Liar, Liar, the Mage's Desire Vol. 2 (The Oumeno Strikes Back)

Romeo and Juliet (7)

    "Students, may I have your attention?" Usami announced at rehearsals after school that afternoon. The students turned their attention to Usami, waiting for her announcement. "Um...the students who were originally going to play as Romeo and Juliet have decided to drop out, so...Junko and Rantaro, you two are now the new Romeo and Juliet."

   "OH, MY GOSH, REALLY?!" Junko exclaimed, hopping up and down. "Wow, I guess I didn't need that buzz saw, after all!"

   "B-B-BUZZ SAW?!" Usami exclaimed. "FOR WHAT?!"

   "Oh...no reason," Junko muttered quietly, innocently tapping her fingertips together.

   "Well...I'm sure it'll be a pleasure working with you, Junko," Rantaro said with a kind smile.

   "Um...DUH!" Junko said. "It's *always* a pleasure working for me, Ranjiro!"

   "Er...well, first of all, I said working *with* you, not *for* you," Rantaro corrected. "Secondly, my name is-"

   "Blah, blah, blah, who cares?" Junko rudely interrupted. "Just...make sure your breath doesn't smell like hot garbage when we have to do that kissing scene. I don't want you melting my beautiful, flawless face off." Rantaro rolled his eyes and scoffed at her before walking off to rehearse. 

   "Heh heh heh...excellent," Kokichi said with an evil chuckle. As before, he and Himiko were hidden on the catwalk above the stage, looking down at the actors as they rehearsed. "Looks like everything is going according to plan, Himiko."

   "Nyeh...how are you going to get Junko to drop out, though?" Himiko asked.

   "Hmhmm...let's just say that it's a good thing none of the costumes have been made, yet," Kokichi replied, giving Himiko a mysterious wink. 

   ***

   The next morning, Himiko had to walk to school with Tenko and Angie, since Kokichi was oddly absent from Casa V3. When they arrived, Himiko spied Kokichi running up to her from the school's entrance.

   "Himiko! There you are! C'mon, I've got something to show you!" He led Himiko to his locker, where he pulled out an ugly, tattered, brown dress that looked like it had been run over by an 18-wheeler. "Ta-daaaa!" he said as he held it out for her to see. 

   "Ew, what is that?" Himiko asked, sticking her tongue out in disgust. 

   "Nee-heehee...it's a dress that I had Tsumugi make for me last night," Kokichi replied. "I told her to make the ugliest dress she could think of! What I didn't tell her, though, is that it was going to be Junko's Juliet costume!"

   "Nyeh...no offense, Kokichi, but Junko...the Ultimate Fashionista...is *not* going to want to wear that," Himiko said. 

   "Precisely," Kokichi replied, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously at Himiko.