The Jelly Alien Will Save You! Chapter 28

The truth was, every passenger on every incoming train was turning their heads toward us. As if checking to see if we were going to get on.

 

Then, when the doors closed, they all turned their gazes straight ahead again.

 

I stared blankly at the people who were spaced far apart from each other, and then—

 

Pyok, pyok, pyok. 

 

I crossed the yellow line and stepped inside the train.

 

“Jelly-nim?!”

 

“What are you doing!”

 

Gong Juwon and Cha Haeeon called out to me in a panic.

 

[The doors are closing. The doors are closing.]

 

Drrrrrrrrrr-

 

They’re closing! Feeling a sense of urgency, I quickly waved both hands.

 

“Hurry up, everyone get inside! I have an idea!”

 

* * * 

 

Rattle, rattle.

 

Rattle, rattle.

 

Looking around inside the train car, I went to an empty seat and sat down.

 

Pyok, pyok, pyok— pyok! 

 

Cha Haeeon and Gong Juwon, who were forced to board the train at my urging, stood holding the handles in front of me.

 

Cha Haeeon looked as though he had reached a state of transcendence, while only Gong Juwon wore a face full of restless anxiety. 

 

I smiled broadly at Gong Juwon and checked the route map.

 

The route map was circular, and all other stations were filled with static noise, with Yongsan Station being the only one that looked normal.

 

While I was checking the route map, Gong Juwon, sweating profusely, bowed his head deeply and whispered to me.

 

“Could you give me a little hint about what you’re planning to do?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

At my casual answer, Gong Juwon opened and closed his mouth like a fish and looked at Cha Haeeon. As if asking for his help.

 

“Lieutenant Colonel….”

 

As Gong Juwon trailed off, Cha Haeeon shot a glare at me.

 

But I steadfastly shook my head and said.

 

“Just wait and see.” 

 

“…Are we going to be okay? Of all places, isn’t this the Hellish Line 1?”

 

Hellish Line 1?

 

At that moment, an old man holding an upside-down cross confidently opened the door from the opposite car and appeared.

 

On the old man’s yellow vest, the words ‘Vationlsal Liefbe’ and ‘Lhel Liefbeun’ were written.

 

“What does that mean?”

 

When I asked, Gong Juwon answered with a pale face.

 

“It’s the original phrase written backwards. Belief Salvation, Unbelief Hell… just the reverse.”

 

“Oh…!”

 

I looked at the old man with sparkling eyes.

 

The old man shook his cross back and forth and played hymns from a large speaker he dragged behind him.

 

“Only through faith shall you be purified!” 

 

What a broad method of evangelism.

 

I thought it was quite an interesting sight, but I could clearly feel that the other passengers were displeased.

 

“Don’t make eye contact.”

 

Cha Haeeon said, pushing me back as I peeked my head out.

 

“You’ll get converted.” 

 

“Can’t I just get converted a little?” 

 

The one who jumped up at my naive question was none other than Gong Ju-won.

 

“You can’t! Your contamination level will rise!”

 

“No matter what happens inside the train, it’s best not to pay attention. They’re all trying to bewitch you to raise your contamination level.”

 

Hmm, I see. I nodded.

 

Meanwhile, the ‘Unbelief Hell’ old man passed us and stood in the middle of the aisle.

 

Then, the door opened from the opposite car, and a woman holding flyers appeared.

 

She went straight to one of the passengers and spoke amiably.

 

“You have a very nice impression.”

 

But they don’t even have faces? Every passenger on this train had a face that was hollowed out like a black hole.

 

The passenger waved their hand.

 

“Not buying anything.”

 

Regardless, the woman started handing out flyers to the surrounding passengers.

 

“Do you believe in the Dao? Only with the grace and protection of your ancestors will your household be peaceful and free from worries.”

 

Oh….

 

My right ear perked up unconsciously.

 

Unlike the traditional ‘Unbelief Hell,’ this ‘Do you believe in the Dao?’ with its variations was a type I had never encountered in the hospital.

 

While I was focusing on what she was saying, suddenly, thump thump thump! Footsteps interrupted.

 

The ‘Unbelief Hell’ old man was approaching her, stomping his feet.

 

‘Gasp!’

 

I clenched my fists.

 

An exciting event I had never seen in my entire past life was about to unfold.

 

“Vationlsal Liefbe! Lhel Liefbeun! Vationlsal Liefbe! Lhel Liefbeun! Vationlsal Liefbe! Lhel Liefbeun!”

 

The old man shoved his cross at the Daoist woman and started shouting.

 

Then, the ‘Dao-believing girl’ slapped the old man’s face with her flyers.

 

“Where does an evil spirit dare to spout nonsense! Can’t you see the General behind me!”

 

It was truly a war of the cults……!

 

My eyes sparkled.

 

“So this is the Hellish Line 1….”

 

How thrilling. If the goal was to bewitch my eyes, the train had won. How could I not watch this?

 

“You, you shouldn’t watch…!”

 

Gong Juwon looked troubled, but even he kept glancing at the spot where the cult war was taking place.

 

Poor sentient being. I decided to save him.

 

“Here.”

 

Gong Juwon received the cherry tomato I handed him.

 

“Th-this is… don’t tell me, an instant purification item?”

 

“This will purify you.”

 

“To give me such a precious thing…!”

 

“Good things should be shared. Besides, Captain Gong Juwon has a big task to do later. For now, enjoy.”

 

“A big task?”

 

“Yeah, there’s something like that. Eat up, eat up.”

 

“Yes, thank you!”

 

We started watching the cult war in earnest while eating cherry tomatoes.

 

“Munch-munch. Whoa, he threw the cross!”

 

“Chew, chew. Damn, she dodged that. Her use of the flyers to block his vision is perfect.” 

 

“Still, the opponent is quite formidable.” 

 

While we were watching, our contamination levels rose like crazy, but we suppressed it by eating cherry tomatoes.

 

Cha Haeeon stared at us with a look of utter incomprehension as we went to such lengths just to watch the cult war.

 

The cult old man was just about to unleash his ultimate move, shouting ‘My salvation, belief, and divinity!’.

 

[The next station is ‘Yongsan’. ‘Yongsan’ Station. The doors are on your right.]

 

The eyes of the three of us turned to the display board. The train had made a full circle and was heading back to Yongsan Station.

 

And we had to get off at Yongsan Station.

 

By creating a ‘reason’ that we absolutely had to get off.

 

Gulp. Gong Juwon swallowed the cherry tomato he was chewing.

 

I could feel both Cha Haeeon and Gong Juwon looking at me.

 

Whether we would become eternal passengers or successfully get off at Yongsan Station rested in my hands. 

 

With a determined mind, I wiped the moisture off my hands. Then, I grabbed Gong Juwon’s hand tightly and pulled it toward Cha Haeeon.

 

Seeing the question mark hovering over Gong Juwon’s head, I smiled as if to tell him to relax.

 

Since we’re all trying to get off here.

 

The train is a kind of testing ground. It’s impossible to get off for personal reasons like ‘I left something behind.’

 

Instead, we need to be acknowledged that we naturally must get off.

 

By whom?

 

By the passengers, of course!

 

So I thought, how can I make the passengers understand a situation where we must get off the train?

 

The answer is simple.

 

It has to be simple, intuitive, and urgent.

 

I pressed Gong Juwon’s hand against Cha Haeeon’s butt. Gong Ju-won’s lone hand came to rest softly upon Cha Haeeon’s backside. 

 

Just as Gong Juwon’s eyes widened and Cha Haeeon’s face crumpled in a grimace.

 

I shouted loudly.

 

“Aaaaah! It’s a groper!”