Early morning.

A leisurely life begins with a cup of coffee.

I stepped outside with my coffee in hand.

The newly risen sun was painting the ground a bright white. For the busy workers preparing for their commute, this scenery might seem like an irritating glare. But if you really think about it, it’s a manifestation of life energy bringing vibrancy to the world.

Basking in the sunlight, I gulped down my coffee. Recharged with caffeine and a sense of superiority, just as I was about to head back inside, someone stopped me.

“─There you are.”

“Hmm? Ah—you’re that hero from yesterday?”

“I came to express my gratitude. May I come in for a moment?”

“Uh, sure. Come on in.”

I glanced back over my shoulder and recognized her as the woman I saw two days ago. I greeted her warmly; I had to make sure I didn’t look suspicious.

After all, I was an executive of an evil organization. An evil scientist.

And the person in front of me was a hero.

*

“I hope you don’t mind.”

As she entered the shop, Niberna immediately handed over a box of pastries. These were fancy desserts from an upscale patisserie. Despite her meager hero salary, she went out of her way to get this item.

After all, the person in front of her could very well be a hidden artisan in the shadows. Building a good rapport would require more than cheap snacks; it called for something more extravagant.

“This is a token of gratitude for saving me the other day. I hope you’ll accept it.”

“Aha—thank you! They look delicious. Would you like to join me for coffee?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

There was also a hidden agenda behind this. It was a way for the shop owner (that’s me) to extend goodwill to him and share some dessert. After all, if I was spending, I might as well enjoy some expensive treats that I wouldn’t normally splurge on.

In a distant future, if this shop’s owner turned out to be a genuine powerhouse and I could recruit them into the Hero Association, then today’s dessert would be a mere drop in the bucket.

“─Here, have some.”

“Thank you.”

I retreated into the back room and returned with a plate, fork, and cup of coffee. After I handed them over, Niberna nodded gratefully and shivered as the rich aroma of coffee wafted over her.

Honestly, normally I wouldn’t even consider black coffee, but for some reason, the sweet scent overwhelmed my senses. Lifting the cup to her nose, she found the rich chocolate-like scent filling her nostrils.

It felt like an aroma that would pair perfectly with her dessert. Tentatively tasting it, Niberna realized that the flavor was just as delightful as the smell. Just like her dessert, this coffee was top-notch as well.

‘If I could recognize how good the coffee is, it must be unbelievably expensive…’

Even the sofa she sat on and the table in front of her screamed luxury. There were no price tags attached, but Niberna instinctively knew.

It made sense—this sofa was comfier than the one she sat on during a past mission, and the table seemed to be made of an even finer material. Either way, these were far too high-end for a hole-in-the-wall shop like mine.

As she glanced around at the astonishing scenery of the shop, Niberna began to wonder what this shop really was and what the shop owner was about.

‘It says it’s an Everything Repair Shop….’

There was no way all this upscale decor could be managed with the meager income of a repair shop. Was this a hobby shop for a wealthy individual, or perhaps a money laundering front for a villain organization?

Having devoured the pastries she brought, Niberna realized it was time to speak.

“Thank you so much for yesterday. If it weren’t for you, I might have lost my life.”

“It wasn’t a big deal. Someone else in this city would have noticed and reported it if I hadn’t.”

“No, really. If luck hadn’t been on my side, things could’ve turned out fatal… once again, thank you.”

As she bowed her head, I instinctively put my hand on her back, encouraging her to rise. As she straightened herself up, she started subtly investigating me.

“The shop is really clean.”

“Yeah. It’s only been open for about a week.”

“Congrats! Do you get many customers?”

“Nope. In this past week, you’re the only customer I’ve had.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t open this place to be busy.”

Through our brief conversation, Niberna learned that my name was Raemon. She figured out that I’d opened the shop not out of necessity, but simply for personal satisfaction.

As expected—everything looked extravagant. It seemed like the hobby of a rich young heir.

While chatting, Niberna decided to check and see if I remembered anything about her suit.

“So, do you happen to recall who came to pick me up yesterday?”

“All I saw was the ambulance coming.”

“I see. Was my suit still on?”

“Uh, no. You seemed to be having a hard time breathing, so I removed it for you.”

“Right…”

Found it! Niberna was taken aback at how easily she was able to get a straight answer from me. Did I sense her anxiety through her gaze? I hastily clarified.

“Ah, I only took off the suit; I didn’t see anything else. You were wearing something like leggings underneath.”

“I’m aware. …And I’m not the type to get mad at someone who saved my life just because they happened to see my underwear.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Could I have looked like the type of scoundrel who would come chasing after someone for such a trivial reason? Niberna quickly assessed the situation and thankfully realized she hadn’t committed any tasteless acts from her perspective.

With that, wouldn’t it be okay to invite him to join the Hero Association? There would be no harm in at least trying since it looked like he didn’t work for money.

After all, it was one of her few strengths to proceed into action without hesitation once she decided on something.

“Actually, about that suit. That wasn’t an ordinary piece of gear. It’s a special suit made by the Hero Association specifically for me, and I can’t remove it without specialized equipment.”

“Oh… is that so?”

“Yes. Normally, I can wear or remove it myself with the equipment, but unfortunately, that equipment was malfunctioning yesterday.”

It had broken during the fight with the villain, Galm. When she woke up after passing out, the suit was beyond recovery. However, when she regained consciousness at the Hero Association headquarters—

Miraculously, the nearly destroyed hero suit was now back to its original pristine condition. As if nothing had ever happened.

It was hard to believe that a little shop owner like me could possess such skill… but she wasn’t one to overlook reality. No matter how unbelievable it seemed, results spoke volumes.

“So, based on our Hero Association standards, your ability is quite remarkable. What do you think, would you be interested in using those skills for the greater good?”

“Oh, you mean that suit was a Hero Association item? I assumed it was just a personal belonging of yours, Niberna.”

“Yes? Yes, it is an Association item.”

“Well then, originally there’s no need to charge you for repairs. After all, I wouldn’t feel right charging a hero for fixing their personal gear, but if that’s the case…”

Suddenly, I cut her off and handed her an invoice. The date stamped on it showed I hadn’t just scribbled it down; it was formally prepared after Niberna had fainted. So, it meant that it wasn’t something I concocted to swindle her…

Right. If it meant making him happy, I’d gladly pay any amount. Worst case, I could always ask the Association to cover the costs.

Niberna innocently glanced at the amount stated at the bottom of the invoice.

‘One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand… hundred thousand… million….’

However, the numbers just kept going. Eventually, when she saw the final total, her eyes widened in disbelief.

“T-this is….”

“It’s the invoice. It includes costs for materials and labor.”

“No, I mean… what the…”

I couldn’t turn back now, but I also couldn’t just casually say I’d pay up. As I always said, heroes lived on a meager salary, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to afford that amount.

“72-month installment plan…!”

“We don’t accept cards.”

“Whaaaaat…!”

And just like that, Niberna was kicked out of the shop.

Holding the invoice with a shocking figure.

*

Watching the distant figure of the departing hero, I let out a sigh of relief. Somehow, I managed to deflect any invites to join the Hero Association.

‘That was a close call.’

Based on my brief analysis of Niberna’s character, she wouldn’t invite me to join the Association until she had money in hand to settle my repair fee. To put it simply, it wasn’t going to happen.

I didn’t think she’d request funds from the Association, either. Didn’t she mention that she couldn’t even remove her suit without special equipment? And that for someone without that gear to rip it off and fix it would require exceptional skill by their standards?

It’s a given nobody would expect such talent at a second-rate repair shop. Not to mention that the Hero Association didn’t even know that her suit had been damaged. I had fully repaired and returned it to her.

So, naturally, they wouldn’t believe her claim either. Which meant they wouldn’t fund her, either. Even if she somehow came up with the money, I had no intention of joining the Hero Association.

‘Being a hero is low pay. They earn less than researchers at Evil Corp. Why would I do that…’

Even if they threw money at me, joining wouldn’t be on the table. After all, I was an executive of an evil organization. An evil scientist.

Though, judging by how our boss operates, it felt more like child’s play than true villainy.

Yet surprisingly, Niberna didn’t give up on her pursuit. Every day without fail, she came by to pester me with various requests.

“Hey, boss. Good morning!”

“Uh, boss. My microwave broke down at home…”

“Hey, boss. Do you know anything about computers?”

Looking at her bringing in broken junk every day, I shook my head in disbelief.

“So, when do you plan to pay the suit repair bill?”

“Ugh, sorry! I’m trying to negotiate, but unless you can prove you have that skill, they won’t buy it…”

“Geez, the Hero Association and their bureaucracy.”

“It’s not that bad! It’s just that… they’re short on budget…”

She left with an embarrassed grin, scratching her cheek, and just as I thought I would finally get some peace, someone slipped into the shop.

A brown-haired girl with a cheerful smile. Aile.

“Sc-scientist! I came to visit!”

“Oh, Aile! Welcome.”

“By the way, who was that just now…?”

“Oh, that was a hero.”

“A hero…?”

Aile gasped in surprise and glanced around, as she must have been hesitant to unintentionally reveal her face to a hero, given she was an executive of an evil organization and an evil magical girl.

Fortunately, Niberna had been long gone, and she hadn’t brought any other heroes with her.

“Even so, why was a hero here…?”

“Just helped her out a bit the other day. Next thing I know, she’s inviting me to join the Association…”

“Oh, no!”

When I mentioned the invitation, Aile gasped as though she’d heard an emergency siren. I couldn’t help but smile seeing her reaction.

“I definitely don’t have plans to join. But, she’s a bit obsessed so I’m a bit worried.”

“Obsessed…?”

“Yeah. She keeps coming to bug me every day…”

“I-I’ll handle it!”

“Aile, you?”

What on earth was she planning to do?

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly and nod my head.

“If you can manage it, that’d be a big help.”

“Leave it to me…!”

And so, Aile and I talked while munching on the pastries Niberna had left behind, diving into some excited otaku talk—typical magical girl banter.

*

‘This is exhausting…’

Niberna was a hero. During the slow days with no villain activity, she spent her time training like a hero and detesting paperwork, which dragged on to keep her at work late into the night.

Looking up at the night sky, she sighed as the bright full moon adorned the sky beautifully.

‘What kind of excuse will I make to visit him tomorrow…’

Staring at the moon, Niberna thought of the owner of the Everything Repair Shop. She was persistent, believing that no one ever falls after ten attempts.

At this point, she was halfway there, but the problem was that her excuses for visits were quickly running out. There were no more broken items left to fix.

‘Should I just try to charm him into being my boyfriend…’

As she thought about this on her way back home, silence settled across the world.

Niberna, acting as a hero, immediately reacted to the unusual stillness.

“─What a beautiful night.”

“…Who are you?”

“Oh dear, you don’t know me?”

Niberna stiffened at the sight of an ominous woman in a black dress appearing before her. It was a familiar face, one any hero would recognize—a villain.

A nightmare for the magical girls of Evil H City, the Evil Magical Girl stood there.

“No, this is City E… what are you doing here…?”

“Fufufu, interesting question.”

The Evil Magical Girl smiled enticingly.

“─Because I just don’t like you.”

“…You’re insane!”

Moments later, the magical bombardment from the Evil Magical Girl unleashed upon Niberna.