Fishing Masters At Work!

“Okay so now… try to do what I do, okay?” Hana says as she gets up, and indicates for me to follow. I scramble to my feet and pat the dirt off my pants, before turning to look at her. “So you flip and hold this handle like this, flipping the reel open…” She explains as she turns a handle on top of the reel the other way and holds it with her index finger. “You pull back…” She pulls her arms back, “And release when you’re at the apex of the curve! EEP!” A little squeal escapes her, as the line is released, making a light grinding sound.

Okay, that little yelp was kinda cute…

“Mhmm!” I clear my throat and look at my own rod, before looking back at Hana’s. “I flip and hold this handle like this…” I do as she did before me. “Then pull back….” I make sure to grip the rod tight as I do. “Then release at the apex of the curve!” I throw my arms forward, and release the handle from my finger, as the reel starts spinning. “Woohoo!” Finally I pump my fist in the air in celebration.

“Wow, not bad for a newbie!” Hana acknowledges my talent, as she takes a seat on the grass.

“Ha, I shall become a fishing master in no time!” I run my fingers through my hair and strike a triumphant pose.

“Yeah yeah, you can sit down now, showoff!” Hana voices holding back a chuckle. Despite my cocky remarks, I follow her instruction and seat down next to her.

For a few seconds, a silence crosses the both of us, as the only sounds are those of nature. Cicadas, birds and the wind.

“Do you remember that one time…”

Oh come on, don’t put me on the spot like that… My memory is like, really bad.

“…We went to grab some candy without paying for it, and the shopkeeper started chasing us around the shop?” Hana speaks, a gentle, wistful smile on her face.

How do I say I don’t, while she’s making a face like that? Seriously, what’s wrong with me…?

“…And then he slipped on the wet floor he had just mopped and we stood there, laughing!” She finishes the story, while holding back laughter of her own.

This girl remembers everything, while I’m here, having no clue about what she is talking about. She might as well be talking about a different person, for all I know…

A slight feeling of pain rises deep within my chest. But not the kind of normal, physical pain that heals with rest, or medication. It’s a sharp, emotional pain. And it’s only increasing, as those same thoughts and questions swirl around in my mind, endlessly.

“…Then at the end, we ran out of the shop, and as Daichi tried to stop us, we pushed him right into the ocean…” Her seemingly finished recollection, continued, while she spoke of it, still in a little world of her own.

We pushed him in the ocean… the ocean… that endless, blue body of water.

And in that moment, as if the time itself had frozen, but only for a mere second, it came to me. I remembered the story she was telling me. Bits and pieces came together, to form a single memory of the past.

“I… I remember?” I voice it as if it were a question.

“You’re asking me?” Hana was pulled out of her little world, turning to face me.

“No, I do. I remember. It was YOUR idea!” I point an accusing finger at her as she shrugs with a smile.

“Hey, I was really young, I didn’t know what stealing entailed!”

But I remembered it, as clear as day now. We were around 7 or 8. Hana wanted some candy, but none of us had any money. So she proposed that we take the candy, and tell the shopkeeper, who was an acquaintance of her family, to put it on their tab. I agreed to her scheme, as always unfortunately, and we made for the shop. When the shopkeeper refused to listen to a couple of kids with no money, Hana took the candy and we started running around the shop. We knew we would eventually be caught, but since the shopkeeper had slipped, hilariously I might add, I took that chance, grabbed Hana’s hand and ran outside the shop with her. Truth be told, we were both to blame. Of course, we got really chewed out by our parents after that incident, and rightfully so.

“We were real troublemakers, though…” I sigh reflexively as I say that. I don’t remember much of anything else, but I wholeheartedly and for some unknown reason, believe what I said to be true.

Right as Hana is about to reply, I feel the rod in my hands twitch slightly, and notice a small ball connected to my line going underwater.

“Oh shit!” I reflexively say turning to Hana. “What do I do what do I do?!” I repeat frantically.

“Start turning this handle!” She points to the handle connected to the reel as I get to work.

“Come on!” I struggle to turn the handle over and over but I soon feel the force I’m fighting with, weaken. A few seconds later, the part of the line that has been underwater emerges, pulling out a fish with it.

“Alright! Yukio, the fishing master, at work!” I say proudly.

“What do I do what do I do?” Hana repeats what I said in a mocking manner as she pulls the line closer to us, inspecting the fish squirming helplessly on the hook. If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s more on the smaller side. But still, one fish caught is, in fact, one fish caught. I smile at myself and my brilliance as I look at the fish I just caught. It’s got big, round eyes and a weird shaped mouth with some protruding teeth.

“Damn, are you ugly…” I voice, shying away from the fish.

“You’re so cute!!” While Hana seems to finally be recognizing how well-structured my face is.

“Heh, took you long enough to notice…” I smile confidently at her.

“Oh no, I’m talking about the fish…” She narrows her eyes at me in response.

“What?! How does his ugly mug get a compliment while my handsome face doesn’t?!” I start complaining, and who can blame me, really? I mean come on, that ugly-ass fish, “cute”?

“We’re gonna keep him!” She declares.

“Damn right we are! I almost dislocated my shoulder for this bastard! He’s gonna be the base of some mean sush- What the hell are you doing?” As I’m talking, Hana proceeds to fill a small tank with lake water, before deftly removing the hook from the fish’s mouth and tossing him in.

“What should we name him?” Right after securing the fish, she aims a brilliant smile at me, her eyes sparkling with joy.

“Name him?! Toss some fries in the mix and the only name I would give him is Meal Set B!”

“Yukio-chan sounds nice. You look alike too!”

THERE AIN’T NO WAY I LOOK AS UGLY AS THAT, GIRL!

“Take that back, right now!” I point a finger at her, boiling over with pure fury.

But wait, she called it cute... Does that mean, she thinks I’m good-looking too…? But still, being compared to a fish with a mug like that, wouldn’t make anyone happy. Right?

“What? You both have the same dead eyes!” She shrugs, and not too long after, a vein pops up on my temple.

That’s it I’m ready to throw hands! Wanna go, girlie?! Huh?! BRING IT ON!

Right as I visualize a picture-perfect hook, that I would never demonstrate on Hana (remembering her uncle), her rod that she has set up on the ground starts making a familiar grinding sound.

“Woohoo! You’re gonna have some company soon, sweetie!” Hana voiced cheerfully as she grabbed the rod with both hands, and started turning the handle around.

“Ngghh! This is a tough one!” She grits her teeth and plants both feet firmly on the ground. “Woah!” The fish though, does not only persist, but starts pulling with even greater force, as Hana’s feet are dragged steadily towards the water.

“Hana!” Without having the time to process the situation I rush to her aid, gripping her rod tightly as I snake my arms around her body.

WHAT THE HELL?! DID SHE HOOK A GORILLA OR SOMETHING?!

I think to myself as we’re both getting dragged along the ground now, aiming straight for the lake. I swear, whatever that fish is, it’s fishing for humans right now!

Right as our feet are ready to touch the water, the rod makes a sharp noise, as it snaps clean in two. The higher end of it, which was bending pretty unnaturally for an extended period of time, flies straight for the water. And as for us, well… we fly backwards like a set of ragdolls.

“Ow…” Hana mutters.

“Ow indeed…” I repeat in the same manner, as I gaze at the sky hanging above. One moment, I was holding onto that rod for dear life, and the next, all I see is the clear sky ahead. As they say, life is full of surprises.

“Eep!” Hana yelps, and that makes me realize she’s basically lying on top of me. Makes sense, since I was holding that rod… from behind her?! My face suddenly flashes red at what I just did.

Stop it, you stupid virgin brain! It couldn’t be helped, alright?! It all happened so quickly!

“Sorry…” With a face probably even redder than mine she gets up and smooths out her clothes.

At least I shielded her fall…

I think as I get up myself…

“Thanks for um, helping…” She voices somewhat awkwardly, still avoiding eye contact.

She can be really cute when she’s all shy like that…

I think to myself getting lost in her eyes.

Hey!

I look away, as soon as I realize how much I’m staring.

Wait… I think we’ve got bigger issues right now…

“What… even was that?” I ask, in utter disbelief while Hana snaps to her senses and turns to the lake with a gasp.

“…The rod!” She says, picking up what’s left of her fishing rod. “Oh no, how am I gonna tell that to Daichi…?” She says in a desperate tone. And that’s when I reach out a helping hand, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.

“Don’t worry Hana…” I voice gently as she looks up at me expectantly, her eyes full of anticipation. The knight in shining armor would have proposed to take the blame for sure, but instead I “…You’ll find a way.” grin and give her a thumbs up.

“You massive idiot!”

Just as she starts pouting angrily, bubbles emerge from the center of the lake.

“Uh, Hana, what do you say we get out of here, before WE become Meal Set B?”

“Um, Agreed.”

And with that, we quickly gathered our things, our only working rod, and Yukio Jr. (we’re not naming him that) and scampered away with our bikes.

“Phew…” I let out a breath as the wind of the hill caresses my face once again, and look up at the orange-tinted sky ahead.

“It’s gotten really late…” Hana voiced after a content sigh, as we rode our bikes down the hill. Naturally, the descent is the most rewarding part of climbing a hill on a bike.

“It’s almost time for work…” I mutter to myself, as a tear threatens to escape.

“And I have to tell Daichi about his rod…” Hana voiced in the exact same tone as me.

“…Haaaah…” After a momentary silence, Hana let out another sigh, and then, a smile spread across her face.

“You know, Yukio?” She turned to me, her eyes glowing in the same color as the sky ahead. “…You’re really cool.” She voiced softly after a small pause.

“Huh?” That was the only thing I could utter in response. With just 4 words, she had rendered me completely speechless. And just like the wind, she was gone, empty space residing at the spot she used to be, mere seconds ago.

“Hehe, got ya! The last one down, has to treat the winner to lunch!” Her cheerful voice resounded from a little ways ahead, as she sped down the hill.

“You little cheater… Come back here!!” I shout after her, and shot down the hill in incredible speed. Time to put my 7 years of bike experience to good use!

“WHAT?! How did you catch up?!” Hana was dumbfounded by the fact that I was soon riding next to her.

“You know, Hana, I could kiss you right now…” I said gently, looking her in the eye.

“K-K-Kiss me?!!” She repeated, her face going tomato-red in a split second.

“See yaaaa!!! Never underestimate a Tokyo kid and his bicycle experience!” I shout back at her, waving my hand, while speeding towards town.

HA, SUCK IT! TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME!

“You cheated!!! You’re a cheater!!! This is not fair!!!” Hana’s cries sounded more and more distant, and I suddenly wish I could see the dumbfounded expression she is wearing right now. I’m not normally this energetic, but this girl just happens to trigger my competitive side.

“Haha…Ha…” A laugh threatens to escape from me. “HAHAHAHA!” Unable to contain it, I start laughing my heart out while I can hear Hana in the distance.

“Stop laughing and come back here…!”

For the first time since I set foot again on this island, I feel like it may not be so bad after all.

And that, was how our little bike trip to the lake, concluded.