Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: There's a Secret in That Closet (1)
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Shoveling snow from the streets is hard work.
Beyond the sheer effort of clearing it with a broom or shovel, leaving snow out for too long causes it to freeze solid.
Once it's firmly frozen to the ground, a broom or a plastic shovel is useless; you need a sturdy pickaxe or a metal shovel to even make a dent.
There's a good reason people rush outside to clear the snow whenever it falls heavily.
*Is this how I should do it?*
But that didn't really apply to me right now.
Psychokinesis operates on principles different from ordinary physics.
It feels like being able to grab and move objects with countless tiny, invisible hands.
So, with a bit of application, pushing the frozen snow off the surface of the ground wasn't as difficult as one might think.
*Crack!*
I lightly stomped my foot, shooting my psychokinesis forward like an arrow.
The ice, frozen solid to the ground, was forcibly ripped away, scattering into the air like jewels.
Then, with another loud stomp, the airborne ice fragments parted neatly to either side, as if swept away by the hand of a giant.
It was a stunning sight, reminiscent of Moses parting the Red Sea.
I stared at the result—a job that would have taken a grown man thirty minutes, completed in five seconds—and thought to myself.
*...Yeah. I'm sure of it. Compared to just yesterday, my power and precision have noticeably increased.*
I was clearing snow so boisterously in front of Greg's general store this early in the morning for a specific reason.
After bringing that unidentified metal fragment near the Tesseract last night, I felt my psychokinesis had grown significantly stronger, and I wanted to experience the change firsthand.
And the result was crystal clear.
If my psychokinetic output yesterday morning was around a 10, today it felt like a 12 or 13.
This growth spurt was comparable to the increase I'd gained from struggling in the back alleys for the past few months. I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion.
*Hmm... I don't get it. What kind of reaction happened between the fragment and the Tesseract? And why was I, just standing there, affected by it?*
Seriously, the Tesseract and the fragment reacted, so why did my psychokinesis get stronger?
My mind a jumble of thoughts, I took out the Tesseract I had tucked inside my maid uniform.
But the Tesseract remained completely still, as if in a deep sleep.
If my eyes hadn't deceived me, something had left the fragment and been absorbed by the Tesseract. Was that still not enough to wake it up?
*...Still, I feel like I've found a clue. If I gather similar fragments and keep giving them to the Tesseract, something will eventually happen, right?*
Having organized my thoughts, I tucked the Tesseract back into my uniform and strode down the now snow-free street toward the agency.
First, I need to find out why Raven had that metal fragment.
I might be able to figure out how to awaken the sleeping Tesseract.
This way, I can investigate the Invader threat at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone.
No, considering my psychokinesis is getting stronger too, it's more like killing three birds with one stone.
Amidst the cold morning air where my breath turned to white mist, my path forward became clear.
*
"Ah, part-timer. You're back. I was waiting for you."
"...?"
When I returned to the agency, bundled up in my coat, Raven, dressed in his usual suit, called out to me while lounging on the sofa.
Before I left, he had been snoring away in his room. It seemed he'd woken up, washed, and changed. But why was he waiting for me?
I tilted my head, questioning his meaning, and Raven looked at me indifferently before speaking.
"You haven't eaten, right? Let's eat together."
"..."
Oh, right. I haven't eaten.
Having no reason to refuse Raven's offer, I obediently nodded.
Breakfast was fried eggs and bacon, made with eggs and bacon that had been rolling around in the fridge.
It felt less like a proper meal and more like something a young professional living alone would whip up.
Of course, for someone like me who isn't a picky eater, it was more than enough to satisfy my hunger.
"...!"
"You're going to do the dishes? Go ahead. There's a dishwasher over there. Just toss them in."
"..."
What, I was going to wash the dishes as thanks, but he has a dishwasher.
A little disappointed, I wiped the grease from the frying pan and plates, skillfully arranged them in the dishwasher, and pressed the start button.
Yeah, now that I think about it, this is much more convenient than putting on gloves and washing everything by hand.
I nodded at Raven's profound wisdom, stretched lightly, and headed for the sink.
After brushing my teeth and coming out, I noticed the office had become quite lively.
It seemed Alice and David had arrived for work.
"Yuria! Good morning!"
"...!"
"Good morning."
"..."
I raised a hand in greeting to Alice, whose gaze seemed unusually intense today, and to David, who offered a solemn greeting.
Then, as usual, I sat primly on the sofa.
Since my main job was reception, I didn't have much to do until a client arrived.
I usually just sat quietly like this, blinking my eyes.
Just then, Alice, who had sidled up next to me, swiftly placed me on her lap and wrapped her arms around my shoulders to keep me from escaping.
It was an uncomfortably close form of physical contact, our bodies pressed tightly together.
But perhaps because I was used to it now...
I remember the first time it happened, goosebumps rose on my neck and I scrambled to get away. Now, I just nonchalantly nibbled on the snacks on the table while being held.
Honestly, Alice had been doing this for more than a day or two. After two straight weeks of this, you're forced to adapt whether you want to or not.
But did something bother Alice as she held me and sniffed the back of my head?
She muttered in a somewhat melancholic voice.
"Yuria smells the same as Mr. Raven..."
"That's because we use the same shampoo and body wash."
"What have you done to my precious Yuria!"
"I didn't do anything, you brat. Please, I'm begging you, don't say things like that in front of others. I feel like I'm about to get hauled in for questioning by the police, you know? The future of the agency is at stake."
With those words, Raven scratched his head, looking drained, and slumped onto the sofa across from me.
Then he reached out, grabbed a handful of the chocolate rings I was eating, and started munching on them. Hey, why is he taking my food?
Deprived of my snack, I shot Raven a look of disbelief, but he paid me no mind and just licked the chocolate off his fingers.
"Oh, but Mr. Jin. Your suit looks a little different, doesn't it? It seems... thicker than usual."
"What, you're just noticing? I've been wearing this since yesterday. It's for winter."
"Ah... I was a bit out of it yesterday..."
*Twitch.*
Held in Alice's arms, my ears picked up something unusual.
Looking closely, there was indeed a difference. At a glance yesterday, the shape and color seemed similar, so I hadn't noticed, but now I could see it was a bit thicker.
From what I overheard, he'd taken out his winter suit, which had been dormant in the closet, because it was too cold...
*Closet? Did he just say closet?*
I sensed a lead.
The suspicious closet I couldn't check yesterday and the fragment found inside the clothes he took from it... you'd have to be an idiot not to connect the two.
What on earth is that closet? Was it mentioned in the original story...? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.
*Today, while Raven is in the shower, I'll check the closet. There must be some secret hidden inside.*
I organized my thoughts and secretly made a plan.
I roughly timed him yesterday; it took about five minutes for him to finish showering and come out.
The closet was about the size of two large wardrobes. Five minutes should be enough to get a rough idea of what was inside.
While I was lost in thought, time passed, and clients began to arrive as usual.
Perhaps because Raven wasn't very famous yet, we didn't get any difficult cases.
Plus, with Raven's outstanding skills—far beyond what was needed for these simple jobs—most problems were solved on the spot. The success and satisfaction rates were both close to 100%.
Maybe it was because the agency had more people now, making Raven a bit more motivated than usual.
At this rate, he was sure to rise as a dark horse in Nighthaven's Fixer scene. Well, by then, I'd probably be working at Greg's store!
"Oh, thank you, young man. You'll surely be blessed one day."
"Not at all. Thank you for hiring us. Please get home safely."
After the last case of the day—a missing child search—it was finally time to go home.
Alice, having packed her things and ready to leave, looked at me regretfully and said.
"Bye, Yuria... See you tomorrow. I wish I could spend the night here again..."
"Then stay. I'm not stopping you."
"Haha, my sister is coming home today, so I have to take care of her. Well then, I'll be going now!"
"...!"
"See you. Say hi to Lily for me."
"I'll be taking my leave as well."
"Alright, alright. See you tomorrow."
Alice, who seemed to have grown much closer to us since she stayed over, left with a bright smile, and David also departed with a simple farewell.
The office, which had been bustling just moments ago, fell into a quiet stillness as if it had never been otherwise.
I usually prefer quiet over noise, but I thought the agency was better when it was lively.
"Well then, let's head in too. *Yawn*... What should we have for dinner?"
"..."
After seeing Alice and David off, Raven ambled inside with a leisurely gait.
The day's Fixer work was over.
But my own work wasn't finished. No, you could say it was just beginning.
Dinner was takeout from a nearby shop.
A Japanese-style rice bowl with a large, well-grilled fish. It was delicious.
And after dinner, he accepted my gesture of letting him go first and entered the shower.
I tiptoed into Raven's room and, without a moment's hesitation, threw open the closet doors.
I had about five minutes.
There was no time to waste.
*...Ah.*
But if there was one thing I hadn't anticipated, it was that Raven was not a tidy person.
The closet before me was an absolute mess.
A chaotic jumble of boxes and items, thrown together without any sense of order.
How on earth was I supposed to search through this in five minutes?
A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I had no choice but to squeeze my eyes shut.