Shoko Komi's Ultimate Challenge

by Ulquiorra9000

Communication 6: let's go fishing

Saturday evening, while Shoko and her brother were watching a funny game show on TV in the living room, Masayoshi quietly appeared, and he made a small wave. He wordlessly asked Shosuke: How'd you like to go fishing with me tomorrow at Agamo Lake, son?

Shosuke shook his head, and his face clearly said: Sorry, Dad, I can't make it this time. I've got a project for school to work on.

Masayoshi made a small nod, clearly disappointed but understanding. He turned to go.

Shoko watched this exchange unfold, and she felt a little bad for her father. Masayoshi didn't go out often, and when he did, he liked to have company, despite being such a quiet fellow. If Shosuke couldn't make it, then...

A-ha! That's it! Shoko stood up and spoke up. "Dad."

Masayoshi turned around to behold his daughter's radiant face. He got the message at once, and nodded a second time with a thumbs-up. Clearly satisfied, Masayoshi went upstairs to his and Shuko's bedroom, radiating silent happiness the whole time.

Shoko sat back down and gave her brother the same excited look, holding her fists under her chin. Shosuke cocked his head in confusion.

"You really wanna go fishing?" he asked.

Shoko nodded eagerly. The challenge was on!

*o*o*o*o*

Shoko had to get up rather early the next morning, earlier than she'd like, but that was OK. Today was fishing day! Shoko eagerly got changed into suitable outdoor clothes, had a quick breakfast in the quiet house, then joined her father at the front door.

Masayoshi arrived right on time, carrying both his and Shosuke's fishing gear. He offered Shosuke's tackle box and fishing rod to Shoko, who accepted them as though they were priceless treasures. In fact, Shoko had never held a fishing rod, and this thing was actually rather long, Shoko realized. She curiously gave it a few swings, testing the weight, and determined that she had no idea what she was doing. Well, her dad would teach her soon enough.

Shoko settled into comfortable silence in the front passenger seat of the family car, the seat her mom normally occupied in during family trips, and watched the scenery go by. How long had it been since Shoko went on a trip with just her dad like this? Actually, probably never! Shoko was used to her brother going on these trips with Masayoshi once or twice a month, but to be here instead... was it weird? Going fishing was normally a father-son thing, right? What would her friends think?

Masayoshi met his daughter's eyes and gave her a twinkle in his eyes. It was fine, he assured her. And he was proud of Shoko for trying something new and keeping him company at the same time.

Shoko brightened at once. Today was going to be a good day!

And a warm one, too.

Whew! Shoko didn't expect it to get so warm this soon in the morning, and she wiped her brow when she stepped out of the car and beheld the natural splendor around her. She could already hear the lapping waves of Agamo Lake, and she eagerly bound into the trees like a bunny, not stopping until she emerged on the other side and saw Agamo Lake sprawled before her.

Incredible! Shoko let out a soft gasp as the sheer scale of this place hit her. She was used to being at home, school, the mall, and friends' houses, but this was something else entirely, with nothing but Mother Nature for miles around in this huge, open space. Shoko suddenly felt absolutely tiny compared to this lake and the forested hills around it, but in a good way. It was properly humbling, and helped put everything back into perspective. Being one with nature was so -

I'll show you the basics, Masayoshi suddenly "said" when he abruptly joined Shoko, holding up his tackle box.

Shoko jumped and nodded, holding a hand to her beating heart. Scary!

Masayoshi showed Shoko how to thread some fishing line through the loop thingies on the fishing rod, and then Shoko, with her father's guidance, tied on a hook and attached some artificial bait to it (it was a rubbery thing that looked like a dark green tadpole). Then Shoko carefully followed Masayoshi's example and practiced casting the line, and she gasped in alarm when the hook whooshed right past her father's nose, with just an inch to spare. Shoko made a frantic and silent apology, and Masayoshi wordlessly accepted it and urged Shoko to keep practicing.

Now feeling more confident, Shoko made a few more practice swings before it was time for the real deal. Shoko and her father stood about eight feet apart right by Agamo Lake's shore, and cast their fishing lines in perfect unison. Shoko liked the little "plop!" noise her lure made when it went into the water, and she admired how the red fishing float sat comfortably on the water's surface. Masayoshi pointed out how it's also called a "bobber," and it could help the hook float around better. And if the bobber suddenly went under the water, that meant Shoko had a bite, and it was time to start reeling!

Shoko didn't know long she stood there on Agamo Lake's shore, but she loved it, closing her eyes as she savored the feeling of a fresh breeze toying with her hair and the sun shining on her. The sound of the lake's water, the rustle of the trees, the calls of local birds, it was so relaxing, like those ASMR videos people watched on YouTube. Shoko felt her hands loosen on the fishing rod, her head bobbing -

What the...! Shoko jumped again and blinked her eyes open, and she panicked and nearly dropped her fishing rod. She gave her father a bewildered look.

You almost fell asleep, Shoko, Masayoshi's amused expression said.

Shoko made an apologetic face. Was she being rude, falling asleep during some quality father-daughter time at the lake?

Don't feel bad, Masayoshi assured her. Fishing is a relaxing sport. I'm glad you're having fun.

Shoko beamed. Of course she was having fun! And this time, she would stay awake and alert, just in case she got a bite. Shoko squared her shoulders and focused intently on her bobber, waiting for a fish to strike.

Nothing was biting, so after a point, Masayoshi reeled in his hook and suggested they try another spot. Shoko happily followed him down the shore, and the Komis took up position at their second spot, casting their lines once again. Shoko got cozy at this new spot, admiring the scenery around her and trying to guess the species of birds she was hearing as the bobber did its thing on the water. Still no bites, but that was no big deal. Shoko was the patient type.

Masayoshi suddenly jerked his fishing rod to the side. He had a bite!

Go, Dad! Shoko silently cheered as Masayoshi suddenly got serious, adjusting his stance, his glasses panes glinting, his jaw tight. He battled that fish for all it was worth, drawing it closer and closer, until he swept his rod high into the air and the fish burst out of the water.

Shoko stared in awe at the green and white fish her father had caught, a scaly beast that must have been at least 25 centimeters long, flapping in the open air with the hook in its mouth. Masayoshi grabbed the line to hold the fish in victory, letting Shoko check it out up close.

Shoko winced as the fish sprayed droplets of water all over her, but she was more curious than anything, eyes wide as she beheld a living fish for the first time in her life outside of an aquarium. So this was nature up close! A fish wasn't just something on the breakfast table, ready to eat. It was a living thing that was hatched, swam around, ate stuff, and grew bigger over the years out here in the endless wilderness. Incredible.

Masayoshi let Shoko check out the fish a bit more, then removed the hook from its mouth and tossed the fish right back into the water. Your brother and I usually do catch-and-release, Masayoshi explained when he glanced at Shoko over his shoulder. Local wildlife conservation rules would allow me to keep four fish of that size, but I have great respect for those fish, so I return them.

Shoko had been wondering if she and her dad would keep and eat the fish they caught, but as Masayoshi explained, he hadn't brought a live-capture bucket of water, so he had to return any fish he caught. Shoko was fine with that; she was content just to relax out here at the lake and admire the cool wildlife. It was like a super-aquarium!

The sun kept rising and Shoko lost track of time, which helped her immerse herself into the calming nature around her. This was perfect: no stressful encounters with strangers, no crowded sidewalks, no homework, no nothing. But still...

Bonus challenge: catch a fish!

Shoko wasn't getting any bites here, so she pointed down the shore to another lovely spot, and she and Masayoshi relocated at once. Shoko cast her line once again, determined more than ever to impress her dad with a catch. Come on, fish, come and bite! Please, oh please!

Masayoshi got another bite after about twenty minutes, and he showed Shoko a different kind of fish this time, a dark blue one with yellow eyes and long fins, before tossing it back into its watery home. Then he caught a third fish, a smaller one with mottled orange, brown, and white spots. Cool!

Shoko, though, never ended up catching her own fish, and she felt a little bad about that by the time the Komis packed things up and prepared to go home. Masayoshi had gotten seven different bites, but Shoko the rookie had nothing.

It's all right, Masayoshi assured her. Perhaps you can come with Shosuke and I next time, and I'll buy you your own gear.

Shoko promised to think about it, and in the meantime, she was keen to stay out here and explore some more nature, even if she didn't catch a fish. Masayoshi looked pleased when Shoko made the suggestion, so they put away the fishing stuff in the car and had fun wandering the light forest, looking for exotic birds and other wildlife. There was still plenty to see and do, and Shoko felt like she had all the time in the world before finally returning to civilization. And most importantly, she mentally checked off today's challenge: to have fun going fishing with her dad. Today was a success, she decided, fish or no fish.