There's a Crazy Flower!
"Oof..."
Another vigorous and sturdy morning.
I dragged my pajamas along as I crawled out of the bed I'd grown so used to.
"Ughhh..."
Standing on both feet, I gave my body a light stretch.
"One two... one two..."
I went through my daily ritual of Republic of Korea Army calisthenics.
Last time, Han A-young asked how on earth I knew about these exercises, and I had to come up with some excuse that left me sweating bullets.
But now that they'd become a fixed routine, skipping them in the morning left me feeling all stiff and unrested.
So there was no giving up on them.
"Hoo..."
Finishing up with the final breathing exercise.
-Clunk.
With a clunking sound, the ceiling slid open.
And from the opened ceiling came down today's breakfast on a tray, all prepared.
Today's morning menu was...
"Whoa..."
A hamburger steak smothered in delicious demiglace sauce, steaming hot with fragrant wisps rising up.
"Ome rice...!"
And a soft, jiggly ome rice.
Foods I could never have easily back before the Anomaly Management Agency captured me.
"Yesss...!"
Grinning from ear to ear, I pulled out the disposable fork and knife that came with it.
The disposable knife was like a serrated cake knife, probably for safety reasons in case of emergencies.
But it sliced right through the hamburger steak no problem.
Sawing away, I cut into it.
"Haa..."
Melting cheese oozed out from between, and I broke into a blissful smile.
A pure meat hamburger steak was great too, but personally, I loved ones stuffed full of cheese like this.
Carefully parting the hot cheese and tearing off a piece, I cut a chunk of the steak.
"Nom..."
And swallowed it down.
The rich juices of the meat hit me in that instant, mingled with the nutty, creamy flavor of the cheese.
The demiglace sauce perfectly balanced any potential richness, creating heavenly harmony.
I'd thought it was just some frozen patty, but feeling the juices and freshness, it might've been homemade.
"Hehe..."
With delicious food in my mouth, an indescribable happiness filled me.
This is life.
This is bliss.
Lost in that euphoria, I grabbed a spoon next.
And plunged it right into the prettily plated ome rice!
The thin egg tore softly under the spoon, revealing the fried rice inside.
I mixed it well with the ketchup, scooped it up.
Topped it with the torn egg, and popped it in my mouth.
The soft egg melted smoothly on my tongue, while the ketchup-infused fried rice brought waves of joy.
"Hehe..."
No need to work.
Three square meals a day.
Anything I want—as long as it's not internet stuff—they fetch it right away.
Isn't this basically heaven?
"Hweee..."
I polished off breakfast, patted my slightly bloated belly, and headed to the sofa.
Now that I'm fed, time to binge some new seasonal anime.
"Haa... this is getting exhausting."
Kim Han-seong, director for East Asia at the Anomaly Management Agency, let out a short sigh.
Just after Anomaly-1004 appeared and drew the whole agency's attention to Chungju Base, another shocking report had come in.
The agency's emergency stairs—which they'd been using just fine until now—were contaminated by another anomaly.
The moment that report went up, use of emergency stairs was banned worldwide across all countries.
And today's board meeting was set to discuss countermeasures.
In Kim Han-seong's view, either option carried massive risks.
Demolishing the stairs meant major construction at bases everywhere, a huge burden.
Plus, the mysterious figure who left a message at Chungju Base might get angry.
But granting their request to meet the angel was risky too.
Most frightening was potentially losing the angel anomaly, who's currently friendly to the agency.
And if the other was a religious anomaly, they might synergize and grow even stronger.
"Hmm..."
Sweeping back his hair in thought, Kim Han-seong leaned toward rejecting the mystery party's proposal.
-Ding~
A cheerful chime as the elevator arrived.
But the doors didn't open.
Kim Han-seong casually pressed his finger to the wall.
Plant roots slithered out from the wall.
-Pok.
A thorn pierced his thumb, sucking blood.
"Mm..."
It'd been over a century since he became East Asia director, so he should've been used to it by now.
But getting blood-sucked always felt profoundly weird.
An agency protecting humanity from all anomalies, yet needing one to access its core?
He knew it was installed due to frequent doppelganger or mimic invasions.
Still felt off.
> East Asia Director Kim Han-seong. Authenticated.
Anyway, after the blood-suck and authentication, an invisible elevator appeared.
He stepped into one big enough for about four people.
Without hesitation, he pressed the buttons in a specific pattern.
[Sublevel 241]
-Dring.
The elevator descended, arriving at Sublevel 241 bunker.
The other directors were already seated inside.
"Sorry I'm late."
Not really late for the meeting, but he apologized politely and took his seat.
The meeting kicked off immediately.
As it began, all the directors voiced the same opinion in unison.
"We must protect Anomaly-1004 at all costs." "No handing over the angel." "Relocating the base is tough, so just scrap the stairs."
They sure agreed when it mattered.
"Hum~"
Another fulfilling day, and the clock pointed to evening.
Breakfast > anime binge > lunch > play with doggo > dinner.
Perfect happiness cycle complete, I changed into pajamas and headed to bed.
Midway, someone introducing himself as a doctor came by, worried if being cooped up was okay—kinda threw me off.
But personally, I feel way mentally healthier here than out in society.
Out there, I'd stress daily over meals.
Future scared me.
Bank balance just endless sighs.
Here? No worries—they provide paradise!
"Heee..."
Patting my slightly pooched belly from snacks.
-Whirr!
The ceiling opened again, robot arm whirring down.
"Huh?"
Not snack or meal time, so I watched curiously.
Finally, it set down the item in its grip.
"Eh...?"
I tilted my head.
A flowerpot with a single bloom.
Wondering if it was a new anomaly, I closed my eyes and sensed—no dark energy.
Just a normal flower, then...
Why give me this all of a sudden?
Spotting a paper stuck in the pot.
[Staying cooped up inside is perfect for breeding mental illness. How about raising a pretty flower?]
"Hmm... no real need, but okay."
I'd said I was fine, but the doc must've thought otherwise.
Anyway, got the flower—might as well grow it well.
I inspected it closely, trying to ID the species.
White petals, yellow bud.
Six petals.
"Hmm... looks too common..."
I knew sunflowers or roses, but this was too generic to pinpoint.
Scratching my head, suddenly stems sprouted from the pot.
"Eh...?"
Impossible growth speed for a normal flower.
The stems twisted rapidly, forming letters.
Hello?
Nice to meet you.
You're cute.
"..."
"Wh-what?!"
For my mental health, they wouldn't give me something this freaky.
I sensed no dark energy, but definitely an anomaly.
Countermeasure was simple.
I hurriedly backed away from the pot, positioning so the CCTV caught it all.
Waved at the watching camera, begging for help.
"H-hey... there's... there's a crazy flower here...!"