The day after the Troubleshooter Office finally welcomed its newest member, marking its complete roster, something monumental happened.

I trudged through the swirling snow, hands buried deep in my pockets as I made my way to work. Upon reaching the office, I spotted a familiar figure standing awkwardly in front of the door: a bear beastkin with green hair, rounded ears, a tall frame, and sharp glasses resting on his nose.

There was no mistaking it—it was David.
What’s he doing out here?

“….”
“Ah, good morning, Miss Yuria.”
“…?”
“Are you wondering why I haven’t gone inside yet? Well… I suppose I’m feeling a bit nervous.”

Nervous, huh? Oh, right. That made sense.

Even though he’d attended university in the outside world, David was only barely an adult. While he may have had part-time jobs before, this was likely his first time landing a proper job.

I chuckled at the thought. Here was the same guy who had fearlessly stood up to an entire corporation to save his childhood friend, now fidgeting nervously over something so trivial.

Taking the lead, I pushed the office door open and confidently strode inside, signaling with a reassuring thump to my chest that he could trust me.

“Ah, Yuria… Oh, jeez. Brush the snow off your head before you come in. Isn’t it cold?”
“Hey, I think it’s cute! Like a little doll. Good morning, Yuria—you’re adorable today!”
“…?”

Huh? What were they talking about?

Tilting my head, I reached up to touch my hair and froze as I felt the cold, fluffy texture of snow.

Wait—what?! I’d been walking around with snow piled on my head? How did I not notice?

Mortified, I dashed back outside and shook my head wildly, sending snow flying everywhere.
How embarrassing. David must’ve seen it the whole time and didn’t say a word!

Rubbing my flushed neck to cool it down, I returned to the office.

“Good morning, David!”
“G-Good morning, Miss Alice, Mr. Jin.”
“Welcome, rookie.”

David stiffly greeted them, looking as awkward as a creaky old robot. Poor guy. No wonder he didn’t notice my snowy head—he was too busy being nervous himself.

I sighed inwardly, forgiving him, and hung my coat on the rack. It wouldn’t do to be too harsh on someone who was just starting out, especially since missing the snow on my head was partly my fault.

As I settled onto the office couch, grateful for its warmth compared to the freezing temperatures at my hideout, Raven gestured toward a newly set-up desk for David.

“All right, here’s your spot. This is where you’ll be working.”
“Understood. Could you please go over my responsibilities once more?”
“Oh, yeah. Like I said before, there’s not much to it. You’ll mainly help out with tasks involving computers and the internet since Alice and I aren’t great at that. If there’s no work, you’re free to do whatever you like during your downtime.”
“I see. Thank you.”

David had essentially been hired as the office’s tech support. With how advanced the computers and machinery here were compared to my previous life, it made sense to have someone knowledgeable filling that gap.

His role would undoubtedly increase the number of cases the office could handle, making his employment a significant benefit for Raven.

‘Still, I wonder why Raven hadn’t hired someone for this role earlier… Oh, right. Better to be cautious than to hire someone who might backstab you.’

In Night Haven, it wasn’t uncommon for hired coders to run off with sensitive information or funds. Not long ago, we’d even taken on a case to track down one such runaway.

All things considered, bringing David on board was probably a win-win for everyone involved.

“….”

While pondering this, I spotted a hidden mini-camera attached to the underside of the table. Without a word, I pried it off and tossed it into the trash.

I sincerely hoped everyone would get along without any problems. At least until I quit this job.

David seemed to adapt quickly to the office environment.

His initial nerves wore off within the first thirty minutes, especially once we got busy with actual clients. Realizing the work wasn’t as daunting as he’d imagined, he visibly relaxed.

Raven, as usual, didn’t micromanage us. Alice, with her cheerful demeanor and unparalleled friendliness, made it easy for David to feel at home. As for me, while I wasn’t the most outgoing, we weren’t the type to clash either.

By the time lunch rolled around, something unexpected caught my eye: the meal we were served was a premium bento box, easily twice as expensive as the cheap ones we usually got.

“…!”
“Wow, this place has good lunch boxes. Mr. Jin, maybe we should order from here regularly?”
“Not a chance. Today’s a one-time splurge because the rookie joined us. Starting tomorrow, we’re back to the usual cheap stuff.”
“Boo, you’re so stingy.”
“Quiet. Be grateful it’s not cup noodles. Unlike our intern, you eat so much that buying these every day would bankrupt me.”
“Excuse me for having a healthy appetite! It’s not my fault I get hungry!”

Ignoring their playful bickering, I savored the luxurious flavor of the cube steak in the bento. It had been ages since I’d indulged in something this fancy. Working here meant I couldn’t splurge like before, so this rare treat was a delight.

As I enjoyed my meal, I noticed David watching me intently.

What’s his deal? Got something to say?
Tilting my head slightly, I silently asked him what was up.

“Oh, sorry, Miss Yuria. I was just wondering how you can see properly with your mask tilted like that…”
“…!”
“Never mind. It was a silly thought. Apologies for being nosy.”

I shook my head, indicating that I could see just fine, and David quickly apologized again. No big deal.

Alice, having observed our awkward exchange, suddenly piped up to shift the conversation.

“By the way, David, you mentioned you attended university in the outside world, right? You must be pretty smart!”
“Ah, well… I’m a bit embarrassed to say it, but I did receive a full scholarship for my grades.”
“Wow! That’s amazing! I’ve never even been to a proper school. Hearing about someone going to university is so impressive!”
“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Her genuine admiration shone through, likely because she had grown up without the privilege of formal education. David’s academic success must have seemed extraordinary to her.

Meanwhile, Raven glanced at Alice with curiosity.

“And yet you managed to become a police cadet? Guess even the force is dealing with a labor shortage these days.”
“What?! That’s not fair! I studied like crazy for half a year to pass the exams!”
“Oh, so you didn’t cheat?”
“Take that back!”

Alice grabbed Raven by the collar and shook him vigorously. Despite her annoyance, her reaction was oddly endearing.

‘Wait a second… Does that make me the least educated person here?’

I mulled over the thought.

Raven might look like a laid-back slacker now, but he was a former elite soldier turned fixer, a role not just anyone could obtain.

Alice, hailing from a distinguished family, had passed the police cadet exams through sheer effort.

David, a self-taught genius from the slums, had entered university as a top student on a full scholarship.

And then there was me… A nobody in both this life and my past one, squatting in an abandoned building and living as an undocumented drifter.

‘…Education doesn’t matter, right? What’s important is living comfortably in a warm place and eating well. Yeah, no need for insecurities.’

With a mental shrug, I turned my attention back to my meal.

“…Hmm.”

Looking up, I found Raven staring at me.

What now?

When I glanced at Alice and David, they were engrossed in their conversation. This meant Raven wasn’t looking at me by accident.

Feeling self-conscious, I returned my empty bento box to the table and tilted my head. Raven, noticing my confusion, quickly turned away, pretending to be disinterested. His nonchalance was almost professional.

‘Weird. Must not be anything important.’

Shrugging it off, I wiped my mouth and adjusted my mask.

With lunch over, it was time to get back to work. Another busy afternoon awaited.