Disclaimer: cheritz owns mystic messenger. not me. otherwise, seven wouldn't have to suffer at all! some of the dialogues and messages are also owned by cheritz! so if u see any familiar texts, it's obviously from the game.

this story was based on the reset theory and the seven-loves-you-in-every-route theory lolololol

BEWARE OF SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

anyways, enjoy!

prologue: reset

"Will you let me to... be your life companion? My love."

Seven lost count on the number of times he heard those words.

He lost count on the number of times his heart had been ripped into shreds.

He lost count on the number of times he saw his friends reach their happy endings.

He lost count on the number of times he wasn't chosen... And he hated it.

He hated that he was the only one who knew that their world kept on resetting and resetting and resetting after merely eleven days. It was frustrating.

Luciel closed his eyes, recalling the first time the reset ever occurred. It happened after Zen's press conference where the actor declared his love for Aoi, the girl who made the RFA's charity event possible, to the media. Zen had shared how his feelings came to be and how he will only ever be in love with her. Seven watched them with a bright smile gracing his lips and a heavy pang in his chest because long before then, he had already realized that he had fallen for the brunette who was gazing happily at her lover.

But he had no choice but to let her go and be happy for her sake since he believed that her joy was also his. And that was enough for him to take the tiniest of steps forward in order to move on.

However, when Seven watched Zen and Aoi converse, everything suddenly went dark. He had panicked, desperately calling his friends' names. He remembered running and running and running as fast as he could until he was completely out of breath, collapsing on the ground with an erratically pounding heart.

"AOI!" He had shouted frantically. He was afraid that she might have gotten hurt. That she was alone, frightened out of her wits. That she would be gone from his life forever—just like his brother—if he didn't find her. "AOI, WHERE ARE YOU!?" He screamed his lungs out, bellowing her name and praying that she was alright. He shouted and shouted and shouted until his throat ran dry. He punched himself repeatedly, hoping that he would wake up from this nightmare, so that he would be home, eating Honey Buddha Chips and drinking Dr. Pepper as he chatted with Aoi and everyone else on the messenger. But nothing happened.

It wasn't until he was finally able to regain his composure when he heard a distant noise.

Seven stood up from his position, walking towards the unknown yet comforting music. And as he sauntered towards his destination, there was a dim glow of white light. When he finally arrived, his jaw dropped open and his knees gave in as he watched words floating in midair appear and disappear before him in disbelief.

"I've officially gone crazy," he said, laughing hysterically with tears cascading down his face. "This is impossible!"

He laughed louder and louder after each passing second until the music came to a sudden halt.

He didn't have time to wipe the tears away from his eyes because before he knew it, the scenery before him changed. A bright golden light emanated around him, so intense that he needed to cover his eyes with his hands. Once his vision was able to adapt to the overwhelming radiance, he lowered his arms.

He was greeted by an open envelope etched into space with two words inscribed right below it: GOOD ENDING.

He let the words sink in for a few seconds then yelled, "How the fuck is this a 'good ending'!?"

Then after a single blink, he had found himself standing in front of the familiar set of computers he used for hacking. He heard Vanderwood singing deafeningly as he vacuumed the unkempt living room. He didn't realize that he was staring at his phone, chatting with the others on the messenger, and when he read the chat history, he could not believe his eyes.

Because it was their conversation right before they met Aoi.

It had taken all of Seven's willpower to not vomit then and there.

He ran to Vanderwood and fearfully asked what had just happened, enumerating the occurrences just moments before. His co-worker merely shrugged him off and told him to go away—that he was disrupting his concentration. When Luciel didn't budge and continued yelling things like "good ending" or humming the tune of the mysterious sound, Vanderwood surmised that the hacker had finally lost it, forcing the redhead out of the room and locking the room from within.

So Seven decided to ask each and every RFA member who was logged into the messenger if they had also gone through the same situation. They had ignored him, of course, while others chastised him to stop joking around.

He had called V afterwards but the older man just told him that he was probably tired and stressed because of all the work the agency kept giving him.

So he tried contacting Aoi, but her contact information had totally disappeared from his phone. She didn't even have a profile on the messenger anymore.

And when he entered the chatroom once again, he saw the other members welcome his return. So he decided to play along—to converse with them the exact same way he had done before.

But now, he lost count on the number of times his world would go black, glow, and go back to the way it was before they met her—or what he preferred to think, when his world would reset.

He had no idea why this was happening nor did he have anyone to confide in.

He was alone.

So as he, once again, felt his heart break a little more when he watched his friend propose to the love of his life, the world went dark, set ablaze, and turned back in time.

He was sick of it.

\./.\./.\./

Seven was sitting in front of his desktops as he read the contents of his mobile's screen. He yawned, already knowing where their conversation eventually led to.

Jumin Han: Whatever. I couldn't care less what you say.

ZEN: What's the difference between recruitment and nepotism?

The hacker sighed, wanting to respond differently but couldn't. In the past, he had tried to alter his replies with various witty and ridiculous comments that he knew would either make them leave the chatroom immediately or pretend that he didn't exist. But alas, he had failed because every time he was about to type, he would see that he had already sent a text—using the exact same words as he had during previous "lifetimes." And whenever he tried clicking away on his keypad to say more than necessary, nothing appeared on-screen. The same happened whenever he wanted to speak up before his so-called turn.

Who cares about nepotism? He thought. I wanna talk about cardboards and cats... and Aoi.

But of course he couldn't bring her up.

707: Thought they r the same? O_O

Jumin Han: It's nepotism if you recruit a person you know and they aren't of any help.

Yoosung: Oh... So you become a candidate for nepotism the same time you're recruited!

Seven stole a glance at the topmost part of his device where all the active RFA members were shown. He spots Aoi's name and smiles.

Will you pick me this time? He couldn't help but wonder.

707: Wait!

Yoosung: Why?

ZEN: ?

707: Think someone entered the chat room;;

Jumin Han: Aoi...?

Luciel let out a tsk. Shouldn't they be the ones who remember how lucky they were to have felt the pure and genuine love she gave them? Shouldn't they remember how she literally changed their lives? Yet despite those thoughts, he somehow found it endearing that he was the only person who did.

Because it also meant that he had a special connection with her... At least he wanted it to be! How else could he be optimistic after experiencing so much heartbreak and rejection?

ZEN: Wtf. How did it get in here?

Aoi!

707: Hacker!

Aoi: ...wut? Seven?

Seven's eyes widened in astonishment. He did not expect that. And that was saying something because he could practically predict—no... he came from, rather—the future!

Yoosung: Seven do u know who it is?

Aoi: I think ive gone insane hahahahha...

ZEN: lolol i can see how it knows Seven haha they're both crazy!

ZEN: But dude.. why would u just add a random person to the messenger without even telling us?

Luciel could only stare at the screen in horror.

Jaehee Kang: I agree. That's not like you at all.

What is happening?

Yoosung: Jaehee!

This isn't supposed to happen!

Jumin Han: Let's get straight to the point. Stranger, how did you find this app?

What the hell is going on?

Aoi: omg ahahha why arent there any options?

Aoi: why can i type?

Aoi: WHY THE HELL AM I TYPING!?

Seven quickly closed the window that was displayed on one of his computers.

Yoosung: Seven, ur friend is scary T_T

He accessed the security cameras located in Rika's apartment.

Aoi: This is probably just a dream ahahahaha;;

He couldn't breathe.

ZEN: Seven! Dude! Is it a hacker too!?

Jumin Han: Answer me, stranger.

There, on his monitor, was not the Aoi he knew.

Aoi: this is probably my best dream ever~ lolololol

Jaehee Kang: Seven, why aren't you replying?

Gone was the long brown hair he had always wanted to touch.

Gone were the beautiful golden eyes he always wanted to drown in.

Gone was the girl he had always wanted to be his.

Instead, there was a black haired girl crying in a desolate corner of the room with her knees held close to her chest. Her phone laid beside her as she ran her hands through her hair over and over, occasionally wiping at her tearstained face.

707 has left the chatroom

i really had fun writing this! i hope u had fun reading too :)

it broke my heart having to imagine Seven's struggle after every reset... that's how i pictured him having to cope with it and loving the mc in every route :(