"Kaede, I still don't understand. Why did you lie to Maki and Himiko?" Shuichi asked as he and Kaede walked home from school together.
"Becaaauuuse, Shuichi, I think it's adorable that they have crushes on Kaito and Kokichi!" Kaede answered gleefully. "Besides, did you see how they just...came to life like they did when they first saw the boys? It was so cute!"
"If you say so, Kaede," Shuichi replied with a smile, shaking his head.
"And, if I'm being honest, their cynical attitudes were kinda...getting annoying," Kaede continued. "Maybe Kaito and Kokichi will be able to brighten them up a little, y'know?"
"It's possible, I suppose," Shuichi answered, though he sounded uncertain. At that moment, Kaede and Shuichi heard loud, rap music. They turned to see the jet black Skyline speeding up towards them. They watched apprehensively as the car pulled up next to them. Without a word, Maki and Himiko exited the car, grabbed Shuichi and Kaede, shoved them into the backseat, then entered the car again before Maki sped off.
"W-Where are you taking us?!" Kaede demanded.
"Shut up," Maki replied briskly. Soon, she drove into a suburban neighborhood, and pulled into a two-story house painted in a bright yellow with a peach-colored rooftop.
"Wow...you guys live here?" Shuichi asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise at the cheerful-looking house.
"Nyeeeeh....don't remind us," Himiko muttered. "Follow us." Shuichi and Kaede followed Maki and Himiko into the house. As they did, a tall woman with long red hair greeted them.
"Himiko, darling! Maki! You're home!" she said. "And you've brought company! Who are your friends?"
"None of your BUSINEEEEESSSSSS!!!" Himiko roared. "Nyeeeeeh...stay out of my life, mother!!"
"Mmm-hmhmhm...okay!" Himiko's mom chuckled. "Well, if you want any cookies, they'll be waiting for you on the kitchen counter, 'kay?"
"Nyeeeeh...whateveeeerrrrrr!!" Himiko groaned in frustration. She turned to Kaede and Shuichi. "Just follow us!"
"Okay! Okay!" Shuichi said, holding his hands up in defense. Kaede and Shuichi followed Maki and Himiko as they stomped up the stairs and into a large, gothic-style, red room with two black canopy beds. The blinds on the window were shut tight. Instead of turning the lights on, Maki and Himiko lit up some candles to dimly light the room.
"Whoa! Nice room you two have!" Kaede marveled as she looked around.
"We wanted to have it in the basement, but, my aunt wouldn't let us," Maki grumbled.
"Nyeeeeh...my mom doesn't understand us," Himiko muttered.
"Nobody does," Maki sighed dramatically. Kaede rolled her eyes. She was tired of hearing Maki and Himiko's wannabe attitude. She had to agree with Hiyoko in that it felt they were trying too hard to be goth, as if they didn't know that goth people are actually normal, like everyone else.
"Well, um, anyways...why did you guys kidnap us?" Kaede asked, wanting to change the subject.
"We need you guys to tell us more about Kaito," Maki said.
"And Kokichi," Himiko added. Kaede brightened a little.
"Oh! Well, I'd be happy to!" she replied. "Right, Shuichi?"
"Um...sure, I guess," Shuichi mumbled. He felt uncomfortable being in a room with two strange girls, especially after just being kidnapped by them.
"What did you want to know, in particular?" Kaede asked.
"Where do they live?" Maki and Himiko asked in unison, getting straight to the point.
"Er, um...I honestly don't know," Kaede admitted.
"Nyeeeeh...surely there's a castle around here somewhere," Himiko said.
"A castle? For what?" Shuichi asked.
"Kokichi, of course!" Himiko snapped. "He's a vampire, so it would make sense for him to live in a castle!" Shuichi rolled his eyes.
"Kokichi's not really a vampire!" he sighed.
"Yes...he...is," Himiko said in a low, threatening voice, glowering at Shuichi.
"Well, if he's a vampire, why does he come to school...when the sun is shining?" Shuichi asked.
"Are you calling my cousin a liar?" Maki growled, slowly advancing towards Shuichi with a small knife in her hand. Kaede stood in between Shuichi and Maki.
"No, no! Shuichi's the Ultimate Detective! So, of course he's not going to believe in vampires!" she said. "He just needs you guys to prove that Kokichi's a vampire, and he'll believe you...right, Shuichi?" She turned to Shuichi with a warning look.
"Um...yeah...right," Shuichi sighed, giving up. If there was no use in convincing Himiko otherwise, he might as well just play along.
"Nyeeeeh...I've got proof," Himiko replied with a smug grin. "After our little chat in the cafeteria, I spoke to Kokichi at his locker. He told me himself that he was a vampire."
"Okay, but...we told you that he's a liar," Shuichi pointed out.
"Well, if he wasn't a vampire, would he have kissed me?" Himiko asked, crossing her arms triumphantly. Shuichi and Kaede's mouths dropped open in shock.
"HE KISSED YOU?!?! " Kaede squeaked.
"Nyeeeeh....that's right," Himiko replied. "He was very charming, too. And seductive, and flirty, and a good kisser. Those are definitely characteristics of a vampire."
"But...Kokichi's not the kind of person to just...kiss people when he meets them!" Shuichi exclaimed. "He plays head games with people! That's what he did when Kaede and I first met him!"
"Well...not this time," Himiko said. "He kissed me and he even bit my neck."
"Why would he do that?!" Shuichi asked. "Did you just...tell him that you had a feeling he was a vampire?!"
"I did, and that's when he confirmed it," Himiko replied.
Then he must have been playing head games with her, Shuichi thought to himself. He didn't dare say it out loud after Maki threatened to stab him just now. He just couldn't believe that Kokichi was actually a vampire. The idea of it was too absurd.
"And I bet that's also why he doesn't get along with Kaito," Himiko continued. At the mention of Kaito's name, Maki perked up.
"Kaito? Why? What about him?" she asked eagerly.
"It's because Kaito is really...a werewolf," Himiko said dramatically. Maki gasped and brought her hands to her chest.
"Oh, my goth! I didn't think about that!" she gasped. "No wonder he's so hot! That explains his hair! It's like jagged fur! Jagged...stabby...fur! It also explains why he's so dumb, yet, so cute! He's like a dog!"
"Oh...what?! " Shuichi exclaimed in disbelief. "Come on! You guys don't really believe-" Maki and Himiko turned to him with murderous glares. "Er...s-sorry. I guess you're right."
"You still don't believe us," Maki said.
"Nyeeeeh...but, we're going to prove it to you Saturday night, emo trash," Himiko said.