Chapter 20:

"The note Anzu gave me stated that dinner starts promptly at five" Miho told her friends. "We've arrived a little early but I guess it's ok to go inside and claim our table."

The other nine girls of Anglerfish and Luna teams followed her into the voluminous rectangular tent. They noticed that just past the entrance, teens dressed in white St. Gloriana culinary department school uniforms were busily preparing the buffet serving area for the upcoming meal. Leading away from the girls down both long sides of the tent, rows of folding tables and chairs were already in place, with each table seating a dozen people and draped with a ornately-embroidered linen tablecloth bearing the St. Gloriana school crest.

Across the far end of the canvas structure were yet more tables, and a small stage had been erected with a microphone and sound equipment in one corner. Speakers playing soft background music stood on long poles arround the inside perimeter of the tent, while multiple sets of lights hung from cables beneath the roof. The center section of the structure was left completely open, providing more than enough free space for mingling and dancing.

A nearby sign indicated that the left side tables were reserved for the teens from Ooarai Girls Academy, the right side for students from St. Gloriana, and the remaining tables near the stage were intended for guest seating. Minako noticed that all of the guest chairs were currently empty and frowned disapprovingly at them. "Where are all the boys we were promised? We need boys!"

Rei laughed, "Maybe they found out you and Usagi were attending and decided it would be a lot safer not to come, Minako-chan. A wise move if you ask me."

"This is no time for silly jokes, Rei-chan!"

"Nice setup they have here" Makoto observed. "If this was a permanent building, it would probably make the beginnings of a decent restaurant."

"St. Gloriana is a highly renowned and very wealthy school, Makoto-san" Miho told her. "Other than Saunders, which is obscenely rich, they basically have the best of everything."

"Does that include their tanks, Miho-san?" the brunette asked. "It's starting to sound like we're going to be badly out-gunned tomorrow."

"Perhaps" Miho mused. "I think much depends on the skill and daring of the crews on both sides, Makoto-san." She smiled brightly, "I suppose we'll learn the definitive answer to that question during the exhibition match tomorrow." Miho lead her group of ten second-year students to a left-side table two rows back from the stage. "Minna, this looks like a nice spot. Let's sit here."

The girls chose their seats, with the students leaving those two chairs nearest the canvas wall vacant. Ami noted that each prearranged place setting contained a gold-rimmed teacup and saucer in fine bone china, a long-stemmed wine glass, and european cutlery in polished sterling silver.

"Ohh, fancy!" Usagi exclaimed after picking up a salad fork and examining the gleaming utensil. "Mako-chan, we really should eat like this at your house."

"No problem, Usagi-chan" the brunette grinned. "Just as soon as I earn my first ten million yen or so."

Rei placed her small purse on the table. "Miho-san, would you happen to know if I'm permitted to smoke here after our meal?'

"That shouldn't be an issue, Rei-san" Miho answered with a reassuring smile. "I'm certain you aren't the only girl in this tent who enjoys an after-dinner cigarette. I must admit I do too, but only on special occasions."

As the tent began to fill with more and more students taking seats on both sides, a server approached the teens' table pushing a cart containing bottles of red wine. After she had opened four of them, spaced them neatly down the center of the table and bowed politely before moving on, Ami became curious and rotated the nearest bottle to read its label. "The wine they're serving tonight is also of quite high quality, Rei-chan. St Gloriana is certainly sparing no expense on this party."

"Hai, I noticed that too, Ami-chan. I wonder why..." The raven-haired teen then cautioned the odango-haired girl sitting beside her, "Usagi-chan, remember your ridiculously low tolerance for alcohol. Only half a glass tonight, ok?"

"I'm not having any wine tonight, Rei-chan. I'm going to try drinking some of that fancy foreign tea this school is supposed to have."

"Good. That's another disaster averted" the relieved miko said.

"Disaster? I wish you'd stop treating me like a child" Usagi grumbled. "I'm a high school student, just like everyone else here!"

"And if you don't work harder on improving your grades, you'll still be a high school student ten years from now."

While Usagi sat sulking quietly in her seat, Yukari suddenly uttered with a loud gasp, "Minna! Some boys just arrived! Wait! Make that a lot of boys!"

"Where?" Minako and Saori blurted in unison, with both girls swivelling around so quickly they nearly spun themselves out of their chairs.

"I see them!" Saori exclaimed, watching nearly two dozen teenage males stream into the tent. "They must've all just got here on the same bus! And they're all really cute!" she giggled, her smile growing ever wider. "Minako-san, you were right! Things are looking up!"

"Of course I was, Saori-san!" Minako bragged. "After all, you're dealing with a genuine love expert here! In fact, some people even refer to me as Venus! You know, after the love goddess and the planet- Ow! Rei-chan, that hurt!"

The miko stared back, locking eyes with the blonde. "Gomen. My foot slipped."

Across their table, Mako and Hana also closely eyed the new arrivals, all of whom they noted were neatly dressed in gakuran consisting of dark maroon jackets and black pants. The school uniform seemed vaguely familiar to Miho but she wasn't entirely sure why until some of the boys drew closer and she spotted the crests on their jackets, jogging her memory.

Feeling more than a little disappointed, the Anglerfish commander breathed a melancholy sigh. She told her team, "Minna, don't get your hopes up."

"Why not, Miho?" Saori puzzled. "They all certainly look like nice, eligible guys to me! I'm going to dance the night away with the first boy who has enough nerve to walk over to me and introduce himself!"

But the unpleasant truth was revealed seconds later when every last male promptly ignored the tables containing smiling and hopeful Ooarai girls in their white and green sera fuku, and turned instead to find and greet their girlfriends in blue from St. Gloriana, sharing joyful hugs and more than a few tender kisses.

Yukari's shoulders sagged, as her earlier optimism faded away through saddening dark brown eyes. She murmured, "I guess finding a boyfriend here tonight isn't going to happen after all."

Two seats away from her, Minako's eyes bulged wide in disbelief. "Nani? Do you mean to tell me they're all spoken for, Miho-san? All of them?"

"I'm afraid so, Minako-san" Miho answered in an uncharacteristically glum tone. "The school ship these boys are from is also based here in Yokohama. That's how the St. Gloriana girls know them. Some of those couples have probably been dating for years."

Despite feeling bad about her new friends' misfortune, Makoto couldn't resist quietly teasing her boastful future sister-in-law. The tall brunette leaned closer to the dumbfounded blonde sitting beside her and whispered in her ear, "How's that secret plan working out so far, Minako-chan?"

. . . . .