Chapter Three: All Aboard:

I was the one steered the boat. (Sappoto doesn’t know how to! I don’t even think she’s even *been* on a boat before!) My travel buddy kept going back and forth on the boat looking around like a hyped-up little puppy. I could have sworn I saw her tongue sticking out as she was panting. I watched her from the rear mirror above my head. I couldn’t help but to smile to myself as I steered. She reminds me of Andi at the moment.

“Wow!!!” Sappoto said at one point. “We’re actually on the water in a boat!” I couldn’t help but to laugh at the woman. She looked up at me slightly out of her little spell.

“What?” she asked me, all doe-eyed.

“You’ve never been on a boat before, have you?” I asked harmlessly. I watched her from the rear mirror. Sappoto looked at her feet while her cheeks turned a cherry tomato red.

“Yes…” she mumbled. She looked embarrassed now. I smiled at her still. That woman looks so cute when she’s humble.

“I can tell,” I said. Sappoto kept staring at her feet.

“Is that… a bad thing?” she asked. I smiled as I turned the boat to autopilot. I turned around to my friend and lightly patted her on the shoulder. Sappoto looked up at me slowly. I smiled at her still.

“It’s okay,” I told her. “Just enjoy the trip.” Sappoto nodded at me quickly. I grinned at her this time.

“Hey,” I said. “Let’s go explode this boat and see what we have here!” She looked up at me confused.

“We can actually do that?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” I replied. My traveling buddy looked around the boat for a moment. She still didn’t seem to get it.

“How?” she asked. Oh, it’s so cute how she doesn’t get it! Oh well, I’ll have to help the poor soul out.

“By walking around the boat and looking at every room,” I said calmly. She still didn’t get it. I could see it in her eyes. This is going to be fun after all!

“Who’s steering the boat while we do that?” Sappoto asked. I smiled and pointed to the wheel behind us. She looked up and her eyes grew wide in deep surprise.

“IT’S STEERING BY ITSELF!!!” she yelled. I nodded at her.

“That’s right!” I beamed in pride. “Pretty cool, huh?” My travel buddy blinked a few times wildly.

“B-But… But how is that possible?!?” she yelped. I laughed at her again.

“I set the boat to steer on autopilot,” I answered. “That’s where the boat moves by itself so that you and I move around freely.”

“It can actually do that?” Sappoto asked me.

“Yeah!” I insisted. “Now come on! Let’s go look around!” I grabbed my friend by the arms and dragged her around the whole two story boat. The poor woman yelped as she tried to keep up with me.

Looks like I bought ourselves a nice boat! The deck seemed to shine in the glowing summer sun. Inside the control room where I was, the water-proof operating system looked like something out of a popular sci-fi movie. I know what you are all thinking, isn’t it dangerous to be having *anything* electric in the water? Ah, my beloved Japan is so damn smart, my friends! Just last year, we have come up with a powerful water-proof substance that coats electricity-running necessities nicely and now no more naughty shocks! (Yay!) Anyway, back to the boat.

We got a SWEET boat here! We got a GREAT view all around the deck here. You can see everything all around you! Nothing but the open waters… and some land here and there. The inside is just a typical Japanese apartment. The kitchen and the only bedroom on the second level of the boat are the same size and tiny. Plus, there is only one toilet and shower. Not bad for me. Sappoto on the other hand… well… She looked at me slightly odd.

“Where am I going to sleep?” she asked as she looked in at the bedroom at the only bed in the room.

“In the bed,” I replied. My friend looked at me oddly.

“Well, where are you going to sleep, Miho?” she asked.

“In the bed,” I said again. Sappoto looked at me with big eyes.

“You mean…” she began to say. “We’re going to be sleeping in the same bed on this trip?” I gently patted her on the back.

“Sappoto, my dear Sappoto,” I said. “You know I wouldn’t do anything perverted to you! I’m in a stable relationship, already!” She still didn’t seem to believe me at all. I saw it in her face. I had a guess as to why. You see, I used to be such a cheat earlier in my relationship with Andi. I slept around with both men and women. Yes, I am a bisexual if you have read in the previous Tokyo-Zion Academy stories. I won’t apologize for that. As for the cheating, I didn’t realize how much I was hurting Andi until one of our co-workers, Patricia, made me see sense by trying to seduce me. Since then, Andi and I haven’t had an fidelity problems at all. (Okay, so I’m also dating that hot Takeo, but that’s for another time.)

“Look,” I insisted. “I really won’t do anything to you! I’m past that part in my life. I won’t cheat on Andi with you at all. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll keep my robe between as a crowbar, okay?” Sappoto stared on at me still not really bought onto the idea. Then, she finally nodded at me. I smiled at her kindly. Gently patted her on the back.

“There you go,” I said.

“But where we’ll we brush our teeth?” she asked.

“At the kitchen sink, of course,” I answered. I paused for a moment as I looked at her. “You did bring a toothbrush with you, right?” I asked. Sappoto looked at me like a deer about to hit by a beer truck. Okay, this doesn’t look good…

“Clothes?” I asked. My friend gave me another blank stare. My face dropped at the look in her eyes.

“Snacks? Lady’s aids?” I asked, trying to find a saving grace with this woman. Sappoto shook her head at me once.

“Didn’t you bring *anything* with you on this trip?” I asked.

“No…” she mumbled as she looked down at her feet. I sighed as I looked up at the blue sky above us. This woman is hopeless! Who the hell runs away from their employer without packing at least some money or an ATM card with them? That just seems so stupid to me! Still, I can’t turn her away now. We’re already out in the water and I’m too lazy to turn the boat around now.

“I’m so sorry for being such an inconvenience to you Miho-san,” Sappoto said to me desperately. I looked at her quickly.

“No, no,” I said. “It’s okay, you can just share my stuff until we come to shore and buy supplies there. Sound good?” Her eyes lit up brightly.

“Oh thank you, Miho-san!!!” she said as she quickly grabbed my hands. “I’ll find some way to repay you soon!” I gently escaped from her grip.

“No need,” I said. “And don’t start with the Miho-san thing. You are much older than me and we’re friends, so there’s no need for the formalities, you got me?” Sappoto pulled back a little bit.

“Yes, Miho-sa… I mean Miho!” she replied.

“Thank you,” I said with a little bow. I watched back to the wheel to do more manual steering for a little while. This is going to be a *long* summer with this woman! Yet, it will beat being all alone in the long run.