#yorukano

Rating: T

Pairing: Kano Yamanouchi/Mahiru Kouzuki

Characters: Kano & Mahiru

Warnings: Angst, spoilers for episode 9

Summary: "You all... leave me in the end."

A brief look at Kano's thoughts in the aftermath of her argument with Mahiru.

Word Count: 333

A/N: This one's a little rough, a little melodramatic, but for stylistic purposes I reckon it fits. She's a traumatised teenager, of course she's gonna feel things really strongly.

Enjoy, and please let me know what you think! If there's any way I could've improved on this, I'd love to know!

AO3 Upload

I usually despise the "we can't just communicate so now we have problems" thing but this was an interesting one. Mahiru is trying to do what Kano inspired her to: improve her art, love her art, and go far with it. Kano is hurt that her mother "chose" Mahiru over her. Rather than see the value in Kano's personal project, she looked at Mahiru and said "I'll take that one." Kano loves her mom and thinks that she's a good person. We, the viewer, know better. Kano's mom is a manipulative person who will go to any lengths to achieve her goals. She does not care about Mahiru. She cares about getting back at Kano and breaking apart her little group. She lied to Kano about her music reaching her father. She probably instigated the entire Idiot channel.

There is no way that Kano could express all of that. In fact, the way she argues that Mahiru should stay showcases her mother's manipulative language. She can only gaslight gatekeep girlboss her way through things.

Mahiru in the meantime should probably have known that getting a big job from your gf's abusive mom who kicked her out of her own band is probably a big no no! Kinda fucked up, honestly. But she's young and naïve and wants to take this big chance. it seems worth it!

It ain't, girl. It just ain't.

So yeah, this is one of those times where expressing the truth was not easy, and so this kind of "if you'd just told me!" conflict isn't the cheap divide we often see in media. It's a legitimate conflict with nuanced causes and plenty of teenage hormones. Another reason I love this show.

AO3 Upload

-

Mahiru’s lost track of time. They’ve been racing down highways for awhile now, and she doesn't even know – nor care – where they're going. She grips Kano’s waist as she closes her eyes and savours the rush of wind against her face.

It occurs to her, as she leans her head against Kano’s backside, that this precious moment wouldn't have felt the same if anyone else was driving that motorcycle. Kano Yamanouchi is irreplaceable. Mahiru wants a happy future with her, and only her.