01x05 - Episode 5

[bunniefuu]

Yo.

You're Guan Chao, right?

The new collector?

Pull yourself together.

Don't you still have
BUG Beings to deal with,

and get back to reality...

right?

Aren't you curious

about this BUG Being's abilities?

Or at least wonder who I am?

Hey.

Your container.

Hey.

Boss.

You can control everything

in the Depot anyway.

Can't you patch up all these holes?

No.

I can't bring back what's already gone.

Time's running out for
Guan Chao... and for us.

The elevator is stuck in the interlayer.

Must be that troublemaker again.

Bai Zhong.

Go check it out.

Grab some gear from the Classroom first.

This time,

take whatever you like.

That's an antique.

It's the digital age now.

I still prefer film.

By the way, where are we?

Hang on.

What do you think makes film so good?

Uh...

Well... it's...

It captures the real feel...

even the temperature and humidity...

Who's this guy...

If I showed you a digital scan of film

...and a digital image with
a film filter applied,

could you tell which one was shot on film?

I... I don't know...

I'm not really sure...

Well...

I... - Exactly!

You're not supposed to know!

Looks kind of familiar...

Huh?

Is this montage?

The "Kuleski Effect"?

Not bad!

You actually know that?

That makes things much easier to explain.

But...

It's the "Kuleshov Effect".

I got it wrong.

Sorry.

Why are you apologizing?

Forgetting is a good thing.

Reliving an embarrassing moment 100 times

is like being embarrassed 100 times.

And thankfully,

we can cut those moments out...

or rewrite them.

All right.

People's memories are
inherently selective,

focusing on what matters
most. - Whoa, hold on!

We remember things wrong

and we forget them too.

Oh my God.

Where are we?

This is one of my secret projects.

It's called Reality Theater.

The Bureau doesn't know about it.

The space we're in

is the editing station for memories.

And over there...

is the memory's owner.

Watch out!

He can't hear you if you shout like that.

If you want to help him,

you'll have to edit his memory.

Why does this kind of
thing always happen to me?

Go! Go! Go! - Hehehe!

You got this, Boss! - Go!

Please...

Please accept my love!

How's it going?

Got any ideas?

I'll... give it a shot.

Let's see what songs
are in this guy's head.

A classic.

But it doesn't quite fit.

Stop!

All right, this one.

We're screwed! We're screwed!

We're fine!

We can finish the edit!

Catch!

Oh man... is this even watchable?

Forget it!

Export it now!

But...

Screw it!

I didn't even get up to turn the light

I don't care I don't care

'Cause pressed in my soul

Hot pot!

I'm gonna eat GOGO Hot Pot!

Ha... It worked.

Nicely done!

Here.

KICK SODA.

Thanks.

There's something I've
been meaning to ask.

How did you...

end up here?

Me?

Fang Tang told me

that taking the elevator

would get me back to reality.

But along the way...

That's not what I mean.

How did you end up here
in the first place?

How does a BUG Source

end up with a halo

and become a collector?

Wait...

Me...

A BUG Source?

Wait.

You didn't know you're a BUG Source?

What did Fang Tang and
the others tell you?

When you were inside those memory layers,

didn't you notice anything at all?

Every single BUG Being you've encountered

was created by you.

Some of them

are terrifyingly powerful.

Those BUG Beings...

I created all of them?

So I...

I got that collector k*lled.

No one gets anyone k*lled.

Every collector

fights BUG Beings

knowing their halo could shatter.

Now that you're here,

you should think about

what to do next.

I don't even know what
I should do anymore.

Maybe...

you just need time to face it.

You can stay here.

Time here

is almost frozen.

Anyone who stays here

can practically live forever.

Now,

if we work together,

the editing station in Reality Theater

can be expanded many times over.

We can use it to rewrite

the past that's been holding us back.

What do you say?

That tornado...

Why does it feel so familiar?

Because

it's your memory.

The bad film is tangled
up with the good film.

Cut that memory out,

then you can stay here forever

and truly set yourself free.

So,

have you decided?

All right.

I know what I need to do now.

Good. That's it.

Keep it going.

Guan Chao.

Stay away from him!

Wait!

He's my...

Why'd you come at me right off the bat?

Can't we just talk?

What're you looking at?

Where'd you get all these toys?

Someone's memories.

Who knows?

Wow.

Impressive.

W-What the hell is going on?

He's the Memory Administration Bureau's

most infamous wanted fugitive—

Protagonist Halo.

Protagonist Halo...

Wanted fugitive?

But he's... helping people!

You mean by rewriting memories

and changing lives?

Give me a break.

Memories aren't meant to fool yourself.

He just wants to erase your reason

for taking the elevator.

That way,

you'll be trapped here forever.

Maybe I'm better off staying here.

I've said my piece.

Guan Chao,

you're coming with me.

Come on.

He doesn't want to leave.

You can't force him.

Well?

Guan Chao.

Don't listen to his nonsense, Guan Chao!

You're the master of your memories...

not their sl*ve!

You're not even resisting?

Once Guan Chao gets over this,

he will grow from it.

Hmph.

So lying to yourself is
what you call growth?

Guess that's all you're capable of.

It only works on Guan Chao.

No need to be so aggressive.

Come on.

Sometimes people need

to lie to themselves a little

just to get by.

Don't you think?

Heh.

Funny hearing that from you.

You're the mighty Protagonist Halo.

Your mockery doesn't work on me.

I'll just delete it.

Memories that keep people

living in the past are worthless.

You can spend your whole life

clinging to the garbage inside you,

or you can be like me—

rewrite memories,

change lives.

The way you live...

I want no part of it!

Guan Chao!

Cut it out.

- Just cut it out.

- Rewrite it,

- Rewrite it. - Just
cut it out. - Rewrite it

...then verything
will be fine. - Make it

- ...into something better. -
Like it used to be. - Cut it out.

- and things will get better.

It's all meaningless junk. -
Why keep something like this?

It's all meaningless junk.

Whatcha thinking about?

Gr...

Granny Xiong.

Heh.

Whoa, slow down!

Take whatever you want!

Yay!

One more thing.

Here.

Just like I promised.

You're really giving it to me?

This is...

the master key

that can unlock anything.

Granny...

I miss you so much.

Granny did give me a
master key in the end.

But it wasn't this one...

Protagonist Halo.

You've seen my memories.

So...

you felt it too, didn't you?

It still has its flaws,

but isn't this exactly

what you've been searching for so long?

It might even be

a thousand times better

than the version Fang Tang has.

I only came here to help Guan Chao...

I've changed my mind now!

You really don't hold back.

Didn't Fang Tang tell you

to bring me back alive?

Don't worry.

Old Man will find a way to save you.

My job is just to beat you half to death

and drag you back.

That is...

a BUG Being?

How did it get into the interlayer?

No...

I already shattered your halo...

You...

What did you do?

Bai Zhong,

I truly admire you.

You're incredibly brave.

You can do what no one else can.

BUG Being No. 44 is
perfectly compatible with me.

I can use the illusions it
creates to help others—

people who aren't as strong as you.

As long as Guan Chao is
willing to stay here,

I can use the power of Reality Theater

to reshape reality.

Those empty days...

misplaced hopes and failed choices...

can all disappear from people's memories,

replaced by better ones.

Maybe that's hard for you to understand.

After all, Bai Zhong,

you're so strong and so brave.

You don't need lies,

and you don't need saving.

Do you really think Guan Chao is like you?

Do you think everyone is as brave as you?

Imagine that...

If I'd just tried a little harder...

been a little smarter...

or had a little more luck...

could I have ended up

living a better life?

Living...

a better life.

The BUG Being...

The BUG Being is falling apart...

You didn't cut your memories out.

KICK SODA is actually orange soda.

It doesn't taste like straw at all.

I kept hesitating.

And I missed...

my chance to say what I meant.

Then I told myself

there was nothing I could've done.

Maybe I'll never know

what the right choice was back then.

But if I stay here living in a dream,

nothing will ever change.

Someone helped me realize that.

They made me realize

there are still things I can do.

And that is

my answer.

So I have to go.

Leave this place...

and go to the next memory layer.

While...

there's still time.

Don't kid yourself!

Your hands are still shaking!

Even if you get to the next layer,

what could you possibly do?

You'll only end up with more regrets!

Guan Chao...!

I'm done running away!

I'm leaving this place...

and going back to the reality I belong in.

I'm going to do

what I have to do now!

Fang Tang.

Long time no see.

Seriously,

if I could go back to reality like you,

I'd wipe out every BUG Being I see.

Go back to reality?

Just like you,

I lived in reality

before becoming a collector.

That's why it makes me even more furious

to see you hesitate

when you still have a chance.

Hang in there,

Guan Chao.

Thank you, Bai Zhong.

I'm on my way.

Fang Tang,

it's way more fun fighting you. Haha!

You're the only one who really gets me!

The Bureau will never allow
you to lure a BUG Source

into creating powerful memory layers

to influence reality.

"The Bureau"?

They have the power to change memories,

yet they're too afraid

to take responsibility for it.

Don't you think it's too
negative and narrow-minded?

Maybe.

Haha!

Fighting you is fun, Fang Tang!

But I'm in a hurry.

See you next time!

I'd forgotten

you've become this kind of person.

Huh?

I've always been like this.

Yes.

After all, you only keep

the memories you think matter.

Still...

fast-forwarding through the parts of life

you find boring...

is pretty boring too, Protagonist.

You snuck...

You snuck up on me...

This's the same move

I used on you last time.

Your fault for not learning.

Come on, Fang Tang,
can't we talk this out?

I know you're cold...

but...

Qian Jun's gone back already.

Boss,

is there really nothing else we can do?

The rest is up to Guan Chao.

We collectors are, after
all, merely bystanders.

Up to him?

He's slippery!

I looked away for one second.

How the hell did he slip away that fast?!

Forget it.

There's nothing he can do anymore.

Good thing this happened
in the interlayer.

If it had happened inside a memory layer,

we couldn't have interfered at all.

Bai Zhong,

you handled that unexpected situation

very well—

An opening!

Ha! Got you!

Ah!

Maybe...

one day you really will defeat me...

and take back your container.

Boss,

don't go easy on me!