"!"

Seeing a familiar set of white hair, Hide set forth, running to it and practically throwing himself at the man.

"!" The head of hair turned, a cold ghoul eye the only thing not covered by the leather mask. Upon seeing who it was, the eye widened. "Hi..de?"

"Kaneki, please don't do this to yourself.. Come back home.." Hide whimpered.

"? Kaneki? Who's that?" the {Supposedly, I talk like Centipede now! ThE. Lol, why did I put that?Well, I fixed it now, so.} Eyepatch lied.

"Kaneki, I know it's you. I've known for a while now. Ever since Nishiki kicked me in. Yeah.. I was kind of conscious that entire time.." Hide laughed nervously, but never risked letting go of the ghoul. {"Though I'm not sure why I just sat there. Probably to let it all play out and for me to find out what was really going on. Or I might've just been o.k. with you eating me.. Who knows, really. I guess I'm a - what are those called? One of those masochists or whatever that like pain, lol. Or maybe I accept death in itself. Am I trying to commit suicide? I mean, I was allowing Nishiki to barf on me and almost eat me.. Wow, what's wrong with me? Yeesh, that idea seems kind of stupid now.. What was I doing? I was so foolish.. What if Touka-chan hadn't arrived? You would've been so sad.. Was I going that far to let you think I wasn't aware that you were a ghoul? Maybe something else.." I have heard that Kaneki ate Hide, and that's why Haise was born.. [frigging spoilers! I mourn.. I mourn so much.. *horrified* *shocked* *dead*] So maybe Hide actually has suicide problems? I never thought of that.. Goosh. I know the feeling, bro. But you'll be grateful later, that you didn't succeed. Trust me, I know.}

"Oh.. so you knew.."

"Yep."

"... Thank-you for trying not to make me uncomfortable.. but I'm different now. I went through a lot, Hide. All alone. And I understand now.. that I can only trust myself."

"That's not true, man! You can trust me!"

"I can't. If I'm put all alone again, I can't wait for someone to save me like I did. Auh.. I have to save myself. I have to destroy all those in my path. They were too late. They were never going to be able to save me." A growl erupted from his lips, "They took ten days to get there? Pathetic. Those ten days, I was writhing in agony! Holding onto a hope that I shouldn't have believed in! I should've destroyed Jason as soon as I could. I'm pathetic."

"She's ringing in our heads.. We're not pathetic anymore though. Not anymore.."

"Auh, I changed. So I'm NOT pathetic anymore.."

"K-Kaneki.."

As if to prove his point, Kaneki's kagune came out, and Hide was forced to jump back.

"W-Wait!" Hide called after the retreating form, "Kaneki! Kaneki, come back! PLEASE!"

"Hide.."

"It's for the best. You know that."

"(sigh) It hurts.."

".. I guess our heart hasn't grown stone-cold.. It hasn't learned like the rest of us.."

"It hurts.."

"993. 986."