A scruffy mop of black hair that looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in ages, paired with a crumpled suit that hadn’t been washed in who knows how long.

The man was tall, with sharp features that might have qualified him as handsome if not for his perpetually lazy expression and half-closed eyes. His appearance screamed of someone who had either given up after endless job rejections or had been loafing around after being fired.

Sitting across from him, I couldn’t help but inwardly sigh and tightly shut my eyes.

‘Great. I just met the protagonist.’

It was frustrating. After all the effort I put into avoiding him, ducking through the underworld and dodging all manner of trouble, I still ended up here. Worse, the hand that led me here was none other than Greg’s.

It felt like the time someone lured me in with promises of a pork cutlet and I ended up at the dentist’s office instead. And now, somehow, I found myself sitting on the guest couch of Crowley’s detective agency, facing the very protagonist, Raven, and his lively companion, Alice.

Greg sat next to me, calm as ever, as if this situation wasn’t making my stomach churn with anxiety.

“So, you’re asking me to take care of this kid?” Raven scratched his head, his tone already steeped in reluctance.

“In summary, yes,” Greg replied matter-of-factly.

Greg laid out the situation: due to the chaos caused by the "Night of Blood" incident, he needed to leave the city for a while. During his absence, he wanted Raven to employ me at his agency so I wouldn’t be left wandering the streets.

It was touching, really. After only a week of working together, Greg was going out of his way to make sure I wasn’t abandoned. He might not have been acting out of affection, but his sense of responsibility and care were more than enough to move me.

Too bad his choice of “safe hands” just had to belong to the protagonist.

‘This is terrible… but what other option do I have?’

The reality of my situation hit hard. A mute, masked, undocumented person with suspicious powers and, oh, a dimension-warping artifact on her person? My chances of getting a legal job elsewhere were nonexistent.

Even the idea of going back to my "ghost" persona felt unthinkable. That chapter was closed. For better or worse, Greg’s recommendation was my best shot at survival.

Raven, however, wasn’t convinced. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, shaking his head with a deep frown.

“Listen, this isn’t a daycare. I can’t just take in some random kid.”

“You’re not taking her in. You’d be hiring her,” Greg corrected.

“That’s even worse! Hiring a minor is against labor laws!”

“I don’t see the problem!” Alice piped up, her eyes sparkling. “This means Yuria would be my junior, right? Oh my gosh, this is amazing!”

“Hold on! Nobody said I agreed yet!” Raven swatted Alice’s enthusiasm away with a firm chop to her head.

He turned to me, his skeptical gaze piercing through my mask. “Why does it have to be here? There are plenty of other places where she could work.”

Greg crossed his arms. “She can’t speak, must wear a mask, and has no identification. Tell me, where else would she be accepted?”

Raven’s face twisted as if Greg had just described the most unhireable person imaginable.

“So, let me get this straight. You want me to hire a mute, masked, undocumented kid who looks shady as hell?”

“Exactly.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

“She’s a good person.”

“That’s not the point!”

I hunched my shoulders, staying as small as possible while the two argued. Truthfully, I couldn’t blame Raven for his reaction. If the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t hire someone like me either.

Still, the rejection stung. I tried to convince myself that this was for the best. Getting tangled up with the protagonist’s group was the last thing I wanted. Better to walk away now, I thought, even as I clung to a sliver of hope.

“Fine,” Raven sighed. “I’ll consider it.”

Alice beamed. “Really? That’s great! You won’t regret it, I promise!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Raven snapped. “I said I’ll consider it. First, we need to see if she’s even useful.”

He turned to me, his sharp gaze making me stiffen. “So, what can you do?”

This was the crucial moment. I knew what I could do—my telekinesis would instantly prove my worth. But revealing it meant exposing myself, risking complications I didn’t want.

‘No. Telekinesis is out.’

I needed to maintain a safe distance from the protagonist’s party. They were destined to face the main plot’s conflicts, and I had my own battles to fight—ones I couldn’t drag them into.

Steeling my resolve, I stood up. If I couldn’t use my powers, I’d have to rely on something else.

My eyes scanned the room before settling on a potted plant in the corner. With deliberate steps, I walked over, plucked a leaf, and handed it to Raven.

“What’s this?” Raven asked, puzzled.

Alice leaned in to look. “Is that… a camera?!”

Indeed, attached to the underside of the leaf was a tiny hidden camera. Raven’s face darkened instantly, while Alice let out an embarrassed groan, burying her face in her hands.

“This has to be Lily’s work again,” Raven muttered.

Sakura Lily, Alice’s older sister, was a well-known eccentric engineer—and an obsessive stalker of Raven. It was a running joke in the original story that she hid cameras all over the agency.

Using my knowledge of the plot, I had located one of those cameras. But I wasn’t done. I proceeded to sweep the room, methodically uncovering every hidden device—under the sofa, behind a lamp, inside a snack jar. By the end, I had retrieved six cameras in total.

“Is she a magician?” Raven muttered, watching in disbelief.

Alice, on the other hand, couldn’t contain her excitement. She scooped me into a hug, her peach-scented hair brushing against my face.

“You’re amazing, Yuria!” she squealed. “We absolutely have to hire her, right, Raven? Someone with this level of skill is a rare find!”

Caught off guard by the overwhelming softness and sweetness, my brain short-circuited.

“This is… too much…,” I thought, my senses overwhelmed.

Raven groaned, scratching his head. “Fine, one month. That’s it. No extensions.”

Alice cheered, Greg nodded in satisfaction, and I, still trapped in Alice’s hug, couldn’t decide whether to celebrate or cry.

And thus, I became a temporary part-timer at Crowley’s detective agency. Whether this was a victory or disaster, I had yet to figure out.