After the tea came a plate piled high with meat. The various artfully arranged, thinly sliced cuts looked expensive and delicious. Marbled, even. It almost looked good enough to eat raw, though that would have likely drawn some complaints. The wire mesh grill seemed to have heated up enough, and the girl excitedly put on her first slice of meat. The pleasant sizzle and aroma socked me straight in the stomach. I was, after all, still a growing boy, and ˆ‹‰Š–‹‰Š—‰‡”™ƒ•ǯ–ƒ™‹‹‰„ƒ––Ž‡Ǥ…Š‘•‡ƒ…—–‘ˆ‡ƒ–ƒ†’Žƒ…‡†‹– on the grill next to hers. The high-quality beef cooked quickly above the hot coals. Dz–ƒ†ƒ‹ƒ•—Ǩdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡ‘ˆˆ‡”‹‰ƒ“—‹…™‘”†‘ˆ–Šƒ•–‘™Š‘‡˜‡” was listening. She retrieved her meat with her chopsticks and ate it with a Dz—Ǩdz Dz–ƒ†ƒ‹ƒ•—Ǥdzƒ–‡‹‡ƒ†”‡ƒ”‡†ǡDzƒ›ǡ‹–ǯ•’”‡––›‰‘‘†Ǥdz DzŠƒ–ǫdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǤDzŠƒ–ǯ•ƒŽŽ›‘—””‡ƒ…–‹‘‹•ǫ–ǯ•ˆ”‡ƒ‹‰†‡Ž‹…‹‘—•ǡ ”‹‰Š–ǫ”ƒŒ—•–ƒ‹‰‘”‡‘—–‘ˆ–Š‹•„‡…ƒ—•‡ǯ†›‹‰•‘‘ǫdz ‘ǡ‹–”‡ƒŽŽ›™ƒ•†‡Ž‹…‹‘—•ǤŒ—•–™ƒ•ǯ–ƒ•‡›‡†—’ƒ„‘—–‹–ƒ••Š‡ was. •™‡‡’–‡ƒ–‹‰ǡ•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡDzŠ‹•‹••‘good. This must be how rich ’‡‘’Ž‡‡ƒ–ƒŽŽ–Š‡–‹‡Ǥdz Dz†‘ǯ––Š‹”‹…Š’‡‘’Ž‡‰‘–‘ƒŽŽ-you-can-‡ƒ–’Žƒ…‡•Ǥdz DzŠƒ–ǯ•–‘‘„ƒ†ˆ‘”–Š‡ǤŠ‡›…‘—Ž†„‡‡ƒ–‹‰ƒŽŽ–Š‹•–ƒ•–›‡ƒ–ƒŽŽ –Š‡›™ƒ–Ǥdz Dz˜‡”›–Š‹‰ǯ•ƒŽŽ-you-can-‡ƒ––‘ƒ”‹…Š’‡”•‘ǡdz•ƒ‹†Ǥ I Šƒ†ǯ––Š‘—‰Š–™ƒ•‡•’‡…‹ƒŽŽ›Š—‰”›ǡ„—–•‘‘‘—”’Žƒ–‡ˆ‘”–™‘ was empty. She picked up the menu from the edge of the table and looked it over. Š‡ƒ•‡†ǡDz”‡›‘—ƒŽŽ”‹‰Š–™‹–Š™Šƒ–‡˜‡”ǫdz DzǯŽŽŽ‡ƒ˜‡‹––‘›‘—ǡdz•ƒ‹†Ǥ ǯŽŽŽ‡ƒ˜‡‹––‘›‘—Ǥ That phrase suited me well. Without a word, she raised her hand, and the waiter appeared fast ‡‘—‰Š–‘ƒ‡‡•—•’‡…–Š‡ǯ†„‡‡™ƒ–…Š‹‰—•Ǥ•Š”ƒ„ƒ…ƒŽ‹––Ž‡ǡ feeling put off by his excessive devotion to his job. My classmate glanced at me over the menu as she rattled off her order. Dz‡‡†–”‹’‡ǡ„ƒ„›„ƒ‰ǡ”‹ˆŽ‡ǡ„‡‡ǯ•‡•–ǡ”ƒ‹…‘ƒ–ǡŠ‡ƒ”–ǡ‡…–‹‡ǡŠ‡ƒ”– •–‡ǡƒ‹”„ƒ‰•ǡ„‘‘–”‹’‡ǡƒ†•™‡‡–„”‡ƒ†Ǥdz