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The sun is high in the sky, warm and inviting. Clouds scarcely fill the blue with respite from the rays. A summer breeze skips over the water, causing gentle waves to lap against the docks and fishing boats under the overpass. The foot traffic on the nearby bridge causes the pitter patter of shoes and heels to join the symphony that makes up the busy city.
Tsukasa finds himself seated to the side in the shade as he waits for Emu to arrive. She had been the only one able to attend when he asked the troupe to come fishing with him to hang out outside of work. And so he checks his phone for the time again, as well as a message pertaining to Emu’s ETA. No dice.
“Tsukasa~! Are you fishing yet? Having fun?” Miku pops up on his screen, chipper as ever. He sighs.
“I am still awaiting Emu’s arrival. She’s late…”
“Whaaat? She didn’t tell you?” Miku’s head tilts. “Her family brought her to a surprise luncheon today!”
“Haah?!” He has to remind himself to keep his voice down as the other patrons of the urban fishing establishment give him side glances. “...I see. A shame…”
Miku looks like she’s about to say something but fades away before she gets the chance. Tsukasa senses a dark presence behind him. But as he looks up at the smiling girl who approached him, the feeling subsides.
“Hello, Tenma.”
Tsukasa blinks in surprise, standing up. “Hello, Asahina! What a pleasant surprise to meet you here. Are you also interested in urban fishing? I had been meaning to meet up with my troupe, but it seems something came up.” He laughs weakly. Mafuyu smiles kindly as he rambles on without her prompting anything at all.
“...Actually, Ootori had asked if I could accompany you in her stead. I was in the area.”
“Oh! In that case, shall we?” Tsukasa gives a theatrical gesture to the docks, offering his arm.
“Yes, let's.” Mafuyu doesn’t take it, but follows along nonetheless.
The two rent poles from the establishment’s owner, and gain coloured wristbands to show what time they started fishing. Mafuyu sits upright on her provided stool, and Tsukasa sits half cross-legged on his. He struggles to thread the lure onto his line, getting frustrated and taking a deep breath. Mafuyu is about to offer her help when he gets right back to trying, and finally threads the line.
“So, Asahina…”
Mafuyu forces a smile. “Yes, Tenma?”
“Are you looking to fish recreationally? Or for meals?” Tsukasa asks as he fills one bin with water, then a second. “Personally, I plan on making my favourite dish for my family tonight.”
“I…”
Mafuyu mentally goes through the stock in the fridge at Kanade’s home; or rather, their home. A few pre-made meals from Mochizuki, milk, fruits… They hadn’t had fish dishes in a while… Or seafood at all for that matter. Would Kanade appreciate fresh food..? Would they even be able to find the energy to prepare it? Mafuyu shakes her head, coming out of her thoughts.
“I plan on bringing some home.”
“Wonderful! Then, let’s cast off! We’re paying by hour, after all.” Tsukasa dips his lure into the water, following the guidelines. Mafuyu follows with her own, ripples in the minnow shaped lure’s wake.
Tsukasa hums to himself as he waits for any fish to bite. He seems seasoned, moving the rod in the water now and then to entice the fish. Mafuyu on the other hand, watches the fish under the surface as they pass in dark blurs. She also moves her lure but far more sparingly.
The sound of traffic above fills the silence as the Saturday rush hour rolls in. The family a few spots away speak amongst themselves as they wait for a bite. Cicadas scream every now and then, before another responds. A dog barks at a cat in the distance. Plop!
“Oh!?” Tsukasa excitedly reels in his first catch. He holds the fish with a bright smile, examining the energetic creature. “A basa! Wonderful!” He carefully coaxes the lure out of the fish’s mouth and slips it into his bin.
“Good job, Tenma.” Mafuyu nods his way.
“Hahaha! Thank you, Asahina!” He sits up proudly, slipping his lure back into the water. “Has anything bitten your line yet?” Tsukasa peeks over the edge of the water, though careful to not lean dangerously far. “Hm… perhaps if you moved your rod some more…”
“I see…” Mafuyu takes his advice, idly moving the rod. As she listens to the fish in the bin, she can’t help but let her mind wander. The sloshing water, the way the plants sway from the current… It almost reminds her of her fish tank at home. She thinks of how the algae might be growing along the glass in her absence. Would her parents maintain it? Is the filter still running? Is the seagrass well?
“Asahina?” Mafuyu looks at Tsukasa as he draws her attention. He smiles at her. “You’ve got a bite.”
The fish tugs on her line, but just as she reels it in, the fish wiggles free. She leans back slightly as the resistance disappears, and Tsukasa’s arm automatically shoots out into the air behind her just in case. Luckily she doesn’t fall back and steadies herself. “Ah…”
“...Not to worry, Asahina!” Tsukasa gives her a smile as he pulls back his arm. “You’ll get another! These fish are quite active, usually!”
Mafuyu checks the integrity of her line before tossing it back in again. “I find animals tend to run from me…” She shakes her head with a weak laugh.
“Nonsense! One fish bit your line, Asahina. Another is bound to bite sooner or later!” Tsukasa says in an attempt to cheer her up. “It just takes time.”
“I suppose…” Mafuyu nods.
The two return to fishing in silence. The water from the pump trickles fill their ears, as well as the laughter of some highschool children as they head home after their six-day school week. Tsukasa shifts in his seat, moving his back. Mafuyu stretches slightly, as if on cue. The clock on the side of the office ticks by slowly, until Tsukasa catches another fish.
“Aha…” He reels in the fish and repeats his routine of inspecting the fish before putting it into the bin with the other one. “...Another fish is bound to bite your line, Asahina.”
Mafuyu wants to give him an incredulous look but smiles and nods instead.
But as the minutes tick by, and Tsukasa catches two more fish with a guilty look on his face… it almost seems hopeless. Mafuyu lifts her lure out of the water, doing her best to seem resigned. She hadn’t even wanted to go fishing, but when Emu had begged her and she accidentally accepted… Mafuyu sighs, the hint of a tremble in her throat.
“...Asahina? Are you alright?” Tsukasa asks, doing his best to be discreet about it. Looking at the water, voice quiet. Mafuyu nods.
“Of course Tenma-”
A fish! It leaps from the water and catches the lure hovering over the water. Mafuyu quickly reels it in. Tsukasa watches with wide eyes, before a wide grin breaks out over his features.
“See, Asahina! You did it!” He cheers, opening the empty bin of water. Mafuyu lowers the fish into the bin after unhooking it from the lure.
“...Thank you for your encouragement, Tenma.” Mafuyu nods curtly. She returns her lure to the water.
“Hahaha! That was all you, Asahina!” Tsukasa half-yells, speaking as he moves his hand theatrically. “Perhaps this is the end of ‘animals running from you’ as you put it?”
Mafuyu blinks at him. She doesn’t know how to respond to this strange person, so she simply smiles and nods as she always does. “...Maybe so.”
The two continued to fish until roughly three hours elapsed. The owner helps them weigh their fish, writing in a booklet. He then hands Mafuyu a green ticket and Tsukasa a yellow ticket.
“...What’s this?” Mafuyu tilts her head. Tsukasa stands proudly.
“I see you’ve never frequented this establishment…” He stands up straighter, the wind blowing hair into his eyes. “You see, as they package our fish, we select a prize from the counter that corresponds with our tickets!”
“...I see…”
“Hahaha! Let’s go pick our prizes! Since your ticket is green, you can select anything you’d like!”
The green ticket in her fingers flutters in the breeze. The two walk to the prize counter, full of small toys, keychains, novelty pens… Mafuyu’s eyes scan everything. Nothing seems of note, and so she continues to pretend to peruse as she plays eenie-meenie miney-mo in her head.
“Hahaha, I think this keychain will do nicely.” Tsukasa holds up a cartoony plush fish, designed after a horse mackerel. He seems rather proud of his choice, but he had been far too quick to pick up the keychain. It’s obvious he had his eyes on it right from the start. Tsukasa trades his ticket to the employee for his keychain; immediately clipping it to his cross body bag. He looks at Mafuyu expectantly.
“...I’ll get the same one.” Mafuyu says after a few moments. She then decides to continue: “To commemorate this day.” She says in an attempt to be friendly. Tsukasa nods in approval as Mafuyu trades for her own tacky keychain.
Their fish are already packed away, ready to be taken home and cooked. They leave the establishment with their fish in hand. The sky is slowly growing into a warm yellow as the cicadas die down. Tsukasa seems to carry himself with a look of joy on his sunburnt face. Mafuyu glances at him.
“Hahaha! So, what do you plan on making, Asahina?” Tsukasa breaks the silence with his chipper, loud voice. The train station is visible in the distance, and Mafuyu silently wishes he had just gone on his way rather than insisting on walking her there.
“...I’m not sure yet.” She shakes her head with a kind smile. “I’ll think of something, though. What are you making, Tenma? Your favourite food, you said?”
“Why yes, I’m flattered that you remembered!” He moves in an almost eccentric way. “I plan on making acqua pazza tonight! Tomatoes, herbs, and expertly prepared fish, laid on…”
Mafuyu tunes out his rambling as they reach the station, just outside the doors. She waits patiently for him to finish rambling.
“It’s delicious! Maybe I’ll get Saki to bring you some tomorrow?”
“Tenma… tomorrow is Sunday. We don’t have school.”
“Ahh, you’re right!” Tsukasa laughs at himself. “Ah, a shame. I’ll just have to make it some other time, then!” He grins. “Get home safe, Asahina!”
“You too, Tenma…” Mafuyu watches his back as he leaves, then quickly descends into the station to make her way back to Kanade’s house. Her face relaxes for the first time in the last few hours. She slips her earbuds in, and keeps to herself as he heads back. Once she disembarks the subway and the pedestrians thin, Miku’s soft voice fills Mafuyu’s ears.
“...Mafuyu.”
“Miku, hello.” Mafuyu looks at the projection of Miku on her phone.
“You were gone for a while.” Miku states. “Did you have fun with your friend today?”
Mafuyu looks at Miku, then the recyclable carrier of fish in her hand. It has a certain heft that indicates the presence of multiple fish, despite only catching the one. She then observes the tacky keychain. It bounces on her bag as she takes each step, its blank eyes looking right back. “...I…”
“Tsukasa! Thanks again for dinner!” Saki sighs happily, setting a cup of tea on her brother’s desk. He turns his attention from his writing project to her.
“Of course. Did you like it, Saki?”
“I did! Though… I think you may have added a little too much salt.” She chuckles. “But you don’t often make dinner, so… you get a pass this one time.”
Tsukasa rolls his eyes with a grin. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time. Thank you for the tea, Saki.”
“Sure thing. Don’t stay up too late. And moisturise your face! You’re all sunburnt.”
Saki leaves his ‘bedroom’, heading into her own. Tsukasa returns to writing in his journal, occasionally glancing at his new keychain. He had moved it from his cross body bag to his school bag. He had already sewn sequins onto its eyes to make it shine- his own creation, in a way.
Mafuyu sends a picture of her new keychain into the server, and Mizuki makes a choked sound.
“Whaaat? Yuki, did you hang out with my upperclassman today? Tsukasa?” They ask in shock.
“How did you know?” Mafuyu asks in her usual relaxed, monotonous voice. Mizuki sends a screenshot of Tsukasa's post from earlier that day. He's standing in front of the train station where they parted ways, holding his new keychain; there's a purple blurred out figure in the back…
“I didn't think it was actually you…” Mizuki laughs. “So, you got matching keychains? Does that mean you're friends?”
Mafuyu goes quiet. “I don't know.”
“Hey, isn't that the troublemaker that hangs out with Kamishiro?” Ena pipes up.
“Whaaat, they're not troublemakers!” Mizuki huffs animatedly. “You don't even know them!”
“Akito told me a bunch of stuff those two get up to! Yuki, you can be friends with who you want but…”
“Hey! Enanan!”
Mafuyu turns down the volume of her application for the moment. Behind her, she hears Kanade laugh to herself quietly.
“Mafuyu, did you have fun?” Kanade asks, tuning out the sounds of Mizuki and Ena arguing.
Mafuyu looks at her lap. A thermos of hot green tea warms her fingertips. To commemorate this day…
She spares a glance at the tacky keychain once more. Its blank eyes continue to stare on. “I think so.”