Chapter 61

Today, Night Haven was peaceful as always.

Although it wasn’t snowing, the winter chill was enough to freeze people solid.

Even fiery elemental spirits wrapped themselves in coats, and amidst this biting cold, a certain car ignored all traffic signals, recklessly speeding down the road.

Vroom! Screech!

For a moment, the car lifted off the ground before slamming back down, leaving deep skid marks where it had passed.

The speed must have been insane; thick white smoke rose from the tires due to the intense friction with the road.

Speeding, running red lights, driving against traffic, crossing the centerline…

This guy was the epitome of a lawless driver who deserved no excuses if caught by the police.

And sure enough, even the passengers were struggling to endure this wild ride. Screams echoed from inside the vehicle.

[ “Aaaah! Car, car! Look out over there too! We’re gonna dieee!” ]

[ “P-please calm down, Cookie! We’re not going to crash!” ]

[ “Ugh, this is so noisy! Whose fault do you think this mess is?!” ]

In the driver’s seat, the black-haired man, Raven, furiously turned the wheel while letting out an annoyed growl.

Surprisingly, the car smoothly weaved through traffic at breakneck speeds.

It was like he lived in a world where time moved slower for him alone—utterly unbelievable.

How long could anyone, even someone immune to motion sickness, handle such aggressive driving?

Once the car escaped the busy streets and entered the relatively obstacle-free highway loop, Raven finally had some breathing room and shouted toward the phone:

[ “David! Where exactly are those bastards who kidnapped our client’s daughter?!” ]

“They’re currently moving along Route 3. Based on their trajectory, their destination seems to be Midnight Airport.”

[ “So they’re planning to flee overseas by plane? What a pain.” ]

[ “Oh nooo! My Jelly Bean…!” ]

[ “Hey, stop crying in the car! This thing’s borrowed, you know!” ]

[ “Please calm down, Cookie! If you cry here, the inside of the car will turn into a disaster zone!” ]

[ “Waaaah… But my tears just won’t stop…!” ]

Through the call, chaotic sounds from the scene came pouring in.

Faced with the possibility that her daughter might disappear forever, the client seemed to have burst into tears.

Normally, this would be completely understandable. But unfortunately, she belonged to a rare species whose shed tears transformed into gemstones.

If she kept dripping tears inside the speeding car… well, let’s just say it would become extremely inconvenient.

Especially since this wasn’t their personal car but one hastily borrowed, Alice was probably frantically catching the floating tear-gems mid-air right now.

[ “Looks like we’ll need to reach the airport first. David, how much time until those guys get there?” ]

“At their current speed, I’d estimate they’ll arrive at the airport in about 20 minutes.”

[ “Twenty minutes, huh? Damn, considering the distance from here to the airport, we’re definitely too late.” ]

“I’ll find the fastest route possible. Let’s take the highway loop and go around…”

[ “No, that’ll make us late. This road takes a wide detour around the lake, so even if we floor it, we’ll lose precious time. Reaching them within 20 minutes is impossible.” ]

[ “No! Waaaah!” ]

[ “Aaah! Jin, please stop Lady Cookie from crying!” ]

“No, wait…”

If you’re not taking the road, then what exactly are you suggesting?

David looked like he wanted to say something, his eyebrows twitching nervously.

But offering objections without alternatives only wastes time during critical moments.

He seemed to swallow whatever comment was on the tip of his tongue.

Meanwhile, oblivious—or perhaps uncaring—Raven showed no intention of slowing down, effortlessly maneuvering the car past obstacles when suddenly he yelled:

[ “We’re cutting straight across the lake!” ]

[ “Eeeeeh?!” ]

[ “The lake! Cookie, hold on tight!” ]

“W-wait, what…?”

David gawked, utterly baffled by Raven’s absurd conclusion.

First, the ridiculous idea of driving a car across a wide lake. And second, Alice blindly assisting without question.

I patted David’s shoulder reassuringly, still visibly flustered.

Since Raven wasn’t the type to suggest outright impossibilities, it was worth trusting him once.

[ “Here we go!” ]

[ “Kyaaaaah! I don’t wanna die like this!” ]

Crash! Just as the highway approached the edge of the lake, Raven smashed through the guardrail and plunged toward the water.

Even knowing the outcome, watching the car dive straight into the lake made me clench my fists in suspense.

But just as the airborne car was about to splash into the water… miraculously, it landed perfectly atop a Night Haven sightseeing cruise passing below.

Screams erupted, debris scattered, and the car scraped wildly—but thanks to divine driving skills, somehow no one got hurt. Only the ship owner’s cries grew louder.

Then, Raven’s car sped off the boat, landing roughly in a nearby park near the lake, tearing up dirt and grass.

Of course, after two high-altitude drops, the car’s bumper crumpled and fell off like paper.

Still, compared to taking the long route around the lake, this gamble proved highly successful.

Back on solid ground, the car plowed through nature before rejoining the road.

“Seriously… Does Raven have three hearts or something? I can’t believe this. Who could’ve predicted a cruise would pass under the bridge at that exact moment?”

“…”

Watching everything unfold via drone alongside me, David stood stunned, jaw dropped.

Raven’s actions went beyond bold—they were outrageously reckless, leaving spectators bewildered. Honestly, I understood the feeling.

Well, after creating such a shortcut with brute force, the rest of the journey went surprisingly smooth.

[ “Hey, mind stopping for a sec? There’s something I want to discuss…” ]

[ “Hiiiiik! This woman yanked the steering wheel clean off!” ]

[ “The car’s flipping oveeer!” ]

Raven and Alice safely arrived at the airport ahead of the kidnappers. As the kidnappers’ car pulled up later, Alice leapt into its driver’s seat and flipped it over.

[ “C-crap… Y-you bastards… Kill ‘em all!” ]

[ “Yes, boss! As ordered… Gwaaah!” ]

[ “Oi, morons. Stop causing trouble at the airport. People are getting scared.” ]

More than ten kidnappers spilled out of the overturned vehicle, only to be instantly subdued by Raven’s rubber bullets.

Of course, given the chaos caused in the city, the police eventually arrived en masse—not just to arrest the kidnappers but also Raven.

After all, tearing through roads like that couldn’t simply be ignored…

[ “Sorry, but I’m on official Pixie business. Could you cut me some slack?” ]

Raven explained his situation, identifying himself as a Fixer.

Fixers acted somewhat like vigilantes, reducing the saturated workload of the city’s police force, so they enjoyed leniency in certain legal matters.

Moreover, since no clear victims emerged from this incident, Raven’s illegal acts were overlooked, allowing Cookie’s daughter, Jelly Bean, to return safely to her family.

Thus, another dynamic mission ended successfully thanks to everyone’s efforts. All’s well that ends well.

Huh? What did I do? Well… I cheered, didn’t I?

From the start, when the tearful client visited the office, I guided her to a seat and served tea. That counts as contribution, doesn’t it?

“Phew, we’re back. Honestly… Saving people sometimes means wrecking a car or two. Why do they complain so much?”

“You only borrowed it briefly. Wouldn’t anyone freak out seeing their car totaled?”

Not long after the case wrapped up, Raven and Alice returned to the office.

Grumbling to himself, Raven flopped onto the couch.

Seems he got chewed out properly for returning the hastily borrowed car in shambles.

Honestly, it couldn’t be helped. The car had been fine when borrowed, yet returned nearly totaled after mere minutes. Anyone would’ve been furious.

But perhaps because they knew each other well, negotiations ended amicably—with Raven promising future favors instead.

“Yuria~ Come here!”

“…”

“Mmm, so warm! Yuria’s the best!”

Cold from wandering outside, Alice hugged me tightly, rubbing her cheek against my head.

Though usually warm-blooded, she felt icy today, emphasizing how brutally cold it was outside.

Guess I’ll just let her use me as a human hot pack.

As I quietly resigned myself to being cuddled, Raven glanced over, draped in a blanket.

“Is she really that warm? Let me borrow her for a bit. I’m freezing.”

“!”

“No way, Raven! Can’t you see Yuria’s horrified?!”

Ack, why do I have to hug him?

Startled by the sudden request, I squirmed deeper into Alice’s embrace, turning away from Raven.

Perhaps wounded by my blatant rejection, Raven scratched his head sheepishly, insisting he hadn’t meant it seriously.

Though guilty for hurting his feelings… honestly, it felt awkward.

Maybe familiarity bred comfort; lately, he reminded me of a neighbor uncle.

While sneaking glances at Raven, David adjusted his glasses and offered:

“If it’s okay with me, Raven…”

“Oh my.”

“Forget it! I was joking! Seriously, Alice, what kind of reaction is that, kid!”

Gone was the contemplative expression David wore earlier when alone with me.

With utmost seriousness, he left Raven flustered. Surely he didn’t mean it, right?

Amused, I watched the commotion unfold from Alice’s arms until my gaze fell upon the calendar pinned to the office wall.

Today’s date read Thursday.

Only six days remained until Greg’s promised return.

Meaning, my everyday life here would end in six days.

‘Time flies.’

Looking back, it felt like the blink of an eye. Never expected to freeload at the Fixer Office, but these days turned out smoother—and more enjoyable—than anticipated.

No regrets lingered about the upcoming farewell.

These folks wouldn’t fall apart without me, especially after witnessing their skills. Who needs to worry about whom?

Truthfully, I caused more trouble sticking around.

Considering my own safety concerns, parting ways seemed mutually beneficial—a win-win.

‘Well, since it’s come to this, I’ll enjoy the remaining time to the fullest. Watching original events unfold firsthand isn’t easy!’

By the time Alice warmed up and nudged me back to the couch, I silently reaffirmed my resolve.

Anticipating the next client brought a flutter of excitement—a pleasant thrill.

Ding dong.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

That sound signaled an external visitor. Probably a new client.

Slipping out of Alice’s embrace, I smoothed my slightly rumpled clothes.

Nodding goodbye to Raven, I briskly headed toward the entrance.

Figures someone shows up near quitting time.

Looks like tonight’s an overtime shift, or tomorrow starts early.

Opening the door quietly, I found… a familiar-looking woman standing there.

Her bob-cut hair featured a striking two-tone dye job, and musical notes adorned her cheeks. Her lips were painted an almost intimidating shade of blue.

Do I recognize her?

Of course. Someone with such distinct features couldn’t possibly blend into the crowd.

“Uh, um… Is this Crowley Fixer Office… correct?”

“…!”

Standing there was none other than the monumental first client of the Complete Fixer Office—and a key character in the original story—the idol, Aisha.

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