Chapter 801: Fishing is Life (6)

A memory from elementary school suddenly comes to mind.

Isn’t it basically a universal rule that there’s at least one crazy dog in every neighborhood?

There really was one like that in the neighborhood where Grandma and I lived.

Its name was Oksun.

A cute-looking Shih Tzu, but whenever we walked to or from school, it would stand on top of the wall and bark like mad.

-There it goes again....

-Wooju, let’s go the other way.

So whenever we walked home together, we’d deliberately take the long way around.

Anyway, here’s the point of the story.

Even a tiny little dog going yip yip! makes people scared enough to avoid it.

“So imagine a shark.”

“That makes sense, hyung.”

I looked past Junhyun, who was nodding, and out at the sea of Phuket.

Round and round.

Everyone stared blankly at the shark circling the boat with its fin sticking out of the water.

Veteran actress Oh Hyunsook said,

“Sweetie, I really don’t get this. Are there just no fish biting, or are they not biting because of that thing?”

“Maybe it’s because of the shark?”

“That must be it... right?”

Teacher Baek Sanggyeo clicked his tongue.

“Good grief. Fishing in Phuket is full of ups and downs. First it rains, then a shark starts circling.”

“I’m sorry.”

Junhyun scratched the back of his head.

“I shouldn’t have rescued that shark earlier.”

“No. That was the right thing to do.”

“Yeah, Junhyun, that was really well done. It’s just that......”

Kang Manho said with moist eyes,

“Today’s fishing trip is a bust.”

“Ah....”

While Junhyun awkwardly scratched the back of his head, Captain Mario came back holding a harpoon.

His expression was grim.

“Kill?”

We all waved our hands frantically.

No, no, no.

I don’t know exactly why, but it just feels wrong.

To spear a shark that’s calmly circling nearby feels like... like the triangle of conscience in my heart would start spinning wildly.

“So what do we do now?”

At Chu Giseok’s question, I answered.

“Should we just keep fishing for now? It might actually turn into a blessing in disguise because of the shark.”

“Because of the shark?”

“Yes.”

The gloomy faces of the senior anglers somehow reminded me of the underlings back in Korea.

To lift their spirits, I deliberately spoke in an upbeat voice.

“With a shark around, the small fry might not come near. We might catch something big and strong enough that even a shark can’t mess with it.”

“Ooooh!”

“That makes sense! Wooju nailed the point.”

“That could happen.”

I only said it to hype up the mood, but even to me it sounded oddly convincing.

Back when we were elementary school kids, we avoided Oksun the Shih Tzu because she was scary, but tough-looking adults would just go, ‘There it goes again,’ and stroll past coolly.

Sure, most fish might stay away because of the shark right now, but maybe there are fish bold enough to go, ‘Screw the shark,’ in Teen Spirit style and hang around nearby.

I don’t know about Korea, but in Thailand there are monster-like fish that would probably steam a shark and eat it.

“Right. Just like Wooju said.......”

Teacher Baek Sanggyeo was about to say something encouraging with a chuckle when—

Kkwaaaaak!

The reel screamed as it was yanked tight, and the fishing rod bent sharply under a powerful force.

“Whoa? It’s on! Teacher, you got one!”

“Hey, this one’s big!”

“A shark? Is it a shark?”

“No, the shark’s on the other side!”

Chaos erupted along the rail.

The camera directors surrounded Teacher Baek Sanggyeo, and we all gathered around him to cheer.

“Ughhhhh!”

The white-haired trot singer gritted his teeth and pulled hard on the rod.

He asked,

“Hey! What is it? What kind of fish is it?”

“It’s just a guess... but they think it’s a GT.”

“GT!”

Short for Giant Trevally, commonly called GT.

They say if Korea has red sea bream and black sea bream, overseas there’s GT—an admired species among Korean anglers.

In tropical waters like this, the larger ones contain ciguatera toxin, so you shouldn’t eat them raw, but grilled as barbecue they’re supposedly incredible.

“Really? A GT? Then I’m definitely catching you!”

His hands moved skillfully.

Just moments ago he was chuckling, but now Teacher Baek Sanggyeo looked like a 40-year veteran angler.

An astonishing focus on his goal.

It wasn’t that there were no bites—his skill was simply unmatched.

Kick, the fishing guide who usually wore a blunt expression, said with respect,

“He is good.”

“Ha ha ha! I know! But wow... this one’s really big!”

It took a full 30 minutes just to bring it up to the surface.

Soon a silver, blunt-bodied fish broke through the water, and everyone took off their sunglasses and gasped.

“GT!”

“It’s a GT!”

Wow.

It was the kind of fish that made you say wow without thinking, as it flopped weakly at the surface.

The crew expertly scooped it up with a net and lifted it onto the deck.

Its silver scales glittered in the sunlight.

“Wow.......”

Even the staff let out exclamations as Teacher Baek Sanggyeo burst into hearty laughter.

“I caught it!”

He collapsed back into his chair as if his legs had given out, rubbing the back of his neck and shouting,

“I caught it! I caught it!”

His eyes sparkled with pure, childlike joy.

The crew secured the fish, and the staff brought out a measuring tape.

Past one meter....

“One meter and thirty centimeters! That’s the biggest record so far!”

“Wahaha!”

Teacher Baek Sanggyeo leaned back laughing.

Then he held up the Giant Trevally and declared,

“Ha ha! I’ve broken my personal best of one meter twenty! Viewers, I, Baek Sanggyeo, have done it on my second day of fishing!”

“Woooo!”

The staff applauded, and Junhyun and I turned into photographers, snapping away enthusiastically.

“Hey.”

“We need to step it up too.”

“Tropical fish are no joke. Breaking the Korean record in one shot.”

The warm congratulations lasted about a minute.

Soon the competitive spirit of fellow anglers flared, and everyone reached for their rods.

As I stared at the fish barely fitting into the cooler, Teacher Baek Sanggyeo strode over and hugged me.

“Hey! Wooju! Looks like you were right.”

“Me?”

“You said with the shark around only big fish would come! And look—only big ones are biting.”

“Oh? You’re right.”

Soon the captain’s explanation was translated.

“They say that when GT are young, they’re prey for sharks, but once they’re adults, they become apex predators in these tropical waters. They’re sometimes even seen killing sharks to eliminate rival predators.”

“Wow.......”

“They’re even sometimes seen swimming alongside sharks.”

I had only said it casually, but it was true.

We’d actually caught a fish that could rival a shark.

Now I understood why the shark circling the boat hadn’t attacked.

“It’s common in nature, hyung.”

The human National Geographic standing next to me said,

“Predators usually only hunt things weaker than themselves. They avoid attacking something equal or stronger unless absolutely necessary.”

“You really know a lot. Have you talked to predators or something?”

“No. I read it in a book. Hunters in the wild calculate cost and benefit thoroughly. Even when they target something bigger, they only strike when it’s vulnerable.......”

“Wahahaha!”

Teacher Baek Sanggyeo’s laughter cut off our conversation.

He waved at the shark.

“You pretty thing! Thanks to you I caught a big one! Wahahaha!”

He looked at the shark with such affection he seemed ready to kiss it, and I burst out laughing.

After Teacher Baek Sanggyeo caught his trophy, the fishing continued for about three more hours, and the other anglers started getting results one by one.

“Whoa?”

The second bite came to Chu Giseok.

The reel screamed as the fish showed tremendous strength before finally surfacing after a long fight.

“Huff, huff... look at his arm shaking.”

“It’s a barracuda!”

A sharp, skewer-like fish thrashed violently on the deck.

Ninety centimeters long.

“Congratulations, sunbae.”

“Ha ha! Thank you. Come to think of it, Wooju, you caught something yesterday too, right?”

“Yes. Half of one.......”

“.......”

After that, Oh Hyunsook caught a slightly smaller GT.

Kang Manho caught a grouper.

A reddish fish like a red tilefish.

Over a meter long, and apparently once they grow beyond two meters, they can chomp small sharks with ease.

“Wow.......”

The middle-aged man with a prickly expression smiled happily.

“Phuket really is heaven’s sea! Hahaha!”

“Right, Manho?”

“Yes, hyung! This is amazing! Wow... you can catch fish like this in Phuket.”

When that was translated, the fishing guide Kick and Captain Mario laughed and waved their hands.

“They say it’s actually very rare to catch big fish like this consecutively.”

“Then is it really thanks to the shark?”

“It must be.”

The fishing cast approached the shark, laughing and calling out, “Thank you, shark!”

All the while, I quietly fiddled with my rod.

“I need to catch something too......”

It suddenly reminded me of my trainee days.

Everyone debuting or moving on to successful paths one by one, while I was still just a trainee.

It’s not that extreme, but there’s a subtle pressure that I need to do something.

Junhyun put a hand on my shoulder.

“Hyung, don’t worry. You’ll catch something soon.”

“Thanks, Junhyun.”

Even if it wasn’t something as big as theirs, I needed to catch something decent.

Teacher Baek Sanggyeo said,

“Everyone’s caught one. Now we just need Wooju to get one. Hahaha!”

“Wooju! Fighting!”

“Yes! I’ll definitely catch one!”

I waved at the cheering adults and placed my hands on the rod.

As if they couldn’t let the Souffle daughters hear, “Wooju came back empty-handed,” Captain Mario and Kick stood beside me.

About thirty minutes before we were supposed to end the fishing—

Titik.

Suddenly my rod began to bend.

Not as dramatically as the others earlier, but still—

“It’s on! I got one!”

This was definitely a big one.

“You got one? Wooju got one?”

“Finally!”

“With this, we’re all going back with a full catch! Hahaha! We need to throw a party after this!”

Clutching the bending rod, my heart pounded.

Thump thump.

Was I finally becoming a proper angler?

Already I imagined video calling the members and bragging, “Hyung caught this!”

I focused.

“The legendary fisherman returns!”

“Seriously, with that expression alone he looks like he could beat Sanggyeo hyung.”

“You can do it! Sweetie! Pull!”

I took a deep breath.

All the fishing tips I’d watched on MyTube flowed out instinctively.

Reel in, pull, lower... adjust the strength at the moment the fish exerts force.

Maybe that’s why.

“It’s big!”

“What is that? What does it look like?”

“Uh... GT! It’s a GT!”

A GT—called a dream species among anglers—surfaced.

Even the Thai crew at the scene gasped.

“Kaah!”

Teacher Baek Sanggyeo shouted.

“A trophy! Thanks to our pretty shark, we’re only catching big ones today!”

“Thank you, shark!”

“I almost want to kiss it!”

Laughter filled the air as the staff moved to net the trevally—

The shark that had been circling suddenly moved.

A bad feeling hit me.

Toward the exhausted GT thrashing weakly—

“Whoa whoa whoa!”

A violent splash erupted as the two fish clashed, and everyone stumbled backward.

The camera directors stepped back as the shark attacked the GT right before our eyes.

And three minutes later—

“.......”

Whirr whirr whirr.

As I reeled it in, the Giant Trevally felt much lighter.

It reminded me of watching The Little Dinosaur and the Ice Star Adventure at the Gunsan Community Center as a kid—like that spiky fish.

“Still.......”

Trying to salvage a positive reaction, Junhyun said awkwardly,

“At least... you caught half.”

“.......”

The GT on the deck was missing its entire upper half.

A suffocating silence fell around me.

The shark circled leisurely nearby, munch munch.

The cast members who had been praising the shark moments ago rolled their eyes toward me, then turned to the sea and switched their stance.

“Hey! Why are you doing this to our Wooju!”

“You rotten thing!”

“Even my ex-husband wasn’t this bad!”

Amid people cursing the shark on my behalf, I hugged the half-fish.

“Ughhh.......”

At the sound that escaped my mouth, the camera directors covered their mouths, trying not to laugh.

How do I describe this feeling?

Two days in a row.

Half a fish.

I lifted the half-fish to show the staff.

“Uwaaaaa...!”

“Hahaha!”

“Eeeeeee...!”

“Hahahaha!”

“Ugh... eeeeee......”

It’s true that when you’re too wronged and resentful, words won’t come out.

As everyone burst into laughter at my miserable expression, I raised both hands toward the sky and screamed.

“Nooooooo!”

I dropped to my knees and howled, and laughter exploded around me.

Day two of fishing.

The nickname the staff gave me that day was “The Half Man.”

[Honey, I’m Going Fishing - Day 2 Overall Scoreboard]

Baek Sanggyeo: GT (1.31m)

Kang Manho: Grouper (1.2m)

Oh Hyunsook: GT (1m)

Chu Giseok: Barracuda (90cm)

Wooju: Camera director’s hat. Seagull. Kim Junhyun. Half barracuda (40cm). Small tropical fish. Half GT (50cm)

Junhyun: Rock (30cm). Sun Wooju. Shark (1.8m)

Day three since NewBlack’s leader and rapper disappeared.

In the studio, everyone was studying or doing self-improvement when Ri Hyuk snapped his book shut.

“Hyung. This is serious.”

“Why?”

At Biju’s question, Ri Hyuk replied,

“What should I do? I’m starting to miss him.”

“Wooju hyung?”

Nod.

Biju asked,

“Isn’t that... normal?”

“It’s only been three days and I already miss him this much. That’s serious. Being too dependent on someone isn’t good for mental health.”

“.......”

“I’m worried it might be a problematic symptom, so I’m flipping through psychology books.......”

It’s probably just because you miss him....

Suppressing a smile, Biju turned the laptop screen.

“It should be about time for a call.......”

“Is it time?”

It was time for a video call with the two members.

As the three of them gathered in front of the laptop, eager to hear what had happened that day—

Pazzz.

The screen connected, revealing Junhyun sitting in a resort room.

But—

‘Where’s Wooju hyung?’

On the left twin bed, there was a giant lump of blanket rolled up tightly.

He must be tired and sleeping.

Wang Jiho tilted his head.

‘Wooju hyung isn’t the type to sleep though.’

Isn’t he the kind of person who works on songs or gives feedback until dawn, living a constantly exhausting life?

As they puzzled over this unfamiliar sight—

Sniff.

At the sound of someone sniffing, they looked at Kim Junhyun.

He shook his head, indicating it wasn’t him.

Their gaze shifted to the blanket ghost.

Junhyun said,

“Officially, Wooju hyung is currently sleeping.”

Wriggle wriggle.

As if protesting, the foot of the blanket twitched.

Junhyun spoke in an awkward, robotic tone.

“By the way, that sniffing just now is probably because Wooju hyung has a bit of a cold.”

The blanket lump wriggled again, as if confirming it.

The members tried to suppress their laughter at the obvious act.

‘So cute. I need to screenshot this.’

‘Fishing must have been a disaster. Should we send him a comforting email?’

‘Guess we can’t ask about souvenirs....’

They couldn’t stop grinning at this rare sight.

Looking at their sulking leader hidden under the blanket, they continued chatting while holding back laughter.

“So today, what happened was... Wooju hyung got a new nickname. It’s Half—”

“Cherry tomato?”

Before the sentence could finish, the blanket lump rustled.

Bzzzz.

Junhyun’s phone rang at the same time.

“...Huh. Someone other than Wooju hyung is calling. Hello?”

The members burst into laughter.

“Yes, yes, say it’s room service. Yes... leave that part out. Yes.”

They giggled at someone in NewBlack who absolutely could not act, nodding innocently.

“Wooju hyung! At this point just come out and talk!”

“Seriously, why are you so embarrassed?”

“Come out and talk, hyung.”

As if answering ‘No,’ the blanket lump squirmed.

The members burst out laughing.

‘How badly did fishing go?’

How bad could it have been?

They had no idea it had really been that bad.

Ri Hyuk pouted.

‘Such a drama queen.’

......They had no idea it really had been that bad.