The three of them took only three minutes to decide on their orders. I chose the Deep in Cheeseburger, which looked like it could shave thirty minutes off my lifespan just by eating it. Izumi went for the Emperor Burger, the signature menu item of Burger Emperor, which was obviously going to be absurdly thick. Finally, Haruna selected the Garlic Shrimp Chicken Burger, a sandwich with a lot going on.
Naturally, we all ordered sets, and the other two showed their wisdom by also choosing Cajun fries as their side. I can't bring myself to acknowledge Izumi, but Haruna definitely knows her food.
As we waited, burgers began to appear one by one at Akari's table. Perhaps because her order was so massive, a robot employee was delivering the burgers to her table, even though customers were normally supposed to pick them up from the counter themselves.
I was a little surprised to see that, even while continuously serving Akari's order, the restaurant was handling other customers' orders with no delays whatsoever. I don't know enough about how a place like this operates to understand what a feat that is, but from the outside, it was certainly an impressive sight.
"Time to dig in~☆"
And so, the mukbang began.
One. Two. Three. Four.
The burger in Akari's hand… vanished?
"Whoa-oh…"
An astonishing scene unfolded before me. A burger that was by no means small disappeared after just four bites. The sight was so bizarre, I was starting to feel full just from watching.
"Every time I see Akari-san's stomach, I can't help but feel a little envious…"
Normally, I think people would be more envious of the fact that she can eat like that and not gain weight… or rather, only gain it in certain areas. But in any case, for light eaters like Haruna and me, it was a trait we couldn't help but admire. Not being able to eat what you want is a truly sad thing. Unless you're like an ancient Roman, eating until you throw up just to eat more, the total amount of flavor you can enjoy is limited. For Haruna, who truly loves gastronomy, it must be an agony beyond compare.
"Ah, it's ready! I'll go get it~!"
Izumi, who spotted our order number faster than anyone, shot up from her seat and rushed to the counter before either of us could say a word. The jar of mint-choco paste she'd left at her seat was giving me anxiety.
Izumi… she was the one who… what was it again? She tasted mint as shampoo, or was it the other way around? I can't remember exactly, but if she tastes mint as shampoo, then that mint-choco paste would taste like shampoo-choco. The thought of her slathering that on her food and enjoying it sent a shiver down my spine.
Izumi skillfully returned with a tray in each hand, placing one in front of Haruna and me before sitting back down.
After a quick scan of the cheeseburger in front of me, I decided I had to ask Haruna for a favor.
"…Haruna-chan, can you take a picture and send it to me later?"
"Fufu, of course."
Haruna naturally pulled out her phone and aimed the camera at me. I ducked my head slightly so my face was right above the burger and made a heart with my fingers.
"Okay, here we go. One, two, three…!"
After taking at least a dozen photos in burst mode, Haruna nodded in satisfaction and handed me her phone, asking me to take a picture of her.
Like me, Haruna lowered her posture slightly, closed one eye, brought two fingers to her lips, and blew a kiss. For a split second, I thought it was directed at me, and my heart nearly gave out. Thankfully, I recovered quickly enough to take the picture. How is it that Haruna's bewitching charm has no limits? It feels like she's on a completely different plane of existence.
"By the way, Mika-san."
"…Yeah. I think I know what you want to say, Haruna-chan."
Two beef patties between sesame seed buns. And cheese, not just overflowing but dripping down, with three slices above and below. The reality was even more intense than the menu picture, a gooey, artery-clogging visual masterpiece. My Deep in Cheeseburger perfectly fulfilled my desire to die by having my blood vessels clogged with cheese.
The burger in front of Haruna was a work of art, combining a whole shrimp patty, a chicken patty, garlic sauce, and various vegetables between the buns. What amazed me most was the chicken patty, which retained its perfectly crispy fried texture and was formed into a beautiful circle slightly larger than the bun. How did they even do that?
What can I say? I coveted them both. After months apart, Haruna and my thoughts were once again in perfect sync.
"Just a moment, Mika-san."
I watched Haruna, chin in hand and tail swishing, as she walked to the counter. It seemed today's restaurant was a winner; it looked like it would be spared from her destructive tendencies. Just the visuals of these two burgers suggested they couldn't possibly taste bad. The Deep in Cheeseburger's viscous, dripping cheese was solemnly declaring, 'I have arrived,' while the GarlicChickenShrimp… no, the Garlic Shrimp Chicken Burger was simply screaming, 'Guaranteed delicious.' It's too hard to say, so from now on, you're the Garshrimpkin Burger.
"Fufu, here you go. Would you do the honors, Mika-san?"
Haruna handed me a knife. She put on a pair of disposable gloves from the tray and pressed down on her Garshrimpkin Burger. The garlic sauce that oozed out made my mouth water…!
I sliced Haruna's burger perfectly in half, handed her the knife, then put on my own gloves and did the same. My burger, which was already a cheese-covered mess, now looked like a fondue pot on the bottom. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before glancing over at Izumi.
Izumi was holding a burger the size and height of both of ours combined and was methodically devouring it. She must have opened up the layers to slather them with mint-choco paste, because a bizarre color stained the tower of a burger.
Phew. Appetite successfully controlled. Anyone whose appetite wouldn't be curbed by that sight is not human.
"Fufufu… It's so nice how we're always on the same wavelength, Mika-san."
"Haha, me too! See? We're kindred spirits☆"
After swapping burger halves, I picked up the cheeseburger with my gloved hands. Coincidentally or not, Haruna did the same. Thankfully, she had pressed the burger down enough that even my small mouth could manage a bite. With that thought, I took my first bite, and as I began to chew, I nearly shed tears of joy.
This was it. The festival of salty, greasy, gooey cheese I had craved was right here. The beef patty was tender, melting into the cheese to create a perfect harmony.
Was it a mind-blowingly incredible taste? Maybe not. I was simply moved by how faithful it was to the true essence of a cheeseburger.
"It can never be S-tier, but in A-tier, it reigns supreme. Yes. This is the gatekeeper guarding the border between A-tier and S-tier. That's what I'll call it. It's only right."
What kind of nonsense is that? I have no idea. That's just how it felt. I don't know how to describe the taste with convoluted food critic jargon, so I'm just saying what I feel.
"Fufu, I understand what you mean, Mika-san. Perhaps this is the perfected image of what we expect from a 'cheeseburger.' Deep in Cheese… I wonder if a more fitting name could possibly exist."
I took another bite of the burger, then followed it with a sip of cola, making sure to lift the cup from the lid so my gloves wouldn't get sticky later.
"Four out of five stars!"
"For me… 3.5 feels too harsh, so shall we say 3.8?"
Haruna and I exchanged opinions, then burst out laughing.
Next up was Haruna's Garshrimpkin Burger. It was my first time having a burger with two different kinds of patties, so I was a bit skeptical. As a former Korean, I wanted to give it a passing grade on the garlic sauce alone, but still.
Crunch.
Unlike the cheeseburger, which had no vegetables and made no sound when bitten, the freshly fried crispiness of the chicken patty let out a small scream. It was accompanied by the satisfying crunch of vegetables.
The first thing I tasted was the garlic sauce. While my software might be Korean, my taste buds are Mika's, so it's not a guarantee that I'll like garlic. But the fact that my palate didn't reject it already meant it was close to a pass.
Next, the whole shrimp patty captivated me with its signature texture, popping as I chewed. It immediately blended with the garlic sauce, adding a savory note to the sweet and pungent flavor.
But the burger didn't end there. Finally, the crispy chicken patty made its presence known, showing off its tender meat and juices. I couldn't call it a perfect harmony, but the fact that the flavors blended without clashing was enough. The lettuce and other vegetables interspersed throughout provided a delightful crunch, and I found myself nodding in approval.
"Mmm…!"
Haruna closed her eyes to savor the taste, bringing a hand to her cheek as she let out a sigh of admiration. But Haruna, you're wearing gloves right now… gloves covered in cheese.
"…Mmph?!"
"Ahahahaha! Haruna-chan, do you know how cute you look right now?"
Realizing her mistake, Haruna quickly pulled her hand away, but a smear of cheese was already on her cheek. Because her image is so close to that of a graceful lady, seeing this innocent side of her made me desperately want to capture the moment.
Seriously, why did I have to leave my phone behind and miss this photo op? Haruna's phone is obviously locked, and there's no way she'd unlock it for me if I asked to take a picture of her like this. Reluctantly, I decided to store this memory in my mind alone.
"Ahahaha! Hold on, Haruna-chan. I'll wipe it off for you."
I took off my gloves for a moment and grabbed a napkin. As I stood up and wiped the cheese from her cheek, I noticed her face was even redder than usual.
"Haruna-chan, was it that good?"
"…What? Yes, well… i-it was certainly delicious!"
Huh, what's with her all of a sudden? It's like she just short-circuited…
Could it be? Did my narrative power finally land a hit on Haruna on my behalf?! Has the long time of humiliation and persecution finally come to an end?! Is it…?!
Whoa, I shouldn't get carried away after landing just one hit. I'm still hopelessly weak in front of Haruna. Okay, calm down. If I'm not careful, I'll get swept up in her pace again in an instant.
"Yeah, I have to agree with you on that. It's not perfect, but it's a well-crafted, harmonious burger. I completely understand why this place is so popular. A magnificent taste. My score is 4.5."
In fact, wasn't this Garshrimpkin Burger the true signature dish of Burger Emperor? I couldn't help but think so. The monstrous Emperor Burger next to us was simply too big to be a mainstream hit. No matter how delicious it is, if it's hard to eat, you have to deduct points.
Her face still flushed, Haruna finally seemed to regain some composure as she closed her eyes and spoke softly.
"Hmm. Ahem…! Phew, my goodness. That was quite dangerous just now…"
"Huh? What was dangerous?"
"…Fufu. It was nothing. As for this burger's score… unfortunately, I don't think I can rate it."
"…?"
"Too many personal feelings have been mixed in. A pity."
What did she mean by that? I looked at her questioningly, but she didn't seem inclined to elaborate.
"Instead, why don't we talk about something different today? Yes. For example, why you came to dislike Gehenna, Mika-san."
With a somewhat relieved expression, Haruna brought up a topic unrelated to gastronomy and cooking. It was an unfamiliar side of her, but not an unpleasant one.
For the rest of the meal, our conversation was surprisingly peaceful, a world away from the chaos of Akari, who had finished eating one of every burger and was starting round two in the distance, and Izumi beside her, theatrically vanquishing her Emperor Burger.
The ultimate delicacy. A goal, a dream I have pursued since I was a child. A singular purpose that has become the guiding star of my life…
But no dish has ever given me the certainty of, 'This is it. This is the ultimate delicacy.' Even after realizing that the ultimate delicacy might not necessarily be an expensive dish, my journey was filled with nothing but failure.
After I created the Gourmet Research Society and embarked on a quest for gastronomy with like-minded friends, I was able to get one step closer. But I still couldn't figure out where to take that final step.
And that's when you appeared, like a comet, Mika-san. A person who demanded to join my table with a brazenness I had never imagined, who presented her own convictions and challenged my path of gastronomy head-on.
How could I not be intrigued? Intrigued by you, who, after just one meal together, left me with an experience so enjoyable that I felt I might have gotten half a step… no, a quarter of a step closer to the ultimate delicacy.
I was eagerly awaiting the day I could share such an experience with you again. I was a little hurt when you sold me out to the Head Prefect, but my passion for gastronomy is not so fragile as to be broken by something like that.
What stung more was realizing you were avoiding setting our next date. I couldn't understand why, but for the time being, I decided to wait a little longer.
"Prez, how about we just kidnap her~?"
That is, until I heard Akari-san's suggestion.
There were some twists and turns, but as a result, here you are, right in front of me. The mere fact of your presence by my side makes all the things that tormented me, all the unsolved puzzles, become clear and fall into place with such ease.
"Whoa-oh! Haruna-chan, these fries might be even better than the burger! If that's the case, you know what you have to do, right?"
I take in your smile as you offer me a french fry. There is embarrassment, but no longer any hesitation.
Because I've finally realized what it is I truly wanted… what the ultimate delicacy I'd been searching for all this time really was.
Because I've finally understood why I wished you would take my side.
Gastronomy is the river that flows through my life, Mika-san. Gastronomy is my life, and my life exists for gastronomy. If that is the case, then a companion in gastronomy is, of course, the same as a companion in life, is it not?
However, one question still remains.
Is the path of gastronomy I walk with you the ultimate delicacy I have been pursuing… or are you, yourself, the ultimate delicacy I have been searching for?
…Fufu, I see now. This was a problem that required no deep thought. It was a simple question with an even simpler answer: I just have to have both.
The world of gastronomy is so vast that its end is unknowable.
But there is only one ultimate delicacy in this world. And to obtain it, I am prepared to do anything.
So, Mika-san?
Please, be mine.
◇─◇───◆─◈─◆───◇─◇
All bonus chapters will be released at once when the new week starts.
So keep 'em stones rolling,
currently 2 bonus chapters in reserve
Also, I will be launching a Pat reon account tomorrow, so please consider supporting me, thank you