"Whoa! Finally got a bite!" Bonanus said excitedly.
After waiting so long, the fishing rod finally moved. Water splashed on the surface, and she could vaguely see a fish struggling wildly.
It looked like a big one.
Catching a big fish here was very lucky. Big fish usually didn't come close to the shore.
Without hesitation, Bonanus grabbed the rod and pulled hard, hoping to yank the big one out with pure strength.
The thought was nice, but reality was harsh.
Using brute force for fishing was fine for small fish. But for big fish, fighting them with force would only break the rod and snap the line.
In the worst case, you might even get pulled into the water.
Of course, if you were strong enough and the rod and line were sturdy, you could try using force.
But Bonanus, a complete beginner, might have had the strength, but the fishing rod did not.
---
Half a minute later
With a snap, the rod and line broke. Bonanus had used too much force. Not only did she snap the line, she also broke the rod.
The water, which had been churning just moments ago, went still, as if nothing had happened. Half a broken fishing rod floated on the surface.
Failed.
Bonanus stared blankly at the scene. She turned to Noelle, scratched her head, and smiled awkwardly.
"I think I messed up."
Seeing Bonanus's clueless expression, Noelle couldn't help but chuckle. She narrowed her eyes and said in a comforting, encouraging tone,
"Don't be discouraged, Sister. You'll get it next time."
Bonanus looked at the half-broken rod in her hands. A feeling of frustration spread through her body. The great Whirlwind Captain had failed at fishing.
She sighed and shrugged.
"Looks like that's it for today."
How embarrassing. She wanted to jump into the water and catch that big fish herself. Too bad Noelle was still by her side.
"Really. Here I thought I'd catch a big one on my first try." Bonanus put her hands on her hips and pouted. She was clearly unhappy.
She waved at Noelle, signaling that it was time to leave. With the only fishing rod broken, today's fishing trip was over.
Noelle chuckled again. She put the stool and bait back into her explorer's pack, used a branch to fish the broken rod out of the water, and left the area with Bonanus.
"That was such a failure." Bonanus crossed her arms. She hadn't expected fishing to be so hard. She broke the only rod without even realizing it.
She would have to ask some real fishermen for advice. Those people fished every day. They had plenty of experience.
"Don't say that, Sister. Next time we'll get a stronger rod." Noelle stepped forward with a smile.
Bonanus nodded. But next time, she wouldn't use a fishing rod. She would just jump in and catch the fish with her hands. That would be easier.
"Sorry, Noelle. I broke your fishing rod."
Bonanus felt bad. Everything she had used was borrowed from Noelle, and now she had broken something that belonged to her.
"That rod isn't mine. I borrowed it from Senior Kaeya."
Noelle scratched her head. When Senior Kaeya was bored and had nothing to do, he would go fishing.
But every time he came back, his bucket only had water in it. Never a single fish.
"Huh? Kaeya's? This is trouble." Bonanus covered her face. Great, she broke the handsome, dark-skinned man's fishing rod. She would have to explain herself.
"Don't worry too much. I'll buy a new one and return it to him." Noelle patted Bonanus's shoulder, telling her not to worry.
Bonanus shook her head firmly. She broke it. How could she let someone else pay for it? She wasn't that shameless.
"I broke it. I should be the one to replace it. It's not like I don't have Mora." Bonanus waved her hand.
"I'll go with you."
Noelle smiled. She hoped Senior Kaeya wouldn't be angry. But with his personality, anger didn't seem to exist. He always had that mysterious smile. Noelle had never seen him get angry before.
"Sister, are we going back to Mondstadt City?" Noelle looked at the city in the distance. The big windmill and the cathedral stood out clearly.
Even though they were far away, she could still see them clearly. The road they were walking on now led back to Mondstadt.
"Yes. I'd love to stay out a few more days, but we should go back." Bonanus nodded. The truth was, she was craving good food.
"Looks like this trip is coming to an end." Noelle nodded. But she didn't feel sad.
Sister Fashui would still be in Mondstadt for a long time. And Senior Kaeya had given her the task of keeping her company. She didn't have to worry about not seeing her.
"I should get some good rest too. Oh, Noelle, I have a question."
Bonanus stretched. She suddenly felt very tired, like she wanted to lie down in bed and sleep.
"Go ahead." Noelle nodded.
"Are there any shops in Mondstadt that sell kameras? I'd like to buy one."
Bonanus asked curiously. Kameras were great. They came from Fontaine. She wanted to record everything she saw.
"There are. Go straight into Mondstadt City and you'll see a souvenir shop. The owner is a lady named Marjorie. She sells them. But I remember Liyue Harbor has kameras too, right?"
Noelle tilted her head. The truth was, she had a kamera in her explorer's pack. She just hadn't taken it out.
"Liyue Harbor does have them, but I was too busy before. I never paid attention. Now I want to buy one to record interesting things."
Bonanus shrugged. Back in Liyue Harbor, she was always busy hunting monsters. She had no time to learn about kameras.
But now she had time. She couldn't miss this chance.
"No need to go through the trouble. I have one right now." Noelle reached into her pack and pulled out the kamera she had stuffed inside.
A kamera in Teyvat looked like an antique. It was big and clunky.
But as long as it worked, Bonanus didn't care about high pixel quality. There was no need.
"Are you giving this to me?" Bonanus asked, confused.
"Yes. I never use it anyway. I'd rather give it to you than let it sit here gathering dust." Noelle nodded.
"Ah..."
Bonanus rubbed her forehead. She had a feeling that whenever she wanted something, Noelle would just hand it to her.
Free stuff was nice, but she felt bad.
"You're putting me in a difficult spot." Bonanus licked her lips, not sure what to say.
"Don't worry about it. Consider it a gift from me. Please take it." Noelle shoved the kamera into Bonanus's arms. This gift could also be a symbol of their friendship.
Hearing this, Bonanus nodded helplessly. The girl had already pressed it into her arms. Refusing now would be rude.
In that case, she would take the first photo as a selfie with Noelle. That photo would definitely be memorable.
With that thought, Bonanus ran to Noelle's side, linked her arm through Noelle's, and pressed their faces together.
She raised the kamera, narrowed her eyes, and said,
"Smile!"