"Dai, let go." She tried wriggling herself free. "The cookies."
"You couldn't even come to greet me before attacking the cookies like that." Dai held her up. "I'll make sure you never do it again."
He tied her hands and legs before tying her to the chair in front of the tray of cookies. He danced around with the tray, shoving it in her face.
"Dai, don't do this to me." She whined. "I'll greet you from now on, I promise."
"That's what you said last time." He sat on the table and crossed his legs."And you said cookies when you saw me. That wasn't a greeting." He picked a cookie and gobbled it. "Mum, these are amazing. You even added condensed milk. So good."
"She never adds condensed milk unless it was specially baked for me." She jumped around in the chair. "Stop it, those are mine. Mrs Izumi, Ken, help me."
"We'd rather not." Mrs Izumi said. "And just call me by my given name."
"Please Mrs Miu." She pleaded. "I beg you."
"This is the last cookie." Dai waved it in her face and then, he ate it.
She hung her head. "I'll kill you."
She broke out of the ropes and jumped on him. She pinched him bit him, pulled his golden brown hair, poked his eyes and punched him.
Someone held her from behind and carried her off him.
"I'll kill you Dai." She screamed. Her chest tightened and she gasped for air.
'Oh no.' She fell to the floor and her eyes turned red and her face became light blue.
"Her inhaler." Kenzo shouted.
"It's finished." Miu said.
"I have a new one." Kenji handed it to Miu.
"Breath in, Zuri." Miu held it up to her face.
Her consciousness returned and Kenji helped her to a chair.
"I'm sorry, Zuri." Dai said. "Sorry that you didn't eat these cookies."
Kenji slapped the back of his head. "Shut up dork."
Dai and Kenji were one of Kenzo's brothers. Kenji looked just like Kenzo while Dai looked like a cross breed between Sister Iris and Ayanakoji.
"I knew that Dai would bully you, so," Miu took out a basket. "I made half a dozen of pies, each with different flavors."
She smiled weakly. "Take that, cookie thief."
The whole room burst out laughing.
Miu pointed at the pies one by one. "This once is a coconut cream pie, this one is strawberry, this one is blueberry and..."
Zuri's phone rang and Kenji took it. "Should I take the call?"
She nodded and he answered the call. "Hello. Zuri Vesta speak in."
Kenji and Kenzo both had feminine voices and it was almost too easy for them to mimic her voice.
"Hello. Kenji, please can you give Zuri the phone?" Maude asked impatiently. "It's really important."
She was the only one who could tell their voices apart.
"I'm sorry Miss Maude but Zuri just had an asthma attack and is unable to speak." Kenzo took the phone and explained.
"Who caused... oh." She paused. "Dai, if my girl ends up in the hospital because of your silly pranks, I'll have you switch lungs with her."