The long, long Night Week had finally come to an end.

    And since Night Week was a year-end holiday, its conclusion also meant the arrival of a new year.

    On the second day of this icy, bone-chilling new year—

    Alice strode into the office with her usual energy and called out in a cheerful voice.

    “Good morning! Happy New Year!”

    “Oh... yeah. You’re really fired up this morning. Something good happen?”

    “Of course! It’s my first day back at work after a while! Aren’t you excited too, Jin?”

    “Ugh... Just so-so. What kind of adult actually enjoys working?”

    You’re still a kid, so you wouldn’t understand.

    Raven leaned back in his chair at a sharp, lazy angle, looking utterly unmotivated.

    With a casual flick of his wrist, he unfolded an e-newspaper and began reading, killing time in the process.

    Dressed in his usual black suit, he gave off a mature and composed air—

    A stark contrast to the man who had spent yesterday lounging in pajamas.

    Of course, Alice, knowing his usual behavior, wasn’t fooled.

    She muttered under her breath, Who’s calling who a kid? before glancing in my direction.

    “...!”

    “Oh, happy new year, Yuria! ...Wait, why are you here? It’s a weekday.”

    Alice blinked, momentarily confused.

    She returned my raised-hand greeting with an equally puzzled wave—

    Then turned back to Raven with an even brighter expression.

    Her confusion was understandable.

    Ever since Greg had arrived, I had been working at the general store during business hours.

    So, my presence here at the office was unexpected.

    Raven, picking up on Alice’s curiosity, answered without even looking up from his newspaper.

    “Oh, right. The store’s closed today. The pipes in the area froze over, and the water’s completely cut off. Looks like the empty buildings nearby didn’t have proper insulation. So, they had to shut down for repairs. Yuria went over early in the morning, but she just came back.”

    “Ahh... So that’s why she’s still in her maid uniform.”

    Alice furrowed her brows slightly in sympathy.

    The gray zone where the store was located had many abandoned buildings.

    And unfortunately, one of those unoccupied structures had suffered from frozen pipes—

    Which, in turn, caused unnecessary trouble for us.

    It was just bad luck.

    Even I was caught off guard by the situation.

    But perhaps seeing me in my uniform again reminded Alice of old times—

    Her expression subtly twitched with happiness as she naturally took a seat beside me.

    I just didn’t bother changing because it was a hassle. Don’t expect me to help with work.

    While she absently played with my hand, time continued to pass.

    Then, eventually—

    A tall figure entered the office.

    A green-haired beastfolk with round, bear-like ears atop his head—

    David.

    “Good day, everyone. It’s been a while. And... hmm? Yuria?”

    “David, Greg’s store is closed today for repairs.”

    “Ah, I see. That explains it. It’s good to see you again.”

    “...!”

    I waved lightly in greeting.

    Alice often dropped by the office whenever she had free time—

    But David was usually in touch only through Sabrina.

    So, this was my first time seeing him since our trip.

    And now—

    With everyone gathered, the office was back to full capacity.

    The holiday season was truly over.

    As I took in the familiar sight, a sudden uneasy sensation crept over me.

    A strange feeling—like something was secretly watching.

    I subtly frowned and glanced around.

    But all I saw was Alice.

    ...Was it just my imagination?

    Still, just to be safe, I slipped my hand into my pocket and touched Echo.

    ‘Echo, do you sense any machinery near Alice?’

    [ Yes. There’s a small device attached to her hair, actively transmitting signals. ]

    ‘Can you pinpoint its location?’

    Following Echo’s guidance, I moved my hand carefully.

    Alice, noticing my sudden movement, looked at me in mild confusion.

    But then—

    Her eyes widened in shock when she saw what I had pulled from her hair.

    “Y-Yuria?! What is that?!”

    “...?”

    Pinched between my fingers was a tiny, bean-like object—

    One that changed colors irregularly as I observed it.

    No... Rather than changing shape, it was subtly altering its optical appearance.

    But I had no idea what it was.

    And since I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t explain it to Alice either.

    However, the commotion had caught the attention of the others.

    Both Raven and David, who had been minding their own business, turned toward us.

    “What’s going on?”

    “Hmm... That appears to be an optical camouflage device.”

    "Yes. It''s a technology that allows an object to blend with its surroundings. Think of it as an advanced invisibility cloak."

    "Oh, I see. But why the hell... is it on Alice?"

    "I have no idea!"

    What kind of nonsense is this?

    Alice jumped in frustration, clearly as clueless as Raven about how the device had ended up attached to her hair.

    Meanwhile, David, resting his chin on his hand, seemed to be piecing things together.

    After a moment of thought, he nodded slightly, then turned to me, his eyes on the small device in my hand.

    "May I take a closer look?"

    "...!"

    I handed it over, watching as David carefully examined it.

    "Hmm... Yes. It appears to be... a camera."

    "A camera?!"

    "Wait—oh no. Don’t tell me—"

    A spy cam.

    Realization dawned on both Raven and Alice as their gazes met.

    And I, too, quickly figured out who had planted it.

    There was only one person capable of and bold enough to sneak hidden cameras into the office.

    "Lily."

    "She must’ve realized Yuria keeps destroying the ones she hides with drones, so she switched tactics—using Alice instead."

    "Ugh... My head hurts just thinking about it."

    Alice groaned, clutching her forehead as if she were about to get a migraine.

    "Lily...? You mean Alice''s older sister?"

    David looked to Alice for confirmation.

    "Yeah. She came by recently, saying her project was finished. She must’ve taken the opportunity while Yuria wasn’t around."

    Raven clicked his tongue.

    "Damn woman has freakishly good instincts."

    Well, this time, it wasn’t my instincts that found it—it was Echo.

    If I hadn’t been here, who knows how long it would’ve stayed hidden?

    I dramatically raised my arms, as if demanding worship.

    Alice, grateful, patted my head, while David clapped politely in approval.

    A much-appreciated reaction.

    "Hah... I’ll handle this. I’m going to confront her directly."

    Alice’s voice carried a dangerous edge.

    "She promised she wouldn’t pull this crap again... Maybe I really should fold her in half this time."

    "...That sounds terrifying."

    "Agreed."

    "..."

    Apparently, Alice planned to "educate" Lily to ensure she wouldn’t try this again.

    Using "various wrestling techniques," no less.

    If Lily heard this conversation, she might already be considering her escape.

    But at this rate, her future seemed grim.

    May she rest in peace.

    Anyway, one crisis solved!

    I casually rolled the chameleon-like camera around in my palm, watching its appearance shift.

    Alice planned to use it as evidence against Lily, so I figured I’d give it back before she left.

    Raven, having quietly observed, suddenly remembered something.

    He stroked his chin before speaking.

    "Oh, right. Speaking of Lily... You two got anything important next Thursday or Friday?"

    "A schedule? Umm... Not really? I’ll just be working as usual."

    "Nothing planned. Is there something going on?"

    "...!"

    "Oh, Yuria. You don’t need to answer. This only concerns them."

    ...Excuse me?

    I immediately jumped onto the couch, gripping Raven’s chair.

    The added weight made the backrest creak dangerously as it tilted under us.

    But Raven remained completely unfazed, treating me as if I were invisible.

    That pissed me off even more.

    "Wait, us?"

    "And what do you mean by ‘important’?"

    David and Alice exchanged confused glances.

    Raven had just randomly asked about a weekday, and they had no clue what he was getting at.

    Leaning back in his chair, Raven folded his arms and answered casually.

    "I need to renew my Fixer license, so I’ll be going to the association. You two should come along."

    "Hmm... May I ask why?"

    David, ever polite, tilted his head.

    Raven simply shrugged.

    "No big reason."

    Then—

    He effortlessly lifted me by the back of my collar.

    And as I dangled helplessly, he dropped a bombshell.

    "You guys are taking the Fixer exam."

    "...What?"

    As confusion filled the room, my legs swung weakly in midair.