Chapter 6: Plat Principal (Main Course)

The man who returned to the kitchen was filled with such joy that he almost wanted to shout out loud.
But he told himself, There are still guests present, and held it firmly in check.
Even so, the muscles in his cheeks loosened, and he couldn’t stop a smile from slipping out.

Now then, at last, it was time for the plat principal.
Renewing his resolve, he took up the dish with high spirits and headed toward the table.

“Here is the plat principal.”

On the plate, three slices of meat were arranged beautifully.
At that moment, the man’s eyes caught Misaki’s face.
A slightly stiffened cheek. He did not miss the confusion that surfaced in her expression.

“Meat sashimi! And is this mold over here? Oh, it’s kind of slimy. This is interesting!”

Yuka cried out innocently. Her eyes were shining, as if she had found some kind of unusual toy.

Misaki stared at the scene in a daze.

The man watched with satisfaction as he lined up the glasses and poured the sake.
“This is a junmai sake named Benten Musume, made using Yamada Nishiki from Tottori Prefecture.
You might think red wine would be the natural choice for meat, but this one doesn’t lose out either.”

“…Um, about this meat…”

This confused expression was wonderful.
She was probably wondering whether it was all right to ask, following the entrée.

But he had to get her to eat it.
To do that, he had to wipe away this unease.

“This is cooked at a low temperature, with heat carried all the way through to the center.
For the first piece, a red-wine-based sauce.
For the one beside it, a sauce made by combining several cheeses, centered on blue cheese.
And for the last, a sauce based on balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, with added thickness.”

“…Even with low-temperature cooking, you’d normally expect the outside to show some color, right?”
Misaki asked, unease in her voice.

“Of course. The outer portions were carefully trimmed away and used for the entrée.
Rest assured, it’s safe to eat.”

At the man’s answer, Misaki nodded vaguely.
She looked as if she understood—and yet, not quite.

“It’s really good!”
Smiling brightly, Yuka leaned forward and spoke to Misaki.

As if prompted, Misaki gently brought a single piece of meat—one that looked like raw meat—to her mouth.

“…Yeah. It’s good.”

There was no lie in those words.
The savory flavor spreading across her tongue, the harmony with the richly aromatic sauce.
But the faint sense of discomfort that came from what she saw had not been completely wiped away.

That was fine, he thought.
For the man, this was exactly the scene he had wanted to see.
Hesitating over whether one should eat it, and yet knowing that once eaten, it was delicious.
Even that conflict—swaying between reason and sensation—was part of the dish itself.

After confirming that Misaki had finished eating, the man quietly cleared the plate.
“I will bring the fromage.”

From behind him, Yuka’s voice burst out: “It was delicious!”
Right after that, Misaki’s reply followed: “The taste was good.”

The man couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from loosening.
—He couldn’t let his guests see him like this.

As a professional, perfect to the very end.

With that vow in his heart, the man headed off to prepare the next dish.