"It's finally here." I twirl around in my room.

"I'm so excited!" Ami-chan exclaims.

"It's today!" Mei-chan swings her legs on the bed.

"And to think, to hype us up, you destroyed Kurono-kun."

"I know!" Mei-chan beams.

"I wouldn't say that I destroyed her." I interject.

"Tch, you're being modest." I am dismissed by the redhead with Bermuda blue eyes.

"Am not!" I protest.

"You are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"AM NOT!" I stomp.

"Are too!" the girls giggle.

"Did Hinata help? I asked him to." Mei-chan enquires.

"You and Sasaki Hinata." Hika-chan teases.

Mei's face tints pink. She blushed! What's really going on between the amber haired girl and our blond classmate?

"Are you and Hinata...?"

"He said that he would take me out after Nationals." Mei-chan says. "Movie and pizza."

"He likes you then."

"He's... interested." Mei-chan corrects.

"Well he has the right to be." I smile. "I hope you have fun."

"Pretty sure we won't be able to outdork you and your dork, Aoi." Mei-chan giggles.

"Is she...?"

"Smitten? Like a lovesick kitten." Hika-chan sighs.

"Oi." Ami-chan snaps her fingers before her dazed best friend's face. Mei-chan shakes her head. Hika-chan turns the topic of conversation back to Kurono-kun.

"What was her excuse?" Hika-chan asks.

"That I didn't deserve Makoto because of what I did."

"That's rubbish."

"Not really, I don't deserve such an amazing boyfriend." I admit.

"Deserve his shemerve him."

"Shemerve." Ami-chan snorts a laugh.

"Shut it." Mei-chan laughs a bit too. "I'm off topic! Makoto needs you more than air!"

"He would follow you to the edge of the earth!"

"I know Mei-chan, Ami-chan." I smile sadly.

"Why so pessimistic."

"Because! He's leaving!"

"You gotta seal him!"

"You guys just want details." I turn my nose up at my friends.

"Not really." They're lying.

"It's mainly because I'm the one in the relationship where it would be socially acceptable to."
"LIES!"

"You're lying by saying I'm lying!" I declare.

"This is ridiculous." I roll my eyes.

Ami-chan yawns. "Need coffee."

"Koala." Hika-chan whispers.

"Oh god, shut up!" she wails.

HIka-chan and Ami-chan were in the room beside Momo and Nito'; Momo wouldn't shut up about koalas, kangaroos and boomerangs all night apparently. I giggle at the thought.

"Let's talk about something else." Mei-chan suggests.

"Hai, what about how Fubuki and Kaito have been together for over two months and haven't gone on the double date or anything!"
"I know!" Mei-chan pouts.

"Maybe they'll stay together."

"But what about Katie-chan? Fubuki clearly has feeling for her, even if he doesn't know it."

"Wait! ...Is Fubuki bisexual?"

"Might be." I shrug.

"Doesn't matter to me." Mei-chan smiles.

"Who cares, Fubuki's Fubuki." Ami-chan adds.

"Was only curious." Hika-chan giggles. "...Who is Katie-chan?"

"Fubuki's childhood best friend from England. She clearly has a crush on him and he does seem to reciprocate those feelings...but..." Mei-chan explains.

"He also treats Kaito in a similar way."

"That's true." Ami-chan muses.

"Aoi-chan might have a photo or two with her in them in her huge album back at Samezuka. We'll show you sometime."

"Great!" Hika-chan grins.

"We should make our way to breakfast before its too late." Ami-chan cautions.

"Too late?" I tilt my head.

"Hearty breakfast 2 hours at the latest, before the nerves sink in." Hika-chan smiles.

"So then you don't faint due to low blood sugar." Ami-chan continues.

"Get hungry." Hika-chan adds.

"Or have indegestion!" Ami-chan and Hika-chan exclaim.

"Gomen, it was a thing in Tokyo." the duo hang their heads.

"It's pretty clever actually." I muse.

"We asked Sousuke to enforce it because he's scarier than Rin when it comes to stuff like this. Don't think he did though." Hika-chan says.

"We should make sure whoever gets Captain gets the team to do this." I state.

"I think Nito's got it in the bag."

"Yeah, he's got drive but a measely record. Considering that Fubuki or Kaito may be a good choice."

"Maybe, he could curveball us all and choose you, Mei." Ami-chan laughs.

"He won't. I'm already a team Captain."

"My money's on Nito'." I put my faith in the first friend I made at Samezuka.

"How do you think they'll fare today?" Mei-chan asks as we go down to breakfast.

"Who, the boys relay team?"

"Duh." Hika-chan jabs her friend from Tokyo.

"I think Fubuki will be fine. Sousuke's been helping him." I encourage.

"You're still mad at him, aren't you." I nod my head once.

"Don't blame her." Mei-chan nods.

"Let's just eat." Ami-chan smiles.

~(^v^)~ Time Skip ~(^v^)~

This has been INSANE! Everything is going in our favour! Rinrin cane second in men's butterfly and fourth in freestyle! Kaito came seventh in breaststroke! Fubuki had to be actually pulled off of Kaito so he could warm up for the relay.

I went up and placed well in my events, so did Mei-chan, Ami-chan, Hika-chan and so did Kurono-kun. She seems a bit ashamed. I wonder... what for?

Mei-chan came third in her 500m womens butterfly and ninth in the 500m all around butterfly. Ami-chan came third in women's breastsroke at 100m and sixth in the mixed races. I placed better in butterfly than backstroke; third in fourth in womens backstroke at 100m and seventh in the mixed races. And second in the womens butterfly and fifth in mixed races. Wow, we did well. The Midori torpeedo won the womens 50m free and came second to a third year from her old school at the 100m free. She didn't join the main team. Kurono-kun came sixth in the womens backstroke.

We really did do well.

The thoughts of our achievements are distrubed by the encouraging cheers that come from Hika-chan as the net swimmer jumps into the pool for our relay.

We've just about finished the relay. The crowd is screaming. Samezuka's not first but not last. Mei's starting to pull ahead though. She's maybe fourth. We still have our secret weapon of the Midori Torpeedo to finish our race.

I beam as the race finishes. We were in the third and final heat. We came first in this heat but our time...WE CAME SECOND!

I squeal.

"CONGRATULATIONS AOI-CHAAAANNN!" Nagisa exclaims, running at me; the Iwatobi team are going to be in the first heat of the Nationals men's relay.

"Thanks Nagisa." I beam. Haru nods his head at me once and Rei hugs me quickly.

"She would be so proud." he looks close to tears.

"Rei! No! If you cry I cry!" I pout.

"I'm so happy for you." Makoto smiles softly.

"Go!" I encourage. "Show these people what Iwtobi High is made of!" I quickly give him a peck on the cheek. "I'll give you more when you prove how strong you are." I smirk.

Our faces burn.

"You two can't talk about stuff like that in any other way but the dorky way, can you?"

"Not really." I blush.

"You cold?" Fubuki asks.

"A bit." I nod.

"Here." I am handed my towel.

"Thank you." I smile at Shizu's cousin.

"Congratulations!" Momo exclaims, hugging the Middleshiba and Might-as-well-be-shiba.

"It's about to start!" I squeal.

Makoto leaps into the pool. He looks so focuses, so driven but so dazed...as if he's seeing something...like he's seeing a sight he's never seen before.