Alice’s sudden proposal to let me stay at the Troubleshooter Office took me by surprise.

It was an offer I knew I should reject outright.
Living at the office would be like stepping directly into a ticking time bomb.

Even working as a temporary assistant here was nerve-wracking enough. To settle down and live there?
That would be a foolish gamble, risking everything for a fleeting sense of security.

So, I was ready to shake my head and refuse her suggestion without hesitation.
At least, I was until I caught sight of Alice’s worried expression.

Why the office, though?
I felt a small pang of confusion. If Alice wanted to help me, why not suggest her own place instead of the office?

If it was just because she liked me, wouldn’t inviting me to her home be simpler? There was no reason to bring up the office unless something else was going on.

Before outright refusing, I decided to at least ask why. Tilting my head slightly, I looked at her curiously.

Alice seemed to understand my silent question. Lowering herself to meet my eyes, she hesitated briefly before speaking.

“Yuria, I don’t know the details, but… you’re planning to wander around the Western Maze again after work, aren’t you?”

Of course. I still needed to find a place to stay.
I nodded lightly in agreement.

Last night, I’d only given up searching and headed to Greg’s store because it had been late, and the snowstorm was too harsh. Freezing to death wasn’t an appealing alternative.

But now that I had survived one more night, I planned to look for a suitable spot again after work.
I couldn’t remain a homeless drifter forever.

Seeing my nod, Alice sighed softly, her expression one of quiet exasperation.

“And if you don’t find anything, you’ll head back to Greg’s store, won’t you?”
“…!”

What? How did she know?
Startled by her uncanny guess, I stared at her in surprise.

Alice, noticing my reaction, offered a sheepish smile as she scratched her cheek.

“Sorry, I happened to find the key while tidying up your coat yesterday. When I thought about it, the route we walked together leads straight to Greg’s store, doesn’t it?”
“….”
“Still, I don’t think his store is a good place for you to stay.”

Ah, so she’d seen the key when I left my coat unattended.
Relieved that she hadn’t somehow read my mind, I begrudgingly acknowledged the truth in her words.

She wasn’t wrong.
Greg’s store wasn’t exactly an ideal living space. At best, I could sleep on a wooden table or the sofa, and I had to use piles of clothes as makeshift bedding.

For a modern person, it would be impossible to rest there without accumulating more fatigue.

But that was only in comparison to having a proper home.
Compared to a drafty warehouse or the streets, Greg’s store was heaven. It was warm, secure, and far better than freezing outside.

I crossed my arms and looked at Alice as if to say, What’s the problem, then?
Her thoughtful expression deepened as she gently stroked my hair.

“Yuria… you don’t like being indebted to others, do you?”
“….”
“I’ve only known you for two weeks, but it’s clear from watching you. You’re the type who always insists on repaying anything you receive, even to the point of being foolish about it. I think you’re a very kind person.”

Kind? Me? That wasn’t true.
I wasn’t kind. I was just an impulsive coward who acted on emotion.

I didn’t want to push scary responsibilities onto others.
If someone was going to dislike me, I’d prefer they thought of me as insignificant.
I believed people who worked hard deserved to see their efforts rewarded.
And I wanted anyone who liked me to be happy, not burdened.

I was a selfish, timid fool. There was no way I deserved such praise from Alice.

This is too much… I can’t handle this kind of atmosphere!
My ears and neck burned with a different kind of embarrassment than what I’d felt last night when Alice handed me the bear panties.

I wanted to flee, submerge my head in icy water, and forget this ever happened.
Why couldn’t she tease me like she normally did instead of making me blush like this?

Unable to endure the growing dizziness, I leaned lightly against Alice and tapped my forehead against her shoulder.

Alright, enough. Just say what you want to say already.
It wasn’t like her words would change my decision—I had no intention of staying at the office anyway.

Alice giggled softly at my gesture and finally spoke.
“Ah, what I’m saying is, you don’t have to think of it as being indebted. If you stayed at the office, Jin would probably only charge you for meals.”

“….”

Money isn’t the issue…
I shook my head slowly, slumping slightly in her arms.

Of course, there was no way Alice could understand the real reason for my resistance. She had no idea I was someone who’d reincarnated into this world after reading a comic centered around Raven.

To her, my rational decision probably seemed like nothing more than a child’s stubbornness. But for me, it was a matter of survival.

Even so, I appreciated her concern.
She had only known me for two weeks, and I was just a temporary assistant she’d part ways with soon. Yet, she cared enough to suggest this.

It made my earlier attempts to avoid getting involved in the original story feel a little more selfish.
If Alice knew my thoughts, she’d probably despise me.

Still, my decision remained firm—I would refuse her offer.

As I worked to calm my emotions, the door behind us suddenly opened, and Raven stepped out.

“What are you two still doing here? Move. I need to use the bathroom. It’s cramped in here.”
“Oh, alright.”

Half-hugging each other, Alice and I stepped aside as Raven strode past us into the bathroom.

The sound of running water followed soon after, shattering the tense atmosphere in the hallway.

“Ah, that’s better. So, what were you two talking about out here?”
“Um, Jin, it’s about…”

Alice glanced at me, silently seeking my permission to explain my situation to Raven.
I hesitated briefly before nodding. It wasn’t something to be embarrassed about or hide.

“Actually…”

Alice summarized what had happened yesterday—how she found me in the Western Maze and brought me to her home for the night.
Thankfully, she left out personal details like the bear panties or our shared bed. Small mercies.

“I see,” Raven said after listening. “So, is it true you don’t have anywhere to stay?”
“….”
“That’s unfortunate. It’s cold out, so it’s best you find a place soon. Rent is expensive these days, too.”

“W-wait a second!”

Raven, seemingly losing interest, was ready to leave when Alice grabbed his shoulder, clearly not expecting his indifferent response.

“That’s it? How can you just leave it at that?! There’s no way she can find a place in this weather with no money!”
“Well… it’ll be tough.”
“And?”
“What do you want me to do about it? She doesn’t seem to want help. Unwanted assistance can sometimes be crueller than neglect.”
“Ugh… you’re not wrong, but still…”

As expected of Raven. He wouldn’t force help on someone who didn’t want it.
Internally, I cheered for him while keeping my expression neutral.

Raven sighed before turning back to Alice.
“If you’re so concerned, why not let her stay at your place? You already had her over last night.”
“That’s… complicated. It’s not just me at my place. My sister lives there too.”
“Huh? Yeah, so?”
“Yuria and my sister can’t meet. It’s better for both of them. I… don’t want to deal with the fallout.”

“Eh?”
“…?”

Raven and I exchanged confused looks but let the matter drop when he shrugged.

“Well, if neither of you wants this, let’s leave it at that. I’m not interested in bringing a kid home either. We shouldn’t force what isn’t wanted, right?”
“Fine… I wasn’t planning to force anything. I just wanted to convince Yuria to reconsider.”

The conversation ended with my choice respected.
From the start, I had no intention of staying at the office. Both Alice and Raven accepted that now.

Looks like that’s settled. Time to find a spot to sleep tonight.

Relieved, I relaxed.

But just as I closed my eyes to breathe, a faint, fragmented whisper brushed my ears.
The disjointed words carried a strange weight, almost like a warning.

I turned toward the sound, narrowing my eyes at its source—Raven.

“...?”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hey! What’s with you?”

Driven by instinct, I grabbed Raven, following the faint whispers to his pocket. Ignoring his protests, I reached in and pulled something out.

“Yuria?!”
“What is this…?”

It was a thin metal fragment, smaller than a fingernail.

Recognition hit me immediately.
This… this is like the Tesseract. A remnant of a dimensional invader.

A dangerous fragment that shouldn’t exist yet, a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.
My face hardened as I realized the implications.

It seemed I’d have to rethink my plans.