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

Cookies 'n' Dreams (9)

   "What else is new?" Maki muttered. "But...if Kaito will believe you, I guess I'll be an idiot, too." She and Kaito both paid Himiko ¥500. 

   "Hey! Did you just call me an idiot?" Kaito said with a frown. Maki merely smiled and rolled her eyes. The two started walking away. "I'm serious, Maki! Is that what you meant?" Himiko turned to Three excitedly.

   "Wow! I had customers who weren't my friends!" she squealed. 

    "Eeee! Yay!" Three said. "You really knew how to handle that guy!"

    "It's not hard, really," Himiko shrugged. "All you gotta do is talk about space."

    "Well, space is pretty cool," Three admitted, nodding her head. "But, in this case, it's good that that guy's so obsessed with it." 

   "Nyeh...I think I'm ready to try someone else now!" Himiko said, now feeling energized. 

   "Look! Here comes a girl! And, wow! She looks really cool!" Three said, pointing to Ibuki, who was skipping her way to the school. 

   "That's Ibuki," Himiko said. She thought she'd try matching Ibuki's energy. "Nyeh...hiiii, Ibukiiii!!" Ibuki noticed Himiko and went over to her with a big grin.

   "Hellooooo, Himikooooo!!" she shouted. 

   "I hope you like lotsa color and sparkles!!" Himiko said. She was already feeling tired from talking like Ibuki, but she forced herself to keep smiling and talking in Ibuki's overly-cheerful manner. 

   "Of course! Color and sparkles make the world go 'round!" Ibuki cried. 

   "Then, how about you try my Snoozydoodles?" Himiko suggested, gesturing to her cookies. Ibuki gasped.

   "GAAAASSSSP!!! THESE LOOK SO AMAZING!!!" she cried. 

   "You want one?" Himiko asked.

   "Yeah! Can I have a pink one and a blue one to match?" Ibuki asked, pointing to her arms and hair. 

   "Nyeh...sure! That'll be ¥1000," Himiko said. Ibuki paid for her cookies, and opened her mouth to take a bite of the pink one. "Wait, Ibuki!!" Ibuki stopped.

   "Huh? What's wrong?" she asked.

   "Uh...b-before you eat that, you should know that they're called Snoozydoodles because you're supposed to eat them right before you go to sleep," Himiko said. Ibuki's eyes widened. 

   "Really?!" she exclaimed.

   "That's right!" Himiko handed her two baggies. "There you go!"

    "Yeee-haw!! I can't wait!!" Ibuki shouted. "Ibuki's so excited to eat these that she might not even be able to sleep!" 

   That's what you think, Himiko thought to herself. 

   "Well, thanks, Himiko! Good luck selling your Snoozydoodles!" Ibuki skipped away, leaving Himiko to sigh deeply.

   "Hee-hee...she was a ball of energy," Three giggled.

   "I know. I don't know how she can stand it," Himiko muttered tiredly. 

   "Hey, look! More people!" Three said. Himiko turned and spied Fuyuhiko and Peko. She rubbed her palms together.

   "Nyeh...I think I know how to get them," she said. "I've always wanted to do this." She sat down on the flat end of school's front entrance's brick banister. She sat up straight, crossed her legs, and stared ahead, stone-faced while curving the corners of her lips downward. Fuyuhiko raised a brow, but smiled curiously as he and Peko slowly approached Himiko. 

   "Uhh...Himiko? What are you doing?" he asked. 

   "Fuyuhiko, my boy, thank you for coming here on this very...very important day," Himiko said in a raspy voice as she reached out to straighten Fuyuhiko's suit. Fuyuhiko uttered a small chuckle, realizing that Himiko was trying to imitate Vito Corleone from The Godfather. "Now, listen...I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse."  

   "Okay, dork, show me what'cha got," Fuyuhiko said, chuckling. Himiko hopped up off the banister. Using her two fingers, she gestured to Fuyuhiko and Peko to follow her.

   "Come," she said, still putting on a voice. She gestured grandly to her cookies. "These are the greatest cookies ever known to man. If you were a dope, you'd leave right now. But, you're not a dope, are ya, Fuyuhiko?" Still smiling, Fuyuhiko shook his head in awe.

   "No, Himiko, I guess not," he replied. Himiko picked up a cookie.

   "Then, here, take a Snoozydoodle," she said before nodding to Peko. "And one for the dame, too." Fuyuhiko handed Peko the cookie, and took one for himself. 

  "I'll pay for the both of us, Peko," Fuyuhiko offered, and paid ¥1000. 

   "There's only a minor thing about the cookies," Himiko continued. "You're supposed to eat them right before getting conked." Fuyuhiko smiled quizzically at her.

   "Getting conked?! " he repeated.

    "Yeah...y'know, in other 'woids,' before youse guys go to sleep," Himiko explained. Fuyuhiko laughed and shook his head.

   "Got it," he replied. Himiko handed him and Peko a couple of baggies for their Snoozydoodles. "Thanks, Himiko. Y'know, I can see why Kokichi digs you. You are pretty cute." Himiko blushed.

   "Oh, stoooop," she said bashfully, breaking character. "Oh! Um, I mean...Don't call me cute, or it'll be 'coitans' for you, punk." Fuyuhiko laughed again.

   "If you say so, Himiko," he said before waving goodbye to Himiko.