"So, the potion has definitely worn off by now, right?" Kokichi asked the next afternoon after school. He and Himiko were hiding behind a couple of bushes outside for Ryoma and Ibuki.

   "Yup, it should have," Himiko nodded. "I haven't seen Ryoma and Ibuki all day, and I don't know if they share any classes with each other."

   "I saw Ibuki at lunch, but she wasn't sitting with Ryoma," Kokichi said. Himiko felt her heart sink. 

   "Please tell me that's a lie," she mumbled. 

   "Sorry, Monkey Buns...it's not a lie," Kokichi replied with an apologetic shrug. 

   "I guess it wasn't meant to be," Himiko sighed sadly. 

   "Uh-oh! Looks like you spoke too soon, HimiCocoa Bean," Kokichi whispered, pointing towards the entrance of the school. Ibuki and Ryoma were walking side by side, chatting with each other. Kokichi and Himiko exchanged excited grins. They sat in silence, listening in on Ryoma and Ibuki's conversation.

   "Sorry I wasn't around during lunch, Ibuki," Ryoma apologized. "I had to make up a test that I had missed a few days prior."

   "Oh, so that's where you were!" Ibuki said. "Ibuki thought something might have happened to you!" 

   "Sorry to make you worry like that," Ryoma said. 

   "No, no! It's okay! Ibuki's just a big ol' ball o' happy that you're okay!" Ibuki replied cheerfully. Ryoma chuckled. 

   "Ready to go to the movies?" he asked. 

   "Yup, yup, yuuuup!!" Ibuki cheered. Ryoma walked away with Ibuki skipping happily by his side. 

   "Huh...wow!" Kokichi marveled. "Ryoma's falling hard for Ibuki. Maybe they are the perfect match, after all!"

   "Yaaay! Now Ryoma won't be so sad, anymore!" Himiko exclaimed. 

   "Nee-heehee...and you thought Celeste would be good for him," Kokichi teased. 

   "Nyeh...Kokichi, remember that dentist appointment you had last week?" Himiko asked. Kokichi gave her a strange smile and raised his brow.

   "Uh...yeah, why?" he asked. Himiko shook her fist in his face.

   "You're about to make another trip to the dentist's office very soon," she answered playfully. Kokichi tossed his head back and laughed.

   "Hahahahahahaaa...okay, okay, ya got me!" he said. "Come on, let's go follow them." Kokichi and Himiko slinked silently after Ryoma and Ibuki to the movie theater in the city. After paying for their snacks, Kokichi and Himiko followed Ryoma and Ibuki into the room where the movie, "The Maid Who Bashed My Head In, Drowned Me, and Fed Me to Piranhas," was showing. They quietly sat a few seats behind Ryoma and Ibuki.

   "I hope you like horror movies," Ibuki whispered to Ryoma. 

   "It sounds interesting," Ryoma replied. "Pretty odd title for a movie, though."

   "I know, right?!" Ibuki whispered. "Like, geez! Where did they come up with that? That sounds like a song title that I would write!" The movie played while Ibuki and Ryoma watched in silence. Kokichi kept his eyes on them, but Himiko, on the other hand, was distracted by the movie, holding her hands in front of her face with fear and trembling uncontrollably. A jumpscare happened on the screen, causing Himiko to yelp loudly in fear. Kokichi grabbed her and pulled her down to the floor just as Ryoma, Ibuki, and a few other people turned to see who had made the sound. 

   "Woman! Are you trying to blow our cover?!" Kokichi hissed. 

   "Nyeh...sorry, Kokichi, but the movie's too scary!" Himiko whimpered.

   "Himiko, we're supposed to be watching Ryoma and Ibuki, not the movie!" Kokichi whispered. 

   "I know, I know, but...I got distrac-" Himiko began.

   "Excuse me," a voice interrupted her. Kokichi and Himiko turned to see an usher shining a flashlight at them. "You two either need to behave or leave." Kokichi rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

   "We'll leave," he muttered. He turned to Himiko and gestured with his head for her to follow him. Still crouched on the ground, they crawled through the row of seats, and out into the aisle, making sure not to be seen by Ryoma and Ibuki. Once they left the room, Kokichi helped Himiko up before dusting himself off as he looked at her with an irritated expression. 

   "I'm sorry, Kokichi," Himiko said in a small voice, feeling her heart and shoulders sink. Kokichi sighed as he pulled himself together.

   "No, no...it's okay," he said, running his fingers through his hair in thought. "It's okay, Himiko. There's not much we can do at this point, anyways. Ryoma and Ibuki are really hitting it off and that's all that matters. There's no reason for us to spy on them anymore."

   "Okay..." Himiko mumbled abashedly. With one hand, Kokichi firmly gripped Himiko's shoulder. 

   "You did good, Himiko...'kay?" he assured. 

   "So...you're not mad at me?" Himiko asked quietly. 

   "Ehh...you're my Supreme Lady. My partner in crime! I can't stay mad at you," Kokichi replied with a passive shrug.

   "Okay..." Himiko mumbled, still feeling guilty. Kokichi smiled and wrapped his arm around Himiko's waist.

   "Come on, Monkey Buns, let's go home," he said. Wordlessly, Himiko nodded. As they walked home, Himiko couldn't help but feel like she ruined everything. But what made her feel worse was the disappointed look on Kokichi's face. She felt her heart drop as she remembered. So lost in her thoughts was she that she wasn't fully paying attention to her surroundings. She hadn't realized that they were taking a bus towards the ocean. She finally noticed what was going on when Kokichi suddenly took her hand and rushed off the bus.

  "W-Where are we going?" Himiko asked, holding onto her hat. 

   "No time to explain, Himiko!" Kokichi called back. "You'll see when we get there!" Himiko looked to her side at the calm waves of the ocean as they rolled beneath the setting sun. Kokichi led Himiko to a cliff that hovered majestically over the lulling waves. He pulled her closer to him as they stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at them. 

  "W-What's going on?" Himiko asked quietly. Kokichi smiled at her.

   "Have you ever wondered what the coolest place to be is while watching a sunset?" he asked. Himiko silently shook her head. Kokichi pointed at the ocean. "See for yourself," he said. Himiko watched as the sun dipped lower and lower in the evening sky. As it did, the ocean began to undergo a transformation. The water, which had been its usual blue underneath the late afternoon sky, became a deep amethyst blanket filled with glistening pink, orange, and white sparkles, like diamonds dancing on the water. In the middle of it all was the sun, creating a glittery, golden path on the water as it nestled slightly below the horizon. Himiko gasped softly in amazement. She felt as if she could walk on the golden path and into the sun. As she felt a gentle breeze brush against her skin, she had never felt more alive and serene in her life. She didn't notice Kokichi smiling at her the entire time. It wasn't until that he took her hand in his that she looked up at him. 

   "It's breathtaking, isn't it?" he asked softly. 

   "Yes," Himiko whispered. 

   "How you feel right now...is how I feel every time I'm with you," Kokichi said, staring into Himiko's eyes. Himiko felt her insides grow warm. The warmth made its way up to her face, causing her cheeks to blush, as well as her eyes, causing them to tear up. Her heart began to beat faster as Kokichi rested his forehead on hers. He gently caressed her chin and rested it in his hands as he leaned forward to kiss her. He kissed her as her tears fell. He kissed her as the amethyst ocean and its sparkles began to fade away. And he kissed her even after the sun dipped completely below the horizon, and was now replaced with a night sky with diamonds dancing across it.