Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330658028208231/episodes/16817330660177916985
“However, you were able to split it between genders.”
Aizawa and I were walking along a mountain stream a short distance from the campsite.
I’m going to be the one to go to the mountain stream, and Ishikawa san, Sawaguchi san and Watanabe san are going to go to the archery, bouldering and swimming pool in turn.
“Aren’t you supposed to go with them, Aizawa?”
My purpose was originally mountain stream fishing, but Aizawa probably didn’t want to fish that much. I thought he was supposed to join them……
“I can’t leave my best friend all alone, can I?”
He’s a hard guy to grasp, as he’s still smiling at me.
“Besides, I felt like talking to you today.”
“Is that so?”
I could sense some kind of implication, but for now, the important thing was to fish. We headed upstream.
“Basically, river fish are very cautious. So, unlike ocean fishing, you have to fish without showing yourself.”
“I see.”
Next to the river, where the water was crystal clear, I explained to Aizawa how to fish.
“Like this, drop the hook along the flow and let it flow to where the fish are.”
The fish often hide in places where the water is bubbling or behind rocks, so I calculate the flow of the hook so that it will flow there as much as possible.
“I see. Let’s get right to it.”
Aizawa looked excited and started fishing at a distance from me, swinging his rod.
He looked surprisingly composed, and I could tell he had been fishing several times during the summer.
As I dropped my hook a few times, I felt a weight from the tip of my rod.
I matched the fish moves and pulled the rod.
The fish jumped and the spray glistened.
“Oh, you caught a fish right away, Aikawa. What kind of fish is that?”
It’s a sweetfish. It’s grown pretty big and looks like it’s worth a bite.”
Since we were outdoors, I thought it would be good to grill it with salt. I naturally smile at the fact that I have something to eat for dinner right away.
“Ah ! I got a reaction on my end too !”
Aizawa dropped his hook in the same spot and caught a sweetfish, probably because he had seen me catch it.
“Wooooo. Fishing is fun after all.”
“Yes, it is.”
The most enjoyable part of fishing is the moment when you are about to catch a fish, and the second part is when you are about to eat it. Aizawa seems to be steadily becoming a fishing enthusiast, which brings a smile to my face.
“Two fish so far. And we’ll have to go back and catch three more.”
If we’re all going to eat, we’ll need enough for everyone.
“Anyway, why don’t we make a bet?”
Aizawa then made such a proposal.
“A bet?”
I tilted my head and looked into Aizawa’s eyes to find out what he wanted.
“You look like you’ve been wanting to ask me something for a while now, don’t you? I have a question for you too, and the loser has to answer the opponent’s questions unconditionally. How about that?”
“If that’s okay with Aizawa, that’s fine with me…….”
Fishing in a mountain stream is all about skill. It depends on your experience to find the best place to catch fish and how you can entice them to come to you.
If the winner is the one who catches two fish first, I have the advantage because I have more fishing experience.
“It’s settled.”
I said, and he grinned.
“Yes, I win !”
“Nonsense……”
I was shocked to find out that I had lost a fishing match that I was absolutely confident in.
Aizawa had caught two sweetfish in a short time, and I had lost the game.
“Well, that’s about the size of it in my hands.”
I looked at the end of Aizawa’s trap and saw…….
“There’s bait on it !?”
The fishing we had just been doing was with a trap called a “kebari,” which the fish mistook for an insect and bites.
Aizawa, on the other hand, used a fish filet method. Because of the smell, this one can be expected to attract more fish, making it suitable for fishing.
“I learned mountain stream fishing from my uncle. I can use this to catch them all.”
When I explained to him how to fish, he didn’t react in any particular way, but he said he knew how to fish with it.
I was completely dancing in the palm of Aizawa’s hand.
“Don’t tell me it’s not fair, okay?”
Aizawa looked at me teasingly and told me that the game was on.
“As an angler (someone who fishes), I wouldn’t say that. I’ll concede defeat and you can ask all the questions you want.”
I don’t intend to make excuses for my waywardness here. I told that I was prepared for what questions Aizawa would ask me……
“The reason why you invited us to the camp this time is to mend the relationship between me and Riho, is that correct?”
Aizawa’s serious expression makes me feel a bit nervous.
“What, all of a sudden. What else could it be?”
Is it possible that Aizawa is aware of this?
“I just don’t get it. You’re not the type to be nosy, and even if you were to do something, the timing is wrong, right before the end of the summer vacation. I mean, don’t you think so? If you were going to try to patch things up, you could have done it after school started, right?”
It’s certainly unnatural, since I was planning on putting some time aside when the relationship broke down and I didn’t act immediately.
I’ve lost the bet and I’m going to have to be honest here.
“Actually, I sent the wrong message.”
“Huh?”
“Honestly, I was going to invite someone else. I sent the message too quickly.”
As I continued speaking, Aizawa looked at me with a face as if I had been caught red handed.
“Really? It sounds too dumb to be true, doesn’t it?”
“It’s true ! I’m sorry for being so dumb !”
I was aware of it, so I just said it back.
“More importantly, why did you bother to ask such a question?”
I had told Aizawa that I want him and Ishikawa san to reconcile when we met before. Does he really need to go out of his way to make a bet to ask?
“In an event involving men and women, the person who invites you to an event always has that intention. This is my rule of thumb.”
According to Aizawa, who has participated in a variety of rear-entry events in the past, when there is a joint male-female play event, there is always some sort of romantic involvement within the group.
“At the fireworks event, there was the Riho thing, right?”
That’s what I was told. Thinking back, there is no doubt that at the beach house, Ishikawa san was aware of Aizawa and that she came all the way there because she wanted to see him. And he was the one who passed on the information about the beach house to those girls……
I looked at Aizawa with probing eyes,
“The organizer of this event is you, right? Then, as far as I’m concerned, I naturally have to suspect you.”
Aizawa’s sharp gaze fixed on me. If I followed his rule of thumb, it would mean that one of the people I had invited this time was someone I had feelings for.
And he was right.
Aizawa didn’t ask me that question directly, either out of concern for me or because he didn’t want to ask me. ……
We were silent for a while, both making eye contact in an attempt to read the other’s mind, but Aizawa suddenly pulled a face and showed his usual smile and composure.
“If you had won the bet, would you have asked me this?”
Aizawa took a breath and said what he would have said if I had won the bet.
“[Aizawa, who do you like in this group?]”
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