I Became the Cute One in the Problem-Solving Team

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It seemed like the reason for this meeting was for Sabrina to apologize for the rudeness she had unknowingly committed.

Maybe it was because we matched in taste in many ways?

I was having a much more enjoyable time than I had expected.

When I think about it, it wasn’t that strange. Sabrina now looked incredibly cute in a fluttery dress with her hair down, but normally, she had a tomboyish look that could easily be mistaken for a pretty boy.

Perhaps that was why her usual interests leaned more towards active sports or games.

If I recall the original story, she was obsessed with soccer and baseball, to the point of eagerly following tournaments.

I found this far more interesting than playing with dolls or taking cute pictures.

Despite what had happened, in my heart, I was still a boy who passionately pursued romance.

So, when Sabrina’s steps halted before a huge Game Center, I took her arm and dashed into it without hesitation.

“Uh, uh… Yuria, are you interested in games?”

“…!”

Of course! I absolutely love them!

I vigorously nodded my head, waving my arms like a windmill.

I was so excited to see what this world’s Game Center looked like that my heart was ready to burst.

And, true to my expectations, the interior of the Game Center was nothing short of ecstatic.

The deafening game sounds pounding my ears, the cheers of people, and the sounds of something being hit forcefully all around me.

Everywhere my eyes roamed were dazzling game machines and VR setups hanging on the walls.

The heart-pounding scenery stirred my enthusiasm, making my body sway unconsciously.

This place… is going to be so much fun!

“Whoa, Yuria. Be careful. You might fall if you’re not paying attention.”

“…”

But maybe I was overexcited.

I was so busy looking around that I didn’t notice a person passing by, and bumped into them.

Fortunately, thanks to Sabrina grabbing my waist just in time, I didn’t end up on the floor.

However, having suddenly been embraced by her, my head cooled down.

Here I was, losing my mind over a game center. I’m not a child, after all.

Recently, it seemed like my body reacted before my mind did more often than not. I really need to tone it down.

“Um… I don’t have much money, so I can’t play a lot. Is there a game you want to do, Yuria?”

“…!”

I thought carefully about what Sabrina asked, then pointed to a game where we could shoot zombies on the screen.

Competing against each other wouldn’t be so bad, but I figured we’d enjoy playing cooperatively more.

After waiting in line, I proudly stood on a treadmill-like platform, lifting the heavy model gun.

“Phew, this is my chance to show off to Sabrina. I need to show her how good I am at games!”

The gamer spirit ignited within me.

I hadn’t played this game before, but it’s common sense that a cute girl like me could be good at it!

And since I loved games since my past life, I didn’t want to look foolish.

After Sabrina stood beside me with her gun ready, we began our battle against the zombies flooding in like a tidal wave.

Finally, when the first stage ended after three minutes, Sabrina lowered her toy gun close to her face and said,

“…Yuria, you’re not good at games.”

“…”

Burning with embarrassment, I squeezed my eyes shut.

There was no excuse. I got too relaxed thinking it was just a toy gun, and while I fumbled with the recoil, I got my leg bitten by a zombie and died within ten seconds.

N-no, I’m not going to die so easily now! I just need to survive longer than Sabrina!

With that determination, I focused intently as I proceeded to the 2nd and 3rd stages.

But I couldn’t last more than thirty seconds in each stage.

Just when I thought, “Huh?” a zombie bit my shoulder from behind, and dazed, I quickly fell into a zombie trap.

No, this is… harder than I thought…

To think I’d become a burden. I could only watch in a sulky mood as Sabrina effortlessly took down the zombies multiplied by my failures.

Despite my pitiful skills, Sabrina smoothly wiped out two zombies on her own and cleared the final boss without much trouble.

What on earth is this overwhelming skill difference!

I bitterly regretted my inadequate body, which was embarrassingly weak unless I used psychic powers.

“It’s not as hard as I thought. Yuria, were you waiting for a long time?”

“…”

How frustrating. I wanted to show off my skills, but instead, I only got to see Sabrina’s amazing gameplay.

I vowed to repay this debt someday as we exited the Game Center together.

Maybe because we had let loose at the Game Center, we decided to go into places that looked fun from then on.

A dessert café wouldn’t be so bad, but… we needed a bit more dopamine.

How long had we been wandering around Night Haven like this? The sky, once dull and gray, was now darkening.

‘Is it time to part ways soon?’

Walking along the neon sign-lit streets, I turned back to see Sabrina looking visibly disappointed.

I had a fantastic time today, and seeing her like that made me glad she also enjoyed herself.

“Hey, can’t we stretch it until dinner…?”

“…”

No. If that happened, it would be too late to head back. Everyone would worry.

I shook my head resolutely at Sabrina.

It wasn’t dark yet, but it was around 5 PM.

If we had dinner now, we would return too late.

And, without a proper guardian for wandering around dark Night Haven, we were just too young.

Of course, I might look young, but if a police officer started talking to me, that would be trouble.

“Alright… I understand. Let’s just call it a day for now.”

Sabrina, looking like she was about to burst with regrets, reluctantly agreed to my decision.

She was smart. It seemed like she understood that forcing it wouldn’t make sense.

Watching Sabrina like that, I couldn’t help but smile as I reached out to hold her hands.

What’s there to be sad about? We can hang out again next time! Today is not the only day.

As if to convey that, I started gently stroking the back of her hand with my fingertips.

Even if I didn’t convey the exact message, I hoped she could vaguely understand my sentiment.

Sabrina, who had drooped with the prospect of parting, shook off that feeling and bashfully held my hand back.

“Next time, let’s hang out again.”

“…!”

And just like that, we lightly shared warmth at our fingertips, shaking off the sadness of parting.

After all, we could meet again anytime in the same city.

Rather, I felt a bubbling excitement about the fun we hadn’t finished today and when we could unleash it next time.

Thus, Sabrina and I wrapped up our date and walked side by side toward the subway.

This place was a bit far from the office area.

To return to where we originally were, taking the subway was the quickest and cheapest method.

“So, yesterday, our foolish big brother forgot his promise to Raine, and she was really mad, you know? Raine might look nice, but she can be scary when she gets angry. So, our foolish big brother ended up kneeling down in a hurry…”

“…!”

I see. No wonder David seemed so flustered on his way home yesterday. I didn’t know there was this backstory.

As I nodded vigorously to Sabrina’s lively story, I suddenly realized the surrounding area was oddly quiet.

‘Huh? Why are there so few people around here?’

I abruptly stopped. Sabrina tilted her head as if wondering what was wrong, but after glancing at me, she waited and listened to the surroundings.

Then, a faint sound of a siren and some urgent-sounding voices hit our ears. It felt like an ominous atmosphere, as if something had happened.

Sabrina, sensing something was off, began to glance around quickly.

At the same time, someone dropped from above and landed in front of us.

A person suddenly falling from the sky? Sabrina and I jumped in surprise and turned to look.

The figure was a man in a police uniform with blue hair. He spoke.

“Hey, kids. This area is dangerous, so head back. It’s going to be sealed off soon.”

“Uh, um… we need to take the subway…”

“There’s a problem at the subway, which is why this is happening. Turn back quickly. I’m busy.”

The man replied to Sabrina in a cold, emotionless voice that sent her flinching back.

However, I couldn’t help but blink repeatedly at this strangely familiar figure, even though we were meeting for the first time.

With hair so darkly dyed it looked doubtful to be real, he had a cold and handsome aura.

Plus, a sharp scar on one side of his mouth and neatly ironed police uniform, without a single wrinkle.

I knew this man. He was a significant character in the original story!

‘His name was Ethan, right? A young elite officer treated as a rival to Raven in the police force.’

He was the leader of Special Crime Response Team 3, in charge of the police storyline.

While Raven represents the fixer side, this man represents the police side.

One of the rare few who could be considered equally matched to Raven in skill, age, and prestige.

I never expected to run into Ethan like this. How intriguing.

As I felt a mix of surprise at Ethan’s unexpected appearance, I planned to leave peacefully.

Right now, I was a nameless individual caught in an unfortunate situation with the police.

There was no point in awkwardly making eye contact and causing trouble for myself.

“Sure, yeah. If he tells me to leave, I should just go. There’s no reason to stick around.”

Just as I thought that and turned my back with Sabrina, suddenly, a voice came from the radio attached to Ethan’s shoulder.

[ “Captain, we’ve identified the identity of the suspect rampaging in the underground track. His name is Anser, a typical citizen who registered his residence in Night Haven 27 days ago. We found no significant association with other crime organizations.” ]

[ “What? Then why the hell is he rampaging on a beautiful weekend like this? I was supposed to have my day off!” ]

[ “Maybe he has grievances against society…. Demons are usually like that…” ]

[ “Liz, that’s such a speciesist remark!” ]

[ “Whoa! Um, can we pretend I didn’t say that?” ]

[ “You can have ten meal vouchers for that…” ]

“Stop jabbering on the radio, you idiots. Betty, see if you can find any other clues. The rest of you, gather at Libra Station once citizen control is done. We’ll wait for higher-ups’ instructions from there.”

[ “Understood.” ]

[ “Yes!” ]

crackling sound

After the radio chatter, Ethan was still looking at Sabrina and me, who hadn’t left yet.

“Anyway, hurry up and go back. I can’t take responsibility if you get hurt.”

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to care much that we overheard the radio discussion and told us not to spread it around unnecessarily before leaving.

But even after he left, we still found it hard to move.

We felt like we had been hit in the head with a hammer by the shocking news in the radio transmission.

“Y-Yuria… Is what we just heard really…?”

“…”

I nodded at Sabrina, whose eyes were trembling, confirming that she was indeed right.

Then I pulled out the napkin I had received from Anser earlier.

As I held it up, the clearly written words on the napkin began to shake, as if struggling to maintain their form.

It seemed something had happened to the Anser we met earlier.