Title: Teach Me
Author: Blemery1, aka Mrpointyhorns
Rating: G
Pairing(s): Akinshipping? Sugoroku + Ryota (Not really yaoi, maybe pre-yaoi?)
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Yugioh
Spoilers: none
Summary: Sugoroku teaches Ryota what he should know about fishing.
A vacation was good for an old man like he was. It was nice of Yugi
and the Pharaoh to take over the game shop while he was away. He knew
it could be safe in their hands. Instead of going out of the country
as he usually did, Sugoroku went up to one of the many gardens in
Japan. The boosted fine dinning, relaxation, and hot springs, the
entire experience was good for old bones like he.
At the gardens he stayed in a cabin that was made to look like an old
clay hut. It had an old wood burning stove, one bed room in the back
and a kitchen/living room that made up the rest of the home. It was
simple, and Sugoroku enjoyed it.
Every morning he would walk down to the stream to get his water for
the day, there was no plumbing out here, and so he had to get water
from the stream and hall it up to his cabin. He put most in his ice
chest and the rest in the shower tank.
After a hardy breakfast he would take his time walking down the stream
in order to find the best fishing hole. One day he walked further up
stream then he had in the past. He walked until he could walk no more.
He ran into a small cliff face, that caused the stream to crash down
from above is head. Sugoroku knew that this would be his fishing
grounds for a while, some of the best tasting fresh water fish came
from the bubbles that waterfalls created. This was just the right kind
of place to catch some good fish.
He set up his pole every morning and would rest by the rivers edge,
feeling the soft spray of the water as it splashed against rocks.
Sometimes he would nodded off, and always he would catch something,
generally before noon. Then he would pick up his catch, and his pole
and head back to his cabin.
He would clean and cut the fish so that it would be ready for supper,
and sometimes if it was big enough for breakfast. Then he would put it
in the icebox until later that evening.
He spent his afternoons in and around the hot springs, mingling with
other vacationers and relaxing his tired body in the healing waters.
One particular day, Sugoroku ran into a fishing enthusiast sitting in
his usual spot. He was swearing up a storm, and was obviously
frustrated by his lack of fish. Sugoroku cleared his throat.
"What do you want, old man?" the young man asked.
"I see you're having some troubles, could I help you?" Sugoroku suggested.
"What do you know about fishing that I don't already? My father and
his father were both great fishermen and so am I," the man continued
to be hostile.
"Maybe you know about fishing, but I know about the place where you
are fishing. I have been using that very spot to catch fish for
several days now," Sugoroku explained.
The young man stepped back looking at the older man critically. "You
can catch anything good here. I've tried. You can have your spot back,
you would catch anything." The young man packed up his things and
walked away.
Sugoroku was not discouraged, that day he caught more fish then he had
before, more then he needed. So he went into the nearby town to sell
off some of his catch to anyone interested. He soon ran into the man
that he had seen by the waterfall. He had caught a few fish of his
own, it seemed, but when he saw Sugoroku's catch he dropped them.
"You caught those by the waterfall?"
"I did. Fishing does not take skill, or hard work. It just takes
patience and appreciation," Sugoroku explained.
The young man dropped to his knees in front of the old man. "Please
sir, take me as your disciple. Let me learn what you know. I fish in
honor of my father."
"Very well." Sugoroku was a better man then most. He did not hold the
young man's previous words against him. He did not turn the young
student away from him instead he took him in.
"Thank you, sir."
"I am, Sugoroku," he introduced.
"And I am Kajiki Ryota."
For the rest of Sugoroku's vacation, Ryota stood by his teacher. He
learned to take care of his duties and self first. Then he learned to
be patience and to watch the river. He learned that fishing in the sea
where fish was numerous was easy compared to fish of the river. He
also learned never to take too many fish, other animals depend heavily
on fish in order to live, it was a very delicate ordered balance that should be left alone.
"Ryota," Sugoroku poked the young man a wake one morning. The young
man slept on his couch every day. "Get up."
"Is there more training, sir?"
"No. It's time for me to go. My time here is over," Sugoroku explained.
"What you're going?" Ryota eyes began to melt with threatening tears.
"But I have not learned everything I need to know."
"I am teaching you one more thing before I go. That is, how to let go,
and how you need to learn to live your own life. Being a great
fisherman, or duelist, is a fine goal, but there is more to life then
all of that. Please be happy in the rest of your journey."
"Oh Sugoroku don't go." Ryota was on his knees again. "I can't bare to
lose you like I lost my father."
"What? No you fool, I'm not dieing." Sugoroku smiled crookedly. "It's
just my vacation is over. I have to return back to my life, and so
should you. I'm sure our paths will cross again."
"Vacation?" Ryota looked dumbstruck by the idea. "Wait so you don't
catch fish as a way of life."
"That would be a nice life, but it would get rather lonely. I'd miss
my grandson, Yugi."
Ryota's jaw dropped. He had no idea that this man was related to Yugi,
but he also knew that he could not be related to any other Yugi. Now
that he mentioned it, Ryota could see the resemblance.
"Come on get up, I have to be checked out by noon," Sugoroku ordered.
Ryota did as he was told. He helped Sugoroku clean up the cabin and
repack in order to leave. He even helped Sugoroku back to the train
station. "Sugoroku, I was thinking. I still have much to learn from
you, and not just about fishing, but about how to live life. Let me
come back with you."
Sugoroku's nose scrunched up it was going to be a tight fit with Yugi
and the Pharaoh now separated, they each had his own room, there was
no extra space for a guest. "You can stay on the couch."
The young man's face lit up and he bought a train ticket of his own.
"Of course, sir."