Author's Notes:
I whipped up this short fic for Kirishima Touka Week Day 3: Friendship on Tumblr. (You can follow me there *wink**wink*). Please do read as I have invested mah emotions for this fanfic! :D I promise you won't regret it! (I hope, haha! XD)
Also, I wrote this in the middle of writing a novella. Yes, it's a fanfic and also Tokyo Ghoul. It's actually a direct sequel to my fanfic Finally, though there would be major changes in the plot (what? lol). So yeah, I hope the quality of this fic is good. :) I hope you enjoy! :D
"Touka onee-chan, you forgot the picnic basket."
Hinami points over the dining table where the said item is. Touka immediately turns around and picks it up. She heaves a sigh of relief.
"You're so excited, aren't you?" Hinami chuckles, amused by the fact that Touka almost left the most important item she needs. "It's even showing on your face."
It's been two years since disorder in Tokyo caused by the ghouls has subsided. For some time, Touka and the others were able to live without much worries, and they've been keeping silent ever since. Still, they're still staying low.
"I know that," Touka lets out a soft laugh.
"Is it going to be enough?" Hinami asks. "The food, I mean. For Yoriko onee-chan."
Touka nods. "Yeah. It's going to be a long day after all."
Hinami laces her fingers with each other. "Take care, okay? And don't come back too late."
Touka steps outside the door. "I know, and I will." She bids her goodbye and goes on her way.
She can't wait to see Yoriko.
Touka hails a taxi and hops inside. She tells the driver the address of her destination, and looks outside the window as she thinks about Yoriko.
She was reunited with Yoriko two years after :re was built. It was simply when Yoriko coincidentally went to the shop. She didn't know Touka was a waitress there. To her surprise, she found her best friend.
It was hard for Touka to explain to Yoriko what happened to her, though it was easy for Yoriko to understand her. She accepted Touka, and supported her with all she can. The thought of it made Touka smile.
She remembers the day Yoriko befriends her. Never did she thought of having friends at school (since she distanced herself from the others), but it seems like there was always this one person who would befriend the outsider. And that was Yoriko. She didn't think much about her at first, but it interested Touka how nice Yoriko was and how nice the experience of going to school was. Yoriko made that experience even greater.
"Going to visit someone?" the driver asks suddenly, which prompts Touka to snap out of her thoughts. She looks at him.
"Yes, I'm going to visit a friend," she replies, clutching the basket rested on her lap. "She's a friend since I was in high school, so it's been a really long time."
The driver looks at Touka through the rear-view mirror and smiles. "You'll be having a feast, eh?"
"Oh," she glances at the picnic basket. "Yes, it's going to be a long day."
The driver gives her a well-balanced, somewhat solemn smile. Touka smiles back.
"I see. By the looks of it, it seems that you've missed her so much."
"Yeah," Touka looks away. "I do."
Having a feast, huh? , she thinks. She did have a feast of Yoriko's cooking a while back. She remembers that Yoriko kept on telling her that she should have a healthy diet, having seen that she always eats simple snacks (and always a jam bun at that). Though it tastes gross for her, she always tells Yoriko that it was delicious, prompting the girl to let her eat more of her food. She couldn't refuse them.
But she always wanted to taste her food for real. She knew that Yoriko was aiming to be a great chef, and she always wanted to honestly compliment her cooking. She wishes for that to be possible. Of course, it couldn't be, unless a miracle happens.
During the times she and Yoriko met outside of :re, she has observed that Yoriko never ate. She thought that maybe it was for her sake that Yoriko didn't eat. So that Touka wouldn't feel uncomfortable seeing her eat.
She actually confronted her about it.
"Yoriko," she says. "You know, you can still eat while I'm here, you know?"
"What are you talking about, Touka-chan?" she smiles at her, scratching her head.
"You've stopped eating in front of me for my sake, didn't you? Don't worry, I won't feel uncomfortable."
"Ehh, you saw right through me, Touka-chan!" Yoriko mischievously yelps. "But I kinda feel guilty. I fed you my food during highschool after all…"
And she just laughed about it.
But Touka knew that she wanted to taste Yoriko's food again, at least once. Even though she knows it wouldn't taste good for her. She was very thankful for having a friend who understands her. Who appreciated her for who she is.
"Miss, we're here," the driver calls her. "Do you want me to help you with your things?"
"Oh, I'm okay," Touka tells him, pushing the car door aside. "I can handle this. I'll be fine."
"I hope so," the driver says, and laughs. She knew exactly what he meant.
After paying for her fare, the car speeds away. Touka steps on the grassy ground; the sound of the blades of green passing through her ear. She smiles upon seeing Yoriko, and stops. She spreads the picnic blanket on the ground and sets the picnic basket down. She sits down and scoots over on the corner of the blanket.
"I'm here, Yoriko."
Yoriko keeps silent.
"I brought something for you. I made sandwiches. Thought I think it doesn't taste good as your cooking."
She laughs, although she doesn't hear her friend do the same.
"You know, while on my way here, I thought about your cooking. You made me eat a lot of your lunches during high school, right?"
Touka opens the picnic basket and grabs one of the wrapped sandwiches. She presents it to Yoriko.
"Looks good, right? I just hope it tastes as good as it looks."
She feels that Yoriko smiled.
"You know…" her voice falters. "I wish I could taste your cooking again. I know it wouldn't taste good to me, but I actually liked that you let me eat your lunches a long time ago."
Touka hugs her knees.
"I wished I could taste what your cooking actually tasted like. Though it would be impossible."
She feels the wind blowing on her face.
"You know, Yoriko… I haven't really said thank you for understanding me. So I meant to say… thank you so much. Thank you very much for the friendship."
They both kept silent.
"I also wanted to apologize."
Touka feels her eyes sting, but she shakes her head to dispel of the emotions gradually rising within her. She pulls out a bouquet of Hydrangea flowers.
"I'm sorry, Yoriko."
She doesn't say anything. Of course, how could she?
"I'm sorry I haven't saved you, Yoriko."
Touka brushes her fingers against the surface of the gravestone. She places the bouquet beside it. Tears drop from her eyes to stone.
She rubs her eyes. "But I'm sure you're in a better place now."
And I'm sure you agree with me. Though it's not possible, Touka knows that Yoriko smiled at her.
She wanted to see her smile again. And she did.