Liar, Liar, the Mage's Desire Vol. 2 (The Oumeno Strikes Back)

The Case of the Missing Pop Star (10)

    "Wait...WHAT?!" Shuichi exclaimed, rushing over to to the window next to Kokichi. Even though it was now nightfall, and the rain had let up immensely due to the eye of the storm, he was able to look out and see that it was so. "Seriously?! Who could have done this?!"

   "Nyeh...what's going on?" Himiko asked. "What music box are you guys talking about?"

   "While we were outside, we deduced that someone had kidnapped Izumi before they shattered the window, not after," Kokichi explained. "They used Sayaka's music box to shatter the window to make it seem like someone had broken in, when in fact, that wasn't what happened."

   "Ohhh..." Himiko replied softly. "Why is it so important that it's gone, though?"

   "Yeah, Kokichi, that's what I want to know, too," Shuichi chimed in. 

    "Fine, I'll tell you guys, since I'm too pissed off right now to be all secretive about it anymore," Kokichi mumbled. "I thought we could figure out who threw the music box through the window based on the positions of the sleeping bags."

   "I think I see where you're going," Shuichi said. "We could have figured out its trajectory based on where it landed. And if we had figured that out, we would have had our culprit!"

   "Awww, my Panta Bear is so smart!" Himiko said, patting Kokichi's hand. Kokichi smiled and gave her a modest shrug.

   "Well, it doesn't matter because whoever threw the lamp at Shuichi was probably the one who messed everything up in here," he mumbled with disappointment. "They must have overheard Shuichi and me talking outside, and figured we'd find them out."

   "Well...there's no point in worrying about that, now," Shuichi sighed. "Let's just talk about what we learned in everyone's alibis." The three shared what they learned from talking to the three pop stars. 

   "So, it seems like everyone's alibis hold up," Kokichi said. "They ran downstairs, did a search of the mansion, Hibiki went upstairs to puke...et cetera, et cetera."

   "That's the thing I don't understand, though," Shuichi said, and turned to Himiko. "Himiko, did Hibiki ever mention why she went upstairs to go throw up? Why didn't she use any of the downstairs bathrooms?"

   "I thought it was weird, too, so I asked her that," Himiko admitted proudly. Kokichi smiled proudly at her and stroked her cheek. "She told me that that particular bathroom was her favorite one out of all the bathrooms because it makes her feel relaxed when she's stressed out."

   "Uh...how?" Kokichi asked, raising his brow.

   "Nyeh...she just told me that the blue walls...calm...her...down..." Himiko replied, her voice drifting off as she realized something. Kokichi and Shuichi tilted their heads in confusion.

   "Himiko...what's wrong?" Shuichi asked.