Author's Note: This story is also on AO3; however as of now there's no noticeable differences between the two

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Part 1: Police Booth

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An hour had passed since Hajime Hinata's plane to Shinjuku was supposed to be in the air, en route, but instead it was still parked firmly at the gates, waiting. The people around him were on their phones, grumbling about the long delay.

"I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience," A formally-dressed woman bowed from the front. "The flight will depart as expected in just a few minutes, but we received word a government official would like to board. We will give you a large amount of money if you graciously give up your seat,"

Everyone glanced around in response, looking for the one who'd indeed give their seat up.

"I will also personally refund your entire ticket," The woman continued, and Hajime surprised himself by standing up.

"My seat! Here, you can have my seat," He announced, motioning to it. He had a sudden image of taking that money and taking a bus ride across the country, purely alone and checking out the sights, punk rock blasting from his iPod. "Just add a thousand to that sum and it's yours,"

The woman smiled kindly. "Thank you, sir,"

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And thus, a few weeks later, Hajime found himself in a small neighborhood near the city limits of Akibahara; duffel bag still firmly slung over his arm, staring at the sheriff in town, a largely-muscular man named Nekomaru Nidai. He was the exact sort of guy you would picture physically as being the perfect fit for the job, though his office was filled with pictures of little animals like kittens and hamsters. When he talked, he had the boisterous energy but the kind words you weren't expecting.

"Looking for the officer job, huh? Good on you! We're a small town, but we're a proud one!" Nekomaru clapped him on the back. "I gotta ask though, what happened at your last security job? Nothing super bad or anything, right?"

Hajime has no idea what 'super bad' would even mean to a man like Nekomaru, so Hajime shrugged his bag slightly and started from the beginning.

"I was a police officer often charged with taking care of...uh, 'underserved neighborhoods'. Believe it or not, nothing ever really happened on my watch. Maybe a few kids accidentally breaking windows but that's it. Good for someone like me. One day though, I was called to the scene by a distressed voice. I hurried right over and found two people; teenagers, really, standing on top of a roof, holding hands and looking down nervously.

I knew exactly what they were going to do, and they had attracted a few other teenagers to watch as well. I strongly told them to climb down and they'd be put into holding for the night so they could calm down. I had no clue if they were suicidal or not, but they probably weren't if they were eating up all that attention, right?"

Nekomaru nodded to show he was listening.

"The girl looked distraught and suddenly started crying about how she didn't want to die that way and didn't think it was right anymore. She let go of her presumed boyfriend's hand and rushed away, trying to climb down the roof. I rushed over as well, trying to give her a hand. I guess I spooked her too badly or something, since she jumped down the ladder on accident and fell on the pavement. Knocked unconscious and one of the people present was a close friend of hers who demanded I go to court for manslaughter," Hajime sighed. "I explained my case and turned my badge in myself. I decided to go to someplace a bit...quieter. I don't think I'm much of a lawman anyway,"

Nekomaru nodded again. "If you ask me, it just sounds like a group of kids trying to show off. I have no clue why one of them would even think of reporting you for accidentally knocking someone out, but what's done is done." He turned to his papers. "But saying that, it sounds like you'd be done with anything related to security or the police,"

Hajime shrugged. "As long as I don't have to help any girls climb down ladders I think I'll be fine," He tried to tease. "Plus, you said it yourself. This is a small town. I'll sit in my little booth on the corner and help out any lost students or tourists. I can do that,"

"Well, all I can do now is refer you to Officer Koizumi. You could consider her a boss in a way. Your boss. Also, you will not carry a weapon, but you knew that, right?" Nekomaru caught Hajime's nod of understanding.

"A female head officer, huh? Wouldn't want to get on her bad side,"

"You do not."

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Officer Mahiru Koizumi was a slim woman of average height and a head of short flaming red heir and the cutest of freckles sprinkled on her nose and cheeks. She wore the white blouse and navy pencil skirt with matching vest as if she were born in it.

Hajime made no attempt to flirt with her, already predicting her charm shields were up. He wondered if she already had a boyfriend she had originally considered for the job.

Mahiru handed him a map and a stopwatch, telling him he'd have to walk the distance of the entire town several times at night, circling around constantly.

"Sounds like a good way to bulk up," Hajime slipped the folded-up map and stopwatch into his pocket, catching Mahiru's firm stare.

"You'll likely have Mondays and Thursdays off, but every once in a while we may call you in especially on a holiday. I assume you know how much you're being paid,"

"Only about a thousand a week," He continued staring at her. "Do you have an issue with me? I know you're my boss, technically, but still best to be out with it. I don't want to constantly watch my words around you,"

Mahiru seemed to lightly blush at that before looking away in annoyance. "Most people don't take this job seriously in a town as small as ours. Some others doubted my expertise and refused to work under me. I lived and worked here for many years and I just don't like the thought of such a job going to a random outsider," She said bluntly. "It's not important work, but it's stuff we're proud of as a community,"

Hajime nodded. "I get it...I promise I won't be lazy or sloppy about the work,"

"You better not be!"

"Did I mention my grandfather had a similar job? Decorated his booth with the nicest shade of blue I had ever seen. You could see his kiosk from everywhere in town," He continued, noticing the faintest trace of a smile on Mahiru's face. "I was quite proud of him,"

"Well...here's to hoping you'll make us proud,"

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Toya; the tiny town near Akibahara Hajime was currently residing in, was indeed small, but cozy. Hajime could genuinely see himself wishing to stay until Christmas or even until the next summer. Nekomaru and Mahiru were the people closest to him, but the remainder of the town's citizens weren't too shabby themselves and some had taken to greeting Hajime every day as he headed off for work.

And indeed, it was mainly nothing. He had to still keep an eye out, of course, but even the lost people he had expected to show up at least occasionally never had. He supposed that was what happened when the shops in town were all in a line with the all-ages school just across the street, houses further down the road.

One night, however, he was getting ready to head on home when he heard quiet footsteps trying to shuffle past him on the sidewalk. Confused, he turned the flashlight on and shined it on the noisemaker, revealing two kids who promptly shielded their eyes.

"What the hell," He groaned and lowered it. There was a girl and a boy, both looking about twelve, with backpacks on and carrying lunchboxes. Both were dressed in shapeless black coats and jeans, but the girl with pink hair had attempted to brighten hers up with poorly-sewn appliqués in the shapes of hearts and rainbows.

"We're running away," The boy said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The two of us don't like our families so we thought..."

"Please don't arrest us, Policeman-san!" The girl suddenly cried, clasping her hands together. "I'm too young to be in jail!"

"I'm not going to arrest anyone." Hajime sighed. "Look, your parents are crappy. I get that. Mine were too for the longest time. Running away isn't going to solve that though. My advice is take up going to cram school or join a club come junior high. Then you'll rarely see them,"

He had meant it as a joke, but the pink-haired girl seemed to have taken it seriously, judging by how her eyes lit up. "Oh thank you, Policeman-san! I will!"

"Are you two siblings?"

"No. Just neighbors," The blue-haired boy answered. "We had the idea at the same time and acted on it,"

"Door or window?"

"Back window," Both answered at once.

Hajime nodded and finished gathering up his things. "Alright. I'm going to take you two back home now, but I won't tell your parents about this. Unless you do it again,"

"Oh, no, we won't at all! I promise!" The girl nodded, and Hajime watched the boy shyly help her crawl up into her bedroom window then jump up into his own. Hajime gave a solemn wave to both of them and started to head back home on his own.

He'd want to take Mahiru out to dinner tomorrow, someplace fancy. Fancy was hard to come by in a town like that, but there was still a place down the road that was classy enough she'd have to wear a nice white dress. And Hajime would wear khakis.

Everything in Toya was as normal as it could possibly be. Normal, quiet, peaceful.

Until a certain event happened later that summer that completely changed Hajime's life, as well as the town in general, forever.