- When Hearts Collide -

A/N:

Same title and plot in a different feels of solitude. I found my way back here. I removed, added, changed and did all sorts of magic here. Thanks if ever you will be reading this. R&R!

Prologue:

"I don't want to remember anything.

I desperately want to forget.

No one would know, no one will.

I just want to end this agonizing pain I'm in.

Let every single painful memory drift out of my mind.

I just want to say goodbye."

Chapter 1: Damsel in Distress

A loud wailing sound of a police cars' siren disturbed the quiet night of Tokyo main streets. Senior Police officer Nogi, Hyuuga and other cops are chasing bank robbers in an old gray van. Earlier, before the chasing incident, they received an anonymous phone call about an armed robbery at Tokyo Central Bank, Japan's biggest bank. Not caring whether it was a stupid prank or not, the department didn't let go of the possibility that it was real. As soon as the call ended, Hyuuga and Nogi's team stormed out of the station to the said bank.

Robbers are shooting at them. Good thing Nogi's driving skills are superb that they were able to dodge every shot. Hyuuga, on the otherhand, is starting to get pissed off because one of the culprits almost hit him. Half of his body is already outside the window when another shot almost hit him. Good thing Nogi was able to change road lane before his partner got his instant ticket to the hospital or worse, morgue.

"Take it easy Natsume. You might get shot if you don't calm down." Nogi said to his partner. He slightly looked at his partner and gazed back to the road.

Hyuuga, not listening, pointed the gun and shot twice on both back wheels causing the vehicle to go crazy and wander away off the road. The van hit a huge tree that blasted the bumper.

"Not again. Do you really have to do that?" His eyebrows met. "Well anyway, at least we're done here."

Natsume smirk and sat back on his seat. "Dead meat." he muttered.

'This guy really is a psycho.' Nogi thought to himself looking at his partner's grinning face.

Nogi and the rest of the police cars parked near the car crashed. They went to check if the robbers are still breathing and yes all three of them are still alive. After a while, an ambulance came for the wounded criminals which are ready to be taken to the hospital. After treating their wounds, they'll be transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department's jail.

"Hyuuga! Nogi! Good job!" A blonde-haired man, who arrived last at the scene, said. He is the MPD's Chief Superintendent, Narumi Kuga.

"Thank you Sir!" They said in unison and gave a salute to their superior.

-When Hearts Collide-

Hyuuga and Nogi had been friends ever since they entered college. They became classmates and were assigned on the same police station, the Metropolitan Police Department. They have been partners for almost 8 years now. Just a month after successfully solving three homicide cases that went cold in a year, they were both promoted to SPOs.

On their way back to the station, Hyuuga took the wheels while the other one comfortably seated next to him.

"Should we ask for a raise now?" Nogi said smiling.

"What? They just gave us a raise a month ago. I guess not, wait for another year then we might get one?" Hyuuga replied with one of his brows raised.

"We did?" He tried to recall and he remembered that they did get a raise from solving a case month ago. "Oh, yeah. Now I remember."

"Hey anyway, let's grab something to eat. I'm hungry."

"Sure." Hyuuga made a U-turn to the bridge where a sushi bar is located.

Nogi went in first followed by his partner. They saw their Chief Narumi Kuga together with this maroon-haired guy sitting next to him.

"Hyuuga and Nogi. Why don't you two join us here?" Narumi invited them. Getting his bag off the chair beside him he directed both of the newcomers to sit next to them. Hyuuga was the one to sit next to Narumi while Nogi sat beside the other guy.

"Good evening sir, Jinno-senpai…" Greeted Nogi.

"Ruka there's no need for us to talk formally since we're not in the station." Said Narumi. He's holding a glass beer and sipped the content.

"Sure…" Ruka responded.

"I assume you already know Jinno."

"Oh yes, you were partners before, right?" Ruka looked at Narumi, who is busy sipping his beer and then glimpse at Jinno.

"That's right." Jinno answered looking at Ruka. "Narumi often tells me things about the two of you. He always praises you, you know." Jinno gave a teasing grin to his former partner. He turned his attention to Natsume, who was drinking his beer. "You're Natsume Hyuuga, right?"

Natsume nodded.

"You remind me very much of Narumi when we were still doing our cases." He chuckled a bit and then his reaction turned a little serious. "Reckless but one of the best. I miss those days." He sipped his beer.

"Excuse me Jinno-senpai… I hope you don't mind me asking but why did you suddenly retired right after your murder case with Narumi-senpai? I'm just confused. I mean, you were on your glory days, right? Why?"

Ruka was talking about the time when Jinno and Narumi had a case and as soon as the case was solved, someone else was assigned to be Narumi's partner.

Jinno didn't respond right away. His head bowed on the table and then slowly raised his head. He looks a little serious.

"Dead meat." Natsume whispered.

"Sorry for asking… You don't have to…" Ruka was cutoff.

"It's okay. When… you're in decision is in between life and death, what will you choose?" Jinno returned a question to Ruka. He looked at him with a faded smile.

Ruka was a little confused with why Jinno is asking him that. "Ahm… I would probably choose the former..." He answered clueless.

Narumi is sitting next to Natsume is listening silently on his chair.

"It was because of my wife… Retiring was my only option to be able to live with her in her remaining days…" He said. He felt like crying but he tried to control his emotions. "Choosing my wife was the best I ever did in my entire life… You wouldn't understand me but you have to know your priorities. The things you can sacrifice and the things or people you can't live without. I used to be so cold, what happened to my marriage, to my wife change who I am." He then turned to Natsume's direction. "I seldom show my emotions, which was my biggest mistake."

Natsume notice Jinno looking at him so he looked at him eye to eye. Knowing that, Jinno was trying to say is he sees himself through Natsume. When Jinno gave him a quick smile he turned the other way.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Ruka felt guilty for even asking. He thought it was a huge before he even knew why Jinno retired.

"Nah, it's fine now. Don't worry. Things happen for a reason."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes until Narumi felt the urge to ask questions to Natsume.

"Hey Natsume, how are your siblings?"

"Hmm? Aoi and Youichi are doing fine." He answered monotonously.

"How is Aoi and Youichi coping up?" Narumi now is looking at the emotionless answers of Natsume.

…

…

"Aoi's finer now than before. Though I would still hear her cry in the middle of the night… but Youichi… he still yearns for her…"

"And you?"

He stopped and then continued to answer. "I'm fine." They were staring at him, even the bar owner and his apprentice and it was making him a little uncomfortable. "What? Why are you all staring at me?"

"Are you sure you're fine?" Narumi asked, ensuring they heard it right. They were looking at him in an anime way where they're all chibis and eyes are all big leaving Natsume the only one looking normal.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh nothing, just asking…" Narumi chuckled. Now they're back to their normal sizes and faces.

They talk about the things about Narumi and Jinno's partnership before they departed ways. Ruka asked Jinno some tips about catching a certain type of offender. Narumi talked about how he would do dancing to in the shower to lighten up his day after a very busy day at work. They would laugh hard and even tease Natsume and Ruka to get rings and find wives. Jinno would say that 'No one is getting younger here people' to the three of them, knowing Narumi is still single.

It was almost midnight before they were able to notice the time. They all stood up and paid their bills. The moment they set foot outside the sushi bar, they a heard a loud splashing sound. It sounded like someone had jumped off the bridge to the river in the middle of the night. Wait. What?! Call 911!

"The river!" Ruka ran fast to the bridge to its sidelines. (Hankoku Bridge, that's why the sushi bar was called 'Hankoku' it was built at the end of the bridge) The rest followed him. The water was moving, making circles but it was dark, they're still not sure.

Natsume went immediately to their car and grabbed Ruka's and his spotlight. He directed the flashlight

"I see something! Or someone!" Natsume notice something floating on the river. He quickly went down to the river to see it.

He swam towards it and found out that what he saw wasn't something; it was a girl probably in her 20's. Natsume felt something weird on the back of her head. He looked at his hand and saw there's blood. He quickly swam back and carried the girl back to the shore. He tried to do CPR and chest pumping but he couldn't revive her, she probably fell unconscious after the fall. Not being able to revive her right away, Natsume felt desperate about getting her back.

"I've already called an ambulance!" Ruka shouted back.

'Man, what's making me feel this way!' He thought to himself. "Tell them to hurry up!"

"Calm down Natsume. Everything's gonna be alright. The ambulance is already on its way." A voice talked at his back. It was Jinno. He went down to the river bank to check Natsume and the mysterious girl.

Natsume somehow felt helpless. He's a little confused why he's in a panic. It never happened before. It never did.

Few minutes later an ambulance came. She was taken to the nearest hospital. Natsume was the one with her in the ambulance.

So that's it!

I'm sorry if I failed you. I hope I can still get reviews. Updating soon!