Things Aren’t Going Well

 

 
I’m seriously not feeling well… The cold from the weekend never fully went away, and I’m still coughing up a storm.
Since I slept from Saturday night through Monday morning, my lower back, shoulders, and neck are stiff as boards, so I reluctantly headed to the chiropractor…
But before I could leave, the boss showed up after renewing his license at the testing center, and everything changed.
First, he said I couldn’t get better from this cold without eating lunch, so he called Maruhashi Sohonten…
As thanks for the mango, I treated him to lunch!
Normally I wouldn’t treat, but the reason I did was because of the cutting board and knife! He bought them so you could peel the mango and eat it.
And so the mango fanatic was satisfied by everyone saying how delicious it was and left with a smile on his face.
I treated him out of respect for that thoughtfulness! Got it, you knucklehead? (Sorry! Just kidding!)
Now it was time to head out, but since the repair was incomplete, I left the boss at the shop and went to the chiropractor…
When I got back, there were way more people there, and someone was even changing a tire.
Hey, hey, hey, hey—I can’t leave now!
How many hours does it take an amateur to change a rear tire anyway? It’s already 6:30…
I figured I might as well stay open until the end, so it became 8 o’clock… Since I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I went home, J-guy was around, so we headed to the fishing pond… Of course, it was Sangenjaya.
“Hey, how much per fish?” I asked. “Oh, it doesn’t matter!” J-guy replied.
I don’t care if it’s ten thousand or a hundred thousand yen! I won’t lose even if the earth flips upside down!
Since he didn’t understand, I said, “Let’s skip the betting for today and I’ll just teach you,” and we headed to the fishing pond…
It’s been over a year. Alright, let’s get started. I’m not catching much…
He’s just standing there smoking, looking spaced out.
I got a hit right away! A crucian carp! It’s big, so that’s 5 points.
I keep fishing after that, but the catch is sadly nothing like my peak days… And then a regular with a Kansai accent calls out to me.
I hate this. The old guy says, “You’re good, young man!” Me: “Thank you very much.”
Old guy: “You’re the only one catching anything right now!” Me: “Just luck!”
Old guy: “No way! You’re great! Your timing is perfect!” Me: “Hahahaha!”
When the other regulars hear this praise, they look at me with harsh eyes, making it harder to fish. After hearing such words, the regulars say, “There are no fish here anymore.”
They make sure I hear their tall tales about how they caught 150 points last night.
The fishing pond is a battlefield. Basically, it’s just like a racetrack.
But their equipment is factory-spec (rods, floats, bait, weights—all SPL), while rental equipment (rental rods)
is at a disadvantage in every way… Floats that don’t sink and go sideways, tangled line, and so on.
Generally, the factory top guys catch about 200 points in two hours, while rental equipment maxes out at around 70 points…
I’ll beat those factory guys who are about three times better someday! I should be able to reach 100 points in two hours!
Anyway, back to the story—the old guy must have gotten bored, because now he’s standing next to J-guy and started lecturing him…
But J-guy just keeps saying it’s better to take it slow, and he keeps fishing steadily.
I taught him the bare minimum tips, and for a first-timer, he’s catching a lot—I’ve never seen anything like it.
Final score: Me 33 points, J-guy 21 points. Close call! I almost lost to a complete beginner.
So what’s my point? Well, it’s not that I get praised by strangers at the fishing pond all the time.
It’s his adaptability that amazes me! The basic idea is to catch goldfish, but with a rental rod, the float barely moves.
As for where to look… that’s a secret! But this guy had already figured it out!
As a reward, I treated him to ramen at Pukupuka! He slurped it down with a smile, fogging up his glasses.
That was J-guy eating ramen…
Youth is wonderful! Keep it up, carpenter!