Chapter 6

Dinner Date

The next day, everyone had come back, still clearly happy from the trip.

Miho was at home, donning the dress she was going to wear at the dinner date before the incident a month before. She sprayed some perfume on, as she started to apply eyeshadow..

Miho sighed as she looked at the mirror. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I'm only hoping I don't screw this up.", she said.

She finished up and packed up her makeup, before she walked outside her apartment, locking the door.

Miho let out a breath as she walked outside of the apartment building. She walked down the street, as the wind blew at her dress and hair.

She reached the corner of the intersection, and saw Ano walking towards her from the opposite direction.

He wore black jeans and a blue T-shirt, with a black open blazer.

"Ano!", Miho called. Ano smiled and ran over to Miho, the both meeting at the intersection.

"Hey, Miho. You ready?", Ano asked.

"Yup.", Miho said. She held out a hand, and Ano took it. Miho immediately blushed from how soft his hand was.

"I'm thinking ramen. It was always some of the best comfort food with my crew. What do you think?", Ano asked.

Miho smiled. "Sure, I'd like that.", she said.

As they walked, hand in hand, Miho came up with a question.

"Why'd you pick a BT-7?"

Ano turned back. Miho looked up at her.

"You picked a BT-7. One of the older WWII tanks, and a light tank. I'm not saying it's bad. I'm just wondering.", Miho said.

Ano smiled. "It all started when..."

Flashback: a long time ago

Ano sat in front of the computer, watching a black and white gif of a BT-7 racing up a busted bridge, and launching itself into the air. It got several long seconds of air time until splashing down into the water.

Flashback end.

Miho blinked. "You picked a Soviet cavalry tank because you saw it trying to fly?", she asked.

"Plus I saw a comic called Hetzer & Friends, so yeah.", Ano said. "That's the gist."

"...well that's kinda weird.", Miho said.

"It was either that or the Stürmtiger and its 380mm rocket launcher. We'd be too tempted to shoot each other out of the damn barrel.", Ano said.

"You wouldn't actually do that, would you?", Miho asked.

Ano smiled, and Miho imagined a boy flying from the assault gun at over 400 feet per second.

"Oh dear.", she said.

Ano chuckled. "See?", he said.

They reached a restaurant with the title "Tamaya" on the top in neon lights.

"Here we go. This is also where my parents work, since I lost a bet.", Ano said.

Miho raised an eyebrow. "Your parents have a damn place because you lost a bet?", she asked.

"No, I lost a bet with mom and I had to promise to bring my first date to her place so she'd get to meet you.", Ano said, blushing nervously.

Miho giggled. "That's cute.", she said.

"I'm cute? Please, I'm a ferocious-", Ano said, before his voice cracked like a kid.

The both of them were silent, before Miho burst into giggles. Ano was blushing heavily and simply walked inside.

A woman with brown hair tied in a bun carried a tray of ramen bowls and a steaming plate of curry rice to a table of six, when she saw her son and a girl.

"Hi, welcome to-ANO!", Ano's mom cried, quickly setting down the orders to their customers and running over.

The customers stared at the woman, before rearranging the orders she had so carelessly mixed up, before eating.

"I'm so happy to see you! And who's this?", Ano's mom said.

"Oh, I-I'm Ano's friend. Miho Nishizumi.", Miho introduced, bowing as she did so.

"Oh, she's polite! You bagged a cutie, Ano. I'm proud you inherited my charm.", Ano's mom said, giving her teen son a noogie.

"Mom!", Ano said, a few customers snickering. "I don't wanna have a stroke of embarrassment before dinner, and especially not in front of her."

Miho giggled, as Ano's mom smiled. "Of course, son. Take a seat, here.", she said, as she directed the two to a window seat for two.

"What would you like? It's on the house, of course.", Ano's mom said, taking out a notebook.

"Oh, that's sweet of you, miss, but I'm fine. I did bring my own money.", Miho said.

"Pff! Nah, it's fine. We could afford to make do for you two.", Ano's mother insisted. "Would you like gyoza as an appetizer?"

"Mom...", Ano said.

"Oh! How about I surprise you?", Ano's mom said.

"Oh, thank you, that does sound very nice.", Miho said. "Ano, does that sound nice to you?"

"Yes, but-", Ano began.

"On it!", Ano's mom said, racing away.

Ano groaned and rubbed his head. Miho looked with concern. "What's the matter?"

Ano let out a sigh. "See, my mom loves to cook with my dad in the back, and she goes overboard with the kitchen.", he explained.

"What do you mean?", Miho said.

Ano smiled weakly. "Let's just say this simple dinner will turn into an 'All You Can Eat' meal.", he said.

"Huh?", Miho said. Suddenly, a tiny KV tank chassis rolled in between the window and the table, before turning and stopping on the table.

On the miniature turretless tank, there was a tall platter of deep fried gyoza reaching as tall as Miho's lower chin level.

Miho looked nervously at the big amount of food in front of her. "This is supposed to be an appetizer, right?", she said.

"Yeah. I'm scared to even find out what the main course will be.", Ano said, chuckling.

The two began to eat the appetizer, being sure to eat slowly as to not fill up their tummies so fast.

Miho bit into the pan fried dumpling, and her eyes widened as a torrent of flavor erupted within her taste buds. The flavors of the fried chicken and the sweetness and spiciness of kimchi mixed well, with the oils from the fried shell soaking her tongue as well.

"Mmmm...so good.", Miho moaned, as she chewed.

Ano chuckled as he swallowed the gyoza and reached for another with his chopsticks.

When they were halfway done, a miniature T95, complete with gun, rolled in with two plates of chashu pork, and a Semovente 90/53 carried two big bowls of oyako don rice.

"OK, then.", Ano said, and Miho nodded, as the two began to dig in.

After the gyoza was almost done, and the pork and scrambled egg and chicken rice was partially done, Ano and Miho were about halfway full.

"That was amazing.", Miho sighed, patting the tiny bulge in her stomach under her dress.

"Oh no.", Ano said. Miho sat up. "What?", she asked.

"She hasn't even served the ramen yet.", he said.

As if on cue, a Tiger II chassis and an Elefant chassis rolled up, each one carrying a giant bowl of Shio Nikuyasai ramen, along with two Churchill Mk VII chassis carrying bowls of curry rice.

Miho and Ano stared in horror. There were now seven mini tanks loaded with food, and not enough room in their guts to finish it.

"We need reinforcements.", Miho said. She took out her cellphone and dialed a number.

Time lapse brought to you by Katyusha being chased by a chibi KV-2 tumbling down the hill.

Yukari and Hana walked in, with Ano's mom immediately greeting them.

"Hello, welcome to Tamaya! Would you like a seat?", the woman asked.

"Oh, thank you, but we're actually wondering if a Miss Miho Nishizumi came here.", Hana said, politely.

"Over here!"

Hana and Yukari turned to see Miho and Ano waving frantically, with seven tank chassis carrying bowls and plates of food on their hulls. Even more, the small chassis of a P 26/40 carried some more oyako don, a Tiger I carrying a bowl of curry ramen, and a big Jagdtiger chassis with a dish of dipping noodles.

"What happened?", Hana asked.

"My mom went overboard...again.", Ano said. His mom just smiled cheekily.

"We don't wanna explode. Please help us!", Miho begged.

Yukari and Hana stared at absurdity of the situation in front of them. There were ten tiny tanks carrying food, with a practically crying Miho and Ano with their eyes on them, silently begging for them to help.

Yukari smiled. "Sure, we can help.", she said.

"Mom! One, no more, you're gonna kill us at this rate. And two, I'll pay for these two.", Ano said.

"If you insist.", Ano's mom said.

"Oh no, you don't need to. We have money, we can-", Hana said.

"Nope, I'm not letting my friends spend any more than they have to.", Ano said. He'd gotten some more chairs and set them up with the window table.

"Well, let's eat!", Ano said, as he sat down again.

Miho handed her two teammates chopsticks as she lifted the dipping noodles off the Jagdtiger, setting it in the middle.

Hana smiled. "I do love dipping noodle.", she said.

"I wanna try some of that curry.", Yukari said.

Miho slurped some curry ramen and smiled as she watched her friends feast with her and Ano. Their smiles lit up the world, and she looked over at Ano, who was eating the oyako don, with the Semovente 90/53 chassis on his head for some reason.

Miho giggled and she picked up the Jagdtiger chassis, before setting it on her head. Almost immediately, the weight dropped her head onto a plate of curry rice. Ano snorted, some soup squirting out his nose. Hana and Yukari jolted in surprise, as they turned to Miho, whose face was covered in curry with bits of katsu and rice. She stared at the mini heavy German tank destroyer in her hands.

"Well, the Jagdtiger was the heaviest tank officially in service.", Yukari pointed out.

The four were silent, before they exploded in laughter. Their laughter was almost immediately silenced when the chassis of an M18 Hellcat rolled in, a large ice cream cake on the top.

"Oh my god...MOM!", Ano cried.

Somewhere else...

Erika Itsumi walked up to Maho Nishizumi. "It's been delivered. The other schools don't stand a chance.", she said.

Maho sighed. "I'm just glad we managed to get one. There's only 2 of these left in the world, and that's only the ones in good condition.", she said.

Erika smirked. "I think it'll be worth it, ma'am.", she said.

She looked up at a truck trailer, a certain 380mm self propelled assault gun on it. The Stürmtiger's giant rocket barrel glared down down at the Kuromormine Commander.

"It's time...for that 380mm to be put back in action.", Maho said. The Stürmtiger tumbled to life and rolled off the ramp, quaking the ground and the two Panthers nearby.

A Jagdpanzer Lang backed away, as the twice as tall monster backed itself next to the Maus, which still trumped the assault gun by size. Erika walked up to the tank, smirking.

"Ooarai won't win this time...", Erika said.

(AN: Tamaya is an actual ramen place near where I live. It is amazing, and I recommend that anyone reading this try it out. The address is 17142 Colima Rd in Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

I'm going to be a bit slow for the rest of the chapters, since plot takes a while. Not her reason is that I'm doing research on the Stürmtiger, and a few other new tanks. See you next time!)