Return to Duty

Sakurai Haruki was a police officer who lived alone in a district close to his precinct. He was tall, slightly tanned from his work and had a few scars he liked to call badges of honour. He was the youngest of two children from a modest all-Alpha household.

He liked to think he lived an ordinary, normal life. His looks were certainly ordinary- short curly black hair, blue eyes and slightly softer features that were not usually found in Alphas, but that was because he looked more like his mother. 

He ran a hand through his curly hair, sighing as he checked to make sure he looked presentable.

Today marked the end of his suspension, the end of weeks spent sidelined from duty. As Ryoji had said, he got the call later that week from his squad chief, telling him that his indefinite suspension had been lifted and he was to return to work early Monday morning. 

He still couldn't get over the memory of that fateful day and often found himself waking up to the sound of gunfire echoing in his ears.

The incident had left him shaken, questioning his abilities as an officer and the choices he had made in the heat of the moment.

He tried to push it aside, to focus on the task at hand, but the guilt lingered, the weight of his actions heavy on his conscience. 

He couldn't shake the feeling that he had let his team down, that he had failed to protect those he had sworn to. 

Tired blue eyes stared back at him in the mirror. He had spent most of his suspension working on tasks from outside the office. All his findings were in his bag which he took to the office.

"Alright! I can do this!" He psyched himself up.

He squared his shoulders, steeling himself for the meeting that was to come at the office.

With a final glance in the mirror, he turned away, grabbing his coat as he made his way out of the apartment and into the bustling city streets. 

The morning air was crisp and cool, the sounds of traffic and chatter filling the air as he made his way to the nearest station, a few minutes walk away from his house.

He chose this apartment complex because it was close to the station, the precinct, a konbini and his parents' house. A win-win situation!

The station was crowded with commuters, each lost in their own world as they hurried to their destinations. Haruki navigated the throng with ease having done this for years, making his way underground.

As he emerged onto the platform, Haruki's thoughts turned once more to the reactions awaiting him at the precinct. While he had been in communication with Ryoji on call, he hadn't seen him or any of their squad since he got suspended. He tried to remind himself that he couldn't afford to dwell on the past, not when there were lives at stake.

After a short uneventful train ride filled with thoughts of how he would apologise to his team, he finally got to his destination. The mechanical voice of the announcer echoed as they warned about the doors and staying behind the caution line.

Haruki's palms turned sweaty as he made his way into the precinct and through the corridors of the station, ignoring the whispers and sidelong glances that followed in his wake.

News of his suspension had spread like wildfire through the department, and it seemed that everyone had an opinion on the matter.

"If it isn't the little chief's pet, wasn't expecting to see you back so soon," Haruki's eyes narrowed as he stared at Misato, a member of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CID). Due to the kind of tasks they undertook, they saw themselves as some sort of bigshots, Misato especially. 

"Out of my way," Haruki said calmly, he just got back and wouldn't get involved in any fights. Yet.

"What was that little one? I didn't hear you," Misato smirked, leaning down slightly to hear him better.

Haruki's fist clenched. It's not like he was short, being 185.42 centimetres ( 6 feet 1 inch), he was average height for an Alpha. It was just that Misato was one of those giants that stood over everyone else which gave him an advantage in his field of work but also made him a bully.

Haruki's jaw tightened as he met Misato's mocking gaze. "I said, out of my way," he repeated, his voice low and controlled.

Misato's smirk widened, clearly enjoying the discomfort he was causing. "Oh, did the little pet lose his bark?" he taunted, his tone dripping with condescension.

Haruki's fingers twitched at his sides, the last thing he needed was to give Misato the satisfaction of seeing him lose his cool.

But then, a sly smile curled Haruki's lips, a glint of mischief dancing in his eyes. He stepped closer to Misato, his voice deceptively soft.

"You know, Misato, I always thought your ego was inversely proportional to your intelligence," Haruki remarked. 

Misato's smirk faltered for a split second, irritation crossed his features before he quickly masked it with a scoff. "Careful there, Sakurai," he warned, his tone dripping with disdain. "Wouldn't want to step out of line again, would you? We all know what happened last time."

Haruki's grip tightened on the strap of his bag, his knuckles turning white with restraint. His alpha growling behind his mind. Instead, he gave Misato a dismissive shrug. "Sure thing, big guy. I'll be sure to send you a card when I find a reason to care."

A few nearby officers snickered at Haruki's retort, earning a scowl from Misato. He straightened up, towering over Haruki with a smug expression. "You've got some nerve, Sakurai. Just remember who runs the show around here."

"Save your breath, Misato," Haruki replied evenly. "You might need it when you're eating your words later."

Haruki's lips twitched at the look on Misato's face. Taking advantage of his shock, he brushed past Misato. He just got back, he couldn't let fools like that get him into trouble.

Once he was out of earshot, Haruki allowed himself a deep breath, the tension slowly dissipating from his body. He paused in front of his door, gathering his nerves before turning the knob. 

Entering his office, Haruki was greeted by the familiar faces of his team, their expressions a mix of relief and concern. His supervisor, Kenji Hanta, a seasoned veteran with a gruff exterior but a heart of gold, nodded in greeting as Haruki stood by the door. 

"Welcome back, Sakurai," he said, his voice gruff but warm.

"Welcome back, Sakurai-san!" Rekka, the rookie officer and Haruki's movie partner exclaimed, slapping him on the back with a grin. "We missed you, Boss." 

Aya beamed from her seat, her short black hair bobbing as she waved her hand excitedly. As usual, her mouth was filled with food.

It seems Takahashi and Ryoji were out of the office.

As though summoned by his thoughts, both men walked through the door. They paused at the sight of him, surprise in their faces.

"Sakurai! You're back!" Kazama Ryoji grinned as he walked over to him, slinging an arm over his shoulder.

"Didn't he grow father?!" Rekka asked, amused.

"Hey!" Haruki mock glared, mirth in his eyes.

"I knew there was something up when I saw Misato fuming out front!" Ryoji continued, ruffling Haruki's hair.

"Misato? What happened to him?" Kenji asked frowning at them. Both men paused, eyes shifting nervously.

"Nothing! Nothing, Aren't you going to say hi Sato-kun!" Ryoji quickly diverted the conversation to Takahiro who shook his head at their antics.

"Welcome back, Haruki-san," The calm detective smiled, patting his shoulder. 

Haruki smiled gratefully at his colleagues, the tension in his shoulders eased slightly. He had missed them too, more than he cared to admit.

They were like family to him, and he was glad to be back among them once more.

 He bowed low. "I apologise for any trouble I may have caused," he said, his voice tinged with sincerity. "But I'm ready to get back to work."

"It's ok! I know you'll still do something crazy!" Ryoji waved him off, ignoring his side eye. 

"We're just happy to have you back!" Aya had left her seat and held out a bag of chips which he declined with a smile.

"Yeah! there was no one to watch mov- ahem, I mean to go on stakeouts with," Rekka covered his slip up by stuffing his face with some chips. 

His supervisor nodded, approval in his gaze. "Good to have you back," he said. "But I need to be upfront with you. You're on probation for the time being. We need to ease you back into things slowly."

Haruki's heart sank at the mention of probation, but he nodded in understanding. Given the circumstances, probation was better than being demoted or worse.

"Understood," he said, his voice firm. "I won't let you down."

Kenji nodded, then clapped his hands to get their attention, "Alright everyone, gather around. We have a case on our hands."