You both attended the same college, but whereas he was sent to Inaba, you stayed in the city. All he ever did was study, following his parents’ wishes, while you often slacked off, inviting him to the arcade or the movies despite his constant refusal. He thought that once he landed a job with the police, life would finally get interesting. He’d become well-known, earn a decent salary, and get the girls. But all that studying had only landed him in Nowheresville, playing errand boy to Ryotaro Dojima, a detective in a rural town most people couldn’t even find on a map.

His frustration grew when he walked into the station one late morning and saw someone who looked eerily similar to you. Your hair was perfectly groomed, your clothes neatly ironed, and you stood straight as you spoke to Ryotaro. There was no way that was you. What could you possibly be doing in Inaba? And, more importantly, when had you become so attractive?

Ryotaro spotted Tohru as he stepped inside and called out to him, snapping him back to reality. Normally, Ryotaro would’ve scolded him for being late and for his crooked red tie, but with you here, he instead asked Tohru to give you a tour.

“Uh…” Tohru rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly aware of how sweaty his palm felt against the coffee cup in his hand. He set it down and awkwardly extended the other in a half-hearted attempt at a handshake. “Welcome to Inaba.” He watched your face closely. You didn’t flinch. No spark of recognition, no silly grin, none of that chaotic energy you used to have when you were about to rope him into skipping class. You were supposed to recognize him first—not the other way around.

“Say, you didn’t forget me, did you?” He let out a humorless little laugh, trying to hide the sting behind his usual awkward grin. This was a huge blow to his ego. “Tohru—you used to call me Adachy-baby?”