Physical Examination
The containment cell isn't bathed in warm sunlight, but the artificial lights brighten the interior nicely.
I feel my mind, sunk deep into sleep, slowly waking as I open my eyes.
"Mmm..."
I stare blankly at the bright white ceiling for a moment.
Then I sense the warm bundle snuggled in my arms and glance down.
There, curled up peacefully in my embrace, is my fluffy pup.
Rustle rustle.
I gently stroke his soft, fluffy fur with my hand, charging up energy to tackle the day ahead.
"Up we go!"
I spring energetically out of bed.
Beds have this devilish charm that makes it impossible to get out at once—do that, and you're trapped forever.
That's why you have to leap out with full force so the blankets don't tempt you back.
"Ugh..."
I'm still not fully awake, my whole body heavy with fatigue.
"Up... huff... huff..."
But I know the perfect way to shake off this tiredness.
Army calisthenics! Let's go!
"One two... one two..."
I swing my arms vigorously, then my legs.
"Heave-ho..."
I clasp my hands and stretch them high toward the sky, waking up my sleepy muscles.
Once my body feels nicely loosened up...
"Huff... huff..."
I finish with the final breathing exercises.
Ideally, you'd do the last breaths facing fresh, crisp outdoor air.
-Whirr...
But the high-performance air purifier in the cell runs nonstop, pumping out clean air, so it's not bad at all.
With calisthenics done, it's about time for the Agency to deliver breakfast.
"Gotta eat real food first..."
I fight the urge to grab a snack and wait patiently for my meal.
Snacks come after proper food, anyway. Eat snacks first, and the rice tastes bland.
-Whirr...
A moment later, the ceiling slides open, and a robot arm emerges.
But unlike usual, it doesn't drop a tray—instead, it delivers a menu.
I snatch it up eagerly, and my eyes go wide.
"Whoa..."
[Breakfast: Fasting]
[Lunch: Mega Tonkatsu, Furikake Rice, Zero Cola, Dinner Roll, Strawberry Jam, Chocolate Ice Cream]
[Dinner: Grilled Squid Pork Belly, Rice, Seaweed Soup, Kimchi]
The lunch menu is insane!
Sure, the omelet rice day was delicious, but today's lunch blows it away.
The Agency always adds at least one vegetable for nutrition.
But this time? Zero veggies—just pure deliciousness!
They must've thrown in this special meal considering how tough it's been since I got locked in here.
'I'm totally fine, though...'
Missing those block games stings a bit, but with my pup here, I can handle it.
Still, no reason to turn down tasty food when they're offering.
"Hehe..."
Breakfast is fasting, but I don't even crave snacks now.
To savor that lunch, I need an empty stomach from here on out!
As I grin dreamily about the tonkatsu...
-Whiiiir!
A mechanical hum echoes through the cell.
It's loud enough to jolt my soundly sleeping pup awake with a start.
"Wha...?"
I wait blankly, wondering what's happening.
Thud!
A massive boom rings out as a giant cylindrical booth drops from the ceiling.
It lands smack in the center of the cell.
"Oh..."
I've seen this cylindrical booth before.
Right when the Agency first nabbed me, I got poked and prodded inside one just like it.
- Ah... Angel? Can you hear me?
Han A-young's voice crackles through the speaker.
"Yup, loud and clear!"
- Ahem... Today, we're doing a full physical exam on our Angel. Just checking your overall condition for any issues.
"Ugh..."
A wave of gloom hits me.
I know exams are necessary.
Catch problems early, fix 'em quick before they hurt.
But... there's one part I absolutely hate.
"No choice, huh..."
Still, since it's needed, I trudge into the booth with a dying expression.
-Whummm!
I've used it once before, so I know the drill.
But mess it up and break something? They'd bill me an agency lifetime's worth.
So I stand still, waiting for instructions.
>Ding! Commencing physical examination.
> Exam may take up to 1 hour. Press emergency stop if it gets too tough.
"Yup."
> Basic physique measurement first.
-Whiiiir!
A flat metal plate descends from the booth's ceiling with a mechanical whine, tapping my head.
"Eek!"
I flinch at the cold metal touch but quickly check the results.
I'm curious about my height too.
Last time it was 142cm... maybe I grew a whole cm?
Honestly, even I think I'm too tiny now.
A little taller would be nice. And the results...
Anomaly-1004
Height: 141.3cm
"Huh...? I shrank...?"
The horrific result: my height decreased.
"No... no way..."
I clutch my head.
Not just no growth—actually shorter? Unbelievable...
- Ah... Angel?
Han A-young's voice comes urgently.
- Hmm... Height measurements vary by about 1cm each time, so don't worry too much.
"R-really...?"
- Yeah, no need to fret!
"Ugh..."
I get that minor errors happen with measurements.
But... even if it's not really shorter...
'It means I still haven't grown...'
No growth since last time.
> Next: Weight. Step onto the scale barefoot.
I place my bare feet on it.
Anomaly-1004
Weight: 35.5kg
"Gasp..."
This time, I'm genuinely shocked.
I... I gained 0.5kg?
- Hmm... Gotta cut back on snacks a bit.
"Y-yes..."
Snacks in moderation from now on.
"..."
> Next: Physical ability test. Run on the treadmill.
-Whirr.
The booth floor starts moving like a treadmill.
"Hah... huff..."
I match the speed and start running.
The front monitor shows heart rate, posture angles, and such.
After about 15 minutes...
[Beep... beep... beep...]
Stamina test complete.
- Stamina's improved. All that running with Baekgu paid off.
"Haa... good..."
If everything came back bad, it'd hurt.
At least stamina went up a bit.
Yeah... losing stamina would've been real trouble.
Then came strength test, vision, field of view, blood pressure—one by one.
Thankfully, the rest were all fine.
And...
> Last test.
"Eek!"
The dreaded final test arrives.
The earlier ones were problem-free.
Bored as I was, they were kinda fun.
But... the last one... it's terrifying.
This is why the booth scares me.
"Ugh..."
> Please take a seat.
No sooner said than a chair materializes in the booth.
Hands shaking, I sit.
> Roll up the sleeve of your dominant arm and raise it.
"Huff huff..."
I roll up the sleeve on my right arm as instructed.
> Raise your arm.
"G-gently... please be gentle..."
A rubber strap shoots out and binds my arm.
-Whiiiir.
A shiny needle gleams.
Tech's advanced to minimize pain, but...
That needle's still scary.
And a thought hits me.
"N-no way... the tonkatsu...?"
Plenty of folks follow "free tonkatsu" bait straight to the hospital.
Did the Agency sneak it in on purpose...?
Poke.
"Ow."
The Agency... a scary bunch...
"Ugh..."
Nickname: Angel
Danger Level: Under Additional Review... (Provisional Level 1)
Physical Specs: 141.3cm, 35.5kg (as of 2026.04.21)
Platinum blonde hair, emerald eyes, and an innocent look that charms everyone.
Detected streaming block games online, Bravo-4 team dispatched immediately for securement.
Appears friendly to humans so far; observed obsession with block games.
[CENSORED] shows immense interest in this angel; board is discussing response policy.
Abilities: Claims to see "dark energy," and removing it sharply reduces anomaly aggression.
Has successfully repurposed Anomaly-109, Anomaly-36, and Anomaly-12 to be human-friendly using this power.
"The key to turning the tide in the war against anomalies. The Agency must shift from conservative policies to a more progressive stance." — Dr. David Hawer, Agency HQ Future Strategy Director