Chapter 21 Greetings from Mitarai: Digital Lock Chapter 8

【Greetings from Mitarai: Digital Lock】 The streets of Ginza are full of jingle bells singing, which is so loud that people's ears hurt. The atmosphere of Christmas Eve really refuses to leave Ginza for a moment. I didn't drink tea in Ginza a few times in total - of course it's nothing to be proud of.Even if I go, I go to cheap stores, and I don't even know the doors of high-end restaurants. I don't think Mitarai is a rich man, it's hard to imagine that he has knowledge in this area.My uneasiness grew little by little with his pace. "Okay, let's go to the best French restaurant in Ginza. It's MP restaurant. You can eat the same taste and level of food as our restaurant on the Champs-Elysées."

I panicked: "Huh? Do you know that restaurant? It's the kind of place where you have to wear a tie to get in, right?" Mitarai didn't care: "It's unnecessary to strangle your neck when you go to eat." Miyata Makoto's expression was also very disturbed.I chanted alone: ​​"Oh! If only I had a tie." MP is on the basement floor of the commercial building, and we take the elegant Art Nouveau-style metal-decorated elevator down. There is a wine rack decorated in the same style at the entrance, and the waiters in formal attire immediately greet us with a smile when they see us.The thick carpet would sink even your shoes.According to the waiter, Mitarai had already made an appointment, and he came here specially to greet her.

There is a luxurious crystal chandelier that I have never seen before in the shop. The walls are obviously covered with high-grade wood, and the surface is also carved with fine Art Nouveau patterns.The wood surface is very carefully sanded, and although reflective, the color is soft.There are also oval or rectangular cutouts here and there on the walls, inlaid with mirrors or paintings. The thick red velvet carpet stretched out on the ground, and a few dining tables covered with white tablecloths were scattered everywhere, and there were some blond-haired guests sitting on the tables in twos and threes.Waiters in white ties lead us around the tables.I feel the carpet under my feet sticking tighter and tighter...

"I want to sit over there." The restaurant is a duplex structure, and Mitarai asked the waiter for a seat on a luxurious spiral staircase. I went up the stairs in a daze, and the chairs were immediately pulled away to wait for us to be seated.I bent down like a dream, and my butt was actually stuck to the chair. There is a small table lamp with a lampshade on the white dining table. Exquisite plates, knives and forks engraved with the name of the store have been placed on the table, and luxurious long-stemmed wine glasses are standing beside them.It was like a dream, I unfolded the blank paper in front of me in a trance.

It was a long time before I realized that the white paper was actually a menu.But the menu was similar to an English newspaper, with English letters everywhere.All I could read were numbers that looked like prices, but I couldn't understand the meaning at all.Besides, the menu is not written in English--it's useless to read it anyway, and I don't know the names of any French dishes. I was completely bewildered and at a loss for what to do.I was very aware of my embarrassing situation. The waiter beside me maintained a perfect posture and bowed politely, but seemed to be coldly waiting for the moment when I would make a fool of myself.If things go on like this, I'm afraid I'll have to do even more unbelievable behaviors, such as drinking all the water in the vase, wiping my face with the tablecloth on the small plate, and performing a piece or two of Awa dance like a sleepwalking patient... I like The drowning person looked at Mitarai as if expecting a life-saving straw.Seriously, why should I be so embarrassed when we have to spend a lot of money on food?It's unreasonable.

However, Mitarai is very calm, probably he is used to acting strangely, but at this time he is extraordinarily calm.Then he said, "Eating turkey for Christmas is too boring, isn't it, Miyata-kun?" It can be seen that Miyata-kun is also very nervous and cannot relax at all. "But since we're here, we need turkey. Can you use Bordeaux red wine and beef tendon broth as ingredients for your turkey?" "Turkey? Yes, it must meet your requirements." "That's what I'm going to do. It's definitely a match. Besides, since we're here to eat French cuisine, we can't skip the foie gras, right Miyata-kun? We want foie gras pate."

"understood." "What are you going to do, Ishioka-kun?" "I, I can do the same." I nodded desperately. "Then let's have three servings as usual. In addition, um... the old-fashioned snails are the starter. Snails are also one of the unique flavors of French cuisine. Ishioka-kun, you..." "I can do the same!" "That's three servings. I'd like another scallop salad...well, and then I'd like three servings of orange-flavored grape soufflé and three servings of coffee. That's about it." "What kind of wine do you want?"

"I want Cabernet Sauvignon, 1966 is the best." "Understood." Just like that, the waiter took the menus in front of the three of us and left without incident.As if my death sentence had been reprieved, I was greatly relieved.It's clearly winter, but I'm sweating all over my body.After being nervous for a long time, I finally felt relieved. I couldn’t even utter a word. It took about five minutes for me to calm down, and finally I was able to speak: "You are really confusing. When did you write down these inexplicable things? The name of the French dish? I sound like a mantra, almost like a curse, what is it, what kind of rice bowl cake?"

"It's foiegras and font deveau. I'm familiar with French cuisine. I've written papers on human food before." This guy has a lot going on. "Foiegras is the liver of fortified goose, which means 'fat liver' in French. It is one of the world's three great delicacies, and it is very famous in the gourmet world." "Three great delicacies in the world?" "Well, the world's three major delicacies, foie gras, black mold and caviar." "Oh, I've heard of caviar." "Is that right? Caviar is actually the eggs of sturgeon. After washing, it is marinated with 8-10% salt and cooked. It is usually black. The quality produced in the Black Sea is the best."

"What about the black mold?" “It’s a type of mushroom that can be found in the forests of places like Buna and Nara. Western Europe is the main source of it, and beef tendon broth with black mold is also a dish in French cuisine.” "Beef tendon broth?" "It is a soup made of veal, similar to the soup made of tendons and bones in Japanese cuisine. It is the most flavorful in French cuisine. The ingredients are tendons, bones and meat of veal. This French restaurant usually uses salt, Peppers, like sauces, are always on hand.” "Oh." I was really convinced, "I didn't expect you to be a gourmet expert. Usually you eat so-so, but you can't tell!"

"I'm not a gourmet expert, but I'm just interested in one of the fundamental needs of human beings—appetite." Mitarai said enthusiastically, "I have several requirements for myself. One of them is to change I am an expert in food. In fact, I don’t eat animal meat in principle, at most I only eat chicken and turkey. The reason is a long story, let’s talk about it next time.” The red wine was served, and after uncorking the bottle, the waiter slowly poured wine into everyone's glasses.Mitarai raised his glass: "Come on, let's make a toast to Christmas, MerryChristmas!" After he finished speaking softly, Miyata-kun hesitantly brought the wine glass to his lips, and took a little bit of the red liquid in his mouth. "By the way, you are not yet of age. But let's not worry about it today, it's Christmas. The responsibility is on me." Mitarai said kindly. When the food finally started, the table was covered with large and small plates. "Come on, Miyata-kun, you're welcome. Just tell me what else you want to eat." "OK." There was a gleam in the boy's eyes.I have never seen Mitarai so gentle and kind. Christmas Eve, fantastic food.Under the soft light, the music of the violin flows quietly, and the light of the candles softly shines on the knives and forks in our hands.The hustle and bustle outside could not be heard in the store, and I completely forgot that this is a corner of Ginza, as if I were in an authentic restaurant in the French forest. The taste is really amazing.I will probably never forget this meal as long as I live.For Miyata Makoto, it should be a night he will never forget. "How about it, is there any place you want to go?" After dinner, drinking coffee, Mitarai asked the boy again, "Today is Christmas Eve, you are welcome." "I'm pretty full." "It's okay not to eat." The boy thought for a while, and then said something unexpected to me: "I want to visit Tokyo Tower." He said. Mitarai also seemed taken aback.But for some reason, he didn't ask any questions. "Then let's go now. Ishioka-kun, if you wait any longer, Christmas Eve will be over!" That's all he said. Probably no locals in Tokyo would call a taxi to drive towards Tokyo Tower. The taxi driver cast a look of interest, probably thinking that we are either climbing enthusiasts, or Tokyoites who are drunk and confused.Bearing such gazes all the way to Tokyo Tower, it is also filled with Christmas music. Get off the elevator of the first observatory, and the huge glass windows are displayed in front of you.As if sprinkled with glowing gold dust, the night view of Tokyo shimmers with light.The Miyata boy cheered softly, and hurried up to watch. It's not the first time I've seen this view.However, such a night view overlooking the city from above will always touch people's hearts. Makoto Miyata supported his body on the armrest, leaned out his upper body, and put his forehead close to the glass. We followed him and approached the armrest, looking at the sea of ​​lights that reached the end of the horizon. I looked down silently for a while, and Mitarai stood beside me in silence.Miyata boy walked slowly along the handrail, keeping a little distance from us.I said, "No matter how many times I've seen it, the night view of the city is beautiful after all." The first time I saw the night view of Tokyo was from the newly built high-rise buildings in Shinjuku.Come to think of it, I was also very moved back then.It may be the first time for Miyata boy to see such a beautiful scenery tonight, and he must be very shocked now. "This is Tokyo." I didn't tell anyone, I just muttered to myself.When I suddenly looked up at Miyata boy, he was wiping his cheek with his left hand even though his back was facing us. He cried……? !I am stunned, why? "Under such brilliance, how many lonely souls live there." At this time, Mitarai's voice sounded, causing me to turn my head away.Only his side face can be seen, and there is a hint of anger in the depths of his voice: "But there are countless ordinary people with common sense around them, busy with their own survival, how could they consider saving lonely souls like this?" Something beyond common sense!" As soon as he said that, I looked at Miyata boy again. "I have lived in Tokyo for a long time, and I have never been to Tokyo Tower." After Mitarai finished speaking, she seemed to have a centimeter of self-reflection.Then he resumed his usual tone: "I've seen a landscape similar to this before. Do you know what it is?" "This..." I shook my head. Once again I silently gazed at the boundless point of light.Most of the light spots are still, and if you look at them for a long time, you will have the illusion that you are floating in space.There is a serene, musical impression. "What is it? The sea?" I said. "I used to fly over the foot of Mt. Fuji in a plane. Now I remember that it was a sight to see." "Ah, it's the sea of ​​trees!" "That's right. It's really beautiful. A piece of verdant green, like a carpet woven from the finest wool. That kind of beauty is no less beautiful than this scene. You can't see the end of the sea of ​​green trees from the plane. I was Excited." "I thought, what kind of heaven is there under this most advanced carpet? It's actually not like this. It's not such a beautiful environment at all. Once you step in, it's a jungle where the weak can't turn back. The strong can bite and kill Nibbling the weak, the weak can utter a few screams at most-even their wailing can't penetrate the green roof. If my ears are a million times more sensitive than now, I will definitely hear a lot of green trees Let's wail." "It's the same here. There are all kinds of people living in those places where the light shines. Tonight, millions of people are sitting at the table and tasting delicious cakes. However, those places that have no relationship with cakes, There are also poor people who scream in pain. It's just that our ears are too weak to hear their voices." "Below, there are also tigers, wolves and wild dogs, as well as poisonous insects and snakes, and all kinds of bacteria. There are other forces that balance these corrupt things. If this balance is broken a little, various incidents will be triggered. Like us In these bystanders can only see the lost in the jungle, but those who live in it must choose their own path." "Don't be fooled by the beautiful roof. We have no idea how to survive under the green roof of the sea of ​​trees." "yes." "This is the city of endless sea of ​​trees under our feet. The outside is decorated with beautiful light, which is just a disguise. Under the light, the real stakes can only be seen in the living space of a unit of several meters square. How to say myself It doesn’t matter whether it’s you or you, you’re just a member of this world where you can’t even tell whether the other party is a wolf or a lamb.”