Akane accepted the stationery with a slight bow of thanks, smoothly gathering the stack of pink paper, a few pens, and some pinning materials—tape, push pins—before excusing herself. The moment she stepped away, Zenkichi turned on his heel, fully intending to follow her.
He was almost in the clear. Almost.
Until Hamuko’s words hit him like a brick to the back of the head.
"Why, next thing you know, maybe she'll get a boyfriend! Or a girlfriend!! Have you thought of that, mister cop?"
Zenkichi froze.
For a second, his brain just stopped working. Then, as if on autopilot, he straightened, rolling his shoulders in a lazy attempt to shake it off. Cool. Be cool.
He turned back, rubbing the back of his neck with a scoff. “First of all, used to be a cop. Was. Past tense. I know Akane’s gotta be spreading all kinds of stories, but get your facts straight. I am only a government dog.”
The correction came easy—too easy—because what he really wanted to snap at was the other part. The part clawing at his brain like an unwelcome guest.
Akane? Dating?
His first instinct was immediate denial—he didn’t care. She could do whatever she wanted. He was not the kind of guy to freak out over that.
Except.
Except that the idea of her having a boyfriend made something in his stomach twist. Not that it mattered, right? Most of the guys he’d seen around here were either too old for her, already taken, or had an overwhelming affinity for *other guys,* which—thankfully—meant she was safe from the worst.
And anyway…
He shut down that train of thought fast. It didn’t matter. Because—
no subject
He was almost in the clear. Almost.
Until Hamuko’s words hit him like a brick to the back of the head.
"Why, next thing you know, maybe she'll get a boyfriend! Or a girlfriend!! Have you thought of that, mister cop?"
Zenkichi froze.
For a second, his brain just stopped working. Then, as if on autopilot, he straightened, rolling his shoulders in a lazy attempt to shake it off. Cool. Be cool.
He turned back, rubbing the back of his neck with a scoff. “First of all, used to be a cop. Was. Past tense. I know Akane’s gotta be spreading all kinds of stories, but get your facts straight. I am only a government dog.”
The correction came easy—too easy—because what he really wanted to snap at was the other part. The part clawing at his brain like an unwelcome guest.
Akane? Dating?
His first instinct was immediate denial—he didn’t care. She could do whatever she wanted. He was not the kind of guy to freak out over that.
Except.
Except that the idea of her having a boyfriend made something in his stomach twist. Not that it mattered, right? Most of the guys he’d seen around here were either too old for her, already taken, or had an overwhelming affinity for *other guys,* which—thankfully—meant she was safe from the worst.
And anyway…
He shut down that train of thought fast. It didn’t matter. Because—