Note: Sasuke says, "Uncle" out of respect.
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Smiling Pasta
Course Two: The Smiling Pasta That Melts the Ice Mountain (Part 2)
Streamers flew and shouts erupted as the couple walked into the pasta restaurant. "Bravo!"
"Look at our Sakura, being hooked up with a big celebrity."
Sasuke looked really scared, but couldn't run away.
"This is so great!" Matsu clapped. "Handsome guy, pretty girl… What a perfect match!"
The two smiled their phony smiles. Luckily, everyone believed they were real.
"Look at Sasuke. He's so handsome."
Kumakichi, aware that they have a special guest, switched the open sign to the side that said "closed". The two young adults sat at a table side-by-side, surrounded with curious faces and heart balloons. Kakashi couldn't help but smile, as Sasuke took off his sunglasses, looking at Sakura's family. Sako sat across from Sakura, staring at Sasuke, while Matsu sat across from Sasuke, nodding her head thoughtfully. Sasuke tried to smile, while Sakura looked miserable. Her grandfather smiled at Sasuke and Chouji cracked his knuckles, sending Sasuke death glares.
Sasuke fiddled with his hands as Sakura tried to make the atmosphere a little less awkward. "Um… This is my family. This is my grandpa," He waved as Sasuke nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Chouji," His thumb traced the skin of his neck. "My mom, and my sister-in-law." Looking at her family, Sakura introduced her "fiancée". "He's Uchiha Sasuke. That's his manager, Kakashi."
Kakashi tried to act friendly to the tense people in the room. "Hello, how are you?"
Kumakichi made his way through the crowd and approached as his wife called him. "Handsome, come here. Sit… Hurry up." He sat, glaring at Sakura's fiancée.
"This is my dad."
Sasuke nodded and addressed him, "Uncle."
"Rascal!" He shouted back. "I don't care if you're a celebrity, or if you're the Minister's son. You got my daughter pregnant… I'm not going to forgive you."
"That's right," Chouji interrupted. "Whoever bullies Sakura is my enemy."
Grandpa stuck his hand in Chouji's face, stopping his ranting. "Hey, I haven't even said a word. What are you two raging about?" He smiled at Sasuke and was returned with a smile of thanks.
"Dad," Kumakichi started, "this fellow abducted Sakura and got her pregnant."
"Dad! I'm not pregnant! The reporters made that up." That made some jump for joy and made others sulk. "Really. I swear."
Kakashi smiled with a nod. "Yes, it's the truth."
Matsu started bawling. "I was worried sick… Everything's alright now."
"Young fellow," Grandpa leaned in close to Sasuke. "The future of our Sakura is in your hands."
Kumakichi shook his head. "Dad, I haven't agreed to their relationship yet."
"Who's the eldest in this house?"
Everyone answered back, "Grandpa is!"
"Did you hear that?" Sakura's grandfather pointed to his face. "I'm the eldest! So that means that if I agree, then it's OK."
"But Dad, I'm her father."
The grandfather stared at Kumakichi. "And I'm still your father." A few giggles were heard.
Matsu wanted to get off the subject. "Sasuke, I didn't think that you would like our Sakura. Looks like you have got good judgment. But, our Sakura is also very fortunate."
"Sasuke," Sako persisted, "our Sakura is not worthy of going out with you. Please be more understanding."
"SAKO!" Everyone shouted.
"I didn't say anything wrong. He's a big celebrity and our Sakura is a nobody." That reality struck every person in the room as they looked down to the floor. "Oh yes…" Sako ran to Sasuke. "Super Idol, since it's rare for you to come over here, can we take some pictures together?"
Sakura poked the girl. "Sister-in-law!"
She paid no attention. "It's okay!" She handed her camera to Sakura. "Please help me. Thank you." She grabbed Sasuke's arm to face the camera. "Here! Here! The backgrounds here is better."
Sakura stopped Sako. "Sako! He's a guest."
Matsu protested. "Come on… it's okay. It won't be long before he's part of the family."
Sako looked to Sasuke. "That's right… One of us." He couldn't speak, his eyes were wide, and his mouth dropped so low, it was touching the floor.
"I didn't agree to this marriage," Kumakichi countered.
Sakura's sister-in-law pouted. "Dad, you're the only one who's not agreeing."
"I object too!" Chouji shouted.
"What are you objecting to? You're not related to Sakura in any way." Sasuke smirked as he watched the family playfully fight.
"That's right. We already regard Sasuke as…" The arguing went on and on…
Sasuke turned to Sakura. "Is your family always this affectionate?"
"You mean 'noisy', right?" He smirked, while the family continued to argue.
"Enough!" Kumakichi yelled, getting out of his seat. "What are you jabbering about?" He pointed to Sasuke. "You! Rascal! How can you allow a girl not to go back home at night? Where is your code of conduct? Do you think that's right?"
The raven-haired boy looked up at the man. "I'm sorry, Uncle."
"You think you can brush me off with a simple 'sorry'? Let me tell you, don't think that just because your father is the Minister, you can treat us commoners like this, putting us aside lightly with lousy excuses. You youngsters don't learn the good habits…"
"Uncle, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I promise you that there won't be a next time."
"Next time?" Kumakichi screeched. "You have the audacity to get engaged! Do you still hold your parents in regard? Did you even think about me? If you really like Sakura, then you should at least respect her parents." Grandpa sat upright. "… And also grandpa."
Sasuke looked to Sakura with a worried expression clearly on his face. "Uncle," Sasuke stood up, getting up on Kumakichi's level. "Sakura is the most sincere girl I've ever met." Sakura gaped. "She never hides her true feelings. When she's sad, she'll let her tears flow. When she's happy, she'll laugh to her heart's content. Being with her, I feel at ease. I don't have to pretend. I don't have to act like the Uchiha Sasuke that everybody expects. Being with her, I can just be myself." Sasuke sat back down next to Sakura. "A girl like this, makes me want to keep her by my side forever, forever protecting her." He put his arm around her shoulders. "That's why I impetuously asked her to marry me. I hope Uncle can understand us."
Kumakichi sighed as he sat down. "I only have this precious daughter. So you should understand…"
"Uncle, I understand. Whose daughter is not precious? I promise I'll take good care of Sakura, and treat her well. You can rest assured of that." He looked to the other family members and saw many crying.
"Acting like it's real," Kakashi mumbled to himself so nobody else could hear.
"Sasuke!" Chouji shouted. Said boy looked up at him. "Sakura is in your hands now. If you ever bully her, you'd better be careful!"
Grandpa cleared his throat. "Everybody's hungry, right?" He looked to Sasuke. "Grand-son-in-law, since you're here in our shop, then you must try our shop's most traditional Italian pasta."
Matsu handed Sasuke a menu. "Here, this is our menu. Everything on the list is our Grandpa's specialty. Clear sauce, white sauce, red sauce… and baking… Grandpa's the best chef… Hurry up."
Sasuke opened the menu and looked down the rows. "Smiling Pasta… Not served regularly…" he read aloud. "Can I have this one?"
"Of course you can," Grandpa exclaimed. "Sakura, this is your specialty."
Sakura was in the kitchen, slicing carrots with a big French cutting knife. Her hair was tied back in a red bandana, so none of her pink strands would fall into the food.
'Sakura is the most sincere girl I've met. Being with her, I can just be myself. A girl like this, makes me want to keep her by my side forever, forever protecting her.'
Her thoughts came to an end when she heard the water boiling on the stove. She rushed over and took the lid off, burning her hands in the process. She blew cold air on them, and then dropped them down. "That idiot, Sasuke… He said everything so movingly, I almost believed him!" She shook her head to release all those thoughts. "Haruno Sakura, this is only an act!"
She continued making the pasta, almost burning the kitchen down in the process. Pouring the pasta into the sauce, she smiled at her creation as she mixed it all together. Dumping it all on a plate, she took a carrot that had slits cut into it to make it look like a smiley face and put it on top. She clapped her small hands, exclaiming, "Done!"
Sasuke was avoiding the curious stares he was getting from Sakura's family. 'The pasta that Haruno Sakura is making… is it even edible?'
Sakura entered the room, carrying the plate full of pasta. "Please enjoy.
"This is Smiling Pasta?"
The girl smiled. "That's right." She leaned in and whispered in Sasuke's ear, "Thank you for all you've done for me."
Sasuke smirked and took a fork, looking to Sakura for encouragement. He brought some pasta up to his mouth, tasting it.
'How can you run away after kissing me?! You're being irresponsible!'
'Can you take me in for just one night?'
'Not happy? Then hit me. I'll always stay by your side forever.'
'You pervert! You kissed me and now you're taking advantage of me. Go away!'
Flashback:
"So you can actually compose you own music."
"But they said that I plagiarized."
"Why do you care about how others see you? You don't live to please others. You have to like yourself first, and then think about whether or not you need to please others."
End Flashback
After a few agonizing seconds of him chewing, Sasuke smiled!
"He smiled! Sasuke smiled!" Matsu cheered.
Grandpa insisted, "That's Smiling Pasta's magic charm."
"This is the best Italian pasta I've ever had," Sasuke complimented.
"That's not simple at all," Grandpa said. "Only our Sakura can prepare this."
Sasuke took another scoop with his fork and wolfed it down. He looked to Sakura and nodded.
The pop star, cherry blossom, and manager walked out of the restaurant, heading for the white van they came in. Kakashi opened the door for Sasuke.
"Have a safe trip!" Sakura called.
"You're still acting?" Sasuke turned around to face her. "You didn't think that all I've said was real, did you? Don't you forget that we are only acting." He stepped closer to her. "Or have you already fallen for me? Are you in love with me?"
Sakura gasped. "Don't be egoistic! Why would I fall for you?! I'm the one who's afraid that you might fall for me."
"Stop fooling around. Even if we're the only ones left in this world, I will not fall in love with you." Emerald eyes glared at him as her lips parted slightly at the rude remark.
"Okay, then I'm going to tell the media that we are only acting. You and I have no relationship at all." Thinking she won, Sakura turned around with a smile and started walking away.
"It's okay. Then I can go inside now and tell your family that all that just now was fake, and that you're a girl whom nobody wants."
Sakura stopped to stare at the boy who was now casually walking toward the restaurant door.
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