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When Love Find its Way

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Chapter 17: The Best Porridge in the World!!!!

Natsume kept on staring at the monkey-boy completely out of his own calmness. He was bewildered. He'd panicked for a minute and the next couple of seconds had been unconscious to him. He wasn't sure what to do.

The words kept on ringing inside of him like bells and chimes as they swing their body rhythmically with the wind. And the world turned upside down to him after hearing the news about Mikan.

"She's okay." Natsume heard him. "For now…"

Natsume cleared his throat and looked away. "That's good."

"You worried?" Natsukue asked looking expectantly on him.

Natsume watched him and sighed. There's no point of hiding, he told himself. He was sure that her own son is not stupid not to know how he felt for Mikan. And even if he'll lie about this, Natsukue will not believe such nonsense.

"Yes," Natsume said truthfully.

Natsukue smirked and went straightly to the kitchen.

Natsume stared, irritated. "What was that smile suppose to mean?" He asked himself.

Shrugging his shoulders, he followed the boy to the kitchen. He saw him arranging some stuff on the table. He wondered what would he do.

"Hey," he called out.

Natsukue ignored him and continued on what he was doing. He told himself not to be bothered by that man no matter what, especially now that he was preparing food for his sick mother.

Natsume waited for him to answer.

No reply.

He grew impatient. He took off his black leather shoes and, looking at it, he raised it from below and aimed it on the boy, imitating a baseball pitcher.

BOOG!

"What are you doing?" Natsukue asked angrily at him. He touched his aching forehead as he massaged a large mountain slowly growing on it.

Feeling proud to himself, he smiled and chuckled. "You weren't listening."

Natsukue gritted his teeth. "I don't have time for you so leave, will you?"

"No." He smiled. "Never."

Natsukue's patient meter has reached its limitation. He eyed him and said, "she's not feeling well and you can't do anything about it."

"Oh, yes I can. And I would," he promptly answered.

He walked towards a near sack of rice and took grains inside of it. Lifting it up, he went on a kitchen stove and lit it up. He bent down and searched for a pan.

Natsukue watched him surprisingly. "What are you up to?"

"I'm going to cook."

"What?"

"I'm going to give Mikan a sizzling porridge." Natsume smiled after saying his bright idea.

Natsukue was stunned. He can't do that, he said to himself.

"No way! I should be the one doing that!" Natsukue clenched his fist.

"What's the matter? Nobody decides who is the one or not. I just want to make her a porridge." Natsume was putting up with it, and he certainly not enjoying this conversation. There's nothing wrong with it especially if it's worth for a girl.

"But I'm the first who thought about it. And you just appeared trying to ruin everything." Natsukue looked at the stove. "Besides… you can't cook a porridge on a frying pan."

Natsume freeze. He stared at the frying pan and realized that he was right. He felt embarrassed. Natsukue got talent on cooking far better that he has.

He cleared his throat. "According to Lady Min of Jewel in the Palace, devotion is what a cook needed to make food, not the equipments; not the place," he said obviously trying to cover up for his mistake. Actually, he's not a fan of Korean shows like Jewel in the Palace. He just so happened to see his sister watching it and saw that particular episode about Lady Min saying those words to those brides of the kitchen – whatever you call them.

"What?" Natsukue became confused. "Who's Lady Min?"

"That's your problem," Natsume said. "Leave me alone."

"No!" Natsukue went nearer to Natsume. "I will not allow it! I will cook for my mother!"

Natsume ignored him. He was busy preparing. Besides, he'd already decided to do this for Mikan and he will not allow the Monkey to ruin his plans.

Natsukue knew that stopping the Gorilla is a hundred percent impossible. He made thought for a moment. If he can't stop the Gorilla from making porridge, then he might as well beat him from making another one. He smiled on his idea. He was confident that he'd got better skills on cooking because he so happened to watch his mother making dishes for them especially when he has nothing to do. But he'd never try making one or putting his observations practically. It was actually his first time cooking.

But he was sure that a guy – a president and rich bastard – like him had no idea on cooking. He can't have time watching someone cooking their meals because he sure was a busy man. He probably and always had eaten on restaurants alone or with someone. He can't learn cooking as well. From that thought, Natsukue knew he got an advantage.

He moved closer to the stove and lit up the one next to Natsume's.

Natsume watched with astonishment. "What are you going to do, Monkey?"

"I'm going to cook a porridge. I'll beat your porridge," he said rudely and teasingly.

Natsume didn't feel bad about it. He was amused knowing how brave he was on challenging him. He was just a boy; he thought to himself, he can't learn cooking.

Realizing what he'd just said, he remembered that he as well didn't have any idea on what to do. He was simply standing there waiting for the water to get heated and boil, on that frying pan. The next thing after that was nowhere inside of his mind.

He began to think seriously. He had never watched Aoi making porridge before and he was sure a very busy man to find some time learning those things. He always had his lunch on the cafeteria of their company or on the restaurant nearby. And every time he would go home, the food will always be ready on the dinner table.

That's the problem now. How can he make it not knowing the beginning?

He was having a problem.

He watched Natsukue from the corner of his eyes and looked carefully on the ingredients he was preparing at. He was amazed finding out that Natsukue know something about cooking on such an early age. Perhaps Mikan taught him somehow, he said to himself.

Meanwhile, Natsume thought about the porridge Aoi would sometimes made him eat. He thought about the possible ingredients like the small pieces of chicken, pepper, ginger, fried garlic, and fresh onion leaves.

But what makes him wondered is how can he make the porridge sticky the same way he'd remembered it.

Natsukue took a huge cooking pot and pour it some water, following the steps from the past memories he'd remembered. He looked over his shoulder and stared at the frying pan Natsume was using. He forgot he needed it to cook the chicken. The Gorilla got hands with it first.

He noticed that the water was already boiling. He looked up on the man, staring and hoping that he would notice it or else he'll regret it.

The Gorilla was in deep thoughts, Natsukue told himself. He, then, went nearer and lowered the fire on the stove.

Natsume realized what he'd done and looked back at him.

"The water is boiling," he explained.

Natsume nodded and turned away. Natsukue caught him thinking about it and perhaps he'd already figured that he didn't know what to do after boiling the water, Narsume thought to himself.

"Hey," Natsukue called out. "I need the frying pan."

Natsume was bewildered and asked, "Why would you need it? You said you couldn't cook porridge on a frying pan, didn't you?"

"I did," he answered truthfully and added, "but I need it to cook some ingredients for the porridge."

Natsume observed him. He had to do something about it. He can't let Mikan eat a food he himself wasn't sure they could be eaten. He sighed knowing his own defeat. "Just tell me what ingredients I should fry."

This surprised Natsukue. The Gorilla was asking for help? Wow…

But he'd already admired him because of this. He swallowed all his pride and accepted his defeat in order to make good food for his mother. He knew that the Gorilla had no idea what to do next, but he did what least man would do: let's make porridge together for your mom to eat.

He smiled. Somehow, he liked what the Gorilla did for now.

"Throw all the water on the pan and wiped it to make sure no water would be left," he said in a calm voice.

"Why would I do that?" Natsume asked raising a brow. Somewhat, he can't accept the fact that he was being commanded especially by that Monkey.

"It's because cooking oil and water should not be mixed or else the hot oil will splash and it might hurt you," he explained while chopping the chicken.

"Oh," was all Natsume said. He did what Natsukue told him. After wiping the pan, he returned it on the stove. Natsume took a bottle of cooking oil and poured it all.

"What are you doing? That's stupid!" Natsume exclaimed.

"What is it this time?" Natsume was growing irritated with this.

"You should only put a little amount not all!"

"Oh." Natsume returned some oil on the bottle again.

"Is this enough?" he asked.

"Yes," Natsukue answered. Natsukue took the small pieces of chicken and chopped ginger to gave to Natsume. "Heat them up until the chicken is cooked."

He followed what Natsukue told him.

"Oh, and don't forget you have to roll the chicken all the time so that it will be cooked evenly," Natsukue said, smiling.

"Is that really needed?"

"Yes," Natsukue chuckled. "Remember, devotion is what a cook needed to make food, not the equipments; not the place. Those are words of Lady Min from Jewel in the Plate."

"It's Jewel in the Palace, stupid."

OoO

They worked together for an hour boiling the sticky rice, frying the garlic, chopping the onion leaves, and mixing them with the chicken. The whole kitchen was filled with delightful aroma. Both Apes felt proud of themselves. They tested the porridge. And it was delicious!

"This tasted the same porridge of mother," Natsukue said, smiling.

Natsume only nodded. He was happy.

"Let's serve it to mother."

Both Natsukue and Natsume prepared the porridge in a big cup and put it on a huge tray along with a small tablespoon and a glass of orange juice. They went to Mikan who was sleeping peacefully on her bed with blanket wrapping her whole body.

Natsume touched her forehead. She's hot, he said to himself.

Natsukue placed the tray on a nearby desk table and stared at Natsume. He saw how worried his eyes were as they looked gently on his mother. Somehow, he felt a little light feeling about it. He wasn't sure what the hell was going on.

There are few questions he needed answers. What is his past with his mother? Why is he always there for her? Why can't he give her up?

And why did her mother let him kissed her the day he and the Elephant found them?

It just didn't make sense, he said to himself.

"Hey," he called out. He motioned him to go outside.

But Natsume shook his head. "I'll stay here. I'll take care of her."

Natsukue knew what he meant and he only nodded. Natsukue left them and went outside. He sat on a nearby sofa and then raised his feet on it. He lied down resting his head on the soft cotton sofa. He looked at the ceiling thinking about the Gorilla. From the moment he'd met him on the park, the face of Natsume would always show in his imagination even if he didn't wish to see it. The thought of him would always make him questioning and searching as if he wanted to know everything about him.

He sighed. He shouldn't think of such things.

Still thinking about Natsume, slowly Natsukue was falling in a deep sleep. But the thought about Natsume didn't leave him even on sleep. He was, in fact, dreaming about him.

"Daddy…" Natsukue said in his sleep.

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A/N: Hi everyone. Sorry for the late reply. I hope you forgive me. Anyway I hope you like this chapter. Please leave a review I would truly appreciate it. And this might motivate me to make sooner updates. Anyways, thank you for all of you.