It was a strange thing. I was sure I had cut my hair short yesterday, but when I woke up in the morning, my hair had magically returned to its original length. My ponytail in the morning was proof of that.
Anyway… I didn’t wake up on my own today either. Kim Bora poked my cheeks and woke me up. Still, it was weird for a night owl like me to turn into a morning person.
Truth be told, I couldn’t sleep even if I tried. Ever since my body changed, I’d get super sleepy late at night. And as soon as the sun hit in the morning, my eyes would automatically pop open.
But then, uninvited guests stormed into my room. One by one, they started taking away my precious furniture. Before I knew it, only the bed I was lying on remained. How could this be? They didn’t even put a red sticker on my stuff, and they just took it! It was outrageous!
Kim Bora, who was watching from the side, didn’t stop them either, so it seemed like they had talked about it beforehand. All I could do was stare blankly as people carried away my furniture.
—
“Ms. Bora.”
“Yes, Director?”
Kim Jaeman stopped Kim Bora, who was about to go take care of Hana, and said:
“There’s been a directive from the research institute. From now on, we’re to treat Hana properly, not as a test subject.”
“Really???”
Originally, Hana was classified as a test subject. It was only natural since she was a humanoid monster found inside the Gate.
But from the headquarters’ perspective, after seeing Kim Jaeman’s report, they realized that keeping her as a test subject would be a huge loss, especially since she could be a goldmine. Plus, if Hana got stressed and went haywire, it would be their loss.
So now, if the higher-ups at the research institute saw Hana in the isolation room, it would definitely lead to some bad talk.
From the research institute’s perspective, with the ever-shrinking budget and the dwindling number of visitors to the exhibition halls, they were like a slowly sinking ship. But with Hana’s appearance, they suddenly had a ton of ways to make money.
When Director Kim Jaeman submitted a report on the potential profits from Hana’s hair, the finance department went wild. And they hadn’t even fully understood Hana’s abilities yet. Despite that, the potential profits were insane.
“Hana is a god! Hana is a god!”
The cost to produce her was close to zero, but the potential profits were endless. So now, instead of growing up in a prison-like cell, Hana was moving to a place where she could live comfortably, maybe even better than the researchers.
That’s why all the furniture was being moved out of Hana’s room this morning. She was moving from a cramped space to a bigger one.
—
Clueless, I held Kim Bora’s hand and followed her somewhere. She seemed to know me well enough to walk slowly instead of at an adult’s fast pace. If she walked too fast, my short legs couldn’t keep up, and I’d probably trip.
According to Kim Bora, I had something to do while my house was being moved. Or rather, something to receive?
We arrived at a room. There was only a bed in the middle, and the lighting was dim. It looked like the kind of room that would make people think it had a decadent vibe.
Kim Bora sat me down on a chair and made a call.
“Yes… Hana’s here. You can get ready now.”
What are they preparing? Are they going to dissect me like they cut my hair yesterday? I was spiraling into despair.
Judging by what they did to me yesterday, it was clear they were up to no good. I tried to escape, but Kim Bora stopped me.
But she didn’t grab me as harshly as before. At some point, her touch had become gentle, and she started stroking me here and there. Maybe it felt good to be touched, so I just giggled and stayed close to her.
After sitting in the chair for a few minutes, a woman entered the room. She looked incredibly young. Maybe even younger than Kim Bora. She looked like she had just graduated from college.
“Ah, Ms. Kwon Arin, the masseuse! Please take good care of Hana!”
“Don’t worry.”
A massage? I grabbed Kim Bora’s sleeve as she tried to leave the room, resisting. I felt uneasy being left alone with a stranger.
But Kim…
Bora, as if she had expected this from me, chuckled helplessly when she saw me grabbing her sleeve.
“Looks like masseuse Hana doesn’t want to leave me. Can I stay and watch?”
“Of course.”
After saying that, Kim Bora sat down on the chair she had been sitting on earlier, and I was grabbed by the waist and laid face down on the bed. My body was perfectly fine, so why was this happening?
But as soon as the massage started, I understood why. My body felt so relaxed, like I was floating in heaven! Finally, the Starlight Guild realized my importance and started treating me like a celebrity.
Next to me, Kim Bora was busy recording a video of me getting the massage, and the masseuse was working so hard that beads of sweat were forming, despite my small frame. I felt like I was floating in space and slowly drifted off to sleep.
The massage was so refreshing that it felt like a lullaby, gently putting me to sleep.
—
I came out of the room feeling like a limp noodle. Now I understand why celebrities get massages. How could something this amazing be kept to myself?
I was about to head back to my room, but Kim Bora was walking in a different direction. Was the massage my last supper? I was supposed to go to the isolation room, so I tried to pull Kim Bora’s hand in that direction.
But Kim Bora grabbed my hand and said, “Hana’s home is somewhere else now! We’re not going there.”
So, did they move my stuff? I started to feel uneasy. What if they were sending me back to another room with plain white walls?
Luckily, I hadn’t gone crazy from just one night there, but I didn’t want to go back to a place filled with faint mechanical noises and white noise.
With a sense of unease, I got on the elevator. The Starlight Guild’s elevator wasn’t the kind surrounded by steel walls; instead, the back was made of glass, offering a view.
“Wow…”
I could see the distant, tiny view of Seoul as the elevator went up. My home must be somewhere out there, right? But since I was renting, my landlord might have already kicked me out. I was three months behind on rent… Sorry, landlord.
The elevator kept going up endlessly. It finally stopped somewhere around the middle floor.
When I got off, I noticed there was no one around. Isn’t it normal for a few people to be walking around the hallways in a company? But there was no one in sight.
However, what Kim Bora said next was shocking.
“This is Hana’s home now! I rented out an entire floor for Hana, so you better listen to me now, okay?”
Renting an entire floor of a building must have cost a fortune, and she did it for me? I suddenly felt a huge burden. But her next words brought a sigh of relief.
“A dedicated support team for Hana will be moving into that corner office soon, so I’m only renting it until then.”
Thankfully, it seemed I wouldn’t be alone on this floor. Being alone in such a big space would’ve been terrifying. If I were alone at night, I might’ve cried while walking down the hallway. Actually, I wouldn’t even open the door.
I suddenly noticed there were three doors. Which room was I supposed to use? But my confusion was soon cleared up by Kim Bora.
“Alright! Let’s find a room Hana will like. Just pick the one you like, okay?”
Since I couldn’t speak but Kim Bora knew I could understand, I nodded and followed her.
