Chapter 347 – Summer Fishing
It is midsummer. The sun is shining brightly, and the temperature is extremely humid.
Movement on Police Street, which was always lively, has decreased significantly.
Even though we have planted a lot of flower beds and street trees, it is inevitable that the heat will rise from the stone floors and buildings. It’s not like you can turn on the air conditioner or fan.
I am watching the sea from the wooden pavilion on the roof of the shelter.
When you put your bare skin on the wooden floor and feel the sea breeze, you feel like being embraced by nature.
In the past, I had to go through the double whammy of having to wear a mask even on hot days due to fine dust, but not anymore.
As the earth becomes more dangerous and people become more difficult, the sky becomes more beautiful.
I invited Artemis to join me, but she froze the moment she got up to the rooftop.
“What, what, what? This air!”
He must have been really surprised because he stuttered twice.
“Is this your first time experiencing summer in the flesh? Welcome to summer in Korea! Now you know what the scorching heat is like, right?”
“How can I rest in a place like this?”
Artemis traced her own neck, collarbone, and arms with both hands.
“The air is hot! And it’s sticky!”
“That’s because summers on the peninsula are humid. Especially since this place is next to the sea. “In terms of knowledge, you probably know better than me, right?”
“If you’re on a summer vacation, it’s good to spend your time in the shelter’s garden. Do I really need to sweat profusely here?”
“It has to be comfortable inside, but the enjoyment of nature is better here. It will be much better if you go up to the pavilion over there and lie down. “I’ll even fan you a knee pillow.”
Artemis, who thought about those words for a moment, closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.
“It’s impossible. “I just can’t do it.”
She let go of my hand.
It’s my first time. No matter how mischievous or dirty tricks I played, she never rejected my hand.
Summer in Korea is amazing!
“Is it that hot?”
“Are you talking like someone else? “You’re sweating on your forehead and neck!”
“It’s natural to sweat in the summer. This is better than the summer before the war? “At that time, I felt like I was getting ancient.”
Factories around the world came to a halt and the vast majority of cars also came to a standstill. The impact is definitely felt through the skin.
“Anyway, I don’t like it! “I’m going down, so you can enjoy it alone.”
Artemis turned around with her silver hair flying.
“Uh-huh! Where are you going to leave her husband alone?”
She hugs her from behind
“Aaaaah! It’s hot! It’s hot!”
“I enjoy saunas, but I hate things like this.”
“That means doing it naked in the bathtub, right? “I hate the feeling of my clothes being soggy.”
“Then we can just lie down naked together. “There’s no one to see it anyway.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Puck!
Artemis stepped on my foot with all her might.
“Oh my.”
I released the arms that were hugging me.
It didn’t hurt that much, and I loved the way my wife was struggling in her arms, but there was no point in letting her go at this point.
I think outside dates will only be possible in early fall.
It was a while ago that I saw Artemis off as she hurried into the elevator.
I felt like the owner of a high castle and watched people jumping into the sea.
Originally, the offshore sea seen from the pavilion was closed to outsiders, but this summer it was opened as an exception.
This is because most of the beaches downstream were dirty due to meat salting operations, and there was a large population of Polis who were longing for a summer getaway.
A young mother sat on the sandy beach with her waves crashing in her arms, her little boy about 2 or 3 years old.
Shoot!
Two pairs of legs side by side on wet sand. The hat laughs as the cool waves engulf her thighs and buttocks from the soles of her feet.
Most children who would be classified as preschoolers are naked.
In the past, someone would have taken issue with children running around and shaking their heads, but now everyone ignores them. To put it in a good way, it was a tough era, but in a bad way, it was a wild era?
You can see children building sand castles or competing in running races, young men and women swimming, and middle-aged people playing badminton.
A heavily pregnant woman took shelter from the sun under a shabby tent set up by her husband.
It is not the result of sex driven by simple sexual desire. People began to make plans for their second generation based on a minimally stable life.
Older couples walked on a promenade further away from the sandy beach.
I artificially created a barren field by planting grass and trees under my instructions. It is well-received by the elderly as it is moderately cool and offers a view of the sea.
It feels like the peaceful world of the past has returned, even if just for a moment.
A sense of pride and satisfaction welled up as I thought that all of this was an achievement that came from my own hands. Would you say it’s fun just to look at it?
There are several men throwing fishing rods on the beach rocks at the edge.
One advantage of today’s world for anglers is that they don’t get ripped off by their wives for going fishing.
Fishing is now a means of earning a living rather than leisure. Depending on what kind of fish you catch, you may receive a warm welcome from her wife.
“Fishing…”
The orphanage I grew up in was in the city center, and since I was a teenager, I’ve always lived an intense life, so I’ve never done it before.
But there is interest. After the shelter was restored, the most common thing I saw while observing survivors outside was fishing activity.
“Hippolyte, are you listening?”
She contacted her and asked her to bring her fishing set.
Since there is no person of great stature who dislikes fishing, the artificial pond at the top was designed as an indoor fishing pond.
There are a variety of fish there, but I haven’t caught anything in particular there.
But today, I became interested as I watched the fishermen on the rocky grounds of the beach.
“Administrator, I have brought what you ordered.”
“Good job.”
After stroking the head of the cute giant girl, he put the fishing rod on his back.
The carbon handle had Japanese characters engraved on it, and it looked very expensive as it was provided for the chairman’s use.
“Tell Artemis I’ll be back in the evening.”
“Hey, you mean without an escort?”
Hippolyte asks carefully.
“Look down there.”
He put his arm around her waist and led her towards the railing.
The feeling in her arms was very reliable, but this young lady followed very quietly.
“People are all naked, so what’s the danger? “There’s no such thing as hiding a gun under a jumper.”
Boom!
After completing external reconnaissance, several drones entered the hangar of Shelter Rock.
“Drones can come down at any time if circumstances allow it. “The repair shop is right around the corner, right?”
“I understand.”
“That’s right. “You are in my exclusive possession, so you just have to follow what I say.”
She nods her head with her happy face.
“Then prepare a vehicle to take you… Ah!”
“I’ll be back!”
I just jumped down the rocky mountain.
Hippolyte’s voice, screaming in surprise, quickly fades away.
They kicked against the protruding rocks and fell down dozens of meters at a time. The strong wind blowing against her is very refreshing.
Go down in the elevator, get in the car and go out the front door? Why would you go around like that?
Boom!
When I landed on the ground, I ran straight ahead. With each step, the world is pulled backwards.
Only when I saw people heading toward the sea one by one did I slow down and put on the straw hat I had brought.
On the outskirts of the beach, there is a fishing point with lots of large dark rocks.
Every time the waves hit the rocks, white foam rises and barnacles and starfish are everywhere.
People who were already fishing glanced at me.
Many of them just concentrated on their own activities, thinking that a new member had arrived, but some middle-aged people widened their eyes as if they were torn apart.
“Uh, that…”
“Where did you get that from? That expensive one.”
As expected, do scammers recognize it right away?
Bait was put on the needle. It is not an earthworm, a lure, or a rice cake. It is a mechanical caterpillar.
A consumable liquid contained in an ampoule was injected into the body. It is a chemical that spreads widely in the water and causes the fish’s saliva to explode.
This is an invention that Artemis developed to kill time, but we wonder how effective it is.
The mechanical caterpillar writhes brilliantly and secretes liquid in the form of bubbles from its tail.
Boo!
When I swung the fishing rod with all my might, the hook flew to the sea surface with a huge wave.
“Oh my, how ignorant you are about that precious thing! “What if it breaks like that?”
I heard a murmuring sound from somewhere, but I easily ignored it.
Even if you break one thing a day, you’ll still be able to enjoy it. If the situation arises, all you have to do is ask Artemis to make a new one.
“Oh! It’s definitely worth the money.”
As expected from a high-performance fishing rod and high-performance bait, bites came soon after.
The powerful pulsation felt from the carbon handle is a different taste from the recoil that occurs when a bullet is driven into the head of an infected person.
The sight of a fish being drawn in from afar with white spray. The attention of anglers was focused.
Since they use crude tools and bait, they probably won’t get as good a bite as I do.
The fish caught was dark and quite large. And it’s ugly.
I’m not interested in fishing, so I don’t know the species of fish. All I know is crucian carp, flounder, and mackerel.
“Wow, you’re amazing!”
The boy sitting next to me smiled brightly.
Maybe he’s in his early teens now? I’m waiting with an old wooden fishing rod. Strangely enough, did he come here to earn his own living?
However, performance was poor, perhaps due to poor tools and bait. There were only two small fish in the basket.
Grasshoppers and katydids are running around in the collecting bin, and they seem to be using insects caught in the grass as bait.
“Do you know what kind of fish this is?”
I pointed at the prey fluttering in the air.
“It’s rockfish.”
“Oh, this is what it looks like.”
With clumsy skill, he removed the rockfish from the hook and threw it into the boy’s basket.
Fondant!
“Ugh!”
A startled voice.
“Are you giving it to me?”
“I don’t have a basket.”
“Wow, it’s true. “I guess you forgot.”
“I just didn’t really need it.”
Hook the bait again and throw it vigorously into the sea.
“Thank you so much!”
“It’s the value of information.”
I patted the boy’s head.
“Next time you catch it, tell me what kind of fish it is.”
“Yes! Just leave it to me! My father owned a raw fish restaurant! “I know!”
“That’s amazing.”
Sting.
The top-of-the-line fishing rod and Artemis’ invention were truly terrifying. No matter how long ago it was since I threw it, another bite came.
“Eh? Already?!”
The boy also enjoyed watching me excitedly winding the rope. Small feet stomp.
The surrounding fishermen also looked at us with various expressions.
The thing that was dragged in with white spray was a fish I knew.
“This is flatfish.”
“I know how to clean up flatfish, man.”
“Ehehe.”
Fondant!
I also threw that into his basket.
“Oh my gosh!”
The boy didn’t know what to do.
“Hey, would you like me to make this flatfish sashimi for you? “I’m so sorry that I just keep receiving it.”
“Do you know how to cook raw fish?”
I looked at the boy with surprised eyes.
“Yes. My parents are busy working at the police station. Me and my younger brother thought we could take care of ourselves for at least one meal, so we caught fish. At first, I ate it grilled, but it was a waste of firewood and lighter oil, so these days I just eat raw fish.”
“Hmm.”
What appears on his young face is a more mature look than you can imagine. For some reason, my heart sank, so I just stroked his head.
“It’s okay, so let’s eat a lot with you and your younger brother. That’s how you grow taller.”
“Uh… Thank you. I will eat really well. Siwon will be grateful too.”
The boy, who had repeatedly lowered his head, saw the wriggling mechanical caterpillar and his eyes widened.
“W-what is this?”
“It’s robot bait. “Is this your first time seeing me?”
“Oh my god, I’ve never heard of anything like this.”
“I guess so. “Because it’s an invention my wife made.”
“You seem to be a very smart person. “What kind of doctor are you?”
In a child’s mind, an inventor is a doctor.
“Well, is it true that you are a doctor?”
If her knowledge were to be converted to a PhD, she would have at least thousands of degrees.
“Here we come again! Come again!”
“What a mess!”
By the time the gazes gathered around them gradually turned into envy, and envy turned into jealousy, the boy’s basket was full.
“Now there’s no room to put more.”
“Yes, thanks to you, I had fun.”
“What did I do?”
“Nothing is twice as fun if there is someone next to you to chime in.”
The information the boy gave every time he caught a fish was also quite interesting.
“Now, take this too.”
I handed the fishing rod to the boy.
“Oh, no. I can’t even accept this. If you are too greedy, you will be punished.”
The boy waved both fern-like hands in front of his chest.
“I wonder if this is a kid from today’s era.”
But does he know? The more this happens, the more I want to give.
“I have a lot of fishing rods at my house. So, don’t feel pressured and take it. “With this, I should feed your brother a lot of delicious fish.”
“… Thank you.”
“The boy cries.”
I saw him off all the way to his house. For some reason, I don’t like the stares of men peeping from all directions.
Morality, specifications, satisfaction.
When I see someone who possesses virtues that have become precious in today’s times, I feel like I want to take care of them for no reason.
I want to see that jewel-like soul live fully while retaining its purity.
Some people may criticize it as a one-time act of generosity or a game for self-satisfaction.
But then what?
Remove unpleasant entities from your sight, and protect those you like completely.
The power to do whatever you want, from big things like war to small things like fish.
That is my annual salary and reward as a shelter manager in the post-apocalyptic era.
