Inside the Volkswagen Golf, Takashi and the old fisherman were gathered around a children's toy fishing rod, carefully examining it.
Their intense focus made Shirogane Kei, who was sitting nearby, question whether the children's fishing rod she was using in the design game was some kind of antique.
"There's nothing special about it!" The old man studied it for a long time but found nothing unusual. It was just an ordinary children's toy, after all.
"Maybe it's beginner's luck," Takashi rubbed his chin and voiced his guess.
As everyone knew, fishing often came with a beginner's luck phase.
The moment a newbie started, fish would bite effortlessly.
Takashi had seen plenty of kids who could catch fish with just a simple fishing line, tossing it around casually. Within three to five seconds, a fish would be hooked.
Of course, this only applied to the beginner's luck phase.
The moment one got hooked on fishing, they'd suddenly find themselves catching nothing at all.
Takashi even suspected this was a conspiracy among the fish, tempting newbies with easy catches so they'd turn into dedicated baiting machines.
"This is your first time fishing, isn't it?"
Takashi adjusted his non-prescription glasses with an all-knowing expression.
The old fisherman beside him also suddenly realized—
"Every beginner gets lucky. Don't take one moment as eternity." The old man handed back the toy fishing rod, speaking with the air of someone who had been through it all.
Shirogane Kei remained expressionless. "I'm not a beginner. I've already fished nine times."
Takashi, unwilling to admit defeat, asked, "Did you catch fish every time?"
Shirogane Kei nodded. "Pretty much. But this is the first time I caught two at once. Before, I only caught one at a time."
"That's impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Takashi refused to believe it.
He had bought a full set of fishing gear—yet caught nothing.
Meanwhile, this girl, with a toy fishing rod from who knows where, was catching fish every time—today even landing two at once.
And the worst part? The fishing rod was a kids' toy edition.
How was this any different from a seasoned drinker losing to a child who had never had alcohol before?
Shirogane Kei's simple statement easily shattered Takashi's mental defenses.
The old man also fell silent.
No need to ask why—because fishing required silence.
"It's true! I'll show you next time." Seeing Takashi's disbelief, Shirogane Kei felt a bit indignant.
Fishing was just about having hands. Why would she need to lie about something ?
"Fine, I'll be waiting."
Takashi refused to believe it.
Was she born with some divine fishing constitution?
Catching fish every time, seriously?
"Young lady, are you selling this fishing rod?" The old man had already set his sights on it.
Who knew—maybe the rod really did have some kind of magic?
"Grandpa, this fishing rod isn't worth much. You can just buy one at a toy store." Shirogane Kei was an honest girl.
Even if she was poor, she didn't want to scam an elderly man.
If it were Takashi, he wouldn't care about the old man's age. He was broke—why would he pass up an opportunity?
"No, no, I want this specific rod." The old man chuckled.
"How about this? I'll buy it for 5,000 yen. And if I actually catch fish with it next time, I'll add another 5,000."
Five... five thousand!!!
Shirogane Kei's sapphire-blue eyes sparkled.
That was a whole 5,000 yen.
"Five thousand yen, and you dare say it out loud?" Takashi shot him a look of disdain before turning to Shirogane Kei.
"If you catch a fish with this rod next time, I'll buy it for 10,000."
If she was really that good, he would accept it.
"A hillbilly from Hokkaido wants to compete with me in wealth?" The old man sneered.
He wasn't bragging, but in terms of money, everyone here was trash compared to him.
"Young lady, if you win against him in fishing next time, I'll give you 50,000." The old man declared grandly.
"Deal! Damn it, I refuse to believe I'd lose to a novice."
Shirogane Kei was about to refuse, but Takashi cut in just in time, grumbling.
Damn it, another fool.
Refusing money when it's handed to her—if she wasn't broke, who was?
Shirogane Kei looked at him in surprise.
Was he... helping her?
But last time, he had so clearly rejected her.
"She's not someone you hired to scam me, right?"
The old man eyed Takashi suspiciously, feeling like he was being set up.
Takashi looked at him like he was an idiot. "If I were scamming you, I wouldn't just take 50,000. I'd go after your granddaughter, take everything, and leave you with nothing."
To his surprise, the old man nodded approvingly. "Makes sense."
"...Wait, aren't you supposed to deny it?"
Didn't he see how the girl beside them was now looking at him differently?
"But my granddaughter already has someone she likes. You don't stand a chance." The old man sighed.
He actually liked Takashi a lot.
The kid was handsome, excelled academically, had a calm and composed personality, and was meticulous in his actions.
Most importantly, he was incredibly sociable—able to get along with peers, middle-aged folks, and the elderly alike.
Wherever he went, he made connections.
Above all, he was sharp-minded and ruthless enough.
The more the old man looked at him, the more he thought—this boy was just like him.
He truly wanted to take Takashi in as his grandson-in-law.
Too bad he only had one granddaughter, and she already liked someone. Otherwise, he would have introduced them.
Takashi scoffed. "So what? Just because there's a goalkeeper doesn't mean I can't score?"
Shirogane Kei gave him a look as if she were staring at human scum.
On the other hand, the old man's gaze toward Takashi became even more admiring.
He never expected this kid to have the spirit of a legendary strategist.
No wonder the two had become friends.
"Just drop me off here." Shirogane Kei felt like making a U-turn further in would be difficult, so she planned to get out here.
Takashi looked ahead. "You live here?"
The road was narrow, barely one and a half meters wide.
The streetlights were old, and Takashi seriously doubted if they even worked.
Air conditioning units, transformers, and drainage pipes clung to the building walls like ivy.
The sanitation was awful—the ground was damp, littered with cigarette butts and fast-food containers.
Signs on the telephone poles warned, "Be careful with your bag when walking at night!"
Takashi had asked around about this area when looking for housing.
Apparently, in just two weeks, over fifteen robberies had occurred here.
Most of the victims were women working in Kabukicho.
Late at night, as they walked through these dim alleys alone, a motorcycle would zoom past from behind, snatching their handbags.
If they resisted, they'd be kicked—either in the face or the stomach.
The security in this area was as good as a doorman who didn't exist.
Even if the victims reported it, the police would just file a perfunctory report and leave.
That was why Japanese taxpayers called the police "tax thieves."
Shirogane Kei remained expressionless, seemingly unfazed by others seeing her situation.
But was she truly unaffected?
Takashi glanced at the hand she had tightly clenched in her sleeve and opened the car door.
"I'll walk you there."
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Check out the other translations too: [Mash-Up: Anything For Money]