A KanaMari one-shot

Inspired by the song "beautiful rain" from Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii

Summary: Some things happened and Mari decided to head abroad with her family after accepting an invitation for a school overseas. After quitting as a school idol, she leaves Kanan and Dia, her two best friends. When she returns two years later, in their final year of high school, Kanan and Dia finds it hard to have a proper conversation with things turning sour each time. Mari tries to repair their awkward relationship, especially with Kanan. Knowing that part of the reason was them both being stubborn that led to this situation, the blonde plans to admit her true feelings and makes the first move. It's was only later that she realises that things weren't actually what she imagined it to be and that there was a misunderstanding between them.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Kanan, I'll be leaving first thing in the morning." In a soft voice, Mari said to the girl in front of her, who had just returned from her daily diving routine. Knowing the exact time her childhood friend always got out of water, the blonde had arrived at the place and awaited the girl. She was the last person she wanted to see before she left the place – the most important in her heart, the only other being Kurosawa Dia, her best friend.

I'm sorry.

Even with all the words she had managed to say, and excuses she made, she couldn't bring herself to apologise to the girl.

"I see."

There was a moment of silence before Kanan broke it.

"Good luck, I guess?"

It might be the last time they'd ever meet up at this place, a precious secret place the three childhood friends shared.

"Y-yeah…"

"Kanan," Mari wanted to let out her true feelings. But no matter how hard she tried, she could only gape as she hung her head down. The words just wouldn't come out, they were stuck in her throat and died there. Lifting up her head, as her mouth stayed wide open, she finished off with a, "No, it's nothing."

Taking a step towards Mari, then continuing forward, Kanan tapped the blonde on her shoulders as she passed her.

"Let's head back, I'm getting a little cold. And I'm tired."

"Yeah…" Nodding her head slightly, Mari turned to follow Kanan.

It wasn't long till she was home and she couldn't help but feel the emptiness in her heart. There wasn't a single bit of excitement in her heart, for the fact that she would be going abroad for her studies. She didn't, rather couldn't, feel happy, not when she hadn't really wanted to leave. It wasn't a decision is had actually made for herself. It was sort of forced on her and Kanan supported it, so she thought that maybe it was fine.

How wrong was she to think that she could leave the girl and not feeling lonely?

Lying on her bed, her head on her pillow, Mari faced the ceiling, her mind wandered off to those precious memories she had made with her best friends. She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep that night.

It was suffocating to know that the decision couldn't be changed, it would be selfish of her to cancel it now.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The day for Mari to leave finally arrived, the morning sun blazing hot, the sunlight slipping through the small gaps of her curtain into her room. Reluctantly, the blonde got off her bed and started to prepare for her venture. During the whole time, she had one person on her mind. She didn't want last night to be the last time she would be seeing the girl. After all, she didn't know when she would be returning, or if she would ever return to this town.

Standing up abruptly from the dresser and abandoning the comb in her hand, she shook her head a little before taking big strides out of her room. Slipping on her shoes by the doorstep, Mari had decided to try her luck. Maybe Kanan would be there, at that place. Dashing out of the house and ignoring the calls from her maids, she only faced forward. She ran as fast as she could towards the ocean.

Maybe. Just maybe, she would be there.

Upon reaching the place, she knew it was a wasted trip.

It was obvious that the girl wouldn't be here this early. That she was probably doing her training elsewhere at this timing.

What did I get my hopes up for? She had wished me the best, hadn't she?

The walk back home was lonely and suffocating.

And it was almost time, the time to leave.

Sitting in the car and waiting for her chauffeur, Mari held her smartphone in her hand.

One call, it would take a single button, to dial up that number and she could her hear voice once more before she flew off.

She couldn't do it.

She felt that held no meaning for her to be saying those words through the phone, and that she would be getting her hopes up yet again.

Hearing the engine start up, Mari took a deep breath and sharply exhaled. Turning to her side, she rolled up the windows.

"Kanan…"

-x-x-x-x-x-

…

-x-x-x-x-x-

Pausing in the middle of the course of her morning run, Kanan was trying to catch her breath.

She hadn't been able to focus on her breathing as she ran as thoughts of Mari keep invading her thoughts.

Despite having made up her mind that she would let the blonde go, for the sake of the girl's future, it seems that part of her couldn't accept it.

No, she shouldn't be regretting her decision.

Shaking off those thoughts, she gave her cheeks a few soft slaps. Feeling a little refreshed, she was ready to get back on course and finish up for the day.

The concentration didn't last long as when she had reached home, the cold shower she took didn't help much either.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she wrapped the towel around her neck, heading towards the balcony and settling on the chair.

Looking up the sky, Kanan had started to hum the melody of a song absent-mindedly.

Slowly, the soft hums turned into a gentle voice that had a hint of sadness in it.

It hasn't even been a day, what am I doing?

"In the nights, I think about you.

I've thrown away everything,

But, I miss you, I miss you.

I'm looking for your warmth during sleepless nights.

No matter how far apart we are,

Even if we're always looking at the same sky,

The truth is,

I want to be by your side…"

She wasn't even half way through the song that she had started to tear up, the words were getting stuck in her throat, making it harder to sing as each second passed.

Biting her lips, she stopped the tears from pouring out.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The second night came quickly; the same daily routine, and after all those were done, she sat at the balcony, staring into the starry sky above. And once again, she would start singing.

"The sadness born today,

soars up high into the sky,

the sky opens its eyes and calls the wind

making my heart tremble

'I want to protect you', I want to be able to feel our destiny

the tears you shed, the hollow in your heart,

i want to fill it up with happiness.

it's a tender rain

may this song reach your side

No matter how far apart we might be,

I want to believe that this song, will reach you.

Singing in the rain

the raindrops are shining beautifully.

the moment when all the sadness is washed away,

the world will start turning once more.

please come the tender rain

come! tender rain."

She would have a few pauses in between before returning to the slow tempo she would use for the song when she felt her eyes sting from the tears threatening to fall.

She wasn't fine, but she had to be; to be able to return to her daily routine without interruptions, have proper, sufficient rest during the nights. Even without the blonde around, she shouldn't be in such an unsightly state.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Two years passed in a flash, though the first few nights were rough on her – she would have sleepless nights, thinking only of the blonde.

What was more surprising was that Mari had returned to Uchiura.

She hadn't expected it. She couldn't have. Not when she didn't think that she would ever her again.

Before she knew it, she had spoken harsh words. Words she hadn't meant, hurting the girl she loved.

"Why did you come back?"

"I didn't want you to!"

"Kanan…"

Hearing the blonde's voice only made her vulnerable. She felt that she would lose the façade she had kept for so long.

"I see, you're still as stubborn as –"

Cutting off the blonde, wanting to finish things off quickly.

"Please, just stop it."

More hurtful words,

"I don't want to see you again."

Turning her back on the blonde, she walked off.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ignoring the lightning warnings, Mari dashed out into the heavy rain, not even considering that she might fall sick. With her mind set only on finding Kanan, she didn't care that her clothes were soaked to her bones and it was evidently getting chilly.

"You idiot." Mari mumbled her breath. "You Idiot. You're really an idiot." she continued on and on, only facing forward. Not watching out for anything that might be on the ground, the blonde tripped over a stone in her way. Even then, she didn't stop cursing the girl.

Half an hour passed as she searched around the area and still couldn't find the girl that she finally gave up. Returning to the school grounds, she dialled her phone, calling for Dia. Since school was over, the gates and facilities were locked up and Dia, being the student council president, could make an exception to open up the clubroom for a bit.

Over the phone, Mari had asked for favour and Dia couldn't decline it, especially when she had also wanted for her two best friends to cut the crap and reconcile.

"I understand."

Were the last words Dia said before hanging up on the phone.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Back against the door, Kanan slid down to the ground, curling up and hugged her knees.

Burying her head in her arms, she felt horrible.

How long did she have to keep the act up?

She was getting tired of getting in arguments with the blonde every time they met, it had been that way since Mari had returned so suddenly. Dia would be stuck between the two of them, the awkwardness was evident to everyone else that she had even made her juniors worry.

'Brrrr. Brrrrr.'

Her phone was vibrating. Slipping her hands into her pocket, she took it out and her eyes scanned the screen.

It was a call from, Dia. However, she wasn't in the mood to pick up any call, not even one from Dia. Especially when she could probably guess the words the girl would be saying.

It was 5 minutes later that she had given in to the curiosity and she had opened the voicemail from her missed call.

'Mari's waiting at the clubroom. Meet her there, please.'

Letting out a sigh, she knew she couldn't decline this time, she had dragged Dia into this mess and had only been inconveniencing her the whole time. She wouldn't want to add on to that by backing out on this request.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Standing outside, the clubroom door, Kanan tried her best to stay calm. Putting her hand on the door, she slid the door open as she normally would.

"What is it?" she asked then talking a step forward, only to realise that the floor was wet. There were patches of water across the room and the blonde was drenched from head to toe.

She was in the rain earlier… but why?

"It was time we talked this out."

She heard Mari say.

"Why didn't you say something?"

The blonde continued, her back facing the door, her expression not visible from the position she was standing in.

"You should tell me what you were thinking."

"Because I'm looking out for you, like you are for me."

Stepping forward, Kanan went into the room.

"I don't care about my future right now."

"Studying aboard? I wasn't interested at all."

She could feel Mari's true feeling leaking out,

Was that what she had thought all along?

"Why would I be? I mean, you couldn't sing. I couldn't just let that go."

She was about to say something but she was too late a slap went across her face.

She felt the sting; the fresh wound on her cheek, and in her heart from seeing the blonde's expression.

"Don't, Don't take my feelings for you so lightly!"

What the hell? I wouldn't know anything if you don't tell me.

Feeling annoyed by those words, Kanan felt the need to say her part.

"If that's what you think, then say it."

"Don't make it about winning or losing, just say it!"

"You're right." It took her by surprise that Mari had agreed with her words. "That's why…" Pointing to her cheek she gestured for Kanan to do the same as she did to her.

Raising her hand, she was ready to return the favour, but a precious bit of memory flashed through her mind. She remembered of the first time they were caught hiding from Mari. She had asked for a hug. Since then, it had been an important gesture of affection between the two.

"A hug."

She offered, opening her arms wide, she was ready to welcome the blonde.

"Give me a hug."

At this point she didn't care for the tears that already rolling down her cheeks, she didn't have to hold back anymore.

Mari had quickly accepted the affection and jumped into the girl's arms, both instantly ending up in a crying mess.

Having calmed down from their short break down, they separated just enough to look each other in the eyes.

Bringing her hand up the blonde's cheeks, she gently wiped off the tears.

"Welcome back, Mari."

I missed you. I thought I'd never see you again.

-x-x-x-x-x-

A/N: I added an extra scene because it I felt that it was necessary.