Setting: Two years before the start of Love Live! Sunshine!

Kanan looked up as she heard the bell jingle, putting on her usual helpful smile as someone entered her family's diving shop. "Welcome to Awashima Divers, how may I..." She trailed off as she realized who it was. "Oh, You-chan."

The brunette smiled back as she walked towards the older girl. "Hey Kanan-chan," she replied, smiling shyly.

"Nice of you to visit," said Kanan. "What's up?"

"Well..." You looked to the floor. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Something I need your advice about."

"Oh? Is there something wrong?"

"No, no! ...At least, I don't think so."

"Okay, shoot."

You looked down as a dusting of pink graced her face. "So... I guess it all started a couple years back. I've... I've started seeing Chika-chan in a different light... a romantic light. And I want to go out with her as girlfriends. But-"

"Stop right there, You-chan," interjected Kanan, "I already know what you need to do."

You merely raised an eyebrow. "...Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! You just need to tell her directly to her face. Sit her down, look her in the eye, and say 'Chika-chan, I love you'. Things may not work out ideally, but you should tell her as soon as possible and hope for the best, or you'll always be wondering what could have been."

You gave a wry smile. "The thing is, I already have."

"...eh?"

"Several times, ever since we started middle school."

"...then, what happens?"

"She always interprets my words as just platonic love, like what I feel for you or my parents. She's never said a word to indicate otherwise! I don't know if she's just this dense, or if she's just trying to let me down gently..."

"Knowing Chika-chan she's probably just dense."

"I think so too," nodded You. "So there's my problem. How can I get this girl to take my feelings seriously?"

Kanan closed her eyes and started to think. The direct approach didn't work, and that was their best option. With how often subtlety was lost on the ginger, Kanan couldn't help but draw a blank. "I don't know, You-chan. I just don't know."

The two of them remained silent in thought, before the brunette sighed. "Alright then. I hoped it didn't have to come to this, but since not even you can help me, then there's only one thing I can do. I need to take a page from Chika-chan's book," declared You ominously.

For some reason, Kanan didn't feel good that You had apparently found her answer. "What do you mean by that, You-chan?"

The brunette gazed back at her, fire in her eyes. "It means it's time for me to do something stupid and dramatic!"

The next day saw Kanan staring distractedly out the window, paying no attention to her surroundings as her classmates began leaving for home. A hand appeared before her eyes and snapped twice, drawing her out of her stupor. She turned to see Dia and Mari looking at her in concern.

"Kanan-san, are you alright?" asked Dia.

The blunette nodded. "Sorry," said Kanan, "It's just... One of my kouhais is trying to confess, and it's gotten to the point where she's going to do something, quote, 'stupid and dramatic'. I don't know what she's planning, but I'm really worried about the fate of our old middle school..."

"Oh? Maybe we can help!" exclaimed Mari, eager to try her hand at matchmaking.

"Mari-san," interjected Dia sternly, "You shouldn't intrude in someone else's affairs."

But Mari was adamant. "If something's bothering our bae, then we should totally be involved!"

Dia furrowed her brow in confusion. "Our bae...?" She shook her head dismissively. "Look, if Kanan-san would like our assistance in this, she will ask. It's not appropriate for us to meddle with a maiden's heart."

"Mou, Dia's so proper and traditional~! Do something fun for once!"

"Excuse me?" snapped Dia, "I'll have you know I'm very fun." Behind them, Kanan picked up her phone as she got a call. "Your problem is that you can only find fun by causing chaos everywhere you go."

"And what's wrong with a little chaos, hmm?"

"Mari-san, we've been over this many times already. You should be considerate of other people's feelings!"

"But other people are boring!"

"That is not a legitimate excuse to crush their wants and desires under the force of your personality."

"Yes, yes, Dia is such a proper little penguin," dismissed Mari with a handwave.

Dia huffed. "And why do you insist on calling me that?" she asked, even though she knew what Mari's answer would be.

The blonde chortled. "Because you look like a penguin! Doesn't she, Kanan?"

"You want WHAT?!" exclaimed the blunette, much to her friends' concern. Dia and Mari exchanged a glance, before Kanan frowned and very sternly stated, "I am NOT helping you get fireworks!"

The conversation between the first years fell quiet as Kanan held her phone up to her ear, her lips pursed in a flat line in an expression of disapproval. "I don't care how well received you think it will be. I don't even know where to get fireworks!"

Dia merely raised a questioning eyebrow while Mari stroked her chin in thought. Kanan sighed. "Look You-chan, I know you want this to go perfectly, but pyrotechnics is never the answer!" There was more chatter from the middle schooler's side. "If you're set on pursuing this course, I'm not helping you. Good bye, You-chan." Kanan ended the call.

"Sorry about that," apologized Kanan as she put her phone away. "That was my kouhai. She's... really dead set on the 'stupid' part of her plan."

"What did you say her name was again? You-chan?" asked Mari. The blunette nodded in confirmation.

"Are you certain the situation won't develop into something more... hazardous?" asked Dia.

Kanan shook her head. "No, it won't. It may not sound like it, but You-chan's got a good head on her shoulders. She'll realize sooner rather than later that using fireworks for this... or for anything really, is a terrible idea."

"I'm glad to hear that. Still, I would like to point out that using fireworks as a medium for a confession of love sounds like something Mari-san would do," remarked Dia. "Right, Mari-san?"

Kanan and Dia looked around, but Mari was nowhere to be found.

Dia blinked. "You don't suppose...?"

Kanan stared at her in muted horror. "She knows her name and where she goes to school!"

Without another word, the pair tore out of the classroom to try and stop the boisterous blonde before it was too late.

It was too late.

Flying above her old middle school in a hot pink helicopter, Mari held a megaphone as she began calling down to the plebeians below. "Attention students and staff! I am looking for someone by the name of You, who is a friend to Kanan Matsuura. You-san, please meet me on the roof as soon as you are able. Also, please come alone. Thank you!"

Then she landed on the school's roof and waited.

A few minutes later, a nervous brunette peeked out of the roof access door, only approaching once Mari started waving her over.

"Hello~!" sang Mari in English. "Are you You-san?"

"Yeah, that's me," confirmed You. "How can I help you, miss...?"

"The name's Mari, but you can just call me Shiny-oneesan, okay? Anyway! I heard you needed fireworks, and I am more than happy to assist."

You's bright blue eyes lit up. "Really?!"

The blonde nodded. "Absolutely! So why don't you tell Shiny-oneesan what you had in mind..."

Some time later...

The roof door swung open with a crash as Kanan kicked it open, the blunette panting heavily after running all the way to her old middle school. An exhausted Kurosawa heiress was thrown over her shoulder, Dia having collapsed much earlier in the mad dash over.

"MARI!" she bellowed.

She arrived just in time to see the pink helicopter flying away into the distance.

Letting out a loud disgruntled groan of frustration, the blunette sank to her knees, mentally kicking herself for failing to stop Mari's evil(?) plan.

"Um... Kanan-san, you can put me down now," said Dia.

Wordlessly, Kanan set the ravenette down on the roof. Then she collapsed on top of her, using Dia's legs as a lap pillow.

"K-Kanan-san?!"

The blunette reached a hand up to caress Dia's face, eliciting a blush from the ravenette as her thumb brushed over a beauty mark. "Dia..." she murmured, "I need you to do something for me."

"W-What is it?"

"Please start dieting."

And that's how Kanan's ponytail got tied into knots.

When You came into the diving shop the next day, Kanan was practically all over her.

"Watanabe You! What in the name of all that is sacred did you and Mari do with fireworks?!" demanded the blunette. She sent her best glare at the brunette, but You's indomitable smile warded her from the worst of Kanan's anger.

"It worked!" she cheered happily, catching her friend in a hug. "Chika-chan and I are dating!"

"That's wonderful," replied Kanan, only mildly annoyed at such good news. "But I still want to know what you did with fireworks!"

You released her hold on Kanan and began to tell her tale.

.

Last Night...

The sun fell below the distant horizon, taking the last vestiges of yellow and orange light with it as darkness enveloped the shoreline. Chika stared questioningly at her friend from across the beach, but before she could say a word, You reached out and tapped a button.

Upbeat synthesizer music from the 80's began blasting out from strategically arranged speakers around the beach, and with microphone in hand, You began to sing.

We're no strangers to love,

You know the rules, and so do I

A full commitment's what I'm thinking of

You wouldn't get this from any other girl

I... just wanna tell you how I'm feeling

Wanna make you understand!

.

"...and then we kissed while heart-shaped fireworks filled the sky, followed by the launching of a thousand fidget spinners!" recounted You happily. She squealed in delightful remembrance and hugged herself. "Oh, it was so magical...!"

Kanan stared at her completely deadpan, silently judging both girls. "So you got her to fall in love with you by... memeing on her?"

You grinned. "Memes are love; memes are life."

~END~

.

.

.

Omake:

Mari nodded as You finished telling her about her plan to serenade her best friend with Never Gonna Give You Up. She hummed in consideration. "That's all well and good, but..."

"...But?"

"Don't you think you should be a little more obvious?"

"What are you suggesting?"

.

I don't want

Anybody else

When I think about you, I touch myself

AN: Is this how you meme? Asking for a friend... (Also, in case you don't know, the songs I used are Never Gonna Give You Up, and I Touch Myself. The first one is meme-tastic, and the second is... just kinda one of those songs that's fun to know about.)

EDIT: (Aug 1, 2017) - So apparently today is Chika's birthday. I am now retroactively calling this her birthday present because I can.

Happy Birthday Chika. I got you a You.