A/N: I'm in writer's block. I'm sorry for any of you who read this who are waiting for an update on something else….I promise it will come…eventually.

1.

The furthest thing that was from my mind was fame. I'd found that over time I'd become sick just at the sight of those that thought they could do whatever they wanted just because they had made a name in a world that was twisted and corrupted. As a child, I imagined myself settling down somewhere small and reasonable. A place where a family could be raised. I imagined having a 9 to 5 job, and putting food on the table. I could even see the family vacations to the beach, where we would lounge until the sun sank below the sapphire waters, and after that we would still be settled there, taking in the sea breeze.

Things changed when I was five years old. I had discovered the beauty of cooking.

My mother was a wonderful cook. It didn't matter how she was feeling on any given day, love went into whatever she made. If it was something simple like grilled cheese or complicated like Thanksgiving dinner, it was always perfect.

When I was five I remembered watching her, and asking her to help. At that time I couldn't do much more than pour in milk of crack eggs for her, but I felt useful.

But, I had to grow up right?

Dad and I were out one day, doing nothing in particular; bonding maybe. Everything for that week was sort of a blur. Anyways, I we were pulling up our street, and there was the blackest smoke billowing out of the roof of our home. Dad and I both launched into action. We got out of the car and ran toward the house. It was near collapse by the time we got home, and while the fire department was still trying to put it out, I could see the lack of effort in their faces. Anyone could see how our home was a lost cause.

Mom died that day. She was cooking when it had happened.

After that, I seemed to block my mother from mind. I grew up recognizing that I once had a mother figure, but I seemed to forget anything else that was associated with her. Whether it be the love or brightness that she brought to our hose; even her cooking, and my want to be just like her faded away.

And let's face it, Dad couldn't cook worth jack so we usually ate fast food or something that could be microwaved. The oven…well it was more of a decoration in the kitchen. It looked real nice, but no one ever used it.

That wasn't all my childhood was though. It was about a girl too. There was this one girl who everyone in the neighborhood knew. Well, the neighborhood that I moved to when I was eight years old, after Mom had died.

Her name was Kaoru Kamiya.

I wouldn't say that I was infatuated with her at the start I mean, she was a girl after all. Why would I, a decent male who wasn't yet an adolescent even consider that I had feelings for her? But I knew that time would change all of that. The longer that I let time flow out of my hands, the sooner that she would be with me. That was, if she we didn't grow away from each other like I thought we would.

It came as no surprise when she was eleven and I was fifteen that she moved away all of a sudden, for no apparent reason. It didn't matter how much I begged or pleaded for someone to tell me what had happened to her, or where she had went. It was all in silence. I was all sort of…scary I suppose. That was the only other time in my life that I had felt like my feet had pulled out from under me. At that time, for a certain number of weeks I felt almost naked, like no matter how heavily I dressed everyone could see my emotions. I was quiet and reserved for the most part. I moped a lot too.

Dad couldn't take it at all.

My Dad was a man who liked to order people around. Not because he could, just because he wanted to. Somehow it seemed like he did this with love, even if it sounded like he was kicking me out of the house.

After a long while of him trying to get me off my ass to do something and stop staring at this picture of a prepubescent girl, he ordered me, in his most horrendous voice, to go and get a job. He said he didn't care what it was. He said he didn't care where it was, as long as I was out of the house. He even offered to drive me t work until I got my own driver's license, which he would make sure I got as soon as possible.

I took him up on his offer. I needed something that I could do. There was more to life than moping around the house and thinking about a girl that I wasn't even sure had feelings for me. So he took me out into town and we looked around a few places. At the time there were plenty of jobs, there just weren't enough workers to go around. I found myself a little dazed, especially since Dad had fun pointing out al the possible places that I could work. But I noticed one that he failed to. I think it was because he felt it was a little out of my league.

It was a nice restaurant. The nicest in town. It had five star meals for…somewhat decent prices. I'd only ate there once and that was when I had turned thirteen and Dad decided that was the time for me to become a man.

I pointed it out to Dad, told him that it looked like a nice place. Dad got this look on his face. It was a look that I hardly saw. It wasn't angered, but he looked somewhat sick. He sneered at the place, but he nodded his head. He couldn't back down on what he had said, because he knew that I would rag on him for it.

So we pulled up in there. I got out of the car and inspected the place. There wasn't a 'Help Wanted' sign, but I knew a few people who worked there. Namely, my best friend Sanosuke's father. I went inside, and it was basically dead at this time of the day. There was a maiter'd standing a the door. I gave him a crooked smiled.

"May I help you?"

My face tweaked a little.

"I was…uh…wondering if there was a….uh….job opening for like a dishwasher or something?" and I flashed an innocent smile to him. He sneered at me, but at least it wasn't like Dad's. I followed up by asking: "Is there a guy named Sagara here?"

"There is. He's a cook. Why?"

"Well, could I talk to him?"

I used this advantage quickly because I could tell right away that this man was a rock and that I wouldn't be able to penetrate him very quickly. He sighed a little bit, looking over his shoulder to the lifelessness of the place. He took me back to the door where the kitchen began and ordered me to stay there. I was more than happy to oblige. A few moments later, Sozo Sagara stood before me. He was a loose enough guy, so said the way that he leaned on the door. The maiter'd walked away from us.

"What's up kid?"

I stubbed my toe on the ground. "Dad's begging for met o get a job." I told him.

"Oh?" his eyebrows arched up funny. "And…?"

"Well, I was wondering if you would be able to…to help. I know that this place is nice and stuff and, well, I would like a place that had pay that didn't really suck or anything so…."

"And you want me to get you a job?" he asked me.

I nodded sheepishly. "What exactly are you wanting to get?"

"Dishwasher…or I could be the cleaning crew or something…"I was shy, there was no doubt about it. Not only that, but I could feel the maiter'd's eyes stinging in my shoulder.

Sozo sighed, and looked back into the kitchen. I'd began to wonder if all this was an inconvenience and I was being a naïve little kid. Despite these thoughts, I wasn't deterred as I looked Sozo square in the eye, begging him for an answer.

"I can see what I can do," he said as optimistically as he possibly could. My smile upturned a bit.

"Thanks a bunch Mr. Sagara."

He waved as I ran out the door.

I didn't expect too much from that. But it was enough for Dad to take me home. For the next few summer days I laid on my bed looking at the only picture I had of Kaoru which was, incidentally, one from a barbecue where the whole neighborhood was invited. She was in the small corner, but she was there. I smiled at it. I don't know why I smiled at it, I just did.

At least I wasn't moping, right?

A/N: Tell me what you think….this is only an experiment…so….till next time. KenSan out!