Daichi stood at the gates of the school and swallowed thickly. He wasn't the one who usually did this and he had no idea about what the expect. Where was he supposed to go when the gates open? He didn't know where the main reception was, there was no map anywhere and he'd basically been kicked out the precinct without a second thought. Daichi suddenly cursed Officer Tamura for being sick and himself for still being friends with Asahi.
Asahi was still working in fashion but helped out at the local schools with textile classes and art shows. He said he was doing it as a favour to a friend and he couldn't do it as often as he wanted but he would always call Daichi to tell him how cute all the kids were. Daichi was sure that the friend Asahi was helping was Sugawara but he was always too scared to ask. The last time he'd seen Sugawara, was when they were 23 and they were both approaching 30 now so it really had been a while. They hadn't meant to grow apart but life got in the way and as ashamed as Daichi was to admit it, he'd just sort of forgotten about his friends. Sure, Asahi had insisted on staying close and called him up every five minutes, especially when Noya was travelling but everyone else had sort of drifted into the background. He always heard from them on his birthday and he did the same for them, occasionally they'd even have drinks but it wasn't regular. He wasn't sure why, but Sugawara just stopped making the effort one year. Daichi had wished him a happy birthday when he turned 25 and had expected the same for himself but it never came. Then the already rare "hope you're good!" texts stopped and soon enough, Sugawara had changed his number and never gave him the new one.
It took a long time for Daichi to stop feeling hurt over it and he was finally in a place where, when Asahi said "my teacher friend", he'd just smile, nod and picture a stranger in his head. He wasn't sure if Sugawara was still a teacher, hell he didn't know if he was even still alive but the slim chance that he worked at the school was enough to make Daichi squirm. The gate buzzing and finally opening was enough to snap him out of his thoughts as he adjusted his shirt and headed inside the campus.
His clothing felt stiff and stuffy as he was in the official uniform rather than his usual shirt and trousers which he wore whilst working as a detective. He suddenly had a lot of respect for the men he worked with but he was still pissed at Tamura for getting sick the one day of the year where there was nobody to cover him. A couple other officers would join Daichi later in the day but he'd gone ahead, before school hours to begin setting things up. It was part of a fairly new initiative where police would go into elementary schools to speak to kids about the importance of staying away from strangers and remaining on the right path in life. It was all bullshit because the kids never listened but there wasn't much anyone could do, he just had to suck it up.
Daichi stood just in the entrance of the gate, quickly scanning to see if there was a sign that told him anything about where he was supposed to go when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He spun round quickly and came face to face with a young woman, possibly around 24, who had long brown hair scraped into a ponytail and a bright smile.
"Hi! Do you need help?" She grinned up at the tall man in front of her.
"Ah- yes please, I have no idea where the reception is." Daichi responded sheepishly.
"Oh, don't worry love, I used to get lost here all the time, just follow me."
"Thank you so much. I'm Detective Sawamura but you can call me Daichi." He smiled, stretching a hand out.
"I'm Miss Kobayashi but you can call me Sara." She replied, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze, before letting go and leading them towards the right. "So, you're a detective? Don't get many of those in Elementary schools. I'm sure whatever the kid did, they're really sorry."
"Yeah, I'm sure they would be." Daichi laughed. "No, one of my officers called in sick and my friend helps out here and he would have cried if I let the kids down."
"Oh, so you know Asahi-san?"
Daichi couldn't help but laugh at how quickly she knew who he was talking about.
"Yes, so you know exactly what position he's put me in. We've been friends for fifteen years and I still can't say no to the guy."
"fifteen years? So, you guys go way back. Wait. You're not the captain, are you? The once who was super scary?"
"I see my reputation precedes me." Daichi chuckled, grabbing the back of his neck.
By that point, they'd reached the reception and Sara had begun to clock in for the day.
"For what it's worth, you don't seem all that scary to me. I've got to go set my classroom up but if you talk to the lady behind the desk, she'll sort you out."
"Perfect. Thank you again, Sara-san."
"Please, just Sara." She smiled and disappeared through a door leaving Daichi alone with the old angry looking receptionist.
It took Daichi a couple minutes to get himself signed in, inform the receptionist of the two officers that would join him soon and receive his visitor's badge but once it was sorted, he was being ushered out the door by the lady. He felt the door tap him lightly as it closed with a slam behind him and he couldn't help but curse out the receptionist in his head. Nobody wanted to be at work for seven on a Thursday to deal with kids but everyone there was doing it so there was no need to be so rude. Daichi rubbed the back of his neck again as he realised that he didn't know which classroom he was supposed to be going to. He checked to see if anyone had text him the information but, when he turned on his phone, only the date and time stared back at him.
Daichi groaned and set off down the hall, knowing full well that speaking to the receptionist again would be a dead end. He checked the first few classrooms for faculty members but there was nobody around. He began to smell the familiar scent of coffee and toast and decided that following it would probably be his best bet. As he approached a set of double doors and pushed to walk through them, someone moving very quickly in the opposite direction collided with his chest, almost dropping the draws of worksheets they were carrying.
"I am so sorry. You're not hurt, are you?" Daichi quizzed, placing his hands on the persons shoulders before removing them as it felt a little intimate for strangers.
"Oh no, I'm fine. Just in a rush, got to get these to the teacher before class. Where you looking for someone?"
The person readjusted the drawers they were carrying and looked up to meet Daichi's eyes. They were extremely attractive, with short caramel hair and large green eyes that stared innocently. It took Daichi a moment to collect his thoughts and stop himself from getting lost in the persons features.
"Yes, well I don't know who but I am. I'm filling in for a colleague to do the safety and awareness talk but he didn't tell me where I should be."
"Well then it's your lucky day, that's my class." The person smiled, flashing a set of perfect, white teeth. "I'm Kaneko, I'd shake your hand but..." They trailed off gesturing to the trays in their grasp.
"Here let me." Daichi offered, taking the stack and introducing himself as well. "Kaneko seems fitting, given your perfect timing."
"Hmm I guess it does." They chuckled in return. "Daichi suits you too, you being sturdy and all, you didn't even flinch when I ran into you."
They began retracing Daichi's steps and heading back towards the direction of the reception.
"So, how long have you been a teacher, if you don't mind me asking? You seem quite young."
"Oh, I'm only 20 and I'm still under teacher training so I work in a class with a proper teacher as well. Guess it's good for you so you have two support systems today."
Daichi hummed in response and they walked the rest of the short distance in silence. When they reached the classroom third from the reception, Kaneko opened the door, holding it open for Daichi. Before, that classroom had been locked so Daichi hadn't tried it but now it was open and sat behind the desk of the classroom, shuffling papers was a familiar mop of grey hair.
"Just pop those down and I'll sort them in a moment, thank you for your help." Kaneko said gesturing to a nearby desk.
Their words alerted the teacher, who had previously been oblivious to their presence. They stopped what they were doing, stood up and brushed themselves off the great who the presumed would be Officer Tamura. When they finally looked up, their heart stopped as they realised who they were faced with.
"Daichi-san."
That was new.
Daichi looked away from Kaneko and up at a familiar pair of brown eyes with a small but unmistakeable beauty mark next to the left one. Suga. He'd hadn't heard him say "Daichi-san" since they first met and it struck him how much they'd grown apart.
"Sugawara, I didn't know I'd be seeing you. How are you?" Daichi asked, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Good, thank you. Yourself?"
Daichi nodded and mirrored a similar reply. Kaneko must have sensed the tension as they offered hot drinks before disappearing out the door to make them.
"Where's Tamura?"
"Sick."
"Oh, I see. Odd to send you though isn't it. Asahi says you're a detective now, seems a little out of your job description."
"Well I'm thinking of going for Sergeant so this seemed like a good way to prove myself a team player. Besides, you know what Asahi gets like when Noya leaves."
Suga hummed in agreement and silence fell upon the pair. It was uncomfortable and thick. It was almost suffocating and just as Daichi was about to excuse himself, Suga spoke.
"I teach the fifth grade. They're a little loud and smart-assy but nothing we can't handle."
"Okay. I have first grade tomorrow, that should be a little better."
"Yeah, they're cuter but they'll ask a million questions. Be prepared." Suga chuckled softly and relaxed his shoulders.
Daichi wanted to say something, anything that would flip the switch and make them normal again. He would have given anything to make them 18 and stupid again but it wasn't possible. They were approaching 30, they had proper jobs, careers even and there just wasn't time for them to ever be the friends they once were.
Soon, the silence was broken by Kaneko re-entering the room with two coffees and a tea for Suga. Daichi thanked them before taking a sip and complimenting them on making it perfectly. They blushed and passed Suga his drink. Suga thanked them before moving passed towards the door.
"I'll be back soon. Kaneko please give Daichi-san a break-down of the morning."
"Will do Suga-san, see you in a moment."
Sugawara smiled before slipping out the classroom. The second he was gone, Kaneko turned to Daichi and began pestering him with questions about how he knew Suga and why they seemed hostile. Daichi explained that they were on the same volleyball team and it was just awkward because they hadn't seen each other in a while, which was almost the truth. Nobody, not even Asahi knew what happened before they stopped talking and it would stay that way. It seemed good enough for Kaneko as they dropped the subject and began explaining the morning procedures of the classroom and how the day would work out.
The goal was to keep the children interacting so that there was some hope of retaining the information being given to them and so there was going to be multiple activities for them to do through out the day. Kaneko gave Daichi one of the trays they'd previously been carrying and asked him to start putting the sheets on the front desks whilst they started at the back. Daichi hadn't noticed until that point that all the worksheets in the drawers where stuff for the classes he was conducting and he felt bad for all the trouble he'd caused Kaneko already. It had never occurred to him how much work would have actually gone into preparing for the presentation, he just showed up last minute.
Soon all the work and activities were set up andthe pair had fifteen minutes to sit and enjoy their coffees before the childrenarrived.