Cruising Together
Prologue
Monday. Atobe residence, East Wing second floor study. 3:45 p.m.
“Hn? What is this?”
Atobe picked up an elaborate looking letter that his father has just received as his father typed away on his laptop.
Atobe Kane(1) had just returned from a business trip the night before and was unable to finish his inspection of the company’s latest improvements.
“It’s from one of my close business friends. Do you remember him?” his father asked from his laptop.
Atobe vaguely remembered the people that he had met, let alone the people his father are friends with.
“ Saniiro. Of the Enterprises? Well, he’s a very important man. He was one of the few gentlemen that have helped me build the lifestyle that you are living in. He was already a very wealthy man before us. He has worked hard on building his empire and has helped many people such as ourselves. I owe him so much,” his father explained.
“You probably don’t remember him because you’ve met him when you were very young. Anyways, as you can see in the letter, he is inviting a few tennis teams in the area to play on his private cruise ship.”
Atobe raised an eyebrow.
“So he wants us to entertain him?”
Atobe’s father paused and looked up from his laptop.
“Keigo. Your mother and I did not raise you to be rude towards your elders. Especially those who have helped us in the past.”
“I am sorry, tou-sama.”
His father looked back at his laptop.
“It’s not a private affair or anything. It’s just something that he wants to do once in a while. When I mentioned to him that you played tennis, he was thrilled. Since he himself plays tennis, he wants to invest more on tennis related businesses. His wife has passed on and only has his daughter. Nice girl by the way. She also plays the game competitively.”
Atobe continued to read the invitation.
“So which schools are going to be invited?” he asked.
“Two other teams besides Hyoutei will be invited. They are Seishun Gakuen and Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. He wanted only the best tennis teams in the area, so I recommended the others. Since it is an all expense paid trip, I am sure that they will not decline this generous invitation.”
Atobe smirked. The idea of having Tezuka and Sanada on the same ship was very appealing. Seeing them everyday would give him the opportunity to challenge them face to face.
“I guess I better start packing.”
~~~
The same day. Seishun Gakuen tennis courts. Court A. 3:01 p.m.
“Eh? An invitation?”
Tezuka nodded.
“Ryuzaki-sensei just told me today and showed me the invitation. Only the students are invited. It’s going to be two weeks long. A man named Saniiro invited us.”
“THE ?? Of the Enterprises? The company that makes those luxurious airplanes and cruises?” Momo asked.
Inui nodded.
“The invitation says that we are invited on one of his cruise ships to play tennis. It’s for two weeks.”
“Hey, isn’t this really familiar? Remember what happened last time?” Ryoma said.
The team looked at the youngest player.
“That is true. But we know that -san is well-known so he can be trusted. Also, Hyoutei and Rikkai Dai are invited so there is no need to worry,” Inui replied.
“Oy! So, we get to go on a luxurious cruise for two weeks. All expense paid and we get to play tennis?!” Momo exclaimed.
“Nya! That’s great! Let’s go!!!” Kikumaru said excitedly.
“Alright. I will ask Ryuzaki-sensei to print out the permission forms. We will be leaving next week.”
“Hai!”
~~~
The same day. Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, boys change room. 3:04 p.m.
“Heh. Some fancy cruise trip?”
Sanada has just mentioned the invitation that they had received. Renji was looking through the invitation.
“It says that it will be two weeks long and it is being held by a man named Saniiro. He owns Enterprises. They construct cruise ships and high end airplanes,” Renji said as he continued to read the letter.
“And everything’s for free? Even the food?” Marui asked as he blew a bubble.
Renji nodded.
“It’s all expense paid and we are there as guests. We only have to play tennis on certain days. Hyoutei and Seigaku are also invited. I’m guessing that the Atobe clan are some how linked to the ’s,” Jackal said from behind Renji.
“It would be impolite to reject this generous offer. We should decide as soon as possible,” Yagyuu mentioned.
Sanada nodded in agreement.
“Do we all agree to accept this invitation?”
“Yea!”
~~~
Chapter One
Wednesday, Atobe residence. Atobe Keigo’s 3rd floor bedroom, Northeast Wing. 2:26 p.m.
Atobe was watching over his servants as they packed his belongings. He made sure that he had more than enough clothes, shoes and any other miscellaneous that he may or may not need for the two week trip. Bath oils and salts were in separate bags from his tennis gear while his evening wear was in his larger luggage.
He pondered at what would happen on this excursion when his cell phone rang.
“Yes, Atobe here.”
“What are we really in for Atobe?”
Atobe smirked at the voice of a man with a kansai accent.
“There is really nothing to worry about Oshitari. My family, apparently, is close to the ’s. If there is any trouble, I could just call for a private helicopter to pick us up,” Atobe said dismissively.
“It is usually you who hold these kinds of events. You are actually willing to let somebody else do it?” Oshitari posed.
“It is nothing to be concerned about. Tou-sama reassured me that it will be as grand as my usual gatherings. Maybe even better.”
Atobe hated to admit it, but if a party is being held by somebody who is slightly wealthier than he is, it would either be as extravagant as his or more.
Oshitari chuckled.
“You’re actually admitting that somebody may be able to beat your excessive—”
“Sorry to interrupt you Oshitari. But I do have more important things to do for the next few days. I will call you all later to update on the plans. Ja.”
Atobe threw his phone on his bed. He knew that only Oshitari is able to get him this irritated by saying a few words.
“Atobe-sama, would you like to bring your Armani suit or your Versace suit?”
“Bring both. Also pack my silver and gold cuff lings with the diamond crest on them.”
“Excellent choice Atobe-sama.”
~~~
Thursday, Tezuka Residence. Tezuka Kunimitsu’s room. 1:23 p.m.
“Kunimitsu? Do you need any more clean shirts?”
Tezuka looked up from his suitcase.
“No I’m fine with the shirts. I do need to find a suit just in case there is a formal dinner that they will hold.”
His mother nodded.
“We need to get you a new suit anyways. The last one barely fits you and the color is an abomination! Purple? What were we thinking?” she said as she walked out of her son’s room.
This reminded Tezuka to tell the others to bring suits as well. Just as he was about to reach for his cell phone, it rang.
“Hello?”
“Ah! Tezuka? It’s Oishi. Don’t forget to bring a formal suit just in case there’s an evening that we have to dress up!”
Tezuka sighed in relief. He should have known that the mother of Seigaku would have already been keeping tabs of what they needed to bring.
“Yes Oishi. I just thought about it now and I’m going to pick up a new suit today,” he responded to his friend.
“That’s good. Oh! Eiji needs a new one too! The last one he had on was a little tight on him. Momo also didn’t really like his suit so he should go get a new one especially after getting into a little scruff with Kaidoh. That reminds me! Maybe we should all get new suits and…”
Tezuka listened patiently as Oishi rants on about how they should all go shop together to get the perfect suit for each other. Without any adults to watch over the Seigaku boys, it was Oishi who immediately takes responsibility for all of them.
“Alright. We will all meet at the mall in an hour. Call everybody else and tell Echizen not to be late. We still have quite a bit of packing to do.”
~~~
Friday. Sanada residence. Sanada Genichirou’s living room. 2:47 p.m.
Sanada and Renji nodded. Yagyuu turned around and walked back to the washroom.
The boys were all in Sanada’s house to model their suits. Renji had suggested that in order to keep Rikkai Dai’s reputation as a very distinguished school they had to go to Sanada’s house and be inspected. Sanada did not want any one of them looking inappropriate for the occasion.
“It’s your turn Akaya,” Yagyuu said as he opened the door.
“Hold on! I don’t have my jacket on yet!” the second year yelled.
Niou and Jackal were already done showing their suits and were sitting on the couch next to Marui, who was eating cookies that Sanada’s mother had left them before she went to work.
“Everybody have everything ready for next week?” Renji asked.
“Yea. I already packed all that I need. And more,” Niou smirked.
Sanada glanced at Niou. Knowing him for three years, he definitely packed a lot of unnecessary items with him.
“Niou. If I catch you misbehaving during these two weeks, you’re going to get the punishment of your life.”
“Hai hai…” Niou replied nonchalantly.
“Akaya! Let’s see already!” Marui managed to blurt in between his chewing.
Kirihara stepped out of the washroom with a scowl on his face. Sanada, Renji and Yagyuu all raised an eyebrow. Jackal gave Kirihara a sad look while Niou and Marui struggled from bursting out laughing.
“Well… I guess we need to get you a new suit,” Renji finally saying something.
“You think?! Both the pants AND the jacket are way too short on him!” Marui laughed as he pointed out the obvious.
Kirihara’s jacket sleeves were up to his elbows while his pants were three quarters above his foot.
“The last time I wore this was around four years ago when I graduated from junior high. Since then I didn’t really have to wear anything fancy,” Kirihara explained.
Just as Niou was about to add in a remark, Sanada stood up from his seat and put a hand on Kirihara’s shoulder.
“Get changed. We’ll go now since we only have two more days to pack.”
“Hai…” Kirihara said sullenly as he slowly walked back to the washroom.
~~~
Monday. Atobe Residence, main hall. 6:05 a.m.
“This is way too early for me,” Gakuto yawned.
“The itinerary says that we won’t be playing until Wednesday so we have two days to ourselves. Gakuto, you can sleep to your heart’s content,” Oshitari informed his doubles partner.
“Where the heck is Atobe? I thought we should all be ready by six!” Shishido growled as he fixed his blue cap.
“Shishido-san, this is his house so he is allowed to be late for a few minutes or so,” Ohtori explained.
Oshitari looked at Kabaji.
“He knows that we are all here, right?”
“Usu.”
Jirou was sleeping and leaning on Wakashi, who sat uncomfortably beside him. He didn’t want to be rude to his senpai so he tried to remain as still as possible.
“Alright everybody. Shall we make our grand appearance?”
Atobe walked down from his grand staircase. He was wearing his sunglasses on his head and was followed by many maids behind him. They were all carrying at least two suitcases each.
Oshitari smirked while Gakuto jumped up in excitement. Shishido rolled his eyes and Ohtori smiled.
“Let’s go Kabaji.”
“Usu.”
~~~
The same day, Tokyo Private Docks, 6:26 a.m.
“Tezuka? Which one is the ship that we are boarding?” Oishi asked.
Tezuka paused as he looked out on the docks. There were huge cruise ships everywhere. They all had the same signature on the side indicating that each and every one of them belonged to the Company.
“Ha nya… so many ships…” Kikumaru stared in awe.
“This isn’t the same dock that we went to the last time we went on a cruise. This looks… cleaner,” Momo noted as he looked around him.
“That’s because this is a private dock for the Company. This whole area is restricted unless you have a pass,” Inui answered as he read the brochure that one of the guards gave him.
“This whole place AND the ships belong to the guy named ?!” Momo exclaimed.
“Do you think that they are richer than Atobe-san’s family, Inui-senpai?” Kaidoh asked.
Inui nodded.
“The Empire was made earlier than the Atobe’s. I also found out that Atobe’s family came to fortune because of the help of the ’s. Therefore, they became close friends. I wonder why they invited Seigaku and Rikkai Dai for this trip. Hyoutei is an obvious choice because Atobe Keigo goes to that school.”
“This is an interesting bit of information. Somebody richer than Atobe,” Fuji smiled.
“Well, it was sure nice of them to invite us all on this trip,” said Kawamura.
“Eh? Where’s Echizen? It is 6:40 already and we have to be in front of the ship by 7!” Oishi panicked.
“Senpai, we still need to look for the ship itself,” Kaioh reminded the team.
“Ah! You’re right! Tezuka, do you know which one’s our ship? Tezuka?” Oishi turned to see that Tezuka was talking to one of the crew members.
Tezuka thanked the man and walked back to his team mates.
“It’s the one on the end. It’s named Poseidon’s Grace. Oishi, take everybody to where the ship is and I’ll wait for Echizen.”
“Morning.”
Echizen yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“You just can’t be late on a day like this Echizen! You just can’t!” Momo ruffled Echizen’s head.
“Alright everybody. Let’s move out.”
“Hai!”
~~~
The same day. In front of the Poseidon’s Grace. 6:45 a.m.
Yagyuu was looking through a brochure and Renji was reading the itinerary.
“I still can’t believe that we are going to be staying on this HUGE ship for two weeks!” Marui said excitedly.
“It’s not as big as the other ships so I am guessing that this is one of -san’s personal cruise ships. Though it is still impressively large,” Jackal commented.
“I wouldn’t mind living here for the next two years,” Kirihara whistled.
Sanada agreed with him. The ship was completely white from the front to the back. The only color besides white was the gold writing that read the ship’s name. A banner is placed on its side welcoming the schools that were invited.
“Here comes Seigaku,” Renji said.
“Good morning everybody,” Oishi bowed to the Rikkai Dai students.
Tezuka nodded to Sanada who also replied back with a nod.
“When do we get to board?” Kawamura asked.
“We should be boarding very soon. We are supposed to set sail by 7:30.” Yagyuu informed.
“I wonder where Hyoutei is. They should get here soon before the ship leaves them,” Jackal said as he looked around the dock.
“I doubt that the ship will leave without Atobe-san. Heads will roll if it does,” Fuji chuckled.
“Speak of the devil,” Kaidoh mumbled.
Two long black limos drove up beside the two teams. The driver in both limos stepped out of their said limos and opened the doors to let their passengers out. In the first limo, Atobe was the first one to come out. He flipped his hair and smirked at Tezuka and Sanada. Oshitari followed from behind him with Gakuto right by his heel. Kabaji was next to come out with Jirou in one arm. Shishido and Ohtori came out of the second limo with Wakashi.
“We made it just in time, nah Kabaji?”
“Usu.”
“It’s only because you had to bring 20 luggages for a two week trip. That’s just ridiculous,” Shishido said.
Atobe ignored Shishido’s comment as he walked towards the other two captains.
“Shall we board the ship?”
Tezuka and Sanada nodded.
Right on cue the ship let out a loud but deep sounding horn. A two door entrance opened on the side of the ship and a long automatic staircase slowly descended. The stairs were made of mahogany wood and was polished to shine brightly under the sun. A red carpet rolled down the stairs as servants in black and white suits stood in line in front of the ship, beside the staircase.
Atobe was the first to walk up to them.
“Please let us carry your luggage,” one of them bowed.
Atobe smirked. This is the type of service that he had expected from somebody with a high class ship. He was used to this kind of treatment as he pointed towards his suitcases that sat beside his limo. The servant immediately understood and took two other people with him. The other students were not as comfortable letting others carry their belongings.
Just as he stepped on the red carpeted stairs, it slowly started to move up, carrying the passengers to the doors.
“Wow! Now this is fancy!” said Momo.
“These stairs probably cost more than our tuition,” Niou joked.
“I feel bad for letting somebody else carry all of our luggage,” Oishi sighed.
“Don’t worry Oishi! They were willing to do it so let them! It’s part of their job!” Kikumaru said cheerfully.
“Yea Oishi-senpai! They’re getting paid to do that!” Momo added.
“This is just like in Atobe’s house,” Oshitari said. Gakuto nodded.
“I could definitely live like this for the next two weeks,” said Kirihara.
The boys were greeted with a live band that played Hawaiian music. An enormous swimming pool nestled in front of the band with beach chairs surrounding it. The deck was decorated with tropical flowers everywhere. The tables were covered with orange and red sheets with flower petals on sprinkled on top while seats were covered with a baby blue satin sheet. Ladies with hula skirts welcomed each player with a smile and a lei is placed around their necks. Waiters offered them with fruit cocktails sans the alcohol.
Atobe took a cocktail from one of the waiters and took a sip. The refreshing juice made him smile as he watched the band play. Kabaji stood silently beside Atobe while Tezuka and Sanada reluctantly took a cocktail as well. The three captains, and Kabaji, stood next to each other and listened to the band play. Kikumaru dashed off to the side of the ship to see how high they were from the port with Oishi and Inui following him. Fuji was already taking pictures of the other students and Kawamura was helping himself with some fruits on the buffet table. Momoshiro and Kaidoh were in a heated argument as they fought for the last pineapple cocktail but were stopped momentarily by another waitress who supplied a fresh tray of the drink. Echizen parked himself on a beach chair with Jirou and Wakashi on each side. A buffet table was set up and Marui was already helping himself with some breakfast with Jackal. Niou chatted with Yagyuu as he quietly sips his Hawaiian brewed coffee. Oshitari sat on one of the baby blue satin covered chairs with Gakuto scarfing down his bacon, eggs and hash browns from the buffet table. Renji sat down on a beach chair beside Wakashi and opened a book. Shishido, with a cappuccino in his hand, and Ohtori, with a strawberry cocktail, were chatting on the side of the ship while listening to the band. Kirihara was leaning against the edge of the ship and was staring blankly out into the ocean.
“Is everybody enjoying their time here?” a voice boomed from the speakers.
The boys cheered.
“Excellent! My name is Mishima Aki and I will be your emcee for the next two weeks! It’s nice to meet you all!”
Mishima Aki was a tall man who is quite tanned from performing many outdoor occasions. His dark brown hair was held back with his sunglasses that sat on top of his head and revealed his hazel colored eyes. He wore a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of cargo pants with sandals. He smiled to see that the boys were having a good time on the first day.
“Just to let you guys know you won’t be the only ones here! We are going to stop by Hokkaido to pick up a few more passengers. They are all close friends of -sama and will be joining us for the next two weeks! A map of the ship is being handed to you all as we speak. It also lists the major events that will be happening during your stay. Please look at them thoroughly,” Mishima said.
All the boys, except for Jirou, opened the map.
“As you can see, there are eight floors on this cruise line. There are two upper decks of this ship and we are currently on the second upper deck. The first upper deck is where our more formal meetings will be held. The second upper deck also holds the many restaurants that we have, so if you’re in the mood for Italian or Portuguese food, just come on up! We have twelve different kinds of foods from around the world! There is one outdoor swimming pool,” Mishima pointed in front of him, “And one indoor pool. The indoor pool is located on the second floor. We have eight regular sized out door tennis courts located on the other side of the ship and a stadium sized tennis court which is located on the second floor. It can hold an audience of 400. A putting range is also located where the tennis courts are. The first floor also holds the arcades. We have a large selection of the latest games in this floor. Computers and access to the internet can also be found there. The casino is also located there. The second floor holds even more recreational activities! A movie theatre is found there as well as the gym. An indoor rock climbing facility is also on this floor. We also have an outdoor rock climbing wall on the south side of the boat if anybody is interested there. The third and fourth floor is where the rooms are held. The fifth floor is where the infirmary is located so if anybody is feeling ill just go there. The heauty salon is also located on this floor along with the many shopping boutiques. The sixth floor is where laundry and housekeeping. If you need any clean towels or toiletries just dial six. You can also call them to do your laundry. The seventh floor is where the kitchen is so if you need any room service at any time of the day or night, just dial seven on your phone. The eighth floor is the lowest floor on the ship where the engines and machineries are,” Mishima explained.
Sanada stared in marvel at the many different activities are offered for them. Tezuka, equally impressed, adjusted his glasses as he skimmed through the map.
“ -sama will be joining us later this afternoon and you will all be meeting him for dinner. It will be a formal dinner so please wear your suits for this evening.”
The boys groaned. They didn’t think that they would have to wear their suits until the next week.
“I don’t want to wear my tux!” Kikumaru whined.
“I don’t mind! As long as we get to eat!” Momo said cheerfully.
“All you think about is food,” Kaidoh glared.
“What did you say mamushi?” Momo twitched.
“As for the rooms that you will be bunking, it will be a draw between the three schools. You were all to sleep on the fourth floor rooms, but -sama allowed us to have one team to sleep on the third floor rooms. There is really no difference in either floor except half of the third floor rooms comes equipped with a personal Jacuzzi and sauna in each room. Also it comes with a personal X-box, GameCube and the not yet released Playstation three. The newest games are also included,” Mishima said as he looked around the room to see that the students were obviously impressed.
“May I please have the captains of each team to come up and pick out a ballot?” he said as he looked around the deck.
Each tennis team cheered as they watched their captains walk towards the stage. Atobe, Tezuka and Sanada lined up beside Mishima.
“There are three colored ping pong balls in the box for you to pick out. The gold colored ball is the winner. Now, which one of you will be the first to pick from the ballot?”
“I will be,” Atobe claimed.
Tezuka and Sanada watched as Atobe stuck his hand into the box. The other boys watched nervously as Atobe pulled out his hand. He pulled out a ball and raised it towards the sky.
“The winner is Hyoutei,” Kabaji mumbled. Kaidoh and Momo jumped as the bigger player suddenly spoke up from behind them.
“Alright! The members of the Hyoutei tennis team will be sleeping on the third floor rooms! Congratulations!” Mishima announced and clapped his hand. The Hyoutei players cheered as Atobe flipped his hair and smirked.
“Great! Well I hope that you will all enjoy these next two weeks! If you need any questions just ask me! I will tell the servants to drop off your luggage to the rooms that you are assigned to,” Mishima ended as he handed the microphone back to the band who continued with the music.
“Alright! Oishi! Let’s go swimming! Ochibi! Let’s get changed!” Kikumaru yelled excitedly.
“Yea Echizen! Let’s go!” Momo piped in.
“Eiji-senpai, Momo-senpai. I’m gonna nap for a while,” Echizen responded but was carried away by Kikumaru and Momo.
“Che. The rich gets richer,” Kirihara grumbled. Niou patted the boy on the back.
“Let’s go to the arcades. That would cheer you up Akaya,” his senpai said.
“I will go and check out the putting range,” said Yagyuu.
“Sanada, shall we go and check out the tennis courts?” Renji asked.
Sanada nodded and followed Renji, who held the map and followed its directions.
“Marui? Eh? Where did he- HEY! Stop it Bunta!” Jackal yelled at his doubles partner. Marui was arguing and threatening one of the chefs because the dessert plate only contained fruits. There was not a single piece of cake out because preferred to eat healthy in the morning.
“Tezuka, let’s go check out the rock climbing facilities,” Inui suggested. Tezuka nodded and followed Inui.
“Taka-san, let’s go check out what movies are playing this week,” Fuji said.
“I hope it’s nothing scary,” Kawamura replied as he walked behind Fuji.
“Atobe, let’s go check out our rooms,” Oshitari said.
Atobe nodded.
“Let’s see how the ’s treat their special guests.”
~~~
The same day, Poseidon’s Grace, third floor rooms, section B, room 326, 11:15 a.m.
“Wow,” Ohtori gasped.
Shishido whistled.
Gakuto’s jaws dropped.
Oshitari’s eyes slightly widened.
“Are… these our… rooms?” Wakashi whispered.
Atobe smirked.
“It’s not as big as my room at home, but this will do.”
They decided to all go see one of their rooms since they were exactly the same as each other. The minute they opened the door, their reaction was reasonable. The room was huge. The bed only took one third of the room. It had thick comforters in red with gold detailing. There were three pillows on top of the comforters with the same work and two white pillows below them. The bed also held a basket filled with Belgian chocolates and imported cheese that welcomed the guests. There was a large plasma television that sat in front of the room and enough floor space from the television to the bed to hold four guests. A balcony sits outside the room that views the ocean.
“WOW! THIS is the washroom?!” Gakuto yelled.
The wash room was as equally impressive as the bedroom itself. A large mirror sat in front of the washroom counter. The counter was made out of marble that gleamed in the light. The sink was painted in gold with silver linings. Two tall glasses sat beside the sink and a small basket of toiletries next to the glasses. Fresh towels sat on the bath tub. The tub took one third of the washroom and had jets in them that produces bubbles and provides a massaging effect for the bather. A shower with frosted glass stood a few meters away from the tub. The surroundings of the tub and shower were covered in a soft material made out of real fur.
There was another door that Ohtori curiously opened. He gaped at the sight that he saw.
“Oy Chouta, what’s wro— WOW!” Shishido yelped.
Gakuto peeked from behind the two to see what the two boys were gazing at.
“So this is where the Jacuzzi and sauna are,” Atobe said from behind.
The Jacuzzi took half of the new room. The Jacuzzi could fit five guests and another plasma television hung beside it. The sauna was on the other side of the room. It was built with clear glass so the people in it are able to watch the television.
“And we have this in ALL of our rooms?!” Gakuto shrieked in excitement.
“Apparently,” Oshitari said as he adjusted his glasses.
“WOW! This is awesome!” a voice called out.
The boys walked back to the room to see Kabaji and Jirou, awake, playing with the Playstation.
“This new system is awesome! Look at the graphics!” Jirou yelled eagerly.
“Usu,” Kabaji agreed.
“I forgot about the Playstation!” Gakuto said as he grabbed the other controller and joined the game. Wakashi quietly sat beside Jirou. Jirou passed the other controller to his kohai who took it graciously.
“Oy! I’m playing after!” Shishido demanded.
“Shishido-senpai, we have our own Playstation in our own rooms remember?” Ohtori reminded.
“O yea! Let’s go Choutarou!” Shishido said as he grabbed his suitcase.
Atobe looked at his watch. It was 12:40 p.m. He debated whether to go upstairs and get some food or just call room service. His thoughts were interrupted when the speakers in the hall way made an announcement.
“Atobe Keigo. Atobe Keigo, will you come to the second upper deck to the information desk please. Atobe Keigo, please come to the information desk.”
Atobe raised an eyebrow as his teammates stared at him with confused looks on their faces.
“What’s going on Atobe?” Oshitari asked.
Atobe shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess I’ll see you guys later.”
~~~
The same day, Poseidon’s grace, second upper floor, information desk, 12:54 p.m.
Atobe walked up to the information where a lady, who looked like she was in her late thirties, was quietly writing. When Atobe reached the desk, the lady stopped writing and gave Atobe a warm smile.
“You must be Atobe-san. -sama has requested that you be transferred to another room. You will still be bunking in the same floor as your teammates, but instead of being in section B you will be moving to section A. The servants have already been sent to take your luggage to your new room. Here are your keys and a special guest pass. This will allow you access any of the facilities at any time,” she informed him.
Atobe was clearly pleased that they did not forget who he was. Being treated more importantly than the other students, Atobe was beginning to like this man. He took the keys and headed towards his new room.
~~~
The same day, Poseidon’s Grace, third floor rooms, section A, room 304, 1:08 p.m.
Atobe was stunned. His room was still not as big as his room at home but it was much larger than the rooms in section B. His bed was as big as the one he has at home. Instead of the comforters being color red, it was royal blue with gold accents. There were five pillows in the same color sequence but opposite style, instead of being all royal blue they were gold with royal blue detail. A pair of sheepskin slippers sat in front of the bed and the bed. A large basket also greeted him that held champagne, chocolates and imported cheese. A bouquet of red roses and an intricately decorated card sat beside it. Atobe opened the card.
To Atobe Keigo,
Welcome to the Presidential Suite. I hope that you enjoy your room and your stay here in the Poseidon’s Grace, one of my favorite ships. I am anxious to meet you as I have worked on many projects with your father. Maybe you can honor me with your presence as to a game of tennis when I arrive this week. Please make yourself at home and I will be seeing you and the others very soon.
Sincerely,
Saniiro
Atobe smiled as he opened the basket of goodies and took some chocolates. He pushed aside the silk curtains that lead to the open doors and to the balcony. The balcony was also bigger than the balconies in section B. It held a small table for two with soft cushion chairs on each side. Atobe looked out into the ocean. He is definitely going to be making himself feel exactly like he was in his own home.
~~~
The same day, Poseidon’s Grace, first floor, arcades,
3:50 p.m.
“Mou Ochibi! That wasn’t fair!” Kikumaru argued.
“Kikumaru-senpai, you’re just not as good on the dance floor as you are on the court,” Echizen replied smugly.
The two had been playing dance dance revolution for the past hour and so far, Echizen has been beating Kikumaru in every game.
“Hey! Let’s go get a snack before dinner!” Momo suggested.
“Now now Momo. Don’t eat too much. We are going to have dinner in three hours,” Oishi reminded.
The four headed out of the arcade. The automatic glass doors opened as they left the arcade. The sun shone through the glass windows as they walked. The whole floor was surrounded by glass so guests are able to see the vast ocean. The elevator bell rang announcing its arrival. The doors whooshed open to reveal Fuji, Kawamura, Kaidoh, Oshitari and Gakuto.
“Ah! Everybody! Good afternoon. Fuji, were there any good movies playing?” Oishi asked as he entered the elevator.
“Yea. I am surprised that there were eight theatres in this ship. There is a movie for every genre,” Fuji said.
“If we want to go as a group, we need to book a theatre so we can all go watch it,” Kawamura added.
“Where are you all headed?” Oshitari inquired.
“We’re going to get something to eat!” Momo said cheerfully.
“Pshh… you’re going to ruin your appetite,” Kaidoh said.
“I have self control!” Momo defended.
Kaidoh snorted.
“Hey Kikumaru, we should go to the arcades later so I can beat you in dance dance revolution,” Gakuto challenged.
"I just finished playing that game and I’m sick of it!” Kikumaru complained.
As the two second year squabbled and the two seniors argued, the speakers in the elevator went on.
“May I please have everybody’s attention. This is the captain speaking. We will be docking in Hokkaido in five minutes. We will only be there for half an hour for the remaining guests to board. That is all. Please resume to your activities.”
The elevator door opened to the second upper deck floor where the restaurants were. Momo ran out and was followed by Echizen. Oishi sighed as he walked behind with Fuji and Kawamura. Oshitari and Gakuto decided to go and see where the tennis courts were.
~~~
The same day, Poseidon’s Grace, first upper deck, control room 4:40 p.m.
Millions of tiny blinking lights and switches scattered the room. Radars and little televisions screens were all being monitored by men in uniforms.
“I see. So he won’t be in until Thursday evening,” the captain said.
“I guess we will not be holding the formal dinner tonight,” Mishima said.
“Yes. Please postpone the dinner to Thursday evening,” the girl replied.
Mishima nodded.
“Would you like me to announce your arrival to the rest of the guests?” he asked.
The girl nodded.
“There is no need for them to know who I am, yet,” the girl said.
The captain and the emcee bowed. They understood the circumstances so they followed her request.
“Thank you. I will see you tonight, Mishima-san. Captain,” said the girl as she walked out of the control room.
~~~
The same day, Poseidon’s Grace, second upped deck south end, rock climbing walls, 5:30 p.m.
Tezuka was sweating as he reached for the next rock above him.
“Very impressive, Tezuka-san. The difficulty on your wall is rated eight out of ten. I see that you have experience in rock climbing,” the instructor praised as he watched Tezuka climb higher up the wall. He looked at the wall beside Tezuka’s. Inui was very slowly climbing up the wall and mumbling to himself at the same time.
“The percentage me being able to catch up to Tezuka at this rate is very low,” Inui said under his breath as he tried to reach for a rock that was obviously too far for his reach.
“Inui-san! There is another rock that’s closer to you! Remember! Use your legs to push yourself up and your arms to support yourself!” the instructor reminded.
Tezuka had reached the top of his wall and turned his head just in time to see Inui missing the rock that he tried to grab and fell. The harness tightened on Inui and prevented him from falling.
“Inui-san! Are you alright?”
Tezuka fixed his glasses as he signaled his partner that he is going down. His partner nodded and slowly released the rope for Tezuka to come down. Inui’s partner was also slowly releasing the rope. When the two students reached the bottom, Sanada and Renji had just finished playing tennis and stopped by to check out the rock climbing walls.
“Sadaharu! Are you alright?” Renji asked.
Inui nodded.
“I just slipped on the wall. I will be fine.”
Tezuka slipped out of his harness and helped Inui out of his. The instructor gave the two a towel each to wipe themselves.
“Thank you for helping and teaching us,” Tezuka bowed.
“It’s no problem. You didn’t need any help Tezuka-san. As for you Inui-san, you will need a few more practices but you are doing well,” the instructor said encouragingly.
The four students started to head towards the elevator. They passed by the driving range and saw that the new guests have started playing as well. Each player was separated with a white fence with enough room for the player to swing as far as they want. Every time the player hits a ball, another one automatically pops out of the ground with a peg, ready to be hit. A crowd was huddling around one player. Curious, the four boys went to see what the commotion was all about. It was not a surprise for them to see Yagyuu in the middle of the circle of spectators. Yagyuu raised his arm and swung. The ball flew and flew. Then finally, a small ‘tink’ was heard. Yagyuu smiled. The crowd behind him clapped. Yagyuu turned around surprised to see the spectators. He slightly blushed and bowed. He saw his fellow classmates and excused himself from the crowd.
“Nice drive as usual, Yagyuu,” Renji commented.
“Thanks. It would have gone farther, but I did not want the ball to go overboard,” he replied with a smile.
“We should all freshen up to go to the formal dinner,” Sanada said.
Then the speakers suddenly came on.
“Good afternoon everybody, this is Mishima speaking. I am sorry to inform everybody that -sama will not be attending dinner tonight. Instead, he will be arriving Thursday afternoon therefore the formal dinner is cancelled. You may all take your dinner in casual wear in the first or second upper deck. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
“Well, that is quite disappointing.”
The five boys turned around to see Atobe coming out of the elevators.
“I wanted to meet the man in person and thank him for these arrangements,” Atobe smirked.
“You have never met him before Atobe?” Sanada asked.
Atobe nodded.
“I am very surprised. I thought that you have already become acquainted with -san because your family is close to him,” Renji pointed out.
Atobe waved his hand dismissively.
“Have you seen any of my team mates?” he asked.
They all nodded no.
“They are probably headed for dinner,” Tezuka suggested.
“Alright. I will see you guys later. Ja.”
“We should go and meet our team mates too. We will see you later,” Sanada bowed to Tezuka and Inui. Yagyuu and Renji followed their captain towards the opening elevators.
“Do you know where everybody else is, Tezuka?” Inui asked.
“Probably in our rooms. Oishi told everybody to meet at 6:15 p.m. so we can all go to dinner together.”
Inui nodded and followed Tezuka who pressed the elevator button.
~~~
The same day, Poseidon’s Grace, third floor rooms, section A, room 306, 6:18 p.m.
“Hurry up -senpai! I want to go and eat!” yelled.
had jet black hair that was layered to her shoulders, with piercing silver eyes. She was of average height and was the daughter of the Fishing Industries. Her father met Saniiro during one of his business trips and started to discuss on helping each other. With ’s company building personalized ships, took this opportunity to strike a business deal with him. Give him discounts on ships and in return gets twenty percent of his company’s profits. is a junior and is the youngest of ’s three children. Her two older sisters have graduated and were married.
“Just a second, I still need to add a little more eye shadow… Damn okaa-san for not letting me bring Mimi to do my makeup,” mumbled.
, a senior, had blonde curls with emerald green eyes and was slightly taller than . Her mother is the owner of a large makeup company called Snowy Love. Her father is the owner of a several famous sushi restaurants called Dead Fish, Fresh Sushi. It has been a top rated restaurant throughout Tokyo. The <