For The Love of Meat

[Narukami Akira]

"Ahahah, that sounds nice. If there are more people like you, life will probably get much easier."

To me, this girl is like one of those cheery younger sisters that are quite common in manga and anime, who always try to support their "big brothers" and other loved ones with unwavering enthusiasm.

"About food, well, of course everyone loves good food, but not all of them can get it on a daily basis though. When I have to do the cooking, due to my current skills, well, my options are still rather limited." It's true, as currently I can only make instant noodles, fried rice, fried eggs and onigiri (rice balls).

"I've just moved to this town, and I've already missed my hometown's specialties. Especially the misokatsu. Once you come to Nagoya, you have to give it a taste." Even though I like many meat dishes, misokatsu holds a very special place in my appetite. The taste of rough crispy pork cutlets along with the uniquely sweet red miso sauce, is totally extraordinary.

[Mizukami Ayumu]

It seems they are talking about different kinds of food now, though before that he had had the pleasure of seeing Yasuda-san pause. Perhaps it was the unconscious application of her cheer that made it more sincere; he supposed, although he had yet to meet someone that he was sure was in such a situation, that there were people who forced themselves to be cheery.

Optimism... he had heard that happiness was a way of looking at life, rather than a product of what Life chooses to hurl at you for today. Maybe he should take Yasuda-san's advice; he enjoyed what he ate everyday already. Although at first it would seem like he would be forcing himself... but then again, Furukawa-senpai was happy in a different way from Yasuda-san... maybe that would be easier to emulate with his style of doing things. (Although Furukawa-senpai seemed a bit detached at times...)

So... yes, Narukami was talking about food... preparation of food. "I can only boil water and cook rice... and fry stuff. Sometimes the fried stuff gets burnt." he offered, sheepishly. He wondered if what Narukami was getting at with his limited options were near to what he described.

"Misokatsu?" Ayumu wasn't really very familiar with the names of certain recipes, usually only bothering to ask what something was if it had seemed rather exceptional. He wasn't that too keen on Japanese cuisine, though he knew the more familiar ones... and when it came to regional stuff, he was completely out of his league. Oh well, Narukami can elaborate if he wants...

[Yasuda Erina]

She giggled as her upperclassmen discussed their limited culinary skills, though she admittedly had little right to do so. After all, she was no master chef either. “I can’t really cook,” she offered sheepishly, before suddenly picking up her tone in the sentence that followed. “But my mom is amazing, so I still get to eat lots of yummy things all the time~!”

Hanako Yasuda was indeed some type of culinary goddess. The saddest period in Erina’s fifteen-year-old life had been the week her mother left to visit an obscure relative in the country. The evenings of instant ramen were highly unsatisfying, and had left her heart as well as her stomach half-empty.

“Misokatsu?” She spoke in unison with Mizukami, her interest piqued. “I want to try tha-Ahhhh~! It's here~!" The arrival of their food grasped her attention, and she bounced in her seat like an excitable child (Which, perhaps, she was). Clapping her hands together, she exclaimed with unwavering cheer, "Itadakimasu~!"

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[Narukami Akira]

Oh, so our meals are finally done. Looks like I've been a bit too engaged in our conversation that I didn't notice the delicious smell of our food. Time really flies when we are focused on doing something.

Good. At least my serving of "Meat Lover" looks quite similar to the one in the menu. Now let's get to the most important part: the taste.

"Alright, itadakimasu!"

After uttering the obiligatory phrase, I quickly grab my knie and fork, and waste no time to cut the first piece of of the pork chop. Then, a very pleasant sensation hits the cavity of my mouth. The juiciness and tenderness of the meat, along with the mild sweet taste of teriyaki sauce really make a powerful combination. On the other hand, the chicken, while not as juicy, is still very pleasant to chew due to its crispiness.

The steak, well, is really indescribable. It tastes just right in every aspect, is neither too tough nor too soft. A little bit of spice present in it really does the trick.

"This... is really good." I can't help but let out a rather common praise.

[Mizukami Ayumu]

"Oh, it's here." Finally. Though I guess I hadn't really waited that long.

"Thank you for the food."

He checked the platter before him, that which contained the food that he ordered. He chuckled a bit at the fact that, well, both of his friends' trays were laden with more food than his. He found it funny that it seemed he would be the modest one this time... and he even chided himself at times for gluttony. I guess there's always someone better than you at a certain field, huh? If eating could be considered a proper sort of field...

If he had been thrifty with words when Narukami and Yasuda had managed to get the ball rolling, now he was a complete miser of them. He remembered how there was a bit of a joke in his mother's country where people, upon getting their meals, would be 'angry' with each other, since they'd be ignoring each other and would be entirely focused on their meals. Well, it would be bad manners to talk with your mouth full... and there were certainly much food to fill your mouth with.

The least gluttonous of the party, Mizukami chose his soup first, sipping it a bit and appreciating the sourness. He then began working on the rice and the meat... again, by comparison, he seemed slower than the other two, even if sometimes he had been chided for eating too quickly. Both proved to be delicious; it seemed the wait and the price was worth it. Maybe Narukami did have a knack for finding deals like this.

While he was not inclined to show his appreciation for the food audibly, Ayumu nodded at Narukami's pronouncement, agreeing. At least he could nod with his mouth full.

[Yasuda Erina]

It. Was. Delicious.

The hamburger steak was the first to disappear. Erina’s ravenous appetite made short work of her first serving and, stacking her bowls and pushing them aside, she moved on to her second. “Yes, you’re right!” she exclaimed, digging into a pork chop. “This is definitely… really, really good!” She spoke between mouthfuls, chewing rapidly as she repeated what had already been stated.

Silence quickly fell upon the group as they partook of their meals, and for a brief moment, the girl wondered if she should say something. Ah, but I shouldn’t talk with my mouth full, should I? She continued to eat without a word, engrossed in the consumption of her lunch.

[Narukami Akira]

Oops, I've been too focused on the meat that I forgot that the soup is getting cold. Oh well, at least I can dunk it in one go now.

Even though there are times that I can finish my meals in a flash, there are other times like this one, when I decide to slow my pace on purpose in order to savor the whole taste of these delicacies, to appreciate the excellent food to its fullest. Besides, for a large dish like this, I can't really afford to eat too quickly, or I will get full early.

Our female companion really is something. How can see maintain her figure with such a... voracious appetite? Maybe due to her high metabolic rate? Or does she possess some kind of a black hole inside her body? Suddenly a line commonly used by many female characters in anime and other TV shows comes to mind: "The dessert (or cake, or whatever treats that character likes) goes to a different stomach." Now I wonder how many stomachs does that energetic girl have?

[Mizukami Ayumu]

While by habit Mizukami Ayumu ate at a certain velocity, it was not as if he was hurrying; it was merely what he was accustomed to. Still, his progress with his meal was definitely less than Yasuda-san's; he hoped that much would satiate the girl, and she wouldn't ask for some of their meals.

Akira would probably outstrip him if he was not so... preoccupied with the flavor of his food; that was a talent he found hard to pull off, although at times he does manage to... the talent of simply enjoying the moment. It was one thing to capture the moment... and another to savor it.

He stopped for a moment to drink some of his beverage. He did not want any hiccups... it was a common mistake that he tried to avoid, when he remembered. Besides, drinking helped regulate just how much he was eating... there was such a thing as eating too much... and while it did not apply visibly to Yasuda-san, it probably did to him.

As it was, it seemed Akira was... preoccupied with something else besides the input of his tastebuds; he caught the other boy flickering, once in a while, a questioning gaze at Yasuda-san's wolflike procedure, no doubt in great wonder. Well, while he did expect this, it was still a surprise... after all, his sandwiches and Densetsu-san's sushi were not exactly as voluminous as today's fare.

"I told you, she eats a lot."

He applied himself back to his consumption, after his little statement.

[Yasuda Erina]

Sorry, I have a lot of other threads opening up, so I’m stepping out. Feel free to continue~

“Eh…?”

Erina paused mid-bite, her chopsticks hovering inches away from her open mouth as she became aware of the attention she was receiving. Why she was receiving it, though, she could not understand. She was just eating, after all. “Is it really a lot?” she wondered aloud, dropping the food she had picked up back onto her plate. People seemed to say things like that a lot, but this was how much she always ate… “Ah!”

The sound of an upbeat jingle intruded on the newly started conversation, and the girl dropped her chopsticks to scramble for her purse. Locating her heavily stickered and decorated phone, she flipped it open and answered with a cheerful “Hello~!” There was a pause as she listened and nodded, then her expression turned to panic. “Waaaaaaah~?! No, no, no! Don’t eat it without me!”

Hanging up after a few brief words, the girl began to devour her food at an even more rapid pace, cleaning the plate in seconds. A few stray rice grains still sticking to her face, she stood up abruptly and bowed to her two companions. “It was really, really nice eating with you again, Mizukami-sempai!” she began hastily. “And meeting you, Narukami-sempai!”

Straightening up, she rubbed the back of her neck and smiled apologetically. “My daddy brought home a cake!” she explained, turning to run off. “So I’m-Oh!” Her hands dove into her purse again, and after a few moments of fumbling, removed a colorfully designed wallet. She tossed a few bills onto the table in a hurry before turning to leave again. “I’ll see you later~! Bye bye~!”

And she was off, pigtails swishing behind her.

[Narukami Akira]

"Er... What just happened?"

The energetic girl finished her meal as if she just "released her limiter" and took her leave. Is she going to see her friends or something? Still, with those incredible "skill" of hers, I bet she can win a prize or two in eating competitions.

That girl, she came and went like a wind... or a ninja, maybe. Well, at least she didn't dine and dash. The bills are quite enough for her share, but... what shall I do about the change?

"Well", I turn to ask my classmate, "how should we pay for the meals? And the change, too. Can you hand it to her later or something?"

[Mizukami Ayumu]

"Um, bye, then..."

Apparently it was not only eating that Yasuda Erina was quick at... she had, in an interval that the boy could only insert a quick farewell in, responded to a certain summons about food of a different sort than they were partaking in, and then abruptly left. The current situation felt like it was left hanging, but he guessed she couldn't help it. It was with her family, even if it was yet again about eating.

He turned to his equally confused companion. Narukami seemed to have been a bit overwhelmed by Yasuda-san's, erm, talents, and now he was even more so, with her exit. He was recovering, though, as he was beginning to ask the questions that mattered.

"I guess I could find her... she did say she was in... 1-A." He really should put more effort into remembering these important details. "Or you could bring the change to her." he remarked, playfully, continuing the joke he had going earlier. If it was Narukami who would give her the change, that would be another meeting for the two of them.

Not that he was insinuating anything.

"She's almost finished her share..." observed the white-haired boy, as he waited for his classmate's decision on the earlier matter; this was another thing he thought was important, for cleaning up after their first-year sort-of-glutton. He eyed her plate; even with the fact stated, there were still some rice and meat remaining.

It did seem awkward to eat the food of somebody else, but then... it seemed such a waste to leave leftovers... could the food be trusted to keep until they could give it to her? But then they didn't know her address... he wondered how he should resolve this dilemma (well, it was almost a trilemma)...

He settled with saying it plainly. "Narukami, what do we do with her food?"

[Narukami Akira]

"Erm, wait. You know her more than I do. Why don't you go talk to her instead?". The truth is, I find that girl rather unpredictable, so maybe a person with nerves of steel like Whitey can handle her better than me. "Well, since someone has to go see her anyway, we'll just split the change later."

Then Whitey reminds me of the plate Yasuda-san left behind. Not much is left, considering her appetite. But, come on, how can such an avid eater like her waste food like that? And really good food, too. Some restaurants actually charges you extra if you cannot eat all what you take. In other words, the more food you leave, the more money you will pay. Besides, I can't let such delicious morsels be prevented from fulfilling their purpose, can I.

"Er, you don't mind if I finish it off, do you?" I ask Whitey for confirmation. Hope my stomach capacity is enough for that extra portion, or I'll have a hard time standing up and walk away.

[Mizukami Ayumu]

OC: Akira, you could choose to shortcut events so that we'd be finished eating... or at least Ayumu would be, since Akira just got more food... after all, people don't talk so much while dining, unless you've got an idea for a conversation.

"Aww... don't you want to meet her again?" he jibed, grinning.

He understood... that while Yasuda Erina was... interesting, sometimes her metaphorical twists and turns could take people... off guard, like Narukami. Maybe because she lacked any sort of guard, herself.

Still, it would have been fun to watch how Narukami takes to visiting her in her classroom or wherever she might be. He would agree to give the change if the other boy was really averse about the idea. "You really don't want to?" he followed up.

"I don't mind." he replied.

It seemed Narukami didn't feel awkward so much about certain things... certain things that he had difficulty deciding about... unless he just hadn't thought of it, or was not showing it. He kept this little bit to himself.

He nudged, gingerly, the girl's plate towards Narukami, and after a small pause, went back to demolishing his portion.

[Narukami Akira]

Alright, extra grub, you're going down!

Well... despite the fact that my stomach can increase its capacity to accommodate the delicious morsels, I cannot down all of them in one go, as I'm eating for one-and-a-half here. There was a time when I grabbed too much carbonara spaghetti at a party, and I suffered a rather major heartburn trying to finish all of it. I never expected the creamy dish can fill me up so quickly. Guess I'm still not eligible to enter any eating contests.

I'm not in a hurry anyway, so let's just savor each and every bite while I still can.

10 minutes later...

Ok, finally done. But seriously... why did that girl have to waste such well-made food like this, and it's not a small meal either.

I try to strike another conversation with Whitey, who finished some time before me, to take my mind of my full stomach for a while:

"How's the food?"

[Mizukami Ayumu]

OC: Akira, you decide how this thread goes on, or if it ends with your post, I don't have many ideas.

"It was good."

He was finished. With eating, that is.

While there were very few edible things that made the taciturn youth pronounce his displeasure (and the same could probably be said of others which are meant to be savored in a different manner), there were also very few that could elicit his rousing approval. To most he simply gave a frugally positive opinion, and that was what he did at this very moment.

He might come back a second or a third time... but it wasn't necessarily going to be a favorite place, since that reassurance of patronage applied to other establishments as well.

For him the highlight of the happening had been that he had been there not just with one friend, but for a while, two, and this second one, Yasuda-san, was one who had earned his undying respect for being constantly, refreshingly intriguing. Akira, though less vibrant, was even and good-natured... but it seemed even he could be bewildered... he had seen a different side of him today.

"Shall we go?"

"You really don't want to give her the change?" he repeated, with the risk of pushing it too much. He hoped he was not particularly annoying.