A Fluffy Heart
Adele’s face was glowing as she returned home. The moment she stepped inside, she was greeted by Silvia, who was doing home workouts while watching TV.
“You’re back?”
“Yes! When did you get home?”
“Two hours ago. But you… your complexion looks really good today. Did something nice happen?”
“Something that gave me tons of energy! Do you have time right now?”
Her expression screamed that she wanted to spill everything immediately. Silvia let out a small chuckle at Adele’s heightened excitement and nodded.
“Of course.”
“Then sit down, quick! Hurry!”
When Adele sat at the dining table and began tapping her feet impatiently, Silvia let out a helpless laugh and walked over, taking the seat across from her. She took a sip of the lukewarm water sitting nearby before asking,
“So what happened that’s got you in such a good mood?”
“Well, it all started like this…”
Adele recounted the entire day without missing a single detail, down to the smallest moments. From eating sandwiches and snacks in Jihyeok’s lab, to the mistake she made at the movie theater, how he had kindly taken her to a drive-in instead, and even his sincere advice. She gestured animatedly with her hands and feet the whole time, gushing about Jihyeok’s compliments, and finally burst into bright laughter.
“I’ve never heard compliments like that before! Jihyeok is such a genuinely good person!”
Silvia, who had been listening quietly, let out an impressed sigh.
“He’s something else. Only twenty years old, but he thinks like an adult.”
“Right? I want to go to the lab again tomorrow… do you think that would be okay?”
Suddenly, a gloomy aura surrounded Adele. It was clear she desperately wanted to visit the lab but was worried about interfering with the device’s creation. It was a childish request. The Doctor and Jihyeok needed to finish the device quickly to enable permanent Aether storage. Still, it was rare to see Adele this excited. Today’s events must have truly satisfied her.
Normally, Silvia should have gently persuaded her not to interfere… but she didn’t want to crush that bright mood and eager expectation so cruelly.
“Did you ask him before you parted ways? Whether you could come again tomorrow?”
“No. I didn’t think of that.”
“Then why don’t you ask him directly and decide based on his answer?”
“That sounds better, doesn’t it?”
“Just to be clear, the decision is yours to make.”
Adele beamed and nodded vigorously several times.
“I’ll do that! I need to message Jihyeok right now. You can go back to your workout, sis!”
At Adele’s innocently commanding tone, Silvia burst into laughter. Once Adele headed to the bathroom, she returned to her home training.
After quickly washing her hands, Adele flopped onto the bed and fiddled with her phone. She pulled up all the saved emoticons, carefully selected her favorites, copied them, and opened her messaging app. Then she sent Jihyeok a message.
Jihyeok! What are you doing? (❀╹◡╹)
On my way back to the lab.
The reply came almost instantly. It was a blunt message, yet it somehow carried Jihyeok’s characteristic warmth. Adele’s heart suddenly began to race. She placed a hand over her chest. It wasn’t an unpleasant throb—it was soft, fluffy, and pleasant.
Letting out a long breath, Adele’s fingers flew across the screen.
Thank you so much for today! I’m sorry for disturbing you while you were making the device.
Not at all. I had a lot of fun too. Let’s go see another movie sometime.
Yes! Can I come to the lab tomorrow?
Hmm… you can come in the evening.
Evening…? What was she supposed to do until then? Adele pouted and copied an emoticon.
╭(๑¯д¯๑)╮
You don’t like that? What about lunch…?
Lunch? That wasn’t great either.
(๑ò︵ò๑)
Then would you like to come in the morning…? We could study the Bible during my breaks. How does that sound?
Only after she sent several disappointed emoticons did Jihyeok finally give her a satisfying answer. And Bible study, no less… how deep was his faith? Suggesting he learn about the Bible had truly been an excellent decision.
Grinning from ear to ear, Adele immediately replied.
Yes! But I promise I won’t disturb you at all while you’re working on the device!
Understood. See you tomorrow, then.
Great! (✦‿✦) Get home safely!
Once the chat ended, Adele felt a brief pang of disappointment before closing her eyes. Not because sleep was calling her, but to savor everything that had happened today. She recalled her embarrassing behavior at the theater and displayed a wide range of emotions. When she remembered punching Jihyeok in the chin and hitting his nose, she swung her fists in the air to shake off the shame. When she thought of how she had scattered popcorn everywhere because of the ridiculously loud music, her face fell. And when she remembered how naturally Jihyeok had stood up to apologize to the other audience members, she felt warm affection for how reliable he was.
Recalling his serious advice at the drive-in theater filled her with joy, and thinking of how happily he had eaten the caramel popcorn she offered made her feel proud. The sweet, caramel flavor still seemed to linger in her mouth. Without realizing it, Adele licked her lips.
‘It was delicious…’
Still smacking her lips, Adele fell asleep exactly like that.
The Beast Slayer Headquarters, furious at the excessive protest, has issued an official statement. The headquarters firmly stated that their relationship with the World Coalition is purely one of collaboration, not hierarchy. They also expressed hope that people would understand their position of helping protect Earth out of goodwill without expecting any reward…
The public’s reaction is extremely heated. The majority strongly criticized Argentina, expressing concern that if such incidents continue, the headquarters might wash their hands of the matter…
The World Coalition has also released a statement. They announced that the Beast Slayers were dispatched as quickly as possible to defeat the monsters that appeared in Argentina. They expressed gratitude to the headquarters for working toward world peace…
The news playing from early morning was incredibly satisfying. The saying that continued favors are taken for granted didn’t come out of nowhere. They needed to be threatened with polite language like this to keep them in line. Otherwise, they would keep overstepping. They were all going to die eventually anyway, but it was still necessary to educate them. Listening to their constant whining was just annoying.
While I munched on the toast the Doctor had packed for me and watched the news, Adele opened the lab door and stepped inside. I stood up from my seat and came out of the break room.
Her outfit today was… an oversized beige knit sweater with long sleeves and bright blue jeans. The color combination was nice. Pretty girls really do have natural fashion sense.
“Good morning, Adele.”
“Good morning! But why are you in the break room? You’re not trying to use up your break time early so we study the Bible less, are you?”
She was really talking to herself. I answered her question with a smile.
“I was just having breakfast. Have you eaten?”
“No! I left so early that I didn’t eat.”
“Would you like some toast then? I brought plenty.”
“I’ll gladly eat some! You should eat with me, Jihyeok. We can memorize Bible verses while we eat.”
She was full of motivation today. Just looking at her, I could tell that if I opened the Bible she would bombard me with excessive comments. I’d play along for a bit and then suggest we go out somewhere.
When I agreed, I walked behind Adele and took her backpack for her. It was surprisingly heavy. I had no idea what she was carrying around. Once we reached the break room, I set the backpack down beside the sofa, and we ate toast together like a sweet couple.
“Jihyeok. Do we have any milk?”
It was Adele’s question as she ate her peanut butter toast. I stood up and headed for the fridge.
“Yes. I’ll get you some.”
“Low-fat, please.”
After that ridiculous binge eating, she wanted low-fat milk for some psychological comfort.
“We don’t have low-fat… is regular milk okay?”
“I prefer low-fat.”
“Should I run to the convenience store nearby?”
“Yes.”
I had only been joking, but she actually told me to go buy some. I let out a hollow laugh and nodded. As I was about to leave the lab, Adele popped out of the break room, changing her shoes as she spoke.
“Let’s go together.”
“You can rest here…”
“I’m bored.”
“Alright.”
I was about to take her along obediently when I noticed toast crumbs on the corner of her mouth. I pulled out a tissue from nearby and held it out.
“You have bread crumbs on your mouth.”
“It’s fine. I’m going to eat more when we get back.”
To think this sloppy girl was a Saint… it was too funny. Chuckling, I wrapped the tissue around my index finger and rolled it up. Then I gently wiped the corner of her mouth.
Adele didn’t resist my action at all. It was the complete opposite of how she had freaked out at the study café. I cheered internally and casually threw the tissue away before opening the lab door. Adele came up beside me and asked in a slightly shy voice,
“We’re still going to buy milk and study the Bible, right?”
“I’ll finish the device first. We can do it when I get back. You should take a nap.”
“I’m not sleepy. But okay.”
Really? To me, it already looked like drowsiness was creeping in… We’ll see if she can stay awake when we get back.
Click!
When I pressed the wirelessly connected remote, the Polymus began to stretch in a bizarre way before rapidly shrinking the space where the Aether would be stored. Not content with that, it tightly bound and sealed the entire device. I nodded with a pleased expression and stretched.
Today’s sense of accomplishment was excellent. The consumable storage compartments I had installed throughout the device were perfect, and the control system was functioning properly. Now I just needed to refine it a little more, insert the Aether, and finish the final touches. One device would be complete. I felt good that it was progressing faster than expected.
Deciding to call it a day, I quietly opened the break room door. I tiptoed over to Adele, who was lying asleep on the sofa, then crouched down to look at her face.
Not only had she finished off all the remaining toast, she had also drunk an entire 500ml carton of low-fat milk before claiming she was sleepy and closing her eyes. The way she slept so soundly in a proper posture was incredibly beautiful. Her gentle breathing, her fair skin, her glossy pink lips. I stared blankly at Adele’s face for a long time.
How much time had passed? Adele smacked her lips and turned toward me. One of her hands slipped out from under the blanket. I carefully took her hand and placed it on my palm. I simply wanted to. There was no other reason.
Adele’s fingers were slender, and her palm was tiny. Her hand was small overall and incredibly lovely. The oval-shaped nails painted pure white were as white and beautiful as the pure heart she possessed. I gently rubbed each of her glossy nails one by one. The smooth, silky texture felt wonderful.
‘Huk…!’
I suddenly came to my senses and shook my head several times. That was when my eyes met Adele’s, who was staring straight at me. When had she woken up? She must have opened her eyes while I was touching her hand. Looking into her emerald irises that seemed to draw me in, all my fatigue melted away.
“I’m sorry.”
I apologized calmly and tried to stand up. But Adele grabbed my index finger tightly, preventing me from moving. It was a weak grip that I could have shaken off instantly. However, I didn’t want to. It was because emeralds were fragile and would shatter with even the slightest force. I had no idea why such a thought had suddenly crossed my mind.
“Jihyeok.”
Adele called my name in a low, still-sleepy voice. I needed to answer, but my mouth wouldn’t move. Why was this happening? I swallowed hard and forced my lips open.
“…Yes?”
“What time is it?”
“It’s… four in the afternoon.”
Adele’s eyes widened slightly. She let out a small sigh and said,
“I slept a lot.”
“Yes… you slept quite a while.”
“Is it break time?”
“Probably…”
“Then let’s study the Bible.”
“Understood. Shall I help you up…?”
“I’m thirsty. I want some water.”
“I’ll get it for you.”
I turned to head toward the fridge. But the heavy weight I felt in my right hand kept me from moving any further. Adele hadn’t let go of my finger and was on the verge of being dragged off the sofa. I returned to her side and said,
“Um… you need to let go of my hand…”
“It’s rough and fluffy.”
The sudden words that came from her lovely lips. I struggled to suppress my bewilderment and asked,
“What is…?”
“Your finger, Jihyeok.”
After speaking, Adele finally released my finger. I unconsciously took a step back, then pressed my forehead firmly with my palm as I took out a bottle of water from the fridge. What was that just now? It felt like I had been possessed… Was it because of Adele’s appearance? Or perhaps the intense focus I had maintained while making the device had suddenly scattered. Maybe I had just been too tired from working so much lately.
At any rate, I had confirmed Adele’s current feelings. That was enough. I quietly steadied my breathing and calmed my confused mind. Then I approached Adele, who had sat up, handed her the water, sat at the table, and opened the Bible.