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Kokichi is sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the white-washed walls of his dorm room. It is currently 3:30 in the morning, the dormitory is quiet too quiet there is a strange silence in the dormitory. Which is an ideal setting for sleep for most people, but for Kokichi it's just eerie. The building is dead silent save for the occasional creaking of his dorm’s twin-sized bed, the incessant buzz of his fan, and the sound of his heart beating against his chest. Kokichi isn't used to hearing less than 10 heartbeats, he isn't used to not hearing the sound of Queen snoring, and he definitely isn’t used to not hearing the sounds of Ace and Spades whispering to each other trying not to wake up the others with their giggles. The lack of noise is slowly driving Kokichi up the walls, and the supreme leader fears he may actually go insane if this continues.
After what felt like hours, he finally decides fuck it and gives up on trying to will himself to sleep. Exasperated and feeling the early stirrings of fatigue creeping in, Kokichi decides that a cup of tea might be just the thing he needs to calm his nerves and hopefully finally get some shut-eye. So, he slides out of bed, slipping on a pair of violet slippers before making his way to the dormitories shared kitchen, still in his pajamas.
Of course, his previous plan is completely thrown off the rails almost immediately. Because apparently karma decided now was the perfect time to bite him in the ass for all of his evil deeds. In the kitchen, holding a glass of water, is Kaito fucking Momota in the flesh. Luckily the astronaut is turned around and hasn't noticed him yet, Kokichi can just head back to his dorm room and all will be-
"Ouma?"
Goddammit Kaito whips around because apparently Kokichi’s footsteps aren't as light as he previously thought. The astronaut stares at the supreme leader as if he had seen a ghost, the taller ultimate’s glass of water hitting the hard kitchen floor with a rather loud thud. Kokichi is well aware that he may look a little disheveled at the moment, but he doesn't look THAT shitty right?
Completely ignoring Kaito's shocked expression, Kokichi plasters an energetic grin onto his face that surely looks out of place against his eyebags and noticeable exhaustion.
"Wow space boy, am I really just that jaw-droppingly beautiful?"
That was probably some of the worst material he has ever spit out, but Kokichi is too tired to do much better. But Momota doesn't seem to be all that focused on his lackluster quips and smile that feels a bit too wide to be natural. No, instead he's fixated on something else entirely on the liar's face.
"Dude" Kaito says breathlessly, "your eye."
oh shit
Kaito had woken up in the middle of the night thirsty and decided to get a cup of water. What he didn't plan on was his late night rendezvous being interrupted by Kokichi. And although Kokichi and the rest of his classmates frequently write him off as an idiot, he isn't stupid enough not to notice the visible change in the supreme leader's appearance. The supreme leader looks like he just crawled out of the devil's asshole, and knowing Kokichi, that is not entirely implausible. But what the astronaut trainee is talking about is the bright yellow eye currently staring back at him.
Similarly, Kaito also isn't dumb enough to not notice the way Kokichi’s smile drops for a split second, before being pasted back on when Kaito mentions his eyes.
"What about my eye Momota?"
Kokichi asks innocently, making sure to enunciate the word ‘Momota' slowly almost mockingly.
"Don't bullshit me Ouma you know exactly what im talking about" Kaito says annoyedly, "why the fuck is your right eye yellow? Because it sure as hell wasn’t that color last time I saw you."
"I'm wearing colored contacts duh", Kokichi huffs out the lie like the astronaut's words genuinly offended him "I was gonna pretend to be a ghost and scare you but you ruined the surprise, great job stupid-mota." The supreme leader crosses his arms over his chest defensively.
Kaito and pretty much everyone who has ever unfortunately had to come into contact with Ouma knows that he is a liar, a good one at that. Actually the word good doesn’t do Kokichi’s ability any justice in the slightest. The supreme leader can weaponize his lies like a machine gun. But best believe Kokichi can also use his lies like a shield, or more accurately as a safety net. Entangling his heart within a web of deception until nobody, not even Ouma himself, can tell where the lies begin and where the truth ends. Kokichi’s web of lies isn’t really something that can be separated from him, rather the supreme leader is his lies. And as annoying as Ouma’s constant “it’s a lie!!”s are, most of his lies are harmless white lies conjured up for the purpose of his entertainment.
What Kaito’s synopsis of Kokichi means is that if Kokichi doesn’t want to talk about something, then nobody can make him. Not that the astronaut trainee would want to force Ouma to open up to him, if the supreme leader decides to tell Kaito about his heterochromia it should be on the liar’s own terms. So Kaito just flashes Kokichi the most Kaito-like grin he can manage and puts a firm hand on Kokichi’s shoulder. To which Ouma’s eyes widen a bit in a bout of rare genuine confusion.
“Hah well too bad your plan failed” Kaito boasts proudly, “not that it would’ve scared me in the first place, the luminary of the stars isn’t spooked by something as silly and fake as ghosts!”
Kokichi squints his mismatched colored eyes at Kaito like he’s trying to figure out what the astronomer’s motives are, but much like how Momota didn’t call him out on his obvious lie Kokichi doesn’t call Kaito out on his either.
“Anyways” Kaito continues not moving his hand from Kokichi’s shoulder, “it’s pretty late man, what are you doing up?”
Kokichi smiles up at him, one that is visibly less forced than the one before, as the two fall back into their usual routine of teasing and bickering back and forth.
“I could ask you the same thing space man” Ouma chirps back.
“I was just getting a glass of water” Kaito picks up the plastic cup he had previously dropped during the initial shock of seeing Kokichi’s eyes, carefully putting it back onto the countertop. “Now answer my question Ouma.” Kaito decides to blatantly ignore the way that Kokichi’s face fell ever so subtly for a second after Kaito took his hand off of him.
“Hmm” Kokichi puts a finger on his cheek in a cartoonish gesture of thinking, “I’m pretty sure the answer is obvious Momo-chan, I couldn’t sleep so I was gonna go make a cup of tea.” How would that be obvious??
“Buttt… Kaito’s ugly face has completely ruined my appetite” the supreme leader contorts his face into an over-exaggerated childish pout.
“Hey! My face isn’t ugly and you know it” Kaito says defensively. Of course he isn’t really mad at Kokichi. The astronaut isn’t sure if he could be, even if he wanted to given the delicate situation they’re in.
Kokichi just laughs in response, not one of his fake horse-like ‘Nishishis’ but a rare genuine giggle. The liar is practically glowing, despite being shrouded in nothing but a small amount of light coming from the stove he never did get his tea did he? Still, the light reflects nicely off of his yellow eye making it sparkle a bit. Kaito has no idea why he would hide it because it’s such a pretty color, but Ouma probably has his reasons.
Momota suddenly snaps out of the trance that Kokichi always seems to put him in, after realizing just how long he had been staring. God dammit Kaito stop being weird!! He is a guy and you are NOT gay, plus he’s not just a guy he’s Kokichi Ouma your arch nemesis. Snap out of it idiot!!
Kaito interrupts the awkward silence with a curt cough, clearing his throat before continuing “Anyways just get some sleep Ouma, gotta be in top shape if you’re gonna be competing against me!” Momota gives Kokichi a thumbs up that is usually reserved for his sickkicks. “Can’t have my rival slacking off on the job!!”
The supreme leader just scoffs at him, but it’s more lighthearted rather than coming from a genuine place of annoyance.“Whatever you say space-case, see you tomorrow or whatever.” Kokichi just gives Kaito a quick wave, before turning on his heel and leaving without another word. Which is the most Ouma thing to do like ever.
Kaito silently watches Kokichi walk away, slightly proud of himself for causing Ouma to leave the conversation more calm than he was before it. Of course there are still some things Kaito’s curious about like why Kokichi couldn’t sleep, and why he’s been covering up his heterochromia. But that’s just how it is with the liar. Nobody ever leaves a conversation with him satisfied. But instead yearning for the chance to learn more about him, and dig deeper into his web of lies. Kaito will just have to speak to him more tomorrow, but he knows one thing he won’t tell a soul about this.
So the next day, when Kokichi loudly waltzes into class with his big purple eyes, Kaito doesn’t say a thing. The astronaut just shoots him a knowing look, before the supreme leader goes about his morning routine of squabbling with Iruma while Keebo desperately tries to get them to stop.