The girl had asymmetrical short black hair, a luxurious half-mask with a butterfly pattern etched on it, and strikingly vivid eyes.
Adding to that were her lips, devoid of any trace of a smile, and a razor-sharp jawline that looked as though it could cut paper.
Like an awl poking through a pocket no matter how much you try to hide it, the elements that the mask couldn’t conceal naturally revealed her to be an extraordinary beauty.
Beneath a lightly worn crimson coat, her pale shoulders were exposed by a halter top. She wore a short skirt that stopped above her knees and high-heeled shoes with a noticeable lift.
Her charisma was so overwhelming that it was hard to believe she was a girl who looked barely ten years old.
‘No matter how I look at this... it has to be Ren, right?’
Ren, one of the Invaders' high-ranking officers operating in Night Haven.
As I stared at her, my gaze naturally leveled with hers, and I couldn’t shake the certainty.
Sure, asymmetrical hairstyles might not be all that uncommon, but someone walking around the city in a butterfly-patterned half-mask and such bold attire? It would be strange not to recognize her.
However, instantly identifying someone like her wasn’t exactly a good thing either.
At this point, she was an elusive figure—a commander of the Invaders, a precious asset they wouldn’t easily risk exposing.
Just one slip—be it revealing my telekinesis, the Tesseract hidden in my possession, or the fact that I knew their entire plan—and I’d be erased on the spot. She was one of those people I absolutely didn’t want to meet.
But seriously, why am I running into her in such a secluded bookstore?
Isn’t she supposed to be busy scheming somewhere right now?
As I scrambled to process this sudden and completely unexpected encounter, Ren glared at me with eyes that looked ready to tear me apart and growled,
“If you bump into someone, aren’t you supposed to apologize? Why are you just standing there staring? Want me to smash that mask you call a face?”
“...!”
Terrifying!
Her words, laced with madness gleaming in her eyes, startled me.
But hey, this wasn’t entirely my fault—it was a mutual accident.
You came charging around the corner without looking, too!
If I could speak, I would’ve said as much. But instead, I chose to bow slightly to Ren with a half-sincere apology.
It was just a bump; getting angry over it seemed childish. I had to be the bigger person here.
Still, my silent bow apparently didn’t sit well with her. Ren crooked her finger in irritation, making it clear she wasn’t pleased.
The atmosphere grew tense, as if something could erupt at any moment.
Sensing this, David smoothly stepped between us to mediate.
“And who are you?” she snapped.
“Apologies for the intrusion. Yuria here is unable to speak, so I ask for your understanding. On their behalf, I apologize for the accident,” David said politely.
“Hmph. A mute? How boring.”
Ren crossed her arms and tilted her head arrogantly, as if she had done nothing wrong.
For someone who was also at fault, her shamelessness was unbelievable.
Her demeanor resembled that of a haughty noble lady, and I could only let out a bitter laugh.
But perhaps this initial retreat was just a setup for David’s next move. Adjusting his glasses, he spoke firmly, making it clear he wasn’t willing to back down entirely.
“However, as we’ve apologized for our part, I believe you should do the same.”
“What? Why should I?”
“Turning a corner without looking is a shared mistake. Furthermore, your threatening behavior is something we cannot overlook.”
“Oh, really? And what are you going to do if I don’t?”
Crackle!
A sharp tension crackled between Ren and David like an invisible spark.
Neither seemed willing to yield an inch.
At this rate, it looked like a fight could break out at any moment.
Panicking, I tugged on David’s sleeve, silently urging him to back off.
Across from us, Ren’s irritation was giving way to a more dangerous, unmistakable murderous intent.
This wasn’t just posturing anymore; it was heading toward an actual fight.
I didn’t care about getting an apology. I just wanted this situation to end.
“...!”
“...Understood, Yuria,” David said quietly, catching on to my intent.
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“Oh? Getting scared now? Weren’t you ready to see this through?” Ren taunted.
“I never intended to fight in the first place. It’s clear you have no intention of apologizing, so I’ll leave it at that.”
David replied calmly, his expression unchanging even in the face of her provocation.
Since I wasn’t making a big deal out of it, he saw no reason to escalate the matter.
Ren seemed to lose interest after David’s composed retreat.
Noticing the gathering stares from bystanders, she lowered her lips, which had been curling into a smirk, and looked at me with a bored expression.
“Tsk. How dull. This isn’t fun anymore. Hey, you, the white one... Yeah, Whitey.”
“...?”
“Next time something like this happens, I’ll make sure to take real good care of you. Remember that.”
“...!”
What the heck? I don’t want to meet you again!
Feeling utterly exasperated, I shuffled behind David, as if using him as a shield.
Ren, completely ignoring my evident discomfort, walked past us and out of the bookstore without a second glance.
She said her piece and left just like that. What an infuriatingly self-centered person.
‘Phew, finally over. But seriously, why Whitey? If I’m Whitey, does that make her Blacky?’
I grumbled internally about her lack of creativity and decided to brush off the encounter like getting nipped by a stray cat.
What, you’re asking if it’s okay to let a villain like her go?
What else am I supposed to do? I can’t exactly start a telekinetic fight in the middle of the city.
Trying to deal with her here would be like burning down my precious, mortgage-laden apartment to catch a tiger that wandered inside. Not a smart move.
“She was certainly a strange girl,” David murmured.
“....”
Well, I’m sure she has her own circumstances. Deep down, she’s not a bad person—or so I hoped.
I nodded silently in agreement with David, feeling mentally drained from the whirlwind encounter.
*
Even though the storm had passed, we still had work to do.
After encountering Ren, we continued to scour the area, focusing on gathering information.
By the time we’d visited all the locations where the stalking photos had been taken, we’d collected enough details about the suspected stalker.
“Whew, based on the common testimonies, it seems we’re looking for a red-haired man with an average build, likely a humanoid non-human species. It’s not much, but with this information, we should be able to track down the culprit quickly.”
“...!”
“Yuria, you’ve worked hard too. We’ve been running around quite a bit today.”
What work? I didn’t do anything. I just followed David around while sipping on my drink.
Feeling like David deserved the credit, I gave him two enthusiastic thumbs up and hopped in place a few times to cheer him on.
...Honestly, knowing who the culprit was made me feel a bit guilty, but it wasn’t like I needed to spoil the surprise. They’d catch the stalker soon enough without me saying anything, so I decided to just enjoy the moment. After all, I was just a temp, not an official member.
David, likely intending to pass on the gathered information to Raven, immediately contacted him via his terminal.
But as he checked Raven’s reply, David frowned slightly, as if something wasn’t quite right.
“Ah, I see.”
“...?”
“It seems Raven needs more time on his end. He suggests we spend about an hour leisurely exploring the area...”
“...!”
Ah, they must be busy reviewing CCTV footage over there.
Good thing I ended up with David instead of Raven’s group.
I quietly nodded to myself, satisfied with my choice. Wandering around outside was definitely more entertaining than sitting on a chair and swinging my legs idly.
“Well then, shall we go for a stroll nearby?”
“....”
With no clear destination in mind, we set off, aimlessly walking down the street.
As we passed a large screen near us, an advertisement began to play.
The ad was simple: a cheerful idol dressed as a cheerleader frolicking along a beach while drinking a soda.
Maybe it was because I’d just seen someone as striking as Aisha this morning, but the pretty and ordinary scene felt underwhelming. Still, the idol was stunningly beautiful, and the ad did make me want to try the soda.
“Lydia.”
“...?”
“She’s Lydia, the leader of the girl group Tropical Oasis. This year marks their tenth anniversary since debuting. After the war, they helped revive the concept of idols, including girl bands and boy bands, which had all but disappeared. Lydia is considered a living legend.”
Uh... okay? I know who she is, but why bring this up so suddenly?
I was momentarily taken aback by David’s unexpected remark but nodded as if it was an interesting tidbit.
It was a bit strange, sure, but it wasn’t like we had anything better to talk about for the next hour. It wasn’t the worst way to pass the time.
Noticing my awkward reaction, David seemed to realize how random his comment had been. He scratched his cheek with an apologetic look.
“Sorry. You probably don’t care about this, and here I am rambling.”
“....”
“Actually, Tropical Oasis, the group Lydia is in, is one of my favorite bands. Back when I was studying abroad, they gave me the strength to keep going during tough times. Of course, my main motivation was my promise to Reina, but....”
David trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed as he admitted his idol-enthusiast side.
Honestly, it didn’t bother me. In fact, seeing this side of David—someone who was usually so serious and reserved—made him much more relatable and fun to be around.
Moments like this were how people bonded and grew closer. It was far better than the old days when he would try to maintain a polite distance, only engaging in shallow conversations.
Even if his enthusiasm for idols like Aisha sometimes felt a bit... odd, it was endearing in its own way.
Noticing my supportive attitude, I patted his back a few times to show it was okay. Grateful for my reaction, David chuckled softly and nodded in appreciation.
“Anyway, when I heard Aisha was being harassed by a stalker, I had mixed feelings. Aisha is likely a star who brings strength to someone out there, just as Lydia did for me. The thought of such a bright light being dimmed by cowardly, despicable actions... it’s something I can’t stand. That’s why I’m determined to catch this culprit.”
“...!”
“You’ll help? Thank you.”
Seeing my enthusiastic fighting pose seemed to give him more energy.
David’s expression relaxed, and he thanked me warmly.
...Not that I’d be doing much. I planned to hang back and observe, as usual.
After wandering the streets for about an hour without anything significant happening, a message finally came through from Raven.
He’d found a decisive clue about the stalker.
The moment had arrived.
Excited, I followed David back to the talent agency where we had been earlier.
When we arrived, the rest of the Troubleshooter Squad had already gathered. Raven, standing before us, exuded an air of mystery reminiscent of a certain famous detective.
“The culprit... is among us. I will now reveal the truth behind this stalking case!”
To think I’d witness such a scene with my own eyes!
It was a moment so thrilling I regretted not having popcorn and soda in hand.