episode_0141

About 30 minutes had passed since they started fishing.

“I got one!”

Manager Kwak shouted vigorously as he pulled the fishing rod.

-Shwirl!

The sound of the reel spinning quickly, as if engaged in a struggle for a moment.

“Oh! Oh oh! Oh yeah! Got a big red snapper!”

Finally, they had caught it. That big red snapper. As it surfaced, looking quite large even at a glance, the captain quickly lifted it with a landing net in hand.

“Oh, well done. Reel it in.”

Without realizing it, Manager Jeon had turned around and looked in Manager Kwak’s direction with delight.

“This one’s quite hefty! Must be around 55cm or so.”

“Is it big?”

“A bit bigger than the usual size? It looks plump, indicating it’s well-fed. And it’s still before the weather gets cold.”

It was difficult to judge without a reference point, but just by seeing Manager Kwak so happy, it was clear that it was a big catch.

“Quite fast for 30 minutes. You’re lucky today, my friend!”

Manager Jeon shouted towards Manager Kwak. Manager Kwak then proudly lifted the red snapper he caught with both hands, showing off to Manager Jeon.

In response, Manager Jeon raised a hand and waved it. Soon, the captain tossed Manager Kwak’s red snapper into the tank on the deck, and fishing resumed.

About 10 minutes passed.

“Nice! I got one!”

This time, it was Director Yook’s turn. Whether it was because of his size or because he was smaller than Manager Kwak, he didn’t expect much when he started reeling in.

“Wow! It’s a whopper!”

The captain exclaimed.

If the captain called it a whopper, how big must it be?

“Oh, it’s really big.”

“Wow. That’s huge. It’s almost 70cm, right?”

Manager Jeon muttered in amazement.

Even to my eyes, it looked incredibly large. I wasn’t into fishing, but I cooked a lot and often saw fish at the market, so I could roughly estimate.

“It’s quite big, but isn’t it rare at that size?”

He turned to me with a look that said, “Isn’t it obvious?”

“I remember the Korean record being around 75cm. So, even if it’s not a record, it’s close.”

Unbelievable. That such a fish would be caught by the nerdy Director Yook near our home. What a disgrace.

“It seems like this spot is good. Seeing these big red snappers coming up one after another.”

Well, if you watch something like NewTube, you see that they usually go out for about 6 to 8 hours, so considering that, the fact that the two of them succeeded in catching big red snappers in less than an hour was quite an achievement.

“Well, shall we try our luck as well?”

Manager Jeon turned back to the front, suggesting. Well, to be honest, trying our luck didn’t really matter since the fish had to bite…

-Zing! Splash!

Just when I was thinking so casually. This time, the signal came from my fishing rod.

The fishing rod, which had been securely placed on the holder, began to shake violently, and soon, you could see it bending towards the surface.

“Oh!”

“Stay calm!”

For some reason, Manager Jeon seemed more excited, and after pulling my fishing rod out of the holder, he handed it to me.

“T-Thank you.”

“Now! Grab the handle first!”

I didn’t know the names of the parts of the reel, but it seemed to mean to grab the handle, so I quickly grabbed the spinning reel.

“Since you’re not used to it yet, just follow my instructions calmly.”

“Yes, yes!”

“First, fix the end of the handle of the fishing rod to your abdomen.”

As he instructed, I brought the end of the fishing rod right below my belly button and secured it. With that, the previously unstable fishing rod became stable.

“And wind the reel 10 times and lift it up once, repeat.”

Trying to follow his instructions, I turned the reel.

“Faster!”

Due to the urgency in his voice, I quickly wound and pulled the reel, not even realizing if it was 10 times, 12 times, or 8 times.

“Right! Good job. You have quite the strength for your build. Have you been working out?”

As I desperately tried to reel in the fish, the old man, seemingly amused by my efforts, kept chattering away.

“Wow, you’re no joke either. When I first went fishing…I…”

“You should pull it up with your core muscles, not just your arms…yes!”

“Feel the sensation of pushing with your knees! That squ…what was it? Anyway, that thing. Core muscle exercise.”

“Oh, it’s called a squat. Oh, sir.”

It seemed like the fishing hook had gone deep, as no matter how much I reeled, it seemed endless. Plus, it was heavy, and my body was tense due to the first bite.

After about 3 minutes, following the old man’s instructions to release the reel handle in between, I took breaks.

“Pull!”

Again, I pulled the fishing rod and wound the reel several times.

Just as I thought I saw a shiny object far in the water, the old man shouted from the side.

“Oh, it’s a Spanish mackerel! And it’s over 1 meter long!”

Successfully catching the Spanish mackerel without letting my guard down until the end, I couldn’t regain my senses until the captain lifted the fish onto the deck.

-Thud! Flop flop!

The struggling Spanish mackerel fell onto the deck, and I finally understood why it was so difficult.

The captain measured the fish.

“1 meter 10 centimeters! Wow. It’s a big one.”

Although Spanish mackerel were naturally large fish, this one seemed exceptionally huge.

As I stared blankly at the fish.

-Thwack!

Feeling a sudden impact on my back, I turned to see the old man raising his thumb and saying, “It’s not your first time fishing, but catching something this big is a first, right? How does it feel? Isn’t the thrill amazing?”

It felt like he was saying, “Isn’t this game fun?” but I replied, “Yes…haha. It’s fun…”

Looking at my still trembling hands, I realized the true pleasure of fishing.

That’s why people couldn’t give up fishing and going out to sea.

“Exactly, that’s all there is to it. Haha!”

He had been acting like a dignified scholar just moments ago, but now he was talking about fishing with the excitement of a young man. It made me chuckle.

“Haha…thank you for teaching me.”

“Of course, let’s go fishing together often. You’ve been with this company for 15 years, right? You’ll be promoted to manager and director in the future. Isn’t that right?”

Is he teasing me? Asking me to come under him and leave the CEO position? Initially, it was Kang who brought me here, but was it really just Kang’s idea to bring me to this position? Perhaps the one who actually invited me to this position was…

-Thud! Splash!

As I pondered this, the old man, as if sensing my thoughts, gave me a strong pat on the back, making my upper body shake.

“This person, always thinking about work. Don’t waste your time on unnecessary thoughts. What does it matter which faction you belong to? It’s just for convenience. Whether it’s me or the CEO, it’s all the same in the end. It’s your era now.”

And the following story was somewhat surprising, yet also somewhat empty.

In the past, there were no factional conflicts like this, and it was true that he himself had ambitions and harbored such feelings.

But a few years ago, when he himself was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to undergo surgery, he started to think a lot.

It felt empty.

What’s the point of all this when you die?

Thinking that way, he let go of the factional conflicts and began to appreciate the present, reconciling with the CEO and fulfilling his wishes. Now, like in the distant past, they were like brothers in public.

“So, stop with the unnecessary thoughts. Even though Director Kwak and Director Park may have different intentions, they all have the company’s best interests at heart.”

Well, to be honest, I can somewhat relate. Being with a company for over 10 years, you realize that it’s no longer just a workplace at some point. For those who have been there for 20 or 30 years, what does the company mean to them?

From then on, I thought it might just be a part of life, a part of one’s identity.

That’s probably why many elderly people feel lost when they retire.

Anyway, the CEO’s direct revelation was more awkward than shocking, and it made me rethink about the company once again.

In this moment of arrogance, as I looked at the CEO with a strange gaze, I felt embarrassed and turned away.

Just then, Director Kwak approached us.

“CEO, the youngest one has just made a catch. When will you make a move? You always catch the big fish by yourself.”

“Stop making noise, this person. By the way, isn’t it lunchtime yet? I’m hungry.”

Hiding my awkward emotions, I quietly bowed my head in gratitude to the CEO as he walked away, setting foot on the deck.