Chapter 446
In the deep confines of Sehee Institute, in front of Yerin’s confinement room, Seo-A was reflecting on what had happened earlier that day.
‘It was a bit strange since the morning…’
The morning sunlight poured through the Institute’s windows.
Sehee Institute, in Seo-A’s memory, had been enveloped in a strange atmosphere that was different from usual.
The voices of the researchers, which usually echoed through the hallway, were quieter than normal, and the air in the office was filled with an unfamiliar tension.
Everyone’s gaze was directed toward one corner of the office.
At the center of it all was Yerin, who was wearing an expression as if something good had happened.
Of course, Yerin wasn’t drawing attention because of her happy expression.
It wasn’t unusual for her to wear a joyful smile for no reason at all.
However, what was unusual was that Yerin had been working quietly since early in the morning. This was enough to catch everyone’s attention.
“What’s going on?”
The researchers whispered in soft voices.
Normally, Yerin would try to avoid work with various excuses, but today, she was unusually diligent, carefully reviewing data in front of her computer.
It was such a rare sight that even Seo-A, who had stepped out of the vice-director’s office, watched with a curious expression.
‘…’
The incident occurred during lunchtime.
The peaceful routine of the Institute was shattered by an unexpected event.
“Aren’t you working too hard?”
At the concerned question from a colleague, Yerin smiled and turned her head.
And that was when everything changed.
What came from Yerin wasn’t a voice but a powerful psychic wave.
[[[No.]]]
The intense psychic wave, like that of a special object, shook the entire lab.
It was as if a bomb had exploded.
The researchers closest to Yerin collapsed on the spot, and nearby Mini Grim Reapers also covered their ears and fell.
‘Ugh!’
‘My ears!’
Even those further away staggered and leaned against the walls.
The alarm for a special object blared loudly throughout the Institute.
Seo-A, who had been monitoring Yerin, jumped up in surprise. The fallen Mini Grim Reapers covered their ears as they ran around in a panic.
The security team, who had been on edge for a long time, carefully escorted Yerin to the confinement room.
The sudden situation unfolded before Seo-A could regain her composure.
Would it have been different if Sehee, the director, had been here? Someone who was quick on her feet and able to handle crises?
Looking into the confinement room, Seo-A saw Yerin lying on the bed, watching TV.
Her nonchalant demeanor reminded Seo-A of the Gray Grim Reaper.
Just moments ago, Yerin had been begging to be let out, but now she seemed to have adjusted to the atmosphere of the confinement room.
Seo-A could feel that Yerin was no longer just an object; she was Yerin, the researcher. But, being in the Institute, she still needed to undergo proper checks before being released.
These days, it seemed like more people viewed Sehee Institute as a company selling Mini Grim Reaper merchandise, rather than a research institute.
‘Why did it happen?’
Seo-A felt that Yerin was human, but the atmosphere had affected her, and she had jokingly referred to Yerin as an object while playing around.
Hehe.
‘Maybe even affectionate humans start to resemble affectionate Grim Reapers a little bit,’ Seo-A thought while watching the sprouting Mini Grim Reaper perched on her shoulder.
After waiting for a while, a Golden Grim Reaper, wearing a pointed hat, was delivered to a researcher’s hand.
The Golden Grim Reaper, with its chest puffed out and its belly sticking out proudly, had a triumphant expression on its face.
This Golden Grim Reaper was in charge of the “Golden Grim Reaper Test,” a test actively encouraged at the James Institute.
Stars decorated the top of the hat, each star representing a test completed.
The test was simple.
All it required was for the object to meet the Golden Grim Reaper.
If it was a ‘human,’ the Grim Reaper would rush over and hug them.
If it was an ‘object,’ it would just stare blankly.
And if it was a ‘dangerous object,’ the Grim Reaper would either ‘tickle’ them or create a hole in their body.
‘Human!’
The Golden Grim Reaper, upon facing Yerin, giggled and clung to her body.
Since Yerin had always been well-liked by the Mini Grim Reapers, the Golden Grim Reaper Test passed successfully.
Before long, the Golden Grim Reaper wasn’t just hugging her cheeks but was playing a little game, moving its fingers to perform a “jam-jam” game.
After receiving the ‘human’ designation and leaving the confinement room, Yerin was asked the question Seo-A had been wondering about.
“Yerin, how were you able to use psychic waves?”
“I don’t really know, Seo-A unni. I just thought I could do it, so I tried, and it really worked.”
Yerin looked genuinely clueless, but there was a spark of anticipation in her eyes.
It was like a child who had discovered a new toy.
“I should be able to control the intensity faster…”
Yerin murmured in a quiet voice, filled with expectation.
Seo-A thought to herself that, like many recent individuals, Yerin had become one of the superhumans who could now shoot psychic waves.
More and more people were starting to use powers similar to those of objects.
‘…’
Yerin’s special object incident ended as an eventful happening, but Seo-A still had another concern.
‘By the way, Director Sehee still hasn’t shown up… Could she still not have come to work?’
Under the soft lighting of the confinement room, Seo-A looked at the drooping Golden Grim Reaper on her palm.
It was lying limply, with its small, round body hanging off to the side, looking as if it were a wilted petal.
The Golden Grim Reaper seemed so sad that it had even lost the golden glow that usually radiated from it, laying lifelessly on the floor.
If an ordinary human saw a Golden Grim Reaper in this state, they would surely feel a sense of pity.
‘…’
Every time the Golden Grim Reaper drooped like this, Seo-A couldn’t help but feel that the sad Golden Grim Reaper was like a limp vegetable.
Soft and floppy.
She carefully picked up its tiny hand.
Though it felt soft as usual, there was no power in it.
As she let go of its hand, it drooped again, almost melting off her palm, its body limping with no strength at all.
It was so floppy and weak that it was strangely amusing.
The floppiness was like something caught between liquid and solid—it was fascinating.
Hehe.
She picked it up and let it fall again, picked it up and let it fall again.
Without realizing it, she kept repeating the action, mesmerized by its charm.
‘…’
After doing this a few more times absentmindedly, Seo-A noticed that the sad atmosphere surrounding the Golden Grim Reaper was growing much stronger.
Realizing it, she started gently patting its head.
“Sorry. You did really well, Golden Grim Reaper.”
“The Golden Grim Reaper is a loyal one who keeps secrets well.”
“Now that there’s no reason to keep a secret from Mom, you came here to tell me, didn’t you?”
While repeating these words of praise, Seo-A continued to stroke the Golden Grim Reaper, and it slowly opened its eyes.
It then sent out a faint thought, whispering softly.
‘Hehe.’
‘The good Golden Grim Reaper…’
The Golden Grim Reaper, smiling with a happy expression, muttered softly, filled with pure joy.
Seeing its face filled with such genuine happiness, Seo-A took out a treat she had prepared in the corner of the confinement room.
It was the glossy “Gray Grim Reaper Pudding.”
“Here, since you’re the good Golden Grim Reaper, let’s eat some pudding together!”
Upon receiving this thought, the Golden Grim Reaper’s reaction was intense.
Its limp body sprang up, and its tiny arms shot up high, sending out an exultant thought.
“Pudding with Mom!”
Despite just a single pudding, it was enough to make the Golden Grim Reaper so happy.
Thinking back, Seo-A realized she hadn’t shared pudding with the Golden Grim Reapers as often recently.
Nom nom.
The Golden Grim Reaper savored each spoonful of the pudding with a blissful expression.
Once it finished the pudding, Seo-A lifted the Golden Grim Reaper and placed it on her head.
The Golden Grim Reaper, smiling in pure contentment, sent out a small thought.
“Mom is so kind…”
Well, since it was a loyal one and the first to come and tell her the secret, this reward seemed well-deserved.
With a smile in her heart, Seo-A began her stroll through the Mini Grim Reaper Garden with the Golden Grim Reaper.
At the top of a cliff, surrounded by a vast garden, there stood a large mansion.
The well-maintained garden spread out around the mansion, and the stone path that passed through it was immaculate.
It looked like it had been tended to every single day without fail.
At the edge of the garden, a girl sat in a chair, gazing down at the cliff as she flipped through a thick dictionary.
She was a girl with purple hair, dressed neatly in high-end attire.
The word she was looking for was “friend.”
Though she had no trouble in daily life, she was lonely because she had no friends.
“Did no one survive out there?”
Kyu!
As she spoke, many white protectors answered, but there were no friends to be found.
When she sighed and looked down at the cliff below, she saw black, viscous slime swaying, as if about to surge up toward the cliff.
