Morning Glory

A short story about fishing and surprises in the morning.

The faint glow of dawn was just beginning to pierce through the veil of night as I stepped into the familiar warmth of Café Perkele, the neighborhood’s favorite spot for coffee and cheap but delicious food. And no, I was not saying that just because Até Katja owned the place. Its doors never shut, catering to the poor sleep-deprived souls seeking solace or a cup of coffee at all hours, from travelers stopping over Agihan City before embarking on a ship to the neighboring islands, to agents from upstairs’ call center grabbing their caffeine and or meals to fuel their shifts.

It was fifteen minutes to 5 in the morning, and there were already a decent amount of call center people taking their pre and post-shift coffee and breakfast. The bustle of customers did not drown out the soothing jazz that played on the sound system. I waved hello to G at the counter, busy serving a pair of young women who couldn’t decide which type of coffee to order. Hang in there, G. Just 5 more minutes and your shift was over. I had half the mind to invite her, but she never was the outdoorsy type.

It took a short time to find the person I was meeting thanks to the bag of fishing equipment at the booth in the corner of the room. Fang sat there, drinking what looked like a glass of chocolate milk and munching on a sandwich. She spotted me the moment I approached, swallowing the rest of her food ravenously, before washing it down with the milk. She was clad in a green hoodie twice her size, beige track pants, and sandals.

*“Good morning.”*

Fang said with her usual stoicism, wiping her mouth with a tissue. Judging from the hints of jelly  on the empty plate and the scent of Skippy I picked up from the otherwise coffee-scented environment, she must have eaten a PBJ.

*“Good morning. Had a nice breakfast?”*

*“Yes. G makes good sandwiches.”*

*“Quite. You should try out the katsu sandwich next time. G makes them really good. Shall we go?”*

I offered to take the bag for her, but she declined and quickly picked up her gear without much effort. I had to admit, it was amusing watching the reactions of some of the customers as a small girl carried around a heavy backpack and a fishing rod. I walked beside her as we exited the place. Fang gave G a small smile and a bow of thanks for the food as she walked past the counter. I waved goodbye as well, before I caught a brief glimpse of G sighing in relief. The two girls finally figured out what to order and her shift was about to be over.

*“Over here, Fang.”*

Até Gjerta called out cheerfully and waved us over as she sat inside her jeep parked across the street. She even honked the horn for emphasis.  Até Katja sat shotgun, equally enthusiastic. The couple were both clad in fishing gear,  a blue cap with a caption saying “MILF: Man I love Fishing” proudly worn by Até Katja. Fang and I hopped in the back of the jeep and we soon went along the highway towards the ole fishing spot outside of the city. It was a peaceful lake right next to a big narra tree that casted great shade.

*“Are you sure Mitsune doesn’t want to come? We brought more than enough food and drink for a plus one.”*

Até Katja said, turning on her phone and checking the Unit 8 group chat. It was the same as I last checked, with Mitsune replying to the fishing invitation with a “Sorry, maybe next time”.  An anime about wacky adventures in a prison and a priest villain finally dropped on Netflix and she was seriously binge watching the entire season for the rest of the day, and fishing with us isn’t going to get in the way.

*“She’s got important stuff to do, unfortunately.”*

Até Mao and Soliana, who cared little for the activity and the former calling it “boring as f”, simply left the chat on read.

*“Oh well. More fun for us.”*

Até Gjerta said with a chuckle. The sun rose higher as the jeep drove east of the city, painting the sky with hues of gold and casting its warm light.

*“Wait, we’re stopping over somewhere?”*

I asked after noticing we were driving the wrong direction.

*“Yeah. Jessie’s. Katja here said she wanted to try spearfishing, and Jessie’s got the best harpoons for that.”*

Até Gjerta said before our Unit leader turned towards me and Fang with a mischievous smile.

*“We’re going to try fishing,  Unit 4 style. Sounds fun, eh Fang?”*

*“It will be good exercise.”*

Fang said, making Até Katja nod in a sage manner.

*“And would come in handy in case we need to fight underwater.”*

*“I’m pretty sure Unit 4 will be assigned missions related to that, Até, not us.”*

*“Victory loves preparation. That’s part of the basics, Cards. Come on now, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. Were all those years for nothing?”*

Até Katje said, feigning disappointment.

*“Just for that, you’re going to be the one to pick up the spear. Don’t worry, I messaged Jessie already. Just knock and get it from her.’*

Spartan in her training as always, I see. That, or Até Katja just didn’t want to climb up five flights of stairs and get to Jessie’s apartment.

*“Até Jessie’s the half-fish, right?”*

Fang’s innocently delivered question was followed by the two Atés sharing a laugh,

*“Yes, Fang. She is **THE** feesh of Unit 4. She’s got fish-ears, scales, shark teeth and everything. Oh, and she smells like pickled herring.”*

Até Gjerta said. I could tell she was trying her best not to sound like she was joking. While she does have fin-like ears, I never saw her with teeth and full scales before. And personally, I’ve never noticed her smelling like pickled fish.

*“I’d like to meet her.”*

And with that, Fang accompanied me as we climbed the stairs and reached the door to Jessie’s apartment after a short drive. I knocked on the door and called out to her, trying to keep my voice down and avoid waking up the neighbors.

*“Jessie, it’s Ricardo from Unit 8. I’m here to pick up the spear.”*

*“Haaaai. Hold on.”*

A sleepy voice responded from behind the door. It sounded familiar, but it wasn’t Jessie’s. Wait- Was that-?

*“Morning, Cards. Hisashiburi~”*

The question answered itself when the door swung open and Até Kaoru was the one that greeted us. She looked like she just woke up, her hair disheveled. My surprise at seeing her, who as far as I knew was in Osaka, turned into absolute shock as not only was she just wearing a black tank top and nothing else below, she also had a… magnum in all its morning glory. My body acted faster than my own brain and I quickly covered Fang’s eyes with both my hands before quickly turning away. Até Kaoru noticed Fang beside me and sounded happy, unaware of the situation she put us in.

*“Oh hi, Fang-chan. It’s been awhile, you’ve gotten taller. Aww, and you’re wearing the hoodie I gave you. You still haven’t grown into it though.”*

*“Hello. Good morning. Yes. I like wearing it. It’s very comfy. Kuya, I can’t see Até Kaoru-”*

*“I’d hate to interrupt this sweet reunion but Até, what are you doing here and can you please put some pants on?”*

*“Visiting of course. Jessie picked me up when I landed yesterday and I decided to stay the night. Thought I’d surprise you guys.”*

*“Yes. This is definitely a surprise to be sure. Please put some pants on.”*

*“Heh. It’s like you’ve never seen a penis before.”*

*“Not a woman’s. No.”*

WIth a chuckle, the door closed and I heard Até Kaoru’s footsteps walk back into the apartment. I let out the deepest sigh I’ve probably had, as if my soul itself left my body. I stopped covering Fang’s eyes, the strength in my arms fading just from that… experience. We awkwardly stood there quietly  for a minute, but it felt like an eternity.  But then, Fang broke the silence with an epiphany.

*“Oooh. She used a Magnum.”*

Bruh. I nearly snapped my neck with how fast I turned my head to face her.

*“W-where did you learn that from?”*

*“I heard Até Gjerta, Katja and Mao talk about it once. They said it was a way to make things more fun, and I figured they used it to grow-”*

*“You don’t have to explain further. I know what it does. Unfortunately.”*

The door opened again and thankfully, Até Kaoru was wearing shorts now, too short if you ask me, but her thighs are tame compared to what my eyes were subjected to earlier. Either way, my eyes were strictly looking around the apartment. We walked into he living room, adorned with shades of azure and aquamarine. It was pretty much what I expected. The walls were adorned with framed photographs capturing mesmerizing underwater landscapes, not to mention weapons like harpoons and daggers made of shells and coral were proudly displayed. A large, plush couch, draped in ocean-inspired hues, sat in the center, inviting people to sink into its comforting embrace. Soft, shimmering curtains, reminiscent of the ocean's depths, gently swayed in the breeze. But as much as how scenic her living room was, it did not erase the memory of the past 5 minutes.

*“So, you guys are going fishing huh? Still heading out to Lake Bula?”*

*“Yep. And we’re here to borrow a fishing spear from Jessie.”*

*“Ah right. It’s over there. She told me to tell you guys to just take it.”*

She pointed at the long spear displayed on top of smaller curved knives and swords. From the shaft to the tip, the body was carved out of dark red coral. Strands of sea-weed-like bindings are meticulously braided and fastened onto the shaft, creating a grip of sorts. It looked slippery but when I picked it up, it made for a great gripping surface. Must have been magically altered.

*“A Balud-dugo classic, I presume. Where is Jessie, anyway? I’d like to thank her for lending it to us. Oh, and Fang wants to meet her too.”*

I said as I took a closer look  of the delicate patterns adorning the spear tip and its sturdy composition before feeling its weight and balance in my hands. Not bad for coral.

*“She’s in the shower. Should be finished soon”*

As if on cue, the door to the bathroom opened and Jessie walked out in nothing but a towel.. All I could do was pinch the bridge of my nose, close my eyes, and pray that my face wasn’t red.

*“I see you guys found the spear. That baby can kill a whale with just one strike. Those lake fish will stand no chance!”*

Jessie said cheerfully. Leave it to her to find merriment in the killing of a whale.

*“Get a load of this guy, Jessie. You’d be surprised that this guy is not a virgin anymore but still acts like a prude. Come on, Cards. We’re all adults here.”*

*“He looks cute when embarrassed.”*

Até  Kaoru and Jessie shared a chuckle.

*“T-thanks for letting us borrow it. We’ll bring it back later, don’t worry. We should get going now, they’re waiting for us downstairs.”*

*“But Kuya, I haven’t introduced myself to Até Jessie yet.”*

Fang suddenly whispered in my ear, as if she considered it rude to interrupt us earlier.

*“Right… Jessie, this is Fang. Newest member of Unit 8. Fang, this is Jessie.”*

*“Hello. Nice to meet you.”*

*“So you’re the Fang I’ve been hearing about. They said you looked cute, but aren’t you an adorable thing? Love the hoodie. It suits you.”*

*“Thank you. I like your towel.”*

*“And your wit is as sharp as your axe. Aw, Kaoru. I love this kid.”*

Jessie said, laughing softly. Fang then walked up to her and tried to smell the air around her.

*“You don’t smell like pickled herring at all. She smells like flowery shampoo, Kuya.”*

Fang said, surprised by the revelation to the point where she had to tell me as well.

*“That she does, Fang. That she does. Last night she had this perfume though, Le Labo. It’s a coffee one, that unisex smell of ambiguity. Ah, it drove me crazy!”*

Até Kaoru said, a smile of nostalgia on her face as she imagined the events that transpired last night.

*“So that’s your preference, huh?”*

Jessie said, a sultry expression on her face. Aight. We should head out.

*“Huh. What do you know? Learn something new everyday.”*

I stood up and made my way towards the door.

*“It’s great to see you, Até. Let’s meet up some other time. I know the others would be glad to catch up with you. And thanks again for the spear, Jessie.”*

I heard Fang’s footsteps following behind me as we walked out of the apartment.

*“Bye for now~”.*

With Kaoru’s sing song goodbye, we climbed down the first flight of stairs silently. Honestly, I had no idea what to say to Fang at this point. One thing’s for sure, she has been learning a lot. And the moment we were back on the ground floor, it hit me.

*“Fang. Don’t tell anyone else about what happened earlier.”*

*“Why?”*

*“Até Kaoru wants to keep her being here, right? It wouldn’t be good for us to ruin it for everyone else.*

*“Ah. Okay. Sure.”*

*“What took you two so long?”*

Até Katja said as we got into the jeep.

*“Jessie was in the shower when we knocked. We had to wait for her to get dressed.”*

*“Yes. And she did not smell of pickled herrin*g.”

*Fang stared quizzically at Até Gjerta, unsure as to why she was misinformed. She could only reply with a “Tehe~”, bopping the side of her head with her hand and with her tongue jokingly stuck out.*