A/N: HEY EVERYONE! HERE'S THE NEW CHAPTER OF MIRACLE LOVER! I'VE MADE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY CHAPTERS THIS STORY WOULD HAVE AND THERE'S A CHANCE THAT IT'LL BE AT LEAST 40 OR 45. This will probably change as I continue to update, but I'll let you guys know. Thank you to everyone who recently favorited and followed, it really helps me to know that everyone is starting to like this story. I tried to upload this on Thursday since that was Oikawa's 18th birthday. I mean, what's a better gift to the Great King than an inside look on his rival's love life? Anyhow, please don't forget to review at the end so I can get your thoughts and opinions. Enjoy!

A few minutes before leaving the third-year dorm

"Mitsuki-chan, we'll walk you out." Reika said. She grabbed her bags and placed Yukina's DVD's back on her desk. As Reika and the others placed Yukina's room back in order, the girl was on her tablet looking through videos of the team's recent practice. She frowned when she noticed a few of the first-years in the video playing instead of practicing. Yukina was surprised that herself or Coach didn't catch them in the act.

"Yukina!" Kazusa shouted. Yukina looked up from her tablet to see Kazusa, Reika, and Mitsuki all standing up, looking at her. Reika noticed the video of their recent swim practice playing on Yukina's tablet and frowned. She grabbed the tablet and tossed it onto the bed, making Yukina glare at her friend in response.

"You are not watching another one of our practice videos." Reika said. "Get your keys and let's walk our precious kouhai back to their dorms." Yukina was going to protest, but a fierce look from Reika silenced her.

"Rude." Yukina said. She put on some slippers and grabbed her keys, but a once-over from Kazusa caused her to pause. "What?"

"Are you really wearing that outside?" Kazusa asked.

Yukina looked down at her gray cotton shorts, purple t-shirt covered in tiny dolphins, and the black slippers that adorned her feet. "Nobody is going to be outside. Everyone is either off-campus or hanging out in their dorms."

"If you say so." Reika said.

The girls got up and left Yukina's room, quickly piling in the elevator to head outside. As they left the building, the girls wouldn't stop making comments on Yukina's outfit.

"You are so lucky that no one is outside right now." Reika said. "Just imagine their face if they saw one of the best swimmers in school dressed like a dolphin."

"Just imagine if her precious Ushijima was here right now." Kazusa laughed.

Yukina blushed. "Whose side are you on?"

"None." Kazusa shrugged her shoulders. "I just love your reactions."

"She's not entirely wrong, Yukina-senpai." Mitsuki squeaked. "Your outfit is quite bold, not to mention your hair."

Yukina frowned at Mitsuki and touched her hair. She knew it was messy, but for Mitsuki to comment, then it must've been bad. She ran her fingers through her brown waves, trying to make it better, eventually binding it in a ponytail. Mitsuki opened her mouth, but hesitated to say anything.

"Yes?" Yukina asked.

"Do you like Ushijima-senpai?" Mitsuki asked. Yukina blushed at her kouhai, but shook her head vigorously.

"Yuki finds him interesting, but not in a romantic manner." Kazusa said.

"Interesting enough to hide in the bathroom most of the day." Reika smirked. Yukina's blush caused the others to laugh, even the quiet Mitsuki.

"I'm surprised none of the guys from the volleyball team attempted to seek you out." Mitsuki said. "Do you think they'll do anything?"

Yukina shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea."

"It's not like she'll ever cross paths with them." Kazusa commented. "Yuki's in another class from the regulars and we practice on the other side of campus. There's no way that they'll – oh."

"What?" Yukina looked up to see a group of familiar guys headed towards them. "Kill me now."

The four swimmers stopped to see the Ushijima Wakatoshi and his boys staring directly at Yukina.

"Hello again, Ushijima-san."

Both teams were quiet as they observed one another, but all the boys' attention were on the blushing Yukina who felt uncomfortable at all of the attention directed towards her. Noticing her friend's discomfort, Reika directed the attention to her by opening her mouth.

"What's the famous volleyball team doing out so late?" Reika asked. "Gallivanting so late around campus at night is not what I expected."

While the volleyball team was shocked at her words, Tendou smirked at the girl in front of them. She was tall like Wakatoshi's girl, but probably a few inches shorter at her at best. With striking hazel eyes, creamy skin, and brown hair that went to her chest, she was quite pretty. She was an athlete like most of the girls on campus, but he enjoyed the view of her toned legs that her blue shorts showed.

"Gallivanting around campus to run towards such a beauty." Tendou said. He gave her his best smile, but Reika was not amused. Her deadpanned expression brought immediate snickers from his team though.

"The whole campus knows you're a flirt, Tendou." Reika said. She crossed her arms over her chest when she noticed Tendou staring indecently at her. "I'm not like those brainless first-years who'll try to confess to you before the end of the month."

"Really?" Tendou pouted. "And what are you exactly?"

"Completely out of your league." Reika's words caused laughter from the volleyball boys third-years and Taichi, except for Wakatoshi, Goshiki, Kenjiro, and Jin. Yukina silently thanked her friend with a squeeze on the shoulder, causing Reika to nod her head in agreement.

Wakatoshi knew that this girl was directing attention off her friend, but it just caused his eyes to stay strictly on the girl he met in the elevator. Feeling someone's stare, Yukina looked up to those familiar dark olive eyes looking back at her. Yukina had looked at Wakatoshi, noticing that he seemed relaxed despite the awkward situation that brought them together.

He looks good in casual clothes, Yukina thought. He wore dark jeans and sneakers with a white t-shirt with a blue hoodie tied at his waist. She realized that it was the first time she had seen him without his school or volleyball uniform on. Then reality crashed on her when she realized what she was wearing. In front of the volleyball team. In front of Ushijima.

Yukina's face turned red once again and she groaned, putting her head in her hands. Kazusa smirked, easily reading her friend's thoughts while Mitsuki just watched in awe. The boys were suddenly reminded of her presence and turned towards Yukina when she made noise. Realizing that Yukina's brain was going to blow a fuse if she didn't step in again, Reika clapped her hands.

"Let's walk you back to your dorms, Kazusa and Mitsuki." Reika said. She turned to volleyball team, giving them a look. "You'll be walking us back, right?" Reon, being one of the voices of reason in the team, realized Reika's intent.

"Of course." Reon nodded. He turned to Wakatoshi and Yukina, giving them a small smile. "We'll take our leave now."

"Eh!?" Tendou protested. "We just met her. There's no way –"

A loud cough came from Jin. "Tendou, do you want one-hundred serves for the rest of the month?"

Tendou's eyes widened, but before he could retaliate, Reika grabbed his arm and started to walk off towards the underclassmen dorms. The boys' eyes widened at her actions, but silently praised her for being one of the few people that could put Tendou in his place.

"Let's all go to bed now." Kazusa declared. Wakatoshi and Reika watched as their friends and teammates abandoned them to talk. Although the both of them secretly appreciated the thought of them giving both Captains privacy.

"I've always heard about the girls swim team, but you guys are something else."

"Really?" Reika gave Tendou one of her threatening smiles, causing the others to freeze in anticipation except for Kazusa who enjoyed the entertainment that was playing out in front of her.

Realizing he may have overreached, Tendou's eyes sent a silent plea for help to Reon and the others, but they stared at him knowingly, causing him to glare at them instead.

Traitors, he thought.

Reika let go of Tendou's arm, letting a sigh of exhaustion escape her. "And I thought Yukina put her foot in her mouth a lot."

Tendou smirked. "Yukina, so that's her name?"

Reika's pretty face morphed into a sneer, causing the boys to look at one another in shock, while Kazusa and Mitsuki gave each other a knowing look. Reika stepped closer to Tendou, considering his red eyes that clashed with her own hazel. Despite the height difference, Tendou was slightly scared of the girl in front of him. Just slightly.

"I don't know what you guys and Wakatoshi are planning to do, but leave Yukina out of it." Reika demanded.

Hayato grabbed the back of Tendou's shirt, forcing him away from Reika's deadly aura while Reon stood in front of the pack of volleyball idiots, causing Reika to focus her attention on him and lessen her hostility.

"Sorry for Tendou, he tends to do some pretty stupid things." Reon said. "Wakatoshi isn't interested in your friend – no offense."

"We were just curious." Semi spoke up from beside the wing spiker. "Wakatoshi doesn't tend to focus on anything except for volleyball and school."

"So, when you found out that he was interested in Yukina, you couldn't hold back." Reika smirked. "And when I mean you, I mean the red-headed toothpick over there."

"What kind of help is that, semisemi?" Tendou shouted from behind.

"Stop with that semisemi crap!" Semi shouted.

Kazusa snorted and looked at the astonished Mitsuki. She poked her kouhai, causing the adorably shy first-year to squeak.

"Loosen up, we don't bite." Kazusa teased. Mitsuki blushed, but nodded her head fiercely at the older girl.

"If this is what the volleyball team is like, no wonder Yuki-senpai is interested in Ushijima-senpai." Mitsuki said.

The group of volleyball players and swim girls introduced each other as they slowly walked their kouhai to their dorms. Dropping Goshiki and Mitsuki off first, then Kazusa, Taichi, and Kenjiro, the group eventually dwindled down to the third-years consisting of Reika, Reon, Hayato, Tendou, Semi, and Jin. Reika could feel the boys' stares on her back as she walked in front of them, causing her to eventually stop in place.

"What is it?" Reika asked.

"What's she like?" Hayato bluntly asked. Reika allowed herself a small smile, thinking back to the final days of her second year here at Shiratorizawa.

The feeling of exhaustion swept through the entire pool as the girls were spent from their last day of practice and attempts to beat their captain, Nakahara Hikari, at swimming.

"Is there anyone else attempting to beat me?" Hikari challenged. She swam back to the edge of the pool and pulled herself out of the water. The purple racerback of Shiratorizawa clung to her curves, showing every inch of her gentle, yet toned figure.

"I'll do it." Everyone turned to the second-year Kurosawa Yukina who stretched her body as she approached her captain. Hikari smirked at her kouhai, her silver eyes lighting up in excitement as she was eager to race against the talented girl that stepped towards her.

"That idiot." Akiyama Reika muttered. The butterfly swimmer frowned as she watched her friend do her last stretches before heading to the diving board. "She's an addict to the water."

"You say such things like that, but you actually care for her." Ai Kazusa commented. Reika was quiet, but her silence spoke enough. The other girls of the swim team lifted themselves up from the cool tiles to watch the last competition of the day. It brought some life back into them as they all knew Yukina and Hikari were monsters in the water.

Both swimmers got onto the diving boards and immediately dived into the pool once the Coach's whistle blew. Their bodies dived to the bottom of the pool until they went back up, their arms and legs kicking fast. They could hear the screams of their teammates from above, but didn't care. Both girls were interested in one thing: winning. Despite it not being her specialty, Yukina still pushsed through. She didn't realize that she surpassed Hikari at one lap until she heard the screams grown even louder from above.

"ONE MORE LAP, YUKI!" the first and second-years screamed.

"GO HIKARI!" the third-years screamed.

Both Hikari and Yukina put their all into it even more, their bodies pumping of adrenaline as the taste of victory was on the tip of their tongues. Yukina could see the wall of the pool closing in on her and her hand was about to touch it until the whistle from coach ended everything. Yukina lifted her head above water and turned to her left to see Hikari's arms raised above her head in victory. Hikari ripped off her goggles and cap, revealing the short red hair that was hidden underneath. The two swimmers looked up to hear cheering and screaming from the others as Coach Ikeda looked at her stopwatch with an impressive smile.

"You had three seconds to beat." Ikeda said. "Very impressive."

Hikari let out a low whistle. "Not bad." Hikari and Yukina got out of the pool, grabbing their towels to dry off before the twelve third years lined up, with Hikari standing in front of them as she addressed her kouhai with Ikeda looking on.

"This past year I led you all to gain silver medals at Nationals, with only a gold medal from the Butterfly race." Hikari started. "Silver isn't good enough. Standing in this room is a mass of talent that will defeat any rival that tries to push us down. Us third-years will be in university when most of you will be second and third-years by next year. Make sure to support one another and help Captain Yuki succeed at the Inter-High and Nationals."

Yukina's eyes widened as she quickly wrapped her head around the fact that she would be captain next year. Cheers and claps came all around the second-year whose pale skin flushed red. Yukina bowed in gratitude, too embarrassed to say anything.

Hikari smiled at the blushing girl. "You'll be a good Captain, don't doubt yourself." Hikari's eyes flitted towards Ikeda who nodded in agreement. Everyone packed up the materials and put their swimsuits away as they changed back into their school uniforms. Hikari and the third-years left, then Ikeda, and the others, leaving Yukina, Kazusa, and Reika behind.

Yukina's fingers traced over the straps of her swimsuit as she felt conflicted over Hikari choosing her to lead the team as Captain next year. Reika frowned at her friend while Kazusa was silent, staring at the two girls who were practically like sisters.

"I don't know why you're hesitating, you'll be a good Captain." Reika said. Yukina looked up, her gray eyes wide with disbelief. "You're forgetful, you stick your foot in your mouth more than you actually know, and you're actually smarter than most people think."

Yukina's face was full of confusion as she started at her longtime friend. "Erm…thanks?"

"You're welcome." Reika smirked. "You're reliable, selfless, have a good heart and you're also the best swimmer on the team. You're a vicious tactician and know when to keep calm in most situations. If anyone should be Captain, it's you. So, stop doubting yourself."

Kazusa nodded in agreement as a bright smile enveloped her face. "It's true!"

Yukina got up from the bench she sat on, putting her swimsuit away and turned to her friends. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Reika said. The girls left the pool and headed back to their dorms across campus, taking the long route to enjoy the scenery that they would have to leave for a few months. The campus was abuzz with activity as students piled into cars to go on break and parents talked with one another, discussing business deals and transactions. Most of the sports teams were storing away equipment and promoting their kouhai as the third-years left for university. Reika had quickly left when her parents came, saying goodbye to her friends, leaving Kazusa to help Yukina do last-minute packing.

"I just wonder how next year is going to be." Kazusa said. She watched Yukina pack up her bedding and stuff it into a nearby suitcase. "Maybe you'll finally have a boyfriend."

"Ha ha, very funny." Yukina said. She struggled to put the thick bedding into the suitcase, her weight doing nothing to close the large box. "Besides, who would I date?"

"Ushijima-san, perhaps?" Kazusa walked over to the bulging suitcase, adding her weight onto the box as they finally zipped it close. "Don't you have a crush on him?"

Yukina laughed. "No way. I just find him interesting."

"Sure, you do."

"You guys are probably more alike than you think."

Yukina shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Yuki is a person with a good heart and fiercely protective of the people she cares about." Reika started. "That doesn't mean she's a saint. We all have our demons, so don't try and encourage something that may not work out."

"What if it does?" Jin asked. "What if they do work out?"

"Then that's up for Ushijima and Yukina to decide, not us." Jin nodded at her response and walked away with Hayato back to their dorm. It was quiet with the four of them walking back to their dorm, except for the fingers tapping on the screens of their phones. No doubt they were texting their respective friends of what was going on.

When they got inside the dorm and eventually the elevator, exhaustion was seeping into their bones, their bodies signaling to them that it was time to sleep. When the elevator stopped at Reika's floor she started to walk out but a grasp on her shoulders caused her to turn around.

"He finds her interesting." Reon said. He let go of Reika and placed his hands back to his side.

"Yukina thinks the same." Reika said. "He has no idea what he's getting into, does he?"

Tendou frowned at Reika. "Neither does your girl."

Reika narrowed her eyes at the middle blocker. "Believe me, she's just better at hiding herself away. She's been doing it for some time." Reika walked away from the three volleyball players, mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted at the day's events.

I really hope you know what you're doing, Yuki. Reka thought.

Wakatoshi and Reika were left alone as they stared at the path their friends walked down away towards the underclassmen's dorms. They both turned back to one another, but Yukina didn't know what to say.

"This is, unexpected." Wakatoshi said. Yukina stiffened at his words, not knowing what to do. "Although, not unwelcoming."

"That's one way to say it." Yukina said. She loosened up, feeling relieved when her nerves left her body. "I'm sorry for what I said in the elevator."

Wakatoshi shook his head. "I understood that you were quite flustered last night." Yukina widened her eyes at the Great Ace. "I apologize for my actions that made you that way."

"It's okay, I tend to stick my foot my mouth more than often."

Wakatoshi's eyes widened at Yukina's words, not expecting her to say such a thing. Yukina tilted her head in confusion, then realized he thought she truly stuck her foot in her mouth.

"Ushijima-kun, that's just an expression." Yukina said. She waved her hands in embarrassment when the Ace didn't respond. "It means I say things that are unwelcoming to others."

"I understand now." Wakatoshi nodded. "Although, I need to apologize for Tendou's actions towards your friend."

"It's okay, Reika is quite protective of me." Yukina admitted. She caressed her hair softly as she thought back on the memories she had shared with her friend since they were children. Wakatoshi stared at the girl in front of him, not wanting to take her out of the serene state she was in, but he needed to ask her this question.

"Excuse me." Wakatoshi said. Yukina was snapped out of her thoughts when she focused her attention back on Wakatoshi. "Who are you?"

Yukina smiled lightly. "My name is Kurosawa Yukina. I'm a third-year and Captain of the Girls' Swim Team."

Wakatoshi nodded. "Pleased to meet you." Both Captains decided that they were out late enough, walking back to their dorm for bed. As Wakatoshi swiped his student ID to get them inside, he let a smile slip onto his face as he finally got to see Yukina at last. They had no more words to say to one another, so they lapsed into a comfortable silence. As the elevator came down, a few students walked out, talking, and laughing until they noticed Yukina and Wakatoshi together. The group of students whispered among themselves, but Wakatoshi and Yukina paid them no mind, their thoughts lost at the small amount of time they spent together talking. Wakatoshi and Yukina went into the elevator, with Wakatoshi pressing the buttons that went to each of their floors.

"You remembered my floor?" Yukina said. "I would say you're following me."

Wakatoshi's eyes widened, but then realized the tone of her voice was somewhat playful. "You're joking, right?"

Yukina nodded. "Yes, I am." Once again, they fell into a comfortable silence until the elevator stopped at Yukina's floor. As it opened, Yukina stepped out, but Wakatoshi quickly caught the doors before they closed, forcing it back open and causing Yukina to turn around.

"Yes?" Yukina asked, wondering what Ushijima could want right now.

"You're more interesting than I thought." Wakatoshi said. "Good night." His words caused a deep blush to spread over her face, leaving her to do nothing but wave her hand awkwardly as the elevators closed and lifted him towards his floor. As he got off the elevator and walked down to his door, Wakatoshi hoped he said the right thing to Yukina, as he recalled her blushing face from earlier. Although, he noticed that she was easily embarrassed and didn't favor plenty of attention on her. When he got into his room, his phone started to go off like crazy. He knew it was the team, probably asking how it went with Yukina. Despite his insistence that he found her interesting in a non-romantic manner, the guys didn't take it that way. He put his phone on silent and got himself ready for bed, although Wakatoshi hoped that Jin and Reon could restrain Tendou from waking the whole dorm up in his search for an answer to his and Yukina's interactions.

A/N: I hope you guys liked the latest chapter of Miracle Lover. Please leave a review so I can get your thoughts on my work. Remember to follow to get updates when I submit a new chapter. For my HTTYD fans, i'll be submitting a new chapter next week.

NEXT CHAPTER: Lunchtime Gossip