The scenery outside the train came in like a blur due to the transportation's movement.

Not like you cared since your headphones were on your listeners, providing you with the best music man could listen to.

"You can't do a double suicide alone..." You sang, completely in tune with the beat. Even if the person sitting beside you also had earphones on, they could still hear the lyrics, much to the consternation of him and those around you.

You were sure that someone was calling for you, but you couldn't bother when you were having the best time of your life-

Until they themselves took your earpiece off to get you to see what he was waving in front of you.

"Hey, what the he-" And a riceball appeared in front of your face. "Here, take this," Haru bequeathed you the treat and you would be no more less than a fool had you denied the blessing. "Thanks, love 'ya- Ouch!"

"You shouldn't just say things like that to a man." What's up with him? You're just giving him appreciation since he was able to give you this delight right when you needed it. Would he prefer you just taking it without saying anything all? Well, you could've just said thank you like a normal person would, but that would be too lackluster in your opinion.

About to unwrap the whole thing and shove the whole piece in your mouth in one go, you were stopped with the sound of someone's stomach grumbling. Seeing that it was the person sitting next to you, you nudged him to get his attention. Thankfully, he wasn't asleep and it just took him one poke to have him open his eyes.

"Hey, I'm hungry as well, but we can share or something," you had split the food with its packaging on before opening it a bit, now pushing your part out for you to nom on. Duh, you, too, wouldn't like it if someone had touched your food with their soiled digits.

At first, he refused with a 'No, thanks.'

"You think I would be able to savor my food if I knew that someone besides me was starving? Just take it," you placed it on his side of the table. "Well then... I'll accept it."

Once done eating, he faced you before slightly bowing to you. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"...School is hell." You didn't know why you were even starting a conversation with a kid whom you didn't even know, but you had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time that you would be meeting this person.

"I didn't get into university, but I asked to attend a cram school in Tokyo. I've let my parents down," he looked downcast while saying that. You didn't know what to say. Should you keep your mouth shut or say something that'll cheer his spirits? In all your lifetime, you were used to being the one acting like this, so you don't really know much in the department of comforting someone.

"To be honest, I don't know exactly how that feels, but remember you're not alone in your problems or whatever," you started looking at the window, now feeling awkward that you said something like that out of your own choice.

"...Thank you very much," said the unknown person.

You weren't conscious of this, but Haru was eavesdropping. He didn't mean to, but with his seat being so close to yours, it was impossible for him not to listen in on the whole conversation. Even the small words of encouragement that you gave to a stranger were caught by him.

He knew of this long ago, but falling for the right person was the best thing he did in his life.

.

.

A loud ring broke out just when you and Haru had arrived on station.

"We are going to lock down the Shinkansen platform. All passengers are advised to leave as soon as possible," the announcer declared before repeating it for the second time just to make it clear for the people that were aboard.

Both you and Haru neared an officer who was urging everyone to leave as soon as possible. "What is going on?" Haru interrogated, inquisitive to the current occurrence. "Sorry, ma'am and sir. You have to leave," the deputy told the same thing to you two as he did to the other passengers.

"We're police officers," you said while simultaneously taking your badge out, with Haru doing the same thing as you to prove that you two are, indeed, working in the force.

Finally, he gave in. "I head there is a hostage situation," the officer answered as briefly as possible, before turning his head to the train where the hijacking was taking place, "Right in that train station over there."

"Please watch our belongings!" Haru shouted, before grabbing your waist and hauling you over his shoulder as though you didn't weigh that much. You didn't technically mind him doing that since it meant that there was less moving that you needed to, but you wished for one more thing before you two went to the crime scene.

"Can you just go on ahead and leave me here? If I'm lucky, there's a huge likelihood of a train running over me."

"Not now, Y/n," Haru said in between breaths.

.

.

"Excuse me, what happened here?" Haru was raggedly breathing, the effect of carrying a body affecting his body for a bit. It seemed that it slipped off his mind that he was carrying you like you were a sack of potatoes.

The officer looked at you two weirdly but you paid him no mind. "A young man in the 16th car took someone hostage," he replied.

As luck would have it, he had placed you down on your feet when you two had arrived inside the compartment. And when you two entered right where the situation was held, your eyebrows scrunched when you came to a realization that it was the boy whom you were seated next to earlier. Haru also recognized him since the two had a brief interaction when Haru decided to give him a souvenir since the latter heard everything that had been going on in the teen's life.

"Don't come any closer or else I'll kill her!" The woman whom the boy was holding as captive looked like she was in pain due to the tight hold the boy had on her neck. "Help me, young lass and lad!" She reached out to you and your partner, but her mouth was clammed shut when the teen told her to shut up.

"Hey, you stuck-up brat. I should've just eaten that food all by myself earlier and maybe you would've starved to death and this whole thing didn't happen," you still had a calm stance, with your bandaged hands inside the pockets of your coat. Yet with your tone, anyone could decipher that you were pissed off.

"I...I don't know you so shut up! Neither him! I have never seen you in my life so get out now!" He stuttered in the beginning, meaning that he did have a recollection of memories when he sat next to you but was denying it.

"Okay, calm down," Haru said before directing you to the door that led you two to the door right where you both came from.

Haru was currently having a call with Kamei while you sat on one of the empty chairs free for everyone to use.

"Miss L/n? Mr. Kato?" You would recognize that voice from miles away.

"Ah! If it isn't my favorite First Division guy. You people are quick, huh?" Hoshino's heart, like it always did, sped up the moment he had heard your voice. Unfortunately, now wasn't the right time for him to act like he had been hit with the arrows of Cupid. Gulping and trying to recollect himself, he sternly questioned why you two were here.

"We were on this train just awhile ago," Haru answered for the both of you.

Taking over this time, "Just some boy who didn't make it into university. Looks like he's around 19. Prolly from Hyogo."

"How did you..."

"Y/n was sitting next to him the entire ride." Well, this was fun. Taking turns in answering, I mean.

Hoshino asked for more information, but there was none since you only sparked up a conversation with him when you and Haru were about to get off. "Understood, we'll take it from here. You two can go now, Miss L/n and Mr. Kato," Hoshino stated.

"Why do we have to go? We know that guy. Leave this to us," Haru insisted despite Hoshino clearly driving you guys out from this case.

With the red-hair asking you two if you guys were even authorized to be here, Haru responded with a question deflecting another one of its kind. "Why don't you ask yourself?" And you decided that now was the perfect moment to interrupt them since they obviously weren't just talking about this hostage-taking but something else as well.

Something that you were wholly knowledgeable of.

"Let's go, Haru. These people think they're so great when they haven't even solved one major case due to them feeling so full of themselves," you stood up, seizing his arm to lead him out of here.

One of the people from the First Investigation Division stepped forward to defend their name. "You! Sure, you were once the best, but not anymore! You've been kicked from our department for a reason-"

"Stop."

Hoshino wouldn't let anyone badmouth you. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Even if you sent him a look like that when you and Kato were about to leave, he still wouldn't let anyone tarnish your name. Not if he could help it.

He wasn't numb enough to not miss the twinge of pain inside his heart. He missed you. He missed spending his time at lunch with you. He missed you pampering him when he first entered the division... He just... missed you.

He scolded himself. No. He mustn't forget the reason why the team and he were here in the first place. He'd sort his admiration for you when this mission was finally completed.

Hoshino had lost enough time of being with you that he wouldn't let you slip out of his grasps much longer.