Day Two: Crayons and Compromises
“Haaah…”
Day two of being locked in this mystery room.
I woke up and opened my eyes.
A quick glance at the clock showed 10:30 a.m. Considering I usually got up around noon, this was early for me.
I'm like a total kid from a whole other country.
Rubbing my eyes and shaking off the sleepy haze, I looked around.
Deep down, I'd hoped that sleeping it off would make everything go back to normal.
“Still the same…”
Unfortunately, no such miracle happened.
The room was still stark white and soulless, just like before.
A little deflated, I let out a deep sigh and got up.
I figured I'd do some light stretches to get ready.
-Whirr.
The CCTVs on the ceiling hummed and swiveled.
They were watching me live, it seemed.
Tough gig.
I gave them a casual wave and started stretching.
The best routine I knew? Good old Korean military calisthenics.
After a year and a half of doing them every morning, my body still remembered the moves.
“One two… one two…”
With my shorter limbs, everything felt awkward.
But I stuck to the original routine, repeating it twice.
“Hoo…”
Finishing with the final breath, I wrapped up.
If the air here was stuffy, the breathing part would've sucked, but luckily, it was clean.
They must be running air purifiers hard.
“So… what now…”
With calisthenics done, I was out of things to do.
Normally, I'd boot up my PC for games or flop on the bed scrolling my phone.
Forced digital detox it was.
…No books or anything?
I shot a pleading look up at the CCTVs.
Give me something to play with.
I'm bored.
> Ah… Anomaly-1004, can you hear me?
Did my desperate eyes get through? A voice leaked from the room's speaker.
A lively young woman's voice.
I glanced around, then nodded at one CCTV.
Even if I couldn't see her face through the camera, eye contact was polite during a chat.
The situation sucked, but manners mattered.
> Nice to meet you. I'm Han A-young, chief researcher at the Anomaly Management Agency's Korean branch, Chungju Base.
Anomaly Management Agency?
I'd figured it was the NIS who nabbed me. Only an outfit like that could pull off such a bold snatch in the city.
But she said Anomaly Management Agency.
Hmm… what the heck…
Never heard of it.
> Calling you Anomaly-1004 feels a bit stiff… Mind if I call you Angel?
Being called an angel felt a tad awkward, but it beat Anomaly-1004 by a mile.
So I mumbled softly.
“Yeah…”
Even I thought I sounded wimpy, but oh well.
Her voice as chief researcher radiated that undeniable insider vibe.
A shut-in like me turns into a total shrinking violet around real social butterflies.
> First off, sorry. You must've been shocked getting dragged here out of nowhere.
I nodded faintly.
> Anything you need? Can't let you go just yet, but I'll try to get you whatever.
For folks who get cabin fever after a day without going out, freedom's top priority.
But I'd self-quarantined from society long before, rarely leaving home.
Isolation? No biggie.
Stock me with enough stuff, and this place could be paradise.
I started listing wants, then realized there were too many to rattle off.
Instead of naming everything, I asked for a way to convey them.
“Crayons… sketchbook, please.”
> …Got it.
Crayons, sketchbook.
Cheap stuff from any stationery shop.
No big ask.
-Clunk.
Moments later, a 24-color crayon set and a sketchbook with animal prints dropped from the ceiling. And then—
-Whiiiine!
The ceiling fluorescents shifted to a bluish hue, bathing the room in blue light.
Didn't hurt, but the eerie glow creeped me out a bit.
“Wh-what…”
Gripping my favorite yellow crayon, I stared into space. The voice returned.
> Just a basic Change Resistance Light in case sketching alters reality. Harmless to you, Angel, so no worries.
“…”
They thought I'd cause weirdness by drawing with crayons.
If I had that power, would I be streaming? I'd sketch piles of cash and live rich.
“Hmm…”
The blue didn't bug me, so I ignored it and listed wants as planned.
[iPhone 19 Ultra]
[RTX 9090, Ryzen 9999x3D, DDR7 5TB computer]
[Fidget spinner]
[Strawberry chapssal mochi]
[Bed]
[Horned bunny cushion]
[Strawberry pistachio butter frappe]
“Hoo…”
Half-worn crayons later, I held up the list to the CCTV.
Whatever method, they'd get it scanned.
Moments later—
-Whiiiine.
A ceiling panel opened, a robot arm snagged the sketchbook.
It grabbed the crayons too.
“Leave those!”
I hugged them close and spun away.
-Whine… whine…
It hesitated like a glitch, then took just the book and retreated.
The panel closed. I plopped down triumphantly.
An agency pulling this off? Easy for them to grant basics.
Not demanding escape—just essentials for living.
“Heh heh…”
If approved? Dream life realized.
Beautiful NEET paradise: fed, housed, no effort.
Bliss just thinking about it.
Sprawled waiting—
Psssh!
White steam hissed from the sealed steel door, slowly opening.
“Huh…?”
Wondering what, I looked. Men in bulky gear wheeled in a cart piled high.
“Hi.”
I waved casually, but they just flinched—no reply.
A bit hurtful.
Pouting, I watched them set up efficiently.
First, the bed.
Like pros, they assembled a huge frame, added mattress and blankets.
“Ooh! Horned bunny!”
And the horned bunny cushion—limited popup store exclusive!
Impressive for their scale.
Even stuff I'd doubted? Nailed it.
Then food: strawberry chapssal mochi from the hot popup, strawberry pistachio butter frappe—all there.
But the problem…
“Where's the smartphone?” “…” “The computer…!” “…”
No phone. No PC.
Why…
World crumbling.
Those were the core!
As I gaped with betrayed eyes, they whispered, then called someone.
Moments later—
> Ahem… Angel?
“…”
> Sorry, but we haven't fully grasped your abilities yet… Handing over internet devices is too risky for now…
Made sense rationally.
They couldn't predict what I'd do online.
But… but…
I can't live without the internet…
I was addicted beyond detox.
A day? Sure. Forever? No way.
“Euuu…”
[…]
Plopping in despair, Han A-young sounded flustered, then resolute.
> Instead, I can load you up with comics or novels, no problem.
I liked those.
They'd tide me over, but not enough.
Arms crossed, head turned—I signaled for more.
[…]
Silence, then a mutter.
> Latest TV too.
TV. Tempting, but still short.
More.
Keep going.
> …And one hour a day.
“…”
> One hour, supervised by me—you can use the computer.
One hour…
Tempting.
I'd braced for total denial; an hour was a win.
But the catch:
Don't wanna meet that social butterfly…
Internet under her watchful eye.
“Euuu…”
Quit net? Or one hour with insider?
After agonizing, I nodded.
“Deal.”
===============
DESIGNATION:Anomaly-1004
NICKNAME:Angel
DANGER LEVEL:Under Classification… (Provisional Level 1)
PHYSICAL SPECS:142cm, 35kg (as of 2026.03.30)
A petite girl with the appearance of a small, delicate angel.
Platinum blonde hair, emerald eyes; outwardly pure and charming, draws people in.
(CENSORED) broadcasting online. Bravo-4 team dispatched immediately for securement.
Presumed friendly to humans so far; shows strong attachment to the internet and sweets.
Myth Analysis Team judges high correlation with religious anomalies due to angelic symbolism; under close observation.
Extremely cute appearance! Turn her into merch dolls for major Agency budget boost! (Chungju Base Chief Researcher Han A-young)