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"P-please let go..."
Miss Angel's face was crimson red. Her cute lotus-seed-like toes curled shyly as she looked at him with pleading embarrassment, making people want to bully her even more.
Fortunately, Blake's willpower was strong enough. After taking a deep breath, he reluctantly released Miss Angel's delicate foot.
If he actually crossed the line, she'd definitely punish him so hard he'd never recover. Literally.
"Phew..."
Mahiru finally relaxed. She quickly pulled back her right leg and hugged her knees, glaring at him with watery eyes.
"Mr. Blake, turn around!"
"Is there really a need for that..."
"Hm?"
"...Fine, fine. I'll turn around."
While grumbling, Blake turned his back to her, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward his right hand.
The delicate, silky feeling of the girl's foot still lingered in his palm, making him oddly reluctant to forget it. He even wanted to hold it again and carefully play with it...
"Oh crap." Blake suddenly got startled by his own thoughts. "Am I actually some kind of foot fetishist?"
"No way."
"Absolutely impossible!"
"I'm a perfectly normal guy. Why would I be interested in a girl's feet?!"
"..."
A short while later, Miss Angel's shy voice finally sounded behind him.
"Mr. Blake, I've put my stocking back on."
Blake turned around upon hearing that. Looking at Miss Angel already standing up from the reef, he tactfully chose not to bring up what had happened earlier.
"So, do you still want to keep collecting shells?"
"No." Mahiru shook her head immediately. "We've already collected plenty today."
The shells were beautiful and definitely worth collecting, but after the earlier accident, Mahiru was still a little shaken. She didn't really want to continue anymore.
"Then how about we go fishing?" Blake suggested.
"Okay."
Mahiru nodded gently in agreement.
"I'll go grab our shoes first."
Blake turned and walked off, retrieving the two pairs of shoes from another reef. After putting them on, the two headed toward the small shop nearby.
"Fishing rods, bait, and everything else can be rented here. The buckets are free as long as we return them afterward..."
Back in middle school, Blake had often gone seawall fishing with his dad, so he was already very familiar with the rental process. While borrowing the gear, he casually explained everything to Mahiru.
"Different fish like different bait, so before fishing, you first decide what kind of fish you're targeting and then choose the proper bait..."
"I'll remember that."
Mahiru listened attentively, lips lightly pursed.
Blake continued.
"Today's target is horse mackerel. First, there are tons of them. Once we get to the seawall, you'll see entire schools swimming around. Second, they're easy to catch, so even beginners won't go home empty-handed."
"I know that fish." Mahiru's eyes brightened. "I've had horse mackerel sushi before."
Horse mackerel were warm-water schooling fish mainly found around the coasts of China and Japan. Their size varied greatly, with larger ones weighing around half a kilo. Their delicious flavor made them extremely popular, and in Japan they were commonly served as sushi, grilled over charcoal, or as sashimi.
"They're definitely great as sushi." Blake nodded. "Let's do our best today and catch a bunch so we can make sushi tonight."
Mahiru clenched her fists and made a tiny cheering gesture.
"Good luck, Mr. Blake!"
Blake replied flatly, "Shouldn't I be the one cheering for you?"
"Huh?"
"Haven't you heard of the beginner's luck protection period in fishing?"
"..."
A short while later, Blake walked out of the shop carrying two sets of fishing gear alongside Miss Angel.
"Horse mackerel are easy to catch. We'll just use shrimp-skin sabiki hooks with a bait cage. It's not hard to operate. I'll explain the details once we reach the seawall... Let's go."
"Mr. Blake really knows a lot." Mahiru looked up at him and praised softly.
"I'm only a beginner myself." Blake waved dismissively. "I'm still far from being a real fishing expert."
"Being overly modest is just another form of arrogance."
"Come on, I'm not modest at all."
"..."
The two chatted casually as they walked, soon arriving at the long seawall where plenty of fishermen were already casting their lines.
"Everyone really is wearing straw hats..."
Mahiru held down the straw hat on her head with one hand while curiously observing the other anglers.
"The sun by the sea is brutal." Blake casually explained. "Fishing sessions can last several hours. Without a straw hat blocking the sunlight, you'll genuinely get sunburned."
In some movie, the two male leads had messy instant-noodle hairstyles from who-knows-what ethnicity and fished shirtless out at sea, but that kind of thing simply didn't exist in reality.
Anyone who frequently fished at sea knew just how vicious the sunlight could be. If you dared go shirtless, you'd peel like crazy after half a day.
Blake led Miss Angel to a quiet corner with no one nearby before unfolding a pair of small plastic stools.
"Miss Mahiru, you can sit now."
"Okay."
Mahiru carefully lowered herself onto the stool while holding down her skirt with one hand.
"Preparations are complete. Now we can officially start fishing..."
Blake picked up a rod and began teaching Mahiru the basics.
As expected from the talented Angel, Mahiru learned extremely quickly and soon memorized every step.
Splash.
The shrimp-skin hook rig dropped into the water.
"So now we just move the rod up and down?" Mahiru tilted her head, eyes filled with curiosity.
"Exactly." Blake sat steadily like a seasoned fisherman. "Just jig the rod gently, watch the float, and wait for the horse mackerel to bite."
Before either of them could catch anything, a nearby fisherman suddenly walked past carrying a huge fish, his face full of excitement.
"He's so dark..." After the man walked away, Mahiru leaned closer and whispered curiously, "But he doesn't look African either. It's strange."
"Because he isn't." Blake whispered back. "That uncle is super dark because he fishes all the time and basically got roasted black by the sun."
"Ehhh?" Mahiru covered her lips in shock. "That's way too exaggerated!"
"Never underestimate a fisherman's determination."
A true fishing addict could quit smoking, quit drinking, stop gambling, abandon video games, but never give up fishing. Wind and rain, freezing winter or scorching summer, even random debris floating in the water couldn't stop the burning passion in their hearts.
Mahiru widened her beautiful eyes in surprise, wearing a subtle expression that practically said, I don't understand at all, but somehow it sounds impressive. Just as she was about to speak, the fishing rod in her hand suddenly jerked downward.
"M .. Mr. Blake?"
"You've got a bite." Blake immediately responded. "Stay calm. Don't panic."
Under Blake's guidance, Miss Angel clumsily began reeling the fish in. Since she was a beginner, her wobbly little movements made her look just like a baby penguin, unbearably adorable.
"Be careful."
Blake hadn't planned on helping, but Mahiru Shiina was still a complete beginner. In her panic, she nearly lost her footing.
With no other choice, he stepped forward and steadied the fishing rod from behind her.
"Mm…"
The moment she realized she was practically wrapped in Blake's arms, Mahiru's body trembled slightly. A blush spread across her pretty face at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"F-focus on the fish…"
Taking a deep breath, Mahiru forcibly suppressed her embarrassment and continued carefully reeling the fish in.
Hard work paid off.
Not long after, a fairly large horse mackerel finally broke through the ocean's surface.
"I got one!"
Watching the lively fish flop around in the sunlight, Mahiru's eyes sparkled brightly. In that instant, she suddenly understood why there were so many fishing fanatics along the seawall.
The reason was simple.
The moment you successfully hooked a fish felt unbelievably satisfying. It was like your entire body got flooded with joy, and every worry in the world vanished.
The rest of the afternoon became the Angel's personal showcase.
The so-called "beginner's luck" truly lived up to its reputation. Blake only managed to catch two tiny horse mackerel, while Mahiru reeled in seven or eight of them, and almost all were huge. By the end of the afternoon, the two of them had quite the haul.
Before they knew it, evening had arrived.
The waves along the shore were gradually growing rougher.
Water crashed against the seawall, spraying countless flecks of white foam into the air.
"We should probably head back now, we—"
Blake turned toward the Angel beside him, but before he could finish speaking, the entire world abruptly froze.
Time Stop.
Activated.
"....."