They say the deliciousness of at isn’t determined solely by its grade. The flavor of at is a matter so intricate that it requires a professional eye—and a fair amount of knowledge—to truly grasp. But let’s set aside all the complicated stuff for now. The point is: pros know what makes good at, and high prices are usually a reflection of confidence in the product’s quality. Add in costs for ingredients and craftsmanship, and well, when in doubt, choosing an expensive restaurant is often a decent strategy for amateurs.
So how does Gyuutenrou fare in that regard? With prices to match its bold reputation, it delivers at of the highest caliber. The sheen on the beautifully arranged slices of at and the mouthwatering aroma rising from the grill as Hikaru cooks them—both leave no room for complaint.
“Ohh, I’ve never seen at like this before. I don’t recall the at at the suupeaa lookin’ anything like this. Could this be what they call… ‘the difference’?”
“What are you even comparing it to? At least compare it to departnt store at…”
“Departnt stores are too vast—I get lost in them…”
While Inari’s ears drooped in defeat, Hikaru continued flipping the at with practiced ease. Once it was grilled to perfection, she divvied it up and served it onto their plates.
And now… ca the mont of truth. The ti to savor this pricey piece of perfection. Exchanging a brief nod, Inari and Hikaru dipped the at into the sauce and popped it into their mouths.
It lted. lted, literally. It softly dissolved across the tongue, yet the fat wasn’t overpowering in the slightest. This… this was delicious.
“This is… without a doubt, exquisite.”
“Yeah… damn, this is good…”
They say when soone eats sothing truly delicious, they’re left speechless. But maybe that’s not quite true. Perhaps it’s not that they can’t speak, but that every other word feels crude in comparison. After all, the first thing you feel when you taste sothing this good is simply: “delicious.” What more needs to be said? When two people share that experience, words beco unnecessary. The truth is right there—on their tongues.
Inari, delighted by the flavor, tried placing a piece of at on top of so rice. Wrapping the at around the rice with her chopsticks and lifting it to her mouth, she found a new dinsion of flavor. The refined fat and rich umami soaked into the rice, revealing a new harmony. This too… was delicious. The rice itself was excellent. Its natural sweetness paired beautifully with the at. It was a perfect union—each ingredient enhancing the other. It had to be specially selected rice, no doubt. The compatibility was flawless.
“So this… this be the legendary pairing of at and rice. I feel as though I understand it now. And to attempt recreating this in furikake form… quite the bold endeavor indeed. But they went and made it into a product. They must truly believe in it…”
“…Yeah, I guess…”
Hikaru couldn’t help but worry that Inari’s expectations were getting a little too high—after all, she didn’t want the makers to suffer backlash if it didn’t live up to this mont. Still, it felt wrong to rain on her parade. Calling it “just yakiniku-style” furikake would only dull the sparkle in Inari’s eyes, and she had no intention of doing that. Instead, she reached for the tongs to grill the next piece of at—only for Inari to gently grab them first.
“Let grill the next one. ‘Tis only fair we take turns, after all.”
“Eh? I’m fine doing it—I’m definitely better at it.”
“Even so—”
“It’s fine.”
Hikaru plucked the tongs back from Inari, but Inari sensed a subtle growl of territorial warning in that move. It wasn’t that Hikaru didn’t trust her—but rather, watching her happily grilling the at made it clear: this was part of the fun for her. Realizing this, Inari smiled gently, deciding not to interfere.
“What a charming creature she is. Still… I do understand. The sizzle of at on the grill is indeed a joyful sound.”
In truth, it wasn’t just about the sound. Hikaru was a textbook “yakiniku master”, the kind who insisted on grilling all the at herself. But Inari had no way of knowing that. Hikaru was enjoying herself, and Inari enjoyed watching her do so. It was a situation where both parties were perfectly content.
Seeing Inari smiling so warmly, Hikaru seed to have a change of heart and held the tongs out toward her.
“Uh… wanna take a turn for the next one?”
“Fufufu. Nay, fret not. Simply watching thee grill brings joy, after all.”
“R-Really?”
Being told that made Hikaru light up with happiness—she clearly did want to be the one grilling. And seeing her that way made Inari happy in turn. It was a mont of mutual fulfillnt. As Hikaru grilled the next batch of at, they ate together in bliss, enjoying every second of this delicious, heartwarming ti.
…
“Haah… that was truly a fine al.”
“Yeah. Totally satisfied…”
With dessert—fresh fruit—capping off the al, both were left completely content. Since the place accepted paynts via Awakener Cards, they were able to split the bill neatly—though it was actually Hikaru who insisted on splitting it after Inari had offered to cover everything.
And thus ended their yakiniku outing for the day.
…By the way, when Inari got ho and tried her rice with yakiniku-flavored furikake, her verdict was:
“Aye. 'Tis delicious.”
And with that, the developnt team at Wado Foods finally had their efforts rewarded.
Everyone was happy. And that was the end result of it all.
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