Morning broke over Minato with a sky as soft as brushed silk, the horizon tinted in hues of pink and orange. Kenji awoke to the sound of gulls and the faint splash of waves lapping at the shore. His body still ached from hauling yesterday's catch, but the ache carried pride with it.
Sora stirred beneath the new blanket, yawning. "Papa Kenji… did we dream all that? The fish, the coins…"
Kenji chuckled. "If it was a dream, then we woke richer than we've ever been." He opened the pouch and spilled a few coins into his palm, letting them glint in the early light.
Sora gasped as if he'd never seen them before. "Can we… can we buy our own net today?"
Kenji hesitated. "A net is no small purchase. The cheapest strong one will cost at least fifty copper. Maybe more." He smiled faintly. "But yes, I think it's time."
The Net Maker's Shop
Later that morning, they walked into the heart of Minato. The village was alive with voices—the clang of pots, the calls of merchants hawking dried fish and salted kelp. For once, Kenji noticed fewer whispers at his back.
The net maker's shop stood by the docks, ropes and nets hanging like spiderwebs in the sun. The old craftsman, Daichi, raised a brow when Kenji entered.
"Well, if it isn't the Empty Bucket," Daichi grunted. "Heard you dragged in a miracle yesterday. What brings you here?"
Kenji bowed politely. "Work, not miracles. I'd like to buy a net."
Sora stepped forward, eyes bright. "A strong one! One that won't break when the sea gives us more fish!"
Daichi snorted, but there was no malice in it. "Hah. Brave words, boy." He turned to the racks and pulled down a coiled net. Its ropes were thick, its weights solid iron. "This here's good for small shoals, strong enough to last you a season or two. Fifty copper."
Kenji counted the coins carefully, setting them on the counter. "Fifty, exactly."
Daichi's eyes narrowed. "So you really did earn it." He nodded slowly, passing the net across. "Then may the sea test you fairly. And may you not waste her gifts."
Kenji accepted the net with both hands, bowing deeply. "Thank you."
A New Kind of Cast
By noon, Kenji and Sora were back at the shore, the new net resting heavily in Kenji's arms.
Sora stared at it with awe. "It looks so strong, Papa Kenji. Can I try casting it?"
Kenji shook his head. "It's heavy, Sora. Too heavy for your arms just yet. But watch—see how it moves differently from the old one."
He flung it outward, the iron weights cutting through the surf with a satisfying splash. The net opened wider, fuller, before sinking. The pull was steady, no frayed ropes cutting at his palms.
Within minutes, the net bulged with fish—mackerel this time, shimmering like blue-green blades in the water. Sora jumped up and down.
"It's working! Papa Kenji, we're going to be the richest fishermen in Minato!"
Kenji laughed. "Slow down. One haul doesn't make us rich. But yes, this is a start."
Market Day
At the market, the sight of their gleaming catch drew a small crowd. Even the innkeeper, Hanae, leaned over her stall.
"Kenji, those mackerel are fine enough to serve whole. I'll take half for forty copper."
Another buyer, a restaurateur, called out, "I'll pay twenty for the rest!"
In less than an hour, their baskets were empty. Kenji's pouch felt heavy again.
📜 Kenji's Earnings (Updated)
Starting balance: 74 copper
Net purchase: -50 copper
Day 9 sales: +60 copper
= 84 copper total
Sora grinned as Kenji counted the coins. "We bought a net, and still have more money than before! That means we're winning, right?"
Kenji ruffled his hair. "It means we're learning, Sora. The sea rewards effort—and wise choices."
That evening, as they ate a proper stew from Hanae's stall, a few villagers approached. One was a young man named Taro, carrying a fishing pole.
"Kenji," Taro said hesitantly. "Would you… teach me sometime? The way you cast the net… it's different. Cleaner."
Sora puffed his chest proudly. "Papa Kenji is the best fisherman ever!"
Kenji chuckled. "I'm no master. But if you want to learn, I'll share what I know. The sea has room for us all."
Not everyone agreed—Riku glared from a distance, muttering with his crew. But more than one villager looked at Kenji with new respect that evening.
Dreams of the Sea
That night, after counting the coins, Kenji laid back with Sora by the fire. The boy traced shapes in the dirt with a stick.
"Papa Kenji… when we get even more money, can we really buy a boat?"
Kenji closed his eyes, imagining it: a sturdy wooden boat with a patched sail, carrying them farther from shore, into richer waters.
"Yes," he said softly. "A boat of our own. And when that day comes, you'll cast your first net."
Sora grinned, hugging the blanket. "Then I'll be the best little fisherman in Minato!"
Kenji smiled in the darkness, his chest swelling with both pride and fear. The sea gave… but the sea could take. Still, for Sora's sake, he would dare.