“There’s no problem if the hole is a bit smaller, right…!?”
“…Hmm.”
Noah quickly adjusted his posture.
“Se, surely I don’t need to know that too.”
He carefully unclenched his tightly gripped fists.
However, Taehwa, the sniper, wasn’t nearsighted enough not to notice even such a small gesture.
“If you had hit it one more time, we would’ve all fallen into the water.”
“No, that’s not—”
“If you don’t know, just ask.”
Noah was left speechless.
“Sorry.”
“Well, it’s wide enough. You’re going to catch whales too, huh?”
“Taehwa, there are no whales in the lake.”
“It’s a metaphor, you know! Anyway, I’ve already set everything up, so go ahead and do some fishing. Catch a lot. Uncle will make us spicy fish soup.”
Spicy fish soup.
Unfortunately, Noah wasn’t particularly fond of seafood.
But he did love the spicy fish soup made by him.
His cooking skills were excellent, and combining freshly caught ingredients would undoubtedly result in an outstanding dish.
It would surely be the best meal ever.
Noah nodded as he cast the fishing rod.
…
Through this, began a time of patient endurance.
There’s a saying that fishing isn’t done to catch fish but to capture time itself.
Noah was currently experiencing that phrase quite intensely.
…
How long had it been since he cast the fishing rod?
It must have been about 30 minutes by now.
‘…It’s quiet.’
Unable to endure any longer, Noah stood up.
“Uncle!”
Calling out loudly, he turned his head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Come here and fish with me! I’m bored!”
Kraken reluctantly retracted his tentacles and moved over.
Looking startled at the large ice hole, he soon calmed down and dipped his tentacles into the icy water.
“Kuaaaaak…”
Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that dying scream.
“How many have you caught?”
“About five?”
“That’s a lot.”
“It’s not enough. They were all small ones.”
Well, it’s barely enough for one fish per person.
Considering what we’ll eat later, we’ll need much more than that.
“I’ll help properly too.”
“Haha, thanks. Still, I hope you enjoy yourself. It’s our first campout after all.”
“How can I enjoy myself when I’m not catching anything?”
“That’s part of enjoying it too.”
“Uncle…”
When he said that, it really felt like…
“You just acted like a real uncle a moment ago.”
“…Keuk…”
Noah chuckled softly and slightly moved.
Taking a step forward, her hand gently pulled on Shin Hyun’s lips.
His slightly downturned mouth returned to being flat.
“Don’t frown. It makes you look old.”
“Uh…yeah, got it.”
“Not only that, it’s inconvenient for me if you look older. At least try to appear around my age.”
“Understood. I’ll be careful.”
Saying that, he smiled faintly.
‘Got it!’
Taehwa saw this scene and wanted to tease them.
How could she miss this? This was the perfect chance to see Noah’s sharp reaction.
However, Taehwa’s thoughts soon changed.
“Noah! Your fishing rod is shaking!”
“Eh? Oh!”
The fishing rod was wildly shaking.
Noah rushed forward.
“So, you just twist this reel while pulling, right?”
Thinking Noah would easily reel it in…
“Aaahhh, it’s sooo heavy—”
“Noah?”
“It’s my first time fishing, so I’m losing strength—”
But Noah alternated between looking at the fishing rod and Shin Hyun, exchanging glances.
He couldn’t understand why this girl was acting this way.
Actually, he should have figured it out.
Being dragged under?
‘…Lies…’
Shin Hyun stared at the massive hole.
One strike.
Just one strike created a hole big enough for a whale to stick its head through. And yet, this kid claims they’re struggling to reel in a single fish?
This was clearly a ploy to catch something other than fish.
Shin Hyun thought.
Helping her would mean falling into a trap.
“Aah, I might fall into the water at this rate—”
“Haa…”
He thought the heart of girls was truly unfathomable.
“Alright, I’ll help you.”
Retracting his tentacles, he quickly grabbed Noah from behind. Shin Hyun clung to Noah, slowly took his hand, and started pulling the fishing rod together.
Only then did Noah’s expression brighten considerably.
Really, she’s incorrigible.
Pretending to struggle, Noah firmly planted his legs on the ground, making Shin Hyun work hard trying to pull him.
After Noah deemed the time satisfying…
“Caught a monster fish!”
“Haa…pant…phew…”
“Uncle! Look at this! It’s huge!”
“Y-yeah…wow…phew…”
Noah held the giant fish and jumped around like a live fish.
Then he approached and smiled while taking a selfie.
Click!
‘What? After all that fuss, you’re happy?’
Regardless of whether Shin Hyun understood or not, Noah excitedly showed off the fish.
Anyway, the first bite seemed to leave a good impression on him.
Alright, if you’re happy, then that’s fine.
Shin Hyun picked up the basket filled with fish and stood up.
Seeing Shin Hyun stand, Noah, who had been jumping around until then, quickly approached him.
“Uncle! Let’s eat this quickly!”
…Was he excited about catching it or just thinking about eating it?
“Alright, let’s prepare dinner. Everyone else is still fishing.”
“Ah, I want to cook. Fishing doesn’t suit my hobbies.”
“Does it?”
“Yes, playing around with Uncle seems more fun than fishing.”
“I feel like I’m being treated as a toy…”
Honestly, Shin Hyun found it difficult to understand the heart of this girl.
+++++
Shin Hyun examined the fish Noah had caught. Fortunately, it was edible and didn’t require much preparation.
Thanks to that, meal preparations were proceeding smoothly.
Today’s dish was ‘spicy fish soup.’
Spicy fish soup is a dish where the mildness of fish blends with the refreshing taste of various vegetables and the spiciness of chili powder, creating a clean flavor. Since we had caught fish, it was an essential dish not to be missed.
He took the fish out of the bucket filled with icy water.
Still wriggling, the fish was held down by his tentacles, unable to move.
For some reason, it looked pitiful, but it was probably just an illusion.
“In your next life, be born as a human.”
After paying his respects once, Shin Hyun was now ready to disassemble it without hesitation.
‘Starting fish preparation.’
Thud.
Placing the fish, thicker than the average man’s forearm, on the cutting board.
“Phew.”
He unnecessarily exhaled dramatically, but there was no real need to.
What he needed to do now wasn’t slicing sashimi but chopping it into chunks suitable for stew.
Raw freshwater fish carry the risk of parasites, so there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.
‘Alright.’
He lifted the Chinese cleaver and struck.
The wriggling movements of the fish slowed down as he drove the blade deeper, completely separating the head.
From here on, it’s easy.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Using his tentacles to hold the knife, he chopped down.
With little resistance, the fish was neatly cut into pieces.
The chopped fish was cleaned thoroughly with water to remove blood and internal organs.
Depending on the situation, the innards could be used, but doing so might cloud the broth.
Therefore, the innards were removed here.
On the side, Noah helped out.
Holding the knife skillfully, he proceeded to prepare the vegetables.
Cutting radishes, slicing green onions, and mincing garlic.
“Hey Noah, can you pass me that?”
“Yes.”
Shin Hyun took the vegetables from Noah.
Making spicy fish soup isn’t difficult.
Add stock ingredients and boil on high heat before removing them.
Dissolve the pre-bought seasoning paste in water, add the radish first as it takes the longest to cook, then throw in the rest of the vegetables.
Finally, generously add today’s star—the fish—and boil.
“Mm~ smells good.”
Attracted by the smell, Taehwa, Jin, and the Demon King returned from fishing.
The Demon King…
“It’s disappointing. I saw a big one underwater but couldn’t catch it.”
“…Did you dive?”
“Yeah! The cold doesn’t bother the Demon King!”
His entire body was completely soaked, and his clothes were frozen, yet he showed no signs of being cold.
If this continues, was buying that winter coat a waste?
…No.
‘She’s cute, so it’s fine.’
Having rationalized it to himself, Shin Hyun gestured toward the tent.
“Go change your clothes and come back. Dinner’s almost ready.”
As they disappeared into the tent, Shin Hyun lowered the heat slightly.
Boil-boil. Thus, the spicy fish soup was completed.
And Shin Hyun began heating instant rice with hot water.
Though lacking in sentimentality, what can you do?
You can’t carry rice around everywhere.
Pouring the warmed rice into each bowl.
Finally, the completed spicy fish soup was placed on the table.
The spicy aroma that tickles the nose spread throughout.
“…Gulp.”
“Why, do you want to try it?”
“…Yes.”
“Here you go.”
Even though not everyone had arrived yet, starting the meal early wouldn’t hurt.
Smiling faintly, Shin Hyun looked at Noah.
With a tense expression, she ladled a spoonful of the broth.
“Try it. Eating outside always tastes better.”
“Pfft. That’s not true.”
“Have you ever seen me lie?”
“…Isn’t that practically every time?”
“That’s right.”
“What is that supposed to mean…”
Noah didn’t believe Shin Hyun’s words this time.
To her, he was a reliable presence, but it was hard to trust what he said.
Of course, it would surely be delicious, but it’s just eating outside.
Changing the location doesn’t necessarily create such a dramatic difference.
Certainly, he wasn’t someone who told absurd lies…
‘Eh, I’ll find out after I taste it.’
Slurp—
She took a sip of the steaming-hot broth…
“…!!”
Noah’s eyes widened in surprise.
Thanks for the great work I read 86 chapters in one sitting thanks for the effort