"Sooo, Shuuichi. Did ya think about it?" Kokichi leaned back on his heels, his hands behind his back, and an innocent smile plastered on his face. Shuuichi looked up from his book and furrowed his brow.
"Think about what?" He closed the book he had open in his hands, and opted to listen to the liar instead. The dark exterior of the book's cover against the blinding light outside made it impossible for him to tell what Shuuichi had been reading-- he had no idea how Shuuichi managed to read outside as the sun beat down on them mercilessly. Despite leaning against the rough side of a tree, and away from the direct light of the sun, it was still rather unbearably hot. He doubted that Shuuichi's dark clothes subdued the heat in the slightest.
"Geez, did you already forget?" He turned his head away, dejected. He instead studdied his fingernails. His eyes were drawn to the clean white bandage wrapped carefully around his hand. "What did we talk about when we had that tea party? Y'know, besides me killing you?" Of course he wasn't really upset. He supposed a normal person probably wouldn't be able to guess off of his ambiguous answers to their questions, but that was fine. Shuuichi was the Ultimate Detective. He was nearly unpredictable. He always knew the answer to Kokichi's nearly unpredictable questions.
"Are you... talking about your organization?" He answered quicker than Kokichi though he would. He could tell that Shuuichi still didn't know wether to believe or not believe Kokichi's lies about his organization. Watching the mist of confusion swirl around Shuuichi's face was exilerating.
Every lie he spout was the creation of a new piece of the ever growing and changing puzzle that was Kokichi Ouma. He was simply fueling Shuuichi's desire to solve him. To solve the living lie that he was.
"Ding ding ding! You hit it right on the nose!" Another smile was painted on to his face. It was a dangerous game he was playing. Because every lie he spout was fuel for Shuuichi. Because now Shuuichi wanted to know him. Understand him. Solve him. And that was dangerous for him. Especially in a killing game. How could he be so stupid as to keep coming back? "Nooow, do you know what I asked youabout?"
"If..." He trailed off in thought. Kokichi let a genuine smile slip out and tug at his lips. He almost could see the gears turning in his brain. It really shouldn't be as entertaining as he found it to watch Shuuichi work. To do something as simple as think. He certainly didn't feel that way with anyone else. It was rather frustrating watching his classmates flounder around in the dark when the truth is right in front of their faces. He didn't know why he was so enticed while watching the Ultimate Detective. "if I would... join your organization?"
"Yup yup! Another point to house Saihara!" He cheered dramatically at his partner. "So did ya? Did ya? Huh? Huh?"
"Ah... if I remember correctly, I turned down your offer..."
A faint memory of"I'm going to have to decline..."played out in the back of Kokichi's mind.
"Hmm..." he placed a bandaged finger on his chin in thought, "no, no. I'm preeetty sure I remember you saying 'I'll think about it'. That totally seems like something that you would say, right?"
"Kokichi," his name escaped Shuuichi's lips softly. Kokichi felt something. It was barely there, only for a brief moment, but it was there. A small flutter in the pit of his stomach, "that's a lie." Kokichi silently told the flutter to shut up.
"Whaaaat? No it's not! Did you know that it's scientifically proven that detectives have poor memories?"
"That... is also a lie, Kokichi," he said. This time there was a hint of a smile that unwillingly had shown itself. Something moved on Shuuichi's face. It barely there, only for a brief moment, but it was there. A flicker of something he hadn't expected.
"Aw, well that's a bummer," he crossed his arms over his chest, "I was totally banking on you believing me. Oh well. Maybe Shuuichi will reconsider?" He leaned forward as he spoke, a sickenly sweet smile toyed at his lips.
"I told you that I wouldn't join an organization that only exists for crime," he had a stern expression and an even voice as he spoke, although he broke eye contact with Kokichi. His light eyes shifted to a patch of grass in the distance. Shuuichi would have probably pulled his hat over his eyes if it were still sitting on his head, instead of the nightstand in his room.
Kokichi puffed out his cheeks and pouted, even though he knew Shuuichi wasn't looking at him.
"Well... what if I told you that my evil organization wasn't what it seems?" His lips turned up into a sly grin.
"What am I doing?"
"What?" He looked away from the apparently very interesting patch of grass, and looked up a Kokichi.
"Well, I am a liar~! So maaaaybe..." he drew out the last word in a low tone. Part of him wanted Shuuichi to see through him. Too see what he truly was behind all of these lies. But it was a pointless and ridiculous thought. He couldn't trust anyone. In the end, they would all stab him in the back. But he supposed that he could play pretend for just a while longer. He pulled his arms up and laced his fingers together behind his head, "we aren't as bad as I say. Or I could be lying. I guess the world will never never know!"
Shuuichi looked up at him, his brow furrowed once again in thought. Shuuichi had given him that look more than anyone else had. Shuuichi had seen through his lies. He saw the underlying truth in a bed of lies.
And it terrified Kokichi.
"Why am I talking to Shuuichi about this? How could I be so stupid?"
"What if..." for the first time in forever, Kokichi Ouma froze. He knew where this was going, "I said yes?"
"Well then," he revved back to life, leaning onto the tips of his toes, then back on his heels, his token smile ever present, "then that would mean you're part of my evil organization! We spread madness and mayhem in our wake! ... or maybe not... Either way, no take backsies!" He held out his bandaged hand to Shuuichi.
Shuuichi lifted his hand, then paused for a moment, sending a calculated gaze at Kokichi. The sunset made the white material neatly wrapped between his fingers almost glow.
Funny. He had gotten so caught up in his conversation, he hadn't even realised that the sun has begun to go down.
"Ugh, c'mon Shumai, my arm is starting to get tired. If it gets too tired It'll fall off, and then I'll have to chop off your's!" An irrational part of his mind wished that would happen.
"Ah... what kind of an agreement is that...?" Shuuichi whispered under his breath.
Shuuichi sighed. Kokichi watched as Shuuichi lifted his hand up from his seat on the ground, then placed it in Kokichi's hand. His heart froze. He barely noticed how warm his hand was, and how smooth his skin was.
"What am I supposed to do now? This isn't what I expected--"
But it never was. Shuuichi had nearly unpredictable answers to Kokichi's nearly unpredictable questions.
"Shuuichi is officially in my organization now! Did you know that it's tradition to cut off one of every new member's toes?" A pained expression quickly overtook Shuuichi's face.
"Uh, t-that's a lie," he pulled his hand out of Kokichi's grasp. Kokichi quickly put his hands together, crossing his fingers between each other, and rested them behind his head. He suddenly realised how cool the air was.
"But Shuuichi," he smiled confidently, "I may be a dickish dictator, but I won't just let my subordinates die on me, m'kay?"
"I'm supposed to be the villain, what am I doing?"
Shuuichi let out a sweet, airy chuckle. His laugh mixed with the blue and purple streaked sunset made his heart melt.
~--~
Later that night, with an unsure hand, Kokichi erased the question mark made with a black expo marker on his white board. He hoped he wouldn't regret it.
~--~
And he didn't.
He coughed. A blob of sticky, wet blood dribbled onto the cold floor of the hanger. He wrinkled his nose at the sight. There wasn't much use, all he could taste and smell was overwelmed by a tainted gross, copper and metallic feeling.
The only thing that he could admit to regreting was not being able to see Shuuichi to the end.
He had watched Shuuichi's view of him distort to that of a monstrous creature that fed off of their pain and suffering; their despair.
But that was okay. He hadn't broken his promise.
