1 First Meeting

Is She Beautiful?

I am Ken, I'm just an ordinary 21-year-old man; who wears just a plain white shirt and black jeans every day when I go out to get to my part-time job or get a meal. I work in a pretty good moving company or something, get good pay, and get home quick before 9. it's a good life for someone like me.

I live in a small apartment in Kyoto, somewhere around the block, I just live alone with no one besides me. I moved out of my parents' house 10 years ago, start living like this when I was only 11 because I never get along with anyone. except for her

one day when I was in some part of Kyoto for a family reunion or something, I just went back from buying some stuff in a grocery store because my mom forgot to buy drinks and told me to buy them. I bought the drinks and that's when I met her

I was walking on the street, heading to my uncle's house before I see her standing by a lamp post alone.

my first thought that she might be waiting for someone and just stood there waiting. I walk past her as I had to go home before 7 or my father would ground me for a week.

and when I walked past her, she called out to me

"hey" she said in a low voice that managed to turn my attention to her

I looked at her as she wears a mask over her mouth, red shirt, and black skirt. the woman just stood there looking at me as I looked at her.

"can I ask you something?" she spoke again as the lamp post's light flickers back and forth

"what?" I replied to her as I turn to face her

"am I beautiful?" she continued looking at me, waiting for my answer

I looked at her as she had long black hair, nearly brownish-black eyes, but because of her mask, I couldn't tell if she was beautiful or not. so I replied to her

"yeah, you are," I told her the answer as she giggles before reaching a hand to her mask and pulls it off to reveal her mouth that was slit open that you could see her teeth and tongue from her nearly ripped apart cheeks

"am I beautiful now?" she asked again as I just look at her uninterested

"no, you just look the same" I replied as she looks at me with a weird and confused look

"aren't you afraid? of this mouth of mine?" she asked another question as she opens her slit and ripped mouth while sticking out her tongue from the ripped side

"not really" I replied before yawning "and don't bother scaring me, I know you're a Kuchisuke Onna. I've seen others like you"

"w-what?" the woman looks flustered as I just look at her uninterested

that was years ago, and now things changed

I grabbed my wallet, keys, and bag as I was going to head to my part-time job

getting out of my room, I closed the door before heading out, not bothering to lock it. but just after taking a few steps, I was confronted by a woman wearing a white cloak while her hair was covering her face

"don't bother, I'm bored and uninterested," i said patting the woman's head a few times before walking past her "I'm going to be back at 6 or so"

the woman turns towards my direction as her body was shaking

"WHY CAN'T I SCARE YOU!?" the woman screamed before whipping her hair up to reveal her face and she is the same woman who is the Kuchisuke Onna who tried to scare me many years ago "I TRIED ALL THE JAPANESE GHOST COSPLAY! AND YOU AREN'T SCARED AT THE LEAST!"

Her name is Miruko, the Kuchisuke Onna. you could say that she's my roommate and friend.

i turn to look at her as i stared at her for a moment before opening my mouth and pretended to be surprised and scared

"oh, I'm scared" i said as Miruko's face went red

"YOU JERK! YOU'RE JUST PLAYING WITH ME!?" Miruko shouted out as her jaw soon fell off from her outburst

"i am not" i said as i walked to her and fixed back her dislocated and hanging jaw back to its place "you forgot to sew it again, didn't you?"

Miruko huffs as i fixed her jaw before taking out a needle and string from my pocket. i started sewing her cheeks as Miruko blushes while i patch her mouth up

"there" i said as i finished sewing up her jaw and pecked her forehead "don't pull it till it heals for a few days"

"you're not the boss of me" Miruko said blushingly glaring at me but i just think that it's cute of her to give me a pout

"right" i said before i gave her a lollipop that made her eyes instantly sparkle "you can't eat this if you don't let your mouth keep shut"

Miruko grabs the lollipop before she turns and walks to my room which she entered

i look at her entering my room as i sighed in seeing her not being honest with her feelings

I turn around as i started walking to the elevator because my room is on the 11th floor and it's a pain to walk on the stairs

just before i could take a few more steps, Miruko came out of my room as her head pops out

"have a safe trip" she said before closing the door in a haste

i turn back to look at her but she was already back inside the room that made me smile

"I'll be going" i said before going to the elevator that soon opens with some people inside

i get inside before facing towards the elevator door which closed

this is my life of being with Miruko, the Kuchisuke Onna