Kuchisake Otoko: The Slit-Mouthed Man

There was no denying that Jun was handsome. You could ask anyone regardless of gender, and they would talk to you forever, fawning over his looks. Rin, however, found it irritating, accusing Jun of using his features for his selfish advantage.

One afternoon, Rin was alone with Jun, cleaning up their homeroom class, when Rin used this opportunity to address Jun about his abuse of vanity.

“People only like you for your looks,” he scowled.

Jun shrugged and continued to sweep the floor.

How stuck up can this guy be? Rin thought to himself, scoffing at the reaction he had received.

If only Jun were no longer handsome, everyone would see him for who he was.

Rin spotted a pair of scissors lying on the teacher’s desk. He could use these scissors and take away Jun’s handsome face. Since the other was busy with his task, Rin went to the teacher’s desk, grabbed the scissors, and hid them behind his back.

This was his ONLY opportunity. If he could get close enough, then he could fix this problem.

Slowly, he crept up behind Jun, his heart pounding in anticipation. Bringing his arm out from behind his back, Rin raised his hand, brandishing the scissors. Grabbing Jun by the back of the hair, he looped his fingers into the loops of the handle.

“Say goodbye to that handsome face of yours,” Rin snarled.

The sound of scissors snipping into flesh echoed in the room, along with Jun’s screams. Droplets of blood dripped onto the floor, making small puddles. Jun gurgled and sputtered as he staggered away from Rin and into the hallway, creating a trail of red. He stumbled into the nurse’s office, which was still there.

She gasped in surprise as Jun collapsed to the floor at her feet.

“Help me…” he whimpered before passing out from shock and blood loss.

It had been some time since the incident, and Rin felt accomplished for what he had done to Jun.

Jun never reported what happened to him or who did it. Rin smirked because he had gotten away with it. Without Jun around, it was peaceful, and he did not have to hear about people gawking over him. When school was over, Rin began his walk home. However, he could not shake the feeling that he was being followed.

Finally getting tired of this person on his heel, Rin turned around.

“Whoever you are, I will call the police. So, get lost!” he threatened, hoping it would deter them.

To his dismay, an individual with a mask covering his face stood behind him. They wore a hoodie with the hood up and sweatpants.

In a raspy voice, they asked, “Do you think I’m handsome?” tilting their head to the side, cold hazel eyes stared at Rin, waiting for an answer.

Was this person out of their mind? Rin thought to himself, furrowing his brow. This was a waste of his time, so he quickly answered, giving it little thought.

“Yeah, sure,” Rin muttered.

The individual chuckled. “You think so?” they pulled down their mask, revealing the lower half of their face. “What about now? Am I still handsome?”

Rin paled, seeing the lower half of this individual’s face where a jagged scar went from ear to ear.

It was Jun! There was no doubt that it was him. He had come to find him and get revenge for what he had done to him. Rin cursed himself for not running away. Instead, he stood there frozen. Should he say yes once again?

“I…” Rin’s voice shook. “Y-yes.”

Jun grinned, his scar shifting on his once handsome face as he pulled out a pair of rusty scissors, the same ones that Rin had used on him. He stepped back as Jun advanced towards him, not allowing him time to scream.

He snipped into his flesh with the pair of scissors. A satisfied smirk spread on his lips, and he twisted due to the scar.

“You can say goodbye to your face as well.” Jun laughed darkly.

Sometime later, rumors began circulating about a man wearing a mask who had been lurking outside the school, asking anyone who encountered him if he was handsome.

If you answer yes, then he will show you his face, and if you then say no, he will murder you. He will make your face look like his if you say yes again. Saying no outright will get you murdered.

The only way to escape him is to say he looks average and quickly disappears. He needed a name that would remind people of who he had become.

Kuchisake Otoko…The Slit-Mouthed Man.