Suddenly, I Became a Slime

Chapter 21: To My New Home

I am pleased to present this bonus chapter, which has been made possible thanks to the wonderful review written by HollyMollyyyggggv.

Please enjoy this bonus chapter as a small token of my appreciation for HollyMollyyyggggv’s contribution to my translation work.

Wow. What’s this?

As I was leisurely picking up food from the tray, I noticed something squirming behind me one day. I was briefly startled since the door wasn’t open.

Watching it squirm a little away, I felt a strange sensation. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact feeling.

Seeing it wriggle like slime in a game made me feel queasy.

By the way…

Did that thing just detach from my body?

Staring at it intently, it didn’t seem to be doing anything specific. My detached body was just wobbling like blue pudding.

It didn’t talk to me or come close to touch me; it just plopped down like a blob.

When I moved further away, it came crawling back just a bit.

In my ordinary life, it was a very creepy presence, so I made a conscious effort not to touch it.

However, since there was nothing else to entertain me, I was secretly pleased to have something to watch.

I wonder how long it’s been since I’ve been observing the squirming creature from afar.

The locked door opened, and just like last time, a person dressed in a spacesuit-like outfit walked in.

Judging by the familiar movement, he seems to be the man who always brings me food. I don’t know his name, though.

Anyway, during the last meal, he didn’t show any signs of fear, but now, it seems like he’s scared of that tiny little one.

The flattery is too much towards that tiny creature.

I feel the internal intimacy I had built up is diminishing.

Ugh… coward.

Watching him come in, set down the tray, and leave made me feel bubbly inside.

Well, I burst into laughter, I suppose.

Stories of such cowards are quite amusing, after all.

I was more curious about what food the man left behind today.

The circumstances of a man afraid of a viscous substance smaller than his own fist were none of my concern. Either way, the man was clearly a coward.

The important thing is to look good in front of that intellectual woman.

As I nervously approached the tray, I saw steam rising from it.

I don’t have taste buds, but somehow, I felt my mouth watering as I looked at the tray.

There was a convenience store lunchbox placed there.

Something feels odd.

It seems almost like there’s no difference between a burger and that, yet staring at the lunchbox makes me feel uneasy.

Does it lack sincerity?

Well, I should eat whatever is served, even if I’m full, but still… something doesn’t feel right.

I’ll eat it, though.

I reach out, keeping my gaze fixed on the lid, and a warm smile reminiscent of a skilled actor graces my face.

This time, I don’t plan on devouring it in one go, but to open the lid and just eat the food.

It was also a way to showcase my usefulness to the researchers observing me.

I used to eat everything, including the packaging, but I thought it didn’t highlight my usefulness as much.

Packaging separately, food separately.

Wouldn’t this make my utility more noticeable?

*Snap.*

I felt the hard and smooth texture as I opened the lid.

*Phoo!*

Steam rushed out, blurring my vision, but it posed no threat to me now.

The contents were quite satisfying.

In the top compartment, there were various side dishes, including stir-fried kimchi. In the middle, a generous space for meat seasoned with red sauce and meat marinated in soy sauce, side by side.

Below that, there was multigrain rice and a round fried egg—a well-balanced composition commonly found in lunch boxes.

As I realize how seriously I’m pondering over this, I recognize once again how lacking in entertainment this place is.

I didn’t want to be experimented on, but…

It’s a bit unsettling to see that I used to try to communicate before, but now I am not attempting that.

Moreover, when I think about whether it’s better to reveal that I was originally a person or not, I am not sure.

Maybe just living and eating my meals diligently like this isn’t so bad?

It would be nice to have a bit more entertainment, though.

No, it’s not like… it’s not that I’m thinking about this because my life is easy right now… Okay? Okay?

As I pondered with the lid open, the mucous-like substance that was flickering suddenly started moving around on top of the lunchbox.

What I saw with my own eyes was the wriggling slime with the fried egg inside it.

I could hear a bubbling sound inside my head.

There’s no way the one who picks out only the strawberries on the cake came from me.

I picked out the one eating the fried egg and pushed it far away.

No, seriously, it should at least ask before eating and not just reach out to the table carelessly. I want to know who raised it.

I, who was planning to enjoy a leisurely meal, immediately grabbed the lunchbox and poured it all into my stomach.

Thinking vaguely that someone might be watching me from somewhere, I waited for a moment.

And I also put the plastic container into my stomach.

After neatly pushing the empty tray in front of the door, I approached the one still bubbling with the fried egg.

Then I lifted the one with both hands and stared at it.

Expressing my annoyance at the one daring to pick out only the strawberries on the cake.

But even so, the one didn’t spit out the fried egg, instead leaving behind a sense of something uncommunicable.

Why did it suddenly come out?

Staring fixedly at it, it seems like a part of me has indeed separated, no matter how much I think about it.

Since its colour was exactly the same as mine, it couldn’t be anything else.

Doesn’t that mean it has to listen to what I have to say?

But why did it just swallow the fried egg on its own?

Is it because the most delicious thing was taken away from me?

As I heard gurgling sounds inside, I unknowingly put the slime creature inside my body, consuming it whole.

The fried egg was delicious.

“Just endure it for a bit, and it’ll be over soon…”

Kim Cheonsu looked at the box containing ‘Damn Snot’ and then opened his mouth, glancing at Han Seori as she mumbled gently.

“Do you… understand it?”

“Hmm…?”

Looking at the suspicious box, Kim Cheonsu squatted down nonchalantly and examined it intently.

Then, ‘Damn Snot,’ compressed in the box, came into view. Though the box seemed spacious when she was first captured, now her face looked sunken, probably due to eating and gaining weight during all this time.

Despite that, Kim Cheonsu’s eyes were still captivated by the remaining cuteness on her somewhat sunken face.

There, ‘Damn Snot,’ with a face that seemed to be smiling sarcastically, was visible.

‘…What’s this?’

Although her face hadn’t changed dramatically enough to be called a smile, and it was hard to recognize due to being compressed in the box, somehow, it felt that way.

…Maybe just his imagination?

Feeling strange, Kim Cheonsu casually tapped the box and then stood up from his spot.

“Seems like she can recognize you…”

“Really? Maybe we can communicate after all.”

“She seems to have bad taste…”

“Pardon?”

“…It’s nothing. Let’s start moving. Hand me that.”

Kim Cheonsu handed the box to Han Seori, who then covered it with a cloth.

Once covered with the cloth, the box trembled slightly.

‘…Does she, unexpectedly, dislike darkness?’

Considering she came from a damp sewer.

For some reason, ‘Damn Snot’ didn’t like the feeling. Although the days of being called ‘Damn Snot’ were numbered, Kim Cheonsu never knew that she would always be called ‘Damn Snot’ deep down.

Anyway.

The two went through a slightly complicated path, got into a car with tinted windows, and departed somewhere.

As the blue jelly in the darkness trembled, Kim Cheonsu reflected on the actions he had taken so far.

The vehicle drove off on a well-polished road.

Watching the factory shrinking in the rearview mirror, Kim Cheonsu asked in a low voice.

“I heard there was some issue at the factory this time… Is everything okay?”

Han Seori, who was leaning against the window with a bored look, replied nonchalantly.

“Well… I mean, there’s nothing good in knowing, right?”

“…Haha, that’s true, I guess.”

Did he just ask for no reason?

Kim Cheonsu closed his mouth with a puzzled look on his face.

He tried to change the atmosphere a bit, but it seemed like a failure.

However, he understood Han Seori.

It was probably because it was a story with nothing good in knowing. It was typical of Han Seori to casually take care of things like that.

…She seemed a bit soft towards ‘Damn Snot,’ but that was just how she usually was.

And then.

Han Seori, who had been pursing her lips, slowly opened her mouth.

“You buy ‘Solvent Purple’ MREs, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Maybe… it’s better not to eat them for a while.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. For a while.”

Kim Cheonsu pondered her words and nodded.

Silence fell inside the vehicle once again.

After a while, the car arrived in front of a barricade guarded by men.

Approaching the vehicle with a hostile demeanour, they demanded the windows be rolled down by knocking on them.

Awoken by the noise, Han Seori groggily showed her ID, which was hung around her neck, to the man requesting it.

“You may proceed.”

“…Thank you.”

As Han Seori nonchalantly responded to the suddenly polite attitude, Kim Cheonsu started the car without a word.

The car pulled up in front of a well-maintained building that seemed clean and orderly.

At a glance, the building looked like a university campus.

Carrying the box, Han Seori got out of the car and walked into the building.

The interior didn’t seem particularly remarkable.

Finally reaching the elevator with a sign saying ‘Under Inspection,’ Han Seori looked around before brushing her ID badge against the panel.

The elevator, which had been dark until then, slowly opened as Han Seori boarded with an indifferent expression and pressed a button.

The elevator closed tightly and descended underground.

Shortly after.

As if it would never come back up.

The lights went out.