I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 88: Yuria and the Strange Doctor (3)

"Fixers, especially those who aren't well-known, often have deep ties to the underworld.

The reason is simple: no place has a higher demand for fixers than the underworld."

A fixer, after all, is essentially a high-performing errand center recognized worldwide.

But ordinary people living routine lives rarely find themselves in situations dire enough to require a fixer’s help.

Think about it: how often would a regular office worker, trudging through similar days like a hamster on a wheel, find themselves in a predicament severe enough to need outside assistance?

And even if a problem arose, most cases would be resolved by the police.

Hiring a fixer, especially at a significant cost, is the sort of thing that might happen once in a lifetime—if at all.

But life in the underworld is a different story.

Here, laws take a backseat to knives and fists, and the world resembles a brutal jungle.

In this environment, fixers who could take on jobs for the right price were like reliable mercenaries.

And since help from the police was out of the question, a fixer was often a lifeline—someone who could turn desperate situations around.

On the other hand, even for fixers, without a reputation, lucrative jobs were hard to come by.

For the lesser-known fixers, the underworld became a lucrative and irresistible blue ocean of opportunity.

“Your name is Yuria, right? Not a fan of candy? How about chocolate? This one’s quite expensive—what do you think?”

‘This guy’s a fixer too, isn’t he? The type who mostly takes requests from underworld clients. A fixer of the medical variety—someone who’d treat anyone as long as they paid.’

I cautiously observed the man, who was offering me candy and chocolate as if to earn my trust.

A rugged man with scars all over, his hair split into two colors—blue on one side, white on the other.

If my memory was correct, his name should be Crowd.

In the original story, he was a skilled but eccentric doctor who was the first choice for sick clients.

A flamboyant drag artist who cared not for gender norms, Crowd was a famous figure in his field.

In Night Haven, hospitals inevitably left a trail of records, and unlicensed private doctors often couldn’t be trusted.

But Crowd, with his verified skills and fixer credentials, stood out as a reliable and exceptional presence.

Wait... what if he’s not Crowd but someone who just looks like him?

...Come on. A rugged man with that unique hairstyle, feminine speech, and doctor’s uniform?

There can’t possibly be two people like that in this world—that would just be wrong.

“...Crowd, could we get to the point? Could you please examine her already?”

“Oh my, how cold of you. I just wanted to bond with this adorable young lady....”

Apparently, according to Alice, who still had her hands on my shoulders, this man was indeed Crowd.

Good. At least the world wasn’t broken.

As I mulled over thoughts that might hurt his feelings, I quietly accepted the candy he offered.

His looks might be intimidating, but his skills were top-notch—befriending him couldn’t hurt.

The candy’s wrapper revealed it was mint-flavored.

Mint, huh? Should I be relieved it’s not ginseng candy?

‘Wait... an examination? But I’m not sick.’

The idea puzzled me. Wasn’t the whole point of going to the doctor that something was wrong?

I turned my head back to look at Alice, who still had her hands on my shoulders.

Startled by my gaze, she shrank back as if burdened by guilt.

She probably thought I was upset about being tricked into coming to the clinic.

I wasn’t angry—just a little shocked.

What does she take me for? A child?

“W-why are you looking at me like that?”

“...?”

“Why are we at the clinic? Well... because it’s good to come even if you’re not sick! Preventative checkups are important!”

“....”

She wasn’t wrong.

There were plenty of cases where illnesses progressed without symptoms, only to be caught too late.

Issues that could’ve been resolved with medication early on might later require major surgery.

Logically, getting a checkup made sense.

Besides, I hadn’t been to a clinic since becoming Yuria, so maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea.

‘Then again, thanks to the Tesseract, I’m pretty sure my body’s fine. Isn’t this all unnecessary?’

A few months ago, when I was severely injured by Drakel, the Tesseract healed all my wounds.

Since then, I hadn’t been hurt once. What’s the point of an exam?

Still, seeing Alice’s nervous expression, this was likely something Raven or Greg had asked her to do.

Fine. I’ll go along with it. If they say I’m healthy, that’s a good thing, right?

I set down the bags I was holding and lightly tapped Alice’s arm, signaling her to let me go.

Thankfully, she understood, releasing my shoulders and stepping back hesitantly.

Now free, I raised my arms energetically, showing Crowd I was ready.

“...!”

"Oh my, such a spirited little one. Hmm, then let's start by taking off that mask, shall we? I’d love to keep your secrets safe, but it’s a bit of a hindrance for the examination. I hope you don’t mind?"

True. Wearing a mask during a health check-up would get in the way.

Considering this is a private clinic without other patients, there was no need to hide unnecessarily.

After a brief moment of thought, I nodded and removed the fox mask.

The moment the mask came off, a warm breeze brushed against my bare face, and Crowd’s eyes widened in utter shock.

His expression was as if he’d been struck by an unforeseen, devastating blow.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my! How can someone be this adorable?"

"Crowd! You’re overreacting—that might come off as intimidating!"

"Ah, my apologies. I can’t help it—I’m absolutely weak to cuteness."

Whoosh!

Alice quickly stepped in, pulling me into her arms and turning her back to Crowd as if shielding me.

She glared at him with wide, warning eyes, as though protecting me from a feral predator.

Her reaction wasn’t entirely unwarranted—Crowd’s wide-eyed, vein-popping expression was downright menacing.

If I had seen that face in a dark alley at night, I’d have assumed I was being mugged.

Could this guy be as much of a hardcore cuteness fanatic as Alice?

Peeking out from Alice’s protective embrace, I observed Crowd’s demeanor cautiously.

The moment our eyes met, he gave me a wink, his expression dripping with sugary sweetness. It was overwhelming.

"Haha, I’m truly amazed. Oh, how wonderful it would be to have a child like you! I completely understand why you’d wear a mask. Yes, treasures should be hidden from prying eyes!"

"Are you sure we can trust this guy with Yuria?"

Well, despite his eccentricity, he didn’t seem like a bad person.

To convey that I wasn’t particularly bothered, I gave Alice a small smile, which seemed to catch her off guard.

"Gasp! Th-that’s cheating! You can’t just smile at me like that!"

"...?"

Alice quickly turned her head, her face flushing as red as a tomato.

She still loves my face this much? Haven’t you gotten used to it by now?

Her ears were burning red as she tried to hide her flustered expression, which honestly, made her look quite adorable.

Eventually, Alice loosened her grip, freeing me.

She probably has her own schedule to keep, so it’s better not to drag this out too much.

I followed Crowd, who beckoned me with an exaggerated, wobbly gesture, as he led me further into the clinic.

"Alright then, let’s start the check-up. I’ve been asked to thoroughly examine your condition. Do you have any allergies or medications to avoid?"

"...."

"No? Got it. Alright, have a seat. Let’s start with your eyes."

Despite his eccentric demeanor, Crowd quickly shifted into a professional mode.

The so-called “Doctor of the Underworld” wasn’t a title given lightly.

He shone a small light into my eyes, inspected my ears and nose with a small tool, and even examined my throat and teeth with meticulous care.

Using a cold stethoscope, he checked my heartbeat and lungs, measured my height and weight, and had me pose for various scans using advanced equipment.

After taking a blood pressure reading, he finally drew some blood with an intimidating syringe.

Once everything was done, he reviewed the results with a serious expression.

"There’s absolutely nothing wrong. You’re healthy—no, beyond healthy. Your body is in such perfect condition that it’s almost unnerving."

Excuse me, then why do you look so scary about it?

I glanced at him with uncertainty, moving only my eyes, and Alice tilted her head curiously.

"Perfect health? Isn’t that a good thing?"

"Sigh. Normally, the human body naturally becomes unbalanced. Alice, when you chew food, do you always chew the exact same number of times on each side of your mouth?"

"Huh? Of course not. Who could do that?"

Alice squinted as though just imagining the effort was exhausting.

Exactly. Who’d willingly put themselves through that hassle?

Crowd nodded knowingly, continuing his explanation.

"Exactly. The human body, by nature, uses one side more than the other, leading to slight imbalances. It’s not a bad thing—it’s just how things work. But Yuria is different."

"Different how?"

"Her body shows no signs of imbalance. It’s... unnaturally perfect. It’s almost as if... No, never mind. That’s a conversation for another time. Should I send the results over or print them for you?"

"Print them, please. Can I also get a digital copy?"

"Of course. I’ll send a copy to Raven later as well."

Crowd stood up abruptly, as if he had no intention of delving further into the matter.

Perhaps the results had been too shocking for him.

For me, though, not having any health issues felt like a relief.

Haha, the best health possible! This is practically the highest praise.

As I sat there, quietly basking in the results, Crowd gestured for Alice to step aside.

"Me? Oh, okay. Yuria, just wait here and enjoy some snacks. The adults need to talk for a moment."

"...."

Adults-only talk, huh?

It was a little suspicious—especially since they occasionally glanced in my direction.

‘Echo, can you tap into Alice’s device and listen to what they’re saying?’

[Yes! I’ll try it now!]

My ever-reliable assistant, Echo, immediately got to work.

Soon, a soft, unassuming melody began playing in my earpiece—a signal that their conversation was being picked up.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

I carefully adjusted the volume, making sure no sound escaped, and leaned in to listen.

[“...I looked closely at Yuria’s throat as you asked. There’s no physical issue. She’s perfectly healthy, so her inability to speak isn’t due to her vocal cords. It’s likely psychological or...”]

[“A curse, perhaps?”]

[“...It’s embarrassing for me as a doctor to admit, but yes. It’s highly likely she’s under some kind of curse.”]

Wait... what? I’m cursed?

Hearing their conversation, my eyes widened in shock.