"God damnit," Daichi swore loudly, "there has to be something." He shuffled through the papers strewn across the desk once more, then swore again.

To the rest of the officers in the precinct, it looked like Daichi was hard at work. Much like the desks of his superiors, the intern had piles of notes stacked haphazardly in front of him, which he was sorting through while taking fresh notes on a coffee stained page. A few of the men still in the office nodded their heads in approval at the dedication their hoodlum intern had been showing in the past few weeks to the paper-pushing jobs they'd assigned him.

However, if any of them actually took the time to read what was on the pages Daichi was crumpling into balls, they might not have been so pleased. Sure, most of the documents at his desk were for case reports or notes from the responding officers, but the small amount hidden underneath these, and the only ones he was really looking through, had nothing to do with detective work.

Daichi flipped back to the first page once more, staring angrily again at the line of text he'd copied from the typewriter, and the scribbles of notes he'd added to it.

I will never be a poem,
beautifully written and composed
I will never be a song,
remembered and euphonious
I will never be a novel,
coherent and captivating

I will forever be the unwritten thought
the half-finished story
the long forgotten melody

The short poem sat innocently in the middle of the page, offering no help whatsoever in answering the questions swirling around his mind. Yet somehow Daichi knew, this was familiar. Not just because he'd been staring at it for days, trying to figure out the voice that spoke behind the words, but because it felt like he already knew. It just sounded like something she would say; with her head tilted down to hide a blush and her voice barely audible even to him. It was Jun. It had to be Jun. Right?

Daichi had spent the majority of his week trying to prove his hunch. And for once, he was glad to have been assigned to desk duties at work, because it meant more time pouring over the evidence and spitefully utilizing police resources in the process. However, the extra time pouring over the pages only made the answers seem more elusive. In one sense, it all connected beautifully. Jun worked at the bookstore, and would have no trouble finding the time to stop and type a quick note in between shelving books. Not to mention he knew she'd be familiar enough with the poets and authors that the typist chose. But on the other hand, Jun didn't strike him as someone who could keep a secret like this; she had barely been able to keep a straight face when Suga had asked if his most recent argumentative essay had been any good. And besides, statistically speaking, if it was someone like Jun, who spent almost all of her free time at the bookstore, there was no way he wouldn't have run into her at some point by the typewriter and caught her red handed.

The anxious tap tap tapping of his pen against the page finally slowed and Daichi sighed heavily. He knew it was fruitless to even keep pursuing the truth at this point, but he couldn't let it go. In the grand scheme of things, Daichi had only been conversing with the mystery typist for a pretty short period, but he had never felt such a deep connection with anyone. And maybe it was because it felt so familiar to the unacknowledged feelings he'd been experiencing towards Jun, but he had been hoping they'd be one in the same person. Crumpling the now ink stained page, Daichi half heartedly tossed it into the bin by his desk and began searching his coat pocket for the pack of cigarettes. He should've known better by now than to get his hopes up. Life had never been that kind to him, so why would it all change now?

"Yeah, right through there, desk by the window."

Detective Sato's normally rough voice seemed uncharacteristically soft, making every head turn towards the door curiously. Dressed for the cold in a puffy pink coat, thick scarf, and holding what could only be assumed was coffee, Jun gave Sato a muffled 'thank you' before hastily shuffling forward to Daichi's desk, the heads of the curious officers following her. Despite half her face being covered by a scarf, her smile was evident as she greeted him. "Morning Daichi."

"Bit cold this morning, Wallflower?" Daichi chuckled, his own voice dropping all tones of frustration as he helped unwind her scarf from around her face. "It hasn't even snowed yet, silly." Hints of what must have been perfume wafted towards him as she smiled and shook her hair free from the scarf's wrappings. Transfixed, Daichi had to physically restrain himself from burying his nose into the soft fabric he now held. Damn, she smelled good. Like lavender.

"It might snow today! And besides, I get cold easily." Jun had been so nervous when she first walked into the police precinct that the shivers from the brisk morning air refused to stop, even after one of the officers had taken pity on her. Now though, glancing up at Daichi as he smirked and re-wrapped her scarf gently around her shoulders, she wasn't so cold anymore. "I w-wanted to bring you some coffee, before I opened the shop. Suga mentioned you'd been working a lot of extra hours lately."

Daichi huffed, reaching for the coffee mug gratefully. "You and Suga chit-chatting, huh?" The mental image only made him suspicious of what his friend might have shared with her, "That sounds dangerous. Don't take anything he tells you seriously, especially if it's about me."

"Um, right." Jun twisted the tassels on her scarf nervously, unsure if she should now ask to confirm Suga's advice on how Daichi liked his coffee. Too late. He took a sip, paused, and took another. Jun let out the breath she was holding. "Ok, um, I better go. D-don't want to be late to the store, and I'm sure you're working on something important..." Her words trailed away when she spotted the corner of one of the pages on his desk. Even upside down the words looked familiar and she reached for it, subconsciously needing to confirm.

Acting fast, Daichi nearly leaped around the side of his desk, brushing the loose papers in the process to cover his tracks, and took Jun's outstretched hand in his own. "Trust me, nothing very exciting." Trying to ignore the sound of his own racing heart, Daichi lead them both towards the door of the office. "I have to file a bunch of boring ass paperwork for cases I didn't even get to help with. It's beyond annoying." When Jun tried to protest, craning her head to try and get another view of his desk, he caught her chin gently between his thumb and forefinger, turning her so they were inches apart. "Good thing I've got my Wallflower who's kind enough to bring me a smile."

The tiniest tint of pink-rose bloomed along her cheekbones as she stared back at him with round doe eyes. Daichi let out a silent breath of relief. That was close. She had come way too close to finding out what he was doing. He couldn't let anyone know yet, especially not her; not until he was sure.

Brushing his thumb once along the endearing color, Daichi carefully readjusted her scarf for the cold. "Thanks for the coffee, Jun. And I'll see you later at the Hobbit Hole?" They had begun meeting there after her shift, and rather than treck to the library to study (or be fawned over by his suitemates), they'd taken to studying in the comfy atmosphere of the bookstore. "Hot chocolates on me tonight."

"Oi, Lover Boy." Detective Honda sneered from across the room, "Stop making googly eyes at that girl and get over here, I've got a new assignment for ya."

Eye twitching in annoyance, Daichi gave Jun a final pat on the head before stalking off, the usually chipper fake voice he used to speak with the Detectives laced with flecks of spite. "Sure thing, boss. Glad to help."

***

True to his word, Daichi not only bought them both hot chocolates later that evening, but showed up to the Hobbit Hole with a large box of glazed donuts he "liberated" from the office. Electing to ignore the 'no food around the books' policy just this once, Tadaari snuck two for himself before shuffling off to the back where he pretended to work on order forms while giving his new favorite almost couple some peace and quiet.

On evenings like tonight, where the store was especially slow, Jun and Daichi rearranged the armchairs for a more comfortable space to work. Jun normally pushed them aside altogether and spread out her notes on the floor, whereas Daichi elected to push two of the chairs together to create a makeshift couch for himself while he tried to make sense of his chemistry textbook. It was a slow process without Jun helping.

"Hey, can you explain what this guy is talking about? Because it makes absolutely no fucking sense." Daichi grumbled, leaning over the armrest of the chair towards where Jun sat cross legged on the floor. "Umm, Jun?"

Jun didn't respond, her eyes fixed on a calendar laid out in front of her. She mumbled quietly to herself, erasing various appointments and re-writing them elsewhere, forehead crinkling when things weren't adding up.

"I really can't cancel that again, Kozume has been so patient..."

"Jun—"

"Maybe if I just moved it to 8:30 instead, that would still give me time to get to the store by 10..."

"Jun—"

"Not enough time for dinner though, I'll have to make sure to eat a big breakfast..."

Daichi's hand slammed the cover of the calendar closed so fast Jun barely had time to register it before his gravely voice next to her ear made her shiver. "You were not just about to overbook yourself so much you purposely skipped a meal?" Watching her mumble to herself about her schedule wasn't entirely out of the ordinary; Jun was always far too busy for his liking. But the nonchalant way she brushed off her own needs for the sake of someone else made him think this wasn't the first time it happened, which pissed him off. "Jun, you can't do that."

"It's fine, really. I do this all the—" But the intense way he was staring down at her made the rest of Jun's voice disappear. She'd been so focused she didn't even hear him slide off his chair to kneel next to her on the floor. But now that she was aware, he radiated such an intimidatingly stern aura Jun thought she felt the temperature in the room drop.

"Now then," Daichi sat more comfortably next to her and pulled the calendar closer, flipping to the current month. "Let's take a look and see how we can make sure you're not overdoing it." He still spoke with an icy sharpness that by itself would have made Jun cower, but the warm touch of his hand against her knee reassured her his temper was from a place of worry.

"Daichi, really it's ok—"

"It's ok you're stressed all the time and can't even schedule time to eat?" He casually slipped the pen out of her hand and to her horror, began crossing out events fastidiously. "Come on, babe, I know you like having things planned but that doesn't mean you forfeit the necessities."

Jun was in too much shock to fully register everything Daichi said; he was destroying her carefully structured schedule with the precision of a drill sergeant. Each new item crossed out was like a stab in her heart, slowly destroying the one thing she thought she could control until that, too, was gone. She had to cover her eyes. But Daichi noticed his slip. Suga's nagging voice echoed in his reddening ears, which only made him talk faster to drown out the noise. "See? That is a lot more manageable." Stop denying it, Daichi, you like her. "And there's enough time for three meals every day, which I even added to the schedule so you can't ignore them." You can't ignore it forever, might as well accept it now. "Jun?"

For a brief moment, Daichi felt his heart sink. Jun kept her face covered, and even tried to pull away when he attempted to pry her hands away. Only when she felt him practically lift her off the ground and nestle her safely in front of him did she forget her resolve and look up. His face was so close to hers she had to crane her neck awkwardly to meet his rich amber eyes. They looked back at her with notes of mischief as always, but clouded now with a soft caramel of concern. A softness that contrasted so spectacularly with the tough exterior he always took pride in.

"Come on Jun, it's not as bad as you think. Will you look, please?" He shifted a bit, trying to coax her to turn around and see no harm was actually done. "Nothing's been cancelled, just rearranged, I promise. To make it easier for you."

Slowly, cautiously, Jun turned her head just enough to sneak a peak at her beloved calendar. Blocks of neatly written text had hastily been crossed out, replaced with chicken scratch notes she had to turn her head sideways to read properly. But he was right; everything he'd crossed out had been re-scheduled, somehow in a way that made more sense than before.

"How did you do that?" She asked incredulously, running a hand along the pages and triple checking everything was still there that needed to be.

"It was pretty easy actually," Daichi replied casually, relishing in the way her mood seemed to lift because of something he'd done. "Almost everything could be consolidated without much trouble." He inched forward, reaching over her so his hand placed softly atop hers and he tapped at the page, "Only problem was Kenma's private tutoring sesh. I moved it to this Saturday since there was only one note on the day for—"

"Taisei." Jun sighed, leaning back into Daichi's chest, which at any other time would have made her squirm with embarrassment. "That won't work, my brother Taisei is picking me up early tomorrow so we can attend a banquet for my dad. I'll have to call Kozume and apologize." There was no other option now but to cancel on him again, the gnawing pain of guilt returning with a vengeance.

"All done. I told him he can tag along to Suga's on Sunday night." Daichi tossed his phone aside matter-of-factly, having finished a strongly worded text to his roommates, "Neither seemed to mind, especially since it was for you." A playful grin spread across his face. "Now then," his arms slowly wrapped around her, trapping her in place, "Are you going to help me with my chemistry or not?"

Sitting so closely together, holding her against him, Daichi could feel her whole body trembling with nerves. But there was just a hint of something else, something more that electrified them both. Jun tried to turn in place to protest awkwardly, but as soon as their eyes met, that spark jolted through them both once more. Mesmerized, Daichi took the moment to explore every feature on her face: the faint freckles dotted around her star blue eyes, the way her strawberry blonde hair fell in soft curls that he wanted to run his hands through, and her rosy pink lips that he couldn't help but wonder how they tasted. He drank it all in like someone dying from thirst, watching closely as she did the same and finding himself uncharacteristically nervous when she paused too long on each of his ear piercings. But her gaze held no malice, only a gentle curiosity that left him feeling vulnerable. A voice spoke quietly in his mind again, this time sounding much more like himself, encouraging his hand to move, to cradle the curve of her cheek, thumb brushing once along her bottom lip...

The abrupt clanging of the store phone rang through the empty shop like a shrill, high pitched laugh. Daichi groaned as a flustered Jun leaped to her feet in haste to answer it. But before running off, she pointed a shaky finger to her book bag and squeaked "chemistry notes" and then was gone.

Cursing whatever customer had dared to call, Daichi let his head sink back against the chair behind him with a dull thunk. The moment was gone, and suddenly he felt like crawling into a hole rather than facing her again. She'd probably find some sort of excuse to leave now anyway; it'd be easier that's for sure.

Thinking his best bet to avoid any awkwardness was to focus once again on schoolwork, Daichi slowly dragged her surprisingly heavy bag toward him and dumped its contents. He should have known; in between notebooks and binders Jun had at least four hardcover books that clearly weren't for school. Two he recognized from their conversations and quickly brushed them aside to search for the promised chemistry notes. Eventually he found them, nestled between another binder and a book of poetry. Even from just a quick glance at the first page, Daichi knew the notes she'd written would be exactly what he needed and he sighed in relief.

"Oh good, you found them." Still breathing a bit heavy from running so quickly to the phone (and away from her conflicted emotions), Jun kneeled politely next to him and began reorganizing the rest of the materials Daichi had spilled. "That was actually my brother...he said he tried my cellphone but I didn't answer..." she had been so caught up in the moment she hadn't even heard it ring in her bag. "Um, I guess he's picking me up tonight, so I have to go and start packing." It was a perfect escape, and she couldn't have been more grateful to Taisei.

"Perfect, let's go." The quiet grin on his face told her she wasn't getting away from him so easily, but he wouldn't push it anymore either. "We can walk and talk chemistry, because this damn class sucks."

***

"Hey Daichi, can I ask you something?" They were almost back to their dorm, and as instructed Jun had made sure Daichi had understood everything from her notes as they walked, plus some extra questions he'd thrown in. They had walked quietly side by side for a few minutes, each simply enjoying the cool evening and the company of one another. Daichi had noticed how she would often turn towards him as if to say something, but would chicken out and keep silent. So when she finally worked up the courage to ask, he was quick to nod his head, curious as to what made her so apprehensive.

"You have a lot of ear piercings..." She finally muttered, searching his face for something, "but I noticed you take them out when you're at work, and..."

"And you wanted to know why." Daichi finished for her, sighing in understanding. He slowed their pace and ran a hand through his hair, unconsciously dropping a hand to play with the gauges in his ear. "Believe me, it wasn't my choice. But they don't exactly fit the role I have to play for the boss man, so I take 'em out when I'm working." He hated having to cater to The Chief's stereotypes; every time he'd remove the earrings or cover his tattoos with a suit and tie, it felt wrong. Like he was a puppet with no say in his actions.

"....Oh." Jun nodded, "I understand." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "My parents, well...my mom, can be pretty strict. She says we have to always be on our best behavior or it'll reflect poorly on dad. So we could never get it trouble. It was fine mostly, but sometimes it felt a bit—"

"Suffocating?"

"...Yeah." Jun sighed, relieved that someone else understood. As much as she loved her dad and would hate to be the one who ruined things for his career, Jun couldn't help but agree with Daichi. The constant need to please and follow orders was exhausting. It felt like a tidal wave constantly crashing against her, and Jun didn't know how to swim. Yet somehow, hearing that Daichi had a similar battle to fight made the waves seem less terrible. "I'm sorry, that's not fair to you."

"Neither is having an over controlling psycho parent," Daichi paused trying to find his pack of cigarettes long enough to playfully nudge her shoulder, "but here we are." It made sense; her constant anxiety stemmed from a need to be perfect all the time. He didn't like it, but it made sense, and was far too familiar.

"Yeah." Jun nudged his shoulder in return, "I guess so." They approached their dorm building, Daichi quick to open the doors for both of them. But Jun didn't make any effort to move. She stood stock still, clearly trying to work up the courage to say something more.

Still holding the door, but a bit more impatiently, Daichi huffed, "Come on, Wallflower, it's cold. Or did you have another question that had to be asked outside?"

"N-no." It was cold, and she could feel it slowly seeping into her bones despite her large jacket, but her feet wouldn't move anyway. Not until she'd said everything. Because she knew what it looked like when someone was disappointed in themselves, and she saw it in him after she'd brought up his piercings. He deserved to know the truth "B-but I think they're wrong, to make you change who you are. The real Daichi has cool piercings, and I-I like it."

"Oh really?" Daichi tried to make the smile that appeared on his face seem smug, but he couldn't. He was too busy beaming from ear to ear. This time when he extended a hand out to her to lead them both into the warmth, Jun didn't hesitate. "Glad to know someone else agrees."

***

"So what's this brother of yours like?" The last few flights of stairs to their hall should have normally only taken a few minutes at the most, but Daichi was taking his sweet time with every step and enjoying the way Jun seemed to squirm impatiently. "He can't be as lame as your mom sounds if your this excited to see him."

Losing her battle with patience in spectacular fashion, Jun took a moment to ponder how best to describe Taisei. "He's....well, he kinda reminds me of you in some ways, actually." Daichi cocked an eyebrow inquisitively, so she continued, "Taisei has to look and act a certain way for his job, but once he's away from it, he gets to be himself. He's funny and wild and doesn't care what people think of him." They finally reached the top of the stairs and Jun pushed open the hallway door for them, smiling to herself, "He's amazing, and my best friend."

"Interesting," Daichi let his hand rest confidently against the small of her back as he guided them both down the hall towards her dorm room, "if we're so similar, does that mean you think that highly of me too?"

Jun spun around so fast the heel of her boot clumsily caught on the carpet and she stumbled backward, instinctively reaching for Daichi's jacket and taking him with her. Somehow in between the time they fell to the moment they both slammed painfully onto the floor, Daichi had spun them around so his shoulder took the brunt of the fall and Jun's head only cushioned safely against his chest.

"Jun!"

The shrill voice of Hana Sasaki brought Jun quickly to her senses and she hastened to stand, hoping her mother couldn't see the ridiculous way her face was glowing. Unperturbed, Daichi helped them both to their feet and began brushing the dust from his jacket. He didn't need an introduction to have a pretty good idea of who it was standing outside Jun's door. Their was enough resemblance in their faces, and a clear disapproving scowl that matched Jun's description of her.

"Jun Sasaki what do you think you're doing?" Arms crossed angrily, Jun's mother stood in front of her room with the rest of the Sasaki clan. Though she was the only one who seemed upset by her daughter's entrance, and the company she was with. Almost as soon as they had stumbled around the corner, Hana had not been able to take her eyes off the leather jacket wearing man that held her daughter so tightly. One look at the clothes he wore and the studs in his ears was enough to tell her everything she needed to know about the boy, and how little she approved of the relationship he had with her daughter. "You're late, and you're with" she paused to give Daichi a look that one might offer to a pile of rotting garbage, "this stranger. Explain yourself right now."

"Daichi Sawamura, ma'am, it's a pleasure." Quick as lightning, Daichi had stepped around Jun and towards Hana with an arm outstretched. "You must be Ms. Sasaki's family that I've heard so much about." On the surface, his polite manners seemed genuine as he first shook Hana's hand (unwillingly by her) and moved on to the rest of Jun's family. But both Taisei and Jun's father saw through the facade when he shook their hands a bit too vigorously, but both were enjoying the show too much to say anything.

When he spoke again, Daichi was fueled by the knowledge of everything Jun had told him previously, and let the fire burn bright, "I'm so sorry we're late, it's entirely my fault. You see, I was in dire need of a good tutor and Ms. Sasaki here was so kind to offer to help. But I'm afraid I am more dim-witted than I realized and we lost of track of time. I hope you'll forgive this mishap." The sight of Taisei covering his laugh with a cough made Daichi want to smirk, but he didn't want to give himself away, because he could see the gears turning in Mrs. Sasaki's head as she stared down her nose at him.

"Yes, well," Hana snapped her fingers sharply at Jun, "My daughter knew we were coming and should have known better. Come along Jun, we need to pack your things and go."

Like a lost puppy answering to a scolding, Jun rushed to collect her fallen bag, wish Daichi good night and follow after her mother into her dorm. The rest of the Sasaki Family were much slower to follow. Toshiro gave Daichi a whimsically kind smile before dragging Sakura along after his wife, while Taisei took his sweet time collecting the things Jun had left on the floor and eyeing Daichi with interest.

"So you're Daichi. Interesting." Taisei wiggled his eyebrows teasingly, not at all surprised by the smirk Daichi returned.

"So, she's told you about me?"

***

"Please, please, please, can we just drop it?"

"But why? He seems like a nice young man."

It was Saturday evening. The family had only just arrived to the banquet venue and Jun was assisting her dad and brother with tying their ties, as she always did. However this time, instead of peaceful silence, both men had been pestering her nonstop about Daichi.

"Daaaad, please." Toshiro only smiled sweetly and patted Jun on the head as she finished helping him with his bright red tie and moved on to help Taisei with his electric blue bow tie.

"I don't know, I'm with dad on this one." Taisei stuck his tongue out knowingly at Jun, "This Daichi fellow seems like much more than just a friend." Jun only glared at him and tied his bow tie extra tight.

"That's true, Kitten. How can we be sure this boy is a good match if you won't let us get to know him?" The elder Sasaki questioned, waving to his assistant when they stuck their head around the door to see what was taking so long. "But we'll let it go for now. It seems we are being summoned."

The stately dinner was, as always, extravagant. As a guest of honor, Jun's father was quickly spirited away to speak with all the foreign dignitaries and local government officials, which he seemed to enjoy. The man was much more gracious than politically driven, but it had worked out in his favor. Toshiro was well liked and respected by many of Japan's top politicians, even those outside of his party. 

Jun liked seeing her father so happily invested in his work. To her, it was a nice reminder that a successful career could still be an enjoyable one. Not that Taisei didn't like his job, but she knew the toll it took on him to have to change who he appeared to be for the sake of success. Even now as he mingled with people he clearly didn't want to give the time of day, Jun could tell he'd much rather be anywhere but here.

"Jun, for God's sake, don't just stand there." Her mother's critical eye hadn't taken long to find her, even from across the room. A winning smile still shone on her face as she strong armed her daughter into the crowd, her words hissed through clenched teeth. "Go and make yourself useful. I will not have you embarrass us tonight." And as quickly as she appeared, Hana was gone, enveloped in a sea of people that she commanded with a turn of her head and a wave of her hand.

With nothing else to do but follow orders, Jun did her best to obey. If Taisei and Daichi could both put on a brave face and play at being gregarious, then so could she. Right?

Wrong.

Jun was terrible at it. No matter how hard she tried, conversations would fizzle and die almost as soon as they started, and she'd be stuck watching helplessly as the people she was supposed to be impressing all turned their attention elsewhere. Eventually, she gave in and wandered off to the back of the room where glasses of champagne were supposed to be available to all the guests. But even that too was a lost cause when all she found were empty glasses. Accepting her fate, Jun took a seat at an empty table in the back corner, where she was certain she was free of her mother's eagle eye and could drop the fake smile that had been hurting her face all night.

"That's the real look of a winner if I've ever seen one." A full glass of sparkling champagne was placed quietly in front of her as the last person Jun was expecting to see tonight pulled out a chair and sat in it backwards. He wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion in a simple pair of black slacks and a black sweater that accentuated his well muscled physique, but somehow Daichi still looked like he belonged. He pushed the glass closer to Jun without taking his eyes from hers. "You clean up nice, Wallflower, blue is definitely your color."

"What are you—?"

"Doing here? Same as you, working." He stole a sip from the champagne glass before pushing it closer to her again. "Apparently your mom hired extra security for the night, and since I'm the intern, I get stuck doing all the jobs no one else wants. But I gotta say, the night just got a whole lot better."

When he had been assigned the gig, Daichi hadn't really thought much of it, he couldn't  even be bothered to glance at the information folder before the event. He merely did as he was told and followed Detective Honda to the venue. The job was simple: keep to the parameters of the room and look for anything out of place. And avoid talking to anyone. It should have been a walk in the park; Daichi didn't want anything to do with the hoity-toity people that attended these parties anyway.

That had all changed however, when he'd spotted Jun and her family enter the room. The entire crowd had applauded their entrance, most likely because of the high regard he now knew her father held, but Daichi only had eyes for Jun. He'd watched her all night, resplendent in a lace gown of differing shades of blue, silently wishing her courage when she was forced to mingle. If Honda hadn't been keeping a sharp eye on him to make sure he followed orders, Daichi would have been at her side in a second, especially after watching the way her mother handled her. He had almost cracked a tooth from clenching his jaw so tightly. So it had been a stroke of good luck when he saw Taisei break from the crowd and walk purposefully near him.

"I'll distract your guard dog, Romeo. Five minutes. Prove to me she's right."

It wasn't much, but Daichi leapt at it. And it had been worth it to see the shocked recognition and relief that brightened Jun's face. It was like night and day, the difference in her entire being when she'd seen him. Her shoulders no longer drooped forward and a brightness returned to her eyes that made them sparkle in the candlelight. Suddenly she felt like she could handle anything.

"So, you're here...as a guard?" Now that she thought about it, she vaguely remembered her mother calling someone about extra security, but hadn't thought much of it. Her mother was always paranoid about an attack. For once Jun was actually thankful of that paranoia.

"Definitely only interested in guarding one person here. But actually..." Daichi craned his head to try and see above the crowd, "My window might be up. Technically not supposed to be talking to 'the guests', but you and I both know how well we follow rules." Daichi winked, rising from his chair. Once more he pushed the still full glass towards her. "Wanted to take my chances, someone had to remind you how kick ass you can be when you feel like it. So go show them who's boss."

Another wink, and the faintest of pressures against her forehead, and then Daichi was gone, back to the solitary post he kept near one of the ballroom doors. Just in time too, Taisei had schmoozed the Detective as much as he could manage and had wandered off before the man had grown too suspicious. But it seemed to do the trick. Both he and Daichi watched with just a hint of pride as Jun wandered back into the crowd, clutching tightly to her glass of champagne, this time grabbing the attention of an elegant looking older couple. It wasn't the crowd of people that always seemed won over by her brother and even younger sister, but to Jun it felt like a victory nonetheless. By the end of the evening, Jun had captured the couple's attention so well, she had spotted them complimenting Mrs. Sasaki on their way out. And when Jun turned to find Daichi and share in their victory, she found him with ease, his eyes already following her around the room.

He could have stayed there all night, watching the way the newly gifted confidence draped across Jun's shoulders like it had belonged there all along, but eventually the banquet came to a close, and Detective Honda gestured for them to leave. On the train ride home that night, Daichi fished out a scrap of paper from his bag of work notes and a pen, and began scratching the first thing that came to mind. He wasn't sure when his notes stopped being written to his pen pal and started purposefully being written for Jun, but he knew the next time he visited the Hobbit Hole he'd have an entry to type for her.

The ocean doesn't try
to grow branches.
The Moon doesn't fight
to burn hot.
You don't see the
stars trying to bloom.
So, for fuck's sake,
don't you go changing
for anyone.
~Erin Van Vuren