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

Puppet Show! (End)

    As the week went by, Kokichi was getting the silent treatment from Himiko. Every time he'd try to talk to her, she'd ignore him. Every time he looked in her direction, she'd look away. When it was time for Kiki to leave for the end of winter break, Kokichi saw her off, but he didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Tomiko or Kimiko. Even back at Hope's Peak, Himiko would walk to school either by herself, or with Angie and Tenko. She'd walk to her classes alone. At dinnertime, she'd wait until everyone else was finished eating so that she wouldn't have to sit next to Kokichi. Kokichi would toss and turn each night, riddled with guilt and shame as the thought of his stupid decision, causing the only person he loved deeply to ignore him, clouded his mind. Feeling as if he could stand it no longer, he one day decided that he would show Himiko how sorry he truly felt. He stood outside of her and Tenko's room, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. Himiko answered the door, and crossed her arms sternly when she saw him. 

   "What?" she said. 

   "Could you come with me, Himiko? Please?" Kokichi mumbled. "I wanna show you something." Himiko continued to eye him disapprovingly.

   "Let's go," she said curtly. Kokichi nodded silently in response and led Himiko out of Casa V3 and over to 7th Island House. He rang the doorbell. "What are we doing here?" Himiko demanded, raising a brow.

   "You'll see," Kokichi replied quietly. Chiaki answered the door with a sleepy, yet cheerful, smile. 

    "Kokichi, Himiko, nice to see you two," she said. 

   "Chiaki, may we come in?" Kokichi asked. "It's important." Chiaki nodded and allowed them inside. "Where is everyone?"

   "Everyone's in the dining hall, eating lunch," Chiaki replied as she led Kokichi and Himiko to the dining hall. Just as she said, everyone was eating at a newly-purchased table, since Akane had broken the previous one.

    "Kokichi, are you here to join us for lunch?" Twogami asked as Chiaki sat back down in her seat. 

     "No..." Kokichi replied. "I wanted to tell you guys something. It's about what happened last week." Himiko's eyes widened a little, realizing what he was about to say. 

    "Oh, Kokichi, you don't have to..." she said, placing her hand on his arm. 

   "I want to," Kokichi insisted, placing his hand on hers. 

    "Tell us what, Kokichi?" Ibuki asked. Kokichi took a deep breath.

    "The reason why some of you guys were acting all weird is because what Chiaki said was correct. You guys were hypnotized...by me," Kokichi said. Everyone started at him in disbelief.

   "You...did that to us?" Mahiru breathed. 

   "Why would you do that?!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "What did we ever do to you?!"

   "I just...thought it would be funny," Kokichi mumbled with a sheepish shrug.