Suddenly, I Became a Slime

Chapter 57: Radio hijacking…?

Stealthily, I reached my hand towards the remote control.

Although there was no TV at home, I couldn’t hide my excitement at the civilized machine that had come into my hands after a very long time.

Ah… Of course, the collar that snapped around my neck with a click could also be said to be one of the most civilized machines I had ever experienced.

But that wasn’t the civilization I wanted.

It was what Han Seori’s side had wanted in the first place.

Well… This is something Han Seori brought because she wanted to… but?

Anyway.

As I delightfully picked up the remote control, I felt the familiar texture of the material.

While fiddling with the remote control, being careful not to get slime stuck on it, and feeling that texture.

Thinking of that, I felt a little uneasy and looked around my room.

A white room.

The only things here are a bed and a few toys that I no longer play with.

And.

[Suni~]

I don’t know why they’re sitting there blankly in front of that stupid box.

Just Daesik and Sosik squirming in front of it, mesmerized by the screen.

A completely white space with nothing in it… although a few items have been added, there was basically nothing attached to the walls.

Actually, it might be foolish to think there wouldn’t be a single surveillance camera in a space like this.

If I were managing these Anomalies in a place like this, I would have installed surveillance cameras densely all over.

Who knows what they might do at any time? Just leave them alone?

Ah, of course, I don’t mean I would do that, but that others would.

Moreover.

…There was also a time when Han Seori acted as if she had seen something when there was definitely nothing in the room.

When I looked around to see if there were any peepholes, thinking there might not be any since there was nothing, it seemed there were cameras hidden now that I saw the usual man installing that wall-mounted TV this time.

Is this the famous hidden camera?

No, isn’t this a violation of human rights?

Even if I want to say that, I’m slime now.

An unemployed me who is living off of someone’s kindness, or a me who is caught for my brilliant intellect and worked like a slave. (Although I don’t know what it would actually be like)

If I had to choose between the two, it would be the former, so it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to raise an issue anyway.

I guess if you gain one thing, you have to give up another.

…Which means.

There’s no point in trembling my slime, wondering if I’ll get caught while flipping through channels.

I felt like I had become a bit of a fool.

I might have become a little stupid as my brain turned into soft jelly.

I’m at the point where I question how I’m even having these thoughts, so it wouldn’t be strange if I got a little dumber─

What are you talking about?

I have a knowledge pouch.

Anyway.

It was impossible to secretly change the channel behind Han Seori’s back and then change it back.

But that doesn’t mean I want to watch those round characters, either.

Although Daesik and Sosik seem very interested, it’s the boss who decides the channel.

Like how the senior picks a bed in the barracks or how grandma claims the living room.

I don’t know, I saw Han Seori touching the remote control, too, so it’s not strange for me to operate it, right?

Still, since I was a little defiant, I held Sosik, who was blankly staring at the TV, in my arms.

The little one, who was flailing as if annoyed, soon gave up and began to focus on the TV again.

Conscious of the camera that could be anywhere, I slowly moved my tentacles.

After putting the remote control in Sosik’s dazed hand.

I pressed the remote control with Sosik’s fingers.

[Friends─]

[Next is the news.]

The characters that seemed like they would roll away disappeared, and the newscaster I had seen a little while ago appeared again.

After staring at the news for a while, I was enveloped in a strange feeling.

Even though there was a disastrous incident where people got sick from eating food made with what they call anomalies, the world was still going on the same as always.

Even though my existence was turned upside down and disappeared in an instant, the world didn’t seem to change at all.

…Well, I guess it would be too self-conscious to think the world would be turned upside down because I disappeared.

That’s only natural.

So, rather than how the world works, I wanted to enjoy the stimulating cultural life I had always enjoyed.

What’s the point of being interested in the world that will keep going on fine without me?

It’s not like I can fit in between anymore.

With a slightly twisted feeling.

Feeling the sensation of secretly coming out to the living room as a child and holding my breath while flipping through channels, I operated the remote control again.

Why does this make me feel so thrilled?

Is there really too little entertainment here?

*Click, click.*

As I passed channel after channel, it was late at night, so a movie with a yellow tag in the upper left was playing.

Oh, um… my goodness.

Is it because it’s been a relatively long time since I’ve been cut off from entertainment?

Normally, I would have scoffed and changed the channel, but somehow, the video in front of my eyes felt very interesting.

The betrayal of watching something I shouldn’t and the primitive feeling of secretly watching something, even though I think I’ll get caught anyway, was very stimulating to me.

As I was gurgling my slime like a child,

[Wow! Friends, you’re back!]

Huh?

Where did my yellow-tagged video go, and why are you showing up again?

The round character who uttered a creepy line began to hum a song as if reciting a vocabulary book, shaking its body again.

Unable to adapt to the sudden change in situation, I tilted my head but soon realized why this happened.

I saw Daesik (in Alice)’s hand, which had come close at some point, on the remote control.

Sosik, who was trying to secretly sneak by pretending not to know, was a bonus.

Do you like X-suni that much?

Is this why adults say not to show kids XTube?

Mommy… no, Daddy’s not sleeping yet…

I’m telling you, I haven’t closed my eyes, kids….

I changed the channel again.

[How can you go anywhere looking like that?]

[Monkey butts are red~ If they’re red, they’re apples, apples are─]

Get this hand off─

[Bananas, bananas are long─]

I don’t want to act violently. So─

[Fast~ If they’re fast, they’re planes─]

No, fuck.

In the end, caught up in violence, I pushed Daesik and Sosik far away.

TV is this scary.

Only then, seeing the slime drooping as if sullen, I gurgled my slime with satisfaction and focused on the screen again.

But.

As if broken, the screen that had been wildly flipping through channels showed a black screen full of noise.

And only spat out buzzing sounds.

It sounded very ominous.

Seeing that, I came to my senses with a start.

…Huh?

Don’t tell me it broke down just because of this?

Just from pressing the channel a few times!?

Startled, I trembled my slime and first gently put the remote control in Sosik’s arms.

At that moment.

The door opened, and Han Seori returned.

Finishing her call and entering, she tilts her head and approaches the TV.

“Huh? Why is this acting up?”

I… don’t know.

Han Seori, spotting the remote control nestled in Sosik’s arms, snatches it from Sosik and fiddles with it.

Seeing that she doesn’t seem to intend to blame anyone, I gurgled my slime in relief.

Ahem, that’s why I handed over the remote control, knowing this would happen. Mm-hmm.

I knew Han Seori wouldn’t get angry.

Meanwhile.

“Uh…?”

The buzzing stopped, and someone wearing a strange mask appeared on the screen.

As Sosik and Daesik’s gazes turned to the TV now that it was fixed, a bizarre voice began to flow from it.

[Announcement from Twilight’s Call.]

…Hmm.

What’s with that name reeking of 8th-grader syndrome?

It’s not a scene from a movie played by a broadcaster. The things you’d expect from one are missing.

It feels like a snuff film you’d only see on the deep web.

Wondering what the hell this was, I looked at Han Seori, but she was also just staring at the screen with a stiff face.

[We’re tired of your attitude of hiding the truth.]

[They have a right to know too.]

[The rising sun will tell who is right.]

It began to spew out similarly ambiguous and meaningful words.

What is this?

It was a sight that seemed like a hidden camera prank in a different sense.

But Han Seori’s face is cold enough to be scary. If this is acting, shouldn’t she become an actress instead of a doctor?

…Since she has the looks for it.

Ahem.

Anyway.

The person who had been rambling on like a real 8th-grader syndrome patient,

Brought up some kind of timer and then disappeared.

As the person of unknown gender vanished, the stopped timer began to tick down.

As if implying a time bomb.

“…Why are those bastards suddenly acting up?”

Along with Han Seori’s slightly rough muttering,

The timer of something steadily began to run towards 0.

It seemed like… like something was happening.

It has nothing to do with me…? …Right?