Chapter 7:
Miho leaned her head into the hallway and quickly looked left and right. Relieved to find no one else in sight, she quickly waved the boy inside. "Come in, Yusei!"
The young man walked into the apartment and placed the box on her table. "I can't stay long, Miho-san, just a few minutes or I'll miss the supply ship when it leaves."
Miho closed her apartment door and gave her boyfriend a sweet smile. "This is a very pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting to see you again until after the match tomorrow. She regarded the uniform he wore and giggled, "Something tells me you aren't working for Sunkus as a part-time delivery person. Why did you go to all that trouble to see me today? Is it because of the important thing you said you were going to tell me this weekend?"
Yusei began to blush. "Hai. That's exactly why."
"Well, now that you're here, please tell me. I hope it isn't... bad news."
"I hope it isn't too" he smiled nervously. "I just wanted to tell you that... uh..." he hesitated, his hands beginning to tremble.
"Go on" Miho prompted her male friend, beginning to worry that the news involved an early end to their future relationship.
"I..." He gulped, took a deep breath, gathered his nerve and smiled shyly at the beautiful brown-haired girl. "I love you, Miho. I love you with all of my heart and soul. Since that night we first met, I can't think of anything or anyone but you." His blush deepened as he softly spoke, "I... I can only hope you have feelings for me too."
Miho stood silently for a few seconds, then with tears of joy filling her shimmering light brown eyes, she stepped up to him and slipped her arms around her boyfriend's waist, her heart racing with unbridled happiness.
"I love you too, Yusei" she softly whispered back. "So very, very much."
He gently gathered her in his arms and the young couple's lips slowly came together, sharing a long, tender kiss.
After the couple's shared moment of intimacy had ended, Miho smiled, "I'm so happy! I was worried that you were going to say... something else."
"You honestly don't think I'm crazy for falling in love with you so soon in our relationship?"
"No. Not at all." They kissed again, and for a time, all else was forgotten but the sweet love they shared for one another within their young hearts.
"You know, you're not the first person to sneak onto a school ship while wearing a Sunkus uniform!" Miho giggled. "Just a few weeks ago, Yukari snuck onto-"
Her door buzzer sounded again, startling the young couple into silence.
"Sshh!" Miho whispered. "You aren't supposed to be here!" She hurried over to the door. "Ah... who is it?"
A familiar voice answered, "It's Yukari, Nishizumi-dono! I guess I'm here a little early for our team meeting. I hope that's ok."
Not knowing what else to do, she opened the door and urged the Anglerfish loader to enter. "Come in, Yukari." Miho quickly closed the door behind her and locked it.
Yukari was stunned to find Miho's male visitor standing beside the low table. "Oh! Ah... konnichiwa, Yusei-san!" She spun around, her eyes wide. "Nishizumi-dono, there's a boy in your apartment!"
"I noticed that" her commander giggled. "My boyfriend just stopped by to deliver our tea, and to tell me something I really wanted to hear."
"He did? Is it about the match tomorrow?"
"Not exactly" Miho smiled, her pretty face aglow. "Our relationship just moved to what I suppose Minako would call Phase Two. Yusei and I... we're in love."
"That's so wonderful!" the curly-haired teen exclaimed. "I'm so thrilled for you both! Congratulations!"
"Arigatou, Yukari! I can't even begin to describe how incredibly happy I feel!"
Yusei grinned, "I'm not the only guy in our little group who wanted to be here today, Yukari-san. My brother and our three friends did too, but we could only find one Sunkus uniform in our school's costume department, and I claimed it first!" He chuckled, "The girl who was monitoring the unloading of the supply ship was really surprised to see me. I guess she would've been even more suspicious if all five of us had turned up."
"Ryoto wanted to come here too?" Yukari gasped.
"Hai. He asked me to tell you if we happened to meet that I'm not the only one who has fallen so deeply in love. Ryoto is madly in love with you, Yukari-san."
"He is? Hontou ni?" The huge smile that instantly appeared on Yukari's face surpassed even Miho's. "Tell him I love him too, Yusei-san! Please tell him!"
"I definitely will" the sixteen-year-old boy promised. He checked his wristwatch. "I have to be going now. I don't want to miss my ride ashore on the supply ship and get Miho in trouble."
"We'll all meet up again after Saturday's match is over" his girlfriend promised. "And in the meantime... you'll be in my dreams, my Yusei. See you tomorrow."
The young couple shared a lingering parting kiss, making Yukari blush and politely look away.
With a reluctant sigh, Miho opened her apartment door, and after checking that the coast was still clear, wished her boyfriend a safe voyage and a very good night.
After he had hurried away, Miho and her female friend exchanged joyful hugs. "I'm so happy for all of us, Yukari!"
"Me too, Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari giggled. "You know what this means? Minako-sensei was right about our guys' true feelings for us all along!"
"Hai! She certainly was!" the Anglerfish commander giggled.
. . . . .
A few minutes later, Miho and Yukari were sitting together at the apartment's dinner table, opening the box of tea from St. Gloriana. "I'm still trying to think of a good plan for tomorrow's match" the Anglerfish commander said, her mind still reeling at the thought of her boyfriend's confession of love. "Thinking of Yusei is making it kind of hard for me to focus on Sensha-do tonight." She mused, "Do you think we should tell our teammates about what just happened, or should we wait until after the match and let their boyfriends break the news to them?"
"All I know is, I'm glad your boyfriend told me that Ryoto loves me, Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari exclaimed. "I wanted to tell him I love him on our last date, but I was too shy!" She giggled, "Phase Two, here we come!"
The door buzzer sounded again and Miho got up to answer it. "Sounds like everyone is here early for our team meeting" she said while opening the door. She was taken aback to find Yusei standing outside, a deeply worried look on his handsome face.
"There's a big problem, Miho!" he blurted. "I missed the boat! It's already gone!"
"Oh!" Miho gasped. "That really is a problem! We aren't supposed to entertain boys in our apartment! Come in and we'll try to think of something that won't land us both in hot water!"
"Hai!" he nodded, hurrying inside. "I hope I haven't ruined everything for you by being here" he fretted. "I'm so very sorry!"
"Please don't apologize, my love" Miho softly reassured her young man. "I'm still glad you came to see me today, no matter what happens."
She asked the other girl, "Yukari, would you happen to know if there's another ship meeting ours before we make port at Nagasaki tomorrow?"
"None that I can think of, Nishizumi-dono" Yukari frowned. "Sumimasen."
"That's ok. I'll simply have to come up with a different idea."
Yet another strident buzz from the doorbell sent Miho scurrying to answer the door, while Yusei tactfully hid himself in the apartment's tiny kitchen. She was surprised to find Minako outside, and Mako with her.
"Miho-san!" the blonde with the red bow in her hair blurted. She spoke rapidly, "I was at the convenience store down the street from your apartment building a few minutes ago! When I left the store I met Mako passing by and while we were chatting, we noticed your boyfriend running down the next street over! He was wearing a Sunkus uniform and headed in this direction! Is Yusei here with you?"
"Um... as a matter of fact he is, Minako-san. Why? What's wrong?"
"He wasn't the only one heading your way! That snoopy hall monitor who checks our attendance at the school's front gate every morning is too! She was a block or so further away from Mako and me, but she was definitely headed toward your building and she didn't look too happy!"
"Sono is coming? Here?" Miho uttered with a sharp gasp.
"We believe she is" Mako spoke. "And not just Sodoko, Miho-san. Anzu and Momo are with her."
All of the color instantly drained from Miho's pretty face.
"Oh dear!"
. . . . .