A Woman on a Mission
The automatic doors slid open, and Saki stepped inside the hospital with a determined stride. The faint scent of antiseptic filled the air as doctors and nurses bustled about. She ignored the beeping machines, the quiet murmurs of visitors, and the occasional cries from patient rooms. She had one goal today.
Reaching the reception desk, she placed both hands on the counter, leaning forward slightly.
"I need to speak with someone," she said firmly.
The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with kind but tired eyes, looked up from her computer. "Certainly, ma'am. Who are you looking for?"
Saki took a deep breath, steadying herself. "*Kenji*."
The receptionist typed for a moment before glancing back up at Saki. "Dr. Kenji? I'm afraid he no longer works here. He moved to America a few years ago with his wife."
Saki's eye twitched.
*America?! With his wife?!*
Her fingers tightened against the desk. "You're sure?" she asked, voice controlled but laced with irritation.
"Yes, ma'am. He officially resigned and transferred his practice overseas. Can I help you with anything else?"
Saki's nostrils flared, and she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "*Tch*." Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the hospital.
As soon as she reached outside, her phone buzzed.
She yanked it from her pocket and checked the screen. A message from her husband:
**[Come home.]**
Saki clenched her jaw, gripping the phone tightly.
She had come all this way, spent so much time digging through old records, following lead after lead, only to be met with a dead end.
*What am I even doing?* she thought bitterly.
Without another word, she shoved her phone back into her pocket, exhaled sharply, and walked toward her car.
Meanwhile, in the Jungle...
Far from the city, deep in the wilderness, two very lost campers were trying to navigate the "Great Outdoors."
Max and Kota had been walking for what felt like *hours*—in reality, it had only been thirty minutes.
Kota, holding a stick like a walking cane, let out a dramatic sigh. "Dad, I think we're lost."
Max, who was checking a very *unhelpful* paper map, huffed. "We are *not* lost."
"Then where are we?" Kota asked.
Max pointed vaguely ahead. "There."
Kota stared at the dense trees, vines, and uneven dirt path. "'There' looks a lot like 'nowhere' to me."
Max ignored him and continued walking—until his foot *suddenly* snagged on something.
"*Wha—?!*"
With absolutely no grace, Max went *flying* forward, arms flailing.
*THUD!*
Kota blinked at the sight of his dad sprawled on the ground, tangled in a thick tree vine.
A beat of silence.
Then, Kota *lost it.*
"PFFT—BWAHAHAHA! Oh my—Dad! That was—HAHA!" He doubled over, clutching his stomach. "You *flew*, man! I should've recorded that!"
Max groaned. "This is *exactly* why I don't go outside."
Kota wiped tears from his eyes. "Wait, wait—" He pulled out his phone and aimed it at Max, mimicking slow-motion. "*And there he goes—an elegant display of human flight!*"
Max shot him a glare but stayed lying down, accepting defeat. "You're enjoying this too much."
Kota smirked. "Oh, *way* too much."
After finally detangling himself, Max brushed off the dirt and continued leading the way (*this time, carefully*).
But the wilderness was *not* done with them yet.
**Obstacle #1: The "Invisible" Hole**
They had barely walked five steps before Kota suddenly disappeared.
One second, he was beside Max. The next? *Gone.*
Max froze. "...Kota?"
From below, Kota's voice came, muffled but still loud: "I HATE THIS PLACE!"
Max cautiously peered over the edge of a knee-deep hole. There, at the bottom, Kota lay flat on his back, arms spread out.
"Are you okay?" Max asked.
Kota groaned. "No. Nature *betrayed* me."
Max sighed and offered his hand. "Come on, Drama Queen."
With a bit of effort (*and Kota milking the moment for extra sympathy*), he was pulled out of the hole.
**Obstacle #2: The Spider Incident**
As they walked further, Kota suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
Max noticed his son's face going pale. "What's wrong?"
Kota slowly pointed at Max's shoulder. "D-Dad..."
"What?"
Kota gulped. "There's... a... *giant* spider on you."
Max *instantly* went stiff. "...How giant?"
"Like, *final boss* giant."
A chill ran down Max's spine. "Get it off."
"You get it off!"
"Kota!"
"Okay, okay—" Kota grabbed a stick and, in the *least* heroic way possible, *lightly poked* the spider.
The spider *did not* like that.
It *launched* itself off Max's shoulder—
And directly onto Kota's face.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Max could only watch as his son ran in circles, screaming and flailing like a wild chicken.
"IT'S ON ME IT'S ON ME IT'S ON ME—!"
*WHACK!*
Kota ran straight into a tree.
The spider? It gracefully hopped away, completely unharmed.
Kota? He slumped to the ground, groaning.
Max, hands on his hips, looked down at him. "*You* okay?"
Kota weakly gave a thumbs-up. "At least the spider's gone..."
Max chuckled and helped him up. "C'mon, soldier. You survived the war."
**Finding the Fishing Spot**
After *way* too many mishaps (*and Kota threatening to sue the jungle*), they *finally* reached a clearing.
Before them lay a peaceful lake, glistening under the sunlight. The sound of birds chirping and the gentle rustle of leaves filled the air. It was... perfect.
Kota exhaled in relief. "We *finally* made it."
Max patted his shoulder. "See? Totally worth it."
Kota gave him a deadpan look. "We were almost *killed* by vines, holes, and a *demon spider*."
Max smirked. "Just adds to the adventure."
Kota rolled his eyes but grinned. "Yeah, yeah... Alright, let's fish!"
As they started setting up their fishing gear, neither of them knew that this trip—though hilarious—was also about to bring something deeper to the surface.
And maybe, just maybe, Kota was about to learn something important about his dad.
But for now? It was time to fish.
CHAPTER END 🫠