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

Himiko Helps Kokichi Write A Scandalous Love Letter (2)

     "Okaaaaaay, how are we going to start this heart-pounding, juicy, mushy love letter?" Kokichi asked as he tapped the pencil he was holding on a blank sheet of paper in thought. Himiko had retrieved the shopping list that Shuichi had written on so Kokichi could forge his handwriting. 

    "Well, it can't sound TOO mushy, or Kyoko will immediately know it's not from Shuichi," Himiko pointed out.

   "Ahhh, good point there, Himiko," Kokichi replied, smiling at her. "You're definitely getting the hang of thinking like a prankster!"

  "Nyeh...don't remind me," Himiko muttered. She still didn't approve of pulling this kind of prank on Shuichi and Kyoko, but she couldn't help but feel excited about Kokichi being impressed by her.

  "Well, how would Shuichi confess his love for someone?" Kokichi asked, tapping his finger on his chin, sneaking a knowing side glance at Himiko. 

  "It would probably sound shy, yet formal, since he is talking to Kyoko, after all," Himiko suggested. Kokichi laughed out loud. It's as if he were amused by Himiko's answers which indicated that she had as much a mind of a prankster as he did. 

  "Yeeeaaaah, you're probably right," Kokichi replied, flashing her a toothy grin.

   "You talk as if you already knew how to write it," Himiko said with suspicion. 

    "Nee-heehee, of course I already knew!" Kokichi said, laughing.

   "Nyeh...then why were you asking me in the first place?" Himiko asked.

   "I just wanted to know what kind of answers you'd come up with," Kokichi explained. "I guess it must be true that great minds think alike! You can be my prank partner, Himiko! Ooo, ooo, we can be the Prince and Princess of Pranks! How does that sound?" Himiko felt her heart soar. Pulling pranks with Kokichi sounded like a dream come true, but she didn't want to get her hopes too high, in case she ended up disappointing him.

   "Let's not get too hasty," Himiko replied. "This prank may still go wrong."

  "So true, so true," Kokichi said. "You can't be the Princess of Pranks if you screw up a prank."

  "Gee, that's very reassuring," Himiko said sarcastically. Kokichi smiled teasingly at her and poked her in the cheek with the pencil's eraser.  

  "Okie-dokie, shy, yet formal," Kokichi said. "Hm...how about this?" He began writing on the blank sheet of paper, occasionally looking over the shopping list, carefully studying the intricate details of Shuichi's handwriting. "Done!" Kokichi exclaimed triumphantly. He handed Himiko the letter with a smug grin. 

  The letter read, 

"Dear Kyoko, 

Our cases together have been a memorable experience. I realize that though I may not be as great a detective as you, I hope I at least make a great partner. Which brings me to my next point. I've been with Kaede for a while, however I feel like my time together with you has made me reconsider my current relationship with her. I don't wish to hurt her feelings, but I suppose I should be honest with my own. The truth is, Kyoko, that I would like to be more than just your detective partner, if that's okay with you. I'm nowhere near as good as you, but you inspire me to succeed and to push beyond my limits to reach the truth as a detective should. I would like to know, Kyoko, if this is okay with you. If not, I'll happily drop the matter entirely and hope that we can stay good friends.

Sincerely, Shuichi"

   "Nyeh...Kokichi, this is actually amazing!" Himiko said, impressed with both, the forged handwriting and how "Shuichi-ish" the letter sounded. The letter seemed so convincing that Himiko couldn't help but feel more excited about pulling this prank. Kokichi shrugged nonchalantly and smiled in amusement at Himiko's excitement. 

  "Welp, all we need now is an envelope to stick the letter in, put it in Hope House's mailbox, and wait for the fun to begin," Kokichi said, taking the letter from Himiko.

  "Here, I have some envelopes for when I write to my mommy," Himiko said, pulling out a drawer from her desk. Kokichi smiled as she handed him an envelope.

  "Perfect," he said mischievously as he folded the letter and stuck it inside. He wrote Kyoko's name on the front of the envelope in Shuichi's handwriting. "I'll sneak this into their mailbox late at night, since the residents at Hope House usually check their mailbox in the morning and in the evening...so I've noticed."

   "Well, hopefully she opens it before school," Himiko said with a small smile. "I kinda do want to see how this plays out." 

  "Seems to me that you have a bit of a naughty side, Himiko," Kokichi said, giving her an impish grin and leaning closer to her face. "I think I wanna see more of it," he added in a smooth voice. Himiko felt her insides grow hot. She found it hard to say anything with him being so close to her. 

  "W-Well...whatever," was all she managed to say. Kokichi smirked in amusement at seeing her all flustered. Chuckling playfully, Kokichi left the room with the envelope, leaving Himiko alone to fan herself.