Shaoxing wine had arrived at our table, and we started ordering the dish Marie was looking at earlier, along with a few others that looked good. Toru raised a glass and smiled at everyone at the table.
“This is our second dinner get-together. Kaoruko tells me she’s been hanging out with you two. Unfortunately, I’m always stuck at work. Let’s eat and drink our fill tonight. Cheers!”
We clinked our cups together, and our dinner had begun.
It was quite noisy around us, with all of the delicious food and alcohol brought out for us. Japanese people tended to be pretty serious but often loosened up for these occasions. I got nervous because Marie wasn’t a fan of crowds and loud noises, preferring quiet spaces instead. She also disliked it when it was too hot or too cold; she was a particular woman. But I realized I was worrying too much when I saw the excitement in her eyes.
“You two went to the same school together?” asked Marie.
“Yes,” replied Kaoruko, “we were together throughout elementary, middle, and high school, plus university. He was an upperclassman who lived nearby, but it wasn’t like I was chasing after him or anything. We lived in a rural area, so there was a high chance we would go to the same schools through high school.”
“Wow, sixteen years together?” said Marie, impressed. “Wait, through high school? Then what about after that?”
Kaoruko had been all smiles until then, when her expression tightened at the question. Her cheeks grew red, and it wasn’t because of the alcohol. It seemed she wasn’t good at lying or dodging questions.
“For university, well...I actually did chase after him. He was a pretty reserved person, so...” stammered Kaoruko.
I was surprised to hear she was the type to make the first move. Marie appeared to feel the same, as she turned to me with wide eyes, blinking repeatedly.
“Maybe it was a good thing I couldn’t drink today,” said Marie. “Oh, don’t worry about me, I’m just talking to myself. So, how did you win over your reserved husband? I’d love to know.”
She eagerly moved closer to Kaoruko, where I could see her interest and curiosity grow. Kaoruko seemed taken aback by her intensity and slightly leaned away, eyes shifting.
“Umm... It wasn’t anything special.”
“Y-Yeah, there was nothing indecent going on or anything. Right, Kaoruko?” said Toru.
“O-Of course! Nothing indecent... Well, maybe a little bit. Oh! I mean, no! He just helped me study for my entrance exams!”
“Ahh, I see,” Marie said. “You used the entrance exams as an excuse to get closer. That’s quite the strategy. You must have had him over at your house with lots of alone time. Did everything work out as planned?”
“L-Let’s talk about something else! I’m surprised how pushy you get when it comes to these kinds of topics!”
I had to admit my shock. While I imagined women liked talking about relationships, I did not know if elves were the same way. Come to think of it, there weren’t many people around her she could talk to about romance, Wridra included. I let out a thoughtful groan, then joined the conversation.
“I’m a bit curious about it too. I had no idea you two have been together since childhood.”
“We get that a lot. Toru was the cool upperclassman in my neighborhood back then,” said Kaoruko. “He was popular, good at taking care of others, and a student council member. But now...”
“Don’t tell me you think I’m nothing like that now,” replied Toru.
He always joked about being overweight, but his expression was genuine. Even though I felt bad for him, it made me vow to myself to manage my diet carefully. We always went pretty wild in the dream world, so we would probably be fine.
“Thank you for waiting,” a voice said. I turned around to find a female server bringing a large plate to our table. The server placed classic Chinese dishes like fried rice and mapo tofu on the red table. Ankake fried rice with a thick, savory sauce poured all over it sat in front of Marie. Her eyes widened at the size of the dish.
“Wow, I think this is going to fill me up by itself!” she said. “We ordered so many dishes; I thought the portions would be smaller.”
“Chinese food can be hearty. You’ll see why we eat on a spinning table in a second,” I told her as I spun the table a little, and her eyes grew even more. The world was big, but not many cuisines used specialty tables that spun around like this. Her appetite apparently had higher priority than her curiosity because her eyes were glued to the steaming, inviting dishes.
Many dishes had a lot of yellow from the eggs, but the mapo tofu was bright red in contrast. The white tofu of the dish only made the red stand out even more, and I could tell it was spicy just by looking at it. The fresh, zesty aroma wafted to her, making her emit a noticeable gulp.
“I have a feeling I’m going to gain weight this autumn. It’s okay since I’ll just be more careful about my diet starting tomorrow. Plus, it would be rude to hold back tonight,” said Marie.
“Here, use this. The food is hot, so be careful,” I said, handing her a spoon. I knew it would be pointless to warn her about overeating, so I decided to support her instead. She scooped up a spoonful of ankake fried rice and put it in her mouth. The fried rice, eggs, and sauce hit her taste buds, and the smell of crab immediately filled her nostrils. Although flaky fried rice was delicious, combining it with the starchy sauce added a new depth to the flavor, tasting especially good on a cold day like this.
“Mmf, that’s hot!” exclaimed Marie, breathing as she chewed. “Mmm, the sauce goes so well with the rice!”
Yet the dish was lightly flavored, as it wasn’t meant to be the main dish. That would be the bright red mapo tofu, gyoza dumplings, spring rolls, and braised pork belly they placed on the table. Each dish added to the table made it more colorful, and Mariabelle’s mouth was agape with wonder.
“So much food! I don’t know what to try next.”
Plates of delicious-looking meats and vegetables were placed before us, one after another, with no space between them. We could tell the food was good just by looking at them, and it was no wonder Chinese was considered one of the world’s three greatest cuisines. The aroma of the different spices stimulated our appetites as we thought about what to eat next. Mapo tofu, which Marie was trying, was guilty of this craving. It was full of seasonings with strong scents and flavors, like Chinese pepper, red pepper, and bean paste. I tried a bite and felt relieved when it wasn’t too spicy. Perhaps it had been adjusted to suit the Japanese palate, yet it still included seasonings that numbed your tongue.
“Mmm! It’s spicy, but it’s good!” Marie squealed gleefully. She then took another bite of her ankake fried rice. Its subtle flavor gently enveloped her tongue, and her expression softened. She suddenly craved the mapo tofu even more. “It’s strange that it’s so spicy it almost makes the tofu taste sweet, but I can’t stop eating it.”
I felt like that was the essence of Chinese cuisine. Umami and the flavors of the spices filled your mouth, then you went for the gentle taste of fried rice and soup. And for some reason, you couldn’t stop going back for more spicy food.