My love index is at its maximum.

She must have a backup plan!

Tazaki Tsukasa looked over the parasol and saw only Kuriyama Sakura and Ninomiya Shiori. The camera was assumed to be on a tripod, and the lens cap was not yet open.

"Where's Yui Kawakawa?" he asked, standing up.

Kuriyama Sakura pointed to the cabin, "Kikawa-kun doesn't seem to be in a hurry. He's resting on the sofa right now."

Tsukasa Tazaki went inside.

As she passed by, Kuriyama Sakura whispered, "So you finally realized something was wrong? I was almost disappointed in you."

Outside the cabin, the sun blazed down, while inside, a gentle sea breeze blew.

The blonde girl reclined on the sofa, leisurely eating ice cream, while a radio program played on the tuner beside her. The setting sun streamed in through the window, illuminating her white stockings, making them dazzlingly white, as if she herself radiated a pure, holy light.

When she saw Tsukasa Tazaki walk in, she only glanced at her briefly before continuing to casually lick the white ice cream with her pink little tongue.

The sea breeze blew in, causing the corner of the open pages of "The Catcher in the Rye" on the table to flutter.

She tricked me...

Tazaki Tsukasa shook his head with a sigh, sat down on the sofa, and casually pulled the pair of legs covered in white stockings onto his lap.

"Are you trying to handcuff me again?"

"To be honest, I do."

Yui Kikawa frowned slightly as Tsukasa Tazaki's hands held her feet and stroked them back and forth. The warmth and touch from his palms made her instinctively curl her toes.

"How does it feel?" she asked.

"The stockings are dense, delicate, soft, and smooth. The calves are incredibly elastic, making them irresistible to touch."

"How long do you plan to play?"

"Play until you get tired of it."

Yui Kikawa probably couldn't think of the right words, so she closed her mouth, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Tazaki Tsukasa rubbed her legs and asked in confusion, "If you can't catch any fish, what's your backup plan?"

“There was no backup plan at all.” Qichuan Yui shook her head. “My original plan was just to let you fish in the aquaculture pond, and then change the background backdrop to the ocean in post-production.”

"A huge project."

"It won't take me more than a few hours."

"Amazing!" Tsukasa Tazaki nodded in praise, then asked, "Since you can finish the work in a few hours, why make me stand outside in the scorching sun all day?"

Qichuan Yui slowly swallowed the last bite of ice cream, licked her lips, and said, "For no reason other than to tease you."

"The reasons are very good."

Tsukasa Tazaki smiled wryly, "I thought I had already convinced you."

“I’m really convinced by you.” Yui Kikawa tossed a strand of blonde hair with her fingertip, half-closing her eyes as if enjoying a massage: “From the time I suffered from heatstroke last week until I came to Oma Town this week, I’ve been trying to get to know you again.”

Why don't you want to anymore now?

"First, I only want to have you all to myself. I don't want to see you having intimate interactions with others, and I don't want to be just an outsider who can't get a word in edgewise."

"Hmm, I understand. What's the second one?"

Qichuan Wei slightly opened her eyes, her clear blue eyes fixed on him: "You said you were a genius too, and you said I was the person you knew best, but even so, I still managed to trick you. This only proves that you still don't meet my requirements!"

"understand!"

Tsukasa Tazaki took a deep breath: "Have you thought about what if I catch it?"

"impossible."

I was saying "if".

There aren't that many "what ifs".

Qichuan Wei shook her head, looking at him with a complicated expression: "My feelings for you are really special. I feel blushing, shy, and my heart races. It's all real. To be more specific, for example, even with such a light touch like you playing with my leg right now, I can't dislike you. I even enjoy it a little. If you could stay away from other women and only be nice to me, I think it wouldn't be long before I genuinely fall in love with you. Can you do that?"

Tazaki Tsukasa said irritably, "Give up on that idea."

“That way, we’ll never have a chance to be friends.” Yui Kichikawa lowered her eyelids and said hesitantly, “If I can’t have everything, I’d rather have nothing at all.”

"That was quite a proud statement, very much in line with Yui Kichikawa's style."

Tazaki Tsukasa stared at her face like a spy: "But this is the first time I've been played like this. I can't swallow this. What do you suggest we do?"

What can you do with me?

Qichuan Yui slightly twitched the corners of her mouth, an expression that could be interpreted as a smile. The soft sunlight illuminated her face, painting it with a vibrant, almost mesmerizing color.

As for the meaning of that smile, it's mostly not very friendly...

"Tasaki-kun, come quick! You've got a fish on your rod, a big one!"

President Nakano's voice came from outside the cabin. Tazaki Tsukasa released her foot. "Let's see what fate has in store. If this fish isn't a bluefin tuna, then we'll pretend nothing happened and go our separate ways. But if this fish is a bluefin tuna..."

He chuckled and said as he walked out, "Choose one of these three cosplays: a captured female knight, a princess who becomes a slave, or a saint who is bought and sold."

"Tsukasa Tazaki, you're dreaming!"

Qichuan Yui clenched her fist and punched the sofa several times. Then she hurriedly put on her shoes, ran to the camera, turned it on, and pointed the lens at the boy who was preparing to put away his rod.

The fishing rod, fixed to the side of the boat, had its fishing line taut, and the other end was constantly moving on the sea surface.

Tsukasa Tazaki walked over, gripped the fishing rod, and began to turn the reel to reel in the line.

Feeling the pull, the fishing line instantly taut, and a tremendous reverse force came from the tip of the fishing rod. Not only did Tsukasa Tazaki fail to control the fishing rod, but he was also pulled forward and fell by the big fish.

He quickly braced himself against the gunwale with one foot to steady himself. Then he gripped the fishing rod tightly with both hands and leaned back to try and pull the fish up.

However, the fish's strength was simply too great.

Even though Tsukasa Tazaki braced himself against the gunwale and pulled back, the rod was already stretched into a U-shape, but he still couldn't reel in a meter of line. He could only try to maintain this posture to prevent the big fish from pulling the rod away, and the two sides started an unusual tug-of-war.

When humans fight with strong, large fish in the sea, their fishing gear can be easily taken away. If a person is not careful, they can be pulled into the water and dragged a great distance in an instant.

"Tazaki-kun, let me do it."

President Nakano extended his hand from the side: "I have a lot of experience dealing with this kind of big guy."

"One person, one club, don't cross the line!" Yui Kikawa stared intently through the viewfinder, her voice cold: "Tsukasa Tazaki, let's see what you can do to me!"

Tsukasa Tazaki glanced back at her, a few meters of sunlight separating them.

Ninomiya Shiori's puzzled gaze darted back and forth a few times before she looked at Kuriyama Sakura for help: "Sakura, what's wrong with those two?"

"I don't know."

Kuriyama Sakura reached out and touched her hair: "But all we need to do is cheer him on."

"Hmm~"

The little cutie nodded vigorously.

"Kiki, you can do it!"

"Don't embarrass my ATF department."

Two voices rang out one after the other. Tazaki Tsukasa steadied himself and opened the system.

Fishing (Mastery): 50000

[Do you confirm the purchase?]

[I have purchased the Fishing (Mastery) skill, spending 50000.]

Current available funds: 1387250

I closed the interface, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty smell, blew in my face. Seagulls flew low overhead, making this summer afternoon seem exceptionally long.

"Drink!"

Tazaki Tsukasa gave a soft shout, pulled hard on the fishing line with both hands, turned the pulley to retrieve a meter of the line, and continued to retrieve it, using his body as support and swinging his arms with all his might to pull the fishing line back little by little!

Two minutes later, the fishing line was pulled back twenty meters, and the hand movements stopped.

The fishing line, suspended in the air, taut, with water droplets falling from it. Then, the line began to hiss softly in the water, and the fish at the bottom began to struggle once more.

Tazaki could only grip the fishing rod tightly, brace his feet against the gunwale, and lean back to counteract the pull of the big fish.

"Sigh, it's tough." President Nakano frowned and sighed.

Shiori Ninomiya ran up to him and asked nervously, "Uncle Nakano, is there a problem?"

"Sea fishing for big fish tests not only fishing skills, but also willpower and stamina," President Nakano said to Shiori Ninomiya with the air of someone who'd been there before. "During the struggle, a person's arms and fingers can become fatigued and weak within minutes, losing control of the fish. And, in Tazaki-kun's opinion..."

He didn't say the second half of his sentence. In his opinion, Tazaki Tsukasa was a pampered Tokyo kid, and in terms of willpower and physical strength, he was definitely no match for the big fish that had aroused its survival instinct.

"Uncle Nakano, you're wrong!"

Shiori Ninomiya said angrily, "Kiki is the best in the world!"

Tsukasa Tazaki looked over and said, "She's right."

The little cutie smiled broadly.

"Could you pass me a bottle of water?"

"Okay~" Shiori Ninomiya ran back and got him a bottle of purified water.

With one hand tucked the fishing rod under his body, Tsukasa Tazaki reached for his water bottle with the other. He opened the cap, drank half of it in one gulp, and then poured the rest over his head.

The fish struggled violently again. To prevent the rod from breaking, he had to loosen the fishing line a little, let the fish go a few meters away, then pull it back in, and let it out again, playing the fish back and forth to exhaust its energy.

After a stalemate lasting nearly half an hour, the sky gradually turned orange-red, and the afterglow of the setting sun flickered uncertainly among the waves.

Tazaki Tsukasa's face turned bright red as he gritted his teeth and began to reel in the fishing line.

The fishing line slowly and steadily rose, and the sea not far in front of the fishing boat swelled up as fish were brought to the surface.

Apart from Yui Kichikawa, everyone on the boat stuck their heads out over the gunwale.

"Splash!"

A splash was heard, and then a large fish, over 1.5 meters long, emerged from the water. Water cascaded down its body to both sides, and the whole fish shimmered in the sunlight.

It has a spindle-shaped body, a bluish-black back, a silvery-white belly, and a black, raised ridge on its tail. The spines on both sides of its back appear very sharp in the sunlight. It rolled once on the surface of the water, and then slipped back to the bottom like a diver.

President Nakano exclaimed excitedly, "Good heavens, there really are bluefin tuna!"