The Conundrum Corporation |Oumasai

Chapter 22

I kicked some of the wood chips, annoyed. One chip skidded across, towards the bed. This is taking too long. I glared at the person behind me. I folded my arms and frowned.
"When will you be done?" I growled. "I've already had such a bad day."
"Geez, calm down. It'll be done soon," Maki yelled at me.
"I can't believe they sent you out of all people to fix my door," I told her. She got a hammer and started hitting the wood, aggressively.
"I can't believe it, either. Byakuya is so stupid," she sighed. I shrugged and turned around. I walked up towards my drawer and took out that piece of paper, 'Ko and Shu's plan.' I had lately updated it with all the new information. I read it all over again.
"What messy handwriting," Maki muttered behind me. I jumped and hid the sheet.
"At least my handwriting and your hair have something in common," I giggled.
"How dare you," she whispered, annoyed. I laughed and put the sheet away.
"What's with all of the questions and bullet points anyways?" she questioned me. She walked up to the broken door in my hotel room and put some glue on the side. I don't think glue will do much. Whatever, she's fixing my door not me.
"You're so nosy Maki, you know that?" I grinned at her. She glared at me.
"You clearly want to know some information. I can tell you if you want. However, there will be a price," she insisted. I scanned her face. She looks pretty sincere. I looked to the side. What information will she tell me anyways? This whole thing doesn't make sense.
"Well...it wouldn't hurt to know a bit more information. Tell me what the price is," I agreed. She put her hand to her chin for a moment. She then looked at me and frowned.
"We've been trying to get rid of some Hope-Lies. Maybe you can adopt one-" she started before I cut her off.
"I'm not adopting anyone!" I shouted.
"Don't interrupt me! You've grown awfully close to Hoshi and he's like a child," she suggested. I frowned at her. I'm not adopting anyone for my life. No way!
"Another price please," I sighed and sat on my bed. She hummed before going silent. She carried on fixing my door before sighing.
"Alright then, how about this? You control my department for a day," she frowned.
"That's it?" I questioned her. That seems like a fairly easy task.
"Yes, I need a break," she muttered. I nodded. I can easily do that. Ha! That will be fun.
"So when will I be on the job?" I asked her.
"Two days," she answered.
"Alrighty!" I chirped up and sat down. "Now tell me. What do you know?"
"Let me sit down first," she replied and finished up fixing the door. She kicked some wood shavings to the side before sitting on a chair.
"You do know that you're going to clean up those wood chips right?" she told me. I sighed.
"Whatever, just tell me already," I yelled.
"Not with that attitude," Maki yelled while getting up and walking around my room. Was she nervous?
"You know I'm so sick and tired of this place! All we ever do here is work! It's so annoying!" She shouted at me. I flinched.
"What do you want me to do about it?" I rolled my eyes at her. Maki sighed in order to calm herself down.
"I just want to be free. They...took me all because of that stupid interview and then they...they kept so many secrets from me," she murmured while looking at the floor. She clenched her fists and a single tear rolled down her cheeks.
"I was in the same position as you, four years ago. I came here looking for a job and I found this place. I am the Ultimate Assassin so dying wasn't a worry for me and that was why I was hired to work here. The corporation was weird, they hid stuff from me and I constantly was confused. I didn't care though because they told me everything after an incident. Rantaro then told me to take a break so I went to the outside world- five months ago- and then I realised that everyone was enjoying life without me. I had been gone for so long that most people forgot about me," she sighed and slumped down again.

She put her head in her hands and finally looked up at me from a long moment of silence.
"We need you here Kokichi and I promise we will tell you everything soon. You can count on us for that at least and maybe...just maybe when Byakuya, Rantaro and that idiot's mission is complete, they will let me go," she smiled and then immediately frowned at my confused face.
"Mission? You were in the same position as me?" I gasped. She twisted her lip, side to side.
"Well, we are sort of in the same position. Truthfully, your position is much more devastating than mine," she shrugged. Devastating? Is this life I'm living really that bad?
"And what about the mission?" I carried on talking.
"You'll have to ask that idiot for information," she replied. I stared at her. What idiot do all these people keep going on about? If I'm assuming anything, then it's that friend Mikan and Shuichi we're taking about. In fact, that friend or idiot could be in one of the pictures Mikan has in that box. That's a great idea! I just have to have a sneak peek in that box and look at the pictures in there! Perhaps I will find something.
"He's coming to deliver a package in a few days," she grumbled. Oh? So he's coming here also? Well who cares. I'm still going to go through Mikan's stuff. Why not? She's caused me so much trouble already.
"Will I be able to see this idiot?" I asked her.
"Oh trust me, he's actually going to want to see you. In fact, you will see him on that day and then after a while you'll probably get all the information you're looking for," she sighed. I jumped up. After a while and then, that's it? I find out everything?
"I have to go now but you better remember that you're taking charge of my department in two days," she reminded me before walking out of the newly built door. I slumped down on my bed. Huh, she gave me useful information. How interesting. There was a slight knock against my door. I grumbled and tossed around on my bed before exclaiming,
"Come in!"
                                           •
They're lying to you.
-not t—- ——e