Liar, Liar, the Mage's Desire Vol. 1 (A New Oumeno)

Secret Santa For Ryoma (1)

    "Okay, everyone, listen up!" Kaito announced during dinner. It was the night before Christmas Eve, and Kaito undoubtedly had plans for the day after: Christmas Day. He held up Shuichi's black hat high in the air. 

   "Hey, did you steal that from my closet, Kaito?" Shuichi asked.

   "I didn't steal it, I borrowed it," Kaito countered. 

    "Yeah, without asking," Shuichi mumbled.

    "Hey, c'mon! We're soul bros, Shuichi!" Kaito said. "I can borrow anything I want from you, and you can do the same to me! Besides, this is for a good cause! We're going to do a Secret Santa thingy! So, I'm gonna pass around Shuichi's hat, and you guys have to pick out someone's name on the pieces of scrap paper in here! Remember, once you pick someone, you can't un-pick them!" He began walking around the table, holding the hat out to his housemates so they could take a scrap of paper. 

   "Ooo! Gonta got Shuichi!" Gonta exclaimed happily.

    "Gonta!! You're not supposed to say who you got!" Kaito yelled. Gonta hung his head in shame.

   "Oh...Gonta so sorry," he muttered. Shuichi gave him a kind smile.

   "Don't worry, Gonta. I look forward to seeing what you'll give me," Shuichi said, though on the inside, he was terrified at the thought of Gonta's gift being bug-related.  

   "Oh, don't worry, Shuichi! Gonta will give you something great!" Gonta said. 

   "Okay, okay, moving on!" Kaito said, as he continued to pass the hat around. He stopped at Kokichi, who pulled out a scrap. When he looked at it, he snickered to himself, and gave everyone a look of mischief. He came up to Himiko next. She pulled out a scrap of paper and looked at it with dismay. Kaito went around the whole table until he finally came up to Tsumugi. 

  "Oh, um...Kaito?" she asked.

   "No take-backs, Tsumugi," Kaito said. "If you picked out a scrap, you have to keep it."

   "But...I picked out my own name," Tsumugi said, showing Kaito her scrap.

    "What?! Then, that means that someone else has their own scrap!" Kaito said. "Okay, who else has their own scrap?" Everyone looked immediately at Kokichi, who gave them an innocent smile.

   "Nee-heehee...what? Why are you all looking at me like thaaat?" he asked. Kaito sighed wearily.

   "Kokichi...do you have your own scrap?" he asked. 

   "Of course not!" Kokichi said. "Why would I have my own-" But before Kokichi could finish, Kaito snatched the scrap out of Kokichi's hand. He looked at it, and glared at Kokichi.

   "Tsumugi, give me yours," he said. Tsumugi handed Kaito her scrap, and he handed Kokichi's scrap to her. "There, now it's all better!" Kokichi crossed his arms and huffed. After dinner, everyone left the table and went their separate ways. Kokichi and Himiko were sitting on Kokichi's bed, discussing the whole thing.