Baesena's Surprise Visit

The cowardly girl and the mannequin monster—Baesena—was wearing a hood pulled low over her head. Sleeves long enough to cover her arms completely. Gloves that hid her fingers. She had on a skirt, but it was so long it didn't reveal her legs. And she was wearing makeup. You might not notice from afar, but up close, it was obvious. The doll joints etched into her face. She'd hidden the other joints with clothing somehow, but there was no completely concealing those on her face.

"B-Baesena..."

"Yep! You remembered my name!"

Baesena sidled right up close. Not a hint of hesitation. Even though she was a monster, not human, she was weirdly approachable.

"Wh-what brings you here...?"

"No need for formal speech! Just talk casual!"

And her voice was kinda loud. I was freaking out. Sure, she'd covered the doll joints with makeup, but if regular people spotted her like this, wouldn't that be dangerous...?

I instinctively glanced around at the passersby.

"No need to worry that much! People usually just think it's a costume!"

"I-is that so...?"

"I said talk casual! Anyway, I just dropped by! I heard the office was almost done!"

...Baesena was a monster who could endlessly duplicate ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠herself. And that wasn't all. Within the framework of being a doll, Baesena could take on any form imaginable. So some of the people walking the streets might actually be her extensions.

...Though she'd need to cover those facial joints better. If she really wanted to, she could infiltrate human society. That potential danger was probably why the Special Task Force kept her under strict surveillance.

"Oh, keep it secret from the Special Task Force guys that I'm here? I snuck out!"

"Snuck out...?"

"Yep! If they find out I ditched, it'll be awkward~ So let's keep it between us! You have secrets too, right, Yuri?"

With that, Baesena glanced at Ari and Lisa standing behind me.

Ugh...

"Let's talk inside first..."

"Sure!"

Baesena naturally fell in step behind me. Her affinity was seriously off the charts... It felt like encountering one of those "friends with everyone" heroine types from a rom-com, but in real life.

...The problem being she was a monster, not a person.

Anyway, we'd gone out as three, but we returned to the office as four.

"Cute name for the office! But why Liriri?"

"......"

Because our names all have "Ri" in them. With a sigh, I opened the door.

Originally, I considered calling it the Cute Girl Resolver Agency. But it felt too on-the-nose, and even though I was a cute girl, putting that on the sign felt... kinda embarrassing.

Wh-what's there to be embarrassed about as an otaku! Cute girls aren't embarrassing!—or so my inner self argued.

But still. Flaunting your values or beliefs outright feels shameful, doesn't it...? Better to be a cowardly girl than someone without shame, I figured.

Plus, "Cute Girl Resolver Agency" sounded kinda like a shady establishment... Didn't want any weird misunderstandings. So I went with Liriri Agency. Yuri, Ari, Lisa. Pretty good name, right?

"Nice big room, cool interior too! Must've cost a fortune?"

"Not that much... Um, want some coffee?"

"Yeah!"

I sat Baesena on the sofa and brought four cups of instant coffee from the break room.

...It felt a bit off that I, the agency head, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was making coffee when we had staff, but whatever. I handed cups to Ari, Lisa, and Baesena too.

Ari downed hers in one gulp. Food hot or cold, Ari ate anything without issue.

Lisa took hers and sipped leisurely.

Baesena blew on hers with a huhu before drinking.

"You make good coffee, Yuri! Our newbie can't make it and got chewed out by the section chief."

...Even as a doll, she could eat food, huh.

"Anyway, down to business... Why'd you really come here?"

"No need to be so tense~. I'm not here to cause trouble. I came to help you, Yuri."

"Help me?"

"Yep! You lied during that last interrogation, right?"

......

I unconsciously set down my paper cup.

"Wh-what? I didn't lie at all...?"

"Your voice is shaking, Yuri! That's how you get caught lying!"

"Ahem..."

I thought I'd nailed the perfect performance, but apparently acting wasn't my talent. Me, Mayuri, the universe's top cute girl. I figured once I returned to my original world as a cute girl, I'd cash in on this beauty. Become an idol devouring the industry? An actress shredding the competition? A cute girl YouTuber raking in rice-wheat sponsorships?

But looks like acting's off the table.

Sigh...

...I'll pass on the acting world.

"But I'll pretend I didn't see anything! What happened back then, how you solved it, what power you have— I won't ask! Honestly, I don't care!"

"Don't care...?"

"Yeah, that One Person Factory Manager? It got completely wiped out recently."

Baesena broached the topic like that. Think about it, Yuri. Why do you think we did that interrogation? To prevent recurrences, right? But if the One Person Factory Manager's gone, no more incidents like that. So what good's digging into how you solved it? Could you apply the same method to other Muksi Saengmyeongche? I don't think so! Pointless to uncover the truth if it doesn't help.

"Right, Yuri?"

She asked as if seeking agreement.

-You're treating humans like game characters, aren't you?

I'd heard something like that once. It was what the Special Task Force leader said to Baesena.

You command characters on a phone screen. The game has its own unique worldview, where characters live. But without your commands, they're precariously fragile, on the verge of collapse.

Over time, you grow attached, develop affection for those game characters.

That's the feeling.

"...So what are you trying to say?"

Mayuri asked, still tense. Did she think it was a threat? No such intention at all.

Baesena liked Mayuri. After all, she'd rescued Lee Kang-un.

Baesena was unusually a monster who wanted to save humans. So she liked humans who saved humans and hated monsters who harmed them. And Mayuri was a "human who could save humans."

"You don't want your power known, right, Yuri? I'll keep it secret! Use that power to save more people!"

Baesena said.

Baesena could split endlessly, but she wasn't omnipotent. Each individual doll wasn't that strong. If she arm-wrestled Mayuri right now, it'd be a close match.

So the more people saving others, the better for Baesena.

"But be careful not to get caught! You might not know, but those two aren't human, right? If the Special Task Force catches them... they might try to kill them!"

The Special Task Force aimed to protect humanity by exterminating all monsters in the world. No exceptions. Baesena was a target too. They just prioritized her low due to her utility.

If all other monsters vanished and only Baesena remained, they'd eliminate her without hesitation.

That was the organization. Even if a monster helped humans, if it was beyond their control... they'd kill it. They might even mistake Mayuri for a monster and kill her.

That wouldn't do. Mayuri was a "human saver"—killing her was unacceptable.

"I'll help you!"

The next day, Mayuri's business registration went through. The government kept monsters secret from the public, so monster-related registrations were handled by the Special Task Force.

There was a brief review, but Mayuri had solved the One Person Factory Manager and rescued former Special Task Force agent Lee Kang-un. Too valuable to memory-wipe into a civilian. Some suggested recruiting her, but

"She hates office life!" Baesena testified on her behalf.

The Special Task Force disliked uncontrolled elements. They weren't thrilled about a civilian business handling monsters.

But denying registration might push her to a cult like the High Sea Church. Their doctrine was simple: all humanity must die or become monsters. Half were terrorists, the other half potential ones.

Better to approve and maintain minimal control.

Thus, with Baesena's help, Mayuri completed her registration smoothly.

"...Thanks for the help, but why'd you do it?"

Mayuri asked cautiously, even after approval.

"No big reason! If you help more people, that makes me happy!"

"That's really all?"

"Hmm."

Still distrustful, huh. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Maybe natural. Humans often fear unexplained kindness.

And Baesena did have her own goal.

"Truth is, I run a shelter! The safest in the world—no monster can breach it!"

Her aim: gather people there.

This world had too much danger, too much misfortune. So build a shelter free of both, protect all humanity from monsters.

"You'll face lots of monsters ahead, Yuri. It won't be easy! If you wanna quit, just say so! Come to my shelter, and I'll protect you from the others!"

"Doubt that'll happen..."

"Got it! That's fine for now!"

Baesena said cheerfully. Her ideas weren't accepted this time either. But she didn't need understanding. This wasn't for approval.

Even without it, she'd protect humanity.

"Tell me anytime you change your mind!"

I ordered business cards.

Now I was undeniably the universe's top cute girl self-employed entrepreneur, Mayuri.

"...I was gonna ask Lee Kang-un for help."

Somehow, Baesena's aid got me registered. She even introduced a tax accountant. "Can't pick just anyone—monsters must stay secret," she said.

Hmm...

"Just my imagination...?"

Since coming to this world, zero human friends. Monster friends... about three.

I'm a cute girl, yet more popular with monsters than people. Must be my imagination...