A man with messy black hair that looked like it hadn’t been trimmed in ages and a crumpled suit that hadn’t seen a wash in who knows how long.

    He was tall with a proportionally small head—features that could make him handsome in isolation.

    But his perpetually half-closed eyes and an expression radiating annoyance ruined any such impression.

    If one had to describe him, he resembled either a job seeker who’d given up after countless rejections or an unemployed slacker long dismissed from corporate life.

    Sitting in front of him, I closed my eyes for a moment and let out a silent sigh.

    “I’ve met the protagonist...”

    It was truly an unwelcome development.

    All my efforts to avoid getting entangled with the protagonist had gone up in smoke.

    After following Greg here, I found myself at none other than the protagonist’s office.

    It felt as disorienting as expecting to get pork cutlets only to arrive at a dentist’s office instead.

    Perhaps that dazed moment had been my last golden chance to escape.

    Before I could process it, I was already sitting on the office’s guest sofa.

    Across from me sat Raven and Alice, with Greg seated beside me.

    I was utterly cornered, the tension eating away at me.

    “So, you’re asking me to take care of this kid?”

    “Summing it up, yes.”

    Greg explained why he had suddenly appeared that morning.

    After the Night of Blood Incident, he had to go overseas for some time.

    During his absence, he wanted me to work here instead of wandering around aimlessly.

    The request itself was touching.

    Despite knowing me for less than a week, Greg was taking responsibility for me so I wouldn’t end up completely abandoned.

    It wasn’t out of affection but likely his strong sense of duty. Even so, his consideration was enough to make me feel like calling him “Dad” wouldn’t be out of place.

    If only the person he’d entrusted me to wasn’t the protagonist’s party...

    “Ahhh! But... is there even another option?”

    I didn’t really have a choice.

    A masked, undocumented individual like me—an illegal immigrant who couldn’t even speak.

    On top of that, I had dangerous psychic powers and the Tesseract, a secret no one could know about.

    Unless I returned to the alleyway to reclaim the rags and resume my ghostly activities, finding a normal job was practically impossible.

    Greg’s endorsement was the only way I’d have even a slim chance.

    Logically, I had no choice but to seize this opportunity.

    But Raven seemed less than thrilled. Scratching his head, he shook it with a troubled expression.

    “Look, this isn’t a daycare. I can’t just take in a kid with nowhere to go.”

    “...!”

    Raven glanced at Alice with an exasperated look, seemingly realizing her fondness for cute things had driven her actions.

    After briefly eyeing Greg and me, he clicked his tongue.

    “Tch. Fine. We can do an interview, at least.”

    “Thanks, Raven.”

    “That doesn’t mean I’m accepting her. I need to see what she can do before deciding.”

    Raven’s cautious approach made sense. Greg was asking him to hire me as a proper employee, not take me in out of charity.

    Raven turned to me for the first time and asked, “So, what’s your name?”

    “Yuria,” Greg answered.

    “How old is she?”

    “That’s a secret.”

    “What’s her specialty?”

    “She’s highly observant and can anticipate what customers need before they even ask.”

    “And her experience—wait, why are you answering everything? Are you her parent?”

    Greg responded unapologetically, “She can’t speak, so I’m helping the process along.”

    Despite their bickering, Greg and Alice’s support gave me courage.

    Deciding I couldn’t rely on them forever, I took a deep breath and stood up.

    Raven’s next question was, “What exactly can you contribute here?”

    Without a word, I scanned the room, then walked over to a large plant in the corner.

    Plucking a leaf, I held it out to Raven.

    “Huh?”

    He examined the leaf and suddenly exclaimed, “...A camera?!”

    “Yes, a camera!” Alice added, her face reddening as she realized its significance.

    The micro-camera was a recurring nuisance planted by Sakuragi Lily, Alice’s older sister, who had a habit of spying on Raven.

    Using my knowledge from the original story, I quickly uncovered six more hidden cameras throughout the office.

    Alice cheered, “Amazing, Yuria! You’re so sharp!”

    Even Raven, though skeptical, acknowledged my skills. “Fine. One month. But no extensions!”

    Temporary Worker at Crowley Problem-Solvers Office: Hired!

    Should I be happy about this?

    I couldn’t help but tilt my head in uncertainty.

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