Jun

After leaving the cafe, Jun and Akari took a slow walk along the beach as the sun began to set. The sky was painted in warm shades of gold and rose, the serene sight of the sun sinking into the ocean surrounded them in a quiet calm. The sound of the gentle waves and the cool evening breeze made them feel as though time had slowed just for them.

"Hey, Jun. You always ask me what I want to do in life, but what about you?" She asked as she took in the sight of the sunset.

Jun glanced at her, taken aback by the question. "I never thought about it."

"Why?"

He turned back to the orange orb melting into the sea, his expression unreadable against the golden glow. "I have regrets of my own... Regrets that don't allow me to make future plans."

Though he spoke calmly, Akari could feel the underlying twist of guilt wrapped around his words. "Is that why you keep looking over those old case files?"

He let out a deep exhale. "I'm trying to find the answer within them."

"The answer to what?"

His jaw tightened slightly. "To where everything went wrong..." 

She didn't feel as though she had the right to ask, but her heart wouldn't allow her to ignore it either. "Will you tell me about it? Tell me your story?"

Jun fell silent for a moment, his gaze still not leaving the sunset. "It's not that interesting of a story."

Akari turned to him. "But it's your story. That alone makes it important to me."

Jun finally turned to meet her eyes, the quiet concern and affection he found in them unraveled him more than his memories. "You might view me differently after."

"I won't." Her gaze didn't waver, tender and resolute as she held his.

Jun searched her for doubt, for pity, for judgement - anything that gave him an excuse to turn away, but he found none. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "When I first joined the force, I worked under Mr. Sanada, Michi, and Tadashi..."

The last name fell off his tongue with muted heaviness.

He continued. "Mr. Sanada didn't stay long while I was there because he retired and then Michi got promoted. She became busier with paperwork rather than field work. Kota joined the team later. So for a while, it was just Tadashi and me..."

-----

Tadashi had a way of filling a room without even trying. He laughed easily, teased lightly, and seemed to make even the longest and worse shifts a little better. But when he got down to business, he approached every case with focused dedication - a quality Mr. Sanada must've passed to his team.

Tadashi leaned forward on his desk; smile plastered on his face. "Looks like you and I will be working together a lot." 

Jun gave a polite nod and calmly replied. "I look forward to learning from you."

Tadashi pouted as he ran a hand in his brown hair. "Are you always this stiff?" 

When Jun didn't answer, Tadashi turned to Michi at the next desk over. "Michi, is he always like this?"

Michi looked up from the stacks of papers she was chained to. "Jun isn't usually much of a talker." A playful smirk. "He's great at grunt work though."

Jun shot her a glance. "Haven't I done my fair share of that already?"

Michi playfully shook her head. "You'll never be free of it as long as I'm here."

Tadashi laughed lightly. "Give him a break Michi. He's capable of more than just grunt work."

-

For a few years, Jun and Tadashi handled every case that came through to the best of their abilities. Always double checking, always listening closely, always making sure nothing went unnoticed.

"I can always trust you to have my back, Jun." Tadashi would always say with a slap to Jun's back.

Jun let out a breath that might've been a laugh. "You're perfectly capable without me."

New recruits transferred in and out frequently, but none stayed for long. Until Kota arrived. Michi then took it upon herself to train the rookie, guiding him until he was comfortable enough on his own or skilled enough to hand off to Jun or Tadashi.

-

After a few months, the four of them became a close-knit team that worked in harmony. They laughed together, drank together, and made sure to work efficiently together. 

The radio crackled with a call they all knew they were going to have to take. 

Kota stared at the ceiling with a sigh. "Another night of not going home... Guess I have to cancel my date again."

Michi headed for the door as she sent a quick text to her husband.

Jun closed his file, following behind Tadashi who was already moving. 

There were no instructions, no conversation about who's driving, no argument about who does what - they had done this too many times before, they already knew what worked best for them.

-

"I got coffee!" Tadashi chimed carrying a tray of hot coffee for the team.

Kota's eyebrows furrowed. "It's 11pm..."

Tadashi placed the coffees in front of each of them. "Trust me. We'll need it with what's going on this week."

Kota groaned. "Is it too late to quit?"

"I wouldn't mind if you did." Jun said without looking up from the file in hand.

Kota shot him a flirty look. "You know you'd miss me."

Jun finally glanced at him, not impressed. "I'd manage."

"Hey! No one is quitting. I can't retire without you guys here." Michi whined.

Tadashi chuckled. "Michi you're too young to retire."

"And too pretty." Kota added with a wink.

Michi cringed. "You all make me age just by being around you..."

Jun's lips twitched into a small reluctant smile.

-

One week, too many cases had piled up at the same time - too many crimes, too many unsolved cases, too many criminals still at large. The team was sleep deprived and frustrated, but they had to keep pushing for the sake of the people affected.

Jun and Tadashi were returning from a stakeout for one of the countless cases, running on nearly thirty hours without sleep and fueled only by coffee and stubbornness.

Jun rubbed his eyes with one hand, trying to push the fatigue away as he drove. "I can see why Michi wants to retire early."

"It takes a toll that's for sure. But you're good at what you do, so stick around for a bit longer." Tadashi lowered his voice lightly. "Honestly... You make a better partner than Michi."

Jun let out a small laugh. "I'm going to tell her you said that."

Tadashi shook his head dramatically. "Please don't. I love my job. I don't want to get fired."

Jun half laughed half yawned, though he tried to hide it. 

Tadashi nudged him. "Try not to fall asleep at the wheel."

Jun rolled his eyes. "No promises."

When they returned to the station, Michi and Kota had gone out on a lead to another case. Tadashi went to the evidence room to look over things, while Jun returned to the endless files on his desk.

As Jun rubbed his temples in frustration, a high school student approached his desk. "E-Excuse me."

Jun looked up. "Can I help you?"

The high school boy paused, eyes lowered to the floor, fingers fidgeting at his sleeves, unsure of the words to say. "I-I'm being bullied..."

"By whom?" Jun gently asked.

The boy didn't respond.

Jun let out a tired sigh. "Bullying would probably be better reported to your school and teachers." He reached for a pen and notepad. "I want to help you, so leave your name and information with me and I'll look into it when I can, okay?"

The boy hesitantly wrote his information on the notepad before finally looking up to meet Jun. "I-I can't tell the school... It's bigger than that..."

Jun placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, his tired voice carried reassurance. "I understand. I'll do what I can." 

The high school boy nodded before silently slipping out of the station, bumping into Tadashi on the way out.

"Who was that?"

Jun looked over the notepad. "A kid wanting to report bullying." It's bigger than that...? What was that supposed to mean?

Tadashi's eyebrow raised. "Bullying? That's not something we handle."

Jun nodded. "Yeah, I'll pass the information along."

Tadashi's gaze lingered at the door. "Still... How scared must that kid be to come here...?"

Jun hesitated, rereading the notepad. "Yeah... I know." He exhaled deeply, more tired than dismissive. "It's not that I don't care. It's just not our department and we're barely keeping up as is..."

Tadashi nodded in acceptance even though it didn't sit right.

-

The next day, Michi and Kota went on an undercover operation while Jun and Tadashi patrolled on standby.

While on standby, Jun and Tadashi drove past the high school the boy from before attended. Students were spilling out through the gates, laughter and chatter filled the streets as they went home for the day.

Tadashi noticed the school. "Hey, pull over here. This is that kid's school."

Jun looked over, recognizing the uniform. "Yeah. Why?"

"Since we're already here I'm going to take a quick look around. Just to see if anything stands out."

Jun's brows furrowed. "It's not our case though."

"I know." Tadashi said lightly. "Just five minutes. You stay here and listen for any updates."

"It's not wise to go by yourself." Jun protested, but Tadashi had already closed the car door.

Jun sat in the car, idly waiting for any updates from Michi and Kota.

Then the radio crackled. "Report of a violent fight breaking out at Rose Academy. Multiple students involved. Weapons reported. Advise immediate response."

Jun's stomach dropped. Rose Academy... He bolted out of the car at the realization.

The schoolyard was in complete chaos. A rival high school gang had picked a fight with the students of Rose Academy. Screams pierced the air as bystander students scattered. Shouts and curses collided with the swings of knives and baseball bats as the two school gangs fought.

Tadashi calmly moved through the storm, positioning himself between the fighting students. He threw precise strikes to neutralize without being excessive.

Jun weaved through the crowd, trying to get to Tadashi's side to better support him. A gang member swung a pipe at Jun. He barely blocked it, feeling a sharp sting at the edge of his jaw. 

Tadashi intercepted a knife wielding student trying to attack another student. He twisted the wrist, forcing the knife to drop, but another gang member lunged from behind, striking the back of his head with a baseball bat. Tadashi brushed it off and continued his attempt to control the situation.

More officers arrived moments later, fanning out to secure the scene. Medics rushed in for the injured students.

"Are you okay?" Jun asked Tadashi once things were under control.

"Me? Look at your face. You're bleeding a lot." Tadashi laughed.

Jun wiped the blood on his sleeve. "It's not that deep." 

"You should still have it looked at."

Jun nodded. "After the students are taken care of first."

-

Back at the station, Jun hunched over the paperwork, jaw still throbbing from the cut. Tadashi rested his head on the desk, exhaustion straining his face. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving only the effects from the fight.

Michi and Kota returned from their investigation with coffee for the team, but Tadashi barely reacted to their presence.

"Tadashi, are you okay?" Jun asked noticing his odd behavior.

"I'm just dizzy..." He pushed himself up with a weak smile, trying to shake it off. But as soon as he shifted his weight, his legs gave out. With a soft thud, he collapsed to the floor.

Jun sprang forward instantly. "Tadashi!" His heart raced as he knelt beside him, checking for injuries, but there was no sign of external wounds. 

Michi quickly called an ambulance. "Don't move him!"

Kota grabbed the stations first aid bag. "Where is he hurt?"

Tadashi groaned, trying to lift himself up, but his body failed him. 

Kota knelt beside him. "He's not bleeding."

"He must've got hurt earlier. It's probably internal." Jun looked towards Michi who signaled two minutes with her hands.

They had to keep him conscious for two minutes until the ambulance arrived.

Jun leaned closer, keeping his voice calm. "Tadashi, stay with us, alright? Help is on the way. Look at me. Don't close your eyes."

Kota's hand rested lightly on Tadashi's arm. "Focus on our voices. You're going to be fine."

When Tadashi was finally taken to the hospital, the team was only met with bad news. News that none of them knew how to process, especially Jun. This is all my fault...

-----

"After what happened to Tadashi, I kept making mistakes. Missing details. Second guessing judgements." Jun admitted. "My confidence, my skills, my knowledge were all tainted by that failure." 

His jaw tightened. "I should've taken that kids report more seriously. I shouldn't have let Tadashi go in there alone. I should've noticed he was injured. All of it... It's on me."

Akari stared at him, at the scar that had slightly faded with time but still heavy with the regret it carried. She slowly reached her hand out and placed it over Jun's scar. "It's not your fault."