ALL NOVEL I lightly poked the article with my fork, just the size of a fingertip. After that, I twirled the pasta around it to make it easier to eat.
Basically, the cleanest way to eat pasta is to twirl it with your fork. It’s perfectly fine to just rotate your fork on the plate, but a neater method is to do it against a spoon.
In the original place, they say using a spoon is considered poor table manners, only used by little kids, but honestly, it seems a bit over the top to me.
Knowing it’s regarded as poor manners, I will avoid it, but there are plenty of people in our country who think using a spoon like that is the correct etiquette.
Well, this is just a matter of preference. After all, half of modern people don’t care and slurp their noodles anyway.
However, considering the lady-like nature of Haruna and the fact that Mika, who attends the lady academy Trinity, is involved, it’s true that twirling the noodles is much more appropriate than slurping.
I wondered if Haruna would be horrified if she saw Mika slurping and think, “Oh dear, Mika-san lacks the grace that matches her appearance. How unfortunate…”
Oh, showing such a disgusting sight might stop her from dragging me into the Gourmet Research Club. If Haruna, who lives and breathes gourmet food, is sensitive about table manners, then that could work!
However, I had already twirled the noodles. Damn, if only I had realized that a little earlier…!
“Really, even just watching from the side makes my mouth water. The reason I reserved this restaurant is because I heard this Amatriciana is the best in Kivotos. So please, I’d like a detailed description of the taste since I have high expectations for this dish, fufu.”
“Haruna-chan, even if you say that, I’m not really a critic, you know? I can only gasp in admiration while eating something delicious—asking for a detailed description from someone like me isn’t realistic! Ahaha! That’s a bit much for me☆”
“No, Mika-san, you can definitely do it. You’re qualified to join me on this journey to find the ultimate taste, especially since it’s not just anyone but Kurodate Haruna who is recognizing you!”
“…”
Wow… What did I just hear? What does it matter that she sees me as qualified to join her in a ‘terror’ against Kivotos’s restaurants? It would be a miracle if my vocabulary suddenly improved to the point where I could give a critic-like description.
“Uhm, well… if you want to expect it, go ahead. But just know that all the disappointments will be yours to handle.”
Anyway, all I can describe is the taste or texture. There’s no way I could provide a satisfactory explanation for Haruna, so I naturally shook my head.
As I brought a forkful of perfectly twirled pasta to my mouth, Haruna’s eyes were glued to my fork. Hmm, seeing her like that, I thought it’d be a shame to just eat it right away.
Just how helpless was the mischievous side of the original Mika? I didn’t think I was this playful, though.
Well, anyway, as long as it’s fun, right? I can definitely distinguish between playful jokes and what might upset someone.
I turned the direction of the fork heading toward my mouth back towards Haruna. I’ll just pretend to feed her and sneak a bite instead. I know it’s not right to play with food, but this much should be okay, right?
“Uh, um…?”
“Here, Haruna-chan. Aah~”
“Um, Mika-san? Hold on a second. You should taste it first and then tell your impression…”
“Ahaha! No, that’s not it, Haruna-chan☆ You said you reserved this place because you wanted to eat this! It’s your chance to taste the dish you’ve been waiting for first! There’s no way you’d hand that chance over to me, right? So come on, say ‘Aah~’!”
“…”
Haruna’s eyes waver. Honestly, even as I say this, I’m about to be persuaded too; so can Haruna really hold back this time? I bet it won’t be easy.
Imagining how intense her inner conflict might be behind those wavering eyes made me want to laugh. I’m really curious about what kind of expression she’ll have once she realizes she won’t give it to me after all this.
“Well, I guess that makes sense, but… um, still, to change my mind at the last moment… isn’t that a bit…”
“Really, really, really? If you don’t do it now, will you not regret it? I’m not going to ask you twice. Does Haruna-chan really feel that way~?”
“Fine, I’ll eat it…!”
“Yeah, I knew you would☆ Now, Aah~”
Finally, as I served the fork right in front of Haruna, I had a late realization hit me.
She wouldn’t explode the place in anger because of this prank, would she? I’m the one who made the joke and the restaurant is innocent, right? No way… she wouldn’t actually do that.
But it’s food-related. I wonder if Haruna will take this lightly like I do? I had no thoughts when executing it; now that it’s done, a thousand thoughts are flooding my mind. If it were the real Mika, I wouldn’t have been worried about the aftermath.
“A bit embarrassing, but for the sake of gourmet food, I should be willing to risk it… fufu. Thinking that way definitely puts my mind at ease.”
Haruna slightly lifted her body from the seat, brushing her hair behind her ear with one hand, and then opened her mouth. Seeing Haruna’s cute lips slowly part as she closed her eyes made me panic instantly.
What do I do? Should I just pull away and laugh it off as a joke? But if I do that, she might be genuinely disappointed. Is that fleeting fun worth potentially making Haruna feel uncomfortable?
No, more importantly, this totally feels like I’m in a boyfriend’s perspective feeding his girlfriend her food. In my life, the only time I’ve ever fed someone was when I made a wrap with meat for a friend.
Experiencing this kind of situation firsthand feels absurdly embarrassing…?!
While I was contemplating, time continued to pass. While I was stuck, eventually, Haruna’s lips closed, and the pasta vanished inside.
“…?!”
Then Haruna’s eyes widened. What’s going on? Why is she behaving like that all of a sudden? Did she taste something odd the moment the pasta touched her tongue? Please, don’t tell me it suddenly became unbearably spicy or something.
No, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. If that were true, she wouldn’t be staring at me like a statue.
As I slowly withdrew the fork from the completely frozen Haruna, my face suddenly flushed. Ah, oh. Now that I’m aware, my heart is pounding in my head, making me even crazier.
As I put my hand on my cheek, whether it was just my feelings or not, it felt a bit hot. Just glancing at Haruna caused her to blink, like she was finally coming back to her senses.
How on earth were other people doing these embarrassing things?
…Could this be the reason I’ve never had a girlfriend? Only those who can bear this weight manage to achieve love, huh…!
Just as I was about to bury my face in my hands, the last thing I saw was Haruna turning her gaze away.
How much time passed, I couldn’t guess if it was 30 seconds, a minute, or even longer. But I couldn’t stay like this forever, so I finally lifted my head.
Then this time, our eyes met as I saw Haruna, who seemed to have finished the pasta she’d put in her mouth. Just with one failed prank, the atmosphere became so cold. Is this a talent too?
As I was pondering this, Haruna asked me in a slightly raised voice.
“…W-why didn’t you pull away?”
…Huh?
“Ahaha… what do you mean by that?”
“You intended to play a prank on me, right? There’s no way I should be so clueless as to not notice those playful eyes. So naturally, I thought you would pull the fork away at the last moment…”
Did it show that much? Then does this mean that our Kirihouji Nagisa, who repeatedly fell for my tricks whenever I was bored, also knew about it and went along with it?
No, more than that. With this, it means Haruna was willing to play along knowing I was joking, yet I was the one banging drums and bells, causing a self-destruct!
“N-no! Th-that…”
“Now we’re stuck with an indirect kiss…”
“W-wait! Haruna-chan, please! I really can’t handle saying things like that! Ah, haha! I’m going to die from embarrassment!”
I felt the heat rise again to my face. Wow, I really fell hard into my own trap. I should have just been reckless without worrying about her…!
“Well, originally I was filled with thoughts of playing a prank on you, you know. However, in trying to persuade Haruna-chan, I ended up being cornered instead. Ahaha, how embarrassing! Plus, the situation felt way more embarrassing than I thought, and I ended up missing my chance to pull away.”
“…Fufu, is that so? You’re cuter than I expected, Mika-san. They say the thief gets caught in the act, right?”
“Haruna-chan, you also avoided my gaze at the end! I saw that! At first, you were so flustered you couldn’t even think about moving, right?”
“…”
Haruna held her hand to her cheek in silence, closing her eyes to hide her trembling gaze. It seems like she was indeed quite flustered.
“Fufu… Honestly, I was so surprised I didn’t even properly taste it. It’s not polite to the dish. Naturally, given I was about to have something that shouldn’t be there in my mouth. And I didn’t avoid eye contact either; maybe Mika-san misunderstood that.”
Wow, Haruna, you’re quite bold, huh? Saying that while that blush on your face hasn’t disappeared. Even if it’s a bit faint, it still shows!
“…”
We looked at each other in silence for a while. Then suddenly,
“Ahah!”
“Pff…!”
Without thinking of who started first, we both burst into laughter.
“Ahahaha! You know, Haruna-chan, this is the first time I’ve ever been the one to fall for my own prank! It feels surprisingly nice☆”
“Fufu… Yes, I definitely witnessed a blushing Mika-san today. I feel like this event will be unforgettable for a while. Hehe.”
We kept laughing until the waiter came over to remind us to quiet down. We also had to apologize to the other customers for causing a ruckus, but honestly, we should be grateful to not have been kicked out.
“I guess I can’t let this go. Mika-san, no matter what happens, I’ll bring you into our Gourmet Research Club. Definitely.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m looking forward to your help ahead of time, Gourmet Research Club Vice President Mika-san.”
Wait a minute. Why did it come to that conclusion…?