Lying on the pure white floor for dozens of minutes, the researchers I had been chatting with earlier had already left somewhere, and I was left alone here. Honestly, I felt much more comfortable earlier in the forest inside the Gate. Being in a place with lots of trees always made me feel at ease.
But soon, I heard the sound of someone coming down. I pressed myself against the mirror in the isolation room, watching to see who was coming.
Was there another creature like me who had been captured? My heart raced as I tried to calm myself and look, but it was just the researchers. They were carrying something like a mat.
Four of them were carrying the mat and heading towards me. I just watched quietly. Soon, the researchers standing in front of the door opened the locked door and came in with the mat. They were bringing the mat into the isolation room, which had now become my room.
They were probably going to lay the mat in the room. That was a good idea. Sleeping on this hard floor was practically child abuse, no matter how you thought about it. A soft, cushioned bed mat was essential, not this hard floor.
But do I have to sleep here…?
They didn’t seem to notice me, as they were talking among themselves while setting up the mat. They were discussing something about tomorrow’s experiment, so I quietly crawled towards the door.
The only chance I had was when the researchers weren’t paying attention to me. Almost reaching the door, I stopped crawling and made a run for it, jumping towards the door.
Freedom!
But my freedom lasted only three seconds before I was caught again. As soon as I stepped outside, Kim Bora spotted me, grabbed me under my armpits, and dangled me before bringing me back into the isolation room.
“Hey, can you keep an eye on Hana? She’s trying to sneak out when we’re not paying attention.”
Kim Bora gently placed me back in the isolation room and spoke. It seemed my name had been decided as Hana at some point. Earlier, they had also referred to me as Hana during their conversation. I wanted to tell them my real name, but… what was my name again?
Waking up suddenly in a different body, I clearly remembered being a man, but the details were fuzzy. Maybe my brain had also turned childlike, making it hard to remember. I hope I don’t end up with dementia.
I glared at the researchers with a pout. Getting caught immediately after trying to escape was humiliating. Angry, I punched Kim Bora’s leg with my tiny fists. But maybe it didn’t hurt because she laughed and patted my head.
The head patting felt nice, so I giggled before snapping back to reality. These people had kidnapped me, and here I was already giving in. I quickly hid my pleased expression and moved away. Staying close would only make it harder for me to win.
“By the way, has the air here always been this fresh? For an isolation room, it feels like we’re in a forest full of trees.”
Kim Bora took a deep breath, seemingly enjoying the air in the isolation room.
“Isn’t it just your imagination? The air purifier here is always running, so that might be why.”
“No, I don’t think so. Could it be this creature’s ability?”
Kim Bora glanced at me in the corner. Suddenly feeling the weight of her gaze, I flinched and turned my body away. Maybe if I turned around, they wouldn’t see how startled I was.
“Maybe not?”
Kim Bora spoke with uncertainty in her voice.
After bringing in a pillow and blanket, the researchers left my room. Kim Bora waved goodbye as she left, and the once noisy room fell silent.
Today had been too eventful. Tomorrow, they’re going to conduct some experiment on me, but as someone who’s not a researcher, I couldn’t understand most of what they were saying. They used all these strange terms, and as someone who’s neither a doctor nor a scientist, there was no way for me to comprehend.
Lying down slowly on the mat, I felt sleep creeping in and eventually dozed off. The lights were turned off, leaving only the red light in the hallway. The surroundings were pitch black, with only the occasional sound of machinery breaking the silence.
—
The next day, I woke up to the sound of murmuring. I had slept so deeply that I didn’t even notice the lights were on. Feeling refreshed, I got up from the bed. Outside the isolation room…
There was a sound of “ooh” coming from somewhere.
“That’s a humanoid life form…”
“Isn’t it just too cute?”
“Look at those squishy cheeks…”
“Doesn’t it look just like an elf from a novel? Well, except for the pointy ears…”
The researchers from yesterday were gone, and now people in different outfits were staring at me through the glass like I was some zoo animal.
I felt like a panda in an amusement park. They were even ooh-ing and aah-ing at me just waving my arms or walking around.
I didn’t like their reactions, so I went back to bed. I pulled the blanket over my head and prayed for them to leave. Yesterday was nice. Today, there were too many people, and even just sitting still made me feel all jittery. I’ve never been this nervous before.
But I couldn’t stay hidden under the blanket forever. Some researchers came into my room, pulled me out, and took me somewhere. Judging from yesterday’s conversation, I guess I’m going for a check-up?
The building was so huge that it took about 30 minutes just to get to the examination area. I’ve never resented my short legs so much.
I got so tired from walking that I plopped down, but someone picked me up and kept going. Couldn’t we just take a car or something? It’s not like you can’t drive inside the building.
When we finally got to the examination room, they started with simple tests. Maybe they noticed I was scared, because Kim Bora stayed by my side to support me.
Whenever I whined, she gave me a candy. Not that I whined just for the candy, but hey, eating something sweet did make me feel better.
They measured my height and weight, and I was 135 cm tall and 30 kg. Compared to my old body, it was a huge difference. I used to have an adult’s height and weight, but now I’ve turned into this little kid… It was already weird looking in the mirror, but seeing it measured on the equipment really drove it home.
All the firm muscles I used to have were gone. Instead, my body was soft and squishy, with skin that stretched like dough when pulled. I guess you could say I traded my rough skin for a smooth, milky complexion, so maybe it’s a win?
But then came a test I just couldn’t cooperate with—the blood test. They came at me with a sharp needle, and I felt like the Grim Reaper was approaching.
“Waaaaah!”
I was so scared that I clung to Kim Bora’s leg, refusing to let go. I’d rather die than get a blood test! But Kim Bora just laughed at me.
Seriously, I’m freaking out here, and she’s laughing! I felt my slight fondness for her fading. Sure, she gave me candy, but I didn’t expect her to betray me like this.
But as if she anticipated my escape attempt, I tried to break free and run, but I failed. In the end, with tears in my eyes, I had no choice but to go through with it.
The sharp needle loomed in front of me, and I couldn’t bear to look at it. I just squeezed my eyes shut, hoping this would be over soon.
If I saw the needle piercing my skin and the blood coming out, I might’ve fainted. That’s how terrifying a blood test was. But wait, haven’t I done this before?
Suddenly, it hit me. A blood test is no big deal! I opened my eyes and decided to watch the needle pierce my skin. I wasn’t going to back down from something like this.
But the moment the needle went in, I couldn’t help but cry. It hurt way more than I thought it would.
