Chapter 2 – A Half-Naked Man in Her Storage Room

Narrator: Noa survives the surprise visit from her boss barely keeping Reno's existence hidden, But the second she's alone again chaos resumes.

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Reno won't stop talking touching things or asking weirdly personal questions.

He claims he was summoned by emotional loneliness and caffeine.

Noa tries to get rid of him yelling bribing even threatening to erase him but Reno insists he can't go back until he fulfills his rom-com destiny. Unfortunately, that destiny includes following Noa literally everywhere.

The second her boss left, Noa slammed the door shut, locked it and turned around like a horror movie protagonist.

Reno was balancing a half empty paint can on his head.

"You're insane," she said.

He grinned. "Thanks! I was hoping for 'enigmatic' but I'll take what I can get."

Noa marched over and snatched the paint can. "Who! what! how! Are you even real?"

"I'm not sure yet," Reno said, Genuinely thoughtful. "But I think it has something to do with repressed desire and cheap instant coffee."

"You came out of a *sketchbook*."

He nodded. "Technically, you *pulled* me out. Like a genie, but without the lamp or the dignity."

Noa sat down hard on the floor, both hands on her head.

"I don't have time for this. I have meetings.

I have scripts to review. I have actual human problems."

Which is why I'm here. Reno crouched next to her, way too close. To solve your real human problems with rom com magic.

She stared at him like he was a roach in lipstick. He pointed to her sketchbook.

"Look, you've been drawing Ren for months, right? Your dream guy. Mr. Emotionally Stable. But clearly, the universe thought you needed someone more chaotic."

"I need therapy," she muttered.

"You need me," Reno corrected, placing a hand over his heart well, his half finished chest.

She grabbed the sketchbook and flipped to the page he came from.

The drawing was still there kind of smudged and faded like it had been sucked dry.

Ren's face was gone, Only Reno's smirk remained half-penciled and smug.

"Can you go back?" She asked hopefully

"Like... crawl back into the page? Or fold yourself into origami and vanish?"

"I could try," he said. "But I might come out of your printer next time. Maybe... shirtless."

Noa threw the sketchbook at him.

He caught it mid air.twirled it like a pizza box and bowed. "I'm flattered. Violent, but flattered."

"I don't want you in my life," she snapped. "You're loud, You're weird and you hit on a mop."

"Jealous?"

She almost screamed.

Instead she stood up pointed at the door, and said with absolute authority "Out!!!"

Reno blinked. "Where exactly do you want me to go? I don't have a wallet or pants that exist outside of whatever this is."

He gestured to his half rendered outfit,

One sleeve was still sketch-lines.

"Not. My. Problem."

He tilted his head suddenly thoughtful.

"Do you always kick out the people you create?" That hit too close, She turned away.

There was a pause for the first time since he popped into existence, Reno went quiet.

Then: "Okay, okay. I'll go."

She turned around, surprised.

He was at the door, holding the knob like a melodramatic actor exiting stage left.

"Wait," she said.

He grinned. "Knew it."

"No!!!" She stomped forward.

"You can't just walk out, Someone will see you! and then I'll be the lunatic explaining why a half-naked drawing is strolling through Studio B!"

"True." He nodded. "I do have the ass of a cartoon character."

"Please shut up."

"No promises."

She groaned and rubbed her face.

"Okay, fine! You can stay!!

Temporarily, Just don't move or talk or breathe loudly."

"Define 'loudly.'"

"I swear to god, Reno—"

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A new text.

**[Boss Lady]**: "Where are you? Floor Manager's on his way to storage."

Noa froze.

She looked at Reno, He was currently trying to lick the reflective side of a broken CD.

Panic set in, She yanked open a dusty storage cabinet and shoved it wide open "Get in."

Reno blinked. "Is this… foreplay?"

"In THE CABINET."

He climbed in with an exaggerated groan.

"If I suffocate and die in here, let the world know I was fabulous."

She slammed the door just as someone knocked again. This time it wasn't her boss.

A new voice, Male Deep Curious.

"Noa? Hey, you in there?"

She recognized that voice. It was Kaito,

The cute floor manager, The one with actual muscles and dimples.

She was about to speak to act normal when from inside the cabinet came a very loud very unnecessary

"IT'S DARK IN HERE BUT MY HEART IS FULL." Noa died inside.