Chapter 45

On the first day of mooching off the Fixer Office.

After somehow managing to finish the contract with Raven, the first thing I did was buy clothes and daily necessities.

And the reason for that was simple.

Since Raven had been living alone in the office until now, all the stuff there was for one person only.

At least there were extra blankets and pillows, so I didn’t need to buy those.

But personal items like tableware, toothbrushes, and towels? Yeah, I needed to get my own. No way was I using someone else’s.

So while getting those daily necessities, I also stocked up on underwear and pajamas—just to be safe.

The problem? I have zero sense when it comes to shopping…

“Wow, sorry about this. You’re helping me out even though it’s past your work hours.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s for Yuria.”

“I haven’t been to Night Haven’s shopping district in ages, so this was actually pretty educational for me too.”

Thanks to Alice and David sticking around after work to help me out, I managed to snag some decent stuff at a good price.

What? Why am I being thrifty? Duh, because I’m spending my own money! It’s my stuff—I can’t just use someone else’s cash.

Anyway, unlike Raven, who doesn’t care much about what’s good, or me, who doesn’t fully grasp the value of credits yet, Alice and David are trendy young folks who know their stuff.

Honestly, I don’t need much since I’ll probably leave in two weeks. But thanks to them, I saved a ton of time and money. Super grateful.

“…”

“Oh my.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

So, feeling super thankful, I gave Alice a big hug and fist-bumped David.

What? Am I playing favorites? Pfft, David’s got that cute childhood friend. He’s living the dream. Jealous.

“I’ll head out now. Jin, take good care of Yuria!”

“What could possibly happen? Stop worrying, kid.”

“Alrighty. See you tomorrow, Yuria! Mwah~!”

“…!!”

“I’ll get going too.”

“Sure thing. Both of you, see you tomorrow. Watch your step—it’s slippery!”

Alice left with a smooch on my forehead and a grin, while David quietly said his goodbyes to me and Raven before heading out.

And just like that, only Raven and I were left standing awkwardly in the hallway.

Whoa, what’s with the sudden affection? That startled me…

I started rubbing my head like crazy. It still felt warm where Alice kissed me.

Meanwhile, Raven yawned, grabbed my bags, and casually strolled into the office.

“Alright, let’s unpack your stuff and grab some dinner. How about pizza?”

“…!”

“Great, pizza it is. Hawaiian okay with you?”

“…”

“Ew, seriously? You’ve got weird taste.”

Why’s he acting surprised after asking? What’s wrong with Hawaiian pizza?

It’s not like I messed with the food—it’s fine if you just eat it!

Maybe he noticed my exasperated look because he pulled out a few things from the bag, scratched his head awkwardly, and suggested,

“How about we just go with a combo pizza instead?”

“…!”

Perfect. I love combo pizza.

I nodded enthusiastically and bolted over to help him unpack. These are my things anyway, right?

Maybe it’s because we were racing each other, but it only took us about ten minutes to get everything sorted.

Well, duh. I’m not staying here forever. Just a few days, tops.

If I’m lucky with timing, I might even leave the day after tomorrow. No point in lugging around extra stuff.

“Pizza’s here~”

“Finally! Go sit at the table while I grab it.”

“…”

We sat across from each other, splitting the delivery pizza and calling it dinner.

After devouring an entire large pizza between the two of us, we brushed our teeth side by side at the sink and headed back to the living room with the couch.

“Alright, let me show you where you’ll be staying. Follow me.”

I followed Raven deeper into the Fixer Office.

According to him, the Fixer Office rented out the entire second floor of a three-story building.

The space was divided into public areas like the office and private spaces tucked away further inside.

Past the workspace, there were two rooms—one used as a bedroom and the other as storage.

Looks like I’d be staying in the storage room, which usually held random junk.

Honestly, thank goodness. Sharing a room with Raven would’ve been awkward. Having my own space—even if it’s just storage—is a win.

“Here’s where you’ll sleep. It’s empty now, so it looks kinda bare, but I’ll get you some furniture later. Cool?”

“…!”

“Oh, and don’t open that window—it’s against the opposite wall, and dust gets in. If you need ventilation, just open the door. Also, try not to stomp around or break anything—landlady hates that. Keep it quiet at night. And uh…”

“…”

This lecture is dragging on.

Even though Raven kept rambling, I patiently listened. Hey, he’s letting me stay rent-free. I can handle a little nagging.

Plus, I kind of get where he’s coming from. I haven’t met her yet, but everyone says the landlady’s terrifying.

One wrong move breaking something, and she’d probably squeeze tears out of my eyes. Yikes, scary.

“Phew, think that’s about it. Got it?”

“…!”

“Good. Healthy attitude. The bathroom’s right outside to the side—use it whenever. I’m gonna toss out the trash real quick. Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.”

Like you’d cause trouble anyway.

Raven trusted my usual quiet demeanor and left with the trash and pizza boxes.

The fact that he trusts me this much after only two weeks? Honestly, it’s tear-jerking. Not that I’m crying or anything.

‘Alright, while Raven’s out, maybe I’ll sneak around a bit.’

I peeked toward the office to confirm he was really gone, then tiptoed into his room.

‘Huh, nothing interesting here.’

Contrary to my expectations, Raven’s room was surprisingly ordinary. A messy bed, random magazines, and books scattered around—but nothing stood out.

Guess I’ll have to dig through the drawers.

I perked up my ears for any sounds of him returning and started opening the drawers one by one.

‘Nope, not this. Why’s this stick thing here? Wait, isn’t this gun parts?’

Still no big discoveries. Just electronics and clothes. No Invader-related stuff anywhere.

Just as I started wondering if it was all coincidence, my eyes landed on a large wardrobe in the corner.

Something about it felt… suspicious. Like there was something hidden inside.

I carefully closed the drawers to erase any evidence of snooping and crept toward the wardrobe.

Grabbing the handle, I was about to yank it open when—

Creak. The office door opened.

‘Crap, why now!’

No time to check the wardrobe and close it without leaving traces. I had to leave immediately.

Not that I was doing anything shady! But getting caught snooping wouldn’t look good. Trust issues, you know?

‘Whatever, plenty of chances left.’

I squeezed my eyes shut and calmed myself. Time wasn’t an issue. If not today, then tomorrow. Or the day after.

If not that, I’ve got a whole week. No need to rush and mess things up.

With newfound calm, I quietly slipped out of Raven’s room, feeling like some undercover spy.

Day one’s attempt ended with zero results. Disappointing.

*

Late at night.

After Raven showered, it was my turn. Once I finished, I changed from my maid outfit into pajamas and crawled into my makeshift bed in the storage room.

What about my usual shop cleaning? Well, the office starts at 9 AM, so I planned to swing by early morning. I don’t sleep much, so waking up early wouldn’t be a problem. Easy peasy.

With my plan set, I placed my mask near the pillow and snuggled into the fluffy blanket, wriggling around happily.

Ahhh, this is the life. Warm shower, cozy blanket—pure bliss!

I was so happy I almost teared up.

‘Ow!’

In the middle of my blanket burrowing, I suddenly felt a sharp pain near my chest.

Oh, the Tesseract hanging around my neck must’ve poked me.

How dare this sharp, hard thing ruin my happiness.

Grumpy, I pulled the Tesseract out from under my pajamas and glared at it blearily.

Then, like lightning, a thought struck me.

Could the Invader event be happening earlier… because of this thing?

‘Wait. This was originally supposed to be reclaimed from Drakel’s corpse by the shadowy organization. So if they messed something up and triggered this…?’

That made sense. Too much sense.

Suddenly, cold sweat trickled down my back.

But hey, what could I do? This thing saved my life multiple times. Honestly, it’s better off with me than being reclaimed by the Invaders…

Not saying this is definitely the cause, but it seemed too coincidental. My thoughts tangled themselves into knots.

‘Ugh, whatever! If someone’s messing with me, it’s their fault, not mine. Screw it—I’m keeping the Tesseract. It’s mine now.’

I pouted and hugged the Tesseract tightly.

Is this why things went haywire? Because I refused to hand it over?

Yeah, even if I had given it up, this would’ve happened anyway. If they’re mad, they can come take it themselves.

As I silently seethed at invisible enemies, the Tesseract in my arms faintly trembled.

It felt alive, wriggling slightly. Startled, I shot upright.

‘What?! Did it wake up?’

I placed it on my palm and stared intently. But aside from the faint trembling, it remained motionless.

What the heck? Why get my hopes up?

Sighing in disappointment, I lowered my head. Then another idea popped into my mind.

What if I touched the metal shard I got from Raven to it? They’re both Invader-related items—maybe something would happen?

Lost in thought, I quickly dug out the shard and pressed it against the Tesseract…

‘Whoa!’

The Tesseract lit up and pulled a purple glow from the shard into itself, like energy being absorbed.

Thump-thump!

A vivid pulse emanated from within, then slowly faded.

Soon, the Tesseract returned to its usual inert state, leaving me alone in the room, dumbfounded.

What just happened? Did I wake it up while it was sleeping?

Confused, all I could do was blink.

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