Kitchen Prince
By MoonlightKirby9

Chapter 8- Luke and the Cake of Rice


“Welcome!” Luke said cheerfully as he carried the tray over to the table.

“Mmmm, it’s so good!”

“Kazami-kun’s food is so good!” some girls said. “The strawberry shortcake was really delicious. I’m sorry, that we ignored you and stuff.”

“No, don’t worry about it. Here’s your drink.” Luke said happily.

Yes! Ever since the cake battle, Fujita Diner's been getting more customers, and I'm very happy.

Luke rushed around taking orders as Erin was sleeping on two chairs. Luke scowled. "Erin-san! Please help out a little!" he said as Erin woke up.

"Huh? No way! I hate hard labor."

"Geez, what a bum. . ." Luke whispered to himself as two people walked in.

"Luke-kun, it looks like you're working hard." Chloe said as she and Katie walked toward him.

"Chloe-senpai, Katie! How unusual for both of you to come together."

"She dragged me here!" Katie said as she pointed to Chloe.

"Then you don't have to eat. Go home, shoo, shoo." Chloe said as she waved her hand.

"I'm gonna eat!" Katie shouted back.

"Here, sit down." Luke said as he pushed their chairs in.

I want all the customers to be happy here. And if I can fill up the Fujita Diner. . . then maybe. . . I can find my princess.

Outside, Mike and his friends stared through the window with scornful faces.

"What's with this? He's got everyone fooled."

"You know it was just luck last time. Right, Mike?"

Mike didn't say a word. He just stared at Luke and Katie conversing with each other in jealousy. Then, Chloe spotted him through the window. "Hey, Mike. Why don't you join us for lunch?" she asked as Luke looked out the window at him.

Mike?

"Yeah, right! I don't want to eat a liar's food!" Mike said angrily as he turned and walked away.

"Wait, Mike!" his friends said as they followed him and Luke frowned.

I knew it. . . Mike still doesn't like me. . .

As Mike walked, he passed a couple of girls who stared at him adoringly. "Look, it's Mike-kun, the model for 'Abercrombie'. He's so cute!"

"He's so thin!"

"Do you think he'll shake my hand?"

"Hey, you better hurry." another girl told them. "Fujita Diner will stop serving lunch soon!"

"Oh, yeah!" one of them said as they dashed away.

Mike's friends exchanged worried looks as they stared at Mike's scowling. "Hey. . . Mike. . . We should eat lunch on the Terrace. . ."

"I'm on a diet. I'm not eating." Mike replied seriously.


*In the A Classroom*

"What? All-you-can eat sushi?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. The place I go to all the time is having an event. If you eat fifty plates, you don't have to pay." Katie replied. "I thought you might want to go."

"Of course I'll go!!" Luke said as his eyes shined. "You go here all the time? You like sushi?"

"I like anything with rice." Katie said as she thought. "Pork cutlet, beef bowl, all of them."

Then, Luke hatched an idea. "Then I'll make something for you."

"For me?"

"Yeah, because you helped me at the contest."

"Oh. . . that's because you were such a klutz."

"But it really helped me!" Luke said gratefully as Katie blushed.

"Anyway. . . I'll see you Sunday!"

"Okay!"


*Sunday at Otenki Sushi*

Luke munched away cheerfully as Katie looked gloomy. Luke had about 70 plates in his stack, while Katie had about 15. "Sir, I would like more fatty tuna!" Luke said happily as he raised his hand.

"Sir, we have no more rice!" one of the employees said.

"Please stop. . ." the owner said gloomily.

Luke and Katie left. "That was so good!" Luke said cheerfully. "Now let's go to an all-you-can eat dessert place!!"

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Katie shouted. ". . . But, you look like your normal self again."

"Huh?"

"You've been down lately. The thing with Mike and all. . ."

"Yeah. . . Mike still ignores me at school. But, I'm okay now. There are people who say my food is good!" Luke said happily and Katie grinned slightly.

"You cook good food. . . for a monkey."

"Don't call me a monkey. . ." Luke said as he laughed sarcastically as he reached inside his bag. "Oh, I made you something, too. . ."

"Oh! Mike-kun, you're so cool!!!" some photographers said at the plaza across the street.

"Huh. . . Mike?" Luke wondered as he looked. There were many photographers, and a make-up artist was working on Mike's face. "A photo shoot?"

"That's right. He said he had work today." Katie replied as Mike began to strike amazing poses and Katie and Luke were amazed.

Wow. . .

"He looks awesome!" Luke said.

"Yeah, that was my reaction the first time, too." Katie replied as she stared. "Mike. . . He's been saying since we were small that he wanted to be a top model. He's getting close, so it's amazing." she continued when all of a sudden they heard a big thump, like someone fell.

"MIKE!!" his supervisor said as he fell to the ground. "Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine." Mike replied wearily as he tried to smile. "I just got a little dizzy. . ."

"Dizzy? It's because you haven't eaten all day!"

"But. . . I need to lose more weight. . . to become a supermodel."

"I told you not to go on any extreme diets! You have to eat something! Here's some bread."

"I don't need it!" Mike yelled back. "I can do it!"

"What are you saying? Anyway, get some rest." she said as he took Mike into his trailer.

"Is he on a diet?" Katie wondered.

"He hasn't eaten all day. . ." Luke said with a worried expression as he gripped his bag. "This. . . Hey, Katie. . ."

*Inside Mike's Trailer*

"Mike." someone said as he looked over.

"Katie!" Mike said happily. "You came!"

"Hey, you're not eating, are you? I brought you something." she said as she gave him the bag.

"What is it? You bought it?"

"Uh. . . yeah." Katie said as she recalled what Luke told her.

This. . . I made it for you. But please eat it. . . with Mike.

Mike opened the box in the bag to reveal a cake of white rice with meat and carrots. "Oh, it's so cute!" he said curiously. "It's a cake made of rice. It's so fancy!"

"Right." Katie said as she took a bite. "Mmm, it's good." she said as she gave Mike a plate. "Here, have some. An extreme diet is bad for you. It's not good for your body and skin."

"Katie. . . okay." Mike said as he took a bite. "It's delicious. Thank you." he said as he grinned and blushed.

Katie got it for me. . .

Outside Luke peeked in to see them eating, and grinned.

Thank goodness. . .

*The Next Day in the Cafeteria*

"Hey, Mike. You're not on a diet?" one of his friends asked.

"Yeah, an extreme diet isn't good." Mike said as he grinned and continued to eat. "Katie would worry too."

"What?"

"It's nothing. I'm going to the restroom."

*The Hallway*

Mike was walking when he spotted someone. "Ka. . ."

"Luke." Katie said as she approached Luke.

"Katie." Luke replied cheerfully, happy to see her.

"Thanks for yesterday. That cake was really good." she said as Mike gasped, shocked at what she had just said.

"Good. I was thinking of making it for Fujita Diner, too."

"Good idea. Mike liked it a lot."

"What. . . is this?" Mike said angrily as he came from where he was hiding. "That cake. . . Katie didn't buy it for me?"

"Mike. . ." Katie said as Mike scowled and slapped Luke straight across the face as hard as he could.

"Don't take Katie away from me!" he said as a tear formed in his eye.

"Mike!" Katie began to say.

". . . uh. . ." Mike muttered as he ran away and Luke held his cheek.

*In the Boys' Bathroom*

"Hurry, or else it'll turn into fat!" Mike said to himself as he reached a finger in his mouth to the back of his throat. "Ugh. . . urgh. . . *cough*." Mike grumbled as he slightly vomited a bit. "Why. . .?" he said to himself as he panted. "Why is he closer to Katie than me? I'm cooler than him. I'm skinnier than him. I'll never forgive him. . ." he said angrily to himself.


To be continued