Chapter Text
Ohara Mari was simply beautiful, mixed with Japanese grace and Italian-American beauty. She is the daughter of a well-known businessman who runs a famous hotel chain in Japan and all over the world. Her personality wasn’t lacking either, she is someone who would definitely last an impression to anyone. It was clear that the blonde was simply made for the spotlight.
Everyone around her—fans, friends, even strangers—thinks ‘Ah, her soulmate would be very lucky to have her.’
But that’s the thing.
Ohara Mari doesn’t want to meet her soulmate.
The summer breeze brushed past her white sundress as she walked down the lane by the sea. Dia, her long time bestfriend and secretary, surely would be mad with her seeing she’s skipping work right now but Mari couldn’t care less about paperwork. Her phone buzzed and she knows it’s her childhood friend. She picked it up reluctantly.
“Dia~” she sang, knowing how much it would annoy the woman.
“Mari! Where are you?!” She could hear Dia shuffling papers on the other side of the call and she could imagine the ridiculously tall tower of documents. Mari was pretty sure she heard a screech somewhere too, but then again it was her secretary she was talking about so anything could happen in that office.
“Somewhere, fufu.” With a cryptic response, Mari giggled as she admired the ocean view. “The day’s too fine to be locked up, ya know.”
On the other side of the call, Dia sighed in exasperation. “The day is also ending quickly and this documents won’t magically finish itself.”
Mari stuck out her tongue, uncaring that Dia won’t see it anyway. “It’s fine~ It’s fine~ It’ll make it in time. Promise!”
“What can I do anyway?” Dia huffs, and Mari ignores her childhood friend's muttering of side comments of not being paid enough. “I’ll let it slide this time. I think you deserve a break anyway. Try to find your soulmate in the meantime. Goodbye.” She could hear the jab in Dia's voice as the line went out and she can’t help but pout.
“She’s just saying that because her soulmate is her sister’s best friend. She got it easy.” She whined, remembering the time when Dia introduced a girl that works for a temple somewhere. “I think her name is Zuramaru or something…”
She subconsciously glanced at her wrist, rubbing the words written in green ink.
I don’t really like being in the spotlight.
She smiled bitterly.
Ohara Mari is always shining and she knows she’s always at the center of everyone’s attention. She doesn’t want to drag anyone with her under that intense pressure—even if it means not finding her soulmate.
She entered a diving shop, sat down near the porch and stared wistfully into the beyond. She only got five hours to spend and what better way to spend time than in the company of the Uchiura sea? She didn’t bring anything with her though. Just her wallet in the pocket of her dress and nothing else. She already had so much weight to carry, let this five hours of hers be weightless. Free. Mari then observed tourists wearing diving suits coming to and fro, wet and salty from the sea. An old man , perhaps the owner, asked her if she wanted to go deep diving but she politely declined.
“I’m fine appreciating the ocean from above, I guess.” She said and the owner laughed heartily and went on his way.
A little while, a woman wearing a navy blue suit came to the shop. Mari can't help but take in her figure because she was pretty sure the woman could have been a model with curves like that. The model woman talked to the owner for a little bit, something about one of the oxygen tanks that needs replacement. She can see the familiarity and deduces that the woman must be a family member of the owner. She sees the woman laugh, the kind that makes you want to laugh too. Mari decided that it’s rude to stare so she forced herself to look away.
It was too late.
So much for not trying to find your soulmate, Ohara.
“Hey there,” she heard the model woman reach out to her. “Are you going for a dive?”
Mari smiled at her and shook her head. “I’m afraid not, darling~” she said. “I hope you don’t mind me here. The place is nice and I’m taking a break from work. I left a friend my work though so I won’t be long.”
The model woman flushed red for a moment after hearing her being referred to as ‘darling’ but she cleared her throat and resumed. “No worries, stay here as long as you want. The ocean should recharge you to a hundred percent in no time!”
Mari likes how she grins in such a careless way.
“Oh hey, you…are back again.” The model woman frowned a bit. “Sorry. You’ve been here a lot of times but I didn’t really catch your name? I didn’t mean to pry or anything—“
“It’s Mari.” She answered, sitting in the same seat she always occupies for the last seven visits. Has it really been seven visits already? Time flies fast, and the sea is as welcoming as ever. “Ohara Mari.”
The diver blinked twice, toned arms carrying an oxygen tank suddenly halted motion, her ponytail lightly swished through the sea breeze. “Ohara…Mari?”
Mari couldn’t help but chuckle. She always finds it amusing when people find out they’re talking to the daughter and heiress of a multi-billion company. She's like a walking sign of the company, someone to be looked at. To be awed. A mascot, it seems. “Yep!” she said, popping the ‘p’.
The model woman nodded slowly and gently placed down the tanks. “Ohara Mari.” She pronounced her name slowly this time, savoring each syllable. It isn't weird at all but Mari's heart felt otherwise. It made her heart skip a beat after all. The woman gave Mari a grin. “I like the name, it’s beautiful. Mine’s Matsuura Kanan. It’s really nice to meet you, though it’s not the first time we met.”
No sense of familiarity from her voice, Kanan excused herself as a customer comes in, leaving Mari on her own devices. That’s interesting, does she not know of the Ohara family? Or the any of the Ohara hotels? There is literally an Ohara hotel two blocks away from here! There’s no way she doesn’t recognize her nor her family name. Mari couldn’t help but be curious.
“You don’t belong here, do you?” she asks, the moment Kanan comes back.
Kanan was clearly taken aback by the question, her violet eyes widening. She stared at Mari as if she had grown two heads. She gulped audibly and laughed breathlessly.
She then gave Mari the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.
“I belong to the ocean.” She answers as if she had memorized those lines for a long time.
Months later, and every free time of Mari is automatically free opportunities to visit the seaside and the little diving shop. Four more visits and Mari realizes that Kanan actually knows who she is. “Mari, you're the daughter of the owner of that five-star hotel nearby, right? I sometimes pass it by during my runs.” Mari remembers Kanan bring up the topic, cleaning a bunch of diving goggles as she sat next to Mari.
“So you actually know who I am! You didn't looked surprised back then when I introduced myself. Hate to brag about it but you’re talking to the future owner of the multi-billion company, missus!” Mari booed, pouting. There was actually nothing to brag about owning a multi-billion company with all the responsibilities it came with, but Mari knows Kanan gets it. “That’s wasn’t very amazing, Kanan~! I seriously thought you don’t live here, like what if you're actually an alien?”
“An alien, really? Hahaha, sorry, sorry! I knew about it but I really couldn’t care less about your family name or background. I think it’s better to judge someone for their actions and not their history.”
“Oh?” Mari raised a brow, resting her chin on her hands. “And what is your judgment of me, o wise one?”
“Well, you’re pretty,” Kanan said unabashedly, direct and sincere. “You’re kind and hardworking. You care for your friends and you don’t like being a burden to others. There’s no way your own personality could have ever compared to your family name.”
“Oh wow, some flattering words you got there, alien~” Mari teases but her heart is beating too fast to be normal. How can this beautiful, sexy and kind person be almost perfect? It’s not fair. “Perhaps I should tell people an alien has come down to flirt with people?”
“Hey, I don’t really like being in the spotlight.” Kanan gives her that shit-eating grin and Mari almost fell off of her chair. “But I’d flirt with you anytime.”
Against her better judgment, she looked at her wrist seeing the words glow for a second and her heart both sank and soared. She turned back to Kanan who looked as surprised.
“Oh, that was my words?” She asked as if she already knew Mari’s, frantic heart. “I-I already knew you were mine. My soulmate, I mean.” Kanan showed her own wrist, written in gold ink. "I was kind of scared to ask you about it so I just waited...and flirted."
You don’t belong here, do you?
Mari wanted to laugh. This is so crazy.
“I spent my whole life trying not to find you.” Mari whispers, so soft it's almost inaudible. “I thought—I thought you didn’t want to be with me…All with this famous, crazy rich mumbo-jumbo…”
Kanan’s eyes soften, understands and she hugs Mari tightly. Mari thinks she heard her soulmate—god, did that felt so good to say—took a shaky breath. “We’re both stupid, Mari. We’re both wrong.”
She pulled back and cupped Mari’s teary, beautiful face.
“I don’t belong to the ocean. I belong with you.”