Min-ho gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. Returning to land empty-handed meant losing the boat entirely. It meant they wouldn’t be able to buy groceries or support their families this month. Desperation was a heavy, suffocating weight in the cramped cabin. “We can’t go back, Jun,” Min-ho muttered, his voice tight. “Not with an empty boat.”
Before Jun could argue, the small fish-finder screen on the wall flickered, casting a glowing green light across their faces. A small, tightly packed, but bright green cluster appeared in the deep water directly below them. Jun leaned forward, his argument dying in his throat. He tapped the glass. “Look at how thick that is… it’s moving slow and steady. It looks exactly like a huge, untouched school of expensive mackerel.” Min-ho’s eyes lit up with sudden excitement. A single catch of that size would pay off all their debts in one single afternoon.
“You see?” Min-ho whispered, ignoring the dead radio. “It’s a sign. It’s right beneath us. We just make a small detour, drop the nets, catch the fish, and then we head home. Change our direction to track it.”