So, a rescue is on the way. Will Momoka's plan be foiled again? Let's find out! (Or, more accurately, now YOU'LL find out. As the author, I have special privileges and already know what's going to happen. I'm just psychic like that and can read my own mind. I'm excited for this chapter!)
Fuyuki was actually starting to enjoy being on the island with Momoka, and he could tell that she'd mellowed out a little bit. He'd read whoever it was's mind and knew that there was a rescue party, and he almost wished they would take their time getting here.
Momoka was still asleep when he woke up, and she'd burrowed thickly into the blanket, which she seemed to enjoy more than the sleeping bag. Fuyuki suspected it had something to do with the blanket smelling like him, but he didn't want to think about that. It was too strange a thought.
He didn't have any particular desire to do anything, so he sat under a nearby tree until Momoka woke up a few minutes later.
"Oh, Fuyuki! How long have you been up?" Momoka asked, self conscious to wake to him watching her. She automatically started finger-combing her hair.
"Not long," he replied, shrugging awkwardly.
"Oh, all right. Breakfast, then?" Momoka suggested. Fuyuki nodded. They pulled out the beef jerky and canteens and ate that, then refilled the canteens with water and went to the beach again.
Once they got down to the beach, they looked for a while and found some tidal pools, full of starfish and urchins. They enjoyed the natural aquariums, and spent a good chunk of the morning admiring their beauty. Eventually, the sun was getting a bit warm on their backs, so Momoka started heading for the shade of the trees. Fuyuki stopped her.
"I have a better idea!" he said.
Soon they were burying themselves in wet sand, and of course, it worked! It was surprisingly comfortable, and Momoka almost drifted off, despite the sun in her eyes. Fuyuki was the first to get up.
"Hmm. Maybe I should have thought that through more. We're going to need to change," Fuyuki said sheepishly. Momoka stood up and couldn't agree more. There was sand everywhere!
After grabbing her set of clothes and running off to find a secluded place to change, Momoka noticed that Paul had packed a swimsuit and stuck it between her top and her shorts. She was slightly irritated that she hadn't noticed it earlier, and looking it over, she realized it looked a lot like her More Peach Summer Snow dress, only slightly more form-fitted until the waist-line, and the sleeves were longer and had her signature poof to them. The skirt went over the swimsuit.
Deciding it was as appropriate a thing to wear to the beach as any, Momoka put it on instead and put the clothes back at the campsite before heading out to the beach, where Fuyuki was waiting for her. He had also found a pair of swim trunks, which he'd put on.
"You too, huh?" Fuyuki asked. Momoka nodded.
"It's times like this that I really wish I could swim," Fuyuki said wistfully.
"Want to wade out again?" Momoka asked. "You can get pretty deep before you have to start swimming." Fuyuki nodded, and they began walking out into the surf together. Once Fuyuki couldn't go any further without risking drowning, at around waist-level, they stopped and looked out over the horizon. It seemed to go on forever. Fuyuki was slightly homesick, but when he thought about leaving, he got this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.
His hand found hers under the water, and her heart almost stopped. She looked at him, startled. He smiled.
"Make sure I don't drift away, alright?" he asked. Momoka nodded, blushing. After a while, they went back towards land, Fuyuki still gripping her hand tightly.
When they got to shore, Fuyuki relinquished her hand, though he seemed reluctant. 'Making progress!' Momoka thought.
They ate something, then lounged around the campsite for a while, doing nothing in particular. When it started getting closer to sunset, they went back to the beach, but this time walked straight to a small cliff they'd noticed on their trip around the island the night before. It almost directly faced the sun, and they watched it go down, mostly in silence. Before it disappeared, Momoka spoke.
"Fuyuki?" she said.
"Yeah? What is it?" Fuyuki replied.
"Well, nothing really, it's just… Being here is starting to be fun, you know? It's strange, but I half don't want to go home," Momoka said, though she felt strange voicing it.
"I feel the same way. I'm glad we're having this chance to get to know each other better," Fuyuki said. Momoka blushed.
"You think?" she said. He nodded. In the lighting, Momoka was having a hard time not confessing, which was a strange thing for her. She wanted to get the weight of it off her chest. And so… she did.
"Fuyuki?" she said slowly. "I… I like you. A lot. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I actually said it!" she said, all her bravery leaving her, and she put her head between her knees, her eyes tearing up. What if he hated her, now?
Fuyuki was silent for a while, strengthening Momoka's fears. But eventually he spoke.
"I'm glad you did. It's nice to know where I stand. And, you know, Momoka. I think that maybe… I'm starting to feel the same way."
Acting on impulse, he kissed her on the cheek, then stood up and walked away quickly, leaving them both with burning cheeks and racing hearts.