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It was an early morning on the lake. Seiun Sky rowed a little farther out until she found a spot she deemed good enough. Nishino Flower, sitting opposite her, smiled dreamily as she watched the other horsegirl.
“This should be a good spot,” Seiun nodded to herself.
“Wow! It’s so pretty here! How did you find this place?”
“I have my ways.” Seiun grinned smugly.
“I’m so excited! Nervous, but excited!” Flower rubbed her cheeks, practically glowing.
“Can you find that box I brought?” Seiun asked as she pulled in the oars.
Flower glanced around her feet and spotted it. “Ah, this one?” She lifted the container labeled Box o’ Bait, just as Seiun Sky had so lovingly named it.
“Perfect. Time to introduce you to Ol’ Reliable.” Sky proudly pulled out her custom-made fishing rod, a treasured gift from her grandfather. “And… a red hook, for good luck~”
She carefully attached it to the end of the line.
“What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever caught, Sky?” Nishino asked, eyes sparkling.
Seiun thought for a moment. “Hmm… probably a seven-kilo salmon. It put up a real fight, but I won in the end.”
“Seven kilos?! That’s huge!”
Nishino’s awe made Sky flush despite herself.
“Fishing’s easy to learn, but really hard to master!” Seiun said, waving a finger. “The good news is, beginners pick it up fast; and you’ve got beginner’s luck on your side.”
She showed Flower how to hold the rod and demonstrated a proper cast a few times.
“And that’s basically it. Wanna give it a try?”
Nishino nodded eagerly. “Then… I’ll trade you~” She held out the thermos she’d been carrying.
‘Ack… too cute. Someone help me,’ Seiun thought as they swapped items.
“L-like this… right?” Nishino asked, mimicking Sky’s posture.
“Yep! Looking good. Okay, get ready…”
Seiun leaned back, hands folded, like a scholar observing her student.
“And… let fly!”
Nishino squeezed the handle, swung the rod back, and cast. The hook sailed through the air before landing in the water with a satisfying plop.
“And now we wait~” Seiun took a relaxed sip from the thermos.
“How long does it usually take?” Flower asked.
“The fastest I ever had was about six minutes. Or never. And everything in between~”
Birds passed overhead, their reflections rippling across the water.
“Most of the time, it’s just nice to slow down and relax,” Seiun said. “You’ll know when it’s time to reel in.”
“I-it’s moving!”
Nishino was suddenly jerked forward.
Sky’s eyes widened. “N-no way…”
Flower struggled as the line pulled hard. Sky quickly moved to help, steadying her grip as whatever was on the hook fought back fiercely.
“W-what did you even lure in?!” Sky muttered, completely flabbergasted.
With their combined effort, the catch finally burst free of the water and landed in the boat with a heavy thud: a massive fish, far bigger than anything Seiun had ever caught.
“I DID IT! YAY! Look at it!”
Sky could only stare.
When she finally found her voice, all she managed was, “N-no way…”
Nishino beamed like the sunshine above them and did a small, joyful cheer.
“Did I do okay?” she asked hopefully, holding up the behemoth proudly.
Sky’s face turned bright red.
“Y-yeah… You did umazing…”