I entered the shadowy tavern on a Friday evening. There was a woman in a dark corner, tall, dark-haired and busty. She was wearing a nurse's outfit and had on a surgical mask. I could see the handle of a pair of surgical scissors in the pocket of her white coat. That, I told myself, had to be the kuchisake-onna. I wasn't afraid. I figured she just needed someone to treat her like a normal human instead of fearing her as a monster. I walked over to her table.
"May I join you?" I politely inquired.
She nodded. "You may."
I'm average height for a man -- she was an inch or two taller than me. I have short brown hair and a slim build, with strong legs -- a runner's body, they call that. I gave her a smile. "It's an honor to be seated with such a beautiful woman. My name is Tom. May I have yours?"
"I am Takara," she responded. As I had anticipated, she then lowered her mask, allowing me to see her slit mouth. "Even like this, do you still think I'm beautiful?"
I replied instantly. "Of course. I knew you had that feature before I walked over, and I deliberately sought you out specifically because of it."
She was so stunned that she didn't even reach for her scissors to give me the same feature, which is what a kuchisake-onna would normally do. "You... already knew?"
She put her mask back up, so as not to upset other patrons in the tavern. I gave her a smile. "I want to know your story. I can already tell you're physically attractive, but I don't want to have one night of pleasure with you and then just leave. I'm hoping to develop things into a relationship, assuming you find me worthy of being your companion."
Her expression grew even more shocked, as her eyes widened. She took a moment to regain her composure. "Near the end of the Edo period, a handsome samurai frequently traveled through my town. Every time he passed through, he would stop and spend time with me... and in me... and on top of me... and even under me. One day I woke up to find my limbs bound and a snarling woman glaring at me. She told me she was the samurai's wife, and then did this to my mouth. I protested that he had never said anything about a wife, but she didn't care. She said I was the fourth woman she had done this to and she was going to continue doing it to all the women he had seduced in his travels."
"I'm sorry you had to endure that."
"One of the other kuchisake-onna the wife created took revenge on her before I could. So now I'm a vengeful spirit who can never rest because I can never take revenge on the person who wronged me."
I took Takara's hand in mine. "You're also a coworker of mine -- we work in the same government building. I edit and format the reports you then receive. I've actually crushed on you from a distance for months, but felt it inappropriate to come ask you for a date during work hours."
"You've been crushing on me for months?"
"Yes. Will you do me the honor of inviting me back to your place tonight, so I can demonstrate to you via actions how beautiful you are?"
She giggled. "By which you mean you want to fuck me. Just know that if I become unhappy, well..."
She reached towards her surgical scissors.
"...you will suffer consequences. Are you sure you want to risk it?"
"I would gladly risk my life being forfeit if it means an opportunity to pleasure your body."
She rose to her feet. "Very well. You may follow me home and join me in my bed."