You Traded Me For A Riceball?!
(A/N: I don't own xxxHOLiC. Just Angel Onigiri-Chan!)
As Watanuki Kimihiro headed to Yuuko Ichihara's shop, he had the strangest feeling that something would go seriously WRONG today.
"Hello! Watanuki-kun!"
Watanuki jumped back in surprise. Yuuko never used such a cheery, yet creepy tone with him. He slowly turned to her.
Her face scared him even more.
Yuuko's pale face was stretched into a smile. Not the kind that looks all sugary and sweet. The kind that looks like you're trying to look sugary and sweet but you're actually harboring an EVIL plan.
She continued on.
"Watanuki-kun! I have good news!"
His body started shaking.
"You don't need to work today!" She said it with as much enthusiasm as a cheerleader of a winning team.
Now he KNEW there was something suspicious going on.
"Am I missing something here?" Watanuki said in a shaking voice.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you." She said as she went into the main room.
He was scared to hear what Yuuko had to say. He could already imagine what would it be: "Watanuki, someone has wished to have your soul." Or maybe, "Watanuki, I'll have to send you to another job so I can get my pay faster!" Or even, "Watanuki, you have to take on a mission for me! It's simply too dangerous for me to do it!"
He tried to shake away those thoughts. Sadly, it made it even worse for him. He was shaking so much it was as if he was shivering in the cold.
Yuuko suddenly spoke and said, "Watanuki, please stop shaking. And sit down while you're at it."
She drew a long breath from her cigarette, causing a swirl of smoke to wrap around itself above her head.
"A client came to me early this morning. She wished for the most successful business day she's ever had. That involves having more staff at hand. So, in order for me to fulfill her wish, I need you to work at her store."
Watanuki seemed to relax a little. He wasn't sold off, after all. But he still didn't know what kind of store it was. Maybe it WAS something dangerous. His position became tense again.
"Uh, Yuuko, may I ask what kind of shop does that woman own?" He gulped, "Just so I know what I'm dealing with."
She drew in another breath from her cigarette. It was shorter now. She chuckled.
"Relax. It's a famous onigiri (riceball) store. I think you know it well." She said calmly.
He sighed in relief.
Watanuki had a thought. "Why is she so relaxed? Is it her cigarette? Oh, no. The worst hasn't come yet."
Yuuko's smile returned. This time, it had another element. Her face now read, "I have an EVIL plan. And you're involved. And it's much, MUCH worse than you can EVER think."
"The store is called 'Angel Onigiri-Chan!'"Hearing the name, Watanuki cringed.
'Angel Onigiri-Chan!' was the most famous onigiri store among the girls. Even Kunogi Himawari was addicted to it! The store's onigiri were created to look cute, with different colored rice, cute, "KYAAA!" inducing faces made out of toppings and to top it off, the ah-dorable wrapping! He really thought it suited Himawari's cute look as well. But when she started hanging out with the girls of the class, talking about the new collection of onigiri, that's when he secretly started to despise it.
Now he'd have to work at the dreadful store that "took away" Himawari from him.
"Oh, wait! If I work at 'Angel Onigiri-Chan!' Himawari might definitely notice me!"
Yuuko silently chuckled when she saw Watanuki's expression. After saying the name of the store, he cringed, got mad, went into "deep thought" mode then finally smiled triumphantly. She was quite entertained by that.
She waited for his response.
"I'LL DO IT!!!" he shouted.
"I'm glad", she said, her smile sincere and happy. "She paid a HEAVY price for your services…"
"Miss Yuuko (He was choosing his words wisely, in order for him to earn her favor, in some way), what EXACTLY is the price for my services?" he asked nervously.
She chuckled in a way that reminded Watanuki of a villain who was about to unveil his, or should I say her evil plan.
Watanuki gulped loudly.
"Well, since she is the owner of 'Angel Onigiri-Chan!', she has agreed to give me what I want. A custom-made, limited edition onigiri, just for me!" her change of tone startled Watanuki.
"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?" Watanuki yelled.
"She decided to make a riceball in Mokona's image!" she said as she pulled out Mokona from behind her. It was frozen in a cute pose (which Watanuki thought looked somewhat weird).
"Let me get this straight, you gave away a day of my services for a custom-made riceball?" Watanuki asked, unsure if he heard their whole conversation right.
"Uh-huh!" Yuuko said with much enthusiasm and a hard nod.
"You traded me for a riceball?!?!?!" Watanuki screamed.
"It seemed like a fair trade." she mused.
"You are SO full of BIAS." he sneered.
"Ah, well. You can't do anything about it. Now get to that shop or else!" she said. Her tone sounded like a cheerleader delivering a threat.
He rushed out of the shop as Maru and Moro danced around him, chanting, "Watanuki! Riceball! Watanuki! Riceball!"
"They're making even less sense today!" he thought, hurriedly putting on his shoes and running out of the door.
After running for quite awhile, he arrived at 'Angel Onigiri-Chan!'. Frankly, it wasn't hard to miss. The store was as big as half of a department store. The walls were covered with "kawaii" onigiri-themed murals done by fans. Watanuki shuddered at all the cuteness. It wasn't the worst part, though. On the building itself, there was a huge image of a plain onigiri with a face (no doubted cute), angel wings and a halo. Not to mention the blobby, pink lettering that read the name of the store.
Watanuki took a HUGE gulp before going into the store.
It was one of those days where Watanuki wished he never got out of bed.