Liar, Liar, the Mage's Desire Vol. 3 (Return of the Oumeno)

What's Behind The Mask? (2)

      "You mean that lady in the story with the slit mouth?" Kokichi asked with a raised brow. Kimiko looked up at him, nodding her head. 

   "Kimi, that's not a real lady, that's just a myth," Himiko assured.

    "No, no! She's real! I saw her!" Kimiko insisted. "I was on my way to the bathroom upstairs, but I got curious to see the rooms downstairs. And I looked in one of the rooms, and I saw Kuchisake-Onna just standing there!" 

   "What did she look like?" Kokichi asked. 

   "Nyeh...she had long hair, and she was wearing a ma-AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Kimiko pointed to a tall, slender figure standing in the entrance of the dining hall. "THAT'S HER!! THAT'S HER!!" Kokichi, Himiko, and Tomiko turned to see Kiyo. 

   "Whatever is all this screaming about?" he asked. 

   "Nee-heehee...Himiko's little sister thinks you're Kuchisake-Onna," Kokichi laughed. Kiyo's eyes fell on Kimiko, who was still clutching Kokichi in fear. 

    "Keheheh...is that so?" he asked. He knelt down in front of Kimiko. She was quivering. Kiyo tilted his head in a creepy way. "Do you think I'm pretty?" he asked Kimiko in a high-pitched voice made to sound like a woman's. 

   "KOKICHIIIIII!!!!" Kimiko wailed, grabbing Kokichi tighter. 

   "Don't worry, Kimiko. He's just messing with you," Kokichi said. 

   "He?! " Kimiko exclaimed. 

   "Yeah. This is Kiyo," Kokichi explained. "He's a guy." Kimiko turned to look at Kiyo, who seemed to be smiling at her from behind his mask. Kimiko stared at him in horror. 

   "I don't believe that!" she said. "Why are you wearing that mask?!"

   "So I do not breathe on anything of anthropological value," Kiyo replied. 

   "That sounds like something Kuchisake-Onna would say!" Kimiko said, glaring at Kiyo. "In other words, you! You're wearing that mask to hide your slit mouth!"

   "Rest assured, I am not Kuchisake-Onna," Kiyo insisted, standing back up. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. 

   "That's for me!" Kokichi said. 

   "I wanna go with you! Can I go with you, Kokichi?!" Kimiko cried frantically as she looked back and forth between Kokichi and Kiyo. 

   "Sure!" Kokichi replied. He took her hand in his and led her to the front door. Before leaving the dining hall, Kimiko looked back one more time at Kiyo. He waved goodbye to her in a creepy way, which sent shivers up Kimiko's spine. She let out a terrified squeak before turning away. By the time Kokichi made it to the front door, Kaito had already answered it. Standing there was Kiki with her suitcase. Once she spied Kokichi, she ran up to him.