Heavenly Realm
"Was that you giving advice to my junior earlier, Anzelli? I put some real thought into it, but looks like it all got found out."
"Hehe! Chanyoung's always full of those little tricks! That's what makes it fun, right? Not the original owner of that body, Park Chanyoung, but you taking the system we made and running with it—love it!"
"...Ahem... Thanks for seeing it that way. Lately, I've even been thinking it's not so bad. The body swap, I mean."
"Gasp! Come to think of it, the body swap wasn't exactly good news for you, was it? Like a bolt from the blue... Sorry... I wasn't being considerate..."
"Haha! Nah. At this point, I mostly think it's not bad. Mostly thanks to this system you worked so hard on."
"Y-you like it? See? I put tons of effort into it!"
"Felt it every time I used it. Heard from your junior it wasn't a smooth ride making it?"
"Right, right! You have no idea! So, what happened was..."
I focused intently, steering the conversation. My goal? Get closer to Anzelli. How to keep it flowing without a hitch? Simple. Latch onto new info from what she says and spin it into fresh topics. Like her slip about 'the system we made'—boom, dive into the creation process. Keep that rhythm going, and she'll naturally think, We just click.
We must've bonded like this before time rewound. Especially praising her hard work, the time she poured in—it amps up the effect. For a study buff: "Whoa, my friend took that cert exam too! Said this year's was brutal. I'm struggling with basic Korean history quals everyone else breezes through—impressive!" Light praise. For an athlete: "What kinda training for that sport? Legs mostly? ...Oh, quads, yeah—thigh muscles, nailed it! I've been killing lower body at the gym lately. Mind giving tips if it's not too much?" Hand 'em the spotlight on their expertise. For a burned-out writer: "Love your stuff, author!" ...Maybe not. Point is, weave in common ground while praising. Show genuine interest in their niche, and boom—affinity skyrockets. Like now.
"...What could I do? They said fix it, so I fixed it... Seven full rewrites on a system that was over 95% done—'Change this, tweak that'—and guess what they said at the end?"
"What?"
"'Let's just go with the original!' Can you believe it? The devastation when months of all-nighters with my junior hit the trash... Urgh..."
"...No way... I'm not dissing heaven or anything, but that one seems extra picky..."
I shook my head with a grimace. No direct boss-bashing—she might get offended. Let my expression do the trash-talking. You know how it is: fine if I roast my sibling, but outsiders? Irks me. Even if I started it. No need to poke sensitive spots; a face like this gets the nod.
"Seriously! That was way too much!"
She nodded furiously, fired up. Guess my expression nailed it.
"I notice it every time... Was Chanyoung always this sociable?..."
"Nah, this is rare for me too! Just feels like Anzelli and I vibe."
Anyone with a normal mindset's easy to schmooze. But Anzelli's listening sharp. She's already cozy with me from jump. To deepen it... Make her feel special, and vice versa. Right now, it's just 'good friends who click,' but little affinities stack into affection. Eternal platonic guy-girl friendship? Nah.
"Right? It's wild! Never clicked this fast with anyone—not even other angels..."
"Chatting with Anzelli just feels fun, y'know?"
"Exactly! Talks with you are a blast! Ahh, missed this vibe... We barely got to chat before..."
Seeing her pumped up? Totally worth the effort. Smart or not, angels are pure. At least the ones I've met.
"...Chanyoung... Why don't you treat Senior like you do me? Teasing, pranking, pissing her off all the time! Be nice to me like that too!"
"C'mon, I told you! Teasing you is my way of showing affection, right Chanyoung?"
"Hahaha!"
Tough question? Laugh it off. Sorry, my charm's women-only. Baby Angel's equality plea? We'll talk when she's Anzelli-level gorgeous.
"Conference room's coming up! You're human, Chanyoung—no need for fancy etiquette. Just common sense! You're smart; you get it."
"Got it. Won't embarrass you. Thanks for the guide, Anzelli."
"It's my job. Hehe. Inside, the high-up angels will ask questions. Even if results suck, it's not to hurt you—don't overthink negatively... We called you here to protect you."
"You coming in too?"
"I'm involved, so yeah. Can't say a word, though... But I'll watch. You got this!"
She flashed a small smile. Real talk: Odds of us dating? Slim to none. Angel-human gap's huge. Status, species, dimensions apart. Post-today? No meets, no chats. She even said chats were rare. But we've got Baby Angel as a link. And if she pops to earth for fun... Heaven-earth travel ain't impossible? Even 1% shot? Full throttle. No risk to life—not trying's for losers.
Thud! Anzelli halted. Before a massive room that screamed "big crowds."
"This is it. I'll go first."
Creeeak... She flung open doors thrice my height, effortless. Magic hinges or angel strength? No time to ponder—she strode in.
"I'll stay by Senior. Just follow."
Baby Angel trailed her, so I followed.
Step. Step.
The room glowed bright. Central round table and chairs, ringed by packed seats. Those outer ones must be spectator spots.
"Angel Chief. Human Park Chanyoung has arrived."
Anzelli bowed, introducing me to her "obviously high-up angels."
Outside angels like the males and Anzelli had one wing pair. Insiders? Two-plus. The "Chief" rocked four—eight massive wings. Intimidating as hell. Faint halos too.
But why's it a sausage fest? Damn.
Hoped for hotties topping Anzelli. Front-row letdown: guy. Second: guy. Guys everywhere. 9:1 male-female. Shit.
Angels guard balance, right? Gender balance too?
Outside? No females but Anzelli. Flying pests? All dudes. Thought females lounged inside, males slaved out. Nope—just rare chicks. Me, anti-quotas? Here? Eyeball health demands it.
Angels got scents? Anzelli smelled great.
This sealed dude-cave? Bachelor stink wafting. Humans, angels—dicks same stink.
Anzelli's polite words? Ignored. Room too rowdy for her soft voice.
"We gotta wipe his memory! Can't leave variables!"
"Too harsh? Memory seals need consent, per rules."
"This ain't casual! Even low odds carry weight!"
"Speech ban's balanced? Minimizes earth meddling, respects human will."
"They kidnap him, read memories? Too late! Rumors of heaven's human? Time bomb! Plenty'll bite—you know it."
"Hmm... Hadn't gone that far..."
They ignored me, raging. "No danger," my ass—memory wipes flying.
Then, eyes locked with a three-winged elder angel.
"Hm? The guy's here."
"Tch. Snag him, wipe, release. No need for chat that'll hurt."
"Yeah. Feels evil. Wipe's quick, so..."
"Hold on, heh... Nothing's decided? Don't rush."
They'd feast without me. No intro, no rundown.
"Hear the human first."
"No need! Too critical for per-person consent!..."
"Sorry, this concerns me—may I speak?"
They'd yak days; time to butt in.
"Hm! He wants to talk—listen?"
"...He'll cry or rage anyway if we wipe..."
"Penriel."
"Fine. Think I like this? Drew the short straw... Damn, do what you want."
Odd name... Penriel glowered, muttering: "All secretly for forced wipe...," "Play saint, leave me hanging...," "I'm the villain now..."
True. Only this elder openly opposed Penriel's wipe. Others tacitly nodded along.
"First... Tell me the issue. Need details to judge."
"...Can't detail, but beyond your life... Whole dimension at risk."
"Look, we'll seal speech or whatever—spit it out clean? Circling wastes time."
"Fair..."
Elder pondered Penriel's push. Then:
"Agreed. Till we exit or one hour passes, lift my speech seal temporarily. Approve?"
"Agreed."
"Approve."
"Yes. Agreed."
He tested air, mumbling. Satisfied, he explained to me.