I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 93: The Best Way to Spend a Holiday is Relaxing at a Hotel (1)

As we emerged from the long tunnel, sunlight pierced my eyes.

How long had it been since I’d last seen such clear weather?

The bright sky, free of even a single cloud, felt almost unfamiliar.

“Wow, it’s the ocean!”

Alice, sitting next to me, shouted excitedly in my direction.

Though, to be precise, her gaze was fixed on the window beside me.

I blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, and slowly turned my head to the side.

What came into view was a sparkling blue ocean, gleaming like a jewel.

Even though I must have seen it dozens of times in my life, the sight still managed to fill me with an unintentional sense of excitement.

However, Raven, seated in the passenger seat, seemed to have a different perspective.

In a disinterested tone, he criticized Alice, who was practically buzzing with enthusiasm.

“What’s with the reaction like you’ve never seen it before? There’s an ocean in Night Haven too.”

“Oh, come on, that’s totally different. There isn’t even a proper beach there.”

“An ocean’s an ocean. You’re not going in the water with this weather anyway, so what’s the big deal?”

“Ugh, I’ve told you before! You have zero sense of romance! You’re such a cynical realist!”

“Ha, really? Well, I’d take being a realist over being an airhead with flowers in their head any day.”

“What did you just say?! Who are you calling an airhead with flowers in their head?!”

As usual, Raven in the front seat and Alice in the back started bickering like cats and dogs.

Honestly, it was impressive how they could make such a fuss over the smallest things—they were truly a well-matched pair.

If they were going to fight like this, it might’ve been better if I’d taken the passenger seat instead.

The poor guy in the driver’s seat, Olive, a tanned, bald man with a bodybuilder’s physique, kept glancing nervously between them.

“And it’s not just romance—you’re completely joyless. Last time, you ruined the mood during a movie by constantly nitpicking how unrealistic it was!”

“But it was unrealistic! How does the heroine fall in love with the protagonist just because he was stealing? What, does she have some kind of robbery fetish? Does it all come down to his good looks?”

“And so what if it does?! How much realism are you expecting from a romance movie?!”

“Ugh... What do I even do about this?”

“...”

I’m sorry on their behalf, Olive. Our group can be a bit immature sometimes.

I silently apologized to Olive, who kept his head low and continued driving, looking like he was just trying to endure.

Still, they’d probably calm down soon enough.

They were just arguing out of boredom, and I was sure they’d stop once we got closer to our destination.

With that thought, I lightened my mood, rested my chin on my hand, and gazed absentmindedly at the white waves crashing against the blue sea.

How much time passed with Raven and Alice’s bickering as background noise?

By the time they made up, as they always did, we had arrived at our destination.

“Wow... it’s packed with people, like sprouted bean sprouts,” Raven muttered, looking around with a face full of dismay.

Even though we hadn’t even reached the entrance yet, the area was already swarming with people.

Maybe he preferred quieter places with fewer people, like me.

Raven scratched the back of his head awkwardly, clearly regretting coming here.

Unaware of his thoughts, Alice crossed her arms and spoke matter-of-factly.

“Well, of course! Saint Maria Hotel is a super popular resort. Plenty of people must’ve planned to enjoy it during Night Week, just like us. Honestly, even getting a room was a nightmare!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’ve told us like ten times about how hard you worked to book two rooms a month in advance. Thanks, seriously.”

“Hmph, as long as you know! It was really hard, you know?”

Alice seemed proud of herself for conquering the near-impossible odds of securing a reservation during the booking war.

With a triumphant look, she placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest as if to say, “Aren’t I amazing?”

This naturally emphasized the weight in front of her, making it hard not to notice.

Both Olive and Raven, who had been looking back, quickly redirected their gazes forward. Well, Alice was... noticeable.

Oblivious to their reactions, Alice tilted her head in confusion.

Raven cleared his throat awkwardly and redirected the conversation to Olive.

“Anyway, Olive, thanks so much for driving us all this way.”

“Oh, no problem. My boss thought it’d be better to drive you myself rather than just lending you a car.”

“...Hey, Raven, isn’t this because you totaled a car last time?”

“Ah, maybe. Yeah, I guess I did wreck one spectacularly.”

“Looks like you’ve lost their trust completely.”

“Ha, ha! No, it’s nothing like that! Hahaha!”

Olive forced a stiff, awkward laugh, his face betraying his discomfort.

It seemed he wasn’t very good at lying.

Well, considering how Raven had completely wrecked the car Aisha borrowed for her mission a while back,

the boss probably figured it’d be less risky to just chauffeur us directly.

It’s a reminder to live responsibly, though I suppose Raven’s job as a troubleshooter inevitably came with chaos.

After crossing a bridge, we finally arrived at the hotel.

Olive quickly said his goodbyes and left as though relieved to have finished his task.

“Thanks for the ride. You worked hard,” I thought to myself, waving enthusiastically at the car as it disappeared into the distance.

*

Saint Maria Hotel.

This place was nothing short of deserving the title of "luxury."

Starting with the basics, the quality of the rooms was exceptional.

From the ocean-view interiors to the luxurious bedding and top-tier amenities, every detail radiated sophistication.

The well-thought-out atmosphere and impeccable service made the cost entirely worthwhile.

The hotel also boasted a wide array of restaurants and bars that transformed dining into an experience rather than a mere necessity.

Add to that high-end spas, pools, saunas, a casino, and a fitness center, and there was no reason to ever leave the hotel grounds.

In particular, the seasonal entertainment and events featuring famous artists made the hotel a destination worth revisiting regularly.

“Of course, since it’s by the sea... If we’d come in summer, we could’ve enjoyed all sorts of water activities on the private beach. That part’s a bit of a shame.”

“What are you, a hotel employee? How do you even know all that?”

Raven gave Alice a bewildered look as they stood in front of the hotel entrance.

She spoke nonstop, as if she had memorized every detail in her head.

In response to his reaction, Alice puffed out her cheeks indignantly and shot back,

“Of course, I know! Visiting this hotel was one of my dreams back home! Ugh, do you even know how complicated it is for non-humans living in Japan to travel abroad?”

“Well... I guess it’s pretty tough. Isn’t even entering Japan hard?”

“It’s not just tough—it’s practically impossible. Honestly, giving up my nationality like I did is probably faster.”

Alice shook her head furiously, as if reliving the ordeal.

I couldn’t help but think about just how difficult it must’ve been.

Standing behind her, I accidentally got hit by her swinging pink hair and felt like I understood her struggle just a little better.

A luxury hotel.

Not even in my past life had I ever visited a place like this.

To think I’d be experiencing this level of extravagance now.

The vague anticipation I’d felt earlier swelled into full-blown excitement.

Would this kind of expensive hotel have beds that feel like floating clouds?

I could already imagine sinking into the bed after a refreshing bath, feeling utterly relaxed.

Whoosh.

As I was lost in thought, a sudden chilly breeze grazed the back of my neck.

No matter how warmly you dress, you can’t escape the unexpected sting of a cold gust.

The shiver running down my spine made me jump in place.

“Hey, Yuria looks cold. Can’t we just head in first? Let David and the others find their way later.”

“No way. We can’t even contact them right now. It’ll be even harder to find them inside with all those people. Yuria, are you cold? Do you want my coat?”

“....”

“She’s not gonna say yes if you ask like that. Here, take this.”

Whip.

Raven shrugged off his coat and tossed it toward me without waiting for a response.

The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

I hadn’t even agreed to wear it. What was his problem?

Turning down Alice’s offer, I hesitated before awkwardly holding Raven’s coat in my hands.

He chuckled at my reaction and, out of nowhere, ruffled the hair on top of my head with vigor.

“...!”

“Don’t catch a cold. It’s annoying. I run warm, so it’s not that bad for me anyway.”

“Yeah, Jin never gets colds—he’s an invincible idiot. So don’t bother refusing. Or... is it because his coat smells like a lonely old bachelor?”

“Now, that’s just hurtful. Please stop.”

“Ah, sorry about that.”

“....”

Raven looked genuinely wounded by Alice’s comment about smelling like a bachelor.

It seemed to hit him harder than being called "old man."

...Honestly, I think I could understand how he felt.

Hurriedly, I threw the coat over my shoulders, shaking my head as if to say it wasn’t true.

Raven’s mood seemed to improve slightly as he nodded in satisfaction.

Thanks to this newly improvised defense against the cold, I could focus on my surroundings.

Alice, scanning the area, squinted in confusion.

“But they’re really late. Did something happen to David’s train? We still can’t reach him.”

“Yeah, who knows? Maybe we should’ve just traveled together.”

“How? We couldn’t even get a car. It couldn’t be helped.”

The two of them seemed lost in thought, worrying about David and the others, who still hadn’t shown up or contacted us.

But what else could we do? All we could do was wait.

We gathered around some chairs near the entrance, staring at the distant scenery or checking our devices to pass the time.

Let’s give it thirty more minutes. If they still don’t show, we’ll go in without them.

After agreeing on this plan, we warmed up with some coffee while sitting there, waiting.

Then, someone approached us.

Could it be David and his group?

Naturally, our gazes shifted toward the approaching figure.

“Oh, wait—is that... Alice-chan?”

But our expectations were dashed when the person who appeared was a beastfolk with perked-up ears.

The long whisker-like markings on her cheeks and the thick tail swishing behind her suggested she was a fox beastfolk.

Alice stared at the neatly dressed fox girl in a daze before suddenly leaping to her feet and shouting,

“Ah! Tamamo!”

“Huh?”

“...!”

It was an unexpected and completely surprising reunion with Alice’s old friend from her hometown.