Risk Level 2: Harpy
The elevator doors slid open, and a chilling array of gun barrels swung toward me. Even with my employee ID in hand, I couldn't bring myself to feel confident. No matter how many times it happened, having weapons aimed at my face was something I'd never get used to. How did this Joker manage to stay so calm? Maybe he was secretly tense behind that mask.
"Is there something on my mask?"
"...No, sir."
"Still, I distinctly remember asking you to review the files only when no one else was around. I didn't expect you to break protocol less than a day later."
"What? I mean—excuse me?"
At my bewildered expression, he slowly shook his head.
"We can track the exact time and location of every file access. You spent quite a while viewing Harpy's half-nude photos from your own home. Were you using them to... relieve yourself?"
"Ugh, no, nothing like that."
The blunt question, stripped of any metaphor, left me momentarily breathless—yet oddly calm. So my phone really did track those files. Given all the security measures I'd seen so far, it made sense. Still, no one had been around, and if I'd actually done anything, I wouldn't even feel guilty. With Nero watching me, there was no way I could have. That tension had been building for a while now. I had only been trying to memorize her face so I wouldn't freeze up during counseling. ...Really.
"Since no further issues arose, I'll overlook it this once. But if something similar happens again, your pay will be docked."
Docked pay was the last thing I needed.
"...Understood."
"Then let's go meet Harpy. I've already informed her about the counseling session, so she shouldn't faint at the mere sight of you like yesterday."
We passed the containment rooms holding those grotesque mermaid-like creatures and arrived once more at Harpy's door. After receiving the earpiece, I steeled myself and stepped into the garden inside the cage. Knowing she wasn't dangerous made my steps feel noticeably lighter than yesterday.
"Hello..."
Worried she might startle and faint again if I appeared suddenly, I kept offering awkward greetings as I walked, announcing my presence. Pushing aside a familiar clump of tall grass, I emerged into a wide clearing where a round tea table I hadn't seen before now stood. Seated quietly in front of it was Harpy.
She wore the same casual outfit as yesterday, her bare legs fully exposed. My gaze naturally drifted beneath the table to the plump thighs I'd seen in the photos.
"...Eep."
Noticing my stare, she quickly pressed her legs together. Then her voice began to echo in my mind.
He's looking...! He's really looking...!
Her voice was clear and lovely, like glass beads, but thick with tension.
Where is he looking...? Not at my hands... Then where? My legs...? He's staring at my legs! But... my legs aren't weird, are they...?
Realizing my gaze was the cause of her reaction, I cleared my throat and took a slow step closer.
Kyaah...! Don't come any closer...! You can't...!
Her frantic mental screams grew louder with every step until they peaked. I stopped immediately, realizing I had closed the distance to roughly two meters—the limit mentioned in her file. Her chair trembled as if she might bolt at any moment.
Counseling... Right, counseling. I pulled out a chair and sat down at a safe distance. Once the gap widened again, she stopped trembling.
"Mm..."
The distance still felt awkward for conversation, but at least we were facing each other. The team leader had said there was no rush and to focus on getting closer first, but... this was nerve-wracking.
"..."
Her light-brown bob suited her cute face, especially those large, round eyes that dominated her features. Staring into them, her innocent gaze and frightened pupils stirred a strong protective instinct. Those soft, slightly parted lips looked far too stimulating.
I knew she wasn't human—that she was classified alongside those mermaid creatures and kept here. Yet with such an adorable face right in front of me, my heart began to race for an entirely different reason. Every time I looked at her, yesterday's photos flashed through my mind, and my eyes drifted toward her chest.
"...Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm the new counselor."
"Y-yes..."
He said it...! A human man...!
Her inner voice kept squealing with excitement, making me feel embarrassed on her behalf.
"So... Harpy, you..."
Harpy...! He called me Harpy...!
Her mind was never quiet, like tiny fireworks constantly popping. She seemed like nothing more than a pure, easily flustered girl.
"From now on, you can just call me Counselor."
"Okay..."
Her spoken reply was quiet and passive, completely at odds with the whirlwind inside her head. Silence stretched between us. Though her thoughts never stopped, her mouth stayed firmly shut. Even this much response was more than I had hoped for, but the short answers made it hard to keep the conversation going. I had no choice but to keep asking questions.
"Earlier, when I..."
"..."
"Do you feel uncomfortable when someone gets too close?"
"...!"
I can't say.
Her mental voice dropped sharply, all previous energy vanishing in an instant.
I can't say... I can't say... I can't say...!
The tone sank into a deep mire, growing heavy and sorrowful so quickly it was startling. I felt the need to change the subject.
"No! You don't have to answer if it's difficult. I only said it because I want to get closer to you."
"E-hee...?"
He... he said he wants to get closer to me...!
She looked even more defenseless than I was when it came to the opposite sex. Thanks to her reaction, the heavy sadness in her voice quickly faded. Maybe I could do this after all.
*
"So this is the new counselor?"
Outside the cage, hidden by foliage, the management team leader stood watching the scene through a tablet. One hand rested behind his back while the other held the device. Even when a presence appeared behind him like a ghost, he didn't flinch.
"I like him."
"Hmph."
"Thinking back, every single person you've said you liked ended up dead within a month."
The one who had approached was a small girl with hair so long it dragged nearly ten meters across the floor. Dressed in a plain white dress, her hair, eyebrows, skin, and even her pupils were pure white, giving her an eerie, mystical aura. She clicked her tongue and shot him a sharp look.
"No. This time, I truly like him."
"...He's one of the few ability users among all those humans. We worked hard to find him, so make sure he doesn't die this time."
"Hearing you speak as if I deliberately neglected the previous counselors is rather unpleasant. Still, what does Observer think of him?"
The girl's pure white eyes reflected the Joker inside his mask. Surprisingly, the reflection showed a small-statured Joker wearing a perfectly fitted suit, struggling to hold the tablet with his short arms. Yet the white girl showed no surprise at the sight.
"My evaluation?"
"The fact that he hasn't misused his ability despite possessing it is already impressive. Though he might simply be foolish."
"...That's exactly why he was so hard to find."
After a moment of thought, the girl seemed to finish her assessment.
"But to me, he just looks like a foolish virgin who doesn't even understand his own ability."
The girl called Observer gave a harsh evaluation, yet Joker didn't deny it. Instead, he nodded in agreement.
"Still, it's a shame he's a virgin. I'm getting tired of asking the field team leader for help every time Harpy goes into heat..."
"I've heard enough of your complaints. I came here for one reason only—don't take that rookie to the woman on the fourth floor."
"Hmm? Did you see another interesting future?"
At his question, the girl smiled coldly, one corner of her mouth lifting.
"It was a future where you get killed by that rookie. Now that I think about it, it doesn't sound so bad."
"Hahaha..."
Having said what she came to say, the white girl turned and walked away. The door opened, her endless hair trailed after her, and only after it was fully outside did the door close.
The woman on the fourth floor. There was only one entity Observer would call "that woman." [RL.4 - Girl] The one she herself casually referred to as a bitch. Her ability to hear inner voices would be the worst possible matchup against him. For both of them.
"Now I'm curious... Wait, did she say that on purpose?"
Considering the twisted personality of that ancient snake wearing a girl's skin, it was entirely possible. The Joker turned his attention back to the tablet. If an opportunity arose later, he would look into it then. For now, simply watching the two of them fumble through their painfully awkward conversation was entertaining enough.