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“So, this the last time you’ll be with us. Are you gonna ask her that?” Hikari, a 28 year old woman with short and green hair asked Kanan, as she was taking off her diving gear.
“Come on don’t pressure her, she is already nervous as it is” Replied Futaba, same age, but with long and black hair, even longer than Kanan’s. Both of them were her instructors for the past 5 years.
“I don’t know, she only invited me over for my birthday. I think I want to wait and see how things go.”
“Wait?! you have been waiting for 5 years!” Hikari said exalted.
“For now I just want to see her again, I can think about the future later.”
“Who knows, she could surprise you.” Futaba thought.
Kanan heartbeat started to accelerate, she didn’t want to overly excite herself with that idea. As far as she know it was just a birthday party, but she would be lying if she said she hasn’t thought of proposing to Mari.
“Looks like you just made her more nervous Futaba”
“Oh Kanan, don’t worry things will… wait why are you sobbing?”
“Hikari-senpai, Futaba-senpai, thanks for everything. These past 5 years have been some of the best of my life, I am really grateful you two were with me the whole time and helped me achieve my dream.”
“Now you’ll make us cry too.”
“Kanan, you were a great student, and you will be an even better instructor. Now it’s your turn to spread our love for the seas to the new generations. We wish you nothing but the best, good luck with your new life.”
“Oh! are we getting one of your hugs now? it’s been a while.”
Kanan opened her arms, the last time she hugged them was when she obtained her diving license. That day she felt a strong and heartwarming sense of accomplishment, like the day she won the love live with the rest of aqours.
“Give me a hug you two”
Hikari and Futaba hugged her back, surprised by her strength. She was their first student ever, so this was extra special for them.
“We are proud of you Kanan”
“And shocked too, try not to break Mari-san ok?”
The three of them laugh. Despite being a farewell the mood was a cheerful one, nothing could take away their experiences undersea, and they were certain they would see each other again. “We’ll be together, because the sea is connected", Kanan thought.
“Come on, we have to go now or you’ll miss your plane”
“It’s fine, if we run a little late I can always drive”
“There no way you are driving Hikari, we need to get her there in one piece”
As they were heading to the airport Kanan looked at the sea, her home. She couldn’t wait to tell Mari all the beautiful things she saw there, and maybe one day show them to her.
They arrived to the airport just in time. Futaba was proud of proving Hikari wrong, who insisted throughout the whole travel that she was driving too slow and she should let her take the wheel.
“Contrary to what Hikari said we made it just in time, here’s your baggage Kanan. Have fun! and don’t forget to send us pictures”
“Come back with Mari-san, next time I’ll drive to show her the town”
“No you won’t”
“Futaba!”
“Hehe, they sure know how to lighten the mood” Kanan said to herself. She knew Mari would love them, especially Hikari, as they both had that infectious cheerfulness that made everything around them more joyful. Just like Mari convinced Kanan to become a school idol again, Hikari dragged Futaba into the diving club of their school, and she eventually came to love both diving and Hikari.
“Goodbye senpais! I’ll be back with Mari one day!”
They waved their hands and Kanan headed to the gate of her plane, it didn’t take long for her to be able to board it. She booked a seat next to a window so she could see her home one last time before arriving to what, at the time, she didn’t think would be her new home.
---
“Is everything ready?”
“Yes miss Ohara.”
“Are you sure you put it right where I told you? and what about the path, is it clear enough?”
“Yes, we made sure to double check everything before leaving. Furthermore, tourists aren’t allowed to pass anymore, and all of your guests confirmed their assistance for tomorrow.”
“I’m glad, thanks for your report.”
“It is no trouble miss Ohara, now please get some rest.”
“I’ll try, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep”
The called ended, Mari put her phone on the desk and let herself fall on the bed. Kanan arrives tomorrow to celebrate her birthday, that is of course all she knew. Mari has been thinking about this for months, and the preparations started a couple of weeks ago. They only lingering thought in Mari’s mind was Kanan’s reaction and answer, everyone has told her she will say yes without thinking about it but she was still very nervous.
Mari woke up at 5:50 am, exactly 10 minutes before her alarm was set to sound, she thought she wouldn’t need it but she set it nonetheless. She still don’t know how she managed to fall asleep but she knew it wouldn’t be for long, today was the special day after all, their reunion, Kanan’s birthday, and…
“Miss Ohara, are you awake?” someone asked while softly knocking her door.
“Yes!” she answered with her signature english,
“I’m glad to hear you are as cheerful as ever. Miss Matsuura should be arriving at the airport in about 2 hours, will you be accompanying us to pick her up?”
“No, I will welcome her here. Make sure she arrives here safely or I’ll sue you.”
“Worry not, we will make sure this day goes as you have planned”
“Thank you very much”
---
“Finally I’m here” Kanan stretched her arms. She took her baggage and headed to the main exit, where a driver in a limo would be waiting for her.
“Now where is he?” She looked around, for some reason there were a lot of drives in the area. She then noticed a man carrying a sign with the words “Shiny ride!”, she couldn’t help but chuckle at the sign and at the man, who looked a bit embarrassed. “I think I found my ride.”
“How was your travel miss Matsuura?”
“It went well, thanks. I hope I didn’t make you wait long, that sign sure can attract a lot of attention,”
“As you are aware Miss Ohara can be quite, exuberant, so she wanted you to feel welcomed from the very beginning”
“Where is she by the way?”
“In the mansion, she had some important details to go through for your celebration.”
“I hope she doesn’t go overboard.”
“It wouldn’t be Miss Ohara is she didn’t, would she?
“Hehe, I guess you are right”
After about 15 minutes of driving they finally made it to the mansion. Kanan was overwhelmed by it, not only was it huge, but it had so many gorgeous surroundings. A stable full of horses, a swimming pool with a mini bar, even a tennis court, which made her wonder if it was just part of the luxury or Mari got into sports.
“Please allow me”, the driver took her baggage and walked her to the entrance. In between the gate and the front door of the mansion there was a huge courtyard, with a fountain in the middle.
“I will let miss Ohara know that you are here, excuse me”
“Thanks”
Kanan walked around while she waited. The trees on the courtyard were shaped in many forms, one of the bigger ones had the shape of a dolphin, with little hearts below and above it. She then focused her attention on the fountain, and suddenly she had the best idea ever.
“Now I’ll be the one that caughts her by surprise”
She hid behind the fountain and stared at the door, waiting for Mari come out. About 5 minutes passed and she didn’t show up, Kanan's attention has been in that door the whole time so there’s no way she wouldn’t have spot Mari.
“Well well, who do we have here lurking around my mansion?” a voice said from behind, startling Kanan. She turned around and there she was, with a gorgeous white dress and the lovely smile she has so very missed.
“Looks like I caught you again” Mari winked, she then helped Kanan get up.
“Ha…”
“Huh?”
Kanan’s face turned red, unintentionally she almost said that word again. Mari of course wasn’t gonna let that slide.
“Awww you were actually gonna say that again weren’t you?”
“No I wasn’t, it was just…
“Now don’t be shy, say it out loud, I bet you still sound cute”
“Ha…”
“Haggu!”
Once Kanan overcame her embarrassment, the word came out just as adorable as it did the first time. After some laughs, they looked at each other, tears started to roll out and they hugged. It was such a soft hug, yet it was delivered with the intensity expected of 2 people in love that have been away for longer than they should have been.
“I missed you so much, Kanan”
“You have no idea how many nights I wished for this again, for you and me to be together. I’ve dreamt of this moment, but I know this is real because I can feel you, and now I’m never letting you go again.”
“And I’m never going to leave you, ever again.”
As much as she wanted to stay there, like that, forever, Mari had something even more special planned.
“Speaking of feeling, oh my god!, this muscles feel great.”
“Hikari and Futaba made me work really hard, it’s not all about condition, you also need physical strength”
“I’ll need to thank them when I meet them. Let’s go inside now, we need to get ready for… WOW!”
Kanan carried Mari on her arms, she figured she might as well put those muscles to good use.
“Oh Kanan you are still so bold”
“These aren't just for diving you know?”
They walked like that all the way to the front door of the mansion, but as soon as they entered, something made Kanan drop Mari
“Ouch! don’t tell me you got tired already”
“Is that…?”
Right in the middle of the stairs a big statue of Kanan could be seen, crafted with the utmost attention to details by some of the best artists money could buy.
“Magnificent isn’t it? truly a piece of art”
“How? when?”
“You looked so cute and excited on your diving gear the day you took your test, I just had to do it”
“You know I could sue you for this right?”
“But you wouldn’t, would you…?
“Depends on how tasty the cake is”
“Well then I’m safe, I happened to hire the best chefs in the world. Why don't we go to my room now?”
Kanan walked up a few stairs before noticing Mari wasn’t following, she was just standing there with her arms crossed.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m waiting for my charming prince to carry me upstairs”
“Wait you actually want me to carry you all the way to your room? isn’t it on the 3rd floor?”
“That should be no trouble for someone as strong as you, besides you dropped me on my butt and I can’t walk. If only there was a gentleman around to help this poor damsel”
“Ok I’ll do it, but that cake better be delicious”
Kanan carried her again. This time, as she was going up, Mari kissed her cheek.
“Some extra motivation”
“Now I feel like I can take you to the moon”
A lot of stairs and kisses later, they finally arrived to Mari’s room. It was surprisingly humble, just a bed, a shelf with books and a desk.
“This is not what I expected.”
“Just wait until you see your room, that’s where all the luxury went to. Why don’t you go see it and rest for a bit? I’ll see you downstairs in a hour.”
“It’s ok I’m not tired.”
“I mean it, we are going to get very physical.”
“Isn’t it a bit too early for that? We could at least wait until the birthday party.”
“Kanan! it’s not what you think it is, though I must say I am pleased that’s the first idea that came to your mind.”
“That’s not… but you said…”
“I blame it on your tiredness so please just rest for a bit.”
“Ok, I’ll see you in a hour.”
Mari wasn’t lying when she said all the luxury went into decorating Kanan’s room. A big happy birthday sign, a lot of flowers spread all around, chocolates, heart shaped pillows and a huge dolphin plushie on the bed. “She never does things half-baked”
---
“How are you girls doing with the cake?”
“It’s looking good, are you coming soon?”
“Yes in about an hour. Thanks for the help, I’m counting on you.”
“Leave it to us Mari!”
---
An hour passed so Kanan went to the living room downstair, where Mari was waiting for her, along with diving equipment.
“Mari, what is this?”
“Diving equipment, did they not teach you well? I’ll need to have a long talk with Hikari and Futaba”
“I don’t mean it like that, what is it doing here?”
“it's here because we are going to dive, seriously Kanan how did you pass your exams?”
“Really?”
“Of course! this is no joke. Do you not like the idea?”
“I love it, it just took me by surprise. You never cease to amaze me Mari”
“Kanan you are such a charmer”
“You’ll be the first person I take as an instructor too, this is going to be great!”
“Miss Ohara, the limousine is ready” the driver from earlier entered the room
“Nice! let’s get going then.”
---
“Punta di fetovaia elba?” Kanan asked.
“Yes miss Matsuura, at our current speed we should reach it in about 30 minutes” said the driver.
“Have you heard of it Kanan?”
“Yes, Hikari told me about it and other diving sites before coming. I think she also mentioned it wasn’t a good place for beginners, are you sure this is ok?
“Don’t worry, I have been taking diving lessons for about a month now.”
“A month?!”
“Yes, this has to go perfectly so I have been practicing, and you are a certified instructor now so we should be fine”
“Mari… you truly are amazing”, she approached her to kiss her forehead, “Thank you, this means a lot to me”
“It’s your birthday, you deserve this and more.”
30 minutes later they arrived at the beach, not a single person was there that day.
“This place is empty, is there a weather report we didn’t hear of? Kanan looked at Mari, who had her arms behind her back and was looking upwards with a big grin on her face.
“Wait, you bought the place just for us?!”, Mari answered her with a wink
“How much did it cost you?”
“Considering it’s your birthday I would say it was a bargain”
“I’m going to have to work hard for your birthday”
“We can worry about that another day. Come on, the sea is waiting for us”
Kanan took the equipment out of the bags, she noticed immediately the quality of it. Mari made sure to get the best gear possible. “She really didn’t spare no expense”
“Ok, time for a buddy check”
“Body check? Right on!” Mari hugged Kanan and rubbed her face on her boobs “They still make me feel secure, I’m good to go!”
“B-U-D-D-Y check, that's how divers call checking each other’s gear.”
“Whoops”, Mari stepped aside.
After making sure both of their equipments were in perfect conditions, Kanan gave Mari a thumbs up and grabbed her hand. Their started their descent, and Kanan couldn’t be more excited. Not only was this a new area to explore, she was doing it with the perfect partner, the woman she loved.
---
“Did it start You?”
“Yes Chika, they already got in.” You responded as she was looking at the beach with binoculars
“This is so exciting!” Riko came from behind, hugging both of them
“I’m so happy for them, Kanan is going to say yes for sure” Hanamaru said
“Oh Hanamaru, is the cake ready?” Chika asked
“Yes. Ruby, Dia and Yoshiko are handling the final details”
“Great, let’s set up everything at the beach then. We need to give them the best welcome possible”
“Yeah!” all of them replied in unison
---
“What’s with all these lights?” Kanan thought. A lot of LED lights were arranged as if they were marking a road. She looked at Mari, who just winked. Clearly she had something to do with it, so she followed them.
The trail ended at about 25m, in a posidonia grassland. Kanan saw another set of lights, this time they formed an arrow. Mari pointed in that direction too, so Kanan went ahead. She couldn’t see anything at first glance, but after moving her hands around she grabbed something, a little black box.
“Is this…” she was speechless, the only thing she was able to do was stare at the box. Could it be was she thought it was? She desperately looked around for Mari as if she was lost. Mari put her hand on her shoulder to calm her down, and on a little writing slate she brought she wrote “open it.”
She opened the box, inside it there was a ring, a two-stone diamond swirl band in 14k two-tone gold.
Before Kanan could even begin process what was happening, Mari hugged her from behind, putting the writing slate in front of her. This time the words were:
“will you marry me?”
To say Kanan was overwhelmed would be an understatement. This was all too surreal, the kind of stuff you couldn’t even dream of. She had thought about proposing to Mari one day, but never to this extend. Mari took diving lessons, bought the beach for the day, arranged the lights and put the ring 25m underwater. All for this moment, all for Kanan.
Kanan wanted to grab the writing slate to answer, but Mari denied her. She took her hand and pointed upwards. 25m now felt like 100m. She wanted to reach the surface as fast as possible, but she knew they couldn’t rush the ascend.
“Is she gonna say yes?”
“I love you Mari”
“Was this too much?”
“I love you so much”
Kanan let go of Mari’s hand, and she stood still in the last 5m. Mari was too nervous too notice, until she was in the surface, by herself.
“Kanan? is she thinking about it? did I rush things? Maybe I should have waited, but everyone is already at the beach. I told them this was a bad idea, now she doesn’t even want to come out.”
“Hikari, Futaba, thanks again. You helped me achieve my dream, and it has already given me more happiness than I ever thought I could get. On my first trip as an instructor, I found the most precious treasure ever, a new life with the person I love the most.”
With the strength of a dolphin Kanan jumped out of the water, she extended her arms, and with all her might she shouted:
“YES!”
“Kanan?!” it was impossible for Mari to describe how stunning Kanan looked for the few second she was in the air. Her usual shine, combined with the gracefulness of the water and the rays of the of the sun, made an image that would be stuck in Mari’s head for the rest of her life.
“She said I never cease to amaze her, but she does the exact same to me, everytime I think she can’t possibly look more beautiful she proves me wrong.”
When Kanan finally landed she grabbed Mari by her waist and shook her all over the place, while saying yes repeatedly.
“Wow Kanan!”
She finally stop with the swinging, but she still had a hold on her.
“Mari Ohara, I promise you, with the sea as witness, that from now on I’ll dedicate my whole life to make you the happiest person in the world, just like you did for me today.”
Finally their lips met each other with a kiss. It was so passionate, yet so tender. They always knew how to find the right balance to make their moments perfect.
---
“I think we are going to need to clap harder” said Yoshiko at the beach
“How long have they been kissing now?” Ruby wondered
“About 5 minute, and it doesn’t seem like they are going to stop anytime soon” replied Dia
“Well let’s just get closer and clap harder” Chika lead everyone, just like the good old times.
---
“What is that?” Kanan finally listened to the claps
“Oh right! I forgot about them, I guess we got caught up in the moment”
Kanan turned around, a huge banner with the words “happy birthday and engagement!” was hanging at the top of one of the few locals. Standing at the edge of the beach were the rest of the aqours ex-members, clapping and shouting for them.
“Look who finally noticed us” said Dia
“Dia! Chika! everyone!”, this day was just a shocking surprise after another for Kanan.
“Come on Kanan, we can’t keep them waiting any longer.”
“You planned this too Mari?”
“Of course! it wouldn’t be a proper celebration without everyone don’t you think?”
“Yes, you somehow keep making this day better.”
As soon as the got back to the beach everyone overwhelmed them with hugs and congratulations, they even took them and launched them into the air. Once they calmed down, they headed to the table to cut the cake.
"I hope you like it Kanan, we all made it with our best effort" Chika said
"Some might say we did our rubesty" said Hanamaru with a smug on her face
"I don't say that anymore..." Ruby replied
"That's not what Leah told me, she said you use it some nights after..." Ruby elbowed Yoshiko before she could finish
"After what?" Dia stared at both
"Kanan, did you like the cake?" You intervened to save Ruby and Yoshiko
"It's delicious girls, thank you so much."
"Well don't eat too much, we have one more thing prepared" Riko came back with a good amount of wood
With the wood Riko brought, she and the rest of the girls started a bonfire, while You took out a stereo and played a ballad.
"This will be your first dance as a couple!" said Chika, who pushed Kanan to the front.
Mari was already waiting for her, she got down on one knee, and asked Kanan for her hand.
"Mari you are such a charmer"
"Hey that's my line"
"And that's my pose" Kanan grabbed her hand and helped her get up.
"Thank you Mari, for everything. I love you."
"Happy birthday Kanan, I love you too" She took her from the waist and they danced for the rest of the night, with everyone else clapping for them.
February 10th turned out to be more than Kanan Matsuura's birthday, more than her reunion with Mari Ohara after 5 years. It became an eternal promise of love, with 7 girls as witnesses. It became the beginning of their new life, together.