I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad

Aisha, the idol from the entertainment agency Codria, held some personal significance for me.

She was one of the first people I looked into upon arriving in NightHaven, even before meeting Raven.

There wasn’t a grand reason behind this—she simply served as a useful marker for determining the timeline.

In the original story, Aisha wasn’t a character of immense importance. But thanks to her, I was able to confirm that the events were taking place before the original storyline had started. For that, I owed her some gratitude, even though this was my first time meeting her face-to-face.

‘That said… her makeup really does bury her good features. No wonder she’s not popular. It’s nightmare fuel.’

Even for me, this was a bit too much.

I couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat as I observed Aisha awkwardly lingering in front of the door.

The reason for my mental complaints? Her makeup wasn’t just bold—it was disastrous.

Her two-toned bob haircut with its contrasting inner and outer colors, paired with deep blue lips that looked more like dyed pigment than lipstick, might have been enough to turn heads. But none of that compared to the overwhelming sight of her face.

Her complexion was as white as flour, her eyes rimmed with dark smokey makeup that gave her a panda-like appearance, and her cheekbones and jawline were aggressively shaded in purple to “enhance” her facial structure.

Even in NightHaven, where people were accustomed to all sorts of otherworldly appearances, her look was rare—borderline grotesque.

“U-um….”

“…!”

Ah, I needed to focus. This wasn’t the time to be startled by her appearance—I had a job to do.

Shaking off my initial shock, I composed myself and guided her inside the office with a calm demeanor.

Despite her terrifying exterior, I already knew that Aisha was a much better person than she looked. Knowing that made it easier to grow accustomed to her appearance.

Not that I’d ever call it pleasant.

“Ugh….”

“Oh my.”

“…Hmm?”

When Aisha followed me into the office, the reactions of the three people inside were priceless.

Raven unconsciously twitched his hand as if reaching for his gun, Alice covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide, and David adjusted his glasses repeatedly, as though doubting what he was seeing.

They were stunned, to say the least—not the reaction one might expect when meeting an idol.

But, being professionals, they quickly suppressed their surprise and returned to their usual composed selves to greet her.

“Ah, hello… this is the fixer office, correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Are you here to request our services?”

“Y-yes. It’s something I just can’t handle on my own….”

“Then, please have a seat. Yuria, could you bring us some coffee?”

“…!”

I swiftly prepared coffee and snacks in the back. Though I was clumsy at first, weeks of practice had made me fairly confident in my brewing skills.

Balancing the tray of coffee and refreshments, I returned to the sitting area. By then, Aisha and Raven were already deep into their conversation.

“You’ve been receiving threatening texts from an unknown number, and photos of places you’ve visited have been left in your mailbox?”

“Yes. I haven’t been able to sleep properly, and the stress is affecting my work….”

“Hmm, I see. That kind of harassment would indeed make it hard to rest. A stalker, then—a serious issue.”

The reason Aisha had come to the fixer office was simple: she was being harassed by a stalker.

Having debuted less than three months ago, she was being followed after work, and the stalker had gone as far as sneaking into her studio to take photos of her from behind.

Unable to handle the situation on her own, Aisha consulted with her manager and agency. Together, they decided to hire a fixer to deal with the stalker—enter Raven.

Watching the two of them discuss the case made me want to jump in and stir the pot.

As someone who had read the original story, I knew exactly how the case would unfold and end.

‘Ugh, I want to mess things up just to see what happens… but I shouldn’t.’

Even if I couldn’t speak, I resisted the urge to meddle.

This case was important not just for Aisha but for the fixer office itself.

It was the episode where David, still struggling to find his footing in the team, began to truly integrate into the group.

By the end of this case, he’d go from seeing Raven as just a benefactor to recognizing him as a trusted comrade.

This wasn’t a place for me to interfere lightly. Who knew what kind of butterfly effect that could cause?

I had to stay calm.

While I stared blankly at the wall, keeping myself in check, their conversation seemed to reach its conclusion.

Nodding as if he fully understood, Raven addressed Aisha.

“So, you want us to catch the stalker and ensure they pay for their crimes?”

“Yes, yes…!”

“Understood. Please leave your device number here, and take my business card. If you receive any new threats, contact this number immediately, and we’ll handle it swiftly.”

“Th-thank you! Thank you so much!”

“There’s no need to thank us. This is, after all, a business—we’re just doing our job.”

Despite Aisha’s overwhelming gratitude, Raven maintained his usual calm demeanor.

What a master of poker faces. If it were me, I would’ve cracked a smile at least a little.

Once Raven switched into work mode, his demeanor was nothing short of impressive. This was what professionalism looked like.

After finalizing the paperwork and leaving her contact information and a deposit, Aisha left the office.

Stalking cases rarely left obvious traces, so it wasn’t something that could be resolved in a day. This was bound to be a longer case, requiring patience and persistence.

After Aisha departed, leaving just the four of us in the office again, Alice spoke up, her voice tinged with concern.

“Hmm… I feel bad for Aisha. She seems really stressed out.”

“Yeah, dealing with something like that can make it hard to rest properly. Still, with a face like that, she’s got a stalker? That’s one eccentric person.”

“Jin! That’s such a horrible thing to say about her!”

“Oh, sorry, sorry. But come on, you were a little shocked when you first saw her, weren’t you?”

“Ugh, w-well… I just thought she had a… very strong sense of individuality….”

Alice, who had just scolded Raven for his rude comment, faltered under his pointed question, her eyes darting nervously.

It seemed even she had briefly wondered how someone with such an intense appearance could attract a stalker.

Of course, thoughts are free, and as long as she didn’t say it aloud, there wasn’t any harm.

David, however, had a different perspective. Adjusting his glasses with an almost excited air, he spoke up.

“No, if anything, it might be her unique individuality that attracted the stalker.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Think about it. Until recently, the internet and media environment primarily catered to humanoid species. But over time, species like dryads and merfolk, who previously didn’t engage much with media, have started to adapt to the culture.

“Aisha is an idol designed to cater to those niche needs—a kind of exaggerated personality tailored for such audiences. In short, she’s a Maximized Idol!”

“Wow… uh, wow….”

“Okay, okay, I get it. You’re saying she’s intentionally over-the-top to appeal to non-humanoid fans, right?”

“Precisely.”

David’s impassioned explanation left Alice and Raven visibly bewildered. They clearly didn’t know how to respond to this sudden burst of enthusiasm.

Unlike them, I clapped lightly with a grin on my face.

Why did I enjoy David’s long-winded spiel so much?

The answer was simple: David is a massive idol otaku.

Seeing this side of him emerge so clearly brought me immense joy—it was like watching the original story come to life.

Aisha, being a relatively unknown idol, might not have been on his radar, but David’s excitement was genuine. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if his earlier glasses adjustment was him trying to process the fact that he had just met a Maximized Idol in person.

‘This is probably the most hyped I’ve ever seen David. I guess idols really are his area of expertise.’

It’s no surprise that each of the fixer office’s main characters had unique, standout hobbies—this was a shounen manga world, after all.

Raven, for example, was a gambling addict who blew money on dragon racing. Alice had an insatiable love for cute things. And David? He was deeply invested in idols of all shapes and sizes.

Apparently, his fascination began during his overseas studies, where a roommate introduced him to idols, eventually turning him into a full-fledged fan who even attended concerts.

But all that aside, this case was clearly David’s moment to shine.

It was an opportunity to resolve the lingering awkwardness in the office, while also helping Aisha overcome her troubles.

‘I think I’ll just sit back and watch things unfold.’

With David fully fired up and Aisha safely having entrusted her case to us, there wasn’t anything I needed to meddle in.

This case was already in good hands. What could possibly go wrong?

***

The Next Day: At Aisha’s Office

To prepare for the stalker case, we visited Aisha’s office early in the morning.

It seemed her office was specifically designed to cater to Maximized Idols and their unique requirements. 

Despite Codria’s reputation for producing high-profile idols, the space itself had a quaint, worn charm, as if it had seen years of hard use.

As we arrived, it looked like they were filming a promotional video.

When we entered, led by a staff member, we saw Aisha standing with a broken guitar slung over her shoulder, her face contorted in a fierce scowl.

“Hey, you little punks! If anyone gives you trouble, just tell this pretty big sister about it! I’ll bash their heads in for you, got it?!”

Her timid, nervous demeanor from yesterday was completely gone. She now exuded the overwhelming presence of a gang boss—a far cry from the meek girl we had met.

Watching from behind the camera setup, Raven muttered under his breath, dumbfounded.

“Does she even need help? At this rate, she could probably beat the stalker herself.”

“Jin, you can’t say that!”

“She’s… so cool….”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

David’s soft murmur of admiration caught Raven and Alice off guard, both turning to stare at him in disbelief.

Suppressing a laugh, I covered my mouth, thoroughly enjoying their reactions.

‘I’m so glad I came along. This is already shaping up to be entertaining.’

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