I lightly speared a piece of guanciale, the size of a fingertip, with my fork. Then, using it as a center, I neatly twirled the pasta around it.
The cleanest way to eat long pasta is to twirl it with a fork. It's fine to just twirl it against the plate, but the cleaner method is to use a spoon. However, in its native land, they don't use a spoon; using one is for children and is considered bad table manners. My honest impression? I think that's a bit of an overreaction. I know it's considered bad manners, so I'll refrain, but back in my country, many people thought twirling against a spoon was the correct way to eat.
Well, this is all just a matter of preference. Half of all modern people probably don't care about such things and just slurp their noodles right up.
However, for Haruna, who is fundamentally a 'young lady' type, and for Mika, who attends the prim-and-proper Trinity, twirling the noodles neatly is a much more fitting image than slurping. If Haruna witnessed me slurping my noodles, wouldn't she recoil in disgust, thinking, "Ugh, Mika-san's elegance doesn't extend to her manners. What a shame..."?
Oh, if I showed her such a turn-off, I might be able to stop her from trying to drag me into the Gourmet Research Society. As someone who lives and dies by gastronomy, Haruna is likely to be sensitive about table manners.
But I've already twirled the noodles. Dammit, if only I had realized that a moment sooner...!
"Truly, just watching you makes my mouth water. In fact, the reason I booked this restaurant was because I heard their Amatriciana is the best in Kivotos. So please, I ask that you provide a detailed description of the taste so that I may experience this dish with the highest possible expectations. Fufu."
"Haruna-chan, even if you say that, I'm not exactly a food critic, you know? You're asking someone whose only skill when eating something delicious is to let out an exclamation of awe to give a detailed description. Ahaha! That's impossible for me☆"
"No, Mika-san, I am certain you can do it. If you, whom I, Kurodate Haruna, have acknowledged as having the qualifications to be a comrade on the journey to find the ultimate taste, then you absolutely can!"
"..."
Wow... what did I just hear? What does you acknowledging I have the qualifications to be your accomplice in terrorizing the restaurants of Kivotos have to do with this? It would be a miracle if my vocabulary suddenly expanded and a critic-like description came out.
"Fine, fine... expect whatever you want. But if you're disappointed, that's on you."
The only things I can describe are the taste and texture, anyway. There's no way my clumsy expressions could produce a description that would satisfy Haruna, so I naturally shook my head.
As I brought the fork, with its perfectly bite-sized portion of pasta, to my mouth, Haruna's eyes refused to leave it. Hmm, seeing her like this, it feels like a waste to just eat it.
Is this mischievousness, which the original Mika boasted, something I just can't control? I don't think I was this much of a prankster.
...Well, as long as it's fun, that's all that matters, right? I can definitely distinguish between a harmless joke and one that would make someone uncomfortable.
The fork, which had been on a direct course for my mouth, reversed direction and headed towards Haruna. I'll just pretend to feed her and then snatch it back and eat it myself. They say you're not supposed to play with your food, but this much is fine, right?
"U-uhm...?"
"Here, Haruna-chan. Say 'ahh'~"
"Um, Mika-san? Just a moment. You are supposed to taste it first and give your impressions..."
"Ahaha! No, no. That's not right, Haruna-chan☆ You're the one who booked this place because you wanted to eat this! This is your chance to be the very first to taste the dish you've been waiting for! It wouldn't be right for you to give that up to me, would it? Right? So hurry up and say 'ahh'~!"
"..."
Haruna's eyes wavered. Honestly, I was almost persuading myself as I said it; could Haruna possibly resist this? It probably wouldn't be easy.
Imagining the fierce internal conflict raging behind those wavering eyes, I couldn't help but smile. I was so curious to see what kind of expression Haruna would make when, after finally making her decision, she realized I had no intention of giving it to her.
"I-I suppose you have a point, but... hmm, to go back on my word is a little..."
"Really? Truly? Are you sure you won't regret it if you pass this up? Hm? I'm not going to ask a second time. I wonder if that's what you really, truly think, Haruna-chan~"
"I'll eat it...!"
"Yep, I knew you would☆ Here, say 'ahh'~"
And as I presented the fork right in front of Haruna, a sudden realization struck my mind.
She's not going to get pissed off by this prank and blow up the restaurant, is she? I'm the one who played the prank; the restaurant is innocent. Nah... surely she wouldn't.
But the prank is related to food. Will Haruna really take this as lightly as I do? I didn't think much of it when I did it, but now that the deed is done, a million thoughts are racing through my head. If I were the real Mika, I wouldn't have had to worry about the consequences.
"It is a little embarrassing, but for the sake of gastronomy, I must gladly endure it... fufu. Yes. Thinking of it that way, I certainly feel more at ease."
Haruna rose slightly from her seat, pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear with one hand, and opened her mouth. As I watched Haruna's cute lips part, her eyes gently closed, I fell into a state of panic.
What do I do? Do I pull it back as planned and laugh it off as a joke? But if I do that, I feel like she'll be genuinely disappointed. Is a moment of fun for me really worth the potential discomfort I might cause Haruna?
No, more importantly, isn't this the exact viewpoint of a boyfriend in a cringey couple feeding his girlfriend?! The only time in my life I've ever fed someone was when I stuffed a lettuce wrap into the mouth of a friend who was grilling meat.
Now that I'm experiencing this situation myself, it's, what's the word, unbelievably embarrassing...?!
As I hesitated, time ticked by. While I was stuck, unable to do anything, Haruna's lips finally closed, and the pasta vanished inside.
"...?!"
And Haruna's eyes shot wide open. No, what's happening? Why the sudden reaction? Did she feel something strange with the taste as soon as the pasta touched her tongue? Unlikely, but maybe the pasta was unbelievably spicy?
No, that doesn't seem to be it. If that were the reason, she wouldn't have suddenly frozen like a statue and stared blankly at me.
As I gently pulled the fork back from the completely frozen Haruna, my face suddenly grew hot. Ugh, ah. Now that I'm conscious of it, the sound of my heart pounding in my head is making me lose my mind even more.
I put down the fork and brought a hand to my cheek; whether it was my imagination or not, it felt a little hot. I snuck a glance at Haruna, and it seemed she was slowly coming to her senses, blinking her eyes.
How do other people do these embarrassing things?
...Could it be that this is why I never had a girlfriend? Was love only attainable by those who could withstand this kind of pressure...?!
Just before I covered my face with both hands and hung my head, the last thing I saw was Haruna averting her gaze.
How much time had passed? I couldn't tell if it was 30 seconds, a minute, or even longer. But I couldn't stay like this forever, so I finally lifted my head.
And then, my eyes met with Haruna, who seemed to have finished eating the pasta in her mouth. To think the atmosphere could get this chilly from one failed prank. Isn't this a talent in itself?
As I was thinking that, Haruna asked me in a slightly raised tone.
"...Um, why didn't you pull back?"
...Huh?
"Ahaha... what could you possibly mean by that?"
"You were intending to prank me, weren't you? I'm not so clueless as to not realize it when you're looking at me with such mischievous eyes. So I naturally thought you would pull the fork back at the last moment, but..."
Was it that obvious? Then does that mean my Nagisa, who has fallen for every single one of my pranks, was just playing along all this time?
No, more importantly. If that's the case, then Haruna was planning on playing along with my prank, but I was the one who got flustered and self-destructed...?
"No, umm... ugh..."
"At this rate, we've practically had an indirect kiss..."
"W-wait a minute! Haruna-chan, please, I'm begging you, could you not say that?! Ah, ahaha! I'm so embarrassed I'm going to die!"
The heat that had subsided felt like it was creeping back up my face. Wow, to think I'd get caught in my own trap so spectacularly. I should have just committed to it without thinking, why did I have to worry about her for no reason...?!
"Weell, just as you said, Haruna-chan, I was full of mischievous intent. But as I was trying to persuade you, I ended up getting persuaded myself. Ahaha, what is this, it's so embarrassing! And the situation felt a lot more embarrassing than I thought it would, so I was wondering what to do and missed my chance."
"...Fufu, is that so. You are a cuter person than I thought, Mika-san. 'A guilty conscience gives you away,' was it not?"
"You're one to talk, Haruna-chan, you avoided my gaze at the end, didn't you? I saw it all. And at first, you were so flustered you couldn't even move, right?"
"..."
Haruna silently raised a hand to her cheek and closed her eyes, hiding her wavering pupils. Yep, she was really flustered too.
"Fufu... to be honest, I was so surprised I couldn't even taste it properly. This is disrespectful to the dish, you know. It's only natural, as something that shouldn't have been there was in my mouth. And I did not avert my eyes. I believe you may be mistaken about that part, Mika-san."
Wow, you're a pretty shameless one, Haruna. You should say that after the blush on your face disappears. It might be faint, but it's not like it's completely unnoticeable.
"..."
We looked at each other in silence for a while. And then, at some point,
"Ahahat!"
"Pfft...!"
Without either of us starting, we both began to blossom into laughter.
"Ahahahaha! You know, Haruna-chan, this is the first time I've ever been had by my own prank! It's not a bad feeling☆"
"Fufu... Yes, I got a good look at your embarrassed side, Mika-san. I do not think I will be able to forget today for a long time. Fufufu."
We giggled for a long time, and we couldn't stop laughing until a waiter came over and gave us a warning. We had to apologize to the other customers for the commotion, but honestly, we should be grateful we weren't kicked out.
"This will not do. Mika-san, no matter what, I will bring you into our Gourmet Research Society. I absolutely will."
"...Eh?"
"I look forward to working with you, Gourmet Research Society Vice President Mika-san."
Wait a minute. Why... did it lead to this conclusion...?