A plain woman who turns out to be a stunning beauty—it’s a trope as old as storytelling itself, dating back to the days when houses were built from wood and straw.
The kind of cliché so overused it’s no longer surprising, barely eliciting even a hint of curiosity.
And yet, despite its predictability, the group couldn’t shake their shock after seeing Aisha’s bare face.
They must have had some expectation that she’d look different without makeup. So why were they so stunned?
The answer was simple: the transformation was so extreme it bordered on unbelievable.
“Uh... why are you all staring? Oh, I see—you’re seeing my bare face for the first time. It’s me, Aisha.”
“Yeah, I get that, but still....”
Her makeup-free face was nothing short of a revelation.
Gone was the eerie, powdery white skin that looked as though it had been coated with flour or chalk. Instead, her complexion radiated health, like peaches dipped in milk.
Her lashes, impossibly long and framing eyes that sparkled like stars, sat above a perfectly sculpted nose and vibrant, rose-red lips.
A faint droplet of moisture clung to her jawline, adding a subtle allure to her overall pure and delicate appearance, captivating anyone who gazed upon her.
Her beauty was so overwhelming it felt like staring at a masterfully carved sculpture.
The fact that such a jewel had been hidden under such bizarre makeup was enough to provoke indignation.
“This is... completely beyond anything I could’ve imagined.”
“Sis, you’re so beautiful!”
“...!”
“Th-thank you.”
While David and Alice showered her with praise, I subtly gave her a thumbs up from the side.
Having read the original story, I already knew she was supposed to be stunningly beautiful, but this was on another level.
If I hadn’t grown accustomed to her looks from the source material, I might have been just as mesmerized.
As I nodded calmly, Raven, finally snapping out of his shock, turned to her and asked,
“So, you said you had a new request? Do you have the money?”
“Jin....”
“What? Don’t give me that look. Unless this is some follow-up service because the last job failed—which it didn’t—we’ll have to charge you again. We’re not volunteers, you know.”
“Well... you’re not wrong.”
It seemed Raven wasn’t particularly concerned about working hours at the moment.
In his usual laid-back manner, he questioned Aisha.
With the stalker’s identity revealed, their official relationship as fixer and client should have ended.
But since she had a new request, she could still be treated as a client for now.
Of course, Alice seemed a bit uneasy about how detached Raven was, especially given Aisha’s emotional state. But what could be done?
There was no way Aisha could continue her idol activities at the agency now that Bold had been exposed as the culprit. A peaceful resolution was never an option to begin with.
Aisha seemed to share Raven’s pragmatic outlook. She responded cheerfully, showing no signs of being troubled.
“Yes, I agree with your approach, Raven. Honestly, I feel so much better! Quitting that company was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
“Well, as long as the customer’s satisfied, that’s what matters. So, what’s the new request? Want us to get revenge on that manager or Baldy? We can make them suffer plenty—as long as it’s within legal limits, of course.”
“Wow... Jin, with that evil grin, you look like a complete villain.”
“A fixer is authorized to cause minor property damage, use limited violence, or even conduct kidnappings within certain parameters. If we play it right, we can make them cry and beg for mercy.”
“David! You too?! Wait, are you both serious about this?”
Raven, having pushed his empty glass aside, shot Aisha a mischievous smile.
Perhaps it was because of his sharp, slightly brooding good looks, but his expression exuded the aura of a third-rate villain.
And with David, clearly energized by anything idol-related, fueling the fire, Alice was visibly flustered.
As a former police cadet, Alice found the idea of outright burying someone, even legally, deeply troubling.
Still, it wasn’t like Aisha’s new request involved anything so extreme.
As I quietly observed the scene, confident there was no need to worry, Alice suddenly grabbed me in a tight hug.
“...?”
“Y-Yuria, don’t grow up to be like them, okay?”
“...!”
Honestly, I thought Bold deserved a good lesson too, but seeing Alice this upset, I decided to just nod vigorously as if to say, I promise.
Maybe our little display was endearing, because Aisha chuckled softly, covering her mouth. Then she cleared her throat and prepared to speak seriously—only to be interrupted.
The café door burst open with a loud crash, and someone came running toward us in a panic.
“Waaaaah!”
Thud!
Unable to control their speed, the intruder tripped over their own feet and tumbled right toward our table.
If this continued, they’d crash straight into the table, causing a mess!
Raven, rising smoothly, intercepted them with a firm step, pinning them down like a soccer ball.
With the commotion settled, the identity of the intruder was revealed.
“Oh my, isn’t this the manager?”
“Yeah, the red-haired guy who was working with Baldy on the stalking.”
“Grrr....”
It was none other than Aisha’s former manager—the one who had assisted Bold with stalking her.
As someone who should absolutely not have been here, his presence ignited fury in both Alice and David.
“How is he even here?!”
“After everything he’s done, he still has the nerve to show up? How shameless can someone be?”
With what face did he come here, and how did he even find this place?
David, in particular, was seething, his expression making it clear that a single wrong move could lead to violence.
Just as it seemed like the manager was about to be turned into a punching bag, Aisha stood up abruptly, stopping the two in their tracks.
“W-wait a moment. Please calm down. I was the one who called the manager here.”
“Aisha, you did?”
“Yes... actually, while I was taking a moment to remove my makeup earlier, the manager contacted me. He said he deeply regrets what he did and wants to apologize sincerely.”
“Here, see for yourself. It’s true.”
Aisha pulled out her device, showing us the messages she had exchanged with the manager.
Indeed, the conversation showed a man—presumably the manager—earnestly admitting his mistakes and expressing a desire to make things right.
But he was an accomplice. How could she trust someone like that?
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David and Alice, their expressions saying as much, reluctantly sat back down.
Once trust is broken, restoring it is nearly impossible.
Unlike the calm and unbothered Raven, the two glared at the manager with anger still simmering in their eyes.
The manager, clearly remorseful, dropped to his knees on the hard floor, bowing his head until it touched the ground as he shouted,
“I’m truly, truly sorry! This is all my fault! No matter how desperate I was for money, I should never have accepted Bold’s proposal! You have every right to resent me, and I will accept whatever blame you throw at me! But... could you grant me just one chance to atone for my sins?”
“A chance? What do you mean?”
“I can tell you everything about why Bold did what he did to you!”
The manager, his forehead now red and swollen from bowing, looked up at Aisha with desperation in his eyes.
“You don’t have to forgive me. But please, don’t reject my desire to make amends.”
His voice was heavy with sincerity, his regret palpable.
But really, if he felt this way, he shouldn’t have done it in the first place.
I glanced at Aisha, who seemed deeply conflicted, and quietly used my telekinesis to blur the cameras of curious onlookers filming us.
Better to avoid this being captured and causing unnecessary trouble.
The people holding their cameras must have been confused as their screens turned inexplicably foggy.
As I continued subtly sabotaging their filming, Aisha and Raven exchanged a brief glance.
Then, in a calm and composed voice, Aisha spoke.
“Let’s move somewhere else. This isn’t the right place to have this conversation.”
“Good idea. Let’s head back to our office. It should be quiet enough there.”
And so, we quickly got up to leave.
This wasn’t the kind of conversation we wanted spreading publicly, and the onlookers, drawn by Aisha’s beauty, kept sneaking glances at us. What are you looking at? Mind your own business.
When we arrived back at the Troubleshooter office, we all gathered in the lounge.
I ended up sitting right next to Alice—it felt a bit like being a cherished stuffed animal.
Once we settled in, the manager, with a somber and serious expression, began to speak.
“Where should I start...? I’ll begin with the stalking case.”
He explained why Bold had orchestrated the harassment against Aisha.
The reason was simple: Maximized idols like Aisha were intended to appeal to marginalized groups. However, allowing rumors to spread that such idols were unprofitable and discarded could harm the company’s image.
For the agency, the ideal scenario was for an external factor, such as a malicious stalker, to force Aisha to quit voluntarily. That way, the company could avoid direct blame.
“Just... for that reason?!”
“It’s not just a reason. Codria is one of the leading agencies in the newly revitalized idol industry. Every aspect of their image serves as a foundation for progress or failure. Of course, Bold will be in hot water now that the company is at fault for breaking Aisha’s contract.”
Holding an ice pack I’d silently handed him against his swollen forehead, the manager responded to Alice’s outrage.
This was the nature of corporate image management. Companies would spend millions to cultivate a positive image, only to lose just as much when a negative one took hold.
By creating Maximized idols for non-human audiences, Codria had generated a good reputation once. Even if the idols weren’t profitable, they didn’t want to destroy that image at their own expense.
One question had been answered, but many more remained.
David, deep in thought, raised his hand to ask the manager something else.
“I have another question. Why did Codria make Aisha a Maximized idol in the first place? With her looks, she could have generated significant profits for the company.”
“Well... it was bad timing. When Aisha joined Codria as a trainee, a new group was about to launch, which included the child of a major investor. The company couldn’t let Aisha, with her potential to steal the spotlight, overshadow that group. In the end, Codria chose to prioritize their investor’s interests.”
Ironically, the group in question ended up underperforming, lingering in the mid-tier rankings.
The manager shook his head, clearly still baffled by the situation. Even he seemed to feel sorry for Aisha, who had been discarded despite her talent.
Raven, scratching his head in frustration, muttered, “What kind of idiots are they? Couldn’t they have debuted her later? That way, everyone wins.”
“They were likely afraid she’d join another agency in the meantime. With Aisha’s potential, anyone could see she’d bloom into a star with the right guidance. So they debuted her as a Maximized idol to erase her individuality entirely. It’s incredibly cruel.”
“Well, I did have fun being a Maximized idol.”
Aisha spoke with a faint, bittersweet smile.
She hadn’t dreamed of becoming the world’s top idol; she just wanted to be one.
Yet after being battered around by circumstances, her career had ended after just three months.
Suddenly, as if she’d reached a decision, Aisha looked at Raven with a clear, determined gaze.
Straightening her posture, she spoke with a sincerity that filled the room.
“Raven, I still want to be an idol. I’ll give you everything I’ve earned so far—can you help me become an idol again?”
The timid girl who had seemed so hesitant before was gone. In her place stood a shining star, brimming with confidence.
Leaning back on the sofa, Raven smirked and gave her an answer.
“Sounds fun. Let’s do it.”
“Wooooah!”
“D-David, calm down!”
To make Aisha a shining idol once again!
The entire office was fired up with enthusiasm.