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"Nyeh, it's raining again. . ."
Standing under the shade of her favorite cafe's entrance, Himiko gripped her dress tightly around her bare legs and shivered. The rain began to pour louder every second that passed.
Earlier, the sun had been shining brightly that the young magician felt it was a good time to pamper herself after several consecutive days managing her shows. She certainly hadn't expected the sudden change of weather and had no umbrella with her currently.
"Should I just make a run for it?" She thought, but immediately decided against it. Today was the only time she got to rest, and if she got sick from running in the rain, she would have to cancel this week's schedule. And that meant no money for a week. Her house was kind of far too, so it wouldn't be a good idea.
Himiko sighed and just sat down on one of the chairs on the cafe's patio, absentmindedly staring out onto the street and watching as people passed by with their umbrellas. How long was she going to wait until the rain passes?
Then she had an idea. Maybe she could text one of her friends to fetch her there. She thought of the possible people she could ask.
Angie? Himiko recalled her saying that she will be busy for the whole week to visit a week-long art show and swore to Atua that she will never miss even one day. She wouldn't want to anger Angie too.
Kaede? They weren't close, and although she was nice, the magician felt that she would just be a nuisance if she asked the pianist.
Tenko? She is probably busy with her aikido training, but maybe she might let it go this one time. . . ?
"Guess I have no choice but to call Tenko for help then," she mumbled to herself, opened her messages, and started texting the said girl.
tenko-chan, can you help me?
A few seconds later, she received a reply.
Himikooo~!! What can Tenko help u with?! :D
nyeh, i'm stuck in the rain and i don't have an umbrella. can you fetch me here? i'm here in the kumamono café
Several minutes passed. Himiko wondered if she was on her way there, but she received a notification that told her otherwise.
Sorry Himiko-chan, but Tenko cannot go there today. Because Tenko has training!! D:
Tenko is very sorry!! I promise I will make it up for u next time!! :(
Himiko sighed, replied to her aikido-loving friend that it was okay, and stuffed her phone back into her tiny backpack. At least she tried.
Now she was stuck under the rain with no preferable means of going home. There was always the option of risking it and getting drenched, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Her magic shows were important to her and was her only choice of a career that made use of her magic powers. If she got sick, she wouldn't be able to do magic properly.
Himiko groaned and rested her head on the table. Maybe if she took a nap and recovered her MP, then she would be able to think of a spell to stop the rain.
Just seconds from dozing off, she suddenly felt a poke on her shoulder.
"Eh~? Yumeno-chan?"
She recognized that voice anywhere.
"Ouma-kun? What are you doing here?" Himiko yawned and looked up at a grinning Kokichi looking at her. He was wearing his usual checkered scarf and a black hoodie and jeans, but he didn't look drenched. Himiko noticed the umbrella he was holding.
"Just happened to pass by after an incredibly dangerous mission, that's all!" the purple-haired boy hollered. He sat down on a chair beside the magician.
"Now may I ask, why the hell are you here?"
"Well, I don't have an umbrella, so I figured that after a nap the rain would go away. . ."
"After a nap?! Have you even checked the forecast? I heard it would be raining the whole day!"
"Nyeh, that's probably a lie. Am I right?" Himiko replied in a bored manner and continued to stare across the street, not noticing that the ultimate supreme leader scooted his chair closer to her.
"I'm not lying, look at it yourself!" Kokichi scoffed and leaned back, putting his arm across the red-haired girl's chair.
Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Himiko checked her phone, and unfortunately, he really wasn't lying, because the forecast suggested strong rains for the rest of the week.
"Ah, how am I going to go home now. . ." she muttered to herself disappointingly and laid her hands on her lap. Kokichi glanced at her and put on a mischievous smile.
"Nishishi~ Have no fear, my beloved mage, for your knight in shining armor is here!" He jumped up from his seat which startled the magician, opened his umbrella, and stepped out into the rain, grinning at her.
"M-my beloved mage? Knight in shining armor?" Himiko repeated, a little flustered at his choice of words. "What do you mean. . . by that?"
"I'm here to rescue you, duh! Notice this umbrella?" Kokichi pointed to his umbrella in his right hand.
"I'm going to be shielding you from the rain! Now why are you still sitting there looking all flustered? Aren't you taking up my offer?"
"Okay. . ." Himiko stood up and started to fix her things. She looked at the supreme leader hesitatingly.
"Ouma-kun. . . you sure you're not lying about letting me under that umbrella?"
"Oh hell no!" Kokichi shouted irritatingly, getting a few looks from the people around them.
"Didn't I just tell you right now, Yumeno-chan? I'm taking you home once and for all and that's final!"
His eyes started to water.
"Or. . . or maybe you think I'm that cruel?! You're so mean! I HATE YOU! WAAAAHHHHHH!!"
He started to cry crocodile tears in front of everyone, and Himiko felt embarrassed for his childish behavior.
"FINE! I'll come with you if you stop crying."
Immediately, Kokichi put on a grin and his tears magically disappeared.
"Well then, come in my beloved mage~"
Himiko facepalmed and stepped under his umbrella. The space wasn't that large, so she had to press herself against him for either of them to not get wet. For a moment she felt his body tense up, but it might as well have been her imagination.
Several seconds passed and they were still standing there. She looked up at Kokichi. He looked down at her.
"Nyeh, why aren't we moving yet?"
"Before we go," Kokichi charmingly put out his left hand in front of her, "we must hold hands."
"N-nyah?! Holding hands?!" Himiko clutched the straps of her backpack tighter and stared at his hand, feeling her face go red. The purple-haired boy laughed at her reaction and immediately put his hand in his pocket.
"Nishishi! That was a lie, of course! Why would I hold hands with an ugly girl like you?!"
"Shut--shut up!" Himiko growled. "Let's just go okay?! You and your stupid lies. . ."
They started to walk. Himiko started to wonder why Kokichi would want to help her. It was rare for him to show this much kindness to anyone, let alone Himiko. From her observations, not even Shuichi or Kiibo got this treatment, and they were closer to him than she was. Then again, she might as well be grateful for his help, even if it was sudden.
Around ten minutes later, Kokichi spoke up.
"Whatcha thinking about, Yumeno-chan? You're too silent there!"
"Nyeh, same goes to you, Ouma-kun. Normally you would pester anybody regardless of the situation, yet here you are not speaking."
Kokichi scratched the back of his head. "A-Ah. I dunno why, but I just don't feel like it right now!"
He grinned nervously. Himiko stared at him in disbelief. They stopped before a pedestrian lane, where they waited until the light turned red.
The rain began to pour harder, and Himiko found herself shivering once more. Why did she have to wear a dress that unlucky day? She pressed her legs together and crossed her arms in an attempt to warm herself.
Kokichi noticed this and scooted closer to her that their thighs were touching, and very nervously placed his hand across her back and onto her shoulder. Himiko froze and blushed a light pink.
"What are you doing?"
Kokichi flinched, but regained his composure and flashed her a cheeky smirk.
"Aren't you grateful for what I'm doing, Yumeno-chan? You shouldn't freeze to death. Not on my watch~"
Kokichi felt unusual today. Too unusual. First, he showed concern, which he didn't really do, next, he wasn't in the mood to tease her, and now, why is he putting his arm around her shoulder like that?
Those moments gave the young mage butterflies in her stomach. Himiko couldn't tell if his actions were just a part of his lies.
The traffic light turned red. The ultimate magician fastened her pace to get to the other side fast alongside other people, while her companion tried to keep up with her while his hand stayed fastened on her shoulder. Just the feeling of his warm hand made her feel warm inside, although she tried to deny it to her own self.
There was still a fair distance to go before they reached her house. Himiko tried to discreetly steal a glance at the supreme leader, trying to figure out what was going on inside that crazy mind of his.
Their eyes met.
"Ouma-kun?"
"You're really really really ugly, you know?" Kokichi tried to play it off like he wasn't caught staring at her, but the young mage noticed a faint blush on his cheeks.
"Eh? If I'm really ugly, then why were you looking at me like that?" She teased. Now the tables are turned, she thought.
However, she was met with silence. Himiko suddenly didn't feel a hand on her shoulder anymore, and when she looked back at Kokichi, he had his face turned away from her. His hand was inside his hoodie's pocket once again.
"Hey, don't tell me you're--"
"That was a lie!" Kokichi whipped his head back to her, smiling brightly with no trace of embarrassment left from his earlier act. Himiko was confused.
"Actually Yumeno-chan, I think you're really really really cute!" He winked.
Her face turned bright red.
"Aww~ Look at you getting all red like a strawberry! That face you make is so cute~" Kokichi pinched her right cheek, while Himiko tried to pull his hand away from her, almost knocking down the umbrella handle in the process.
"S-Stop it! I'm not cute and you're just lying! I know that for sure!" She scoffed, successfully prying his hand away from her face. Her cheek had turned red from the pinching.
"Aaaand why would I lie about that?" Kokichi pouted.
"Because you're a liar, that's why!" Himiko retaliated, although she knew it wasn't a good comeback. In reality, she was just a blushing mess and tried to say anything she could to save herself from being embarrassed by his words any longer.
Meanwhile, Kokichi just laughed. He knew the ultimate magician was easy to trick, which was ironic since her shows and 'magic spells' were tricks themselves. Though this time, he didn't want to trick and lie to her. He just wanted to see how she would react when bombarded with the truth, which was something Kokichi rarely did, ultimately confusing her.
In fact, he really did find her cute. When he was caught looking at her, he looked away partly because he was unsure of how she would react, and mostly because he was embarrassed.
"Am I going to be a liar forever though? Fufu~ my beloved Yumeno-chan, you can't keep on thinking the same way about me for eternity! People change, you know~"
"How so?!"
"If I tell you I like you right now, would you think about me differently?" His lavender eyes stared into her own red ones.
They had stopped walking. The rain had easened up only a little bit, yet Himiko could still hear her own heartbeat over the sound of the strong rain.
Kokichi looked and sounded serious, she could tell. But what could she answer to that? Her own feelings confused her just as he mixed up his lies with his truths. Had she liked him all along but was too naive to realize it?
"You know what, never mind~ We both know you can't answer that question anyway, considering how stupid and slow you are. . ." Kokichi trailed off, disappointment clearly audible in his voice. He lifted his scarf with his free hand to cover the lower half of his face.
The first thing Himiko felt after hearing his reply to her silence was guilt. She had wanted to say yes, but her stupid slow self kept her from answering right away.
They continued walking, the rain overlapping the sound of their footsteps. Kokichi remained silent. The freezing rain was making his hands feel cold.
Himiko silently slipped her hand into his, the soft skin from her fingers gently intertwined against his own, her thumb slowly stroking his index finger as if to reassure him.
Kokichi suddenly felt warm inside. He looked at her in surprise. She kept her head down.
"Yumeno-chan--?"
"Nyeh. . . I like you too, Ouma-kun. Sorry I'm too slow and stupid to say it right away," she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear.
He felt as if fireworks went off in his heart.
But he didn't dare show it.
Not yet.
He had to stop himself from showing how happy it made him, what if Himiko becomes uncomfortable? He had to be his usual self first.
"Oh, what's this? Yumeno Himiko actually likes me, a degenerate male?" He laughed, and halted both of them from walking. Himiko was still looking down, not daring to look at him.
Did she really just hold his hand? She secretly enjoyed it though, considering that her MP was now fully restored.
"Hey Himiko~ Look at me~"
"H-Himiko?!" She finally looked up at him, surprised at the use of her first name, and was met by a face several inches away from hers.
"Yes, Himiko-chan! Starting today, we are on a first name basis!" Kokichi felt stupid saying that and started laughing, considering they weren't even officially dating yet.
But making a move wouldn't hurt, right?
"Come on, try saying mine! Say, 'Kokichi-kun!'"
"Hey! My MP is draining already because of you! You're ruining the mood Kokichi!"
Though her words were meant to show disdain, Himiko found herself laughing alongside the purple-haired boy.
"You said it! You finally said it! I'm so happy for us, my beloved Himiko~"
"Eh?! But we aren't even dating yet--"
Kokichi put a finger to her mouth and shushed her.
"I don't think you're getting the point here Himiko. I mean, look at our current situation!" He opened his free arm wide.
"You? Me? Under one umbrella in the middle of the rain? Isn't that romantic for you~? Or am I ruining this all?" He pouted.
Kokichi secretly cringed at the things he had said. Why did he ruin the tension between them? And why the hell did he call her by her first name all of a sudden?
Maybe the excitement was getting to me, he thought.
"Actually. . . I'm kind of enjoying this."
Kokichi's thoughts were disrupted by her soft and meek voice. He glanced at her curiously. She was smiling that small, cute smile that made his heart secretly flutter everytime she did that. His heart raced fast. He took a deep breath.
"You know Kokichi, I don't think you're ruining this at all. I guess I enjoy your presence, though it may sound absurd. In fact, your unpredictability makes things kinda fun. . ." Himiko trailed off when she saw that his face was beginning to turn crimson.
"Heh, now you're the one getting embarrassed!" She giggled.
"Hey Himiko. Did you know you're the only person who's made me feel like this?" Himiko stopped.
Kokichi snickered and his face returned to its original pale complexion. "That's a lie, dummy!"
"What? Who was the first girl then?!" Himiko pulled on his arm and started pestering him with various questions about what he said. Kokichi laughed at how gullible she was.
"That lie of mine was also a lie! You're the first one to make my heart flutter with love, don't you worry babe~" He stuck his tongue out in front of her face playfully.
"Ugh, you and your stupid lies again!" Himiko cried angrily, but deep down she was relieved.
"Come on, let's just go back to my house. The rain won't be ending soon, and I can't cast a spell on it because I'm so tired of talking!" Himiko pulled on his arm and started marching towards her street. Kokichi kept up with her pace.
"Let's stop talking and rest at my house, okay? At least wait until the rain stops so you can go home," Himiko grumbled.
"Yeah yeah, I agree. You can cuddle with me if you'd like! Though if I were to ask, I'd tackle you first to the bed and keep you as warm as I can!"
"Nyeh, I told you to stop talking!" Kokichi shut his mouth. Himiko relaxed as they neared her house. She was finally home after a long time waiting for the rain to pass, thanks to Kokichi.
Still, she couldn't help but wonder if Kokichi would stay true to his words. She secretly hoped he would.