Without You (KanaMari)

What if?

The next day Kanan was back to her usual self, hiding her true feelings. She was at Chika's house. "Kanan?! How do you bounce back so quickly?!" Chika questioned, "I'm like that every year on her birthday....." Kanan said, "What if the incident never happened?" Riko asked, "Mari would have forced Dia and me to join Aqours. She would spend most of her time with me, going diving together. We would graduate probably go to different colleges, but we would stay in touch and be together forever." Kanan said, smiling, just thinking about it. "That's the first time I've seen you smile for real in two years." Chika said

"As nice as it could have been, I'll never be with anyone again. Mari is the love of my life, and she's gone, but I'm okay, and I'm fine because I know Mari is in my heart, and that will never change." Kanan said, but Chika looked worried. "But...Kanan....." Chika said, "I'll be fine, Chika." Kanan said, getting up. "I have to go help out at the shop," Kanan said, heading home. "Is something else going on?" Chika asked, "Not that I know of....." Dia said.

Meanwhile, with Kanan. "Welcome," Kanan said, greeting the customers with a smile on her face. "I'm looking for a diving suit." Mari 2.0 said, "Leave now." Kanan said, "I'm a customer." Mari 2.0 said, "I can refuse to help you!" Kanan said, "Do you want something bad to happen to your grandfather?" Mari 2.0 said, "We rent them. If you want to buy one, find one, just leave. I don't even want to help you. I'm only doing this because you threatened my grandfather." Kanan said as Dia walked in, "Chika-San is worried about you....." Dia said, "Kanan, you can be done for the day." Kanan's Grandfather said as Kanan and Dia went upstairs to Kanan's room, "You know if I lost anyone else, I wouldn't be able to get through it." Kanan said, "Something is going on....." Dia said, "My mom told me that my dad was being abusive......" Kanan said, sitting on her bed, "You feel like something will happen....." Dia said, "Yeah, and that scares me..." Kanan said, "Let's try going diving just us." Dia said, "I can't....." Kanan said, looking at the picture on her nightstand. "It's not going to go away, Kanan. You need to face it head-on." Dia said, "That photo album Mari gave it to me for my birthday, and now it's gone, and I can't get new photos. I can't make a new photo album. I can't make new memories with her. It's gone forever." Kanan said, "Mari wouldn't want you feeling this way, Kanan....." Dia said. "2 years, and I still feel this way. It will never get better for me, just harder every passing year. I'll feel the same pain and never change." Kanan said, "Kanan...." Dia said, "I'll be fine. You don't have to put your future on hold for me, Chika, and You will check up on me." Kanan said, "And when they graduate?" Dia said, "I'll tell them what I told you." Kanan said, "You're just going to stay here forever?" Dia said, "Mari's here. I can't leave her alone." Kanan said, "So you just planned out the rest of your life after graduation....." Dia said, "Yeah." Kanan said as Dia texted the others to come over to Kanan's house.

A few minutes later, they arrived. "Tell them what you told me." Dia said, "I'm staying here after graduation." Kanan said, "Wait, you're not going to college?!" Chika yelled, "I never said that. I'm staying here after graduation." Kanan said, "You need to be in person for one year, then you can do classes online." Dia said, "Dia! Chika believed me!!!" Kanan said, "So you were just going to lie to me...." Chika said, "I'm sorry, but I'm can't go to college. I can't leave her." Kanan said, "Kanan, she's not going anywhere." Chika said, "I can't talk to her if I leave....." Kanan said, "Kanan. Then I'm staying too." Dia said, "I told you I'd be fine. You don't need to stay. You need to go Dia. I'm not going because I'm not mentally strong enough to leave her, Dia. You are, but I'm not, and we all know this." Kanan said, "Fine...." Dia said, "Chika, You next year when you guys graduate, go to college. Don't worry about me." Kanan said, "No!" Chika and You said, "We promised to check on you every day, and we aren't breaking it!" Chika said as You agreed, "You're right. You two aren't going to break it because you can call me!" Kanan said, "Oh right, never mind." Chika said as she went snooping around in Kanan's drawers and pulled out a first-year uniform. "Kanan, why do you have a first-year uniform in here?" Chika asked, "Mr. Ohara gave it to me when he came for her funeral." Kanan said, putting it back in her drawer. "Does he know about the copycat?" You asked, "No, but I did receive a text message from him yesterday, Dia, and I contacted him about my coming back to school conditions." Kanan said, "Really, what did he say?" Chika asked, "He told me she wouldn't want me to be upset, and I tried not to, but I couldn't." Kanan said, "Regarding graduation, he said that a diploma for Mari will be sent directly to him." Dia said, "You guys should get home. It's getting late." Kanan said as they said goodbye and left.

Kanan closed her eyes and imagined her life with Mari. "I miss you so much," Kanan said, opening her eyes, going downstairs to the kitchen, and makes her grandfather dinner. Then she brings it to him but sees him passes out on his bedroom floor "Oh no!" Kanan said quickly putting the plate down and rushing over to him checking his pulse "Oh thank goodness he's breathing." Kanan said, calling the ambulance as he started to wake up. "Kanan...." Kanan's Grandfather said, "Hey, you're going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way." Kanan said with tears in her eyes. "Go to college. She'll always be with you. Just like I will." Kanan's Grandfather said, "You're going to be fine. Please don't leave me to......" Kanan cried as the ambulance came and took Kanan's Grandfather to the hospital. Kanan was in the ambulance with him until he had to go into surgery. She sat in the waiting room for hours, hoping he would be okay as she slowly drifted to sleep.

A few hours later, they woke her up. "Kanan-San....." The doctor started, "Please tell me he's okay. I can't lose him too...." Kanan said, holding back her tears as the doctor looked at Kanan, hating this part of the job. "I'm sorry to say that he didn't make it....." The doctor said as he walked away and Kanan called Dia. "Can you come to get me.....?" Kanan asked, holding back her tears. "Where are you?" Dia asked, "The hospital..." Kanan said as her voice cracked "Kanan are you okay?! Is your grandfather okay?!" Dia asked, "Can you just come to get me and take me home...." As her voice cracked as she walked outside. "Okay, I'll be there soon," Dia said, hanging up. "Why did I have to lose him....." Kanan said in tears as she saw Dia pull up, and she got in. "Are you sure you want to be alone tonight?" Dia asked, "You can stay with me if you want to ease your worries." Kanan said as her voice cracked as they took the bridge to Kanan's house and got out of the car. Kanan went upstairs to her room, changed, and broke down in tears. "Please don't tell the others....." Kanan cried, "I won't...." Dia said, hugging Kanan as Kanan fell asleep, and then Dia fell asleep shortly after.