Disclaimer: I do notown PMK or RK.

Just read the PMK manga. (sob) Poor San-nan. Okitahas to volunteer going after him & he's got real sharp eyes... if only Souji weren't so alert. Was San-nan waiting to be caught? (Oops, almost did a SPOILER, Bad senbi)

Career week's ending... on with the update.

Case 012: TGIF

Day 5:

Learnt the hard way not to judge a crook by his smile, or something like that.

"He'll live, Ichimura-san," Ayu-nee reassured Tatsu. Tetsu groaned as Takani Megumi, the resident doctor, prodded his belly. Finally, she confirmed Ayu-nee's verdict and shooed Tetsu out of her clinic so she can see to an officer who had got into a canteen scuffle. Okita was waiting for him at the HQ entrance.

"Wanna go on patrol? Car's fixed…" Okita smiled.

"Okita-san! I insist Tetsu stays here. He's got quite enough for today…" Tatsu protested. "Tatsu-nii! I'm alright!" Tetsu insisted and ran out to the waiting car. He pulled open the door and clambered into the front passenger seat.

"We'll remember to take him to lunch!" Okita sang out. We? Tatsu saw who is behind the wheel of the patrol car.

"Demon!!" Tetsu yipped as Okita climbed into the back seat. The driver, Hijitaka, glared at the redhead. "Hijtaka-san is a much better driver than me…" Okita piped from the back seat where he was reading Hijitaka's haiku book. The car cruised smoothly down the main street.

The sound of muffled laughter from the back bothered Hijitaka. Why was Souji laughing like that? The young man only laughs that way when he's… They stopped at a red-light. "Souji, are you reading my book that I expressly forbid anyone to touch?"

"No, Toshi, would I do that?" Okita hid the book behind his back. "Let's get some lunch! Onigiri's good…" Hijitaka stopped to buy their lunch. Tetsu clambered into the back seat. Okita was laughing as he read the book.

"What's that?" Curious, Tetsu tried to read over Okita's shoulder. Okita smiled and allowed him to read the book. Soon the boy was laughing as hard as Okita. Tetsu read one entry aloud.

"Spring veggies

I rember…

Only five..."

Both man and boy hooted with laughter. "Okita-san… honestly, you're a terrible poet…" Tetsu gasped between laughs as he read the worst and most hilarious haikus ever. Okita shook his head.

"I'm not the poet, Tetsu-kun… He is," Okita burst out into another fit of laughter. "TETSU!!" Hijitaka hollered and reached for Tetsu through the open patrol car window. The onigiri were scattered on the parking lot asphalt as Demon Hijitaka tried to throttle Tetsu.

"Toshi! Please!"

When they finally sorted things out, Tetsu went off to buy their lunch. He'll be showing bruises on his neck for a while. Okita and Hijitaka waited for him to return in the parking lot. Hijitaka held out the offending book to his friend. "Read it. Just don't show it to the others."

"Toshi! It's no fun if you do it that way!" Okita chided. He accepted the book but did not open it. "It's about me volunteering to go undercover, right?" He asked quietly.They all know it'd be very dangerous. Toshi's worried…

Hijitaka simply looked away. Tetsu trotted back with their lunch. The remainder of the afternoon was spent patrolling the uneventful Kyoto streets.

TGIF. Thank God it's Friday. And the last day of career week proper. Demon Hijitaka tried to break my neck, Tetsu entered the locker room after the day was done. He'll miss Okita-san. He liked the man despite his wackiness. He'll miss the others too, like Ayu-nee and San-nan. He liked the other vice-chief… Wonder if he can visit them under the pretext of bringing lunch for Tatsu-nii?

"Oooo, love-bites!" Shinpachi teased. The bruises on his neck did not escape the notice of the short man. "Tell us, Puppy-kun. Who gave them to you? Okita? Demon Hijitaka?" Tetsu tried to ignore them. The Trio surrounded him.

"Cut it out!" Tetsu brawled as Harada lifted him up for better inspection of his bruises. "They look more like finger marks than love-bites to me…" The giant gave his honest opinion. Toudou pulled back Tetsu's collar to examine the bruises. "Hey! Quit breathing down my neck!" Tetsu protested. Finally, Harada sat him down on the bench.

"Are you bullying my brother?" Tatsu-nii peered timidly into the locker room. "No, Ichimura-san." The trio acted innocent and went about their normal business of keeping their stuff. With a relieved smile, Tatsu left. No! Don't leave me with these perverts! Tetsu wanted to scream out. They have him backed against the wall.

"We've got something for you…" The trio sang in unison, much to Tetsu's panic. Where's Okita? Tetsu caught a glimpse of the young man standing in the far corner, talking with Saitou. Okita-san… He willed Okita to come rescue him from the clutches of the Trio. They were closing in on him.

Oh no! They're gonna do something real nasty to him over the Crime Prevention Talk and the master potter… Maybe that Yamazaki guy is waiting behind the lockers to join in the fun… That Takeda guy's still in the hospital, right? Tetsu glanced about franticly.

"Ta-da!"

"Gee, thanks…" Tetsu stared at the farewell gifts the Trio presented him with. "Glad you like them!" Harada ruffled his hair. "Puppy-kun!" Toudou teased. "Drop by when you have the time!" Nagakura added. Waving goodbye to him, they left for their favorite bar in New Shimbara. Tetsu sighed with relief.

Back in the Ichimura apartment. "Have you written your report?" Tatsu-nii asked as they ate their dinner. Tetsu shook his head. "Well, you better get down to it instead of reading your comics," The elder Ichimura chided gently as he went to wash the dishes.

Tetsu sat before the table and examined his report. He scribbled a few lines before he gave up. Tatsu-nii was doing his accountancy course homework in the hall. Tetsu abandoned his homework and crawled into his bed. He took out the Trio's gifts. A toy cap-pistol and a Shinsengumi badge made from cardboard and tinfoil. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

Once he gets out of school, he'll go for the cadet training school and join the Shinsengumi proper. Never mind what Tatsu-nii says…

Author's note:

Bad poetry returns to haunt them. Don't worry, I'll do a stats report chapter to round up Tetsu's career week.