“As of yesterday, over ten thousand people in the country have been infected with the mysterious virus. The Prime Minister has announced that we’re in a state of emergency. All cities are to enter a lockdown period. Restaurants, bars and other entertainment areas are to shut down effective immediately. People aren’t allowed to visit other homes unless they’re directly related.”

I sat down quietly in a lotus position, firmly attaching all of my attention to the announcer on the television. Just two weeks ago, we’d recorded the first case of the mysterious virus in our country. And yet, in a mere fourteen days, over ten thousand had been infected.

“Non-essential workers are to work from home wherever possible. Essential workers such as supermarket staff, nurses and public transport staff, please wear a mask whenever you’re outside. Your companies have been briefed by the government on the appropriate actions.”

Essential workers… I guess I wasn’t one of them. Either way, I was already working from home anyway, so that announcement wasn’t going to affect me.

“The World Health Organisation has officially declared this virus a global pandemic. Scientists and researchers from all fields are working hard to determine the origins of the virus and discover the best curing methods. Although there isn’t much data, health experts are confident that the lockdown measures would slow down the spread of the virus. We aren’t sure on the duration of the lockdown, but the government urges the public to be patient.”

A forced lockdown… This was probably the first time in our country’s history that we were forced to stay home. Furthermore, it was just a week from Christmas.

By this time, Len and Sienna should be back at Sienna’s hometown visiting her parents. Wow, I was fortunate not to join them. If I had gone with them, I would have spent all my days staring at the ceiling with nothing to do.

“Please be calm. I understand that there is fear in the community, but please do not panic-buy. The government has assured us that there is plenty of food, water and amenities in our storage. Please do not rush to your nearest supermarkets and horde their products.”

Ah, they were talking about those people who mass bought toilet paper. Thinking back, it was a laughable situation. When I went to buy groceries to fill my fridge, there were at least two hundred people crowded at my twenty-four-hour supermarket. They emptied all of the shelves, and I had to return past midnight just to get the food that I’d wanted.

And the funny thing was… they cleared out all of the toilet paper.

I could understand if you wanted food or alcohol but toilet paper? Seriously? That was the hottest product? People must be full of shit.

“During this lockdown period, please refrain from visiting too many homes, especially during the holiday season. The government recommends that there should be a limit of five visitors per household. Household owners should do their due diligence and record their visitors’ temperatures and their recent physical state.”

Well, at least the government wasn't outright banning people from visiting their parents. Many people I know had returned back to their hometowns during Christmas, Len and Sienna included.

As for myself… It has been a while since I’d last returned back.

“Once again, the Prime Minister urges that you remain calm. As long as we follow these restriction measures for a few weeks, we will be able to reduce the spread of this mysterious virus.”

A few weeks, huh? That sounds like a long time to be confined at home. Though, they did say we were allowed outside as long as we socially distance and wear masks…

“Now, for the weather...”

As the daily briefings came to a close, I turned off the television and returned to my sofa. I tapped on my phone, and the screen lit up, revealing the time and date. Eight at night and twentieth December…

If there wasn’t a lockdown… what would I do?

Perhaps I would be forced into a late-night dinner with Len and Sienna? Or maybe I would have been working overtime? Well, neither of those options were available now. Hmmm, since there’s nothing to do, let’s search for one.

I unlocked my phone and searched for things to do during the lockdown.

Learn to cook? No, I’m already decent in that. Though, I would love to try some new dishes. Before the pandemic, I was engaged with work and social obligations, so I wasn’t able to learn complicated dishes. But now… I had more than enough time on my hands.

Get in shape? I turned to the mirror and removed my white shirt. Hmmm, I may have gained some weight, but my overall body shape is still intact. Granted, I wasn’t as ripped as any movie star. Perhaps I could make that my goal?

Binge-watch shows or play video games? Already doing that. Religiously, to add.

Have some hanky panky with your significant other? Not applicable to me. Maybe I should refine my search…

Ah, here’s a good one. Learn a new language. That sounds interesting. In the future, my company might relocate me to another country. And well, learning a new language was always beneficial.

Learn a new instrument? Hmmm, it might be fun. I’d always wanted to learn the piano. Ah, but pianos are expensive, right? Nah, pass. I can see myself learning for a month before finally giving up.

Get a dog? Wow, the search results must be mocking me. If not for my apartment’s restrictions, I would have gotten a thousand dogs!

“Urghhh, I need some air.” I thought out loud as I headed towards my balcony.

Usually, if I wanted to clear my head, I would take a walk at the nearby park. It was a piece of verdant land in a world of concrete. But alas, even if I did go down, I had to wear a mask. What’s the use of having fresh air if I couldn’t breathe it in?

So, for now, my balcony would do.

I pushed the sliding door aside and rested my cup of hot tea on the side table. My balcony was quite simplistic. I didn’t grow plants or flowers as it would be too much work, so all that it had was a table and a comfortable lounge chair.

There were still a few more days to winter, so it wasn’t snowing just yet. It was pretty cold, though. Fortunately, I had a warm cup of tea to keep me company.

Unknown to me… There was one other source of company.

“Ah...”

Hearing the soft exclamation, I turned my head to the right. Seated on the other balcony, a black-haired girl was slurping on a bowl of noodles in the same manner that I was sipping my tea.

“Oh, hello...”

“H-Hello...”

My neighbour dropped her chopsticks and sat upright after sensing my presence. She fidgeted slightly before turning to face me in the eyes. The dim night light of our balconies wasn’t bright enough to examine the contours of her face, but it was just enough for me to see her physique.

The girl was terribly thin, gaunt even. Her cheeks had been hollowed in, and her rosy lips were now chapped. I couldn’t see her torso as it was covered by a thick cardigan. Nevertheless, her constitution was far from healthy.

She must be eating poorly… The last time we’d met at the supermarket, she only bought instant noodles. Heck, the bowl in her hands was probably an unhealthy serving of that sodium-filled junk.

Still, it would be rude to comment about a young girl’s body, especially since I was basically a stranger to her.

“Having a late dinner?”

“That’s right...”

“I see, be careful not to catch a cold. Do you eat out here often?”

“On occasion...”

“That’s good… Are you planning to visit your parents for the holidays?”

“A-Ah, that’s… No...”

Maybe I was craving conversation after a few weeks without meeting anyone face-to-face, so I continued on blabbering even though we weren’t that close. However, I would be a fool if I didn’t realise how uncomfortable she was being. Right, she did have some kind of androphobia. Looks like my presence would be too intimidating for her.

“Hah… Alright, I’ll be heading back now. Don’t stay out here too long.”

“Huh? O-Oh, okay...”

I took my tea and made a U-Turn back into my humble abode. Damn, I was really looking forward to having my fresh air. Guess I’ll just come back an hour later.

Looks like my first experience of a lockdown was out to a good start...