'Experiments... I've done a few.'
I rolled my eyes upward, tracing my memories.
"Your body has already healed... Did you receive some other kind of experiment?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure. I've been in this state since I was young."
I had been experimented on in the Gag World. But since possessing this body, I hadn't undergone anything of note.
The problem was whether the original owner of this body had been experimented on before I possessed it. I couldn't know, so I rubbed the back of my neck and claimed ignorance.
"The wound has already healed. Hmm, let's make a light cut, then."
She picked up a knife from the trolley beside the lab table, pulled my hand toward her, and lightly sliced my palm. It stung.
"Does it hurt?"
"A little sting?"
"...Is your pain sensitivity dulled?"
Mia muttered softly and prodded the bleeding wound. Instead of more blood, the flow slowed.
"...??"
Mia stared down at the wound, eyes wide at a sight that defied all common sense. The bleeding stopped, revealing the cross-section of the wound.
"W-what is this..."
Mia, perhaps excited, flushed and brought her face close to my palm. As she drew near, something warm, soft... squishy... something pleasant, rested on my lap.
'Haaak...'
My body felt like it was melting away, like an evil spirit being exorcised.
"How can this be?"
She hurriedly released my hand and tossed the knife onto the trolley. Then she aggressively grabbed my shirt and ripped it open. Buttons flew off, pinging against the floor.
"Kyaaak!"
I covered my chest and cowered like a high school girl screaming at a man who had walked into the women's locker room.
"Stay still!"
She barked an order and cast a light spell; a round hole appeared on the lab table, and pitch-black tentacles shot out to restrain me.
Thud!
My upper body fell backward, pinned to the lab table. Tied to the table, I trembled like a frail maiden. Mia, eyes glazed with obsession, raised a new knife.
The knife sliced open my stomach in an instant. Blood spurted out for a moment, then stopped immediately.
"My god..."
She stared down at my body with an expression of shock.
'I-if you look so blatantly... I'll never be able to get married.'
As I sobbed and shed tears, Mia seemed to come to her senses belatedly and gave a light cough.
"I got too excited."
Mia stitched up my split stomach. By the next day, it had healed cleanly, though a scar remained.
I should have removed the stitches in time after the wound healed, but it healed so quickly that it left a mark.
'I did have a few more experiments after that, so a few scars remained. Well, whatever.'
Thinking that, I nodded, then looked back at Jess at the sensation of my clothes being tugged.
Jess's eyes were already brimming with moisture, as if she were about to shed tears at any moment.
"It, well... it didn't really hurt."
As I answered, I heard gasps from those around me. I immediately started making excuses.
"Look. I look perfectly healthy, right? Unlike Odile, Mia-nim is very kind and never does painful experiments like that! More than that, the, um, experiments are *really* rare, and mostly I just do chores."
But Jess's expression showed no signs of loosening. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, which had become chubby over the past few days.
"Hic...!"
Startled by Jess's tears, I scooped the child up and sat her on my lap. Then I waved my arms around, showing off my biceps.
"Look, I'm really healthy, see? I can even swing my fist like this...!"
*Slide.*
As I moved exaggeratedly, my sleeve slid up, revealing a long, snake-like scar coiling from my wrist to my elbow. It was still fresh, retaining a reddish tint.
"Huiing...!"
"...!"
"Hwaaang!"
"Iiiing!"
Jess finally burst into tears and buried herself in my arms. Then, the other children began to cry in a domino effect.
I quickly pulled down my sleeve to cover the scar and said.
"S-sorry, it was gross, right? I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to show you I was fine..."
You know how it is. In the Gag World, those deemed 'evil' are usually 'those who make women cry.' Especially if you make a 'pretty woman' or a 'young child' cry, you cannot avoid jail time.
Making a fuss to soothe the children is an unavoidable instinct!
"Kids, it's okay. Stop."
"Don't cry..."
The children who weren't crying tried to soothe those who were. Before long, the children managed to stop crying.
I let out a sigh of relief and patted Jess, who was buried in my arms. She let out a stuffy breath through her nose, her shoulders heaving, until she finally calmed down.
Just when I thought she had finally calmed down and tried to pull her away.
Fumbling, Jess began to grope my body. A laugh threatened to burst out at the ticklish sensation.
"Jess, stop..."
Before I could even finish my sentence.
*Whoosh*, Jess pulled my upper body up and stuck her face right inside. I blinked rapidly, looking flustered.
'Is it like how animals like tight spaces, is Jess like that too...?'
That thought vanished because of Jess's body, which began to tremble again.
"Heu-euk...!"
"..! Jess, what's wrong...!"
I hurriedly pulled Jess out from inside my shirt. Jess's face was already flushed bright red, and she was pouring out tears. I wiped Jess's face with my sleeve and hugged her again.
"Ma,ster, it hurts... *hic*, it hurts..."
"No, no. I'm not hurt. Stop, let's stop crying."
Even though I coddled and soothed her, Jess couldn't easily stop crying. As Jess cried so sorrowfully, the other children looked at me with flustered faces.
"No, Noah, what do we do? Jess keeps crying."
".."
Noah, who had been biting her lower lip until it turned white, sighed, stood up, and approached me. Then she spoke to the sorrowfully crying Jess.
"If you just keep crying like that, this guy is going to be in trouble. Is that what you want?"
"No, there's no need to go that far..."
"Heuuu..."
My god, Noah-emon!
As soon as Noah finished speaking, Jess stopped crying and sniffled. I looked at Noah with a gaze that felt like I was seeing a 'child-rearing genius.' Can you feel my respect?
" Rian needs to finish his meal, too. Get off now."
Noah said in a colder voice than usual. Just as I was about to say, "Shouldn't you talk to her more gently?", Jess wiggled and moved out of my arms.
'Pfft...'
Her eyes and cheeks, swollen like steamed buns, were so cute that I almost burst out laughing. I swallowed dryly and barely managed to hold back the laughter.
"Hup, heu... Mas-ter, I will... protect you..."
"Yeah, sure, thanks."
It was cute how she made a nasal sound while clutching my clothes with her tiny, fern-like hands, so I answered in a coddling tone. Jess let go of my clothes and climbed down from my lap.
*Pitter-patter.*
After watching Jess return to her seat, I looked at Noah and said.
"Thanks, thanks to you, we got through that. If you want anything later, tell me, and I'll grant it."
"...Anything?"
"Well, not things I can't do, but within the limits of what I can do, anything!"
"Really? Then... follow me after you eat."
"...?"
What is it? What is she trying to make me do?
Anxiety crept in, but I treated it as nothing and finished the rest of my meal.
That day, the children made a fuss about doing the dishes and cleaning up, so I left the cafeteria faster than usual.
*Grab.*
"Let's go."
"Huh? Right now?"
As soon as we left the cafeteria, Noah grabbed my arm and dragged me away. I looked back, wondering if it was okay to leave Nero alone, and saw him cleaning up the cafeteria with children his own age.
The sight looked quite peaceful, and a satisfied smile escaped me.
'Thank goodness. He's adapting well.'
Once Nero disappeared from my sight, I turned my head to look at Noah. Noah was striding along without looking back at me even once.
I walked in step with Noah's pace, and in an instant, we passed the hallway and arrived at the dormitory. There were rows of rooms where four people could enter and rest.
The room Noah dragged me into was the one shared by Noah, me, and Nero. Since the number of children was odd, the three of us ended up sharing a room.
*Click, bang!*
As soon as we opened the door and entered, Noah slammed the door shut with a rough hand.
*Thud!*
At the same time, my body was pushed back and hit the door. Noah's eyes shone fiercely as she grabbed my shirt collar.
"U-um, Noah?"
Noah lightly ignored my words and flipped my shirt up.