Chapter 46

Clearing snow off the streets is backbreaking work.

It’s not just the effort of shoveling or sweeping—it’s the fact that if snow is left unattended for too long, it hardens into ice.

Once it freezes solid, no broom or plastic shovel will do; you’d need a sturdy pickaxe or metal shovel to even make a dent.

That’s why people rush out to clear snow as soon as it starts falling, no matter how inconvenient it may seem.

‘Is this how I should do it?’

But that wasn’t an issue for me now.

Psychokinesis doesn’t operate like ordinary physical forces.

It feels more like having countless invisible hands that can grab and move objects.

By applying this concept creatively, I found it surprisingly easy to separate frozen snow from the surface it clung to.

Crunch!

I stomped lightly, sending psychokinetic force shooting out like an arrow in the direction I was facing.

The ice that had fused with the ground tore off in chunks, scattering through the air like sparkling jewels.

When I stomped again, the shards of ice hovering mid-air split apart neatly, as if a giant hand had swept them to the sides.

The scene was so dramatic it reminded me of Moses parting the Red Sea.

Looking at the result, a job that would’ve taken a grown man half an hour was done in just five seconds.

‘…Yeah, it’s clear. My output and precision have improved significantly since yesterday.’

This early morning spectacle in front of Greg’s general store wasn’t just to clear snow.

After exposing the Tesseract to that strange shard last night, I’d felt my psychokinesis grow noticeably stronger and wanted to test it firsthand.

The results were undeniable.

If my psychokinesis had been at a power level of 10 yesterday morning, today it felt closer to 12 or 13.

This sudden boost in growth was comparable to the progress I’d made over several months of struggling in back alleys. It was enough to make me tilt my head in bewilderment.

‘Hmm… I don’t really understand. Did the shard and the Tesseract react somehow? And why was I affected just by being near them?’

Why would the Tesseract’s reaction with the shard enhance my psychokinesis?

Feeling increasingly confused, I pulled the Tesseract out from under my maid uniform.

But the Tesseract remained still, as if deeply asleep.

If my eyes hadn’t deceived me, I’d seen something flow from the shard into the Tesseract. Was it still not enough to wake it?

‘…Still, I feel like I’m onto something. If I gather similar shards and keep feeding them to the Tesseract, eventually, something will change.’

With that thought, I tucked the Tesseract back into my uniform and started heading toward the office, my boots crunching through the now-clear street.

First, I needed to find out why Raven had that metal shard in the first place.

If I could figure that out, I might discover how to wake the Tesseract.

Investigating the Invader threat while solving this mystery—it was a two-birds-one-stone situation.

And if this process kept strengthening my psychokinesis, it would be a win-win-win scenario.

In the frosty morning air, with visible puffs of breath, my path became clearer.

“Ah, part-timer. You’re back. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“…?”

When I returned to the office, huddled in my coat, Raven greeted me lazily from the sofa, where he was sprawled in his usual suit.

Before I’d left, he’d been snoring away in his room. It seemed he’d woken up, showered, and changed clothes while I was out.

But why had he been waiting for me?

I tilted my head, unsure of his intentions, and Raven responded with his usual indifferent tone.

“You haven’t eaten, have you? Let’s eat together.”

“….”

Oh, right. I hadn’t had breakfast yet.

Since there was no reason to refuse, I nodded obediently to Raven’s suggestion.

Breakfast consisted of fried eggs and bacon—basic ingredients scavenged from the fridge.

It wasn’t exactly a gourmet meal, more like the simple fare a young office worker living alone might throw together.

Still, I wasn’t picky, and it was enough to fill my stomach.

“…!”

“You’re going to do the dishes? Sure, go ahead. The dishwasher’s over there—just toss them in.”

“….”

Wait, he had a dishwasher?

I’d planned to wash the dishes by hand as a gesture of thanks, so I felt slightly disappointed.

Nonetheless, I wiped the grease off the frying pan and plates before loading them into the dishwasher and pressing the button.

Come to think of it, this was much easier than scrubbing everything by hand.

Acknowledging Raven’s practical wisdom, I nodded and stretched before heading to the sink to brush my teeth.

By the time I came back out, the office was abuzz with noise. Alice and David must have arrived.

“Yuria! Good morning!”

“…!”

“Good morning.”

“….”

I raised my hand to greet Alice, whose eyes sparkled with unusual intensity, and David, who gave a calm nod.

Then, as usual, I sat quietly on the sofa, keeping a composed posture.

Since greeting clients was my main duty, I didn’t have much to do unless someone walked through the door.

Normally, I’d sit like this, blinking idly and waiting for work.

But Alice sidled up to me, pulled me onto her lap, and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, making escape impossible.

The physical closeness was overwhelming, our bodies pressed tightly together.

Still, maybe because I’d gotten used to it, I didn’t react as dramatically as I had the first time.

Back then, just being held like this had sent shivers up my spine and made me flail to escape. Now, I simply sat there calmly, munching on cookies from the table. ŕâ₦𝔬ꞖƐ𝘚

After all, Alice had been doing this every day for two weeks. Like it or not, I’d adapted.

But as Alice sniffed the back of my head while holding me, her voice suddenly turned wistful.

“Yuria smells like Raven….”

“That’s because we use the same shampoo and body wash.”

“My precious Yuria! What have you done to her?”

“I didn’t do anything, you idiot. Please, for the love of all that’s good, don’t say stuff like that in public. I don’t want to end up explaining myself to the police. The future of the office depends on this!”

Raven sighed, scratching his head as if already drained. He slumped back into the sofa across from me, looking completely exhausted.

Then, without any hesitation, he reached out and grabbed a handful of the chocolate rings I’d been eating, popping them into his mouth and chewing loudly.

Seriously? Why is he taking my food?

I stared at him in disbelief, but Raven didn’t even notice my irritation. Instead, he licked the chocolate off his fingers nonchalantly.

“Oh? Jin, your clothes look a bit different today. They’re thicker than usual, aren’t they?”

“What? You’re just noticing? I switched to this yesterday. It’s my winter suit.”

“Oh… I guess I was too distracted yesterday to notice….”

Twitch.

My ears, still perched on Alice’s lap, perked up at the mention of something suspicious.

Now that I looked closely, there was indeed a difference.

Yesterday, I’d barely glanced at him, so I hadn’t noticed, but the material did seem a bit thicker.

Apparently, the cold weather had prompted Raven to dig out his winter suit from a wardrobe….

‘Wardrobe? Did he just say wardrobe?’

Something smells fishy.

A shard from his wardrobe, paired with the mysterious wardrobe I hadn’t gotten a chance to investigate yesterday? If I couldn’t connect those dots, I’d be a fool.

What was that wardrobe hiding? I couldn’t recall if it had been mentioned in the original story or not—it might’ve been, or it might not have.

‘Tonight, when Raven’s in the shower, I’ll check the wardrobe. There’s bound to be something hidden inside.’

As I organized my thoughts, I quietly made plans.

From what I’d observed, Raven took about five minutes to shower.

The wardrobe was large enough to fit two big closets. Five minutes should be enough to at least glance through its contents.

While I mulled over my plan, time passed, and clients began to arrive, as usual.

Raven wasn’t particularly famous yet, so we didn’t get any difficult requests.

But thanks to his exceptional skills—far beyond what the simpler requests warranted—most issues were resolved on the spot. Our success rate and client satisfaction were practically perfect.

Maybe he’d been extra motivated because there were more people in the office now.

At this rate, it wouldn’t take long for him to rise as the dark horse of Nighthaven’s Fixer scene. By then, I’d probably be back working at Greg’s shop!

“Thank you so much, young man. You’ll be blessed for this, I’m sure!”

“Not at all. Thank you for trusting me with your request. Get home safely.”

With that, the day’s final job—finding someone named Mia—was completed, and it was finally time to call it a day.

Alice, ready to leave with her belongings in hand, turned to me with a wistful expression.

“Goodbye, Yuria… I’ll see you tomorrow. Honestly, I wish I could stay here overnight too….”

“Then stay. I won’t stop you.”

“Haha, but my sister’s coming home today, so I need to take care of her. Well, see you!”

“…!”

“Take care. Send my regards to Lily.”

“I’ll be heading out as well.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow.”

Alice, who had grown much closer to me since her sleepover, left with a bright smile, and David followed suit with a light wave.

The bustling office, which had been lively just moments ago, quickly fell silent.

Though I usually preferred quiet over noise, the office somehow felt better when it was lively.

“Alright, let’s head inside. Yaaawn… What should we eat for dinner?”

“….”

Raven, now alone with me, lazily shuffled toward his room.

For him, the day’s Fixer work was done.

But my work wasn’t over yet. No, it was just beginning.

Dinner was a simple bento box ordered from a nearby shop: a bowl of rice topped with perfectly grilled fish. Delicious.

After eating, I let Raven take the first turn in the shower. The moment he disappeared into the bathroom, I slipped into his room and immediately opened the wardrobe.

I had about five minutes.

There was no time to hesitate.

‘…Ah.’

What I hadn’t accounted for was Raven’s complete lack of organization.

The inside of the wardrobe was utter chaos.

Boxes and items were piled together haphazardly, creating a chaotic jumble of disorder.

How was I supposed to go through all this in five minutes?

Feeling a wave of dizziness at the sight of the mess, I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration.