MariKanan: Finally, Our First Date

01 - LET US DATE?

MARI'S POV

"Herro. Mai nemu isu Kanan!"

I keep dreaming this exact encounter with Kanan-chan about a decade ago. When we first met. At a beach's coastline with the sunset behind me and purple sky covering the heavens above.

"Umm....Who you? What you want from me?!", I said to the friendly girl (in Engrish of course) with blue hair tied in ponytail. She hid behind a fountain, popping out her huge head with a huge smile in front of me.

"Me. Want to. Be. Yoru. Frendu!!", she said as she pointed her little finger to me then to herself.

Gosh, I was so shy at the time. A Japanese girl coming to me for friendship? I never believed it at first. Especially in the way this girl introduced herself to me. Speaking in broken English in order to help me understand her. It frightened me at first, especially when another girl was hiding beside her, watching me silently and acting kinda dumb and curious.

To think that first encounter with Kanan and Dia.....would change my life......

I always feel like crying whenever I recall that fated day. Cuz I became who I am because of them. Those two....that girl....I owe everything to them.

"Let. me. HUG. you!!", little Kanan said.

"ME?!! No, I don't want!!"

"Mari. HUG!! HUG!!!"

I once thought....

"Mari!!"

That I might never.....

"Mari!!!"

...I might never....see her this happy to me ever again.....

"Mari. Hey, Mari wake up."

".........snore.......zzz......zzzz...."

"....Mari.....ummm...."

".....zzzz....snore......AHHH!!!", I said as Kanan touched my nose.

"Mari-san. Wake up."

"...ngghh...huh?.....ahh, Kanan-san....good mornin - "

"Please, get off me first."

"Huh?"

"Mari......you're on top of me. Please get off."

My eyes opened widely to discover what was going on. I was sleeping with Kanan inside a room. I was on top of Kanan. My body over her, my face so close to her as if I wanted to kiss her. This was my position while I slept.

"Mari.....please? You're too close."

"AHHHH!! Ummm....ummm...sorry, I did not mean too - "

"Grab me like a hugging pillow?"

"........(blushing)...SORRY!! KANAN!!!", I got up immediately away from her. It was so awkward, my body made the first move on her before I even intended to do that. Though honestly I did like that sensation.

I looked around. We were in a classroom inside the school. The chairs were arranged to the side, allowing a space for both of us to sleep in. On the floor, there was a little bed and one pillow. It was Saturday. I looked at the window and found it was raining outside.

"Why are we here?"

"You forgot? Mari, we spent the night here at school after dismissal yesterday. Well.....we were forced to. There's a typhoon going on outside since yesterday, so obviously we couldn't get out of here unless we put ourselves in harm's way."