I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad

Unlike us, who were just starting our meal, Victor and his group seemed to have already finished theirs.

After a brief conversation with Raven, Victor began gathering his coat and belongings, preparing to leave.

“It seems it’s about that time. Regrettably, I’ll have to head out now. Well, we’re staying at the same hotel, so I’m sure we’ll meet again. Let’s chat more when we get the chance.”

Hahaha!

Victor let out a loud, cheerful laugh as if genuinely delighted by their brief reunion.

Oh no… that laugh. It’s giving me PTSD….

With his towering, tiger-like physique and bulging muscles that even his shirt couldn’t fully conceal, Victor’s body seemed to ripple unnervingly as he laughed.

Honestly, the way his chest muscles moved almost made them look alive—it was unsettling.

“My apologies if Mr. Victor caused you any trouble,” said the woman accompanying him, her tone cold and professional.

“Thank you for your time. Have a good day!”

The woman, who seemed to be Victor’s highly capable assistant, grabbed his ear and dragged him out of the restaurant, ignoring his protests.

She was strikingly beautiful, and her presence reminded me of how David played the reliable assistant role in our own group.

As I quietly watched Victor’s group leave, I absentmindedly returned to my meal, nibbling on a piece of meat while my thoughts wandered.

I never expected to run into Victor here. At least he didn’t seem to recognize me….

The encounter back in Nighthaven was months ago, and I had kept myself heavily covered at the time. The chances of him connecting me to the “ghost” he pursued were slim.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. If he figured out who I was, it could lead to a lot of unnecessary complications.

With that thought in mind, I resumed devouring the towering stack of meat on my plate.

But just as I got into a rhythm, something in my peripheral vision caught my attention—Alice.

“Uh… what in the world is that?”

It was a bizarre creation.

Her plates—four of them balanced precariously on her hands and forearms—looked like an abstract art sculpture made of food.

Seafood, meat, vegetables, noodles, bread, desserts… she had taken one of everything, with no duplicate items on any plate.

What was even more surprising was how stable the whole thing seemed despite looking like it could collapse at any second. It was like watching a circus act.

David and Reine stared in stunned silence, unable to form coherent words, while Raven gave his usual dry commentary.

“…What the hell is that? That’s not just greedy—it’s overkill. You seriously grabbed one of everything? How did you even fit all that onto plates?”

“Well, how else would I know what’s good unless I try everything? When I come to a buffet, I always make it a point to sample one of everything,” Alice replied matter-of-factly.

“…You’re unbelievable.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Alice gracefully set her plates down on the table, her movements so fluid and precise that not even the slightest clinking sound could be heard.

Then she glanced at my plate, smiled as if finding it adorable, and began working her way down her own plates.

The food vanished into her mouth as though being sucked into a black hole—it was surreal to watch.

How someone could eat like that and not gain weight was beyond me. Did all those calories just go to her chest?

For contrast, Sabrina, seated next to Alice, had chosen a simple, elegant French-style plate.

Perhaps it was the stark difference between Alice’s chaotic plates and Sabrina’s calm, balanced meal, but I found Sabrina’s choice oddly comforting.

***

After the lively, chaotic meal, we returned to our rooms.

But we weren’t done with our day yet. The trip back to the room was only to retrieve something important from our luggage—swimsuits.

That’s right, swimsuits.

Our plan was to spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying some water activities.

Unfortunately, since it was winter, the hotel’s private beach was out of the question. Swimming in the freezing ocean would’ve been a death sentence.

Instead, we were headed to the indoor pool located within the Saint Maria Hotel’s grounds.

“Hehe, I picked out a swimsuit for you, Yuria. You’re going to love it—it’s super cute! I can’t wait to see you in it!” Alice chirped, clearly excited.

“…!”

“Oh my, I’m looking forward to seeing Alice’s swimsuit as well. With your figure, I’m sure it will suit you beautifully,” Reine teased with a gentle smile.

“Wouldn’t it be better to cover up? Otherwise, everyone’s going to be staring at Alice’s chest,” Sabrina added with a smirk.

“S-Sabrina! What kind of comment is that?!” Alice stammered, her face turning bright red.

Gathered in the large bedroom, the women of the group were chatting as they prepared for the pool.

Various items were spread out on the bed: swimsuits, lightweight cover-ups, towels, waterproof pouches for devices, and oils for skin and hair care.

I felt a bit out of place, having planned to just throw on my swimsuit and call it a day. Compared to their thorough preparations, I looked downright careless.

Still, I couldn’t back out now.

I reluctantly pulled out the black one-piece swimsuit Alice had chosen for me. It wasn’t too revealing, which was a relief—it offered enough coverage to keep me comfortable.

But what about the Tesseract?

The pendant-like artifact was always around my neck. If I left it behind or exposed it, there could be trouble.

Hmm… There aren’t any pockets in this swimsuit. I’ll need to bring a lightweight jacket to keep it hidden.

“Tesseract, I’ll see you later, okay?” I whispered.

[Okay… see you later, Mama.]

I carefully removed the Tesseract from my neck and slipped it into my pocket, feeling a pang of guilt as its voice faded.

It couldn’t communicate properly without being in contact with me, but I had no choice. If anyone saw the Tesseract, it would only lead to complications.

After ensuring it was secure, I grabbed the rest of my items and stood ready.

“Alright, I’m all set! I’ll go check if the guys are ready,” Alice said, clapping her hands before leaving the room.

“Thanks, Alice,” Reine replied with a smile.

While I was busy sneaking the Tesseract into my pocket, it seemed everyone else had finished getting ready.

Alice, ever the dependable leader, left the room to check on Raven and David in the other suite.

She truly was the type to roll up her sleeves and take initiative whenever something needed doing. A reliable “class president” kind of person who you’d never regret having around.

But just as I was silently praising her, the sound of a door slamming echoed through the hallway, followed by a loud, startled scream.

“Eek! W-Why are you undressed here?! Y-You scared me!”

“Well, it’s easier to change into swimwear here than to carry it, isn’t it? And by the way, ever heard of knocking? It’s basic courtesy.”

“I-I’m so sorry… hwaaa….”

Curious about the commotion, I peeked out the door to see Alice sitting on the floor in front of the other suite, her face flushed bright red.

Her usually confident, sharp eyebrows had drooped into a dazed expression.

Apparently, she had barged into the room without thinking and caught a glimpse of something she shouldn’t have. Something so overwhelming it left her shaken.

While Alice might dress provocatively at times, she was surprisingly innocent in situations like these.

Once Alice’s face returned to its normal color, we finally made our way to the indoor pool.

“Wow… this place is massive. You could run it as a separate business entirely,” Raven remarked as he looked around.

“It’s so warm in here, even though it’s freezing outside. No worries about catching a cold,” Reine added with a contented smile.

The Saint Maria Hotel’s indoor pool, Aqua Marina, was less of a pool and more of a sprawling water park.

With a capacity for nearly a thousand people, it boasted state-of-the-art facilities that rivaled any premium resort.

In fact, Aqua Marina was so impressive that some guests visited the hotel solely to use it.

For hotel guests, admission was free, and they even received a premium pass granting access to exclusive benefits.

Not taking advantage of Aqua Marina while staying at Saint Maria was practically a waste.

“Hm, it seems that in summer, Aqua Marina opens its outdoor areas for marine leisure activities. The number of visitors during that time is reportedly much higher,” Reine noted as she read from a brochure.

“Well, even in winter, being able to swim in a warm, spacious place like this is pretty nice,” Alice said cheerfully. “Alright, let’s go get changed. We’ll meet back here once we’re ready!”

Before anyone could respond, Alice grabbed Sabrina and me by the hands and dashed toward the changing rooms.

How excited are you? I thought, smiling wryly as I let her drag me along.

Once inside the changing room, I pulled out the black one-piece swimsuit from my bag.

It had frills around the chest and thighs, with a design that left my shoulders and much of my legs exposed.

Despite the amount of skin it revealed, the swimsuit had an undeniably cute and youthful style, clearly designed with a child-like aesthetic in mind.

After putting it on, I added a windbreaker-style jacket over the swimsuit, covering myself entirely.

Phew… this feels much better.

As I tucked the Tesseract into the inner pocket of my jacket, Sabrina, now also changed, approached me.

“Yuria, are you ready?”

I nodded, zipping up my jacket tightly to ensure the swimsuit remained hidden.

Turning to look at her, I saw that Sabrina’s swimwear consisted of a navy-blue top that resembled a school swimsuit and short board shorts.

Her outfit emphasized her androgynous charm—she could’ve easily been mistaken for either a boy or a girl, depending on the angle. She’d look right at home with a surfboard under her arm.

As I admired her ensemble, Sabrina seemed to take notice of my outfit too.

She smirked mischievously, her eyes sparkling with playful curiosity, and took a step closer.

“Hehe, are you hiding it because you’re embarrassed? What kind of swimsuit are you wearing? Show me, I’m curious!”

“…!”

“You’re not going to keep that jacket on the whole time, are you? Come on, hurry up!”

Ugh, persistent little….

But she had a point. I couldn’t stay bundled up the entire time, or there’d be no point in wearing a swimsuit or coming to the pool at all.

Reluctantly, I let out a small sigh and unzipped my jacket.

As the frilly one-piece swimsuit came into view, Sabrina’s mischievous smirk turned into a delighted grin.

“Wow, it’s so cute! It suits you perfectly!” she said, giving me a big thumbs-up.

“Thanks… I guess,” I mumbled, slightly embarrassed but appreciative of the compliment.

“Are you two done changing?”

“...!”

“…!!”

Just then, Alice’s voice called out, startling both Sabrina and me.

We turned to see Alice in a bikini that somehow managed to perfectly balance elegance and allure—a deadly combination.

She was breathtaking, almost intimidatingly so. If a young boy accidentally ran into her, he’d probably spend the rest of the night wide-eyed, unable to sleep.

I found myself involuntarily clapping in awe, while Sabrina muttered under her breath in disbelief.

“...I told her to cover up. She’s a walking… chest monster.”

“W-Why are you staring like that?!” Alice exclaimed, her face turning pink as she tried to cover herself.

“Are you two ready? Let’s go meet the others,” Reine said calmly, walking in behind Alice.

Her presence, mature and graceful, immediately brought balance to the overwhelming aura Alice exuded.

Unlike Alice’s dramatic figure, Reine’s slender frame had a more subtle elegance.

Somehow, her calming presence helped Sabrina and me regain our composure after being blown away by Alice’s… assets.

Truly, Alice is a walking Tsar Bomba, and Reine is the human equivalent of a fallout shelter.

I felt a little guilty for comparing them like that, but the contrast was impossible to ignore.