I Became the Cute One in the Problem-Solving Team

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Before I had reincarnated into the fixer world.

I once burst into laughter while watching a short video.

The content of the short was simple.

It involved someone on the street suddenly provoking a passerby and then taking off their clothes to gauge the reaction.

The important part was that the inside of the clothes they removed was a ridiculous male bikini.

After that, those who were provoked mostly panicked and hurried away.

Of course, that was to be expected.

If your opponent suddenly strips off their clothes, revealing their bulging bikini, it’s only logical to run away, dignity be damned.

“Please wait! Ghost, I want to talk to you!”

“…!”

Coincidentally, that’s how I felt at that moment.

Chasing me down an alleyway was a damp, blond, muscular pervert wearing nothing but a bathrobe!

What a terrifying situation that sent chills down my spine.

Genuinely, I was scared it would haunt my dreams.

‘Right now, it’s a good thing I can’t actually talk. I almost let out a scream.’

So, I pushed and pulled my body with telekinesis.

I clambered up the wall and made my way to the rooftop.

Of course, it would have been much easier to just lift my body with telekinesis as I usually do.

But considering there might be onlookers around, revealing my psychic powers wasn’t a great idea.

Shwip! Scrape…!

“…?”

A strange noise echoed.

It sounded like something was scraping roughly.

I didn’t stop my moving legs and glanced back, only to find a flying pervert soaring through the sky.

“Ha ha ha! You’re fast, Ghost!”

Now he’s even flying? A flying pervert?

As I squinted at the pervert, trying to show my utter shock, I could see he was swinging on a line like Tarzan from an old movie, rapidly catching up to me.

‘…Is that a grappling gun? I thought I only saw that in cartoons.’

A grappling gun.

I recognized that from my knowledge.

It was a device that launched an anchor attached to a line, helping people maneuver quickly in a city filled with buildings.

According to the original work, it was an essential item for skilled fixers.

Although it’s difficult to unleash its full potential, it was an outstanding mobility tool.

Which meant that underneath that appearance, he was quite adept at what he did.

I immediately raised the danger level of the blond pervert in my mind.

‘A grappling gun has two weaknesses. One is that it needs to be swung in a proper arc to gain speed. The other is that it’s utterly useless on flat terrain with no height differences!’

I recalled the structure and layout of the area in my head.

For someone like me, who primarily traverses between rooftops, this neighborhood layout was just ingrained in my brain.

‘Let’s head to the jungle gym area. It’ll be tough to use a grappling gun there.’

I bolted toward a densely built area where the building heights were minimal.

To climb the building’s exterior, he would have to take a long detour.

Once I reached the rooftop, he wouldn’t be able to use the grappling gun anymore.

Thus, this direction was the optimal path to shake off his pursuit.

Was my plan working out properly?

Before long, the blond pervert’s chasing presence vanished completely.

Finally, he was gone.

With the good news, I slowed down and came to a stop.

After casually scanning my surroundings, I lightly jumped down into the alley.

‘This should be enough to throw him off my trail.’

What a frightening individual.

A damp, blond, muscular guy in a bathrobe wielding a grappling gun.

I hoped I wouldn’t have to see him again.

I shook my head and trudged out of the alley.

Or at least, I tried to.

If only I hadn’t heard a familiar sound approaching from afar…

Shwip! Scrape…! Shwip! Scrape…!

“I found you, Ghost! Ha ha ha! Come out, let’s talk!”

“….”

I really despised this guy.

Why was he so obsessed with talking?

The sight of him, even sweatier than before, approached my vision, still in that damp robe, the fabric barely clinging to his skin, presenting a view that could make anyone’s eyes rot.

Without hesitation, I turned and sprinted down the alley, confirming my previous suspicions.

‘That guy knows my exact location. Since when? How?’

The first time we crossed paths might have been a coincidence.

But if something happens three times in a row, it’s practically inevitable.

I concluded he could track my location somehow.

‘The only question is why he isn’t hiding that fact. It would make more sense to ambush me when I wasn’t aware of his presence until I returned to my base.’

Does he have another motive?

Not a grudge from thievery, but genuinely wanting to have a conversation with me?

‘…There’s no reason to trust him. This is a place where you get blindsided the moment you let your guard down.’

I recalled the woman from earlier who shot the crossbow at me after pretending to be grateful.

If it hadn’t been for the telekinesis jamming, I would have ended up with a hole in my soft belly.

Thus, trusting someone’s words here would be tantamount to asking for death.

It was far more certain to beat the information out of them.

‘The fact that he seems to be a fixer worries me a bit. If he’s not a famous character according to the original work, at least I can overpower him. So should I just subdue him for now?’

With my resolution made, I halted and immediately released my telekinesis jamming.

While this was unparalleled for hiding my presence, it didn’t contribute much in a fight—it was purely for disguise.

I’d rather redirect the resources used here toward my firepower.

Did the blond pervert notice my change?

He gracefully landed on the ground with his grappling gun, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“Oh? Has your appearance changed? Is that your true form? …You’re smaller than I expected.”

“….”

“Ah, was that a sensitive topic? I apologize. I never imagined a ghost would possess such a petite physique.”

Sensitive?

Not really.

It’s true that I’m short and of a small build at the moment.

In fact, it’s quite an efficient body, allowing me to save on food costs.

Here, its advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Plus, I’m pretty, I can use psychic powers, and apart from the inability to speak, I had absolutely no complaints.

Really.

I mean it, okay?

‘…Though I’m not concerned about it, let’s just take a hit.’

So I clamped my mouth shut and used telekinesis to firmly grasp the air in front of the blond pervert’s forehead.

And with heightened emotions, I unleashed a telekinetic flick with all my might.

“Hm? What was that… Thud!”

Whack!

The blond pervert’s head jerked backward.

A moment of surprise where he wasn’t even conscious.

From all the big data I had gathered on thievery, I was confident he had fainted right then and there.

The impact was strong enough to cause a crack in glass.

Though it wouldn’t be deadly, it was more than enough to knock him out.

“Gah, urgh, that was… rather sharp.”

But such expectations and hopes shattered.

To my amazement, the blond pervert slowly returned his head to its original position.

His forehead was reddened from the flick, yet his face bore a grin that revealed his teeth.

He endured that? How thick-headed can one be?

I stared at the man in shock, my eyes wide open.

“What was that just now? Was it a silent projectile spell? Given the force, was the intent to just barely knock me out…? Ha ha ha! I’m starting to like you more, Ghost!”

“….”

Now he’s a pervert who likes getting hit.

Overwhelmed by surprise and confusion, I snapped back to reality.

If one flick wasn’t enough, I’d just keep hitting until he fainted.

I summoned my telekinesis again and aimed for the same spot, ready to unleash another flick.

“Gulp!”

However, the blond pervert seemed to anticipate it.

Just as the flick was about to land, he stepped back at the perfect moment, resulting in my telekinetic flick slicing through empty air.

If I had been just a fraction faster, I could have adjusted the aim.

But if I were a moment slower, it would have landed.

It was a precise and unique evasion.

I had already tried twice.

My brow twitched at the sheer futility of that telekinetic flick being deflected so easily.

“Sure enough. Right before an attack, there’s a subtle change in sound. Is it air manipulation magic? Hiding your appearance and moving as if you’re flying are applications of this magic!”

W-what…?

To figure out the essence of a technique after just two telekinetic flicks was almost ridiculous.

I gaped at the blond pervert’s absurd deductive reasoning skills.

Could this be the average fixer from Knight Haven?

I inwardly sighed in relief for having concealed my telekinesis as best as I could.

‘By the way, this is bad. The telekinetic flick was the strongest technique I could employ without exposing my powers. If that doesn’t work… what should I do?’

This was a life-or-death predicament.

While it was possible to just run, I had limits to how long telekinesis could last, and my location was obviously out in the open.

To determine why my position was exposed, I needed to defeat my opponent, but I had no way to do so.

And given that I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t even attempt to negotiate.

So should I just reveal myself and surrender?

With no clue about the enemy’s identity, that would just be insanity.

‘There must be some method….’

I needed a brilliant idea.

To throw off my pursuer or devise an excellent tactic to take down my opponent!

Then, a soft wind brushed against my cheek.

The wind gently rustled a white cloth that appeared at the corner of my vision.

It must have been quite cold for that damp body, as the blond pervert re-tied the loosened waist strings of his robe.

Wind, a pervert in a robe, and an unidentified tracking method.

One idea sparkled in my mind.