CHAPTER 32: BABE, ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, HOW WOULD YOU RATE THIS EXPERIENCE? ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡

The driver, a quiet middle-aged man who hadn’t uttered a word all trip, got out and opened the trunk. Rika jumped down from the car’s front seat, practically vibrating with energy... She peered into the trunk with a look of pure excitement, like a child who was waiting for her Christmas present...

"Told you," she exclaimed, pulling out two sleek black cases. Fishing rods. Check. Bait bucket. Check. The cooler with the snacks and drinks," she explained, glancing in Yuto’s direction with a challenging look...

Yuto’s eyes popped open. "Cooler?" he murmured, his voice suddenly wide awake. He was out of the car in an instant, running past Rika to peer over her shoulder. "Wait, where’s the food? The promise of breakfast? I’m really hungry."

"Patience, panda," Rika exclaimed, lightly pushing him back. "First, we fish. Then, we eat. The promise was that there would be food involved, not that you could eat it immediately."

Himari stepped out, stretching her arms widely above her head with a long, satisfying sigh... She looked around at the towering trees and the water reflecting the afternoon sunlight. "It’s actually nice out here," she admitted, a small smile on her face...

Leo and Sarah got out last, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air... The path ended at a small, rocky clearing that opened up to the lake’s edge. The water was so clear that you could see the rocks on the bottom. It wasn’t a huge lake, but it was big enough to feel like a real escape...

"Babe, look, it’s so beautiful," Sarah said, wrapping her arm around Leo’s waist and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"You guys are lame, what’s there to love about nature?" Yuto grumbled, his eyes still fixed on the cooler...

Rika then began to hand out the fishing gear. The rods were lightweight and looked expensive. She gave one to Himari, who took it and held it with a sense of familiarity that surprised Leo...

She then tossed one to Yuto, who fumbled but managed to catch it. He held it like a contagious weapon, though his eyes were still glued to the cooler...

"Wait, do you guys even know how to do this?" Rika asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Because I’m a pro, obviously. I’ll give you some pointers if you need them. Sarah? Leo? You two are dating, so you’re on the same team."

It was their plan from the start. "Alright," Leo responded, nodding as he took his rod and examined it. He hadn’t held one since he was a kid, fishing with his dad on the local pond. The memories were distant but at the same time pleasant...

"Good. Now, remember the rules," Rika announced, walking to the water’s edge and pointing a finger at the lake. "We’re fishing for the smallest fish." She swallowed... "This is about skill. Anyone can catch a big fish, but it takes precision and finesse to catch a tiny one... Remember." She puffed her cheeks in admiration...

"It’s okay, Rika, we’ve heard you," Himari mumbled, already unwrapping her bait.

Yuto just stared at his rod, then back at the cooler. "First time fishing in my life," he said with a sigh. "I’m starving. If I get a fish, can I eat it? Even if it’s the size of my pinky finger?"

Rika just smirked and started setting up her own rod...

Leo and Sarah found a comfortable spot a little ways down the bank. The sunlight was warm on their skin, and the air there was way cooler than the rest of the landscape...

Leo took out the bait, a handful of live worms that were wriggling in the container.

"Babe, you want me to do it?" Sarah asked, seeing the look of mild disgust on his face...

"No, I got it," he said, taking a deep breath and grabbing a worm. The memories of his childhood fishing trips with his dad came rushing back again. He then threaded the hook through the worm, trying not to think about it too much...

They cast their lines into the water, and the wait began...

Rika was already in her zone, casting her line with a flick of her wrist and watching it intently. Himari was just as focused, her brow furrowed in concentration. Yuto, on the other hand, had cast his line and was now sitting on a rock, his rod propped up by his foot, looking longingly at the cooler...

The afternoon moved on peacefully. There were no bites. The fish, apparently, weren’t interested in their competition. Yuto eventually gave up and started skipping rocks across the water. Himari was the first to get a fish to bite her rod, but it was a big one that snapped her line. Rika got a few nibbles but nothing she could land...

"This is not how I pictured this," Yuto complained, skipping another rock. "I thought we’d be reeling them in by now."

"It’s fishing, not a fast-food drive-thru," Himari muttered, recasting her line with a sense of purpose. "You have to be patient."

Just then, Yuto’s rod, which had been sitting on the rock motionless, began to shake. He shot up from his spot by the cooler, his eyes wide. The line was taut, bending the rod into a deep curve...

"Rika! I got one!" Yuto yelled, calling her over.

Yuto grabbed the rod and started to reel, a look of pure panic on his face. "It’s huge! I can’t... I can’t get it!"

He was right. Whatever was on the other end was putting up an incredible fight, dragging his line sideways with an almost irresistible force. Rika, Himari, Leo, and Sarah all ran over to help...

"Don’t pull! Let it run a little!" Rika instructed, trying to grab the rod.

"No, I need help!" Yuto screamed, struggling to hold on. "I’m gonna lose it!"

They all piled in, hands on the rod, a mixed-up mess of people pulling, pushing, and yelling advice that, most of the time, they wouldn’t use. The scene was chaotic, a perfect reflection of their group dynamic. Finally, with a combined effort, they pulled whatever was on the line out of the water...

It wasn’t a fish.

Attached to the end of the line was an old, musty shoe. It was muddy and covered in algae, and it was so heavy it had exhausted all five of them. For a moment, everyone stared at the shoe in stunned silence...

Then, Rika started to laugh. It was a loud laugh that echoed all over the lake. Soon, everyone else joined in, and a series of uncontrolled laughter ensued. Yuto, leaning over, gasped for breath between his chuckles...

"I... I caught a shoe!" he managed to say. "A shoe! I thought it was going to be a fish!"

"It’s okay, Yuto!" Himari said, wiping a tear from her eye while she laughed.

"Rika, I have tried," Yuto declared, holding the shoe up with a sense of defeat. "Can we eat now?"

She nodded in agreement...

They all spent the next hour just enjoying the moment. They didn’t catch any more fish. They just sat by the fire they had built. The sun lowered behind the trees, and the sky colors turned to a mix of red and orange...

They ate the small dinner Rika had prepared, a simple meal of sandwiches and chips from the cooler. It wasn’t the grilled fish Yuto had hoped for, but it didn’t matter. They were laughing and talking. Himari even shared a few jokes with Yuto, and he finally seemed at peace after his belly was full...

It was a wholesome moment for everyone...

Leo felt Sarah lean her head on his shoulders. He put an arm around her, pulling her close. The fire crackled, and the group’s voices drifted through the landscape.

"Babe, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this experience?" she murmured, with a soft tone...

Leo smiled, looking out at the water. "A 7.5."

He thought back to the morning...the not sleeping enough while waiting at the bus stop, the unexpected sleepover, the impromptu fishing trip. It had all been so random, so unplanned. But in a strange way, it felt... nice.

"7.5, huh? Babe, knowing you, that’s actually pretty good," Sarah said, a small smile on her face. Deep down, she was just glad she got to experience and spend more time with him...

Leo hummed, looking around at the others. They were people he’d only known for a day...except for Rika...but somehow, he already felt connected to them...

He gave Sarah’s hand a gentle squeeze and watched the firelight burn out.

Then Rika spoke up. "It’s getting late. Let’s pack up and head back to the hotel."