I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad

As I emerged from the long tunnel, sunlight stabbed into my eyes.

How long had it been since I’d seen such clear weather?

The cloudless blue sky felt strangely unfamiliar.

“Wow, the ocean!”

Alice, sitting next to me, exclaimed while looking in my direction.

Or rather, was she looking specifically at the window on my side?

I blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, and slowly turned my head.

What came into view was a blue ocean sparkling like a jewel.

It was a sight I must have seen dozens of times in my life, yet it still managed to fill me with a sudden sense of excitement.

He spoke in a rather disinterested tone, as if scolding the overly excited Alice.

“What’s with the reaction like you’ve never seen anything like it? There’s an ocean in Nighthaven too.”

“Ugh, but that’s not the same! There’s not a single proper beach there.”

“Still, an ocean’s an ocean. Not like you can go swimming in this weather anyway, so what’s the difference?”

“Ugh, seriously! I’ve said it before, but Jin, you have no sense of romance! You’re such a pessimistic realist!”

“Oh, is that so? Well, being a realist is a hundred times better than being a fool with nothing but flowers in their head.”

“What did you say?! Who are you calling a fool with flowers in their head?!”

Raven in the passenger seat and Alice in the backseat were growling at each other, arguing as usual.

The fact that they could get so worked up over something so trivial… they really were a matching pair.

Honestly, if they were going to bicker like this, it would have been better if I had taken the passenger seat instead.

Poor Mr. Olive, the burly, tanned, bald man in the driver’s seat, could only glance nervously between them as he drove. I felt a little sorry for him.

“And it’s not just that you have no sense of romance. You’re such a cold, unfeeling person! Remember when we watched that movie together? You kept interrupting to say how unrealistic it was, and it totally ruined the mood!”

“But it was unrealistic! How does the heroine fall for the protagonist just because she sees him stealing something? What, does she have a thief fetish or something? Is being handsome all that matters?”

“That’s enough, isn’t it?! How much realism do you expect from a romance movie?!”

“Oh… what am I supposed to do about this…?”

“….”

Sorry about this, Mr. Olive. The people on our side are a bit childish.

I silently apologized to him as he hunched over and focused on driving.

Still, it would settle down eventually.

Those two were just bored. By the time we arrived, they’d stop fighting on their own.

With that thought in mind, I leaned my chin on my hand and absentmindedly stared at the white waves crashing against the blue sea.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed, with the sound of Raven and Alice’s argument serving as background noise.

At some point, the two had reconciled after their spat, and we finally arrived at our destination.

“Wow… it’s like people sprouted here like bean sprouts.”

Looking around, Raven muttered in exasperation.

Even though we hadn’t even reached the entrance yet, the surrounding area was already teeming with people.

Maybe, like me, he preferred quieter places.

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, giving off the vibe that he regretted coming here.

Unaware of Raven’s inner thoughts, Alice crossed her arms and spoke as if stating the obvious.

“Well, of course. The Saint Maria Hotel is an incredibly popular resort.

There are tons of people who, like us, planned to come here during Night Week. Honestly, it was a nightmare trying to book a room.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard the story about how you started trying to reserve two rooms a month in advance. Thanks, really.”

“Hmph, as long as you understand. I worked really hard to make it happen!”

Alice seemed proud of herself for having beaten the odds in the fierce reservation battle.

With her hands on her hips, she puffed out her chest as if saying, Impressive, aren’t I?

Naturally, this movement highlighted the significant presence of her chest.

Olive and Raven, who had been looking at the back, quickly turned their gazes forward in a panic. Alice was... well, Alice.

Completely oblivious to their reactions, Alice tilted her head in confusion, as if wondering why they were acting that way.

Trying to change the subject, Raven cleared his throat and addressed Olive in the driver’s seat.

“Anyway, Mr. Olive, thank you so much for driving us all this way.”

“Oh, no problem. My boss thought it’d be better to drive you to your destination rather than just lending you the car….”

“…Jin, is this because of that car you wrecked last time?”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess. I really totaled that one.”

“Wow, they’ve completely lost trust in you.”

“Haha! No, that’s not it! Hahaha!”

Olive forced a laugh with a stiff expression.

He didn’t seem like the type who could lie easily.

Well, to be fair, Jin had wrecked a borrowed car spectacularly during Aisha’s recent case.

It was no surprise his boss thought it was safer to personally drive us rather than risk lending us another car.

This was why people needed to live responsibly.

Though, given that Raven was a problem-solver by trade, it was inevitable he’d get tangled up in incidents.

Before long, we crossed a bridge and reached the hotel.

Olive, eager to finally be done, quickly bid us farewell and left in a hurry.

Thanks for getting us here, Mr. Olive.

Waving my arm enthusiastically at the retreating car, I hoped my gratitude reached him.

***

Saint Maria Hotel.

This place truly deserved to be called first-class.

From the moment you entered, everything about it screamed luxury.

The rooms, which boasted stunning ocean views, came with premium bedding, high-quality amenities, and a sophisticated interior design that showed great attention to detail.

The hotel’s restaurants and bars didn’t just offer meals but an entire experience.

Its facilities, including a luxurious spa, pool, sauna, casino, and fitness center, were so well-equipped that you’d never feel the need to leave the premises.

Seasonal entertainment events and performances by renowned artists ensured that guests didn’t just visit once but returned regularly.

“Of course, being right by the sea… if we’d come in summer, we could’ve enjoyed all kinds of water sports on the private beach. That part’s a bit disappointing.”

“Are you a hotel employee or something? How do you know all this?”

Raven stared at Alice, who was practically glowing with excitement in front of the hotel entrance, his expression one of disbelief.

She hadn’t paused for a moment, speaking as if she had memorized every detail about the place.

But when he gave her that look, Alice puffed up her cheeks in an exaggerated pout and reacted fiercely.

“Of course I know all this! It’s been my dream to visit this hotel, even back in my hometown! Do you have any idea how complicated it is for non-humans living in Japan to travel abroad?”

“Well… yeah, I guess it’s tough. Isn’t even entering Japan a hassle?”

“Tough doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s practically impossible. Honestly, giving up my citizenship like I did is probably the easiest option.”

Alice shook her head vigorously, clearly remembering how difficult it had been.

I had been standing behind her at the time, and as her pink hair whipped around and slapped against me, I felt like I understood her struggle all too well.

A luxury hotel, huh. I’ve never stayed in one, even in my previous life.

The idea of experiencing such indulgence filled me with anticipation and excitement that seemed to bubble up endlessly.

Would this kind of expensive hotel really have those beds that felt like you were floating on clouds?

All I could think about was taking a hot bath, feeling wonderfully relaxed, and sinking into such a bed.

Whoosh.

As I drifted off into my thoughts, a sudden chill brushed against the back of my neck.

No matter how warmly I was dressed, there was no avoiding the way the cold wind seeped in when you let your guard down.

I shuddered and instinctively leapt in place at the icy sensation running down my spine.

“Hey, Yuria looks like she’s freezing. Shouldn’t we just go in without waiting? David and the others can find their way here.”

“No, we can’t. We haven’t even been able to contact them. There’ll be even more people inside, and it’ll be harder to spot them. Yuria, are you cold? Do you want my coat?”

“….”

“She’s not going to say she’s cold just because you asked. Here, take this.”

Swoosh.

Before I could respond, Raven shrugged off his coat and flung it toward me without so much as asking if I wanted it.

I hadn’t said I’d wear it, so why was he doing this?

I awkwardly held the coat in my hands, having already declined Alice’s offer.

Raven smirked at my hesitation, then suddenly reached over and ruffled the hair on the top of my head.

“…!”

“Don’t catch a cold. It’ll just be a hassle. I’m warm-blooded anyway, so I’m fine without it.”

“Exactly. Jin doesn’t even catch colds. He’s practically an idiot like that. You don’t need to feel bad about taking it. Unless…” Alice leaned closer with a teasing smirk, “…you think his coat smells musty, like a lonely old man’s?”

“Hey! That’s a real low blow! Could you not?!”

“Oh, sorry!”

“….”

Raven looked genuinely hurt by the suggestion that his coat might smell like an old bachelor’s.

It seemed like the idea hit harder than any jokes about him being an old man.

…I could kind of understand how he felt.

Hastily, I threw the coat over my shoulders, shaking my head as if to assure him that it wasn’t the case.

Seeing that, Raven’s expression brightened a little, and he nodded in satisfaction.

With my winter wear now reinforced, I was better prepared to wait.

As Alice scanned the area around us, she frowned slightly and squinted one eye.

“They’re really late, though. I wonder if something happened with David’s train. We still haven’t heard anything from him….”

“Yeah, no kidding. Maybe we should’ve all just come together in the first place.”

“We couldn’t even borrow a car, so how were we supposed to do that? It couldn’t be helped.”

They both seemed concerned about David and the others, who still hadn’t made contact.

But what could we do? All we could do was wait.

Gathering near the benches by the entrance, we sat down to pass the time, glancing occasionally at the distant scenery or fiddling with our devices.

Let’s give them another 30 minutes. If they’re still not here, we’ll just head inside.

After settling on that plan, we sipped on warm coffee and waited.

Then, someone approached us.

Could it be David’s group?

Our gazes naturally turned to the figure heading in our direction.

“Oh my, is that… Alice-chan?”

But our expectations were betrayed.

Standing before us was a beastfolk with perky ears.

The long whiskers on her cheeks and the thick tail swishing behind her suggested she was likely a fox beastfolk.

Alice stared blankly at the neatly dressed, smiling fox girl before suddenly springing to her feet and shouting.

“Ah! Tamamo!”

“Huh?”

“…!”

It was an unexpected and completely unanticipated reunion between Alice and a friend from her hometown.