Artichoke
“So why are you going to school in America?” He gritted his teeth in frustration as she once more brought up the topic of his leaving. Didn’t she know that he was trying not to think about it.
“Because my ma offered to pay for it.” He turned the page and glared at the words.
“So, why not just transfer to a Uni here in Japan?” He really, really, really didn’t want to talk about this.
“Because she won’t pay for it unless I go to a school in America.” Artichoke? What the heck was artichoke? Did he like artichoke? Maybe she wouldn’t notice if he left that out.
“Do you at least like what you’re studying?” Well that was an easy question to answer.
“No. Not at all.” Ew. Artichoke was green. He was defiantly leaving the green stuff out.
“That’s asparagus; go up one shelf.” Damn it! How does she do that?
“So what do you want to do? Since you don’t like what you’re studying.” Again easy answer.
“I want to help people. Be a cop, or maybe a detective.” Ew. Artichoke was… well Ken wasn’t too sure what it was, but he knew he didn’t like it.
“So be a cop then. Go to cop school or whatever it is they do. Then you can stay here. In Japan, I mean.”
He turned his head to get a better look at her. She was wearing a cute, frilly apron and was chopping chicken up with a sharp and pointy knife- the one he wasn’t allowed to touch, he noticed- and there was a pretty blush spreading across her cheeks. He smiled at that. It brought out the color of her green eyes. He like Makoto’s eyes. They were a pretty green. Not like asparagus. Wait, what did she say?
“What?”
Makoto finally turned and faced Ken. She leaned against the counter. He had that look on his face that suggested he wasn’t paying full attention to what she was saying. He did that sometimes. It was why she didn’t let him near her sharper knives.
“Drop out of Uni and go be a cop. It can’t be that hard.”
“It’s not hard.” He still had that dazed look on his face. Makoto felt like sighing. He could be such a space-case. She turned back to her chicken and continued slicing them into one-fourth inch strips.
“We’ll go cancel your flight after diner then. And then we can go do whatever it is you have to do to become a cop. Maybe we can stop by an ice-cream pallor after that and have dessert. To celebrate you’re becoming a cop of course.”
Ken smiled and turned back to fridge. It wouldn’t be so bad staying here. And it would make his pop feel better about him staying in Japan. And he could still hang out with Mamoru, Tamiki and Izumi. Maybe he could even continue his cooking lessons with Makoto? Yes that would be nice.
“Sounds like a plan.” He still wasn’t going to put the artichoke in though.
“Because my ma offered to pay for it.” He turned the page and glared at the words.
“So, why not just transfer to a Uni here in Japan?” He really, really, really didn’t want to talk about this.
“Because she won’t pay for it unless I go to a school in America.” Artichoke? What the heck was artichoke? Did he like artichoke? Maybe she wouldn’t notice if he left that out.
“Do you at least like what you’re studying?” Well that was an easy question to answer.
“No. Not at all.” Ew. Artichoke was green. He was defiantly leaving the green stuff out.
“That’s asparagus; go up one shelf.” Damn it! How does she do that?
“So what do you want to do? Since you don’t like what you’re studying.” Again easy answer.
“I want to help people. Be a cop, or maybe a detective.” Ew. Artichoke was… well Ken wasn’t too sure what it was, but he knew he didn’t like it.
“So be a cop then. Go to cop school or whatever it is they do. Then you can stay here. In Japan, I mean.”
He turned his head to get a better look at her. She was wearing a cute, frilly apron and was chopping chicken up with a sharp and pointy knife- the one he wasn’t allowed to touch, he noticed- and there was a pretty blush spreading across her cheeks. He smiled at that. It brought out the color of her green eyes. He like Makoto’s eyes. They were a pretty green. Not like asparagus. Wait, what did she say?
“What?”
Makoto finally turned and faced Ken. She leaned against the counter. He had that look on his face that suggested he wasn’t paying full attention to what she was saying. He did that sometimes. It was why she didn’t let him near her sharper knives.
“Drop out of Uni and go be a cop. It can’t be that hard.”
“It’s not hard.” He still had that dazed look on his face. Makoto felt like sighing. He could be such a space-case. She turned back to her chicken and continued slicing them into one-fourth inch strips.
“We’ll go cancel your flight after diner then. And then we can go do whatever it is you have to do to become a cop. Maybe we can stop by an ice-cream pallor after that and have dessert. To celebrate you’re becoming a cop of course.”
Ken smiled and turned back to fridge. It wouldn’t be so bad staying here. And it would make his pop feel better about him staying in Japan. And he could still hang out with Mamoru, Tamiki and Izumi. Maybe he could even continue his cooking lessons with Makoto? Yes that would be nice.
“Sounds like a plan.” He still wasn’t going to put the artichoke in though.