Outside the gate, there were research vehicles resembling camping cars and numerous trailers parked. It felt like we had arrived at an Antarctic research base.
Despite the pitch-black night, the scattered lights and bustling crowd made it seem like a busy afternoon rather than nighttime.
I was being led by a burly, hairy giant with a beard like a dwarf, a rope tied around my neck. My clothes were shabby, and I had no shoes, making me feel utterly pitiful.
Everyone passing by stared at us. The man dragging me seemed to be drawing quite a bit of attention. The red-faced giant quickened his pace.
Unused to such a fast pace, I ended up falling to the ground. I should’ve adjusted my steps to my smaller stride, but trying to keep up with my original pace was impossible with my short legs.
“Ah!”
I couldn’t speak, but I could scream in pain. As I screamed, the murmurs around us grew louder.
The giant hastily picked me up from the ground and ran off somewhere. He should’ve done this earlier instead of dragging me around like a dog on a leash.
After being carried under his arm for a few minutes, we arrived at a place filled with various electronic equipment. A vehicle with a large, round antenna on top was parked there. It looked like a place suited for some kind of research.
“Ms. Bora! Are you inside?”
The giant knocked on the car door, calling out to someone inside. I anxiously stared, wondering who would come out.
Fortunately, a young woman with a ponytail, wearing a lab coat, opened the door. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad it wasn’t another strange man.
“Deok-gu? What’s going on?”
“Ah, I have something to show you.”
Park Deok-gu held me by the waist and turned me toward the woman. The researcher looked stunned for a moment, then widened her eyes as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.
“What! How could you handle such a fragile, small child so roughly! Deok-gu, I’m disappointed!”
“No, it’s not like that!”
The woman quickly grabbed me and pulled me toward her. Thanks to her, I was freed from the arms of the man who reeked of loneliness. That smell had been bothering me.
“Are you okay? Oh dear, look at your face. And why is there a chain around your neck?”
Her gentle hands brushed over my face. I couldn’t help but cry at the kindness I hadn’t felt in a long time. Whether it was because of the chaotic day or my weak tear ducts, tears streamed down my face.
I wasn’t usually this tearful, but for some reason, tears kept coming. As I cried, the woman took out a handkerchief and wiped my tears. She was incredibly kind, showing a warmth I hadn’t felt in a while.
“Ah…”
I wanted to say thank you, but no words came out. Only an incomprehensible groan escaped.
If only I could speak, I could explain that I’m just a normal person and ask them to punish that man legally. But I couldn’t, and it was frustrating. I finally understood why mute people feel so frustrated.
Holding me in her arms, the woman sharply said, “Deok-gu, you should be more careful, especially with a girl. Girls are delicate.”
As she scolded him, Park Deok-gu nervously replied, “No, Ms. Bora… you should be careful. That’s a humanoid monster from the gate.”
“What!?”
The woman who had been holding me quickly pushed me away. I reached out, wanting to be held again, but she kept her distance.
“So that’s why it’s restrained…”
She looked at the chain around my neck. I wished she’d just remove it. The clinking sound was really annoying.
“Yes. It doesn’t look dangerous, but just in case, I followed the guild’s rules.”
“Good job. Looking at its hair color and eyes, it doesn’t seem human.”
“With the restraints, it shouldn’t cause any trouble. It doesn’t seem to have any threatening abilities or strength.”
“You’ve really been through a lot at the gate.”
Then, the woman grabbed me and stared intently at my head and lower body. I was startled by her sudden change in demeanor.
That kind of gaze was so uncomfortable that I twisted my body this way and that. But the woman didn’t stop looking at me.
Today felt way too long.
—
*Clank clank*
I was locked in something resembling iron bars, being taken somewhere. A researcher named Kim Bora, who kept scribbling something while watching me, didn’t miss a single movement I made, holding a pen and writing on documents.
Seeing that, I wanted to shout, “Let me out!” This was clearly a kidnapping. No regard for my human rights.
But I couldn’t say anything because I had just seen my changed appearance in the mirror. Even if I tried, it wouldn’t have been proper Korean but some strange moaning sound anyway.
The reflection in the mirror was completely different from my original self. If you asked a hundred people, they’d all say I was someone else. It was obvious if you had eyes.
I used to have black hair, average Korean height, and looks. Now, I had green hair, green eyes, and the height of an elementary school kid. I had turned into a little child.
My appearance was so stunning it could make your eyes pop. If I grew up like this, I’d definitely become a beauty who could turn the country upside down. If I had a child like this, I’d probably fly them around hundreds of times.
But I wasn’t happy. I’d rather have been able to speak… I grabbed the iron bars and protested to be let out. But no Korean came out of my mouth.
When will I be able to talk? Or is this not a human body, so I can’t speak human language? While I was thinking that, Kim Bora quietly approached me as I struggled.
“Want to eat this?”
She fumbled in her sleeve and pulled out a lollipop. She seemed to think of me as a child. I wasn’t the type to fall for such obvious tricks.
“Ah… ah…”
But when I came to my senses, I was already sucking on the lollipop with a satisfied expression. Well, I hadn’t eaten all day, so I was hungry. A lollipop wouldn’t hurt, right?
Rationalizing like that, I eagerly sucked on the candy Kim Bora gave me. The sweetness spread in my mouth, and I felt a little better than before.
Seeing me like that, Kim Bora looked pleased. Then she took out her phone and started taking pictures of me with the lollipop.
I could tolerate one or two photos, but when it seemed like she was taking way more, I covered my face with my hand to avoid being photographed. Then I buried my face in the ground. If she wanted more photos, she’d have to give me more candy.
“Heeeng… Can’t you show your face so I can take more pictures?”
Kim Bora pouted, seeing how I didn’t want my photo taken. I turned my back to the phone, not letting her see my face. It was unfair enough to be in this body, but being photographed too? That was just too much.
Finally realizing I didn’t like being photographed, she carefully put her phone on the desk and slowly approached me.
“Our guild finally has a humanoid monster~ You’re so cute, I just want to bite your cheeks.”
The way Kim Bara looked at me was… unusual. Even I, who usually don’t notice things, felt a chill.
*Clank clank*
In the shaking car, I just wished this time would pass quickly.
Being alone with a woman was awkward. Whether she knew how I felt or not, the car carrying me swayed back and forth, heading to some unknown destination. I just wanted this time to be over.
