Sons of the Fathers 4: Akihiro
We cut to the front of a Kyoto sperm donation clinic around noon where we see Minato, wearing sunglasses, hanging out near the entryway, leaning up against the wall and looking at his phone.
"Come on, fam, where are you?" Minato said as he took out a lollipop from his pocket and started to suck on it.
A few moments later, he saw what looked like the Amamiya Family car driving down the street and parking itself in front of the clinic. Sure enough, it was the Amamiya Family car as Ren, Ann, Kimiko, Morgana, and Kaito hopped out to greet the eldest Amamiya child.
"There you guys are," Minato said, relieved as he hugged his family and sister's boyfriend.
"Sorry we're late, Minato, we just ran into some traffic on the way over here," Ren said, "We hope you weren't waiting long."
"It's alright, I kept myself busy by looking at ClipTube videos and playing games on my phone," Minato said.
"Uh, what's with the sunglasses?" Kimiko asked.
"I, uh, didn't know how dangerous a mission this would be so I thought I'd look the part of a badass," Minato replied, causing his family and Kaito to chuckle a little.
"Minato, we're just looking to see what happened with your father's donation," Ann said, "We're not robbing the place."
"Yeah, I may have overdone my look a little," Minato said as he took off his sunglasses and put them on the collar of his shirt.
"Well, let's go inside," Ren said as he lead the group into the clinic.
Once inside the clinic, the group walked up to an elderly receptionist who was typing information out at the computer. Ren recognized the receptionist as the same woman who was the receptionist when he donated all those years ago.
"I can't believe she still works here," Ren thought to himself when he saw the receptionist.
"Excuse us," Ren said as he, his family, and Kaito approached the counter.
"Good afternoon, sir," the receptionist said, "Are you looking to donate today?"
"No, actually, I'm here to look for some information," Ren explained, "See I came in here about 25, 26 years ago looking to donate some of my essence. I don't know if you remember, but I was a college student around the time I donated. My name is Ren Amamiya."
"Ren Amamiya," the receptionist asked with intrigue, "Oh, of course I remember you."
"Really?" Ren asked, surprised.
"It's not everyday when someone's drunk girlfriend dares her boyfriend to donate some of his essence," the receptionist said looking at Ann, remembering her as well.
"Yeah," Ann said with an embarrassed blush, "Not one of my proudest moments."
"I see you two got married and had yourself a couple of kids and a cat," the receptionist said, noticing Minato, Kaito, Kimiko, and Morgana.
"Actually the cat has been with us for a while," Ren said, "And Kaito over here is our daughter Kimiko's boyfriend."
"How you doin'?" Kaito asked kindly with a wave.
The receptionist waved at the young brunette man before bringing her attention back to Ren.
"Anyway, we came here hoping you had some information as to where my potential child could be," Ren said, "See another friend of ours also donated sperm a few years ago and he was reunited with his 'donation child', and that got me thinking about what kind of person my donation grew up to be. I figured we could meet him and maybe become friends if all goes well."
"That does sound nice," the receptionist said, "Let me take a look."
The receptionist typed out a few things on her computer before coming up with the results she was looking for.
"Here we go," the receptionist said, "It says here your donation went to a Hagiwara Family from the Ine Fishing Village just two hours of here."
"Wait, Hagiwara?" Minato asked, "Like, Kosuke Hagiwara? One of the most famous fishermen in recent times?"
"You know about this guy, Minato?" Ann asked
"Not really," Minato asked, "But there's a fishing club back at Nagoya University and they treat Kousuke Hagiwara like a God. He apparently kicked the bucket over a year ago, and now his son has taken over. I'm willing to bet that that son is the person we're looking for, dad."
"Maybe," Ren said, looking back at the receptionist, "Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome," the receptionist said happily, "You all take care now, and good luck."
"Thank you," Kimiko said as she left with her family and boyfriend.
Once they left the clinic, the group piled into the Amamiya family car and they knew where they had to go next. Ren set a course for the Ine Fishing Village on the car's GPS, and the group went out that way.
After a two hour car trip, the group finally made it to Ine Fishing Village. The group of six disembarked from the vehicle and started to walk around to see if they could find out any more information on the Hagiwara Family and Ren's donation child. They eventually see an old man out for a walk with his dog, and decide to ask him if he knows anything.
"Excuse us," Ren said as they walked up to the old man, "May we have a moment of your time?"
"Outsiders?" the old man said, "How can I help you lot on this fine day?"
"We're looking for the Hagiwara Residence," Minato said, "Do you know where it is?"
"Oh, you're looking for Old Man Kosuke's place?" the old man asked as he pointed at a large house by the water's edge, "It's the big blue house down by the shore over there. But if you're here to look for Kosuke, you're about a year and a half too late. Poor bastard kicked the bucket, leaving his son Akihiro to run the family fishing business. Bless his heart, he's trying his best, not only for the sake of his business but for the sake of his wife and new baby, but he can't hold a candle to old Kosuke. Folks around here are afraid that his business will go under."
The old man turned to look back at the group of six.
"Can I ask why you want to go there?" the old man asked.
"Let's just say we're estranged family members looking to reconnect," Ren said, "Come along, everyone. Thank you for your help, sir."
"Y'all take care now," the old man said as he continued walking his dog.
The group of six walked over to the big blue house by the water's edge, stopping at the front door.
"Go ahead, Ren, do the honors," Ann said as Ren stepped up to the door and knocked on it three times. A few moments later, a man in his mid-20s answered the door. This man has had a well built figure along with long, wavy black hair, green eyes, and five o'clock shadow. This was Akihiro Hagiwara.
"Look, man, I told you we don't want any-" Akihiro said, thinking someone else was at the door, but was instead met with a man that looked almost exactly like him along with his family. Akihiro looked at Ren with intrigue, "What is this?"
"Are you Akihiro Hagiwara?" Ren asked, "Son of Kosuke Hagiwara?"
"That's me," Akihiro said, still gobsmacked at how alike he and Ren are in appearance, "Although, I'm not exactly related to my father by blood. About 26 years ago my mother was inseminated by another man's sperm."
"I'm that other man, Akihiro," Ren said with a smile, causing a surprised look to appear on Akihiro's face, "My name is Ren Amamiya. I'm your father."
"No way!" Akihrio said in amazement, "I…you…me…this can't be real!"
"Believe it, Akihiro," Minato said before putting an arm around Kimiko, "He's your biological father, and that makes me and this young lady here your younger half-siblings."
"I have half-siblings?!" Akihiro said with delight in his voice.
"That's right," Kimiko said, "I'm Kimiko Amamiya, and this is my big brother Minato Amamiya."
"Holy smokes," Akihiro said in disbelief, "But who are these other three?"
"This is my pet cat Morgana Amamiya, my wife Ann Amamiya, and this young man is Kaito Watanabe. He's my daughter Kimiko's boyfriend," Ren said, introducing the remaining three members of the group.
"Aw man, I don't know what to say," Akihirio smiled, "This is all so sudden. I didn't think I'd run into the man who helped give me life and his family. I know this may sound weird considering we just met, but I can I hug you guys?"
"Go ahead you big lug," Kaito smiled, "Bring it in."
The Amamiyas and Kaito brought Akihiro into a group hug which he returned graciously.
"Man, I've been in some dire need of something good in my life," Akihiro said as he was freed from the hug, "Ever since my dad's death things haven't exactly been going my way."
"We've heard," Ren said.
"You guys want to come inside?" Akihiro asked.
"Sure," Ren answered as Akihiro led the group into his abode.
Inside the living room, we see Akihiro's wife and baby. The wife was a beautiful young lady around the same age as him with long blue hair tied up in a ponytail. She was currently seen buttoning her shirt back up after breastfeeding her very happy looking baby, who had Akihiro's black hair and the wife's blue eyes. When her husband and the group of six enter the living room, she looks in their direction.
"Who was at the door, honey?" The wife asked.
"Babe, remember when I told you that Kosuke was technically my father by name and not blood?" Akihiro asked as he stepped aside to introduce the group of six, "Well, meet the kind man and his family who helped give me life."
"Hello miss," Ren greeted, "I'm Ren Amamiya. I'm the one who gave your husband life."
"So pleased to meet you," The wife said as she got up to shake Ren's hand, "Who are these other folks you brought along?"
"I'm his wife, Ann," Ann introduced herself, "These two here are mine and Ren's children, Minato and Kimiko. This young man is Kaito Watanabe, Kimiko's boyfriend. And this is our pet cat, Morgana."
"Hey there, miss," Minato said.
"Hello," the wife smiled, "My name is Rika, I'm Akihiro's wife."
She then goes over and picks up hers and Akihiro's baby so she can introduce the group to him.
"And this is mine and Akihiro's baby," Rika smiled, "Say hi to our new friends, Masaru."
Masaru cooed in a friendly tone as he held his pudgy arm out in an attempt to greet the group before him.
"Aw, he's so adorable," Kimiko smiled.
"I've never seen a more happy looking baby," Ann said.
"That's exactly what the doctors said when Rika gave birth to him," Akihiro said.
"Wait a minute," Ren said, as if realizing something, "Akihiro, if you and I are related by blood, does that mean that Masaru is…"
"Yes, Ren," Akihiro smiled, "Masaru is…your grandson."
"I…I'm a grandad?" Ren asked himself in amazement.
"Mmm-hmm," Akihiro nodded, "You want to hold him?"
"Sure," Ren said, delighted.
Rika handed Masaru to Ren, who took the baby in his arms and smiled down at him warmly.
"This is so cool," Ren said, "Ann, come look at him."
Ann joined her husband in smiling down at the cute baby in his arms, and the baby giggled when he saw Ren and Ann's friendly faces.
"He already likes us," Ann said, happily.
"It's been so long since I held something this small in my arms," Ren said, remembering the days when Minato and Kimiko were babies, "I forgot how rewarding a feeling like this felt. Would you like to hold him, Ann?"
"Like you even have to ask," Ann replied as she held out her arms so Ren could give her Masaru, "Hey little guy. You're a cute one aren't you?"
As Ren and Ann continue doting over their new grandson (technically half-grandson in Ann's case) Minato, Morgana, Kimiko, and Kaito just stood by and watched.
"Dang, I hope mom and dad are this schmaltzy when Mana, Mitsu, and I have kids," Minato said.
"Or us," Kimiko and Kaito chimed in.
After a while, Ann hands Masaru back to Rika who puts the baby back in his playpen so he could play with his toys.
"Why don't you guys come into the kitchen and we can get you guys something to eat, you know, and chat," Akihiro suggested.
"That'd be wonderful," Ren said.
"Baby Masaru shouldn't be left alone," Kimiko said looking at the baby playing with his toys in his playpen, "Can I stay here and watch him?"
"By all means," Rika said, "You seem like a nice girl."
"Our Kimiko is a sweetheart," Ann said, "There's no denying that."
"Come right this way everyone," Akihiro said as he led his wife, Ren, Ann, Morgana, and Minato into the kitchen. Kaito decided to stay behind with Kimiko so he could help her with Masaru.
A few minutes later, the four Amamiyas were still hanging out with Akihiro and Rika as they partook in a charcuterie board while Kimiko and Kaito were still in the living room playing with Masaru. The two Hagiwaras got done listening to Ren and Ann's respective life stories. Morgana was sitting next to the group eating some fatty tuna that Akihiro gave him.
"I thought you looked familiar," Rika said to Ann, "You're one of Japan's top models!"
"And a pretty successful fashion designer too," Ann chimed in, "I could mail you a nice sweater or dress when I get back to Tokyo."
"That'd be wonderful," Rika smiled, "I'm also sorry you and your friends had to deal with abuse from Suguru Kamoshida."
"I remember Kamoshida was my father Kosuke's idol," Akihiro said, "I guess it is true what they say. Never meet your heroes. But from what I hear he's a bit more on the straight and narrow."
"You have the Phantom Thieves to thank for that," Ren said.
"I heard about them," Akihiro said, "They've kind of been missing in action these last couple of years. I hope whoever they are, they're okay."
"Maybe they're just taking a break," Ann said, wanting to hide her and Ren's respective identities as Panther and Joker.
"Maybe," Rika said, "But moving right along, Ren, I can't believe you were accused of a crime you didn't commit. That's gotta suck."
"Yeah, it was no picnic, believe me," Ren said, "But if it weren't for that I wouldn't have met some of the best friends I've ever had, my beautiful wife being one of them."
"You know dad's one hell of a cook," Minato chimed in.
"Oh, is he now?" Akihiro asked with intrigue.
"I'm not one to brag, but I know my way around a stove," Ren said, "Maybe I can cook you two something nice tonight."
"Oh, please, Ren," Rika said, "You're our guest. As long as you and your family are here you shouldn't have to lift a finger."
As they conversed, the sound of Masaru's laughter in the living room caught everyone's attention. They looked and saw Kaito and Kimiko playing peek-a-boo with the baby; the young couple's faces covered by their hands.
"Uh oh, where are we?" Kimiko said in a sing-song tone.
"I don't know?" Kaito said in an equal jovial tone, "And I don't know where Masaru is."
"Peek-a-boo!" Kaito and Kimiko said, causing Masaru to giggle.
"Your daughter and her boyfriend are so great with kids," Akihiro said.
"I'm sure they'll make great parents one day if they stay together," Rika said.
"One thing at a time, Rika," Ann said, "They're not even married yet, and Kimiko only has about two months left of high school before she graduates."
"Just saying," Rika said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"So, Akihiro, what can you tell us about you?" Minato asked, "What was life like having legendary fisherman Kosuke Hagiwara as a father?"
"Well, Minato, my old man had a love for fishing, but a stronger love for his wife," Akihiro said, "He wanted more than anything to fulfill my mother's wish of experiencing parenthood…but he got stung in the downstairs department by a jellyfish, basically killing off any chance he had at conceiving a child with her."
"Ouch!" Minato said as he and Ren put their hands over their crotches.
"That's when my folks went into Kyoto so my mother could get inseminated at the local clinic," Akihiro continued, "Nine months later, boom, I'm here."
Akihiro walked up to a picture on the wall that showed a young Akihiro along with his mother and father. His mother was a beautiful woman with reddish-brown hair and green eyes while his father was a muscular man with gray hair and a matching beard.
"My parents loved me like any parent would love their child," Akihiro said as he touched the photograph, "Unfortunately, a few months after my 12th birthday, my mother went into Kyoto to pay her sister a visit. She wasn't looking where she was going and she got hit by a truck, which killed her on impact."
"Oh, Akihiro," Ren frowned, "We're so sorry for your loss."
"Thanks, Ren," Akihiro said, "My father didn't exactly take the loss well, but he didn't let it stop him from being the town hero that he always was and reeling in as much marine life as possible. If anything, the loss of my mother gave my dad more time on his hands to fish. He even started taking me along so I could learn the family business. I was thrilled, and I looked forward to every trip we'd go on. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you've heard, about a year and half ago Kosuke had a fatal heart attack, and in his will he handed the family business down to me."
At that part, Akihiro let out a defeated sigh.
"If he could see me right now he'd be so disappointed," Akihiro said as he rejoined the group and sat back down at the table.
"Why?" Ren asked, "What's wrong?"
"Ever since my dad died, the family business has been slowly but surely going under," Akihiro explained, "I have yet to perfect his fishing techniques, so whenever I go out there, I'm lucky if I can get an eighth of what we usually catch. If this keeps up I'll have to sell not only this house, but my dad's boat. And the Hagiwara Family Fishing Business has been a staple in Ine Fishing Village for generations. It can't end here, not with me."
Rika rubbed her husband's back in an attempt to sympathize with him.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Akihiro," Ren said, feeling pity for his donation child, "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"No, Ren," Akihiro said, "The sad thing is I know exactly what I have to do to get the family business back on track, I just don't think I can do it."
"What are you talking about?" Minato asked.
"Japanese Spider Crabs," Akihiro answered, "The largest crab in the world. They're a rare delicacy in these parts. They reside in only the deepest parts of the ocean, and only the bravest of fishermen go out to try and grab some, with my late father being such a fisherman. He even designed crates meant specifically for the Japanese Spider Crabs. I know if I bring back just a couple of them, it'll be enough to save the family business. But I can barely catch a normal, everyday fish. There's no way I can catch a Japanese Spider Crab."
"Not alone you can't," Ren said, catching everyone's attention.
"What are you talking about, sweetie?" Ann asked.
"I mean, what if Akihiro and I go out there tomorrow morning and fish up some Japanese Spider Crab ourselves?" Ren answered, "He might not be able to get them by himself, but if we team up I know we can do it."
"You're willing to help me, Ren?" Akihiro asked, genuinely touched by his biological father's kindness.
"We're family, Akihiro," Ren smiled, "I'd have to be a jerk not to help you out in your time of need."
Akihiro walked up to his biological father and gave him the biggest hug he could muster, "Thank you, Ren," Akihiro says, "From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Minato asked.
"We are going to need someone throw the boxes down and bring them back on deck for when we nab us a spider crab," Akihiro said, "Looks like you're it,"
"Awesome," Minato smiled as Kaito and Kimiko came into the kitchen.
"What's going on here?" Kaito asked.
"We're going to help Akihiro fish up some Japanese Spider Crabs to save his family business," Minato answered, "You want in?"
"I'm down for a little adventure out at sea," Kaito smiled, "Yeah, count me in!"
"Then it's settled," Akihiro said, "The four of us will go out tomorrow morning and fish up some Japanese Spider Crabs."
"Sounds like a plan," Minato said, "But, I didn't exactly pack an overnight bag."
"It's a long way between Tokyo and here," Ren said, "We figured we'd be spending the night somewhere, so we all packed our bags just in case. We even made sure to pack some pajamas and your toothbrush for you, Minato."
"Thanks, pop," Minato smiled, "You're always thinking."
"I'm a father," Ren said, "It's what I do."
The Amamiyas and Kaito spent the rest of the night hanging out with Akihiro, Rika, and Masaru before going to bed early. The men knew that they had to be like actual fishermen and get up at the crack of dawn if they wanted to fish up some Japanese Spider Crabs and save the Hagiwara Family Business.
The next morning at first light, we see the likes of Akihiro, Ren, Minato, and Kaito about to board the Hagiwara family boat while Rika, with a still sleeping Masaru in her arms, Ann, Morgana, and Kimiko watch the men load the boat with the crates and wetsuits. Once everything was set, the men went up to their women to say goodbye.
"We'll be back soon, babe," Akihiro said.
"Be safe out there, darling," Rika said as she gave Akihiro a kiss.
"Don't do anything stupid out there, Kaito," Kimiko said.
"I promise to come back safe to you, Kim," Kaito said as he gave his girlfriend a kiss.
"Lookout for our son, Kaito, and especially yourself, babe," Ann said, "I worry about you."
"I know," Ren said, "But don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise." Ren gave Ann a kiss on the lips.
Minato just looked as the other three men got a kiss from their loved ones and that made him tear up a little bit, "I miss Mana and Mitsu," Minato sobbed.
Morgana could detect Minato's sadness and he nuzzles the young man's leg, causing Minato to lovingly scratch behind his ears in response, "Thanks Morgana," he said, "Good boy."
"We'll be back before you know it, girls," Akihiro said as he and the other three men boarded the boat.
"We love you boys, be safe out there!" Ann said.
"And don't be afraid to bring back some tuna!" Morgana called out, hoping Ren had heard him.
Once on board, Akihiro put the keys into the ignition, and the four men went out to see with the females, and Morgana, staring off after them before going back inside the house.
Once the men made it out far enough, Akihiro stopped the boat and dropped anchor. At that point, the four men regrouped so they could go over the game plan.
"Alright, here's what's going to happen," Akihiro said, "Ren and I are going to put on these wetsuits and diving helmets and go down there. These helmets have a built in walkie-talkie so we can communicate with each other. Once we get to the bottom, Minato and Kaito, you boys will drop down the boxes that my father made. They're attached to ropes so that when we get a spider crab in them, you can pull them back up on deck. Once we have enough, we'll swim back up, go home, and my business is saved."
"It sounds almost too easy," Minato said, "There has to be a catch."
"Yeah, actually getting the crabs into the crate," Akihiro said before turning to Ren, "I'm not going to lie to you, Ren, the claws on these crabs hurt! So you need to be very careful when we tip them over."
"Tip them over?" Ren asked.
"Yeah," Akihiro said, "Once we tip the crabs over, they really can't do much of a thing as we grab them by the leg and throw them into the crate."
"Alright, sound simple enough," Ren said, "So where are our wetsuits?"
"Right here," Akihiro said as he handed Ren his wetsuit, helmet and air tank, "These air tanks have about 5-6 hours worth of oxygen in them. That should be more than enough. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Ren said as he and Akihiro put on their diving gear. Once Ren and Akihiro suited up, they inched themselves towards the boat, ready to dive into the water.
"Be safe, you two," Minato said.
"Don't worry about us, son," Ren said, confidently, "We'll be just fine."
"You and Kaito just be ready with those crates," Akihiro said before he and Ren jumped into the water and made their way to the seafloor.
It looked like a whole 'nother world under the sea. As Akihiro and Ren swam to the ocean floor, they passed by loads of marine life and took in the beautiful undersea rock formations and coral. Ren hadn't seen anything this beautiful since his and his friends' vacation in Okinawa all those years ago, and part of Akihiro's living is seeing this majesty on the daily. A part of Ren envied him for that.
As the duo got closer to the ocean floor, Akihiro tried to get in contact with the two young man on deck.
"Minato, Kaito, are you there? Come in," Akihiro said.
"Yeah, we're here," Minato said, "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, Minato, we're fine," Ren said.
"We're just approaching the ocean floor," Akihiro said, "Get the first of these crates ready."
"You got it," Kaito said.
Ren and Akihiro make it to the ocean floor and look around for a few moment before they spot their first spider crab walking about.
"There's one," Akihiro exclaimed, "Let's flip it over so we can catch it."
"Let me handle this one," Ren said as he approached the crab from behind, flipping it over before it had a chance to react to Ren's presence. Once it was flipped over, the spider crab was helpless and couldn't do a thing to get up.
"Excellent job, Ren," Akihiro smiled, "Now where's Minato and Kaito with that crate?"
As if one cue, Minato's voice was heard over the built-in walkie talkies in Ren and Akihiro's helmets.
"One Japanese Spider Crab crate, coming up!" Minato said.
Ren and Akihiro looked up and saw something break through from the surface. Down came the first crate. As the crate came down, Ren crabbed the crab by the claws so it couldn't fight back and threw it in when it arrived.
"Crab secured, boys," Akihiro said proudly, "Bring it up!"
"Roger that," Kaito said.
Ren and Akihiro watched as the crate with the crab in it was lifted back up to the surface.
"We're off to a rocking start," Akihiro said giddily, "This is perfect!"
"Get that crab secure on deck and get ready to throw down another crate, guys," Ren said.
"You got it," Minato said.
"Well, Ren, get ready, because there's a lot of crabs down here ready to be fished up," Akihiro said.
"I'm in it for the long haul, Akihiro," Ren said confidently.
"That's what I like to hear," Akihiro smirked.
(BGM: Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin)
A small montage shows Ren and Akihiro looking for more Japanese Spider Crabs. The second crab they found standing atop a rock formation. Akihiro swam up from beneath the formation and flipped the crab over by uppercutting it so Ren could grab it and put it in another crate that Minato and Kaito threw down.
The third crab was just minding his own business when Ren's hand came out of nowhere and tapped it on the back. The crab looked in the direction it felt the tap before Akihiro's hand came to flip the crab over while it was distracted.
The fourth crab was walking about on the seafloor when it heard a sound that caught its attention. The sound came from a nearby sea cave, so the crab went over to investigate. The crab stared into the darkness only to get ambushed by Ren and Akihiro, who were hiding in the shadows so they could grab it.
The fifth and sixth crabs were next. The fifth crab saw the sixth crab walking along in the distance so it waved back to it as if it were an old friend of his. The sixth crab waved back to it before Akihiro snuck up behind the sixth crab, flipped it over, and threw it into another crate. The fifth crab got scared and tried running away only for Ren to appear behind it and flip him over before throwing him into another crate.
Meanwhile on deck, Minato and Kaito were throwing down crates and pulling them back up whenever Ren and Akihiro caught a crab. They were having such good luck with this endeavor that all four men were smiling and laughing gleefully; Akihiro's business would be saved in no time.
(End BGM)
"There's only one crate left up here, guys," Minato said, "Want me to throw it down?"
"Yes, please, Minato," Akihiro said, "There should be another crab around here somewhere."
"Look, over there!" Ren said as he saw yet another Japanese Spider Crab walking along some loose rocks the ocean floor. The crab was standing in front of another sea cave.
"This one's on me," Akihiro said as he swam over to the crab and flipped it over with ease, causing some of the small stones it was standing on to fall into the sea cave, "Gotcha!"
As Akihiro swam back to Ren with the crab, the rocks that fell into the sea cave fell all the way down there, hitting whatever was living inside the cave…which was a Scalloped Japanese Hammerhead Shark! The shark awoke with a start, and it looked up at the exit to the cave. Immediately it knew that something/someone had made it awake from its slumber.
Meanwhile, Akihiro threw the crab into the last available crate as Minato and Kaito hauled it back up.
"That's all of the crates, guys," Kaito said, "Come back up whenever you're ready."
"You got it, Kaito," Ren said.
"You know, Ren, I'm both very glad and very grateful that you, your son, and your daughter's boyfriend came out with me on this trip," Akihiro said, "I know the whole purpose of this was to save my family business, but I had a whole lot of fun doing this with you. Honestly, it took me back to the fishing trips me and my dad would go on."
"I'm glad that I was able to bring back such memories, Akihiro," Ren smiled, "And I was even more glad to help you. So, shall we swim back to the surface?"
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Akihiro said, "Our wives are waiting for us."
The two of them were about to swim up when suddenly they heard looked out of the corner of their eyes and saw the shark coming out of its cave and swimming towards them with an angry look on its face.
"Shark!" Akihiro screamed as he braced himself for the inevitable mauling.
As the shark got closer, Ren got between it and Akihiro. Before the shark could get to work on mauling the two men, Ren punched it right in the snout and then right in the gills, causing the shark to swim away in fear. Akihiro opened his eyes to find that the shark had gone with Ren staring off after it.
"What happened?" Akihiro asked.
"I take it you didn't encounter a lot of sharks on your fishing trips," Ren said, "Whenever you find yourself face to face with a shark, or any predatory animal, hit it on any of its weak points like the snout or gills to scare it away."
"I'll keep that in mind," Akihiro said, gratefully, "What you did just now, punching out a shark, was something that I feel like my dad would've done. You truly are a remarkable person, Ren. For both giving me life and saving it, I really can't thank you enough," Akihiro said.
"No thanks are necessary," Ren said, "Just seeing you, your family, and your business flourish is all the thanks I need."
"Hey dad, are you guys okay?" Minato was heard saying, "You guys are taking a while to get back up here."
"Yeah, Minato, we're fine," Ren said, "Just a minor setback. We're coming up now."
"Alright then," Minato said.
"Well, Akihiro, shall we?" Ren asked.
"We shall," Akihiro nodded as the two men swam back up to the boat so they could go home.
Later that night, at the Hagiwara house, we see the three Hagiwaras, the Amamiyas, and Kaito gathered around a big table for a ham dinner in celebration of Akihiro's success on catching the spider crabs and saving the family business.
"Alright, ham's ready!" Rika said as she placed the ham in the middle of the table.
"Looks delicious, babe," Akihiro said as he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm so glad you boys are alright," Ann said to her husband, "What was it like fishing for Japanese Spider Crabs?"
"It was a new experience and one I wouldn't trade for anything in the world," Ren said, "Especially since it brought me and Akihiro closer."
"I feel the same way, Ren," Akihiro said as he and Rika put ham slices on everyone's plate, "And I'm even more grateful that the Hagiwara Family Fishing Business lives to see another day. With all of the crabs that we caught, I shouldn't have to worry about filing for bankruptcy anytime soon."
"We're glad to hear that, Akihiro," Minato said.
"So, now that we know about your existence, will we be seeing a lot more of you, Akihiro?" Kimiko asked.
"I'd like that," Akihiro smiled, "You guys are pretty cool, and I'd like to get to know you all a little bit more."
"Why don't you guys come down to Tokyo sometime so you can meet all of our other friends," Ren suggested.
"I will also graduate from college in a few months if you'd like to attend the ceremony," Minato chimed in.
"That sounds wonderful," Akihiro smiled, "I'll try and clear some time in my schedule so I can do just that."
"Perfect," Ren smiled.
"Okay, everyone, dinner is served," Rika said as all of the plates were handed out to everyone, "Dig in!"
Without saying another word, everyone began to eat their scrumptious ham dinner, grateful that they were able to meet each other for the first time and save Akihiro and his family business from the brink of despair. And perhaps even more wonderful than that, the Amamiyas and Kaito found a new friend in Akihiro and his family.
TO BE CONCLUDED…