Winter Lake Date
The lakeside was battered by a fierce, biting cold wind. But who am I? Thanks to the Magic Hot Packs Mark-2 tucked into each of my pockets, I was totally fine.
"Skating first!" I pulled two pairs of leather boots from my bag. The soles were fitted with thin, razor-sharp steel blades I'd specially ordered from the blacksmith last year, anticipating something like this. I'd completely forgotten about them and left them stashed in the warehouse.
"Are these skates? They have blades on the bottom?"
"Yep. Magical shoes that let you glide across the ice. I'll show you how it's done first."
I confidently laced up the skates and stepped onto the ice. Hey, I'd been to a skating rink three times back in my old life. This was a piece of cake.
"Watch closely, Seria. You shift your weight gracefully like this... Whoa?!"
Whoosh. My feet shot out in opposite directions against my will, and I slammed down hard on my butt.
"Ack!"
"Young Master! Are you okay?!"
Seria startled and rushed over, but I frantically waved her off.
"I-I'm fine! That was just testing the ice! Okay, round two!"
I struggled back to my feet, but even trying to lift a foot made my legs tremble like a newborn calf's. Damn, I talked big for nothing. They say you master half of it just by standing still.
"Gahhh!"
I flailed my arms in the air, crawling across the ice like an idiot. Grace? Yeah, right—I was the neighborhood fool.
"Pfft..."
A stifled snicker came from behind me. I whipped around to see Seria covering her mouth, shoulders shaking.
"You... you just laughed, didn't you?"
"N-no, Young Master. You're just... heh, so enthusiastic."
"You laughed! Come on, you try it! See how hard this is!"
I huffed and tossed the skates at her. Seria set down her fishing rod and slipped them on.
"So I just stand on the blades and glide?"
"Yeah, exactly. And it hurts like hell if you fall, so be careful."
I crossed my arms, ready to snicker if she wiped out. Soon, Seria cautiously stepped onto the ice. She wobbled a bit at first, then locked her legs and found her balance.
"Oh, this is neat. Almost no friction."
Seria pushed off with one foot. Whoosh. Her body glided smoothly across the ice.
"Huh...?"
I couldn't believe my eyes. After a few more pushes, she got the hang of it and picked up speed.
"S-Seria! You're really a beginner?!"
"Yes. This is more fun than I thought. I can use sword footwork to stay balanced easily."
Seria giggled as she zipped around freely. She even skated backward and spun in circles. With white breath puffing from her mouth, dancing across the ice like that... she looked like an ice fairy.
...Unfair.
I plopped down on the ice, staring blankly. I suggested this, so why am I the worse skater?
"Young Master, what are you doing? Come skate with me."
Seria glided over and offered her hand. I pouted and looked away.
"No thanks. My butt hurts."
"Aw, don't sulk. I'll hold you up—come on, stand."
Seria grabbed my hand and hauled me up. Terrified of falling again, I clung to her arm for dear life.
"Whoa! Hold tight! If you let go, I'm really gonna be mad!"
"Hehe, I won't. Now, match my feet and push slowly. One, two."
Seria held both my hands and skated backward, guiding me. Pulled by her strength, I awkwardly started moving across the ice.
"Oh... Ooh! I'm going! I'm actually skating!"
"Look at you. You're doing great."
Seria beamed at me. Through our clasped hands, her warmth seeped in. As our faces drew close, her signature lavender shampoo scent wafted faintly, even in the crisp winter air.
"Ahem."
I awkwardly looked down.
"Seria."
"Yes."
"Your athleticism is straight-up monstrous. Nothing you can't do."
"I'll take that as a compliment. And you're a genius at using your head, Young Master. We all have our strengths."
Seria tugged my hand lightly and spun us around. We smoothly crossed the middle of the lake.
After tumbling and gliding across the ice for a while, we collapsed in the center of the lake, panting.
"Hah... hah... That was brutal."
I wiped sweat from my forehead. This was a real workout. Even with the winter wind howling, my body was steaming hot. Though I'd spent more time flailing after falls than actually skating.
"Young Master, your stamina's improved a lot. Back then, you'd have passed out already."
Seria sat beside me, fanning her flushed cheeks. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead too.
"Who do you think I am? The poor guy drilled daily by a sadistic instructor. This is nothing."
"Sadistic instructor? Say 'devoted knight responsible for her lord's health' instead."
We burst out laughing at each other. Then I jumped up.
"Alright, warmed up. Time for the main event."
I walked to the lake's center and gathered mana in my fingertip.
"First, the fishing hole."
Sizzle! A superheated mana beam melted a perfect circle through the thick ice in seconds. Clear lake water lapped below.
"Whoa, there really is water."
"Duh. Here, your rod. Bait it up, drop it in, and wait."
I handed Seria a small prepped rod. She crouched by the hole, eyeing it curiously.
"Oh, so this is a fishing rod. For catching those... fish you fry and they're supposed to be amazing?"
"Yep. Binggeo—fairies of the winter lake."
I opened the bait tin. It was wriggling with maggots.
"Eek!"
Seria recoiled in horror.
"Y-Young Master! What is that gross thing?!"
"Bait. Binggeo go nuts for it."
"You... touch those with your hands? And we eat the fish that ate those?!"
Her face went pale. Even our Seria fears bugs. She looks just like a normal girl in moments like this—adorable.
"That's fishing for you. Think fish live on salad? Here, I'll hook it—you hold the rod."
I impaled a maggot on the hook and passed it back. Seria pinched the rod's tip between two fingers and plopped the bait in.
"Now what?"
"Wait. When you get a bite, the tip'll twitch. Yank then."
We crouched side by side by the hole. The wind howled, but pressed together, it wasn't too bad. Plus, hot packs in my pockets.
Ten minutes passed.
"...Nothing's coming."
"Patience. Fishing's about endurance."
Twenty minutes.
"...Maybe the fish froze to death?"
"No way. It's warm down there. Just a bit longer."
Thirty minutes.
"...Young Master, can't I just smash the ice with a wooden sword and grab some?"
"Are you nuts?! You know nothing of fishing's romance!"
I held her back. She'd probably shatter the ice, dive in, and catch them barehanded.
Then—tap, twitch. Seria's rod tip quivered.
"Whoa! Seria! Bite! Pull!"
"H-how?!"
"Yank up hard!"
"Hya!"
Seria reeled back with a shout. But—whoosh!
"Huh?"
Her insane strength bent the rod like a bow, launching a silver fish skyward.
"...Where'd it go?"
We both looked up. The binggeo arced high, then plop—buried in the snow behind us.
"..."
"..."
"Seria."
"Yes, Young Master."
"No aura when fishing."
"I didn't use aura. Just a little wrist snap..."
Seria pouted at her rod. I sighed, dug the binggeo from the snow. Soft powder—no damage. A finger-sized silver fish, sparkling in the sun. Pretty.
"We caught one. First haul."
"Oh... so this is binggeo. Smaller than I thought."
Seria poked it curiously.
"Fry up a hundred and it's heaven. Got the feel? Let's keep going!"
After that, we got serious. Seria, who first yeeted fish to orbit, mastered it after a few tries. Genius is genius—even at fishing.
"Young Master! Got another!"
"Nice! Me too!"
We raced to reel them in. Our bucket by the hole soon brimmed with silver binggeo.
"This should do."
I patted my back and stood.
"Cooking time."
I unpacked a small pot and portable stove, poured oil, lit it with magic, and heated up. Coated the gutted fish in fry mix and dropped them in.
Sizzle! The aroma of frying rose with the oil pops.
"Gulp..."
Seria stared, swallowing hard.
"Done! Binggeo fritters, served!"
I plated the golden beauties and offered her one.
"Hot—blow on it."
Seria nibbled carefully. Crunch!
"...!"
Her eyes lit up.
"Young Master! This is... amazing! Crispy outside, savory inside... even chewing the bones feels fine!"
"Told ya. Winter delicacy."
We sat on the ice, devouring the fresh fritters. Best eaten outdoors like this.
"Ah, stuffed."
Seria smiled, plate empty. Fry crumbs on her lips? Still cute.
"Have fun?"
"Yes. Skating, fishing, fritters—all perfect."
She grinned at me, red eyes sparkling with clear winter sky.
"Let's come again, Young Master."
"Yeah. Next winter, and the one after."
We packed the empty pot and rods, left the lake. On the way back, we naturally took each other's hand.