I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad

The trope of an ugly duckling turning into a stunning beauty was as old as the Bronze Age, akin to tales told around fires long before written history.

It was such a cliché that it had lost its shock value entirely. Yet, despite its predictability, the group couldn’t pull themselves out of their astonishment after seeing Aisha’s bare face.

Surely, they must have expected her makeup-free face to differ from her usual appearance. 

The reason for their reaction, however, was clear: the transformation was far beyond anyone’s expectations.

“Oh… Why is everyone staring? Ah, this is your first time seeing my bare face. It’s me, Aisha,” she said sheepishly.

“Yes, we can see that, but….”

Her face without makeup was nothing short of stunning.

Her skin wasn’t the unnaturally pale white of flour or chalk but radiantly vibrant, like milk infused with peaches. 

Her long, otherworldly lashes framed eyes that sparkled like stars. Beneath her sculpted nose, lips the color of fresh roses glistened with life.

A faint droplet of water tracing her jawline added a subtle allure to her overall innocence, drawing anyone who looked at her into a silent captivation.

Her beauty was overwhelming, as if carved from perfection itself. It was almost infuriating to think such a treasure had been hidden behind garish makeup.

“This is… completely beyond imagination,” David murmured.

“Wow, unnie, you’re so pretty!” Alice chimed in, her voice full of admiration.

“…!”

“Th-thank you,” Aisha replied, slightly flustered.

Standing beside David and Alice, I casually gave her a thumbs-up. Having read the original story, I already knew she was beautiful, but this? This was next-level.

If I hadn’t already seen her face in the past, I might have ended up staring blankly like the others. Her beauty was simply that disarming.

While I nodded in quiet approval, Raven finally shook off his shock and addressed her.

“So, you said you had a new request? Got the money for it?”

“Jin…,” Alice scolded, exasperated.

“What? Why are you giving me that look? Unless this is about a free service because the job wasn’t completed, which it was, any new requests require payment. We’re not running a charity here.”

“Well, you’re not wrong…,” Alice admitted reluctantly.

Unbothered by the mood, Raven leaned back in his chair and questioned Aisha. 

Though their professional relationship technically ended after they identified the stalker, if she wanted to make another request, she would still be treated as a client.

While Alice worried about pushing a stressed client too hard, there wasn’t much to do. With Bold revealed as the stalker, continuing her idol career at Codria was impossible. A peaceful resolution didn’t exist in this case.

Aisha seemed to share Raven’s practical view. She responded brightly, showing no sign of being fazed.

“Yes, I completely agree with you, Raven. Actually, I feel so much better now. Quitting that company was the best thing for me!”

“Well, glad to see customer satisfaction is still a priority,” Raven replied with a smirk. “So, what’s this new request? Want us to get revenge on your old manager or Bold? We can make them cry without breaking any laws.”

“Wow, Jin, saying that with such a sinister look makes you sound like a full-blown villain!” Alice exclaimed, horrified.

“As a fixer, I’m allowed certain leeway when it comes to property damage or limited violence. It’s all in the contract,” David added, his tone deadly serious.

“David, too?! Are you seriously considering it?” Alice protested.

Raven, now sipping his drink, flashed Aisha a sly grin. His sharp features and mischievous expression gave him the air of a classic villain, a role he seemed to relish. 

David, seemingly fully invested in the topic of idol-related justice, was just as animated.

Alice, as a former police cadet, was understandably flustered. The prospect of deliberately planning to ruin someone’s life didn’t sit well with her principles.

Still, I wasn’t worried—Aisha wasn’t here for anything like that.

While Alice hugged me tightly, likely seeking moral support, she implored, “Y-Yuria, don’t grow up to be like them, okay?”

“…!”

Honestly, I did think Bold deserved some punishment, but for Alice’s sake, I nodded vigorously, promising to stay on the straight and narrow.

Our little scene seemed to amuse Aisha. She giggled behind her hand before composing herself, about to explain her new request.

But before she could speak, the café door burst open, and someone came rushing toward us.

“Ahhh!”

Crash!

The figure tripped over their own feet and rolled toward our table, nearly causing a major accident.

Reacting swiftly, Raven stood and stopped the person with one firm press of his foot, as though handling a stray soccer ball.

When the dust settled, the identity of the intruder became clear.

“Oh, it’s the manager?” Alice gasped.

“What’s he doing here? Isn’t that the stalking manager who cooperated with Baldy?” David growled.

The red-haired man sprawled on the floor was none other than Aisha’s manager, who had been complicit in stalking her under Bold’s orders.

Given his involvement, he was the last person who should have shown up here.

“How did he find us?!” Alice exclaimed.

“How thick-faced do you have to be to come here after everything you’ve done?” David added, his tone dangerously low.

It seemed like David was ready to strike, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if the manager ended up as nothing more than a bruised pulp.

But just as the tension hit its peak, Aisha sprang to her feet and intervened.

“W-wait! Calm down, everyone. I asked him to come.”

“You… did?” Alice blinked in confusion.

“Well… while I was removing my makeup earlier, the manager contacted me. He said he regrets what he did and genuinely wants to apologize.”

Aisha pulled out her device, showing us the messages she exchanged with the manager.

Sure enough, the messages displayed a heartfelt confession of guilt and a plea for a chance to make things right.

Even so, he was an accomplice. What exactly did she see in him to warrant this trust?

David and Alice reluctantly sat back down, their expressions screaming that they wanted to question her judgment.

Once trust is broken, rebuilding it is almost impossible. Unlike Raven, who remained his usual unbothered self, David and Alice glared daggers at the manager, anger clear on their faces.

Meanwhile, the manager knelt on the hard floor, his forehead pressed against it as he cried out,

“I’m so, so sorry! This is all my fault! No matter how desperate I was for money, I should never have accepted Bold’s proposal! If you resent me, I’ll accept it—it’s what I deserve! Even if you can’t forgive trash like me, please, give me just one chance to atone!”

“One chance? What do you mean?”

“I’ll explain everything—why Bold did this to you, all of it!”

With his forehead reddened from his display, the manager looked up at Aisha, his voice trembling with sincerity.

‘If only he hadn’t done it in the first place,’ I thought with a sigh.

I glanced at Aisha, who seemed deep in thought. Then, noticing a few people discreetly filming the scene, I discreetly used telekinesis to blur the images on their cameras. It wouldn’t do to have this circus end up online.

As I nonchalantly averted the filming attempts, Aisha and Raven exchanged a brief glance before Aisha spoke in a calm, measured voice.

“Let’s move somewhere more private. This isn’t the kind of conversation to have here.”

“Fine. Let’s head back to the office. It’s quieter there,” Raven replied.

We stood up to leave, wary of the attention Aisha’s stunning appearance had drawn. I couldn’t help but grumble internally at the gawking strangers.

Back at the Problem-Solvers’ office, we gathered in the lounge. My spot was right next to Alice—a position that made me feel like a cherished plush toy.

Once we were settled, the manager, his expression utterly serious, began to speak.

“Where should I start? I suppose with the stalker situation,” he began.

He explained why Bold had orchestrated Aisha’s harassment via a stalker.

It was simple: Codria didn’t want to tarnish their reputation by openly discarding an unprofitable “maximized idol” like Aisha. 

If rumors spread that Codria abandoned idols supporting marginalized communities, their image would take a hit.

Instead, framing Aisha’s departure as voluntary due to a stalker was the company’s best scenario.

“That’s… that’s such a petty reason!” Alice exclaimed, outraged.

“It’s not petty,” the manager countered. “Codria is one of the leading agencies in the revitalized idol industry. Every detail of their image is critical. A single blemish can make or break their future. Of course, Bold is now stuck cleaning up the mess, but that’s another story.”

Pressing an ice pack I handed him against his forehead, the manager sighed and continued.

In the corporate world, maintaining a positive image often came at the cost of ethical decisions. Codria had created a good image by supporting idols like Aisha, so they couldn’t risk destroying that investment outright.

One question was answered, but many remained.

David, still pondering, raised a hand to ask,

“I have one more question. Why did Codria debut Aisha as a maximized idol in the first place? With her looks, she could have been a major financial asset.”

“That’s… due to some unfortunate timing,” the manager explained. “When Aisha joined as a trainee, a group involving an investor’s child was about to debut. Naturally, the higher-ups didn’t want Aisha overshadowing them. She might have been a financial boon, but losing a key investor would’ve been disastrous. Codria had to choose.”

Amusingly, that investor-backed group ended up performing poorly, stuck in the mid-tier rankings.

The manager, his head hung low, seemed to feel both regretful and absurd about the situation. Aisha, abandoned despite her potential, was clearly a victim of circumstances.

Scratching his head, Raven spoke up, clearly unimpressed.

“Why didn’t they just hold off for a while and debut her later? Then they’d benefit from both.”

“They probably worried she’d jump to another agency in the meantime. With her potential, another company could easily polish her into a superstar. So, they erased her individuality by debuting her as a maximized idol. It was cruel, but it kept her tied down.”

“I actually found it kind of fun, being a maximized idol,” Aisha said with a bittersweet smile.

Her dream hadn’t been to become the world’s greatest idol, just to be an idol. But after three months of being pushed around, it was over.

Suddenly, her gaze sharpened as she turned to Raven, seemingly resolute. Straightening her back, she spoke with clear determination.

“Mr. Raven. I still want to be an idol. I’ll give you every penny I’ve saved. Will you help me become one again?”

Gone was the hesitant girl from before. She radiated confidence, like a star ready to shine.

Raven, leaning back on the sofa, gave her a casual response,

“Sounds fun. Let’s do it.”

“Whoo!”

“David, calm down!” Alice protested.

To make Aisha a star once more—the team was fired up with enthusiasm.

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