87 HOW TO TEST SINCERITY

"It depends, I guess," Kristie answered her directly as she shrugged her shoulders. 

Before Zoe could even respond, Kristie shouted out in astonishment. "Woah! It's a humongous one!" She exclaimed through a clenched fist as she held back the popping rod tightly while the reel was reversing with a loud sound. 

"I only just started. You picked up a great spot! You sure have a good eye," She added as she grunted. The fish seemed to be an enormous size.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Are you just here a while ago? That's the nth time I heard that."

"Oh!" Zoe reacted, slightly distracted by the sudden whirring noise from the reel and Kristie's struggle to keep the fish on the hook.

"Let me, but don't let it go," Zoe commanded Kristie as she grasped the fishing pole from her. 

"Okay," Kristie obliged as she surrendered it to Zoe. She then opened the ice bucket and readied it for their huge bounty.

Zoe lifted the tip of the fishing pole up like she's trying to point it skyward to about 90 degrees. 

The sizable fish bent the fly rod which startled Kristie. "Oh! The rod will break!" 

"No, Kristie. It will not," Zoe grunted as she lowered the casting rod tip back down to about 45 degrees, keeping even pressure on the fish. "You just have to give it time but no matter what happens, never let it go."

Zoe raised the tip of the spinning rod again. Like what happened earlier, the fish tried to escape down to the bottom and bend the jigging rod. But Zoe was more unyielding.

Eventually, the fish gave up and allowed itself to be captured by the mighty hands of the single-minded queen. 

"Yehey!" Kristie clapped her hands in joyous enthusiasm as she watched Zoe drop the fish to the bucket.

Zoe fixed the bait-casting rod so they could start trawling again. 

"Woah, where did you learn that?" Kristie observed her in wide-eyed curiosity. 

"Hmm… I don't know. I just want to catch the fish," Zoe uttered, surprised also herself how she managed to haul the fish when she has not cast often before. 

"Well, there goes your answer," Kristie smiled at her as she grabbed the muskie rod from her so they could pick another one again. 

"What do you mean?" Zoe glanced at her with knitted eyebrows as she cleaned herself. 

"You were asking me if someone who was nice to me hides something from me. Was he genuinely nice to begin with it? That's your question, am I right?"

"Yeah, how does it connect with baiting? And where does it depend, as you say?"

"Let me answer your first question. I guess it depends on how you learned how he is hiding something from you. Did you learn it from him or from someone else?"

Zoe drew in a deep breath. "From him."

Kristie clamped her lips, trying to hide her mischievous smile. She was only testing her by using the pronoun 'him'. She may be guessing rightly when she didn't change it and answered straight from the shoulders. She continued on to help her newfound friend. 

"Well, that's a good sign. It means he has sincere intentions to be honest with you." 

"But what if it's been quite sometime before he tells you?" Zoe still insisted.

"Would you rather choose to know earlier, yet you heard it from someone else?" Kristie asked her as she prevented her eyeglasses from dropping down her inquisitive nose. 

Zoe crossed her arms and brushed her lustrous hair to her side as she contemplated what she just said. "You have a point there. There is .001 chances of forgiveness when that happens."

Her heart which was bursting in furious anger a while ago dissipated a little as she thought about the good point of Raigon confessing before knowing it from other sources. 

"But wait, you have another point. Casting a line?" Zoe grilled on her as she waved her forefinger with her other hand on her ample waist. 

"Oh yeah," Kristie also remembered. "Well another way that you could test if he was genuinely nice to you, is if he was as determined as you."

"Determined as me?" Zoe probed on as she pointed her nimble finger at herself.

"Yes," Kristie grinned at her. Afterward, she tried to mimic Zoe's voice while she was reeling in the gigantic fish a while ago. "You just have to give it time but no matter what happens, never let it go." 

Zoe chuckled at Kristie's successful attempt to imitate her. "Stop it."

Kristie, who was also laughing at herself, cooled down and replied, "Seriously, if he did that to you, I'll be blown. Just let him capture your dear heart like this Mr. Biggie over here." She motioned her to look at her captive.

"Am I right, Mr. Biggie?" She talked to it like it can understand her. It's gills opened and closed as it inhales and exhales as if agreeing with her on what she just said. 

"See! Even Mr. Biggie wants you and Mr. Gao to make up!" She exclaimed with her large doll-like eyes.

Zoe's lovely mouth opened wide as she heard Kristie's last comment. "I didn't mention Mr. Gao!" She blurted out, looking sideways if anybody was listening to their slightly loud conversation. As she did so, she noticed Raigon in a not so distant location chumming alone. 

He was also gazing at them but when he saw Zoe's glittering eyes darting to his direction, he quickly fixed himself and stared ahead as if he was focused on his own quest. 

Zoe gazed at him. Well, she didn't want to let go of their starting relationship, whatever it might be. Still, he has to prove himself, as Kristie said. If he would be unwavering to reel her in, without being affected by how much she tried to move away, then she could probably give him a chance to listen and forgive him. 

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Sincerity is revealed by one's determination to prove it to you.

- Kristie

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