The Chair's Relentless Reset

"Got it."

"Hey, you lunatic, snap out of it!"

"Gasp… What have I done…"

The second-place one, who had been naturally approaching the first-place one at my command, snapped back to reality when the first-place one freaked out and resisted. He pulled back hastily.

Clutching his face, he muttered self-deprecatingly.

"Me… I was about to… try to kiss… that… gorilla?!"

"…"

I flinched in surprise, eyeing the two as they put even more distance between them, and clicked my tongue in disappointment.

I'd at least gotten the fighting pair to shake hands and make up for now, but who knew when they'd start bickering again.

Fighting is bad!

That's why I'd tried to make them kiss to ensure they'd never even think of fighting again. But the first-place one had come to her senses faster than expected.

"What a shameee…"

I felt a pang of regret that my perfect plan hadn't worked.

"You're one scary kid…"

"I'm an angel, though~."

"…"

"Angels get scary when they're mad. There'll be tons of them after you die, y'know?"

"I'm already dead."

"Ah…"

I messed up.

"Uuu… Sorry…"

I'd accidentally done some trash-talking to someone who'd actually died.

Trash-talking was strictly for games—against opponents in-game only!

Sticking to that firm principle, I bowed my head quick as a flash.

"Haa…"

The first-place one looked like she had something to say, but she held it back and let out a deep sigh instead.

"So, you're an angel, huh."

"Yup, sis."

"Sis… Whatever, call me what you want. Why're you here, anyway?"

I glanced at the CCTV camera inside the containment room, knowing someone was listening to our chat, and said,

"Um… to make a deal~."

"How can I trust the Anomaly Management Agency?"

"The Age… Agency isn't bad! The food's yummy… and they let me use my smartphone for a whole hour!"

The first-place one shook her head.

"You might not get it, kid, but we can't trust the Agency."

"…"

"And even if we could, we couldn't really make a deal anyway."

"Why not~?"

The first-place one glanced sideways at the second-place one.

"Ahh… flower… What's this… a dragon?"

"Oh, that's a cute lil' earthworm!"

"…"

The second-place one was oohing and aahing nonstop over the chair I'd decorated with such care.

"Right now, his idiot squad leader side has calmed down a bit from what just happened, but give it time and it'll reset."

"Reset~?"

"Yeah, after our spirits float around as ectoplasm for about six hours, the chair sucks us back in. Once we're absorbed, that idiot's personality goes back to being rotten."

"You go back to meanie mode too, sis?"

"Don't talk shit."

"Uuu… Don't use such strong words~."

I got scolded by the scary sis, but I'd gleaned a ton of info.

Just like how the soccer ball—Baekgu's new toy—regenerates on the halfway line when kicked, these two get sucked back into the chair after some time.

And their personalities revert to default.

"Hmm… Does your memory reset ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too?"

"Yup~ That's why any deal would be pointless. The me six hours from now would forget it all."

She said it casually, but it stung my heart a little.

To know for sure that you'd forget everything in six hours.

How terrifying is that?

Even for me, forgetting the memories I'd make with Baekgu and Han A-young in the next six hours would be devastatingly sad.

I hesitated, then approached her and plopped my little hand on her belly.

"What're you doing?"

"Um… hang in there…"

"Ha…"

The first-place one stared at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me with my hand on her, then chuckled softly.

"You really are an angel, huh?"

"Right? That's why I got the halo and wings."

"Hmm… Can I touch 'em?"

"Eek… P-perv!"

I dodged away in a flash.

The halo and wings that appeared after I turned into an angel.

Han A-young eyes them obsessively like she wants to study them, but I've guarded them fiercely so far.

No way was I letting a stranger sis touch them.

"Sigh… They look so soft and squishy. Bet they'd feel nice."

"You are a total perv! You can't do that!"

"Fine, fine. I won't touch. C'mere."

I eyed the first-place one warily, but remembering she'd forget everything in six hours anyway, I sidled up.

And plopped right down on her lap as she sat in her chair.

She smelled nice.

"Wow, but how do you roam around so freely? You're an Anomaly too. And an angel? They must be super wary of you."

"'Cause I've become the Agency's loyal little servant!"

I hadn't been locked in this Agency containment room for long, but I'd already done plenty to help them out.

First, I'd toned down Baekgu and the soccer ball's aggression a lot and made them cooperative.

Plus, I'd uncovered that the emergency stairs—used as an exit—were anomalous.

That should be enough to earn some trust, right?

"…That's kinda weird…"

"Huh…?"

"…"

I asked back, but the first-place one didn't answer.

Instead, she gently combed through my platinum blonde hair and said,

"Time to go. Staying longer won't change anything."

"…"

"And quit this weird stuff. We're quiet for now 'cause of you, but me and that idiot can never structurally get along."

"Tell the Agency to quit their dumb crap too and clean the chair properly."

The moment she finished, she shoved me off her lap.

With her saying it like that, sticking around felt impossible.

Uuu… Feels off.

Thinking she'd forget these memories left me feeling down.

No matter how mean she seemed.

She didn't strike me as a bad person…

"Quit your dumb shit."

"Shut up."

I looked up at the CCTV as the two started bickering again the second I vanished.

The signal to open the door.

As if they'd caught it, the heavy iron door slid open smoothly.

"Baekgu, let's go."

Leaving the room with a lingering unease, Han A-young was waiting to greet me.

She crouched down to my eye level and patted my head.

"Good job, Angel. We got tons of info thanks to you."

"Uuu…"

"As promised, the computer with the block game is already set up in your containment cell. You can play now."

Sure.

Sure, I'd achieved my desperately wanted goal.

But it didn't feel as joyful as I'd hoped.

"Sigh, you're bummed 'cause they reset in six hours, huh?"

"The soccer ball seems to keep its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠memories… but thinking their memories vanish too makes me kinda sad…"

I always preferred stories that ended happily ever after.

A perfect happy ending might be tough for those two, but I wanted them to at least smile.

"I feel bad about it too. It's a good chance for the Agency now that Anomaly-12 has mellowed out—thanks to our Angel."

"Hmm… Can't we… like, freeze time or something~?"

I knew messing with time was insanely hard.

But with the Agency collaborating with aliens, maybe they could?

"Sorry, we have a few time-related anomalies, but nothing we can control properly. And using them involves a ton of red tape."

"I see…"

As I pondered letting it go, helpless—

Baekgu barked loudly, wagging his tail.

Like he was reminding me of something.

"Baekgu… what?"

When I asked cautiously, he bared his sharp teeth, miming ripping something apart.

What was he doing…?

Hungry…?

As I puzzled over it—

"Oh!"

Han A-young beside me let out a startled yelp, loud enough to make me jump.

"Wh-what is it…?"

"Come to think of it, Angel. Did you check for that dark cloud energy?"

"Huh…? Yeah, I didn't feel any from either of them…!"

"You sensed it when the soccer ball rampaged. Maybe this time it shows up when the chair activates?"

I nodded in agreement.

That matched the pattern so far.

"While Baekgu keeps their spirits from getting sucked in, let's solve it."

"…"

"They keep their memories, ahem… and the Agency gets a little help too."

I clenched my fists tight and nodded.

"Yeah! I'll make 'em kiss and make up for sure!"

"Huh…? I wasn't hoping for that much…"

"Then I'm heading back in…!"

I turned right around, retracing my steps with Baekgu.

I'm definitely seeing that kiss!