Books Are the Nourishment of the Mind
“To put it bluntly, unmotivated outings are impossible right now.”
“Yeah, figured as much...”
Arin, who had barged into J's office to complain about why she couldn't even go out when soldiers got leave, rummaged through the fridge like it was her own home as she replied.
Of course, the fridge was empty.
She slammed the door shut in irritation but caught herself— it was someone else's stuff, after all— and gently closed it instead, clicking her tongue in frustration.
“Tch.”
“The higher-ups still don't consider it safe. There've been real cases where phenomena thought secure suddenly showed their true colors and caused casualties. Can't be helped.”
“Haa~ I'm just a normal person~”
J simply stared at Arin without a word.
A few days ago, he might have nodded along.
But until the identity— or even existence— of Piero, the entity she'd casually mentioned, was verified, he couldn't classify her as safe.
Just like the split-mouthed woman captured right before her, who posed no threat to locals despite appearances, Arin might unknowingly be extremely dangerous.
Others might call it heartless, but J had already reported his concerns to the higher-ups and was awaiting a response.
“If you're really bored, how about the library? It only has old books for now, but...”
“There's a library here?”
“Entrance on the 65th floor. It's a space derived from this building, by the way.”
“65th floor... Come to think of it, how many floors does this place even have?”
“Probably as many as we can imagine.”
With nothing better to do, Arin nodded vigorously— time to get friendly with some books again— and stood up after J told her to call if anything came up.
As she headed out, muttering “65th floor” under her breath, J stopped her with a “wait a sec,” rummaged in his drawer, and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.
“Library rules. Take it.”
“What, like 'be quiet' and 'two-week loan period' or whatever...”
A space created by an anomaly naturally comes with fitting rules.
Arin unfolded the paper casually, only to recoil at the tiny print crammed with rules, squinting in horror.
J, as if expecting it, continued explaining.
“It's like a Napolitan urban legend or something?”
“No idea what that is, but if you know, no need to explain further.”
After a long elevator ride to the 65th floor, she faced a stately wooden door that clashed with the brutalist building vibe.
It wasn't labeled “library” but Print Record Storage Room.
“...When you open the door, stairs appear. Whether they go up or down, never step on the third step.”
Not too hard.
She opened the door, revealing downward stairs.
Stepping on the first, she moved to the second—
[The second step is under repair, so be careful not to step on it. Student.]
“Ah, thank—”
Instinctively skipping the second step, Arin realized too late and whipped around.
No one there.
And the penalty for breaking a rule descended upon her.
“......FUUUUUUCK!”
After enduring something unimaginable— something she never wanted to imagine— Arin returned to the door, zoning out for about five minutes before pulling the crumpled rules from her pocket.
“This is a library?”
Just recalling it sent chills racing through her body.
But better than boredom, she figured.
Ignoring another voice, she skipped the third step and climbed to the second door, pushing it open.
Endless rows of bookshelves stretched before her.
She gasped in awe.
“Shh, quiet in the library,” came the librarian's voice.
Arin apologized sheepishly and checked the next rule.
“This library has no librarians, so do not engage with entities claiming to be one... Aaaagh! Fuck!!”
Arin stood dazed before the stately wooden door.
“This... is a library?”
While Arin sat stunned on the floor...
In a corner of the library, amid books, desks, and chairs, sat a lightly dressed woman.
Laptop in the center, stationery to the right, library books to the left— she was deep in study, then stretched her arms overhead to loosen stiff joints.
“Oh, Ga-eun's mom? What brings you to the library?”
Turning at the voice, Seoyeong recognized her daughter's school teacher.
“Teacher! Long time no see. Uh, isn't it still class time?”
“Needed a book for a lesson example. Slipped out during lunch.”
The teacher eyed a book with a Milky Way cover, lamenting playfully how famous it was yet modern kids hadn't heard of it.
“I'm... taking a break from work lately. Thought I'd study for certifications while I have the time.”
Seoyeong rubbed her neck awkwardly.
Her certification books were shoved aside; anomaly survival and escape tomes took their place.
She fidgeted embarrassedly, but the teacher— aware of Seoyeong and Ga-eun's recent ordeal— just nodded understandingly.
“Ah, lunch is almost over. Gotta head back. Bye, ma'am.”
“Sorry if I held you up.”
After waving the teacher off, Seoyeong reopened her book, sighed after a few lines.
The teacher probably thought she was browsing out of anxiety about repeats.
But no.
That wasn't why Seoyeong pored over these books.
“Arin...”
The girl who'd volunteered to stay behind so others could escape.
The girl Seoyeong and the others had sacrificed to save themselves.
Outwardly fine for her daughter's sake, inwardly rotting from guilt and self-loathing over driving that girl to death.
Steadying her trembling hands, she pulled out her phone and opened her email.
Since escaping the church, she'd inquired about Arin multiple times.
Always the same curt reply: not found.
Each time, a voice in her head whispered: She's dead. Give up.
The more it echoed, the deeper her self-torment— now bordering on insane ideas like diving into anomalies herself to find the body.
Only her worry for her sole remaining family, her daughter, outweighed the guilt eating her alive.
“Haa...”
Glued to her chair a while longer, she noted school dismissal nearing and packed her books.
“Haa... I win. Damn it.”
After a seven-hour war with the library rules— tempted to quit countless times, but stubbornness kicked in— Arin memorized them all, navigated the pitfalls, and finally borrowed a single book.
She triumphantly hoisted it overhead.
Ignoring the fake-librarian entity's applause, she dragged a chair to a desk and opened it.
Then closed it again.
“Why... why is the cover in Korean but the contents in Latin?!”
[I must've slipped the wrong cover on by mistake.]
“Rules be damned, fake librarian, I'm gonna kill you.”
Finishing paperwork and resting, J looked up as Arin trudged in, exhausted.
“How was it?”
“......No time to be bored.”
“It's where all records written before this building's allowed timeframe are stored— even lost or partial ones from reality.”
Pocketing the returned rules— obsolete now anyway, just for reference— J muttered as much.
Arin blinked, uncomprehending.
“Those rules... don't have to be followed...? They were fake?!”
“No, the rules are real. But the library and the Anomaly Response and Management Agency reached an agreement, so staff can browse without issue...”
He trailed off, pondered, cleared his throat apologetically.
“On second thought, you're technically an anomaly on paper, not staff. My oversight.”
“I hate you.”
Arin pouted with sincere eyes.
J coughed awkwardly, then perked up.
“Hmm... As apology, I'll ask the maintenance team if they have any pre-1995 gadgets you could use.”
“Doesn't matter here...”
“You've behaved, followed orders without incidents. Might swing an old arcade machine or film reels.”
“Not gay, but I could kiss you once.”
“And Entry Team Alpha's leader wants you.”
“Offer revoked.”
Days after Arin's library thrashing...
Scheduled for periodic stress relief and care for the split-mouthed woman, Arin entered the isolation room for caregiving duty.
Clutched like a doll, head gnawed, a familiar Support Team agent approached.
“That's the one from the bridge, right?”
“Thanks to her, our team took minimal losses. Appreciate it.”
“Just doing my job. So, what's up?”
“Higher-ups' pointless over-worrying has Agency agents reassigned everywhere.”
Explaining their belief that anomalies spike in crowds— yet they hyped events for credit without scaling back— the agent gossiped.
“Aha.”
“Teams are short-staffed. Entry Team wants you on-site.”
“Why me?”
“Send Alpha instead?”
“Aha?”
“Kidding... sorta. Not really one reason. You blend in at events, don't look threatening, but can respond if shit hits the fan.”
“Plenty stronger agents, but you're the most stable for neutralizing or intel-gathering.”
The agent asked if she was okay with it.
Unable to nod— being bitten— Arin made an OK sign, signaling yes on multiple levels.
“Will brief details with J later.”
The agent left.
“Event venue... buffet maybe? Food here's good anyway.”
The split-mouthed woman growled in agreement.