Anomaly-36 (1)
“Whine… Whine…”
The moment Baekgu locks eyes with me, he starts backing away, driven by pure instinctual fear.
This is the first time he's faced me directly, but he's terrified to this degree. He must instinctively sense that I'm the one who ripped that darkness out of him last time.
A bit hurtful.
That dark energy was utterly repulsive, after all.
Shouldn't he be grateful that I peeled it off him? Such an ungrateful pup.
Whiiiine…
“Wh-what?”
The agent who dragged Baekgu in, restrained by that sturdy-looking collar, looks flustered at the dog's sudden timidity.
He tries to hold back Baekgu, who's desperately trying to retreat from me, but he ends up getting pulled along instead—outmatched in strength.
Is he really this scared?
As I ponder the reason, I suddenly recall sensing a faint trace of dark energy in his cell last time.
So…
I squeeze my eyes shut.
There it is—a dim, dark energy. Like fluffy clouds drifting about. I grab it firmly so it can't escape.
Whiiiine… Whiiiine…
Baekgu reacts violently the instant I seize it.
Sorry, I'll make you comfy soon.
Apologizing inwardly to him, I…
Crack… crackle…
…yank out the dark cloud-like energy by force.
Being the last one left, it thrashes wildly against my touch.
“Urgh…”
I grimace and pull harder.
Riiiip.
A loud sound echoes as the dark cloud clinging to Baekgu finally breaks free.
“…?”
The agents, who'd been watching my actions with sharp glares, look utterly bewildered—they heard it too.
Sorry for startling them, but right now, the priority is dealing with this dark cloud gripped in my hand.
Desperate to survive, it writhes furiously in my grasp.
Last time, the dark clouds didn't react much once caught, just vanishing when tossed into the air.
This one's the main body, apparently—it's not going down easy.
“Ugh, enough already.”
Tsking at the flailing cloud, I glance at the agent standing there dumbfounded.
“Mister, got anything you can throw away?”
“Throw away?”
He blinks in confusion, then pulls a thick glove from his pocket.
He slips it on snugly and extends his hand.
“Hand it over, I'll toss it.”
He thinks I'm asking him to dispose of some ordinary trash for me.
But this ain't ordinary trash.
I shake my head no.
“This isn't regular trash. It's a dark, evil cloud.”
“…”
Did Han A-young not brief him on my abilities?
Utterly baffled by the word “cloud,” he finally activates his earpiece.
“Control room, the angel's requesting a trash can to dispose of a dark, evil cloud.”
It sounds absurd at first glance.
The control room doesn't get it immediately, so he elaborates.
“Seems like she wants an incinerator for spiritual energy bodies. Requesting mini black hole support.”
I'd been smiling warmly at him handling the request for me, but then I freeze.
What?
Black hole?
How?
Nah, has to be fake.
Even I, a total lit major, know lugging around a real mini black hole is impossible.
So probably just a fancy name for a high-tech trash can, right?
Rumble rumble.
A familiar trash can rolls in on wheels, marked with neutral sorting icons.
The moment its lid clicks open—a genuine mini black hole appears.
Seeing the real deal, I'm convinced.
This is an anomaly too.
The agent, experienced with it, deftly braces the lid with his arm.
“Toss it in.”
“Yep!”
No matter how tenacious this dark cloud's life force, can it survive that baby black hole?
I may not know science, but surely it'd get torn to shreds.
A black hole's gotta live up to its name—can't fail against one puny cloud, right?
Feeling like a pitcher on the mound, I wind up and prepare to hurl it full force.
The dark cloud thrashes like a live fish glimpsing its doom.
But no mercy—resist all you want, I'm not holding back.
Whoosh.
True to my merciless angel nature, I unhesitatingly shove the cloud into the trash can.
Vrrrroooom.
A fierce hum erupts, and the cloud gets sucked in, vanishing.
“…”
Solved so easily.
But you never drop your guard with this stuff till the end!
10… 9…
I clench my fist, counting down silently inside.
No trace of the dark cloud's energy even after 10. I sigh in relief.
The nasty cloud tormenting Baekgu got thoroughly wrecked by the black hole.
Evil purged, justice served!
“Heh heh…”
Feels just like being the magical girl protagonist.
Grinning proudly, I see Baekgu whine and rise.
His eyes, now even gentler post-purification.
Woof… Woof…
His barks subdued, Baekgu glances around briefly.
Pant… pant…
Then he sticks out his tongue and charges at me.
The agent panics, thinking he's lunging to attack, and draws his gun.
“Nooo!”
I raise my hand to stop him from shooting.
As the panting Baekgu approaches, I reach to pet him…
“Ack…?”
…but his momentum sends me tumbling butt-first to the floor.
“Ow… ouchie…”
Rubbing my sore butt and blowing on it, Baekgu gently licks my face with his clean tongue.
A bit startling at first, but knowing it's his way of showing love, I smile warmly and let him play.
Yup, he was a good boy all along!
I figured that first meeting with Baekgu would be the end of it.
The agency's attitude toward me has softened a lot, and their gaze doesn't seem hostile anymore.
But we're still classified as anomalies, after all.
Even frolicking wildly with Baekgu, I inwardly felt melancholic, thinking this was our last time.
But contrary to my expectations, the agency started letting us meet regularly.
About an hour a day.
Parting time always brought a surge of regret.
Whiiiine…
“Nng… Don't cry.”
Still, knowing these meetings were a privilege not normally allowed, I was content enough.
A perfect happy cycle: An hour on my smartphone in Han A-young's lab.
An hour romping with Baekgu.
Then flop into the massage chair just as stamina runs out, watching anime on TV.
Bliss.
But by the end of the week, problems arose.
Woof woof!
To keep up with Baekgu's boundless energy, I'd negotiated fiercely with Han A-young for a supply of bouncy rubber balls.
I hurl one hard; Baekgu races like the wind and catches it.
No issue so far.
Lots of people play fetch with dogs.
The problem?
Woof!
Boom!
Baekgu's bite force is insane.
These were sturdy balls inflated full of air, yet the moment he mouths one lightly…
Boom—like a bomb.
“Urgh…”
Pant… pant…
Baekgu had already popped one poor ball, returning proudly to nuzzle my head.
His eyes, though, stay glued to the next ball in my hand.
That pleading gaze begs throw it now.
Seeing Baekgu happy makes me happy too—I wanna toss it.
But…
What to do…
This was the last ball from Han A-young, secured after major negotiations.
Didn't expect them to explode so fast.
“Urgh…”
I hesitate, then squeeze my eyes shut and chuck the final one with all my might.
Woof!
Baekgu launches like he was waiting, pulling off a cinematic leap to snag it mid-air.
Boom!
And pops the last one clean.
“Haha…”
Baekgu trots back, wagging his tail at the ball debris.
I deliver the bad news apologetically.
“Baekgu.”
Woof!
“Sorry… Sis is too weak… can't play more…”
Woof woof!
He doesn't get it, staying full of vim and vigor.
I reach sadly to pet his head…
Woof woof!
Suddenly, Baekgu pokes my belly with his nose.
Then whips his head around, pointing somewhere with his snout.
“Huh…? You got an idea?”
Woof!
Baekgu wags his tail, ponders briefly.
Pant pant pant…
Then starts circling the floor energetically.
At first, worried he might be hurt, I watch anxiously.
“Oh? Ball?”
Then I get it—he's pantomiming.
Spinning in place to mimic a round soccer ball first.
“Soccer field?”
Woof!
Then he shifts, body-weaving to outline a field, pitching the idea.
“You wanna go to a soccer field?”
Woo… Woooof…
“Or… there's a place like that?”
Woof!
“In here?”
Baekgu nods frantically in agreement.
According to him, there's a soccer field—and ball—inside this facility.
Staring dazed at my cute Baekgu, I steel myself and stand.
“Alright, Baekgu!”
Woof!
“Sis'll go talk to A-young unnie!”