Well, here we are at another chapter! This story is nearing its end, so please comment :D 'cause if you do, you get a cookie—but not chocolate chip; those are all mine. Unless you're super duper special, that is.

This chapter is only slightly AU… without taking into account the fact that this whole story is majorly AU. ANYWAYS…!

Chapter 18

Training Camp

-3:00 A.M., OISHI'S HOUSE-

Oishi woke up with a start as his phone rang loudly. Who could be calling him this early? He sat up grumpily. They were going to get a piece of his mind.

Oishi picked up the phone.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's Eiji! Oishi, I don't know what to do!"

"What's the matter?" Oishi's anger evaporated instantly, turning into worry.

"Should I bring the Daigorou Bear on the trip today?"

Oishi simply sweatdropped.

-9:00 A.M., ON BUS HEADING TO TRANING CAMP-

"I'm soo happy we don't have any homework for a week!" cried Eiji, bouncing in his seat on the bus. "Ne, Fuji?"

"Yeah, but remember that we have to take make-up classes when we return to Seigaku," the tensai answered.

Eiji pouted. "But at least we get to focus on tennis!" He laughed. "Bet Ochibi's happy. He eats, sleeps, and breathes tennis. But…"

"But what?"

"Miku's not gonna be there…" The redhead mumbled. This had been to be his chance to confess, too…

Fuji patted his friend on the shoulder. "You'll survive, I'm sure."

From the other side of the aisle, Oishi looked from the pair to the floor and sighed.

Miku slumped against a white, clean wall.

"Are you okay, Kasuragi-san?"

"Yeah, Sakuno, I'm fine. I'm just glad we're finally done with all the cleaning. This place was so dirty!"

Removing her face mask that covered her mouth, Miku stood and picked up her duster.

"Where do these go?" she asked, motioning to the cleaning supplies.

"Eto… I think they go under the kitchen sink." Sakuno answered, thinking.

"What are you guys doing dawdling around?" said Tomo bossily. "We still have to clean all the floors!"

Miku and Sakuno groaned in unison.

"We're here!" Coach Ryuzaki yelled.

The regulars, plus Kachiro, Katsuo, and Horio, filed out of the bus in hopes of a comfortable place to rest. They were greeted by an overgrown grass tennis court and an all together shabby estate.

"What's up with the house?" Momo asked incredulously, pointing to the small, run-down mansion in front of the team.

Eiji shrugged. "I dunno. Is that where we're staying?"

"I hope not…" the black haired second year grimaced.

"Momo, be quiet!" Coach Ryuzaki ordered. "Everyone inside, now! We're going to set down our things and then get to work!"

"Wonder if there's ghosts in this thing…" Momo murmured to Eiji, who shivered and laughed. Reaching for the doorknob, the redhead jumped back in fear as the door opened of its own accord.

"Hi!" Miku said cheerfully, jumping out from behind the door and giving the regulars quite a start. "You don't have to look so scared; it's only me."

"You scared us, Miku-chan!" Momo cried. Eiji nodded furiously. She wasn't supposed to be there!

"All right, but I have to show you all where you're going to be sleeping. Follow me."

Miku led the group down the hall. Eiji walked behind her, finding it hard to keep his eyes off the chestnut ringlets of her hair as she bounced in front of him. Fuji moved up in the group next to Miku and chatted with her until they arrived at their bedroom.

Sliding open the door with some difficulty, the only girl present (Coach Ryuzaki had gone to amuse herself elsewhere) stepped back so the regulars could see into the room. It was large and empty with a tatami mat floor.

Momo and Eiji groaned and led the group inside to drop their things off. In the background, people who were paying attention might've heard someone calling.

Fuji turned after placing his bag on the floor. "Ne, Miku-chan, where are you staying?"

"Ah, just down the hall from you."

Since Fuji, Eiji, and Momo were all following Miku anyway, the rest of the group decided to do so.

She slid open another door. "Here."

"Miku-chan! That's not fair! Why do you get a bunk bed, nya?" Eiji pouted.

"Maa, maybe she's just special," Fuji offered.

A few snickers went up from the group.

"Everyone, out to the courts," Tezuka ordered. "Coach has been calling for several minutes now."

"Oh, you knew?" the tensai queried guiltily.

With many grumbles and muttered curses the regulars headed outside to start their exercises.

Coach Ryuzaki lined the team up to do catching exercises. Ryoma was running back and forth on the court, and Momo, Eiji, and Oishi were next in line.

The acrobat looked up to his doubles partner's face. The former wanted to ask the latter something, but didn't quite know how.

"Ano… Oishi…"

The mother hen looked at Eiji.

"What is it?"

"Do… do you still like Miku-chan?"

Oishi's cheeks tinted pink, and he looked off into space for a few moments.

"Yeah. I know she likes someone else, though."

Eiji gasped.

"Who? Who? Tell me! Oishiii!"

The black haired boy laughed nervously. "I can't. You have to find out for yourself."

Eiji huffed and walked onto the court to take his turn.

After hours of working hard, the regulars sat on the ground, panting. Suddenly, nine startled tennis players looked up as a large bus pulled into the lot. The front door opened, spilling out the gorgeous song of a violin—and the Hyoutei regulars. Choutarou Ootori brought up the rear, serenading the group on his instrument.

"Thank you, Ootori, for the music," Atobe said in an actually thankless voice. "Ore-sama was… pleased."

The shy second year nodded, putting his violin back in its case.

The Hyoutei captain, after giving the estate a disdainful glance or three, asked, "Are we going to get started? Ore-sama is beginning to be bored."

"Right you are," Coach Ryuzaki agreed, clapping her hands together. "We're now going to have practice matches between teams. Seigaku regulars, pick a name out of this can—without looking, Eiji!—and see who you're paired with."

The acrobat, rubbing his head from where he'd been smacked, looked at his straw. His hand stopped in motion.

"Kaba-chan?" He wondered aloud. "Fujiko, am I reading this right?"

"I think so, Eiji."

"Ne? I have to play the hippo?"

"Usu."

Miku walked out of the villa and saw two ongoing tennis games. Getting closer, she noticed Hyoutei players were mingled with the Seigaku regulars, and Fuji was playing, as well. She'd have to cheer.

She approached Choutarou, pinching his shoulders playfully, making him jump and turn to see who it was.

"M-Miku-san," he said, laughing nervously. "I mean… Miku-chan. No… Miku. What are you doing here? No offense."

She laughed back. "I'm basically being the maid. I'm doing the cooking and cleaning."

"That's cool. Are you getting paid?"

"Nah. It's really worth it since they're working so hard."

She broke off to cheer loudly for Fuji after he scored on a smash.

Looking back to her friend, Miku bit her lip to stifle a giggle.

"Uh… Choutarou-chan, there's a f-frog on your shoulder…"

"There's a-wah! Get it off! Get it off!"

Watching her friend and kouhai flip out over a slimy amphibian made Miku forget about trying hot to laugh. She held her sides as Choutarou shooed the frog off and away into the bushes. He watched warily around him to make sure he wasn't assaulted again.

Eiji looked over to the two, and his face clouded over as he saw how much fun they were having. He decided to take things into his own hands.

"Miku-chan, can I talk to you please?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah," she answered, still laughing.

"I mean in private."

"Oh. Sure. Excuse me, Choutarou-chan." Fuji looked up from hitting a Higuma Otoshi, noticing his friends leave.

Miku followed Eiji back into the house and all the way through to the regulars' room wondering why they really needed to walk that far. Once inside and the acrobat was content they wouldn't get interrupted, he took a deep breath and exhaled irritably.

"How long have you two been going out?" Eiji asked.

"Who two?"

"You two!"

"You're not making any sense! Me and who else?"

"You and Ootori, of course."

"We aren't going out. What would make you think that, Eiji?"

"Oh, maybe you two kissing in the park by your house a few weeks ago."

Miku blinked a few times, her anger growing.

"…you spied on us?"

"A little, yep." Eiji rolled his eyes to himself.

"How dare you! I don't go watching you wherever you go! And one more thing."

"What?" He was really starting to get impatient.

"I'm not dating Choutarou Ootori. Now leave me alone!"

And with that, Miku stomped off to make lunch for the team, leaving Eiji to his stunned thoughts in his room.

'Th-they aren't going out?' he thought, bewildered. 'Then that means… what were they…

'Wait—that means she's not dating anyone!

'But she's still mad at me…'

The regulars stretched after dinner and a long day of practice as they headed back to their room. As a few of them were starting to roll out their beds to sleep, a knock was heard on the door.

Fuji strode over and opened it. "Ah, Sakuno-san. What is it?"

A heavily blushing Sakuno, while staring at her own feet, mumbled nervously, "O-O-Obaasan says you all need to bathe before bed. M-Miku-san will bring soap and towels for you," and promptly ran back down the hall to the kitchen where Miku was cleaning up.

"I-I said it, Miku-san," the panting first year said, still the same color as an overripe tomato. "Can you deliver their bathing supplies? I'll finish the dishes."

"Un."

Miku picked up the box of soap and towels and heaved it down the hall. Balancing it on her knee, she knocked on the bathroom door. Fuji opened it again. Every regular was in nothing but short towels, which made the girl blush. Momo and Kaidoh were having a water fight in the background.

"Ne, Miku-chan, can we have the soap now?" Fuji asked, hands out. Miku stuffed the box into his hands and was about to leave when Eiji popped into view.

"Miku-chan! Can you-" he managed, before she shut the door in his face and walked away.

Eiji sat back on his heels. "That was mean."

"What did you do now?" Fuji wondered.

"I told her about spying on her and Ootori. But oh well, I'm not going to confess if she's going to act like that," the redhead explained. "But no matter. Let's make a bubble bath!" He grabbed several plastic soap bottles and dove into the water, making as big a splash as he could.

'They're both so helpless,' the tensai thought as he distributed the soap.

I have a request for any and all of you who have time on your hands: can you please read my other OC story, AKA, and tell me what you think? And I know people are reading this; if they weren't I wouldn't have almost 2000 hits. Comment! This is going to be my first finished multi-chapter story in about 3 chapters!

Until next chapter! Au revoir!