The girl had asymmetrical short black hair, a luxurious half-mask etched with a butterfly motif, and piercing eyes visible through it.

    Her sharp jawline, cold, expressionless lips, and the unmistakable aura of someone extraordinary shone through, like an awl poking out of a pocket, impossible to hide even with a mask.

    Her outfit further added to her striking appearance—a deep red coat draped lightly over her shoulders, revealing pale, delicate skin beneath a halter top, paired with a short skirt ending above her knees and high-heeled shoes.

    Despite her youthful look, appearing no older than ten, the charismatic air she exuded felt overwhelming.

    “This is... no matter how you look at it... it’s Ren, isn’t it?”

    Ren, a high-ranking officer of the Invaders, an organization operating from the shadows of NightHaven.@@@@

    As I looked directly at her, our eyes at the same level, I couldn’t help but confirm her identity.

    Even though asymmetrical hairstyles aren’t all that rare, someone walking around the city with a butterfly-patterned half-mask and such conspicuous attire? It would be strange not to recognize her.

    But recognizing someone’s identity this quickly wasn’t exactly a good thing.

    Ren wasn’t just any operative; she was a highly ranked field commander of the Invaders, infamous for leaving no traces behind.

    With her level of influence, she could be telekinetic, hiding a Tesseract, or aware of every step in her organization’s plans.

    For someone like me, who was burdened with too many dangerous secrets—any one of which, if exposed, would mean my immediate annihilation—Ren was the last person I wanted to meet.

    But seriously, why am I running into her in this obscure bookstore? Isn’t she supposed to be busy scheming somewhere behind the scenes?

    While I stood there, flustered at this sudden and unexpected encounter, Ren spoke in a low, growling tone, her eyes practically threatening to tear me apart.

    “If you bump into someone, you should apologize. Why are you just standing there gawking? Should I smash that mask of yours along with your face?”

    “...!”

    Scary!

    Her gaze, brimming with madness, startled me.

    Still, it wasn’t entirely my fault—it was a two-way collision! She had also rushed out from the corner carelessly!

    Though I wanted to argue my case, I decided to let it go. Taking a deep breath, I bowed my head slightly toward Ren, genuinely apologetic.

    After all, getting angry over a simple collision wasn’t very mature of me. I figured it was better to be the bigger person and take the first step toward resolving this.

    But it seemed my silent bow didn’t sit well with her. Ren tapped her finger impatiently, her irritation apparent.

    Just as the tension in the air reached a dangerous boiling point, with conflict seemingly inevitable, David smoothly intervened between us.

    “And who are you?” Ren demanded.

    “Pardon me,” David said with a calm demeanor. “This is Yuria. She is unable to speak, so I must ask for your understanding. Please accept our apology for the accidental collision.” ?A????E?s??

    “Hmph. A mute? How boring.”

    Ren crossed her arms and tilted her head arrogantly, as though expecting such deference.

    The audacity of her attitude—despite being equally at fault—was almost laughable. She carried herself like a noblewoman, full of entitlement.

    But David wasn’t about to back down. Adjusting his glasses, he spoke in a firm tone.

    “We’ve apologized for our part. However, it would only be fair for you to apologize as well.”

    “What? Why should I?”

    “Both parties were at fault for colliding at the corner. Moreover, threatening someone, no matter the reason, is something we cannot overlook.”

    Ren scoffed. “You’re unbelievable. Fine, and what will you do if I refuse?”

    The air between Ren and David crackled with unseen tension, a palpable spark of hostility indicating neither side intended to back down.

    Sensing the rising danger, I tugged at David’s sleeve, trying to de-escalate the situation.

    Across from us, Ren’s growing irritation began to morph into something darker—an unmistakable killing intent.

    If this continued, it wouldn’t just be a battle of nerves but a real fight.

    “...!”

    “Understood, Yuria,” David said, finally relenting.

    “It seems Raven needs a little more time. He suggested we spend about an hour wandering around nearby.”

    “...!”

    Oh, they must still be busy reviewing the CCTV footage.

    Good thing I stuck with David instead of joining Raven’s team.

    I nodded inwardly, satisfied with my decision. Wandering around outside was far more enjoyable than sitting idly on a chair, swinging my legs out of boredom.

    “Let’s take a walk nearby for now,” David suggested.

    “....”

    With some unexpected free time on our hands and no clear destination, we began strolling aimlessly.

    As we walked side by side, a large screen nearby suddenly played an advertisement.

    It featured a cheerful idol in a cheerleader outfit, leaping around a beach while sipping a drink to the tune of upbeat music.

    Maybe it was because I had encountered someone as extraordinary as Ren earlier, but the pretty, ordinary scene felt oddly bland in comparison. Still, the idol’s beauty made the drink seem appealing enough to try.

    “Lydia.”

    “...?”

    “She’s the leader of Tropical Oasis, a girl group. This year marks their tenth anniversary since debut. After the war, they revived the concept of idols, which had almost disappeared, and became living legends.”

    Uh... yeah, I know that. But why bring it up out of nowhere?

    I blinked, slightly confused by David’s sudden commentary but nodded as if to say it was a good story.

    Perhaps noticing my awkward reaction, David scratched his cheek, looking somewhat apologetic.

    “Sorry. You probably don’t care about this stuff, but I blurted it out.”

    “....”

    “The truth is, Tropical Oasis is one of my favorite groups. When I was studying abroad, they were one of the reasons I didn’t give up. Of course, my promise to Reine was the main reason....”

    David’s admission of being an idol fan seemed to embarrass him slightly, as he rubbed his neck awkwardly.

    I didn’t mind at all. In fact, I found this side of him—losing his usual composed demeanor when talking about idols—far more entertaining.

    It was fun to tease him about things like this and grow closer through such moments. Compared to his old habit of maintaining a polite distance in conversations, this was much better.

    Although his enthusiasm for Reine’s idol persona still felt a bit overwhelming...

    As I gave David’s back a couple of light pats to reassure him, he smiled faintly, seemingly grateful for my response.

    “So, when I heard Aisha was being harassed by a stalker, it really hit me hard. Aisha could be someone’s guiding star too. The idea of cowardly, despicable people trying to take that away... I just couldn’t accept it. I really want to catch the culprit this time.”

    “...!”

    “You’ll help? Thank you.”

    Perhaps encouraged by my enthusiastic thumbs-up and fighting pose, David seemed more at ease as he expressed his gratitude.

    Not that I’d be much help, since I planned to stay in the background as an observer.

    ***

    After an hour of leisurely wandering around, we received a message from Raven. He had found a crucial clue about the stalker.

    Finally, the moment had arrived.

    Feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, I headed back to the celebrity agency with David.

    When everyone from the Problem-Solvers(Troubleshooter) gathered, Raven stepped forward, his demeanor reminiscent of a certain famous detective.

    “The culprit... is among us. I will now reveal the truth behind this stalking case!”

    I couldn’t believe I was witnessing such a scene in real life.

    The only thing missing was a bucket of popcorn and a soda in my hands. What a shame.