ALL NOVEL Chapter 64
Black-Haired Asymmetrical Bob
With an asymmetrical bob of black hair, the elegant half-mask was adorned with butterfly patterns, revealing piercing eyes behind it.
Without a trace of laughter, the corners of her mouth turned cold, and her jawline was sharp enough to cut paper.
Even though she tried to hide it, the elements that protruded like an awl from her pocket—those features that a mask couldn’t cover—naturally revealed that she was an unusual girl.
Even with a lightly draped dark crimson coat, her pale shoulders were clearly visible, paired with a halter neck and a short skirt that reached just above her knees along with high heels.
It made one wonder if she was a girl who looked about ten years old, surrounded by an overpowering charisma.
‘No matter how I look at it… that’s Ren, right?’
The executive of the Invaders lurking in Night Haven, Ren.
As I looked at her at eye level, certainty struck me.
Even if asymmetrical hairstyles were common, it was strange not to recognize someone wandering the city in such a troublesome outfit with a butterfly-patterned half-mask.
However, realizing her identity at once wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
She was a precious figure, probably the leader of the Invaders who were currently operating without leaving a trace.
With abilities like telekinesis, or hiding a tesseract in her arms, or perhaps even knowing all their plans.
Knowing just one of those secrets could result in my immediate demise, so she was someone I absolutely didn’t want to meet.
But why on earth would I meet her in such a secluded bookstore?
Isn’t she supposed to be busy lurking around the back?
Caught off guard by this unexpected encounter in an unlikely place, Ren suddenly spoke as if she were about to tear me apart.
“If you bumped into me, you should apologize, don’t you think? Why are you just staring like a fool? Should I smash your face with that mask?”
“…!”
That’s terrifying!
I was startled by her words, her eyes gleaming with madness.
But it’s not like I was the only one at fault here; it was mutual…
You popped out from around the corner without a thought!
If I could speak, I would have loved to express that sentiment.
I still bowed toward Ren, putting a half-hearted sincerity into my apology.
I was too grown-up to be angry over a simple collision.
Sigh, I guess I should take the initiative and shake hands.
But maybe she didn’t like that I was only bowing without a response.
She flicked her fingers, revealing a displeased demeanor.
In that precarious atmosphere where it felt like an incident could erupt at any moment, David gently stepped between Ren and me, attempting to mediate.
“What’s going on here?”
“Excuse me. This is Yuria, and she’s unable to speak… I hope you can understand that. I also apologize for the accidental collision.”
“Hmph. A mute, huh? How boring.”
Ren crossed her arms and raised her chin with an air of superiority.
How could one be so shameless when they were in the wrong too?
Her demeanor, reminiscent of a high-born noblewoman, made me want to scoff.
However, perhaps this retreat was a stepping stone for a greater advance.
David adjusted his glasses and opened his mouth with a look suggesting he wasn’t going to let this go.
“However, since she has apologized for her mistake, I would appreciate your apology in return.”
“Huh? Why should I?”
“It’s not just one side that made a mistake when we bumped into each other; it was an error on both parts. And… regardless, I can’t let the threat you posed go unchecked.”
“How ridiculous. What do you plan to do if I don’t?”
Crackle!
An invisible, intense spark flew between Ren and David.
It was as if neither was willing to concede even an inch.
If the atmosphere continued like this, it felt like a fight could break out at any moment!
In a panic, I grabbed David’s sleeve, trying to prevent him from escalating things.
There was a feeling that a simple annoyance from Ren was slowly leaking into an irrepressible murderous intent.
If this progresses, it wouldn’t just be a contest of wills but a real fight.
I really don’t care about receiving an apology. Just let’s not do this here. That was the meaning behind my action.
“…!”
“…Yuria. Understood.”
“Hmph, are you starting to get scared now? Weren’t you going to see this through ‘til the end?”
“I didn’t really want to fight. I know full well that you have no intention of apologizing.”
David replied without a flinch to her provocation.
It seemed like, since I wasn’t overly bothered by the situation, there was no reason for him to push it.
Was Ren losing interest in David’s compliant stance?
After realizing that she was drawing attention from those around her, she lowered the smile that was beginning to form and spoke to me in a bored tone.
“Tch, how dull. This isn’t fun anymore. Hey, you there, white, no, whitey.”
“…?”
“If this happens again, I’ll treat you really nicely next time. Remember that.”
“…!”
Ugh, I really don’t want to meet you again.
I retreated slightly, like a frightened cat hiding behind David.
But Ren, seemingly unconcerned with my rejection, simply stomped past David and out the door of the bookstore.
Just saying what she had to say and leaving in a huff.
What an insufferably self-centered individual.
‘Phew, that was close. But why am I being called white? If I’m white, does that make her black?’
With a mentally exhausted huff, I shrugged off the encounter with her as if I’d been bitten by a feral cat.
Huh? Isn’t she from the Invaders? Isn’t she a villain? Why just let her roam about?
What if she’s a problem? I can’t get into a big showdown with her using telekinesis in the middle of the city.
In the first place, colliding with her and revealing my identity is a bigger risk than clearing the danger by confronting her.
It’s not like I can burn down my precious apartment, which I’m paying off over twenty years, just to catch a tiger that wandered into my house. Uh, is that metaphor a bit off?
“Phew, she was truly a strange girl.”
“….”
Well… she must have her own circumstances. She’s not a bad person at heart.
I quietly thought this in my mind and nodded in agreement with David’s statement.
I felt like my mind had become a jumbled mess after that sudden storm.
*
Even after the disaster had swept by, one still had to get work done.
We continued to gather information after meeting Ren.
After checking all the places where there had been stalking photos taken, we managed to gather enough information on the suspect.
“If we analyze the common testimonies, there’s a red-haired male of average build among the humanoid hybrid races. Hmm, there aren’t too many, but I think we’ll quickly find the culprit.”
“…!”
“Thank you for your hard work too, Yuria. You’ve been quite active.”
But honestly, what have I done? I just followed along while slurping on my drink.
I cheered David for his efforts, giving him double thumbs up and bouncing in place.
…Though I felt a twinge of guilt since I already knew who the culprit was.
But I figured even without my spoilers, they’d figure it out quickly enough. So, I decided to just enjoy this moment. After all, I wasn’t a formal member but just a part-timer.
David seemed to contact Raven directly through his device, probably intending to report the clues he gathered.
Suddenly frowning at the reply he received, he said, “Oh dear.”
“…?”
“It seems Raven needs a bit more time. He says we should leisurely wander around for about an hour…”
“…!”
Ah, they must be busy going through the CCTV footage over there.
I’m glad I chose to stick with this side instead of Raven.
Feeling somewhat relieved about my choice, I nodded to myself.
Walking around outside was much more enjoyable than sitting idly in a chair.
“Shall we take a stroll nearby in the meantime?”
“….”
With plenty of time on our hands, we casually moved down the street without a clear destination.
Next to me, a large screen suddenly began to play an advertisement.
The advertisement was simple. Accompanied by lively music, a cute idol dressed as a cheerleader bounced along the shoreline, drinking a beverage.
Maybe it was because I had just seen the extraordinary Aisha this morning, but the ordinarily cute sight felt somewhat dull…
Though perhaps since she was so pretty, I suddenly had a craving to buy that drink. What a good advertisement.
“Lydia.”
“…?”
“That girl is Lydia, the leader of the girl group Tropical Oasis. It’s been ten years since their debut. They’ve reignited the concept of idol bands like girl bands and boy bands, which had quieted down after the war… she’s a living legend.”
Oh, right. I know that well. But why the surprise information?
Caught off guard by David’s sudden comment, I nodded appreciatively as if he had shared a good story.
I mean, I was a bit taken aback, but it’s better than walking in silence for an hour. It was a good topic to pass the time.
Maybe noticing my awkward reaction, he looked a bit apologetic, feeling bad for bringing it up out of nowhere.
“I’m sorry. You probably didn’t care. I just blurted that out.”
“….”
“Actually, Lydia from Tropical Oasis is one of my favorite girl groups. When I was studying abroad, they were a source of motivation for me to keep going. Of course, the primary reason was my promise to Raine…”
David scratched his cheek, appearing slightly embarrassed as he revealed his idol otaku side unexpectedly.
But I didn’t mind that at all. I found his inability to keep a straight face when it came to idols much more entertaining than his serious demeanor.
This was a way to bond by teasing each other rather than softly brushing past each other, like before.
Though I found some things about his enthusiasm for Aisha a bit jarring…
As I thought that and lightly patted David on the back, it seemed he appreciated my reaction. He smiled and nodded before continuing.
“So, when I heard that Aisha was troubled by a stalker, I had many mixed feelings. She could clearly be a star that brings strength to someone, but the fact that cowardly and petty individuals are interfering with that… I simply couldn’t tolerate it. I want to catch whoever is behind this incident.”
“…!”
“Will you help me? Thank you!”
Maybe empowered by my enthusiastic fighting pose, David offered me his thanks with a much more relaxed expression than before.
Well, I would be keeping my distance and adopting a spectator role, so I wouldn’t be of much help.
After wandering around leisurely for about an hour, without any significant discussions.
I received a message from Raven that they’d found a crucial lead on the stalker.
Finally, the moment had arrived.
Fueled with excitement, I made my way back with David to the entertainment agency from earlier.
When we gathered the rest of the fixer office members there, Raven, looking like a certain detective, declared:
“The culprit… is among us. I will now reveal the truth behind this stalking incident!”
I never imagined I’d witness this moment with my own eyes!
It was a pitiful moment to realize I didn’t have popcorn and cola in hand.