Liar, Liar, the Mage's Desire Vol. 1 (A New Oumeno)

Himiko Becomes Her Greatest Fear (End)

      A loud booming sound echoed throughout the dining hall, causing everyone to either scream, gasp, or cover their eyes in sheer terror. Everyone stood stock still, waiting for Miu to drop dead. However, she just stood there, trembling and squealing with tears streaming from her eyes. They had expected a bullet to shoot out and pierce Miu's flesh, but when they turned to look at the gun, they saw tiny, colorful streams of paper shoot out of the gun: confetti. Sticking out of the barrel was a small, narrow pole with a flag at the end. Written on the flag was the word "BANG!" 

    "Heh heh heheh..." Himiko began to giggle. Everyone looked at her with wide eyes. "Heh heh heh heh...hee-hee-hee-hee...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!" Suddenly she burst into devilishly gleeful laughter. "I GOTCHA!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACES!!! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!! WASN'T THAT GREAT?!" She bent over to hold her stomach as she laughed. The first one to react was Kokichi. With a large smile on his face, he ran over to her, picked her up, and twirled her. 

   "Himiko! That was awesome!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

   "See?" she said. "I told you I'd come up with a good prank!"

   "Haha! You sure did!" Kokichi replied happily. Everyone began laughing nervously.

  "Um...so, Kokichi, you knew about this?" Tsumugi asked.

  "Nope," Kokichi responded. "But I wasn't scared like you guys when she pulled out the gun!"

   "You totally were, you liar!" Kaito said. "You cowered in fear just like everyone else!"

   "Well, yeah, that was an act," Kokichi countered. "You guys seriously think that Himiko would have the guts to pull an actual gun out on you guys?? Besides, I knew she was lying about going shopping for that makeup kit thingy she was talking about. I just didn't know what her next move was going to be after that. But I'm glad, cuz it was definitely entertaining!"

  "I don't believe you!" Kaito said. "I bet you really WERE scared!"

  "If I were really scared, Kaito, wouldn't I have been speechless like the rest of you?" Kokichi pointed out. "Some of you are STILL quiet with fear. Just look at Miu! She's on the floor shaking in her boots!" He pointed to Miu who was in a fetal position sobbing and sniffling. Kaede and Kirumi were trying to help her up as Miu kept trembling. 

   "Cuz Himiko pointed a gun at her, you dummy!" Kaito yelled. 

   "Whatevs, Miu is fine," Kokichi replied nonchalantly. "She needs to quit blubbering and get over herself." He turned to Himiko, smiling mischievously. "You, on the other hand! We gotta lot to talk about!" He grabbed her wrists and pulled her away from the dining hall. "Follow me, my love!" 

   Kokichi led her to his room where he shut the door and turned to Himiko with an excited, manic look on his face.

  "Himiko, that was brilliant!" he said. "I can't believe how well you pulled that off! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!"

   "Nyeh, and I even did my evil laugh," she replied, shyly pushing the tips of her index fingers together. "Are you proud of me?"  

   "I'm beyond that!" Kokichi exclaimed. He then put his forehead against hers. "I think I'm falling in love with you all over again," he said in a soft voice. Himiko giggled and began to blush as Kokichi took the back of her hand and kissed it, staring intently into her eyes. "Now...where exactly did you get this from?" Kokichi asked, pointing at the toy gun.

   "Oh, I got it from Miko's," Himiko replied. 

   "The arts and crafts store?" Kokichi asked in bewilderment.

   "Yeah, there's a section of the store where they sell novelty items," Himiko explained. "Some of the stuff they had were whoopee cushions, joy buzzers, those weird goopy tube thingies that you squeeze, and this gun thing. I asked one of the employees why a gun was in the store, and he told me that it was just a toy that shoots out confetti and a flag." 

   "Pff...and you believed him?!" Kokichi asked incredulously. Himiko rolled her eyes.

   "Well, first of all, Kokichi, he's not YOU," she pointed out. "Also, why would there be an actual gun in a Miko's store?" 

   "Because there are crazy people in this world," Kokichi replied. 

   "Well, fortunately, I didn't meet any at Miko's," Himiko said. 

   "M'kay, well, next time, take me with you so you DON'T encounter crazy, lying people," Kokichi insisted. "I want to be there with you in case they try to pull a fast one on you."

   "Okay, okay, if it makes you feel better," Himiko replied.

   "Good," Kokichi said. Then he began to sheepishly kick his foot. "Mmm...Himiko? About yesterday...I'm sorry about doubting you, and being a bit snarky." Himiko smiled at him.

  "I forgive you," she said, kissing his nose. He smiled mischievously back at her.

   "You know what this means, now, though, don't you?" he asked. 

    "Nyeh...what do you mean?"

   "That prank you pulled, your evil laugh, your desire to entertain others...you know what you've become, right?" 

  "Y-Yeah, I think I do," she replied quietly. "And...and..."

  "Aaaannnnd?" Kokichi asked, smiling expectantly at her.

  "I don't care!" she exclaimed. "As a matter of fact, I like it! I realize that in order to face my fear, I've gotta become my fear!" 

   "Well...that's an odd way of putting it," Kokichi said. "But...if it makes you feel better."

   "It does!" Himiko insisted. "I'm NOT just a mage, anymore! I'm also...a c-clown!" Kokichi laughed gleefully and wrapped his arms around Himiko. 

  "I'm glad to hear you say that!" he said, reaching into his pocket to pull out a soft, round, red ball and placed it onto Himiko's nose, honking it. Welcome to the funny business, my li'l Circus Freak! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!"