Love's Recipe ~Choji~

Chapter 3

Today is Friday, meaning I only work the lunch shift. It's one of my favorite days since it's also the last day of the week I have to work. Somehow, like in school, I always manage to get really excited for the weekend to start but then get bord and am happy to be back on Monday. Why? Because there's only so many dishes I can make for my brother before he becomes a twerp again. Don't get me wrong, I love Ikuto very much. He's my precious baby brother. But what older sibling doesn't pick on their younger one?

I stood in the kitchen of the resturaunt and sliced the beef and pork and gave them a little seasoning for table five. The sound of my knife hitting the cutting board always put me in a state of nostagilia. I've been cooking since I was real little... my grandma taught me before she died. I remember always spending my days at her house and hearing the knife against the board as she prepared lunch for us. I's always sit on the counter and watch her hands work quickly and carefully.

It was amazing how she could use so little ingredients and make something that tasted so wonderful. So I decided I was going to learn how to perform the magic that was cooking. Grandma taught me everything from how to slice and chop and peel to how to season every dish just right. By the time she died I was creating my own recipies, like the beef and sautee curry Choji was talking about.

Actually, thinking about Choji I haven't seen him in a few days... not since the night we met at the store. For some reason I've been kind of wishing he would come in today before my shift ended. He actually talks to me. Not like these clowns. "Ken, I swear if you're going out for another freaking smoke break I'm reporting you!" I yelled as I saw my dish washer trying to sneak out while a pile of dishes sat untouched.

"Ah, come on Al!"

"You were just out there fifteen minutes ago, I need plates!"

"Nut buster..."

"I'll bust your head if don't get those freaking plates." Ken continued to mumble to himself unhappily as he scrubbed the dishes clean. Some times being the boss means you have to clamp down on people. Mr. Toshiro isn't paying us to stand outside and puff away on a ciggarett and I won't have a lazy man in my kitchen.

The door out front opened and I looked up to see who had come in. The first thing I saw was the long brown hair and red shirt of my new found friend. Yes! Wishing works! Behind him were his friends, the brooding boy and the pretty blonde girl. A smile split across my face. "Hey guys!" I called from the kitchen. Choji smiled when he caught sight of me through the window and the girl gave a wave. They took a seat and I saw one of the better waitresses go to take their order. But I already know what they want.

I began to cut up a fresh dish of pork and beef with a side dish of onion and green pepper. The waitress brought me the ticket and I smiled. Do I know my customers or what. "Kyo, don't run off, I've got the order right here." She gave me a look and I smiled. She took the order out to them and I could hear Choji's cheer. Shaking my head I let out a soft laugh and continued my work.

Not quite and hour later it was time for me to go home. I grabbed some food and bagged it, knowing the left overs at home had probably all been eaten by my family for lunch and I didn't feel like cooking anything for myself. As I clocked out and left the kitchen I nearly ran into Choji who looked like he was heading to the window where we keep the tip jar. Sure enough, there was three dollers in his hand.

He saw me and his cheeks turned a little pink as he looked away and hide the bills behind his back. It made me giggle. "Oh ah... H-hey Alsono. I was just, ah..."

"Going to put three dollers in the tip jar?" I asked with a grin.

"How did you know how much?"

"You always put three dollers in."

He looked away again. "Oh..."

"Hey, are you busy?" I asked excitedly.

"No, I'm done for today."

"I've got a bag of goodies from the kitchen and two soda's in my apron. Want to hang out?"

Choji's face showed nothing but awe and his mouth poped open slightly. But then he shook his head to clear it and I could see more pink under those red swirls on his cheeks. "Ah, well if you're not busy then sure, okay." He stammered and tripped on his words as he spoke.

Behind him came his friends. "Hey, Choji, we're heading out. Remember the meeting place for tomorrow?" The brooding boy said.

"Yep." He answered with a grin. Then the blonde girl gave a wave as they both left, us following quickly after. We talked as we walked down the street and the bag of food swung in my hand. Choji seems like such a cheerful guy but not in that overly done way where everything gets a smile and nothing gets to you kind of cheerful. More of a, life is pretty sweet kind of cheerful. It's comfortable. "So here I come and I use my partial expansion jutsu on my hand to swat this guy away. And the moment he goes flying, Naruto looks at me and says 'Now that's a pimp hand'."

I laughed at his mission stories that he seemed happy to tell, and honestly I was happy to hear. I don't get much entertaining or intelligent conversation in the kitchen at work. We came to the corner that would split our ways if we were heading home and we stopped, unsure where to go. I only smiled... and turned left to the woods. "Come on. You can help me entertain the twerp."

Choji smiled and followed after me on the raod to my house.