Nine times out of ten, a meal between just two people is shared by those with a considerable bond. Best friends who have known each other for years, a potential couple in the midst of a budding romance, a lover, or family and those with a similar level of closeness. The one time out of ten is, of course, a business dinner.
Excluding the last case, such a meal would generally maintain a comfortable atmosphere. It's only natural, as people rarely eat alone with someone they have an uncomfortable relationship with.
But what about when you're dining with someone you're not very close to, someone you've met for the first time today? Unless you're a group of exceptionally social people, the conversation will likely be stilted, and you'll be busy trying to read each other's cues. The reality is that only so-called "social butterflies" can talk so warmly with someone they've just met.
The reason I'm bringing this up is that my conversation with Haruna is flowing a little too well. I was never a social butterfly by nature, but after being transmigrated into Mika's body and being influenced by her, I've noticed I've become much more talkative.
Aside from that, Haruna also gives off the vibe of a social butterfly. The way our conversation flows like water might just be natural.
"So you know how to cook to some extent, Mika-san? I have no talent for cooking, so I admire that a little. I believe my passion is second to no chef, but the actual results... fufut."
Haruna placed a hand on her cheek as if embarrassed and, yet again, gave a soft, smiling-eyed look. What is with this girl? Is she really trying to hit on me?
No, she's just naturally that sly. Because she's a demon. Yep, that must be it. Who would try to hit on someone they've just met so aggressively? Especially when the other person is of the same sex.
I won't be fooled. In the end, this is the character who will personally feed Sensei a taiyaki, saying, "Say 'ahh'~," and realize that the gastronomy she had been searching for was the experience of eating her favorite food with her favorite person. Yep, I definitely won't be fooled.
"Ahaha, even if you say that... I'm only at a level where I can barely make basic dishes. I'm definitely not good enough to serve my cooking to others. So I'd appreciate it if you'd take back that whole 'admiration' thing. If my true skills are revealed, I might just die of embarrassment!"
"In my experience, those who lower themselves in such a way are often masters of their field. The attitude of shunning arrogance and engraving humility deep in one's heart is like the path that leads to the pinnacle of a discipline... fufu, if I say this, does it make me seem as though I am arrogantly discussing an unknown territory as if I know it well?"
Haruna said, and brought a piece of focaccia, the pre-dinner bread the staff had brought over a moment ago, to her lips.
"Mmm...! It's good. This fluffy and soft texture. The flavor, which could have been overwhelming from being soaked in olive oil and topped with herbs, is perfectly balanced with cheese and just the right amount of salt. It is the very definition of a classic. They say that the quality of the bread served in a restaurant like this is a guarantee that the meal to follow is also worth looking forward to."
She's right. Italians are serious about the bread on their table in many ways, so if the pre-dinner bread is of a low standard, the quality of the main dish is obvious. On the other hand, if the pre-dinner bread is decent or even delicious, there's a high chance the main dish won't disappoint either. It's not a guarantee, but it's generally the case.
In fact, the better the bread tastes, the more of an effort it is to control how much you eat. Especially since the two of us have to finish a 500g steak, it would be problematic in many ways if we were to fill up on bread.
Still, when something tastes good, you can't help but reach for it. As Haruna and I chatted and ate, we reached a point where the staff had to refill our bread basket.
"The prosciutto e melone has arrived."
On the plate the staff placed before us, peeled melon was wrapped in prosciutto, or cured ham, garnished with herbs, and plated in a circle.
"Hrmm..."
"Hm? Haruna-chan, is something bothering you?"
I didn't notice anything particularly strange or off-putting, so I wondered why she was acting that way. If it were anyone else, I would have just laughed it off, but Haruna is a terrorist who remembers the parts she doesn't like and blows up the restaurant, so I have to be more careful.
"...I was just a little bothered that the peel was removed. People who prefer to have the peel on are deprived of a choice, are they not?"
"Hm? I'm not so sure about that. I don't think making the customer's convenience a priority is a big flaw! And since it's a dish where the harmony of the prosciutto and the melon's flesh is important, if it was a choice made to present a higher level of taste, then I don't think it's wrong~ So let's just taste it first and think about that problem later☆"
"...Fufu, was that your intention, to persuade me in such a way? A meal with someone who has a different perspective on gastronomy is truly enjoyable. I understand your words perfectly, Mika-san. If they have succeeded in capturing the taste, then their method is not wrong. But if the taste is subpar, then it is fine to say that this restaurant's method is wrong."
...How did you arrive at that conclusion? You just want to blow up the restaurant and are using gastronomy as an excuse, aren't you? That's why you're finding fault with it from the start.
"Well then..."
As Haruna tasted the dish, I also speared a piece with my fork and popped it into my mouth. The saltiness of the cured ham was the first thing to hit my tongue, but the moment I bit into the melon, the sweetness of the juice burst out, creating a harmony of flavors. The texture of the ham is also excellent. If it makes you want to eat another one right away, isn't that already a successful dish?
By my standards, it's definitely delicious, but I wonder how it will suit that picky young lady's palate.
I looked over at Haruna, and she had her eyes closed, leisurely savoring the taste. No, seeing as her mouth isn't moving, maybe she's even evaluating the aftertaste left in her mouth.
"Mika-san, did you happen to know? That a high-quality prosciutto e melone has one preceding condition."
Haruna opened her eyes a moment later and spoke to me, her blood-red pupils shining. Seeing the passion in those eyes makes me have the wicked thought that if she did blow up the restaurant, it must have been the restaurant's fault for disappointing that passion.
Ugh, get a grip! At this rate, I'll become a member of the Gourmet Research Society...!
"Ahaha, sorry! To be honest, I don't really know about those detailed parts☆ So I'd be grateful if you could explain, Haruna-chan!"
"Fufu, of course. If you wish it, Mika-san, then I must explain. The condition is simple. The quality of the melon must not be too good. If the sugar content is low, it cannot properly balance the saltiness and fishiness of the ham. But an overly sweet melon will overpower the taste of the ham. Therefore, a moderately lower-grade melon must be used to complete a magnificent prosciutto e melone. Of course, if they used a completely trash-tier melon, it would have to be blown up immediately."
To talk about blowing things up so casually, you've finally shown your true colors, you demon...!
"To think you have to use a lower-grade ingredient for the sake of harmony of taste, that's certainly a fascinating story. Yep, and from the look on your face, Haruna-chan, it seems this restaurant has met that condition well."
"Now, I believe I can agree with you, Mika-san. To have succeeded in so confidently capturing the taste, to claim that this restaurant's method is wrong would probably be my own arrogance..."
"Hmph, is that so? I'm glad to see you understand!"
"Yes, this is certainly gastronomy. It has pleased me."
Does this mean we've passed the first round? There are still more mountains to climb, but if things continue like this, this restaurant might just make it through the day safely.
"By the way, Mika-san, is there a special reason why you came to dislike our Gehenna?"
As the waiter took our empty plates and we waited for the next dish, Haruna asked me. It was a question I had not expected to hear today at all.
"Haruna-chan, don't you think that's a bit of a strange question to ask a student from Trinity? Our dislike for each other is, so to speak, an instinct at the genetic level. Trinity calls you horn-heads and shuns you, and Gehenna calls us doves and ignores us. To treat each other as a species you can't even associate with is close to a self-evident truth. No one finds it strange. Not even the students who have never been directly harmed by the other side."
"Fufu, I know that as well."
"Then why did you ask, knowing that? Is there something you want to say?"
"I am not trying to bring up anything particularly grand. It is just that, looking at us now, I had the thought that our long-standing hostile relationship might actually be meaningless. To be dining with someone from Trinity and conversing so peacefully makes those things feel a little futile. Do you not think so, Mika-san?"
Aha, so sitting here face-to-face and eating has made her wonder, "Why are we at each other's throats?".
The more students who think like this, the greater the chance that the Eden Treaty will be concluded successfully without any major problems. In a way, meeting Haruna today might have been a stroke of luck.
But that aside, isn't your intention to drag me over to Gehenna a little too obvious?
"You know, Haruna-chan."
"Yes, please speak."
"Isn't that just because you're a fool who knows nothing but gastronomy? If I had rejected that 'ultimate taste' you pursue from the start, I have a feeling this restaurant would be half-destroyed by now for a different reason~ What do you think about that, hm?"
"...Fufu. It seems the next dish is about to arrive."
Look at this girl, changing the subject.
Honestly, if we were to fight at this distance, I would win a hundred times out of a hundred. Haruna's primary weapon is a sniper rifle, whereas I could fold her in half without a gun at all. You'd have to bring in someone like Neru for a fight at this close range to be even.
So the restaurant shouldn't be half-destroyed, but she could just set off a bomb. I might be able to subdue her before that, but basically, if our meeting had gone south, the chance of the restaurant blowing up would have been about fifty-fifty.
"One Bucatini all'Amatriciana has arrived."
Bucatini all'Amatriciana.
Bucatini refers to a type of pasta with a small hole in the center, which allows the pasta sauce to enter, letting you enjoy a richer taste. The 'all'Amatriciana' at the end means it originated from the Amatrice region.
...I've decided to just accept it when I see names referring to specific regions in Kivotos. It's just "adult circumstances."
Anyway, many people think of Amatriciana as just a spicy bacon tomato pasta, but that's wrong. Bacon is just a substitute for guanciale, which is made by salt-curing pork cheek for a long period of time.
The recipe that uses the Italian chili, peperoncino, to create a spicy taste is popular, and after cooking, the plating is finished by sprinkling a cheese called Pecorino Romano on top of the pasta. It's a dish that can be a little overwhelming if you dislike the unique smell of the cheese.
It's a much-loved pasta, but due to the difficulty of obtaining the ingredients and the cost, it's not easy to find one that has been cooked according to the authentic recipe.
Haruna's ruby-colored eyes, filled with anticipation, were so intense it was as if she had already devoured a whole plate with her gaze alone. If that kind of passion looks cool to me, have I already been bewitched?
"First, the visuals get a passing grade. The plating is certainly above average. A restaurant that insists on reservations only should at least have this as a basic. Fufu, this time, would you like to try it first, Mika-san?"
Hearing Haruna's words, I realized that my 'Quest for the Ultimate Taste Ver. Trinity' was far from over. To think she's already succeeded in seducing me this much...
At this rate... am I going to be forcibly recruited into the Gourmet Research Society?