Suddenly, I Became a Slime

Rewinding time a little.

While the humans in the control room exchanged awkward glances, the jelly girl, troubled by a lingering thought, arrived at a specific location to resolve it. Trailing behind her were her jelly companions and a portion of Daesik’s jelly squad, following like ducklings.

Watching the trailing jelly procession, the jelly girl chuckled softly, her gaze landing on Sosik, standing sullenly amidst the group.

So, you came after all, even though you didn’t want to.

She recalled Sosik hesitatingly glancing around while the other jellies rushed out. She smiled knowingly, proud of her intuition.

“Sosik only sleeps all the time because there’s nothing else to do.”

Her assumption wasn’t entirely wrong. Before installing the TV, Sosik did nothing but sleep, but after its installation, it became completely absorbed.

The jelly girl concluded:

Jellies, or rather anomalies, are no match for dopamine.

...But isn’t that no different from now?

Thinking this, she decided Sosik needed a new hobby.

That’s why she chose this location: a place to resolve her own concerns and create a new pastime for Sosik and the other jellies.

The destination was none other than the bathroom.

The jelly girl shook the basket in her hand as she stepped into the bathhouse.

Excited at the thought of bathing after so long, she moved with a spring in her step.

Sliiip!

Thud! Splash! Splat!

She slipped on the slippery floor, likely wet from previous use. Her slick, jelly-like body spun lightly before crashing onto the cold bathhouse floor.

As she lay sprawled on the ground, the contents of her basket spilled over her.

The items were things Han Seori and Yang Hana had packed for her when she said she wanted to bathe.

‘...What the.’

Had she been human, she’d have ended up in the hospital. But being a jelly, she simply stood up, a small rubber duck perched atop her head. Flustered by the eyes on her, she awkwardly waved her arms.

‘See? I’m fine!’

What the heck! Why is the floor so slippery? Who used it last? Was it you, Cheonsu? It had to be, right?

Blaming the blameless Kim Cheonsu—this was, after all, the women’s bath—she grumbled.

Eventually, after her embarrassment subsided, she took in her surroundings.

The bathhouse was larger than expected.

To her, it seemed absurdly oversized, almost bigger than the room she used to live in. While it made sense for a shared facility, she had no such explanation and felt a bit down.

“This makes me feel... small.”

But she quickly perked up.

“This is my home now, isn’t it? So, it’s mine too.”

Her eyes then landed on the row of showerheads, realizing this wasn’t meant for individual use. Nodding, she thought:

“Makes sense. Efficiency is key, after all.”

Clearing her throat, she wondered:

“Where should I start?”

Excited by the grandeur of the space, she forgot her initial purpose of addressing her unease and finding hobbies for the jellies. Instead, her antennae twitched eagerly.

Though she used Sosik as an excuse, the jelly girl was just as deprived of stimulation.

Momentarily forgetting the other jellies, she squelched her way to the bathtub.

Rather than the massive communal bath she expected, she found a pristine white tub reminiscent of a spacious home or hotel.

“Oh.”

Nice.

Her human home never had a bathtub, making her strangely fascinated by them. This one fulfilled her odd longing.

“It’s bigger than I thought.”

Unaware of her reduced size, she entered the tub and touched its smooth surface. Blocking the drain, she turned the faucet to fill it.

“Can’t bathe without water, right?”

However, the tub’s size meant it would take a while.

Placing the duck in the water, she left the tub and approached the jellies, herding them toward the showerhead.

Whoosh!

!!!?

She turned on the hot water, drenching the jellies. The droplets splattered on them. Jungsik bubbled with delight, spraying jelly in response, while Sosik stared blankly at the falling water.

The most frantic reaction came from...

...Daesik, wearing the clothes Yang Hana had made. Wet and confused, it clung to her leg.

“Oh.”

Realizing Daesik was wearing a doll suit, she scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“But isn’t washing people just like showering? Washing clothes is just laundry, right?”

Avoiding Daesik’s gaze, she picked up the fallen shampoo and body wash.

Pondering them, she thought:

“Does it matter which is which? What’s the difference anyway? Don’t people use soap for hair, body, and laundry?”

Giving up on understanding, she squeezed both onto her palm and reached for the soaked Daesik.

She began scrubbing Daesik’s body, the blue liquid turning into white foam. Soon, the doll’s body was covered in suds. Flapping its arms in apparent joy, Daesik seemed to enjoy it.

‘Stay still, will you?’

Her reaction was cold. Annoyed by its wriggling, she muttered about wishing she had water-element jelly.

Noticing other jellies watching expectantly, she sighed. Using her tendrils, she lathered them with foam, delighting them as they bounced around.

She then turned to Jungsik, coating it with bubbles, transforming it into a fluffy whale.

Finally, Sosik’s turn came. Rarely showing interest, its sparkling eyes motivated her.

‘Hmm.’

She thought:

‘Is this what they mean by giving the brat an extra treat?’

Despite feeling odd, she lathered Sosik without issue. Though its humanoid form reminded her of her pre-jelly self, she had grown used to it.

Surrounded by sudsy jellies, she sighed.

“Feels like I’m on a cloud.”

The jellies then rushed her, sharing their bubbles. Overwhelmed, she gagged on the taste of shampoo and body wash.

Fleeing to the showerhead, she rinsed herself and the jellies clean.

After the bubble chaos, they entered the now overflowing tub together.

Submerged, she grumbled:

“Why is this tub so big?”

Floating, she chuckled at Daesik bobbing nearby. Sosik lay at the bottom, eyes closed, while Jungsik floated beside the duck.

The jelly squad sprawled contentedly.

Watching them, she thought bathing wasn’t so bad after all.

Until Han Seori arrived from the control room.

“Still bathing? What in the world is this?”