The Flavor of Tear-Drenched Pizza
The taste of pizza soaked in tears. …………… Let's prepare some food for the poor stray alien girl.
I pried open the vent entrance and slipped inside. From basement level B41 to the surface-level cafeteria—it takes less than a minute crawling through the ducts. Transforming my body into slime form, I slid right in. Navigating the twisting pipes, I emerged and settled onto the cafeteria ceiling—
——only to spot a familiar face in the corner of the dining hall right away.
Odeokhwan, whose jawline had sharpened and cheeks hollowed out thanks to my recent diet assistance. In front of him sat a massive cheese bomb pizza, grease dripping everywhere. Golden crust piled high with cheese cascading like a waterfall, loaded with pepperoni and sausage toppings. He'd sliced it into eight neat pieces with a cutter and was just about to grab the first slice.
Ahh. Odeokhwan, you jerk. Dieting, my ass, and now this.
I never heard him say he was losing weight directly. But all fat humans go around muttering, "Gotta lose weight, gotta lose weight." Odeokhwan's no different. I'm just helping him out by reading his mind in advance.
Anyway, this Alpha Outer God girl is even managing his weight for him, and here he is trying to sneak a cheese bomb pizza. Human willpower for dieting is flimsier than cardboard soaked in water.
No helping it. For the health of my playmate, I guess I have to step in.
One second before Odeokhwan's fingers touched the pizza slice. Moving faster than human eyes could perceive, I burrowed behind his back. I lifted the pizza tray off the table and shoved it into my internal subspace, replacing it with a bowl of raw carrots piled up in the cafeteria kitchen. Roughly two kilograms, I'd say. Two kilos of carrots oughta kill any pizza cravings.
Hee hee hee. One second later, his fingers brushed the end of a carrot.
"……?"
Odeokhwan blinked.
"Ah…… no……! What the hell……!"
From his perspective, the cheese bomb pizza he'd been reaching for had suddenly swapped into a heap of cold orange raw carrots. Chew 'em good. Raw carrots.
"Gaaahhhhhhh!! My once-a-week treatiiiiiiing!!!"
Odeokhwan collapsed face-first onto the carrot bowl, howling loud enough to bring down the cafeteria ceiling as he tore at his hair.
A bit pitiful. But no pain, no gain in dieting. Keep at it. I'll cheer you on.
I flashed a thumbs-up behind the prone Odeokhwan and slipped back into the vent.
Perfect. Food secured. Time to head back to the stray alien girl. Trot trot.
……………
The stray alien girl, now dressed in the gray tracksuit, looked somehow forlorn.
"My clothes were confiscated…… right? Yeah. This is a holding facility, so of course……."
Her golden eyes drooped toward the floor, twin-tails limp over her shoulders. I took a quick lick at her emotions' flavor—soggy, sticky sadness like bread dough drowned in water lingered on my tongue. Not just her face; she was genuinely miserable.
Seeing her like that made the back of my head itch a little. Come to think of it, those tattered clothes were probably her only possession. Losing even that in her dire straits? No wonder she's making that face.
Still, don't be too sad. You lost one outfit, but gained unlimited gray tracksuits and a free house. King-size bed and an 85-inch OLED TV to boot. And from now on, I'll take good care of you. I'll even borrow cafeteria meals for you indefinitely—unsecured, interest-free, no collateral, no guarantor.
Unable to speak, I patted her back to comfort her.
"Eek!"
Even that light touch made the alien girl flinch, shoulders hunching like a cat hit by a splash. Still shy, huh. Well, even among adopted strays, some take time to adjust.
I took the blonde twin-tailed alien girl's arm and led her to the room I'd picked out in advance. Trot trot.
Jenica's new nest, confiscated from Umakgwi. Opening the door and stepping in, the alien girl's footsteps halted abruptly.
"Ah, ahh……!?"
Her golden eyes went wide. Her gaze locked onto the table in the center of the room.
A cheese bomb pizza with cheese cascading like a waterfall over golden crust, piled high with pepperoni and sausage. And beside it, three cans of ice-cold cola beaded with condensation.
Cheese bomb pizza—perfect welcome party menu for the new neighbor. Wasn't planned, but thanks to Odeokhwan, it lined up perfectly. Gotta repay him harder tomorrow. Swap his meal for boiled cabbage instead of raw carrots.
Now, eat up. I gestured toward the table.
Hm? Weird reaction from this alien girl with a feast right in front of her. Thought she'd be thrilled about the pizza, but she's biting her lip instead. Sweat beading on her forehead trickled down her temples. She looks like a condemned prisoner on their last night.
"Anyone can see this is a last supper……."
The alien girl pulled out a chair and sat. She picked up a slice like a convict receiving poison.
Nom. Cheese stretched long as it got sucked into her mouth. Chew, swallow, grab another slice. Her pace quickened from cautious to ravenous. By the third slice, her eyes were glistening.
Her mutter was so faint I barely caught it. Sniffling with grease on her lips, she looked utterly pitiable. How long had she been wandering like a beggar without a proper meal to tear up over one pizza? So heartbreaking.
I reached out and stroked her head gently. Her shoulders jerked again, but her chewing mouth didn't stop. I could feel her grim determination not to leave a crumb of her last meal.
Last meal, huh. Not wrong. Finishing a whole pizza this size leaves awkward timing for the next proper meal. It is "today's last supper." Fine for me, but humans balloon up like Odeokhwan if they snack late.
Ahem. Quiet.
The alien girl polished off even the last crust, then chugged a cola in one go. Only cheese stains remained in the empty box.
Good. Dessert time. I opened the fridge and pulled out two Daagenhaz ice creams. One in front of her, one for me.
Setting down the ice cream, she looked up at me. Her golden eyes reflected the ice cream and my face overlapping. Her lips twitched like she wanted to say something, but she just picked up the spoon silently.
Nom. Nice. Eel jelly flavor.
As the ice cream bowls emptied, she set her spoon down. Her posture had shifted oddly. Back straight, hands neatly folded on her knees. Bracing herself for something.
"Transcendent Being."
First time she'd addressed me directly. Her voice trembled with tension, but the sadness had lessened.
"Are you going to eat me now?"
Huh?
"If so, I beg for a painless end……."
With those final words, she squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head deeply.
Does this girl seriously think I'm gonna eat her right now? My head tilted involuntarily at the absurd misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, in the mental world, the gluttonous little idiots' eyes sparkled like they'd been waiting.
These guys, seriously. I flicked the forehead of the little idiot waving excitedly at the front. Flick.
[Kyaa!]
[Waaah!]
[Don't hit!]
The flicked one tumbled backward, and the rest scattered with teary eyes. Whew. These kids are always scheming to act like Mom. Can't let my guard down.
No eating aliens or humans. Snacks are enough for me.
I looked back at the alien girl. Eyes squeezed shut, shoulders hunched tight. A poignant pose awaiting her final moment.
But it's just a ridiculous misunderstanding. Can't explain anyway. She'll figure it out soon.
I shrugged and grabbed the TV remote, leaving her there. Gaudy lights flared as subtitles appeared on the 85-inch screen.
THIS SEASON'S MASK SINGER! FINALE—BEGINNING—NOW!!!!
A singer in gray tights danced flashily on screen, belting out a tune. His opponent—a chimpanzee with a mushroom cap.
Hm, kinda familiar. But I've never seen those two dancing and singing at the Agency, so must be my imagination.
Flipping channels, I glanced back. The alien girl sat on the bed's edge, still watching me warily. Her eyes darted slowly between me and the TV. Her body tensed and relaxed in waves. Slowly processing that she wasn't getting eaten, I guess.
Bob, bob. Her head started tilting.
Ah, full belly making her sleepy. Warm shower and stuffed with pizza—natural to nod off.
I turned off the TV and lights. Darkness filled the room. The small lump in gray tracksuit curled in the bed's corner. No blanket. Can't have her catching a cold.
I pulled the covers up to her neck. Sleep well, alien girl. Trot trot.
I closed the isolation room door and stepped into the hall. After three steps.
Clack, clack. Someone approached from down the corridor. Red armor steaming like heat haze, translucent mesh peeking through the joints. Yeom Hana in her Neutronium Suit.
Huh. "Eliminate" is a pretty grim word.