Dishes More Like It (Fanfic)

"Okay, you guys, it's time to do the weekly chores announcement!" Kaito said at dinnertime one Sunday night. Himiko's heart skipped a beat. There was always a chance she'd get paired up with Kokichi. The thought excited her, but filled her with dread at the same time. Kaito mixed small scraps of paper around in Shuichi's hat, and pulled out the first couple.

   "Well, whaddya know..." Kaito began.

   Oh, no...what is it...? Himiko thought to herself. She wrapped her fingers around her skirt, wringing it until her knuckles turned white.

  "Me and Maki Roll, haha!" Kaito said. "We have grocery duty this week!" Kaito grabbed a marker and wrote his and Maki's names on the "Chores Chart" underneath "Groceries." Himiko began to feel lightheaded from the tension as Kaito pulled two more scraps of paper from the hat. 

  "Shuichi and Miu, you guys have garbage duty," Kaito said, writing it down. 

   "Ha! Garbage duty with Pooichi? Like I don't deal with his garbage emo ass enough as it is!" Miu said. Shuichi's face turned a dark shade of red as he lowered his head.

  "Miu, cut it out!" Kaede snapped. 

 

  "Eeeeeeeeee!! Don't yell at me! Geez! L-Learn to take a joke, why don'tcha...?" Miu whimpered.

   "Let's see...the ones who'll have dishes for this week are..." Kaito said, mixing the names in Shuichi's hat before removing two scraps. His eyes briefly darted over to Himiko. "Uh...Kokichi and Himiko." The dining room became drenched in a silence so profound, Himiko swore she could hear air. Between her pounding heart and throbbing temples, she thought she was going to pass out. She lowered her head, wanting to avert her eyes from the others, especially Kokichi!

  "Why is everyone so quiet?" Keebo asked. "Did Kaito say something wrong? Is there something wrong with Kokichi and Himiko being paired together?" Himiko wished she herself was a robot at that moment if it meant she could annihilate Keebo with a rocket punch.

   "Hmmm...dishes with Himiko?" Kokichi said. Himiko could practically hear his mischievous grin. "That doesn't sound too boring."

   "Well, whatever," Maki sighed. "Kaito, just keep going."

   "Uhh...yeah! Okay!" Kaito pulled out two more scraps. "So, Kaede and Rantaro, you guys are gonna be on laundry duty..." Kaito's voice faded from Himiko's mind. She stared at her food in horror. Other girls would have been excited at the opportunity to spend time and flirt with their crush, but, not Himiko. 

   What if she tripped over her clumsy self and broke one of the dishes in front of Kokichi...and he laughed at her? What if she said something stupid to him that would ruin any possible chance she had with him? What if, when standing next to him, she was so nervous, she farted or burped? What if her breath stank and he could smell it? Thoughts swirled in Himiko's mind about everything that could go wrong for the next week. With Kokichi around her, how couldn't it go wrong?

   ***

   "Nee-heehee...why are you standing over there?" Kokichi asked after dinner. While he scrubbed the dishes, Himiko stood politely against the counter furthest from Kokichi. 

  "Um...I'm just waiting for you to finish scrubbing so I can rinse," Himiko replied in a small voice, shrugging. Kokichi motioned her to stand next to him.

   "Get over here, silly! I don't bite!" he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Himiko couldn't help but get a warm and fuzzy feeling from Kokichi inviting her to stand by him. With timid steps, she pulled up next to him in front of the sink. "Seeee? Don't you feel better already?"

  "U-Um...I guess..."

  "Why are you so quiet? Well...more quiet than usual, anyway?" Kokichi asked. Himiko shrugged in response, not bothering to meet his eyes. "Do I smell bad?"

   "No!" Himiko answered, shutting her mouth immediately after. "U-Um...I mean...you smell good. Er, you smell just fine...yeah..."

   "Ohhh...well, that's good to know!" Kokichi said. Out of the corner of her eye, Himiko could see his wide grin. "Heeeey! I know why you're not talking!"

   Please don't ask if I like you! Please don't ask if I like you! Himiko begged in her mind. I swear, if he asks if I like him, I'm gonna lose it!

   "Is it 'cuz you're scared of me?" Kokichi asked.

   "NO, I DON'T LIKE YOU!! Wait...what?! " Himiko replied, throwing her hands to her mouth. Kokichi grinned and raised his eyebrows in amusement at her. Himiko stiffened, her cheeks splashed with red. She glared at him. "W-Well...what did you say?!"

   "Nee-heehee...what did you say just now?" Kokichi giggled. 

   "I didn't say anything, okay?!" Himiko snapped. 

   "Yeah, you diiiid! You said you didn't like me, even though that's not what I aaaasked!" Kokichi teased. Himiko rolled her eyes.

  "Nyeh! Who c-cares?! Just...d-do your work, or whatever!" she stammered. Kokichi bit down on his tongue, suppressing a laugh.

   "'Do your work?'" he repeated with a cheeky grin. "You mean, 'scrub the dishes?'"

   "Whatever f-floats your boat, or...whatever!" Himiko sputtered, shooting him another glare. Kokichi simply smiled back at her.

   "You know, you must be pretty brave," he said. 

   "Nyeh? What do you mean?" Himiko asked, raising a nervous brow.

   "You just snapped at the supreme leader of evil," Kokichi replied, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Aren't you scared I'll tell my organization to come get you and hang you upside down so all the blood rushes to your head?"

   "No," Himiko replied, crossing her arms defiantly. "I'll use my magic to protect me." 

   "Oh, yeeeaaaah..." Kokichi said thoughtfully. "Well, in that case, I'll definitely tell my subordinates to come get you!" Himiko reeled back apprehensively.

   "Y-You will...?"

   "Yeah! I wanna see your magic in action!" Kokichi replied, placing a soapy plate into the empty sink for Himiko to rinse. Himiko blushed and cleared her throat.

   "U-Um...well, um...you wouldn't be able to see my magic," she said. 

   "Oh? Why not?"

   "Well, 'cuz...you're a nonmagical being," Himiko replied quietly. "Only magical beings can see my magic." Kokichi stared at her with curiosity. When she had spoken just now, it didn't seem like her usual ramblings about magic. Himiko sighed ruefully as she balled her hands into fists. She had let too much slip. "W-Well, anyway, are you almost done?"

   "Yeah," Kokichi replied, still in thought. He suddenly found Himiko more interesting. For now, however, he decided to change the subject. "By the way...I just realized you're not wearing that flower I gave you in your hair anymore." Himiko turned her head to hide her reddening cheeks.

   "Yeah, so?"

   "You threw it away, didn't you?" Kokichi asked in a sad voice. Himiko turned to him.

   "No!" she cried before she could stop herself. You idiot! Now he knows you kept it! she scolded herself. Kokichi's eyes lit up.

   "So, you kept it? Where is it?" he said. Himiko didn't dare tell him that she was hoarding it along with his ABC gum and underwear in her closet! But, she couldn't figure out how to come up with an answer that would avoid suspicion from the human lie detector standing next to her.

   "I-It's somewhere..." she answered. At least that wasn't a lie.  

   "Nee-heehee...what, is it part of your Kokichi shrine, or something?" Kokichi joked. Himiko stiffened, afraid to look him in the eye. Though Kokichi spoke in jest, the tone of his voice hinted he knew more than he was letting on. Himiko's cheeks turned bright red, causing her to panic.

   "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I DON'T HAVE A KOKICHI SHRINE!!" she cried, unable to stop herself. "WHO EVEN DOES STUFF LIKE THAT?! THAT'S SO WEIRD!! NYEEEEH...WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS MAKING THINGS ABOUT YOU?! WILL YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF AS IF YOU'RE...THE...TH-THE...B-BEES KNEES, OR WHATEVER?! " Kokichi burst into laughter, wheezing with every exhale. 

   "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!" Himiko demanded. Her yelling only made Kokichi laugh harder and fall to the floor. "WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!" It took Kokichi a few minutes to finally regain his composure. Taking deep breaths, he rose to his feet again. 

   "You are hee-larious, Himiko!" he said, his eyes flashing appreciation. Himiko blinked.

   "W-What do you mean?" she asked. She glared at him with suspicion. "Are you laughing at me?" 

   "Hahaha, well, I wouldn't have to laugh at you*,* if you were laughing with me," Kokichi said with a cheeky grin. 

   "Well, why would I laugh?!"

   "Well...why not?" Kokichi replied with a shrug. 

   "Well...'cuz, there's nothing funny about yelling at someone, or being yelled at," Himiko said.

   "It's not that you're yelling at me, it's why you're yelling at me is what's funny," Kokichi said. Himiko scoffed and rolled her eyes.

   "I'm yelling at you because..." she began. Kokichi raised his eyebrows at her.

   "Becaaauuuse...?" he said, grinning.

   "D'oh, whatever! Will you just scrub, already?!" Himiko cried.

   "Nee-heehee...okay, okay! No need to get so flustered!" Kokichi said, giving Himiko a playful nudge. Himiko nearly swooned at his touch. "You know, Himiko...I think this is gonna be a super fun, not-so-boring week!"

   "Nyeh...whatever," Himiko mumbled, lowering her head while Kokichi continued to scrub. The brim of her hat shielded Kokichi from seeing the small smile that had crept its way across her lips and the rosy red blush that had painted her cheeks.