"Officer Takagi, there's been a report of substance abuse at the high school. Back-up required," an old man's voice crackled through a walkie-talkie lying on a pile of paperwork. A young cop, barely finished his training, awoke from an unintentional nap and scrambled to respond.

"I'll be right over, sir." he hastily replied and jumped up to retrieve his jacket from its coat rack. He hastily put it on along with his badge, which had fallen onto the floor. With a click he attached his walkie-talkie to its rightful place on his belt, and he dashed out to his car… only to return a moment later to grab his hat off a table by the door. Finally prepared, he set off for the high school.

Wataru Takagi was a young man of twenty-two, stationed to a small police box in Nanairogaoka. And it was really small. Like one room with a desk and a chair small. It was fairly obvious his administrators didn't trust him to do anything except give directions to lost grandmothers. Which he did. Fairly often. Though, there was one group of troublemakers he had to deal with.

In recent years a girl gang had built up a reputation at the local high school. They tormented the small town with shoplifting, drug trafficking, and an occasional fight. Fairly dangerous by local standards, the girls had pulled a knife on innocent civilians more than once. Wataru was stationed only half a mile from the school, so every time the girls caused trouble, he was called to break it up.

After a short drive through a residential area, he passed through the shining gates of the high school. He parked in the faculty lot, and a kind secretary pointed him in the direction of an old supply shed. There a school officer had rounded up three girls who had been caught selling marijuana to another student, who had ditched the scene before the cop could catch him. As usual Wataru cuffed the girls, and lead them to his car. They silently piled into the back, avoiding eye contact with him. Except for one, the leader of the small group. She glared at him with hatred flaring in her dark green eyes.

He brought them to the main city office, and in almost no time the parents of the two girls arrived and carted off their innocent little babies. The routine was infuriating. Every week the troublemakers were bailed out, their parents insisting it was a mistake, or that some other child framed her. They never even tried to punish their darlings, sweeping their flaws under a cover of denial.

The leader was left alone, her parents living in some other country. She was seated in a small integration room while the other girl's had paperwork filled out. In the dim light he could see her slumping over the table. Sighing, Wataru entered and sat across the table from the girl. He interlaced his fingers, palms on the table.

"Rina, you need think about what you're doing. What is this, your third time at the station this month?" He looked at her with concern, but she faced away, her arms crossed in front of her. A small pout formed on her lips.

"You know, I don't see why you care." she shot back with a rude sting. "This is my life, and I can make choices by myself." She leaned back, and put her feet upon the table, her face moving into the darkness. Only her eyes with that permanent glare could be seen.

"You're turning 18 next month. You don't have time to be wasting in here when you need to be in school. As a part of this community, the youth's future is my responsibility."

"Youth!" she laughed, almost falling from her precarious balancing act. "You're only twenty two yourself! And you want to boss me around? I think that badge is deluding you, Takagi."

"It is not! I've worked to earn this badge, and I'm capable of handling the authority that comes with it!"

"Oh, that's why you work at that nasty shack on the hill, away from all the trouble." she giggled.

"You have no right to speak to me this way!" Takagi shot up, fed up with her rude remarks. But the two were interrupted by a door squeaking open, and they turned to see another officer enter through the back door.

"Takagi, are you arguing with the criminals again?" the older man laughed, handing him a folder of papers. "Send Majo Rina here to cell 5. Two days, this time."

He left just as quickly as he entered, obviously enjoying his younger co-worker's embarrassment. Takagi walked the defiant girl to an empty cell, locking her up for the night.

"I'll be back tomorrow so we can talk," he glumly promised as he removed the key from the lock.

"Oh, thank god!" she gasped, putting her hand in the air with a manner reminiscent of an eighteen hundred's noble women. "I thought I would have to go a whole day without being lectured! You are a lifesaver!" she rudely laughed one final time as he walked down the hall, prickling with anger. That Rina knew how to get under his skin, and she was damn good at it.

Original AU idea by Krismoth.