The Mysterious Maid

“9... 45?”

Ayan’s breath hitched, his chest heaving as he stared at the dial on the wall. He began to pant, his inhalations and exhalations coming in sharp, jagged bursts. In the oppressive silence of the room, the rhythm of his heart grew deafeningly loud. Every minute sound became magnified: the rush of blood in his ears, the friction of his breath, even the slight movement of his eyes.

Suddenly, the memory of the alarm—the sound that had just jolted him awake—flashed through his mind. He lunged for his phone, grabbing it from beneath his pillow.

The screen flickered to life, and the shock hit him like a physical blow.

“3:04 AM?”

He snapped his head back toward the wall. The hands had shifted.

“3:05 AM?”

He felt a cold sweat break out across his neck. “What just happened? Did I misread it? No... I saw it clearly. It was 9:45.”

He managed to find a surge of strength, convincing himself that it had all been a hallucination brought on by a spike of irrational fear. He stood up and flicked the light switch, flooding the room with a sharp, artificial glow.

“Okay... nothing looks unusual. I must have hallucinated because of all this unnecessary stress. For God’s sake, what am I doing? My entrance exams are coming up... and here I am, wasting time on shadows.”

He stood still, lost in thought, his mind racing to find a logical anchor.

“No. No more. I don’t have time to waste. I need to study.”

He marched into the attached washroom and splashed cold water onto his face. He rubbed his eyes and skin repeatedly, trying to scrub away the lingering fog of sleep. Leaning forward, he pressed his palms against the cool surface of the mirror, staring intensely at his own reflection.

“Everything is fine,” he muttered, his voice sounding hollow in the small room.

He reached for the towel, drying his face with deliberate, steady movements.

He stepped out of the washroom and picked up his mathematics textbook. He pulled out the chair, settled at the desk, and opened to the chapter on Coordinate Geometry—his greatest weakness.

Ayan came from a lower-middle-class family; he understood the weight of his responsibilities. Education wasn't just a path; it was the only guaranteed way to support his family and change their future. Though he often struggled with focus, once he crossed that threshold, he would lose all sense of time, becoming completely submerged in his work.

He attacked the problems repeatedly. He knew that entrance exams weren't just about understanding a concept—they were about speed. Mastering both was the only way to ensure success.

Hours bled into one another. Outside, the world seemed to brighten as dawn arrived without him even noticing. He was deep in a calculation when a sudden sound shattered his concentration.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell.

The sound snapped him back to reality. He blinked, noticing for the first time the pale rays of sunlight stretching across his mattress.

“Oh... it’s morning already?” He glanced at the time. “6:00 AM. Who could be here this early?”

Driven more by curiosity than caution, he walked to the entrance and swung the door open.

“Good morning, Master. I am Rei.”

A girl roughly his own age stood there, greeting him with a stiff, formal bow. She was dressed in a crisp maid’s uniform that looked out of place. Ayan recoiled slightly, startled.

Who is she? Why is she wearing that... and why did she call me 'Master'?

He composed himself and cleared his throat. “Good morning. I’m sorry, but who exactly are you? And what’s with the ‘Master’ title?”

“My apologies. I neglected to introduce myself properly,” she replied, her voice calm and melodic. “I am the maid assigned to this residence. I am tasked with looking after the property; I come every morning to clean and ensure everything is in order.”

Oh... so that’s why the place was so spotless when I moved in, Ayan thought. It finally made sense.

“I see. But the 'Master' thing... is that really necessary?”

“As you are the one currently residing here,” Rei said with a faint, polite smile, “that makes you the Master of this house.”

Ayan scratched the back of his head, shifting awkwardly. “I guess... anyway, please, come in.”

Rei maintained a perfectly stiff posture—formal, professional, and unnervingly reliable. She entered the house and closed the door behind her with a soft click. Without needing a single instruction, she placed her shoes in their designated spot with practiced ease. It made sense, Ayan realized; she had likely been the one maintaining the house long before he arrived. She knew the layout of this place far better than he did.

“So, Master,” Rei began, her eyes scanning the hallway. “You moved in yesterday?”

“Yes. Yesterday evening.”

She stepped closer, narrowing her eyes as she studied his face with an intensity that made him pull back. “Hmm... you look very composed,” she noted, her voice dropping an octave. “Did anything happen during the night?”

“Who...? Me?” Ayan let out a forced, hollow laugh, trying to shake off the sudden chill. “No... no. I’m just exhausted from yesterday. Arranging all my stuff and everything... haha. Don’t mind me.”

“I see,” she replied, her expression remains unreadable.

“Right. Well... you just do your thing. I’m going back to my room; I have work to finish,” Ayan said, hurrying away before she could ask anything else.

He retreated into his room and shut the door firmly. He leaned against it, his heart still racing. What is with her? That wasn’t a normal greeting. And that question about last night... it was as if she already knew something had happened.

Ayan found himself sinking into the dark spiral of those thoughts until a sharp, rhythmic tapping startled him. Someone was knocking on his door.

“Master, may I enter?”

“Yeah... the door isn't locked. Come in.”

Rei stepped inside, closing the door behind her with a soft, deliberate click.

“You didn’t have to close it,” Ayan noted, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“My apologies. Should I go back and open it?” She made a move to turn around, her movements stiff and mechanical.

“No, it’s fine. Just stay.”

“As you wish, Master.”

Rei walked over and stood directly in front of Ayan, who remained seated at his desk. She stood perfectly still, her hands folded, waiting.

“Have a seat on the bed,” Ayan offered, feeling awkward with her looming over him. “There’s no need to stand there like that. So... what brings you in here? Do you need something?”

“I wanted to know what Master would like for breakfast,” she said.

“What? Breakfast?” Ayan shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I’ll probably just have some cup noodles I brought with me.”

Suddenly, Rei stood up. She leaned in, her face inches from his, her hands curled into mock claws as if she were about to pounce. “No! Master cannot have such unhealthy things for breakfast!”

Ayan recoiled, startled by the sudden invasion of his personal space. “Hey, watch out. You’re too close.”

“My apologies, Master.” She immediately retreated, sitting back down on the edge of the bed with her usual stiff composure.

“You say it’s unhealthy,” Ayan sighed, “but that’s what I’ve been living on since I moved to the city.”

“No, Master, you cannot continue this! You must eat well to stay fit. Having cup noodles every single morning is far too damaging to your health.”

“I get what you’re trying to say... but I don't think I can afford to eat a 'healthy' meal three times a day.”

“That is not a problem, Master.”

Ayan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The refrigerator is well-stocked.”

“What? Really?”

Curious, Ayan followed Rei to the kitchen. When she swung the refrigerator door open, he stood there, speechless. It was packed—vibrant vegetables, cartons of eggs, fresh beef, and chicken. It was filled to the brim with high-quality groceries.

“But... why is all this here?” Ayan asked, his suspicion rising.

“The Madam instructed me to purchase these items yesterday,” Rei replied calmly. “She knew you were moving in.”

“But why?” Ayan muttered, more to himself than to her. “That isn't what people normally do.”

“That is something the Madam will explain herself,” Rei said. “She will be coming to meet you this afternoon.”

“Oh...” Ayan didn’t have much to say to that. The mystery of this apartment was only growing deeper.

“So, Master, what would you like for breakfast? I can prepare anything you desire.”

“Umm... I don’t really have a preference. Anything that tastes good is fine by me,” Ayan said, scratching his head awkwardly.

“Understood, Master.”

“Right. Well, I’ll be in my room,” Ayan said, turning to leave.

Just as he reached the kitchen doorway, Rei’s voice stopped him cold.

“Master?”

Ayan looked back over his shoulder. Rei was standing perfectly still by the open refrigerator, the light from inside casting a pale, ghostly glow over her face.

“Did you wake up at 9:45 PM last night, Master?”

The moment the words left her lips, Ayan felt as if the floor had vanished beneath him. A violent shiver raced down his spine, leaving his skin cold. He couldn’t move; he couldn't even breathe.

“Master,” she repeated, her eyes locking onto his with terrifying stillness. “Did you?”