible to stop the jelly girl now.

If the jelly girl harbored ill intentions, she could likely erase everyone here without a trace and disappear to a place where no one could find her.

However, she showed no signs of wanting to do so. If she were quietly amassing power while pretending to comply, she would have already achieved it. But the jelly girl continued to cautiously approach actions that went against Han Seori’s wishes.

Given the jelly girl’s impulsive nature, she should have already smashed the beer bottle over her head. While she was resolving incidents in the “Swamp,” her patience wasn’t apparent.

But here, her tolerance was lacking to the point where even chocolate on a tray could tempt her.

Thus, the jelly girl’s behavior indicated one thing:

Her goodwill toward Han Seori and others was genuine. If it weren’t, a major incident would have already occurred. Though it couldn’t be ruled out as an elaborate act….

“When you grow up a bit more, I’ll let you try it. So… can you relax? Please?”

“When you grow… that’s not…”

“…Han, what are you saying?”

Seeing her cheeks puffing up in frustration from being denied the beer made Hwangbo Yul feel guilty for even doubting her sincerity. It felt like doubting a genuinely innocent child, causing her heart to ache.

Still, this was part of the reason Hwangbo Yul had come. With slightly glassy eyes, she continued to observe the jelly girl.

She didn’t seem to realize it herself, but Hwangbo Yul kept tipping her glass. Each time her glass emptied, Yang Hana enthusiastically refilled it, exclaiming, “Your glass is empty, senior!” Even Kim Cheonsu, watching from the side, assumed Hwangbo Yul naturally drank a lot.

Time passed.

As the mood grew livelier and the jelly girl gave up on beer, shifting her attention to snacks and food…

Thud!

“Hmm…?”

“Senior?”

“?”

Hwangbo Yul, with slightly tipsy eyes, suddenly stood up, startling the group, who turned to her in confusion. Meanwhile, the jelly girl continued reaching for food as if to emphasize her rejection of alcohol.

Hwangbo Yul staggered slightly before approaching the jelly girl, who turned her head toward her. And then…

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Uh…?”

With the others’ puzzled murmurs, a long brown bottle was planted atop the jelly girl’s head.

Glug glug glug glug.

The uncapped beer bottle began pouring its contents onto the jelly girl’s head with alarming speed. As the bottle’s level dropped, golden liquid bubbled and spread across the jelly girl’s surface, which stiffened in shock.

Among those present, Han Seori recovered first.

“What exactly are you doing?”

She sounded more curious than angry, her face showing confusion rather than fury. Smirking, Hwangbo Yul planted another beer bottle on the jelly girl’s head and said:

“She seems to want to drink it. She’s not really a child anyway, so what does it matter?”

“That’s true… but…”

“She’s not human; she’s an anomaly. Have you all forgotten that?”

…

Hwangbo Yul’s slurred but articulate words made Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu glance away while Yang Hana nervously scanned the room.

Meanwhile, the jelly girl’s head, now filled with beer, continued to bubble.

Looking around the now-quiet room, Hwangbo Yul scratched her head.

“…I didn’t mean to ruin the mood, but… sigh.”

She then hugged the jelly girl, who was still stiff with a beer bottle stuck on her head. Despite earlier comments about her being an anomaly, the scene felt oddly humanizing.

Unperturbed, the drunken Hwangbo Yul patted the jelly girl’s back and murmured:

“Well… I can see why you might not feel that way, but… ah, you’re so cool and refreshing.”

Holding the beer-bubbling jelly girl, Hwangbo Yul chuckled, her face flushed. Han Seori, realizing how intoxicated she was, looked at the pile of bottles on the table.

She sighed and glanced at Kim Cheonsu, who waved his hands frantically.

“I didn’t give them to her!”

“Then you should have stopped her.”

Sighing again, Han Seori turned her attention to Yang Hana, who flinched and laughed nervously.

“She kept asking for refills… I couldn’t let her glass stay empty, right?”

“Let’s be more cautious next time.”

“Understood!”

While the three sorted out blame, Hwangbo Yul, still hugging the jelly girl, nuzzled against her, lightly kissed her, and promptly fell asleep in her chair.

The jelly girl, caught in her arms, glanced at the others, clearly unsure of what to do.

But Han Seori and Kim Cheonsu’s expressions weren’t encouraging. After all, despite being drunk, Hwangbo Yul hadn’t been wrong in her assessment.

The question of the jelly girl’s nature—something they’d tried to ignore—resurfaced. Sighing, Han Seori grabbed her glass and downed her beer.

She then gently pulled the jelly girl out of Hwangbo Yul’s arms and chuckled softly.

“Well, it’s already inside you. Just enjoy it. But if you cause any trouble… you know what will happen, right?”

Grinning, the jelly girl quickly absorbed the beer and used her tendrils to scoop up snacks from the table, shoving them inside her.

Han Seori watched, deep in thought, before hugging the jelly girl tightly. Unable to reach a conclusion, she sighed softly and turned to Yang Hana and Kim Cheonsu.

“The main guest is asleep, so let’s end the welcome party here. You two, can you take Hwangbo Yul to her room?”

“Of course!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll take this one back to her room.”

Declaring her intentions, Han Seori walked out with slightly unsteady steps. Her departing figure carried a hint of melancholy.