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If it were the Kurumi of the past, she would have definitely taught him a harsh lesson.

As for me, I paid no mind to the man's taunts.

Taking advantage of the moment the paper net was still fresh, I slipped it under the goldfish Tohka had chosen. With a gentle flick of my wrist, the fish was lifted cleanly into the air. I then extended the small bowl in my left hand, and the goldfish landed perfectly inside.

The whole action was so swift that the scooped-up goldfish didn't even seem to notice, continuing to swim calmly in its new, smaller home.

Seeing me succeed in one go, the young men on the side, who had been preparing to watch a good show and make sarcastic remarks, were left stunned.

"Th-That must have been a fluke, right..."

"Exactly! I could do that too if I tried."

"He just got lucky."

"..."

After a moment of silence, many of the boys began to mutter jealously.

Now the girls were unhappy. "Why do you say it was luck that Kyoya caught the goldfish? I think you guys are just too clumsy to catch any yourselves. You can't blame others for your own incompetence."

Hearing Kotori's brutal mockery, several boys winced and looked away, unable to meet her gaze. They really hadn't expected such a beautiful, innocent-looking girl to have such a vicious tongue.

Although they didn't speak up, they were still unwilling to admit the truth in their hearts, choosing to believe that my success just now was purely due to luck.

I couldn't be bothered with the jealousy of the surrounding boys. 'A bunch of clowns.'

I handed the small bowl containing the goldfish to Tohka. "Here, Tohka, this is for you."

"Wow~ Thank you, Kyoya." Looking at the small goldfish she had chosen now swimming in the bowl, Tohka's face lit up with a happy smile.

Even the middle-aged owner of the stall smiled. "I didn't expect you to be so skilled, young man. Come on, little lady, let me help you bag this up!"

"Mm-hm, thank you, owner." Tohka nodded upon hearing this and handed over the small bowl.

Taking it, the owner expertly transferred the goldfish into a transparent plastic bag filled with water, tied a knot, and handed it to Tohka. "Here you go."

"Thank you."

Taking the bag and looking at the small goldfish I had caught for her, Tohka's eyes shone brightly.

Seeing this, the other girls couldn't help but feel a little envious.

Kotori couldn't resist speaking up. "Hey, you big pervert~ I want you to help me catch one too."

Her attitude was completely different from when she had just been scolding the other boys. Her tone was full of playful coquettishness, the kind of banter reserved for a couple.

I gently stroked one of Kotori's twin tails, a habit I was quickly growing addicted to. "No problem. Which one do you want, Kotori-chan?"

Hearing me agree, a gentle smile appeared on Kotori's face.

She bent down slightly and scanned the tank, then pointed to a slightly chubby, all-white goldfish. "...Let's see, then that one."

"A piece of cake. Leave it to me." I smiled and nodded, preparing to make my move again.

However, this time, even the owner of the stall didn't seem optimistic. My movements just now had been too aggressive; he figured the first catch must have been a fluke. But since I was a paying customer, he naturally couldn't say anything negative. He just kept a smile on his face and watched my next move.

In less than a few seconds, the smile on the owner's face froze.

My movements were smooth and fluid. Once again, with lightning speed, I successfully scooped out the goldfish Kotori had chosen.

"Heh, Your technique isn't bad, you big pervert." Seeing me successfully catch the goldfish for her, Kotori cheered.

She also didn't miss the chance to retort to the boys who had just been mocking me. "Hmph, unlike some people who are just bitter because they can't have what they want!"

"Just jealous because you can't do it yourselves..."

At this moment, Kotori in her commander mode was verbally unstoppable.

Everyone around them cringed when they heard this. No one was brave enough to challenge Kotori while she was in commander mode—they didn't want to get roasted. Even the other girls beside her were giving Kotori thumbs-ups.

At this moment, my heart was filled with a strange warmth.

After her triumphant retort, Kotori took the small bowl with the goldfish from my hand and eagerly handed it to the owner. "Owner, please bag this for me."

Subconsciously taking the small bowl, the owner couldn't help but doubt his life.

'If once is luck, what is twice?'

'You know, I've been running this stall for who knows how many years, and I've never seen anyone catch goldfish like this.'

Just as the owner had finished bagging Kotori's goldfish, he heard me speak again. "To be fair, I'll help each of you catch one. Go ahead and choose!"

"Yay!"

Hearing this, the girls all squatted down in front of the water tank with high spirits, seriously choosing their favorite goldfish.

The surrounding crowd was then shocked to find that, under the girls' direction, I scooped up each chosen goldfish flawlessly.

One, two, three, four...

My technique was impeccable. The paper net slipped under the goldfish in the water, a gentle flick, and the fish they had chosen landed safely in the small bowl.

What was even more astonishing was that the paper net, after being soaked in water so many times, still hadn't broken.

'Wh-What is going on?'

Seeing this, not only the onlookers but even the owner himself was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out.

'This is unbelievable.'

'Is this some kind of magic? I've never seen anyone catch so many goldfish with a single paper net.'

But the facts were right in front of him, leaving no room for disbelief. After all, he had provided the net, and I had caught the goldfish under everyone's watchful eyes.

There was absolutely no chance of cheating.

To be honest, I really wasn't cheating. Catching goldfish is a skill that relies on timing and practice. You have to take advantage of the moment the fish doesn't react and control your strength perfectly to scoop it up.

Although I had never done this before, with my current abilities, I could control my strength with absolute precision. Therefore, catching goldfish was effortless.

In just a short while, I had already caught more than a dozen. Each girl got one, and I didn't leave out Kurumi and Origami, who had already caught some themselves.

However...

Just as I was finally preparing to help Reine catch one, an accident occurred.

A large hole appeared in the middle of the paper net.

No matter how careful I was, the net was still paper-thin. After being soaked in water for so long, it finally gave out.

Seeing the net break, the owner quietly sighed with relief. This nerve-wracking battle was finally over. He would certainly never attempt to sell him additional nets.

Although a bit regretful, Reine still smiled calmly. "It's okay, Kyoya~ Since it broke, let it be. It's fine if I don't have one."

Clearly, she had also guessed that the owner wouldn't risk selling me another net.

Looking at the broken paper in my hand, I raised an eyebrow. "How can that be? I said one for each of you. I can't leave you out, Reine."

However, I no longer planned to buy another net. I was going to continue with the broken one.

"Is he planning to keep going with that broken net?"

"How is that possible! The paper is gone. He can't catch anything."

"Still not giving up? I think he's just trying to save face."

Seeing me actually attempt to catch a goldfish with a broken net, the surrounding crowd once again started making sarcastic remarks.

Ignoring their gossip, I found the goldfish Reine had chosen and moved just as before.

Under the dumbfounded gazes of the crowd, the goldfish was actually lifted up by the intact rim of the broken net.

Plop!

With a crisp sound, the goldfish landed steadily in the small bowl in my left hand.

"Done!"

For a moment, the entire area around the stall was dead silent.

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