Suddenly, I Became a Slime

Han Seori opened the bathroom door and felt a wave of surprise.

When the jelly girl had first mentioned using the bathroom, it struck her as unexpected.

‘What is this all of a sudden?’

Such thoughts weren’t unreasonable. After all, Han Seori, who always carried the jelly girl around, had never noticed any unpleasant smell emanating from her.

While not completely odorless, the faint scent she occasionally detected was more reminiscent of whatever food the jelly girl had consumed that day—hardly an offensive smell. Moreover, the scent quickly dissipated, leaving no lingering trace.

So, when the jelly girl expressed a desire to bathe, it prompted Han Seori to think deeply.

Where had the jelly girl encountered the concept of bathing? Could it have been from the recently installed TV? But… did such scenes still air on TV? Han Seori couldn’t be sure since she hadn’t watched in so long.

Regardless of the source, the fact that the jelly girl wanted to emulate human activities weighed on her mind.

What was the underlying motivation? Was it merely curiosity sparked by TV, or did it stem from a desire to understand human habits?

Hwangbo Yul hadn’t been wrong, leaving Han Seori without a counterargument. Intellectually, she understood the perspective. After all, her past self would have likely said the same thing.

But the jelly girl’s existence was far too alien.

An anomaly, yet unlike any anomaly Han Seori had ever encountered—an intricate paradox.

Even the scene unfolding before her now reinforced that contradiction.

White bubbles dotted the bathroom. Bath products lay scattered everywhere. The shower sprayed water aimlessly into the empty air.

And in the bathtub…

The jelly girl, along with several smaller jellies, floated together.

The chaotic state of the bathroom made Han Seori sigh. Yet, the sight of the jellies clustered adorably in the tub brought a smile to her face.

Of course, to someone unfamiliar with the jelly girl, it might have looked terrifying. A doll-like figure floated atop the water while something squirmed beneath the surface.

But seeing the jelly girl immersed in the water like a human elicited an involuntary smile.

As she smiled, Han Seori’s mind remained tangled.

Her rational side whispered that humans and singularities couldn’t coexist, but her heart raced in disagreement.

‘...Is this some sort of mental contamination?’

Han Seori had considered the possibility but ultimately dismissed it. Unlike Kim Cheonsu and Yang Hana, she hadn’t consumed large amounts of MREs. Tests confirmed she was fine, ruling out contamination.

That meant her feelings stemmed from another source. After much introspection, she began to piece it together.

Perhaps—

Splash.

The sound of splashing water snapped her out of her thoughts.

Blinking, she saw the jelly girl waving wet antennae and staring at her.

Banishing the sudden urge to join her in the tub, Han Seori cautiously approached the bathtub, mindful of the slippery floor.

Closer now, she noticed something peculiar. Beneath the water, smaller entities floated—miniature versions of the jelly girl rested at the bottom, making Han Seori’s heart skip a beat.

Clearing her throat, Han Seori reached out to gently touch the jelly girl’s antennae and asked softly:

“So… did you enjoy the bath?”

The jelly girl’s bubbling response came with a shy nod. Han Seori couldn’t help but chuckle as she lifted her from the water. The heat-soaked jelly girl felt surprisingly soft, almost human-like, in her hands.

...

The sensation left Han Seori momentarily frozen, grappling with a flood of indescribable emotions. She regained her composure only when the jelly girl wiggled her antennae in confusion.

Realizing hot water and a bit of jelly had splashed onto her, Han Seori hurriedly apologized:

“Ah, sorry. If you’re done, let’s head out, alright?”

Dripping water, the jelly girl nodded, prompting Han Seori to smile faintly as she turned to leave.

Drip... drip.

Han Seori exited the bathroom, carrying the jelly girl. Water trailed behind them, evidence of her scattered thoughts.

As they left, the other jellies—including Daesik, who had floated serenely on the water—followed suit, forming a watery trail between the bathroom and the control room.

Amid the chaos, Sosik alone remained peacefully submerged at the bottom of the bathtub.

“Ahaha… I’ve been so absentminded,” Han Seori muttered.

“Doctor, what were you thinking?” Kim Cheonsu replied, a rare sight as he lightly scolded her.

“I-I must have been a bit tired… sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

It was unusual to see Kim Cheonsu speaking to Han Seori like this. He had occasionally nagged her while she cooked, but this felt different.

Even so, bringing a dripping wet jelly girl into the control room without drying her off was beyond excusable, even for Han Seori.

After accepting her apology, Kim Cheonsu turned his attention to the jelly girl.

He gently poked her cheek, admonishing:

“You should be more careful next time.”

Curious about his reaction, the jelly girl leaned on Han Seori’s shoulder, revealing the drenched Daesik, Jungsik, and other small jellies clustered behind them.

Naturally, a puddle had formed beneath them.

‘Ah.’

Realizing the source of Kim Cheonsu’s irritation, the jelly girl silently grumbled. Couldn’t the mess just be cleaned up? Wasn’t it a bit much to scold her over spilled water?

As she pouted, Yang Hana darted toward Daesik, exclaiming:

“No, no! You can’t drink like that!”

...

Feeling a pang of guilt, the jelly girl climbed back into Han Seori’s arms. Noticing Han Seori’s soaked clothes, she realized how absentminded her caretaker had been.

Even brilliant people lose focus sometimes, she mused.

Eventually, Kim Cheonsu draped a large towel over Han Seori and the jelly girl, declaring he’d handle the cleanup. Yang Hana left with Daesik, leaving the jelly girl to dismiss her jelly companions back to their room.

Now, the control room was eerily quiet, occupied only by Han Seori, the jelly girl, and Hwangbo Yul, whose face carried an unreadable expression.

Breaking the silence, Han Seori finally revealed her purpose:

“I hate to ask, but it seems you’ll need to go out again.”

Ah.

That explained the warm bath. The jelly girl felt a twinge of melancholy but wasn’t surprised. Work coming her way meant unresolved issues, and a reprieve from tasks was rare.

Still, at least she’d been granted some rest.

Whether that was thanks to Han Seori or a higher directive, she couldn’t say, but it felt reassuring not to be treated like a slave.

Even so, bitterness welled inside her as she noticed Hwangbo Yul staring at her with a complicated gaze.

Her thoughts drifted to the identification tag she’d glimpsed before.

‘This feels… unfair.’

She longed for a peaceful life but couldn’t shake the haunting scenes from the swamp. The strange sense of responsibility she’d never felt before now stirred uncomfortably within her jelly core.

Though reluctant, she straightened and nodded.

Han Seori, as if expecting this, smiled faintly while Hwangbo Yul’s gaze lingered, heavy with emotion.

‘Why does she look at me like that?’

The jelly girl felt uneasy but shrugged it off.

‘She thinks I’m cute. That must be it.’