I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad

“Well, fine. I’ll think about helping you. That gem seems worth investing in, and… it’s a request from someone who hasn’t visited in a while.”

“Are you sure about that? Honestly, I feel a bit guilty.”

“I’m the boss, so what’s anyone going to do about it? It’s not like I’m doing idol work to make money anyway. Whatever I do, it’s my choice.”

Lurika replied to Raven with a slightly exhausted smile, as if laughing had drained her energy.

It seemed she had seen that Aisha wasn’t just a pretty face but had some talent buried within her.

With this, the toughest hurdle had essentially been cleared with ease.

Lurika’s agency was one she had founded herself to handle troublesome matters.

An agency led by a famous fixer wasn’t something anyone could mess with lightly, no matter how bold they were.

If anyone tried to assert their authority as usual, they might face physical retaliation and have no defense.

In short, from Aisha’s perspective, this was truly a golden opportunity sent from the heavens.

Who would’ve thought that simply making a request to Raven would result in grabbing such a lifeline? Life’s twists and turns truly are unpredictable.

“However, there’s one condition.”

“A condition?”

Lurika raised a finger, signaling there was a catch.

Raven looked at her, wondering what she was about to say, but she answered as if it was no big deal.

“I’m planning to shoot a music video for a new song. The timing works out perfectly, so let me use your people for it.”

Especially that pink-haired one—she looks like she’d make things fun.

The group blinked in surprise at Lurika’s sudden and unexpected declaration.

A music video? Was she talking about one of those videos that play along with a song?

Alice, in particular, tilted her head with a puzzled expression, as if wondering if that was really all there was to it.

However, knowing the context, I secretly felt bad for Alice, who had caught Lurika’s eye.

Because for her, this meant the beginning of a challenging ordeal.

Lurika’s proposal was a deal we had no reason to refuse.

To pay for everything we’d gain with just a short video shoot—it felt like we were receiving way too much.

But after arriving at the filming site early the next morning, ready to shoot Lurika’s music video, we faced the truth of what this seemingly lopsided deal entailed. Ŗ𝘼₦ＯBÈ𝒮

“This is….”

“Is this real?”

“Of course, it’s real. Why, have you guys never been on a fighter jet before?”

“Of course not!”

Alice, with thick earmuffs covering her ears, jumped up and shouted.

The reason was simple: standing in front of her was an unmistakable fighter jet.@@novelbin@@

Using a fighter jet in a music video? And it didn’t even look like a replica but the real thing?

Already feeling chills run down her spine, Alice looked at Raven with a tearful face.

But he seemed unfazed, as if he had anticipated this all along, and casually stroked his chin as he responded.

“Didn’t you go home and look up her music videos last night? Last time, she had tanks and aircraft carriers. Fighter jets are nothing compared to that.”

“I-I thought those were all CGI! How could anyone imagine they’d be real?”

Lurika’s music videos were known for their absurd and extreme concepts.

Singing while standing on a moving tank, riding a motorcycle across a massive aircraft carrier—these weren’t just bold but borderline dangerous stunts.

David, who seemed familiar with this, cleared his throat and offered a brief explanation.

“Ehem, Lurika is particularly famous for power performances that other idols can’t replicate. Flipping tanks with sheer strength, jumping off moving buses, leaping from skyscrapers… Her bold depiction of these surreal scenes captivates fans. That’s her charm.”

“Wow, you know her well. Some people think it’s all staged, but I don’t really lie about these things. Fans love the authenticity. Of course… since we’re near a city airport, this is just an empty shell without any weapons.”

Lurika shrugged nonchalantly as she spoke.

For someone like her, who had no reason to fake such extreme stunts, controversies about staged scenes were laughable.

But Alice, now the unfortunate star of the music video, was tearing at her hair, her face the picture of despair.

She had known things seemed too smooth. How did she end up roped into something so absurd?

Faced with the prospect of standing on a fighter jet, Alice looked as if she wanted to cry and pound the ground in frustration.

But regardless of her reaction, Lurika, holding a rolled-up script in one hand, lightly patted Alice on the shoulder.

“You read the script, right? This time, the music video has a bit of a storyline. I needed another actor besides myself, and you’re perfect for the role. Alice, I’m counting on you.”

“Ugh… This is ridiculous….”

“And the rest of you, don’t mess up your timing. It’s dangerous, so let’s have Yuria and Aisha just make cameo appearances.”

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

“…!”

The wind roared at the airport as we discussed the shoot.

Soon, we all split up to change into our costumes.

When we returned in outfits matching our roles, everyone’s eyes naturally turned to Alice, who was fidgeting nervously.

“Ugh… Is this really the costume? This is just a swimsuit, isn’t it?”

Even though she usually wore a sexy kimono with a thigh slit, Alice’s current outfit was on another level.

A string bikini for the top, paired with a sheer jacket that barely covered anything, and ultra-short denim hot pants that threatened to reveal everything—it was an ensemble better suited for a beach than an airport.

“It looks good on you.”

“Yeah, it’s great.”

“That must feel great for you, huh! Jeez!”

Alice’s voice was tinged with exasperation, though one could hardly blame her. After all, her figure was… aggressive, to say the least, with every curve exaggerated just enough to make heads turn.

Even Raven, who never saw her as a woman, couldn’t help but nod in admiration.

But honestly, won’t she freeze like that? It’s not even summer right now.

I looked at Alice with sympathy and silently thanked my luck for not being in her shoes.

Of course, if I wore something like that, it wouldn’t come off as sexy but more as “a hazard to public safety.”

Even if someone paid me a fortune, I wouldn’t want to stand in front of a camera in an outfit like that. Alice is really strong.

“The protagonist’s look is perfect like this. As for the others… Oh my, how adorable.”

Lurika, seemingly satisfied with Alice’s appearance, turned her attention to the rest of us. Her gaze stopped dead on me.

The look in her eyes was like that of a child stumbling upon a hidden gem in a toy store they had walked past without much thought.

Hmm… I couldn’t say I didn’t understand her reaction.

I was still wearing my usual fox mask, but my outfit was completely different from my regular maid uniform.

Today, I was dressed in an all-black, frilly gothic lolita dress.

It was like a “darkened” version of my usual white maid attire, with black frills from head to toe, a large ribbon at the waist, and a red rose accent in my hair.

Even the crimson fox mask on my face somehow blended in perfectly with the look rather than clashing with it.

Hmm, not bad. I could see why she might think it looked striking.

“A black gothic lolita dress with shimmering silver hair, soft shoulders, delicate legs… Oh no, I’m so curious about the face behind that mask. I want to pull it off right now. But I suppose I shouldn’t, huh?”

“…!”

What I hadn’t expected was for Lurika to suddenly close the distance between us, her breath almost brushing against my skin as she fixed me with a sharp gaze.

When she lightly traced her fingers across my shoulder, as if tickling me, I froze like a rabbit caught in front of a snake.

“Cut it out; you’re scaring her. If you want to mess with someone, mess with Alice.”

“Aww, but her reaction is so cute. Hey, Yuria, right? If you’re interested in being an idol, come talk to me, okay?”

“How much older are you than me to call yourself my ‘big sister’—Ow!”

Raven, who had come to my rescue, got an elbow in the side from Lurika for his trouble, but his intervention helped me snap back to my senses.

What’s with this woman?! She’s terrifying! I felt like I’d just barely avoided being devoured.

I quickly slipped behind Raven, using him as a shield.

Interested in being an idol? Yeah, no thanks. Why would I ever do that?

“All right, let’s get started. First, let’s shoot what we can from here. Alice, get on the fighter jet.”

“A-Agh… ugh….”

Fortunately, once Lurika got that out of her system, the rest of the music video shoot proceeded without much trouble.

The plot was simple: the free-spirited protagonist, Alice, dreams of finding her place in NightHaven. 

After some comedic and chaotic moments, she climbs atop a flying fighter jet to experience true freedom.

Huh? What kind of story is that, you ask? Well… it’s a music video. Nobody expects a deep narrative.

Honestly, it felt more like they were flexing their budget with the fighter jet. At least the visuals would be stunning.

“Oh! That scene was amazing. A music video needs the right cast, direction, and song, and all three are on point so far!”

“R-Really? Oh, thank goodness….”

“Let’s do two more takes! Don’t worry, I’ll be up there with you this time!”

“W-Wait, two more?! I don’t want to climb back on that jet!”

Alice, who had been thrust into the role of the video’s protagonist, continued filming on the wing of the fighter jet in this freezing weather.

Still, it was a necessary sacrifice for Aisha’s sake.

Hang in there, Alice. One day, this will feel worth it.

Thankfully, we managed to wrap up the shoot before the day was over.

And as a reward for helping with the music video, Aisha officially joined Lurika’s agency.

For Aisha, who had never even been given a fair starting line, this was her first real opportunity.

Once everything was settled, she blushed with gratitude as she spoke.

“Thank you, really… so much. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this. I’ll never forget this kindness.”

“Well, it’s just a job we got paid for. If you’re really grateful, promote our office when you make it big someday.”

“Jin, you make everything sound so materialistic.”

“Just being honest.”

Aisha giggled at the exchange between Raven and Alice, then hugged each of us lightly, her thanks heartfelt.

“I’m so glad… really….”

“Haha, why’s he crying now?”

“Oh, he must’ve been that worried about her.”

“…!”

David, standing off to the side, was wiping away tears.

But all things considered, it was good that everything had worked out.

As Aisha hugged me tightly, I silently wished her continued success in the future.

Sad endings weren’t my style. Happy endings were the best.

“Well then, I’ll be off now! Goodbye! See you next time!”

With a radiant smile, Aisha left.

It was as if a weight had been lifted from her, leaving her unshackled. She looked completely different from the person I’d first met just a few days ago.

And with that, one case was closed. Maybe tonight called for a little celebration?

Following Raven’s suggestion to use our payment to buy some good food, I quietly thought to myself:

Once this gig ends, I probably won’t see this kind of chaos anymore.

It wasn’t the people I’d miss, but this lively energy might stick with me for a while.