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Time flew.

Before Mikaela even knew what was happening, winter came at them in full swing and then it was winter break. Practices still went on as usual, but a bit less frequent due to the weather. Mikaela was glad to have an excuse to wear her leggings- it was cold outside. Sure, she went the rest of the week without them, but then it became much too cold. Mikaela bundled up the best she could.

She got off her crutches. Walking was a bit weird, at first. Mikaela found herself constantly grasping for her crutches that weren't there, which made it a bit odd to walk because she was always reaching out for something that she didn't have. Two days after being cleared of her crutches, Mikaela was as good as new. She felt... normal.

It was so bizarre what four months of cramps with a prosthetic, a month with a wheelchair, and a month with crutches could do to someone. Mikaela had never felt so liberated. She spent her first day off crutches skipping, running, and doing anything she could to express her excitement at being able to use her legs.

The team still practiced regularly, which Mikaela appreciated. She didn't enjoy spending all of her time at Tsukishima or Kageyama's; although she knew neither of them minded, she still felt like she wasn't supposed to be there. Like a leech. It was okay during the school weeks, but now that school was out for a bit, she was spending all of her time at Kageyama's. Or Tsukishima's, depending on the day.

Mikaela was seriously considering going back home.

She hadn't seen her mother since the surgery- almost two months ago. Surely that was enough time for things to blow over, right? She'd be safe at home now, right? She had no reason to fear her mother now. What was there to argue about? She'd be fine.

...Right?

"Kags," Mikaela said one day, laying on the couch as Kageyama flipped to the next episode of the show they were watching. "I should go back home."

He didn't reply, instead fast-forwarding through the theme song of the show. Thirty seconds of the show went through before he paused it and turned to her. "You're serious?" Kageyama asked.

Mikaela swallowed. "Yeah. I mean, I've been mooching off of you for months now."

"You know I've got no problem with it. Neither does Tsukishima."

"You say that all the time. I know." She huffed, twisting herself so that she was sitting up on the couch. "I think... I think I should at least give it a shot."

Kageyama sighed, setting down the remote. "Kaisha, she hit you. You can't just let that go."

"You think I have?" Mikaela frowned. She had known he'd disapprove from the beginning, but it wasn't something she could do without consulting him. "Look, if it's ever dangerous, I'll leave. I know I can be safe with you."

"So just stay safe with me," he insisted.

"She's my family, Tobio."

"So am I."

She stifled a groan, leaning back into the couch. "Kags, I have to give it a shot. It's been four months, at least. And she's tried. She got the surgery arranged, she offered to get me Dad's old apartment... It's her way of trying to make up for it."

Kageyama didn't say anything for a moment, but when he started to talk, Mikaela could tell he'd picked his words out carefully. "The day you officially ran away, I got a phone call from Tsukishima, of all people," he said in a low voice, meeting her eyes, "telling me that you were bleeding, shaken up, and not speaking to anyone." He turned away, glaring at the paused television screen. "I can't. Kaisha, I can't get a call like that again."

"I..." Mikaela trailed off, shaking her head. "It won't happen again."

"You can't promise me that."

Mikaela couldn't think of anything to say in response. She pinched her lips into a line and broke eye contact with Kageyama, choosing to glare at her feet instead. He was right, and she knew it; there was no way to completely ensure that a situation like what she'd faced in August would happen again.

She straightened up. "Do you trust me?"

He scowled. "You can't ask me something like that."

"Do you trust me?" she repeated.

"You know I do."

"Then trust me when I say this is the last time. If it happens again, I'll move out for good." Mikaela grabbed Kageyama's hand and squeezed it lightly. "I can't promise you that it won't happen again, but I can promise you that I'll never go back if it does."

He stayed silent for a minute, glaring at the television screen. Mikaela didn't let go of his hand, afraid that if she did, he'd leave.

"Okay."

She perked up. "Really?"

Kageyama rolled his eyes. "You don't need my permission, moron."

"Yeah, but I wanted you to be okay with it." Mikaela squeezed his hand once more and then she let go, smiling softly. "Thanks, Kags. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"But if anything goes sideways-"

"-I call you."

"Right away."

"Yeah."

"You promise?"

That was a promise she could definitely keep. "I promise."

"Okay." Kageyama exhaled, grabbing the remote from the table. He pressed play, and the show started up again. "When'd you want to go?"

Mikaela shrugged. "Today."

"Today?" He paused it again, and Mikaela groaned, rolling her eyes. "Like, right now?"

"No, dork, I want to at least get through this episode first. Then maybe I can make cookies for her or something." She cocked her head, turning to the Kageyama. "Wanna make cookies with me?"

He sighed. "Fine."

"You're the best, Tobio."

"Yeah, yeah."

Three hours later, Mikaela was armed with a container full of gingerbread cookies (they had taken her and Kageyama the better part of an hour to make) and her resolve was set. This was it. She was standing on the doorstep outside her house, biting her lip and glaring at the door.

She rung the doorbell.

Time passed, and nobody came to the door, even though her mother's car was in the driveway. Mikaela turned around to look at Kageyama, who was waiting at the bottom of the driveway. He shrugged, and Mikaela sighed, ready to leave.

"Who is..."

The door opened and Mikaela spun around to face her mother, still wearing her work clothes and rubbing her eyes tiredly. When she noticed who it was, she trailed off, surprise evident on her face.

"Hi!" Mikaela squeaked, caught off guard. "I- uh, sorry, I- I made cookies?" she offered weakly, holding up the silver tin.

Her mother stared at her blankly, her dark eyes drifting from Mikaela's face to the tin, then back to her daughter, as if she couldn't believe Mikaela was actually standing in front of her. Mikaela didn't know how to proceed; she'd made a gamble, coming home like this, although her mother didn't look threatening right now and her aggression levels seemed rather low, so she didn't feel like she was in danger. If anything, her mother looked like she might just close the door- or maybe tap Mikaela to make sure she was real.

"I'm sorry."

Mikaela blinked, unsure that she'd heard her correctly. "What?" she said blandly.

Monomi pinched her lips together and met Mikaela's gaze, and the manager was absolutely floored to see tears in her mother's eyes. "I'm sorry," she repeated, her hands falling limply to her sides, "for being a shitty excuse of a mother to you."

The silence that passed between them seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Suddenly, the cookie tin fell to the ground with a clatter. Mikaela leaned forward, and for the first time in ages, wrapped her mother in a hug. Her arms fastened around her mother's shoulders and she hung on like she was hanging on for dear life- when was the last time she'd hugged her mother? When was the last time her mother had been hugged?

Monomi's arms wrapped around her waist, and Mikaela squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to suppress the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry too," Mikaela mumbled, tears leaking down her cheeks. "For running away. For never talking to you. I-"

"I don't blame you," her mother replied, and something in Mikaela collapsed. She started sobbing, her fingers clawing at her mother's back in a desperate attempt to get closer to her mother, the woman who had brought her into this world, the woman who raised her and wanted the best for her, even if she went about it in the wrong ways. Her heart had been in the right place.

Mikaela's chest hurt from crying. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling loudly. "Are- are the cookies okay?" she asked weakly, and her mother chuckled.

"Probably." They let go, standing back from each other. Mikaela bent down and picked up the tin with shaky hands. Monomi stepped back, giving Mikaela space to enter the house. "Let's sit down," she said, and Mikaela saw the commanding presence return to her form. Mikaela was about to shrink down and muster up some sort of excuse when her mother seemed to notice her discomfort and added, "you can tell me what you've been up to lately."

"Really?" Mikaela said softly, still doubtful. "You'll just listen?"

She nodded. "Unless you ever want me to talk."

Who are you and what have you done with my mother? Mikaela turned around to look back at Kageyama, who had an awkward smile on his face. She smiled at him, and he nodded. She was okay. Mikaela turned back around to face her mother.

"Okay," she whispered, nodding slowly. "Okay."

I guess holiday miracles really do happen.

Kageyama Monomi stayed true to her word. She stayed almost dead silent the entire time that Mikaela talked about what she'd been up to for the past four months- had it really been four months? She talked about the finals, and she tried to keep it brief in fear that her mother would shut her down, but Monomi actually asked, "how was the game?" and Mikaela couldn't stop herself from diving into the details of the match.

She talked about the training camp and the video that had overtaken the internet. Monomi had seen it, of course, but Mikaela told the whole story behind it anyways. She talked about preparing for nationals, the team, class, Kageyama, and anything else that came to mind, and her mother didn't comment on any of it until Mikaela went silent for a minute with nothing else left to say.

"Where have you been living?" Monomi finally asked.

Mikaela felt the conversation grow tense. "Mostly Tobio's place," she said honestly, "because his parents are never home. I didn't..." she trailed off.

"You didn't want them informing me," her mother finished, and Mikaela pursed her lips. "That's where I expected you to go. I will admit, I was a bit too... prideful to call my sister and ask."

"Yeah," Mikaela echoed softly. "I stayed with... uh, other people on the team on the days where his parents were home." Monomi nodded, and they fell into an awkward silence. Mikaela curled up into the armchair and stayed silent, worried that her mother's sudden change in attitude would only last so long. Then, a thought occurred to her. "Um, what have you been up to? In the past few months?" Mikaela asked awkwardly.

She saw her mother stiffen up. The corners of her lips twitched. Apparently her question meant more to her mother than she'd thought it would. "Business is good," Monomi said firmly. "I wrapped up two cases in the past few months, and the company-"

She stopped. Mikaela raised an eyebrow, surprised. This type of talking was typical of her mother, so the pause wasn't expected.

"...I've been seeing a therapist."

Mikaela's jaw must've hit the floor. "Wait, what?"

Monomi, for the first time in ages, looked... vulnerable. She sank back into her chair with a sigh. "Since you left," she said quietly, and Mikaela clung onto every word, "I've started to realize how lonely I was. It was depressing, but it was tolerable. But then your father's funeral happened." Her face softened. "Your speech reminded me how different your father and I were. We both wanted what was best for you, but he was willing to let fate take its course and let your future play out. I wanted no such thing. I was determined to do whatever I could to put you on the right path."

"Were?" Mikaela said quietly, and Monomi chuckled.

"Still am. It's critical that for the highest probability of success, you keep your doors open. I knew immediately that volleyball wasn't the right direction to go- really, unless you make it big, being an 'athlete' is not a viable job- and I wanted to push you in the same direction I went, because I saw the same drive, the same attitude. You'd be a wonderful lawyer."

There were so many things Mikaela wanted to say, but she refrained from commenting.

Monomi sighed again. "I discussed my views with a therapist, who suggested that perhaps those qualities could be applied elsewhere. Maybe, instead of trying to drive you towards a certain career because you possessed the right characteristics, that I could try to nurture those characteristics to be stronger instead." She shrugged. "It was good logic. I enhance your skills so that when- if- you decided to follow my path, you'd be strong enough to handle it.

"It was only after several meetings that I realized what he meant. That instead of driving you towards law, I could push you to improve, and then you'd have the skills to succeed anywhere." Monomi pursed her lips. "Although I still think you have great potential for law and law school would be the best place for you, I've come to realize that even if I forced you there, you'd figure out a way to do what you really wanted to anyways. So why would I go through the trouble?"

Mikaela's mouth felt dry. What the hell had happened to her mother?

"So, my question for you," Monomi said slowly, clenching her hands into fists and then releasing, "is what you want to do."

"What I want to do," Mikaela repeatedly, and her mother nodded. "What I want to do about what?"

"Anything. Everything." She leaned forward in her seat, lacing her fingers together. "It's taken several visits and reiterations of his message to understand what my therapist truly meant. If I am to be your mother, I am to support you and what you want to do, regardless of whether it's what I want you to do." Monomi huffed. "Obviously, it's still a work in progress, and I'll probably disagree with most of what you say, but my opinion is irrelevant."

I really have to meet the man that got this through her thick skull. Mikaela's mouth opened and closed with no words coming out- she was speechless. Her lips turned upwards in a grin. "Wow," she said dumbly, shaking her head. "I can't believe this."

"Me neither," Monomi replied, and they both chuckled. "So? What would you like to do?"

Mikaela beamed. "I want to play volleyball."

"No surprises there. Where?"

"Karasuno."

"You're sure?"

Mikaela exhaled slowly and nodded. "Yes."

"Explain your reasoning."

She couldn't help her grin- no matter what, she was still her mother. "I spoke with Japan's coach for the under nineteen female team," Mikaela said, her conversation with Hujita flitting back into memory. "We talked a lot about my options. Apparently, she was scouting me in Junior High but then I vanished. She's interested to see if I've gotten better and she was looking at me for the U-19 team. The prosthetic makes it a bit of an issue- she's got to get it cleared with the athletic board if I'm to play in tournaments."

Mikaela bit her lip, but continued. "It was going to be tricky enough to convince the committee to let me play, but then that video went viral, which apparently means I'm a popular Internet star now." If her mother was surprised, she gave no indication of it, so Mikaela forged on. "Volleyball isn't one of the most watched sports in Japan, so they'll do what they need to in order to secure more viewers. Having an Internet sensation playing on the team is apparently beneficial and will draw more viewers.

"Hujita already said I'll probably get flagged down at nationals, especially since people know who I am now. I'm hoping for that. I can announce that I'm going to play for Karasuno. Even if I don't get any attention, that's fine too. I just want to be able to play volleyball, and as long as my skills are up to par, I've got a good shot for the U-19 team."

"That's impressive," Monomi said, and Mikaela nearly melted. That was the most positive encouragement she'd ever received from her mother about volleyball- ever. "However, I do have to ask- why Karasuno?"

"Why Karasuno?" Mikaela repeated.

I've asked myself the same thing hundreds of times over the past few weeks.

She smiled. "Why would I ruin what I've put so much into building up for myself?"

They talked. For at least another hour.

Monomi inquired about school; just because Mikaela was now free to pursue volleyball without the discouragement of her mother didn't mean she could "throw away her education". It was a fair enough argument, so Mikaela promised to keep her grades up and keep university in mind. They talked about the logistics of playing again and what the athletic committee would have a problem with.

"They'll need to inspect the prosthetic," Monomi said with a sigh, "to be clear that it doesn't give you an advantage when you play."

"I'll wear whatever they give me to wear if I have to," Mikaela assured her.

They talked about the living situation. Monomi initially suggested finding her an apartment or something similar nearby, but it'd be a bit of a walk from Karasuno- not a lot of decent options in the surrounding area- but Mikaela decided to cut her off. "I could just live here," she suggested weakly, lacing her fingers together.

Her mother paused. "You'd consider that?"

Mikaela thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah."

"Then I have a suggestion to make." Monomi straightened up. "What if we reconfigured the basement to be your own personal living space? It was a plan your father and I had in place for a while- honestly, we never use the basement anymore- and you're a bit too big for your old room now."

Mikaela's jaw slipped. "You'd do that?"

"Of course. Besides, that would... provide a bit of space between us, if you desired." Monomi tightened her jaw.

"Yeah- Yeah, that'd be great." Mikaela's head was spinning; there was so much generosity and kindness practically oozing from her mother and it felt too good to be true. The basement was pretty big, too- there was enough space for her to have a bedroom and then separate living quarters. It was a great compromise. "This is for real? You're not pulling my leg?"

"No. Now I'm going to be gone..." Monomi trailed off, then picked up again, filling Mikaela in on what weekends she'd be away for and when she could have people come over to redo the basement or bring in what she wanted. "Consider it your holiday present," she said when Mikaela asked about what she could get for her new room. "You know money isn't an issue. I just want a record of what you've ordered, so be aware that I will be asking you about any questionable purchases."

"Fair enough." Mikaela sighed, crossing her ankles. "Wow. This is a bit..."

Monomi quirked an eyebrow. "Generous? Surreal? Bizarre?"

"Not what I expected," she admitted. "This is like, the best case scenario of what I had in mind."

"Well, Kaisha," her mother said with a chuckle, "I think you've had enough of the 'worst case scenario' business to last for the rest of your life."

Mikaela smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

She stayed one last night at Kageyama's place, with plans to shop the next day and then move back home. Kageyama made sure she enjoyed her 'last' evening at his house; they went on a run together, watched dumb movies, and hit a volleyball back and forth to each other in the backyard. Before she knew it, tomorrow had arrived and she was supposed to shop.

Mikaela wasn't a huge fan of shopping mindlessly. Shopping with a mission? That was a different story.

So, naturally, she contacted the best shopper she knew.

"So, where to first?" Oikawa chirped excitedly, flipping through a map of one of Tokyo's many shopping centers. The setter had immediately agreed to a shopping trip ("More bonding with Mika-chan!") and they'd taken a train to get into Tokyo, where all the best stores were. Oikawa knew more about shopping and bargains than anyone else she knew, so Mikaela was willing to spend a day with him if it meant getting some good deals on stuff for her room. It was her mother's money, sure, but she didn't want to waste it mindlessly.

"Wherever works," Mikaela replied with a shrug.

Oikawa grinned. "Alright, if you insist!"

"We're not shopping for clothes, Oikawa."

He immediately pouted. "But Mika-chan!" he whined as they wandered through the entrance to a department store. "Clothes shopping is the best kind of shopping!"

"I don't need clothes, moron."

"But I do!"

"You always need clothes, though. I invited you to help me get stuff for my room."

"Your basement, you mean," Oikawa clarified, leaning onto a large cupboard that was up on display. He accidentally knocked off the 'For Sale' sign on top of the cupboard and scrambled to catch it before it toppled off. Righting it, he stepped away from the display, grinning sheepishly. "So! What could you possibly want for your lovely basement?"

"I'm thinking a fridge, for sure," Mikaela said, opening up the list she'd recorded on her phone. "Mom's got a television I can steal, and there's already a couch in the basement but I'd love another chair. Oh, and a bean bag chair, definitely."

Oikawa stuck his tongue out at her. "She literally gave you access to whatever you want, Mika-chan! You've got to get more extravagant than that!"

Mikaela raised her eyebrow. "Like what?"

"An aquarium! Or a lava lamp! Or something fancy!"

"...A lava lamp?"

"Girl, your room is going to be on the top ten best basements in Japan if I have anything to do about it," Oikawa said proudly, clapping Mikaela on the shoulder. "And I do. Let's go get you some giant plants." He grabbed her by the wrist and started dragging her towards the first aisle.

Mikaela rolled her eyes and let herself be dragged along. I'm going to regret this.

To her surprise, bringing Oikawa with her turned out to be a huge success. They snagged a decently priced fridge (Oikawa picked out a pack of magnets so it wouldn't be 'empty') and Mikaela picked out a coffee table. Together, they picked out an armchair that matched the couch she already had and a beanbag chair, which Mikaela was tempted to take a nap on.

Eventually, Oikawa convinced her to spend a bit more and Mikaela couldn't resist. She ended up getting a lava lamp- in all fairness, it was red and yellow and the coolest thing she'd seen all day- and they even bought a popcorn machine. Mikaela had laughed when he suggested it, but then Oikawa dove into all the benefits of eating popcorn (a nice snack food that wasn't horribly unhealthy for you) and she'd finally relented.

They bought fairy lights; they were cheap and easy to decorate her room with. Oikawa convinced her to get a picture-hanging thing to put on her wall, then promised to help her print out pictures to put up.

"Here, Mika-chan, let's take a picture!" Oikawa chirped. "For your picture board!"

Mikaela rolled her eyes. "I've got a picture with you somewhere, don't I?"

Oikawa made a face. "No you don't!"

"Oh, wait! I have that one of you shrieking-"

"That doesn't count!"

Mikaela laughed. "That's my favourite picture."

"Well, Mika-chan, you have horrible taste."

"I mean, I hang out with you, don't I?"

"I didn't raise you to be rude!"

"You-" Mikaela was laughing so hard that her chest hurt. She'd forgotten how much she loved hanging out with Oikawa; he was nothing short of hilarious and fun to be around. "Oikawa, you're the best," she said with a grin, shaking her head. "I've missed you."

He beamed. "I missed you too, Mika-chan. We should hang out more often."

"Your fangirls would literally murder me. Why do you think I insisted we shop in Tokyo?"

"Oh, Mika-chan," Oikawa said with a shake of his head. "They wouldn't bother you!"

Mikaela rolled her eyes. "I've seen what you post online and how many comments your photos get. You're basically an idol."

"You wanna go and talk about social media?" The captain laughed, shaking his head. "That video was gold, and now you've got more followers than I do."

"I do?" she said in surprise. Honestly, she'd stopped keeping track. When she'd gotten back from camp, Tsukishima had mentioned her having over three thousand. She hadn't thought it'd go up from there. Mikaela frowned, pulling out her phone. Her eyes bugged out of her head. "Six thousand?! For throwing my leg at someone?"

Oikawa huffed. "I had to work hard to get this as many as I have. You're lucky."

Mikaela rolled her eyes. "How many do you have?"

"Three thousand and something."

"That's a lot," she assured him. "I only had a few hundred before this whole mess."

"Hey, Mika-chan," Oikawa said suddenly, his lips twisting into a wicked grin. "Can I post a video of you throwing your prosthetic at me? I'll-"

"No way, dumbass."

He pouted. "Can I settle for a photo then?"

Mikaela rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Yay!" Oikawa pulled out his phone and turned on the camera, holding it out in selfie mode. He held up his fingers in a peace sign. "Say cheese!" She couldn't help but grin as he snapped the picture. "You're so photogenic, Mika-chan," Oikawa whined. "I'm jealous."

"Excuse me? Have you seen yourself?"

They bickered the rest of the way out of the store, shopping bags hanging over their arms (they'd ordered the larger things to be delivered the next day) and headed down to the train station. Sure, Oikawa could be annoying, but Mikaela was grateful for him; he put up with a lot of her shit too, so she couldn't complain too much.

It was a decently long train ride, and they could only spend so long bothering each other, so Mikaela and Oikawa switched to talking about volleyball. Mikaela tried to avoid talking about nationals in general- it was still a bit of a sore spot for Oikawa- so instead they talked about the camp. Mikaela grumbled about Miya Atsumu, and Oikawa rolled his eyes at her antics and added some of his own jabs.

They were almost back at the main station and Mikaela thanked Oikawa again for coming with her, but he waved her off. "You know I like shopping almost as much as I like myself," Oikawa said cheerily, checking his phone briefly. "Anytime, Mika-chan."

"Thanks, Oikawa," Mikaela said gratefully, "I owe you one."

He coughed at that and turned his head to look out the window. "About that."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

"Can I cash that favour now?"

"Sure?"

"Could you come to our practice for a few minutes?"

"I thought you were done practicing."

"We are, but we just hang out and fool around for a bit. No coaches or whatnot."

Mikaela frowned. "We've got practice tonight too."

"Yeah, but you said it doesn't start until half an hour after ours, so it should be fine."

"Alright, but... why?"

Oikawa sighed, resting his elbows on his knees. "Okay, so I told the team I knew the leg throwing girl," he started.

Mikaela's jaw dropped. "That's what this is? You want me to go with you and prove that you know me? Because they didn't believe you?" Oikawa opened his mouth to protest, but Mikaela was so flabbergasted that she ignored his attempt to stop her and forged on. "Is that what that photo was for? Because you wanted proof that you know me?"

"Mikaela!" Oikawa exclaimed, throwing his hands out and making an 'X' to get her to stop. "How shallow do you think I am?" Her hesitation was enough to make him sigh. "Okay, maybe a bit, but no."

"Sorry," she muttered, sinking into her seat. "I guess that's a bit of an overreaction."

"A bit?" he said incredulously, and Mikaela glared at him. "Okay, fine, I guess I started wrong. For one thing, Iwa-chan, Makki, and Mattsun want to see you."

"Fair enough," she admitted grudgingly.

"What I was going to say," Oikawa said, frowning at her, "was that there's a couple guys on the team who want to meet you. Apparently one of them knows that Miya kid and personally wants to thank you for your service to this country."

Mikaela snorted. "It wasn't even that great."

"Okay, but will you come?"

"Fine. No harm in it, I guess." Oikawa pumped a fist and thanked her, grinning. "So this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm now Internet famous?"

Judging by the way Oikawa's mouth opened and closed with no explanation, it definitely did.

Which was okay. It didn't bother her, really.

(Maybe just a bit.)

Mikaela enjoyed the experience a whole lot more than she thought she would.

She ran through Hujita's tips in her head: if she came off as a stone cold bitch, nobody would like her. If she came off as too friendly, people would think she's out of character or just eager to please. She had to find a balance. She had to stay aloof. She had to-

Mikaela groaned and shut her phone off, the list of tips she'd recorded going dark. Fuck it. I'll be myself, and if they don't like me, they won't like me.

Social media could go to hell.

"If you're ever uncomfortable," Oikawa rushed out on their way there, almost tripping over his own feet, "let me or Iwa-chan know and we'll get you out of there."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. But thank you, Oikawa."

"No, thank you, Mika-chan," he chirped back, grinning. "Fame is rough, huh?"

"It has its downsides," she joked with another roll of her eyes. I'm hardly famous.

The walk from the station wasn't too bad, but by the time they got there, Mikaela's nonchalance about this whole ordeal had faded. She trusted Oikawa, sure, but Mikaela was afraid she'd need to be protected from not only Oikawa's fangirls but any 'fans' (if you could call them that) of her as well. The people at Karasuno were bad enough; how bad could they possibly be at Aoba Johsai?

Oikawa opened the gym door. "Your captain's here!" he called out excitedly, announcing his presence for all to hear. Mikaela smacked herself in the forehead. "And I brought a guest!"

Mikaela stepped out from behind Oikawa and immediately made eye contact with Iwaizumi. Her lips stretched into a grin, and he grinned right back at her. Mikaela dropped her shopping bags by the door and ran towards him (God, she loved being able to use both of her legs freely) and launched herself at him, grabbing him in a hug. "I missed you," she mumbled into his shoulder, fighting back a smile.

"Missed you too," Iwaizumi replied, letting go of her and backing up, patting his hands on her shoulders. "Crutch free?"

"Yep!" she chirped happily. "I-"

"Oi! Mika!"

She whipped around and her smile widened. "Hanamaki! Matsukawa!"

"I told you to call me Makki, dumbass," Hanamaki scolded, wandering over to her and ruffling her hair. Mikaela scowled and swatted his hand away. "You've been avoiding us, eh?"

"I have not," she protested. "I've been busy."

"Obviously," Matsukawa said with a scoff. "Too busy for your poor old uncles."

"You are two years older than me, that hardly qualifies as old."

"Yeah, respect your elders, brat."

"Why, you-"

"Mika-chan!" Mikaela turned around to Oikawa's familiar whine, sighing to herself. "You weren't this happy to see me!"

She cocked her head, pretending to be confused. "Why? Should I be?"

"Mean!"

"I'm kidding!"

"C'mon, Mikaela, don't try and spare his feelings like that."

"Yeah, you don't have to lie to him."

"Oi! I'm your captain!"

"Assikawa, shut up and go get changed."

Mikaela wanted to cry. I've missed this so much. "Oi, Oikawa, was this it? Am I good now?" she called out as the brunet was retreating to the change room.

"Hardly!" he called back before closing the door behind him.

"Hardly?" Mikaela echoed. Frowning, she turned back to Iwaizumi, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa, and it was only then that she noticed the other players in the gym. About eight other boys were standing, frozen in place, staring at her like she was some sort of god. "Hi," she said awkwardly, tucking her hands behind her back. "Sorry for barging in."

She was greeted by silence until one of the boys- their back up setter? Yahaba or something?- spoke up. "You're the Karasuno manager," he said slowly.

Mikaela nodded. "Yep."

There was a hiss of, "I told you!" as someone very familiar smacked someone else who was very familiar in the back of the head.

"Kindaichi?" Mikaela said in surprise. "Kunimi?"

Why the hell am I surprised, this is literally their school.

Kindaichi turned up to meet her gaze. His lips pinched together and he narrowed his eyes at her. Clearly, he still didn't like her much. He never had. He'd never been a big fan of Kageyama, and she'd just been associated with him and therefore received the same treatment. Not that she cared too much; she barely ever talked to Kindaichi or Kunimi to begin with.

"Hey," Kunimi said tiredly, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"I knew it was you in that video," Kindaichi said, straightening up. Mikaela raised her eyebrows- he was taller than when she last saw him. "As soon as I saw you talk to Kageyama. That was at the Youth Camp, wasn't it?"

"What tipped you off?" Mikaela said dryly.

"So you really hit Miya Atsumu with your leg?" one of the younger players asked, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Yup."

"Can we see it?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

She shot him a weird look. "Because I said no?" The boy had the nerve to look slightly ashamed, and Mikaela turned back to the group of third years. "Sorry to bother you guys. Oikawa and I went shopping today and he said you guys missed me. I'm pretty sure he just wanted to show off that he knows the psycho leg throwing girl from the video."

Hanamaki snorted. "Probably, knowing him."

"We did miss you, though," Matsukawa put in, raising an eyebrow at her. "Because you never come by."

Her jaw dropped. "I never come by? Why don't you guys stop by one time?"

"The Karasuno kids would probably kill us," Hanamaki remarked, turning to Matsukawa. "Eh, Mattsun? They seem like the overprotective bunch."

"They're not..." Mikaela trailed off. It was true. The Karasuno team was a flock of crows that protected their own. She flashed back to the training camp with Nekoma and Fukurodani and how the team had acted just because she'd gotten a phone call from Oikawa. "Well, okay, maybe. They can suck it up for a bit, though. I miss you lot. I should've come down to see you guys at some point."

Iwaizumi shrugged. "You had a lot going on, don't put too much on yourself." He turned to the frozen players, who were all still fixated on their conversation. "Oi! Let's get going!"

There was a mad scramble for volleyballs as Oikawa waltzed out of the change room, humming to himself. "Oh! Mika-chan! Have you met Houkanami?"

"No," Mikaela admitted. If it was a different team, she probably would've been able to recognize him from extensive amounts of research. Aoba Johsai, however, was a team she never brought herself to investigate.

Oikawa grinned. "He's the kid I told you about! The one who knows Miya Atsumu!" He turned back to the team. "Oi! Houkanami!" A tall boy with brown hair jogged over, glancing curiously at his captain. "There, I told you I knew her. This is Mikaela Kaisha."

"I figured out that much for myself," Houkanami said with a laugh, holding out his hand. "It's great to meet you."

Mikaela smirked to herself. Finally, someone with a bit of decency. "You too," she said breezily. "You know Miya?"

He nodded. "Grew up in the same neighborhood. I moved here a few years back. I know how much of a dick that kid can be, so I bet you had your reasons."

"That I did," she said with a laugh.

Iwaizumi nudged her with his elbow. "Yeah, you never said what happened. What'd he say to you?"

Mikaela frowned, tapping her chin. "I think it was something along the lines of, 'what are you going to do, throw your crutch at me?' or something like that."

There was a pause as the four boys stared at her, trying to decide if she was serious or not. Then, Hanamaki burst into laughter. "You're such a petty kid," he forced out, grinning wildly. "How do you fit that much spite in your tiny body?"

"I'm not that short!"

Iwaizumi shook his head with a sigh. "I'm not even surprised."

"Mika-chan, we didn't raise you to be that petty," Oikawa said with a scowl, ruffling her hair.

Mikaela ducked under his hand. "For the second time, dumbass, you didn't raise me!"

"I may as well have!"

"More like me," Iwaizumi muttered, quiet enough that Mikaela nearly missed it, "but whatever."

"Aw, Iwa-chan," Hanamaki mocked. "Is someone feeling like a neglected parent?"

The vice captain scowled. "No!"

"Oh, he totally is."

"Can it! Go practice!"

"We're waiting for you, captains!"

Mikaela laughed. "I'll get going now, then. You've got a team to attend to. It was really nice seeing you guys, though."

"Take care," Matsukawa said with a wave.

"Don't go getting into trouble," Hanamaki added.

"Don't beat anyone up," Iwaizumi threw in.

She rolled her eyes. "You guys sound more like my parents than my actual parents." The words were out of her mouth before she realized what she said, and she snapped her jaw shut. Parent, singular. I guess. "I love you guys. And you too, Oikawa, I guess."

"See ya, Mika-chan!" Oikawa called. "Don't miss us too much!"

Mikaela grinned, then an idea popped into her head. "Hey, wait! Photo!"

"Photo?" Iwaizumi grumbled, but Oikawa had already latched an arm around his shoulders as Mikaela pulled out her phone. Hanamaki leaned onto Oikawa's back and Matsukawa tipped his head so he was leaning on Iwaizumi. They looked like they were going to fall over.

She laughed. "Say Oikawa's dumb!"

"Hey!"

"Oikawa's dumb," the other three chorused, and as soon as the photo was taken, Oikawa launched himself at his best friends, spitting curses. Iwaizumi ducked away, trying his best to get out of the mess that was unfolding. Matsukawa, who had been leaning on Iwaizumi for support, tumbled over, taking Hanamaki down with him. Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi as Hanamaki grabbed Oikawa, and the group went down into a dog pile.

Mikaela laughed so hard that her sides felt like were going to split apart.

That photo she took? It was the first one that went up on her picture board when she set it up back at home.

Happy holidays my loves!~

A reviewer pointed out to me that this story is one year old on December 16th, so naturally I had to update on December 16th. I can't believe this story has only been out for a year! The overwhelming support I've received makes it feel like it's been here a lot longer. I've been rereading this story lately and I'm so proud at how far Mikaela (and myself!) have come since the beginning.

Padgent: I've been trying to think outside of the box for how else these crazy boys could train, and as I was rereading, I saw the foot save and thought huh. So that prompted the soccer scene! I'm all about body positivity so I'm glad you liked that part, it was small but important. Thank you so much for your review! :)

SupMyDudez: I hope you're not disappointed! Holding onto what school she was going to for too long would've been painful for me and for y'all so I put it out in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for your review! :D

KrypticKoala: I hope not literally XD You're way too kind (although a fanfic about this fanfic or fanart would be SO COOL) and you made me smile! Thank you so so much for your review! :)

Coolfire30: I've had a couple people lately point out that they love how human Mikaela is and that is one of the highest forms of flattery I've received- to create an OC that's likeable but still has her flaws and just seems so realistic is AMAZING. I'm so glad you think so, thank you so much! If it helps, I cry reading all your reviews, so I think we're even XD You're so fricking kind. Thank you so much, as always- I really appreciate you! :D

hannymae: Okay so the fact you went back and reread this made me CRY because what the HECK that's so NICE- anyways I love hearing that even the non-violent people are willing to deck people every now and then! I love Oikawa with my whole heart so I understand, I'm glad you're squealing about this as much as I am XD Agreed! I was a bit mad about the manga at first but I'm really liking it now. I'm sorry that Hinata's taller than you XD I think I've still got a few centimeters on him... so far. Unless he keeps growing (he'd better not).

I've reread your huge essay of an review (not complaining whatsoever) at least three times now and I still smile like a total doofus every time, because what the heck why are you so nice and I've been debating whether or not to mend the Monomi-Mikaela relationship and ended up going for it. Everyone deserves a bit of redemption, right? And you're right- I never grew up in an Asian household and I never realized how much more... I don't want to say 'acceptable' but it's the only word I can think of- hitting your children is. It's not more acceptable but it's more common.

I'm SO thrilled and I'm literally going to reread your praise another three or four times this week to get me through the last of my exams. Best of luck with your HSC results. Thank you endlessly- you really pumped me up this week.

PheonixBird06: Saeko's a very underrated character in my opinion- she's such a good sister. Thank you so much for your review! :D

bbymojo: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! :)

Kitty: As I warned you, all my updates are going to be 'late' - I have no idea when I'll have time to update so honestly? I'm just happy I got this out. Thank you for your review! :)

Sayori1412: Next Haikyuu season is coming up- January! Thank you so much for your kind words as usual :D

Tribble. Chan: I literally adopt any petty character I see- it's kind of bad. XD Actually, the anime follows the manga almost exactly! At least, it has so far- I'm looking forward to season four. Thank you for all your kind words and for your review, you're much too kind to me! :D

animefreak112097: Aw, thank you so much! Thank you for your review! :)

Just nobody: It just kind of happened while I was writing and I was like huh. Mik. Sounds cute. And so it stayed. XD I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for your review! :)

Swaggishima: Procrastination buddies ;) Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. Thank you so much for your review! :D

jilyshiper: Gurl go sleep XD Thank you for the love! PM me soon ;)

Guest: I'm glad you liked it! :)

bellamario: Thank you so much! I'm glad you've been enjoying it, thank you for your review! :D

xOphiuchusx: Of course! ;)

Everyone deserves a shot at redemption, so here's Mikaela's mother giving it a shot. Whether this actually works out of not has yet to be seen... ;)

Thank you for your kindness! Happy holidays!~