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Another chaotic day in the neighborhood. Apparently, the scorching sun didn’t stop a certain brat to run around the city, trespassing buildings and houses like it was nothing. He thought after talking to his parents, this brat will stop disturbing people, but he was wrong. Now the kid from Rengoku household join this brat running around the neighborhood.
Actually, people in this neighborhood are weirdos. There is no day without bizarre incident. Yesterday, the meat shop owner reporting a pretty boy keep coming back and trying to talk with the boar heads he sell. At first, this boy cried as he hugs one of the head and keep asking the shop owner where did he get it. After the owner said his family had a farm near the mountain and they breed some boars, the boy cried harder and starting to talk with the boar heads. I want to lived in a mountain too with you all!
This boy will left after the sun sets. Even though he will buy a huge amount of meat before going home, the other customers feel a little uncomfortable. He went to the shop and find the famous botanist and researcher, Hashibira Aoba, trying to communicate with the dead boar head. Please don’t separate me from my family!
One time, a bunch of high school boys were running for their life, because the restaurant owner chase them with a huge frying pan in hand. He managed to stop the owner before he hit those poor brats with the frying pan. They are trying to flirt with my wife! He knows the owner well. They became best friends naturally so quick, it feels like they had a strange connection. Even though the owner’s wife is a bit dumb and he can’t stand her much, both husband and wife were fun and kind. Their newborn baby was cute and adorable.
The day feel so long and he wanted to go home quickly. His little brother prepare a cup of tea for both of them. It is really nice to have your little brother as your junior. At least a crappy day like this will feel much better.
“Good afternoon, Officer Shinazugawa and younger Officer Shinazugawa!”
Sanemi sighs loudly as he heard that familiar voice. A beautiful girl with a bright smile hugs a cat around her small, delicate arms. Everyday, this girl come to the station to return a lost item. She returned a lot of things from wallets to puppies. It was strange how she managed to find various lost item, to the point Sanemi was suspicious of her. Did she truly find those lost items coincidentally or she steal those things herself? He tried to convince himself that this girl won’t commit such crime just to come here.
“So, you found a cat this time?”
The girl smiles brightly and put the cat on his desk. Sanemi checked the necklace around the cat’s neck and a familiar symbol engraved on the back of that necklace.
“I recognize the owner. Thank you for your help.”
“Ara, I almost forgot! I bring ohagi again for you today!”
“I told you, you don’t have to bring…”
“Aaaaaaaa…”
Sanemi’s face reddened as the girl took an ohagi from the box, try to feed him one. His coworkers are teasing him like a bunch of high school boys. Her eyes stare at him with full anticipation. He knows this girl won’t stop until he bite at least once. Sanemi bite the ohagi bashfully and the girl looks so happy. He didn’t know how this weird girl know almost everything about him. She never asks and he never tell. He doesn’t even know this girl’s name. This strange girl is stubborn and overly cheerful. Her antics always pissed him off, but something inside him told him not to push her away.
“Do you like it? Want another bite?”
“No! Just… Just put it back. I will eat them later.”
She nods and sit in the corner bench like usual, waiting for his shift to end. They met when the team he was in helped her family from a bunch of thieves two years ago. He was a newbie police and she was a second-year high school student. She looked so sick back then—pale and weak like a withered flower. He rarely met her after that because his senior take over the case, but she started to develop her weird habit a year later. This girl suddenly come to the station frequently with a bunch of flowers for him. He told her not to come unless it is important, that’s why she always bring lost items afterwards.
She never miss a day to come to the station and wait until the end of his shift. She is weird and surprised him a lot. Beside his schedule and his favorite foods, she remember his patrol routes and posts. She only come to the station if he was there. When it was his turn to patrol, she will met him at the street. She gave him foods and snacks, sometimes with various flowers as a bonus. He never understand, why flowers? She never gave up even though Sanemi told her not to bother him.
She said she is a weak child, she got sick a lot to the point she held back several times. She is finally free from her disease last year and finally able to be a third-year student. He was surprised with the fact that she is only three years younger than him. She said her way of thinking is too different with her current classmates, so she was happy when she met an adult friend like him. Even though she annoys him, he tried to understand her feelings.
Something weird also happened to him after she frequently met him. A series of weird dreams where a gentle warm hand caresses his cheek, so warm it felt like reality. He was sitting at an old style house full of beautiful flowers and butterflies, the owner of this hand always whisper ‘I love you’. The voice was vague, but it feels familiar. He thought it might be his mother, but he is a hundred percent sure it was not. He never burden his mind with useless thoughts, so he just let those dreams slide.
After his shift ends, he walk her home as usual. His peers tease him a lot because he always go home with her. Just like the other days, Sanemi listens to her stories. About her dream, her school life, her family. It feels nice to know she had a good school life despite her condition. She said she was embarrassed because she is graduating together with her little sister. She wanted to be a professional traditional dancer, she wanted to get married before 23, had a dream to have a house full of beautiful flowers, wanted to try hiking and camping, hoped her future husband would let her to have a cat. He know a lot of things about her except her name. Everytime he asked her, she said ‘just let the fate guide you to know my name’.
“Ah, right! I’m going to graduate this month. If I invite you to celebrate my graduation, would you come?”
“I’m not really fond of parties and such things.”
“No, not a party. Just us, having a little drink and chat?”
“You can’t drink, woman.”
“Ara ara, looks like you forget that I am twenty…”
“I mean your health, not your age!”
“Why are you so serious? So cute... I was joking! Even if I want to, I know my parents won't let me. Unless... A certain man they trust can help me to convince them?”
The girl linked her arms around his. Her kind eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“You never let your parents told me your name, but you want me to convince them now? What is wrong with you?”
“I told you, just let the fate guide you to know my name.”
“You are so weird, woman.”
Another chaotic day in the neighborhood. Sanemi patrols around together with his little brother. He yawns a lot because he can’t sleep well last night. He had a strange dream. His hands full of blood and hold a butterfly hairpin. I’m sorry, I have to go first. Take one of my hairpin with you… Cherish it until your last breath and never let it go… So one day, when we are reborn, it will guide you to find me once again… I love you, I hope our story will end differently… Sanemi-kun. Then he see a faint beautiful smile, the gentle warm hand caresses his cheek before it turns cold. Kanae! Kanae wake up! He is awake with a cold sweat. His heart hurts and he can’t sleep afterwards.
Today is not like his usual patrol. These days, a psycho going around the neighborhood and randomly stabs high school girls who come home alone after the sun sets. His station was busy to make sure they catch this psycho and keep every student in this town safe. All students that will go home alone after the sun sets are required to report to the station one day before.
The list was quite long because graduation season has come. A lot of students stay late at school to prepare for graduation parties and events. Their routes will be guarded and the station will provide a ride if possible. The night falls and he patrols with high awareness. He already get a route that he has to guard this night.
“Senpai, the pendant is beautiful. For that girl?”
His little brother looked at the little pendant he bought in amazement. Even though they are brothers, Sanemi keep it professional and reminds his brother to call him ‘senpai’ at workplace.
“Yeah. Graduation present.”
“I’m sure she will love it. Did you stay all night because of this? You were brainstorming what kind of present you should get?”
“Of course not! Why would I stay all night for that weirdo?!”
Sanemi blushes at his brother’s accusation. He couldn’t blame his brother, though. After lunch break, he dispatched from the station early, only to buy a gift for a certain strange girl. A simple butterfly pendant. He didn’t know why he suddenly has the urge to buy her a gift. He even spent his savings to buy this gift. No wonder his brother thought the cause of his sleepless night was this girl. He place the pendant back to its box and put it back to his pocket.
Attention all officers! An incident happens around Sekirei Girls Academy, dispatch to the location immediately!
“Copy!”
Sanemi drives his car in a rush. Sekirei Girls... It’s not her, right? She is not in today's list, there is no way it is her, right? At the park nearby, both of them can hear a scream, crying for help. They rush to the source of the voice and see a girl trying her best to hold the culprit. She hugs the culprit’s left leg.
“Don’t move!”
The culprit is panicking and trying his best to run away. He kicks the girl holding his leg and run as fast as he can. His messy blonde hair can be seen clearly, it stands out so much it won't be hard to identify him.
“Senpai, I already call an ambulance. I will chase the culprit, please help the victim!”
“Understand. Be careful!”
Sanemi reaches the victim and his heart almost stop beating. He holds the victim in his arms and try to stop the bleeding.
“Ara ara, it’s you…”
“You stupid woman! Why don’t you report to the station! Shit, where is the ambulance! Hold on, stay awake, okay?”
Her hand reaches his cheek and caress it gently.
“I’m sorry… I just want to help the fate to guide you… Haaa… It… hurts… I don’t think I can make it…”
Nightmare from last night fill his head once again. His hand full of blood, a warm hand caressing his cheek, it turns cold as a tear of sadness drops from his eyes.
“What are you talking about? Oi! Come on, stay awake! I… I already got you a graduation present. See? You… You wanted to drink with me, right? Let’s go together after you graduate, I promise I will help you to convince your parents. Please don’t leave me! Oi! Kanae!”
Kanae smiles as she heard him call her name for the first time.
“Ara ara… You finally found me… Sanemi-kun…”
Sanemi holds her hand in fear. Fate has guide him to her all this time, but he was too stupid to realize. Those dream, those feelings that told him not to push her away... Now his stupidity led him to this path—a path where he is late again to save her from getting hurt.
“Kanae… Kanae… I’m sorry…”
Kanae wipes Sanemi's tears gently with her fingers.
“Sanemi-kun… Our story… It will end differently this time, right…?”