A Liar With A Heart (Oumasai)

A Masquerade

-Ouma's POV-

   I chuckled as the other turned as red as a tomato. I slowly got off of the other and crossed my arms. Just as I was about to leave, I remembered something and looked over to the other.

"Hey Shuichi, you know where the camera room is, riiiiight?"

"Hm? Well, I think I have an idea of where it is.....why do you ask?" He adjusts the hat on his head.

   I grin at him, "Would you delete all camera footage from today for me?~"

"W-what?!? W-why would I do that??"

"If you do, I'll answer any single question that you want to ask me right now! I can tell there's been a few questions on your mind about me~ After all, you can't report me for robbing the bank without any evidence, can you?...." I snicker at him, "Your best chance at getting any evidence is to interrogate me."

   He stands there in his cute "thinking pose" and stays silent for a few seconds before shaking his head,

"I won't help you get away with your crimes, Kokichi. Besides, the video evidence of you breaking and entering a museum would be just enough to make you look suspicious," he says with a challenging tone.

I raise an eyebrow, "Oh? Are you trying to make me your enemy, Saihara?"

   Just then, I walked over to a random artifact on display and snatched it from it's stand.

"It would be a shame if more priceless and irreplaceable items got destroyed....."

"!!! W-wait," he rushed over to me, "f-fine, I'll g-get rid of the footage...."

   I handed the item back to him and smirked as he struggled to put it back carefully, "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?~ Now ask your question, detective!"

Once he puts it back successfully, he faces me and sighs while going into deep thought.

"Come on Shuichiiii, before the dynamite that I placed goes off!" I keep a large smile on my face and kept my eyes on him.

"D-d-dynamite???" His shoulders perk up.

"Nishishi! Don't worry, that was just a lie~"

"A-ah....w-well......I guess I still don't fully understand............why did you want me to come to your party?"

.....

   Of course he had to ask that. Well, it's only fair for me to answer truthfully.....

I took a few steps towards him, keeping a smirk on my face.

"Because you interest me, Shuichi~ You're not boring like everyone else."

"? W-what do you mean?"

"Nishishi! You're as dense as a rock~ You may be smart with cases, but you're pretty dumb when it comes to picking up hints!"

   I stretched my arms up, "What a waste of a question, you didn't learn anything useful!~" I laughed and with a swing of my cape, I dashed out of the room.

I snatch my mask off of the floor and put it over my face again before climbing up to the window. I tooe one last glance at Saihara and tossed the museum's keys at him that I stole,

"Goodnight Shuichi~" I slid through the open window and disappeared out of sight within seconds.

~

-Saihara's POV-

   It has been a month since that interaction. I've investigated many robberies, hoping that somehow they'd link to Ouma; no luck. I felt defeated, like my label as a "detective" was just a lie. How hard is it to expose someone of theft when they don't bother hiding their enormous wealth?

.......

I should've lied about deleting the footage....

I was so confident that I'd find some other way to pin him to a crime, but he's better than I expected....

   Even if I had no evidence, I had a strong feeling that the specific robberies I've investigated were by him. As if he's trying to taunt me and test me.....getting himself stuck in my head.......

My heart starts beating fast again as a small blush appeared on my face.

......

   My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on my door. I got up from my couch and opened it,

"Package."

I took the box from the mailman and thanked him before closing the door.

A package?

   Instantly, I fiddled with the tape with curiosity. Inside was a fancy, black and navy blue elegant, yet mysterious looking mask that seemed to only cover up the upper half of a person's face with a string attaching the sides of it.

As I was examining it, I noticed there was a letter in the box. I open it and it read,

"You are invited to my party on Friday, at 10pm! The theme is: Masquerade!

Hope you'll be there, detective~

-K.O."

Ah! That's.....right....I promised that I'd go to his next party, didn't I?...

I couldn't help but glance from the mask to the letter every few seconds.

In 2 days, huh?....

.....

I can't mess this up...this might be the last chance I have to gain some evidence.

~

Two days came faster than I thought. The party was all I could think about.....

.....and....him....

   I shake my head and slide the mask onto my face. I reached into my pocket, making sure my recorder and gun were still on me. Once I unwrinkled my clothes, I walked into the large ball room again; It looked the same as last time, just with different decorations.

   I stood in the same corner as I did last time and examined the room with no sign of Ouma anywhere.

How am I supposed to find him when everyone's wearing masks?

   Just then, I felt a small gust of wind next to me and a small, square piece of paper gently rocked back and forth in the air in front of my eyes, eventually falling to the ground right at my feet. I tilted my head with curiosity and glanced around before picking it up.

"Leave the ball room through the way you entered. Take a right down the hall and go up the staircase. Take a left and go through the second door. You have 5 minutes."

   I bit my lip as I read the words, it obviously sounded like a trap. 

"You have 5 minutes".... 

.......

   I shoved the note in my pocket and followed it's instructions, feeling quite nervous questioning what the other could be planning, or what they would do if I didn't show up in time. I quickened my pace, and soon enough, I was in the room the message had ordered.

   The room looked quite normal, and seemed to be some sort of office. A few book shelves and potted plants, a rug, and a desk with a chair in front of my eyes. I flinched as Kokichi turned the chair around so it would reveal him, laying across the chair horizontally with his legs crossed and arms behind his head, looking like he didn't have a care in the world.

Before I could speak, he snapped his fingers and the room's lighting dimmed.

"Glad you could make it, detective~ Are you ready to play some games?"

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life sucks .3.