I've heard a few people say that they've seen a younger Pazu in the background of Howl's Moving Castle. Personally, I thought I saw a Pazu that looked a little bit older! After seeing this, I thought up a scenario for why he was in Sophie's hometown, Market Chipping, in the first place. This is the result!
A group of Blobbmen had materialized just out of sight, on the prowl for a certain magician. As they scoured the alleyways of Market Chipping, hoping to spot the magician hiding there, they passed by a boy in his mid teens who happened by. Perhaps one or two Blobbmen turned to look at the passerby, but they quickly lost interest upon seeing that this boy was by no means a magician, but instead a miner's apprentice from a couple towns over.
The boy, named Pazu, might have also caught the looming shadows in the corner of his eye. He might have even taken a second glance out of curiosity, had it not been for the clock chimes resonating through the town.
Pazu gasped. "Three o'clock already?! Sheeta's train is here!" His time at the tailor's must have stretched longer than he'd thought. "Aah, she's probably waiting for me right now!" he cried, hurrying down the street in a frenzy.
Sheeta had gone back to Gondoa to help a former neighbor a few days prior. Under most circumstances, Pazu would have dropped everything to accompany her, no questions asked. He loved Gondoa and everything about it, and he loved Sheeta and would go wherever she did. But one of Pazu's fellow miners had been injured during work, and Pazu had to take the miner's place until he healed. Sheeta had assured Pazu that she would be back very soon, and Pazu believed her, of course. But he still dreaded being away from her. After all, when he returned home from the mines, seeing Sheeta was what he looked forward to more than anything.
Pazu was now in such a hurry that Sheeta did not have to wait too long. She had barely glanced over the group waiting at the station when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.
"Sheeta!"
Sheeta turned in the direction of the voice, her face brightening and a smile spreading across her face. "Pazu!"
Pazu grinned back when he caught sight of her, calling out her name once more as he neared her. As he reached Sheeta he picked her up and spun her around once, laughing all the while. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Sheeta! Welcome back!" he exclaimed, pulling her close.
"Oh, you didn't! I'm just glad to see you!" Sheeta rested her head on Pazu's shoulder, closing her eyes. "I missed you." she whispered.
"I missed you more!"