LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 17 - Tutoon's Sad (2)
Chapter 17 – Tutoon’s Sad (2)
As soon as Sunal saw the flower patterns on the slime’s body, he flinched slightly.
He thought he could faintly hear the word “overtime” ringing in his ears.
‘No way. That can’t be true.’
When the slime violated the form-maintenance law, not only him but even ordinary citizens could have reported it.
He had told the police that he helped resolve the situation, so he thought it had been taken care of properly.
‘…This doesn’t seem like revenge.’
Sunal looked at the slime.
It had taken the form of a small child, and unlike its previous gooey state, it now had a slightly more elastic, pudding-like texture.
Though it had eyes, a nose, and a mouth on its face, the expression felt more like looking at an emoticon rather than a human face.
“If you’re angry, there’s nothing I can do. I just followed the regulations as a public servant.”
“Nooo. I wasn’t really scolded much. So, I’m not angryyy.”
The slime smiled.
It was like seeing the emoticon face ‘^―^’.
“Then why were you waiting here?”
“I didn’t see your nameee.”
The slime’s gaze shifted toward the ID badge hanging around Sunal’s neck.
When its eyes moved, Sunal felt an eerie chill run down the back of his neck.
“Bye-byeee.”
After checking his name, the slime simply dashed down the hallway.
Splish, splish.
Each footstep made a squelching sound.
‘…What the heck?’
Sunal felt a strange sensation.
—Sometimes, things like this happen, Sunal. You’ll be out in the field, bump into people, and then, well, complaints come in. Some even escalate to threats. If that ever happens, let me know, okay?
He suddenly remembered something Edina had told him.
‘…Nah, that can’t be.’
What kind of threat would this be?
Sunal walked down the hallway with a sense of defeat.
‘I wish I could set up a warp in front of my house and get home in three seconds.’
He sniffled and shoved his hands into his coat pockets.
Ring, ring. Ring, ring.
A phone ringing from somewhere in the distance jolted Sunal awake.
Still groggy, he stared blankly ahead, his consciousness not fully returned.
On the TV, he saw his character in the game lying dead.
‘…Damn it.’
He couldn’t even remember how far he had gotten, and seeing himself curled up on the sofa like this made him laugh.
‘See? That’s what I get for messing around with games. I should have just gone to bed quietly.’
Familiar sights and sounds made Sunal chuckle, but then the ringing of the phone snapped him back to reality.
It was his team leader.
His eyes moved from the phone screen to the clock.
5:58 AM. Two minutes before his alarm was set to go off.
Still half-asleep, Sunal dropped the game controller that was still in his hand and moved only his lips.
“Hello?”
Edina’s apology sent a chill down his spine.
“…Who is this?”
“Uh… Is this that voice phishing I’ve heard about?”
“Yes.”
Sunal replied immediately, then let out a small laugh.
“…Ha.”
The laughter quickly faded, and he exhaled deeply.
“I have to go to work again today. Already. I just closed my eyes. I just took a breath. Why do I have to go to work again?”
“Yes?”
“I’m listening.”
“…Damn it.”
Sunal buried his face in his hands, kicking his legs in frustration.
A giggle came from the other end of the phone.
Taking a deep breath, Sunal opened one eye and spoke in a still groggy voice.
“…So, what’s the reason for calling me before the small hand hits six? Is this something I can stab up there?”
“Fine.”
“…Was it the lizardman?”
Sunal was baffled.
The lizardman had screamed about filing a complaint.
‘No, wait. He can’t… He shouldn’t be able to do that now. He’s being investigated, so how could he?’
Sunal scratched his neck for no reason.
“Yes.”
“…I held back from hitting him harder, though I really wanted to. So, how did they even know it was me?”
“Ah. Yeah, my hair color does stand out a bit. But there shouldn’t be any… evidence, though.”
“Well, yeah. I set it up so it’d be easy to clean up afterward.”
Sunal chuckled, slowly sitting up from his spot.
Sunal, now turning off the alarm that had just started ringing, let out a long yawn.
Wiping the tears from his eyes, Sunal blinked slowly.
“…Who’s Tutoon?”
“I don’t know either?”
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t have any friends named Tutoon.”
“A slime?”
Sunal’s half-closed eyes snapped open.
“…A slime?”
His voice got louder as he asked again.
He suddenly remembered the slime he saw yesterday, in the form of a small child. Sunal jumped to his feet.
“…Hello thereee.”
Hearing the familiar drowsy voice, Sunal ran his hand down his face.
It was the slime from yesterday.
The one he had encountered while capturing the lizardman, the slime who had learned his name.
And now, here it was, having tea—alongside Edina, no less.
“You’re here, Sunal?” Edina waved at him. The fact that this slacker had shown up earlier than usual for work made Sunal uneasy.
“What’s going on?”
Sunal already felt exhausted from the day, but he first directed his question at the slime named Tutoon.
“I was waitinggg.”
Tutoon smiled broadly, making Sunal want to take a step back.
“For me?”
“Yesss.”
“Why?”
“I have a request. I lost my homeee. Please help meee. I want to find my homeee.”
“What should I do? We don’t handle finding lost homes here. If you’ve lost your home, you need to go to the police and tell them, ‘I got lost, I can’t find my home,’” Sunal said bluntly.
Edina spoke calmly, as if explaining to a small child, “I’m not lost. I really lost my home. And I found this place just fine, didn’t I?”
“In that case, you definitely need to go to the police. This is the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit. We don’t help people find their lost homes,” Sunal said, his tone stiffening at the mention of not being a lost child.
At the same time, he remembered seeing Tutoon clinging to the hospital wall yesterday. Maybe the slime had been kicked out?
“Don’t say thattt. But the police won’t help meee.”
Tutoon looked like he was about to burst into tears, and Edina tried to soothe him.
“Don’t cry. Here, have some snacks.”
Edina handed some snacks to Tutoon, who began munching, though he still looked downcast.
Edina glanced up at Sunal, her expression practically shouting at him: Sunal, you’re being too harsh. At least hear the kid out.
Her look was so obvious it was practically audible.
“Captain, why are you looking at me like I’m the bad guy? Honestly, asking us to find a home is ridiculous. If he wants to find his home, he should go to a real estate agent, not come here.”
Sunal huffed, his breath coming out sharply.
“I have no moneyyy. They kicked me out when I wenttt.”
Tutoon slumped, looking as though he might return to his original, gooey form at any moment.
“How do you plan to find a home without any money?”
Sunal couldn’t help but think of a warm cup of coffee at the ridiculousness of the slime’s words. Normally, his perfect morning would begin with a cup of instant coffee—anything really—while gazing out the window and lamenting over his life before work.
“The hospital wall was my homeee. But they kicked me outtt.”
At Tutoon’s words, Sunal put his hand on his head and clenched it tightly. It sounded almost like the slime was blaming him.
“I just need a place to stayyy. I like it when the sun rises beautifully, when there’s the busy sound of people during the day, and then it’s quiet at nighttt.”
Tutoon’s eyes grew large, a trace of longing visible within them.
Sunal clenched his fist, recalling the typical traits of slime species.
‣ They like staying in one spot. Usually, they don’t have homes and live wherever they find themselves, whether on the streets or elsewhere.
In the end, Tutoon’s message was clear.
You took away my home, so now you’re responsible.
‘Maybe I should have ignored it,’ Sunal thought as a wave of regret hit him.
But even if he could go back, he knew he wouldn’t have ignored it. He never did things half-heartedly, no matter the situation.
“Staying in that spot without the hospital’s permission was illegal. Whether it’s a hospital or the streets, it’s the same. So, stop acting like a child. This is a workplace, not a daycare.”
“…I’m sorryyy.”
Tutoon’s body drooped, melting a bit.
“I thought you could help meee.”
Tutoon whimpered as he lost his form, spilling onto the floor like liquid.
“Don’t lose your form.”
At Sunal’s firm words, Tutoon turned back into the childlike form and shuffled out the door.
“…I feel a little bad now.”
Edina gave Sunal a sideways glance.
“Is this really what we’re supposed to be doing in the grievance unit?”
“Personal matters aren’t our job. If it involved other races, maybe. But because it’s not, it makes me feel even worse.”
“…Ugh.”
Sunal sighed deeply and followed after Tutoon.
“Tutoon.”
“Mm?”
Tutoon turned his head slightly.
“This center doesn’t just have the grievance unit. If you go up to the second floor, you can find help with temporary housing and even a job.”
“But my real home was right hereee.”
“What?”
“…Bye-byeee.”
Tutoon slumped as he walked away, the sound of his footsteps echoing with a squelch, ‘splish splish.’
* * *
Ding.
Number 12.
The display screen changed, but Sunal’s eyes remained vacant.
‘…I can’t stop thinking about it.’
Tutoon’s retreating figure kept replaying in his mind. Why was it bothering him so much?
Was it because Tutoon had taken the form of a child?
“…Excuse me?”
Someone stood in front of Sunal, hesitating. Terisha, who was sitting to his right, suddenly fluttered over.
Her small frame, no taller than his forearm, floated gracefully with four shimmering blue wings on her back, scattering glowing dust as they moved. She gently perched herself on Sunal’s desk, her half-tied golden hair swaying.
“Sunal?”
Her large green eyes met his, and Sunal, caught off guard, realized she was addressing him.
“…Yes?”
Terisha pointed behind him with her hand. Sunal, sensing the situation, pulled his chair back just enough to be out of the magical range.
Naturally, Terisha hovered along, following him closely.
“Please focus. We’re on duty right now. Losing yourself in thought while working is dangerous. You know what kind of job we do, don’t you?”
Terisha calmly but firmly scolded him.
“My apologies.”
“You should also apologize to this person.”
Sunal turned to see a Medusa holding the number 12 ticket in her hand.
‣ Strong protective instinct.
As he recalled the typical traits of the Medusa species, another thought crossed his mind.
The Medusa, wearing glasses, was nervously crumpling her ticket, her fingers twitching slightly.
‣ Very shy.
Of course, not all Medusas were like this, but for most, it was a notable trait. He thought it would probably be listed somewhere in her records.
A quick glance at her hair showed that it hadn’t turned into snakes yet, a clear sign that she wasn’t angry.
In any case, Sunal knew it was his fault for zoning out during work.
“If you’re tired, I can take over for you,” Terisha offered, her gaze filled with concern.
“I just finished up, so I can handle it,” Lee Rang said, pulling his chair back and looking at Sunal.
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” Sunal replied, shaking his head. They were all equally exhausted, so why should they bear each other’s burdens?
“Maybe it’s because of what happened yesterday? That’s why you seem tired, isn’t it?”
Lee Rang, who had witnessed the altercation between Sunal and a lizardman in the field the previous day, brought it up. He had even tried to help Sunal with a bit of his own magic, although he wondered if he should have exerted more effort.
“I read the report. That kind of thing can really wear you out,” Terisha added, looking sympathetically at Sunal, which left him feeling a little strange.
‘…Wait, what’s with their reactions? Didn’t I say yesterday it was the easiest job?’
He wondered if he had somehow been tricked.
Sunal glanced at the medicine bag sitting on his desk, gripping the armrest of his chair tightly as he suppressed the urge to march over to Edina and demand an explanation.
Lee Rang, who had been watching Sunal, reached for the fatigue recovery drink on the desk, slid his chair forward, and then back again, handing the drink to him.
“Here, take this. It’ll wash away all your fatigue.”
Sunal, now holding the recovery drink, looked at Lee Rang with a hint of surprise.
‘He’s… not usually this kind.’
Taking a moment to compose himself, Sunal stood up and walked over to the Medusa, bowing his head.
“I’m really sorry for making you wait.”
“It’s fine. To be honest, I’ve been worried since I noticed you spacing out earlier.”
He shook his head, not quite understanding why a stranger—a Medusa at that—would be concerned about him. Pushing aside the oddness of it, Sunal put on his best customer service smile and asked:
“What brings you here today?”