Vol 4 Chapter 9 – The Fake Maid (【Revolver Maid】 Arc)

“You called me out of the blue… what’s wrong? I was worried about you.”
“I’m sorry. I was busy too.”

A café in front of a certain station in Tokyo.

There, at a table, sat Hirata—clearly wearing a sour expression—and Arisu, as expressionless as ever.

“You’ve been on the news a lot lately. That must mean you’re incredibly busy.”
“…I’m just doing what’s right.”
“So, the murder maid is Meido-san after all?”
“Who else would it be?”
“That’s for sure.”

Hirata felt relieved by Arisu’s unchanged demeanor, even after a long period of silence.
Yet, Arisu’s ever-sarcastic remarks still managed to irritate her a bit.

“I’ve confirmed Meido-san’s well-being, so that’s enough small talk.”
“I thought you started this conversation…”

Yet, Arisu’s overly proper—almost excessively righteous—demeanor made Hirata feel an inexplicable sense of discomfort.
It was as if she were a completely different person…
Having heard about the second personality from Takanashi, Hirata spoke with caution.

“Getting back to the point, why were you called here today? If it’s something trivial, I’m leaving.”
Upon hearing Hirata’s words, Arisu took a sip of her iced mocha.

“This is important.”
“Important?”

Hirata narrowed her eyes.
She had a bad feeling about it.
Disregarding that, Arisu stood up.

“Hey, where are you going?”
“Please wait a moment.”

With that, Arisu left her seat and exited the café.
Left alone, Hirata let out a small sigh.

“Sigh…”

Just when Hirata thought she’d been summoned unexpectedly, being left waiting only added to her irritation.
The ice in the iced coffee Arisu ordered began to melt.

——————————————————

After about ten minutes had passed, Arisu returned.
“……”
She came back accompanied by a complete stranger.
A woman clad in a pitch‐black suit, as if she were about to attend a funeral, sat down directly across from Hirata.
Clueless as to what was going on, Hirata scratched her head.

“Excuse me, but who is the person sitting next to you?”
“—————I am 『Onee‐Kyoka』. I have business with Hirata-sama today, and I have come to speak with you through the intermediary of Meido-san.”
“Onee-chan, huh… I’ve never heard that name before.”
Even hearing the name, it was clear that this was not someone Hirata had previously interacted with.
What business could a complete stranger possibly have with her?

Hirata grew increasingly wary.
“Meido-san, what business brings Onee-chan here this time?”
“I anticipated you’d ask, so I’ve prepared a concise explanation.”
As she said that, Arisu set down the iced mocha she had been holding.

“————————We are considering inviting Onee-chan to join our organization.”

“…Huh?”

Hirata, unable to hide her surprise, widened her eyes.

“I don’t understand what you mean—placing an ordinary person like you in our organization? Even as a joke, you could come up with something more interesting.”
“I’m serious.”

What value could the person sitting right in front of her possibly have? No, what she couldn’t understand at all was why Meido recommended someone who barely associates with our organization. Hirata was even more troubled.

“Setting aside the fact that you know of our existence, why do you want to join the organization?”
Hirata asked the Onee-chan sitting before her.

“———————Because I, too, am one of your kind.”
“One of our kind, huh…? I don’t see that at all.”
“But both of you were saved, weren’t you? By that person.”
“……That person.”

Hirata looked into her eyes in disbelief. Deep within, a murky, dark emotion simmered.

“Even if that were so, I can’t trust you so easily. Besides, even if you did have a relationship—having once been helped by that person, no, by the Boss—it is the Boss who decides who joins the organization.”
“But I heard that the Boss is now in a coma and in critical condition. Aren’t you, Hirata-sama, currently acting as his substitute?”

Upon hearing Onee-chan’s words, Hirata glared at Arisu.

“I only relayed what was necessary.”
“Meido-san, since when did you become the type of person who leaks our organization’s confidential information to ordinary people?”

An unbearably oppressive atmosphere filled the air.

“Fufufu…”

Unbeknownst to the two, Onee-chan wore a smile—as if a villain were watching her plans unfold exactly as she wished.

——————————————————

“Although there are many uncertainties, for now, please allow our entire organization to discuss this matter.”
“I would be grateful if you would consider it.”
“I, too, ask for your cooperation.”

Before Hirata, Onee-chan and Arisu bowed their heads.

“Here is my contact information. Please call me when you have reached a decision.”
“I’ll take it for now, but don’t expect too much.”
“Understood.”

The business card Onee-chan handed over contained only her name and telephone number.

“Then I’ll be waiting for your call. Goodbye.”
“Yes…”

Onee-chan bowed and left the café. Once she disappeared from view, Hirata let out a deep sigh. Then, she turned her gaze to Arisu, who was seated diagonally across on the right.

“Anyway, let’s have the executives discuss this matter immediately after this. Well, I suspect everyone will oppose it.”
“I’m in favor, though.”
“That much is understood.”

Arisu—unchanged in both appearance and demeanor, as always—gave Hirata cause for unease after so many years together.

“Really, you’ve been so creepy from the start. ‘Who on earth are you?'”
“Who do you mean? …’Meido Arisu’, of course.”

Hirata shook her head.

“No, that’s not it. The exterior is the same, but the inner self is different. Well, formally speaking, the inner self is the same, but the personality is different, perhaps.”
“…I don’t understand what you’re trying to say at all.”
“Isn’t it strange? In a situation where the Boss remains unconscious, you—who normally go crazy just by not meeting him—remain unchanged.”

Being pointed out by Hirata, Arisu snorted.

“I understand that the ‘Boss’ is in a dire situation. However, in times like these, it is the duty of a maid to act for the sake of the ‘Boss.'”

Hirata let out a deep breath and then pointed a finger at Arisu.

“——Our mentally unstable, idiotic maid calls the ‘Boss’ ‘Master.'”

The atmosphere froze.

“You’re the second personality of Meido-san, aren’t you?”

That was the beginning of the collapse.