"Well, I really wanted to meet you ever since I heard about you from Kurt."
"Sorry, but I don't want to meet you."
The old man in front of Kai—Sully, to be exact—paused for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha... my apologies, my apologies. It must be scary when some stranger suddenly says he wants to meet you, right?"
"That's one reason, but it's not the main one."
Kai was itching to run away before he got dragged into some trouble.
"There's no need to be so nervous! Like I said, I'm Kurt's father, so you can trust me. I heard the two of you have become close friends."
'Since when did we become close friends?!'
Kai couldn't believe Kurt would ever say something like that to his own father. That could only mean the man in front of him had just jumped to conclusions after hearing his son's story.
Kai studied the man's body. He wasn't as heavily built as Rock, but he was still in great shape—clearly someone who trained regularly. If it came down to a chase, Kai felt there was no way he could outrun him if he ever had to flee, like he did with Rock..
"So, what exactly do you want from me?"
Better to cut straight to the point so he could get away faster.
"Well, after hearing about you from Kurt, I thought I'd like to teach you a few things I know!"
"Don't tell me this has to do with being a fisherman?"
"You got me... how did you figure that out?"
Kai had guessed from the fisherman's clothes the man was wearing. It looked just like the outfit fishermen wore in games, complete with a camping hat. But the real giveaway was the headband, decorated with fish and ocean waves.
"Just a lucky guess."
"I see... you really are something else."
Sully grinned from ear to ear. That only made Kai regret giving the right answer. He should've just played dumb.
"Even though you're right that this has something to do with fishing, unfortunately what I want to teach you isn't as grand as you might've imagined."
"I-I see… so then, what are you going to teach me?"
Kai instantly regretted asking when he saw the old man's wide grin.
"This is the romance of every man in the world!"
"R-romance of every man in the world?"
Kai immediately pictured himself surrounded by beautiful girls when he heard Sully's words, but that fantasy was quickly shattered by the old man's answer.
"Yes, it is… fishing!"
Sully then pulled out a fishing rod from who-knows-where.
"Ehhh…"
Kai's disappointed voice was loud and clear, though it seemed the old man didn't hear it at all.
"So, how do you feel? Isn't your heart racing with excitement?"
As if his heart would race over something like that. Sure, Kai had tried fishing before—both in real life and in games—but he never enjoyed it much. Having to wait so long just to catch the fish he wanted was never fun.
"Sorry, but I still have something I need to do, so I'll be going now."
As Kai turned to leave, the old man stopped him, gripping his shoulder firmly with one hand. Kai could feel just how strong he was from that grip alone.
"Come on now… just watch me fish for a bit and learn. I promise you won't regret it."
From experience, Kai knew there was no point in running. The old man would hound him until he gave in. Since he no longer had the strength to keep fleeing, Kai decided to surrender for now. He'd just look for a chance to slip away once the man let his guard down.
"Alright, but I'm only watching, okay? I still don't know anything about fishing."
"Don't worry—you'll understand right away once you hear my explanation! I guarantee it, one hundred percent!"
"Hn! I'm looking forward to it."
The two of them headed to the lakeshore—or more precisely, to a small dock with a little boat tied up nearby.
Sully pulled out his fishing rod, set the bait, and cast the line into the lake.
"Now we just wait."
The explanation was so simple that it made Kai feel drowsy. It really did seem like fishing was the same no matter where you were, so there didn't seem to be anything worth learning.
"How long are we supposed to wait?" Kai asked, already looking bored even though not even a minute had passed.
"No idea! When it comes to fishing, luck is one of the most important factors. Sometimes you catch something right away, sometimes you don't catch a thing no matter how hard you try."
Kai had a bad feeling they weren't going to catch anything.
"Are you even sure this lake has fish in it?" he asked, crouching down to peer more closely at the surface of the water. He couldn't see a single fish.
"Of course! Anywhere there's water, there are bound to be fish living in it!"
"Really? Have you ever seen fish living in your bathtub?"
"Of course! Haven't you ever seen a bathtub full of fish?"
"Eh!? Don't tell me fish also live in bathtubs in this world!?"
Kai glanced toward the Fairy Goddess for confirmation.
"No… I think he's probably the only one who puts fish in a bathtub… maybe," the Fairy Goddess answered, a huge sweat drop forming on the back of her head.
"I see… that's a relief."
Kai really didn't want to imagine having to bathe with fish. That would definitely be one of the worst experiences ever.
"Hm? Just who were you talking to just now?" Sully asked, giving him a curious look.
"No one… I was just talking to myself."
For some reason, Kai didn't feel like bringing up the Fairy Goddess in front of the old man.
The two of them turned their attention back to the fishing line that was still floating on the surface of the lake. There was no sign that any fish had taken the bait Sully had set.
"It seems this spot isn't bringing us any luck. We'd better try somewhere else."
"No, I think we're simply destined not to catch any fish at all. We should just call it a day."
Kai looked like he wanted to leave, but Sully's intense gaze made him hesitate. Kai had no idea what the old man might do if he dared to refuse him.
"Oh, so here you are, Kai… I've been looking for you everywhere."
Suddenly, a voice called his name from behind them. Both men turned their heads to see who it was.
There stood a beautiful woman named Gina, Pete's wife and the mother of Katie and Yu. She was carrying a box of cakes in her hands.
"Oh, Mrs. Gina… I didn't expect you'd come looking for me! What brings you here?"
In truth, Kai didn't like the idea of stealing another man's wife, but if the woman was the one who fell for him first, there was nothing he could do about it. Being handsome certainly came with its sins.
"It's nothing important. I just wanted to give you something."
Gina lifted the cake box slightly as she spoke, her sweet smile shining as she said those words. Even though she was already married with two children, she still looked so stunning that Kai couldn't help but be captivated.
"That thing!"
For some reason, Sully froze the moment his eyes fell on what Gina was holding.
"Kai, I think we'd better end our fishing trip here for now."
Sully said this while tidying up his fishing gear before quickly leaving the two of them behind.
"Uh, sure…?"
Kai could only look at him in confusion. 'Wasn't he the one who insisted on continuing the fishing earlier? So why is he suddenly the one ending it now?' Kai couldn't make sense of the strange behavior of the villagers in this place.
"Um, if you don't mind… you can take this!"
"Eh!? Really!? But I don't have any money to pay for it!"
"It's fine! Think of it as a small welcome gift… you can even ask for seconds if you want."
Gina's cheeks flushed as she handed the cake in her hands over to Kai.
'Is this really allowed?! What about her husband? And her two children? Are you seriously fine with giving something like this to a boy young enough to be your son?!'
Kai's face turned red as he accepted the cake.
"Um, Kai…"
The Fairy Goddess seemed about to say something to him, but when she saw just how overjoyed he looked, she held her tongue.
"Thank you so much! I'll make sure to eat every last bite!" Kai declared enthusiastically.
"Yes, please… I'd be so happy if you did."
Her warm, radiant smile made Kai want to devour the cake right away, but he held himself back. He wanted to prepare his finest plate so he could savor it properly.
Carefully, Kai tucked the cake into his bag so he wouldn't drop it and ruin his chance to enjoy it later.
"By the way, what about your husband? And Katie, and Yu?" he asked.
"Oh, them… My husband suddenly decided to go somewhere while I was baking this, and Yu is still over at Kurt's shop. As for Katie, she slipped away before I even realized it… That girl is always vanishing the moment I start baking. It's almost like she'll do anything to avoid helping me in the kitchen."
"Hahaha… maybe she doesn't want to get fat. Girls around my age tend to worry a lot about their weight."
"Is that so? Well, it's not like I can't understand her feelings. I used to worry about my weight a lot too, when I was as young as you all."
Before they knew it, the two of them had been chatting for quite some time. That made Kai uneasy—if anyone saw them alone together, they might get the wrong idea. He decided it was best to leave before rumors could start.
"Sorry, but I'd like to look around the village a bit more… If I'm not mistaken, there's still one road I haven't gone down yet."
"Oh, I see… what a shame. I actually wanted to talk with you a little longer, but I suppose it can't be helped… you must be planning to head toward the road that leads to the Villa, right?"
"Villa? Is there a Villa here?"
"Yes, it belongs to a wealthy family who once moved to this village. But since they're too busy working in the city, they left their child here with an elderly maid… you'd better introduce yourself directly if you want to know more, rather than just hearing the story from me. I don't really want to meddle in their family matters."
"I see… in that case, I'll head over there right away. Thank you for everything—I'll be sure to repay your kindness."
"There's no need… just think of it as a small welcome gift from me!"
"Alright, until we meet again."
"Take care on the way!"
After exchanging a final wave, Kai and Gina went their separate ways. Kai couldn't help but wonder what people might think if they had seen what he and Gina had just done.
Taking the road he had yet to explore. The path sloped upward, forcing him to put in a bit more effort. Along the way, he spotted Elly and gave her a wave, which she promptly returned. Kai actually wanted to talk to her, but he felt it would be better to reach the Villa before it grew too dark. He didn't want to be stuck walking on a dark road.
It took quite some time before Kai finally found the Villa Gina had mentioned earlier. The Villa was rather large. Perhaps not as big as those in Kai's previous world, but it was undoubtedly the grandest building in the entire village—larger than even the village chief's house or Pete's tavern.
He also noticed a garden and some farmland along the road leading to the Villa. Though curious, he decided to leave exploring them for tomorrow. For now, his focus should be on the Villa itself.
Standing at the entrance, Kai hesitated. Should he knock first, or would it be acceptable to simply walk in? He felt uneasy about entering the house of a wealthy family without any manners.
"You can just walk right in! No one's going to scold you, even if you don't knock."
said the Fairy Goddess, who had sensed Kai's hesitation.
Still hesitant, Kai stepped into the Villa without knocking. As he had suspected, the interior was adorned with luxuries—statues, ornate lamps, and other extravagant furnishings. He then began to look around for the residents, since he hadn't seen anyone when he first stepped inside.
He entered a room with an enormous door. Inside, Kai was immediately greeted by rows of neatly arranged books lining the walls. There was no doubt—it was a library.
To be honest, Kai had only ever been to a library a few times in his life. Books weren't exactly his favorite thing.
Still, he chose to explore the library first before checking the other rooms. After all, in novels, the library was often the stage for fateful encounters—so who knew, maybe he'd get one too.
And sure enough, his little prediction came true not long after. A beautiful girl stood before one of the tall shelves, stretching her arm to reach a book just out of her grasp. It was a cliché scene, but also a perfect chance for Kai to make a good impression.
He walked over without hesitation, grabbed the book, and handed it to her.
"Here you go."
"Ah, thank you."
The girl froze for a moment as she accepted the book. Her face quickly turned red, and before Kai could say anything else, she hurried away, disappearing behind one of the shelves.
"Eh!?"
Kai muttered in surprise, startled as the girl suddenly pulled away from him without another word.
A few moments later, the girl peeked out from behind the shelf again. Her cheeks were still flushed, though not as intensely as before.
"Are you… an intruder?"
"NO, I'M NOT!"
Well, the girl wasn't entirely wrong. Technically, Kai was an intruder, entering her house without permission—but there was no way he was going to admit that to her face.
They then looked at each other from across the room, both feeling a sense of awkwardness in their hearts.
'What am I supposed to do in a situation like this…?' Kai thought, frustrated that he couldn't find a way to break the tension.