Place to Return to
This is purely an AU (?) fanfic came from my imagination after I read chapter 143 of 'Tokyo Ghoul'. I don't really care for those who had read the ending of the original series to like this or not, I wrote this story simply because I was being driven by the 'voice' of my soul. I do not own Tokyo Ghoul. Please read and review.
It had been almost a year since the raid of Anteiku. Kirishima Touka is now frantically struggling with her current life. The female ghoul had lost so much, her home, her family, friends, and especially… him. Not to mention, she still had to worry about her study for university. Speaking of university, she had never seen nor heard anything about Hide too. In general perspective, 20th Ward had become peaceful again, with now the café that was called as 'Anteiku' is now just pile of rubbles. Touka could not contact Nishio, as Kimi said that one day the man just came only to say goodbyes to her, saying that he needs to be lay low for a long time and she had not heard anything of him ever since. Tsukiyama also missing, but Touka could not care less about him. Now that she stays with Yomo and Uta, from time to time she goes around accompanied by Yomo to find any clues about Kaneki Ken and if possible, any other ghoul survivors from Anteiku raid. But after months of searching through out the city, they still could not find anything. But nonetheless, the girl still decides to believe that the man she is looking for is still alive somewhere.
X
One day after another searching alone, Touka came back to her hideout only to meet some familiar faces.
"Onee-chan!" cried the little girl among the group who quickly running to giver Touka a hug.
"Hinami?" said Touka not expecting the little girl coming.
After hugging for a second, Touka recognising the other faces as well. It was Kazuichi Banjou and his other three friends; Ichimi, Jiro and Sante. After few quick greetings, now the group is sitting together in one room, with Hinami sat right beside Touka and the other four across them.
"So how did you guys get here?" asked Touka starting a conversation.
"We were worried… That Kaneki-kun didn't come back after Anteiku got destroyed... While we were moving without really knowing where to go, we bumped into Yomo-san and he offered us to stay here", said Banjou explaining.
"I see…"
"Onee-chan, have you found onii-chan yet?" asked Hinami looking right into the older girl's eye.
Touka only answered by shaking her head slowly. The guests only lowered their heads in silent at the answer.
"But… I have faith in him"
At her words, the guests' raised their faces again to look at the girl who talked.
"That idiot… You know that he's much tougher than he looks…" said Touka reminiscing her old days with Kaneki.
"He's probably struggling to stay alive right now… And someday he's definitely coming back to Anteiku, to us"
Everyone's eyes once again filled with hope as Hinami smiled and nodding at Touka's words. For everyone, at least for those inside the room, Kaneki Ken is not just your everyday ghoul. Being a one-eyed, Banjou and his gang have always believed that Kaneki is a special guy, and the gang truly understand that if it was not thanks to him, they might be still being some slaves in Aogiri Tree, or in the worst case, they could have been brutally murdered. For Touka and Hinami who have known him ever since he started his life as a ghoul, Kaneki has become irreplaceable for those two.
"Well, why don't we have another go? Let's find that idiot this time" said Touka standing up.
Seeing the point that looking with more people might bring more results, Hinami and the rest of the group nodding and stood up following her.
X
Few weeks later, Touka and Hinami were reading together in their hideout. Yomo was not around, saying that he had another business with Uta. Banjou and the others were left to go for an errand. While the two were immersed at the literature, Hinami sensed something very familiar.
"Hinami, what's wrong?" asked Touka when Hinami turned her head towards the entrance.
After staring at the entrance for a while, Hinami's eyes widened as tears flowed on her cheek.
"O…onii-…chan…?"
Hearing the young girl's words, Touka's eyes widened as well as she quickly moved towards the entrance. When she stopped right before the door, she could sense someone's presence and his presence was very… familiar. She hesitated at first, but slowly her trembling hands reach for the door and she slowly but surely opened the entrance to see a tall man wearing black hoodie covering his hair and upper face. His lips crept up a warm smile as their eyes managed to meet.
"Who the hell are you…" asked Touka in suspicion, but before the girl could have finished her question, the man opened his hood to reveal his face and his dishevelled white hair.
Touka's eyes widened in surprise at the face of the man before him. Hinami could only covered her gasp with her hands as her eyes started to let out more tears. Touka could not believe her eyes for a moment, but upon remembering that it was Hinami's sharp senses that noticed the man's presence in the first place, she had to accept that what in front of her was real. As she tried to regain her composure, she squeezed her fists and the man before him decided to speak first.
"Hi-"
WHAMP!
Before the white-haired man could have finished, the teenage girl before him suddenly cut him by punching him right in the face. As the man stumbled and dropped to the ground, the girl proceeded to sit on top of him and keep on pummelling his face. The man did not do anything and stay quiet as he received a hit after a hit coming from Touka. But between the hits, the white-haired man could feel warm and wet sensations fell on to his face.
"YOU! YOU…!" screamed Touka keep punching the man on the ground.
"YOU ASSHOLE! HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU'VE GONE, HUH! AFTER ALL THOSE SHITS YOU DID AND SUDDENLY YOU JUST DISAPPEARED LIKE THAT! DO YOU HAVE ANY F***ING IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU GAVE US, HUH!? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY THIS TIME, YOU BASTARD!?"
After those screaming, Touka panted between her breaths as she finally seized her attacks on the man. As the white-haired man got up from lying into sitting position, while the girl still straddled on him, the man saw the girl hid her face with her bangs as her body trembled.
"I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Many things happened during and after that attack on Anteiku. I thought myself that I wouldn't make it either, but…"
Again, Touka cut the man silence with a hug. As she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest, Touka finally broke down into a silent cry. The white-haired man was startled at first, but then he could feel the teenage girl's tears pouring down making his clothes wet. As his eyes softened, he gently held Touka's shoulder and he noticed that Hinami had now kneeling right before him. Her face smiling genuinely as tears were still flowing from her eyes. The white-haired man smiled at the girl in content as he reached out one of his hand to pat the young girl's head.
"I'm back, Hinami-chan"
"Yes… Welcome… Welcome back, onii-chan…" replied Hinami between her sobs.
Then the man shifted his gaze towards Touka who was still crying in his arms, this time her sobs were getting a bit clearer. As the man closed his eyes his both hands gently wrapped around the girl's back and he buried his head into the teenage girl's shoulder. The two shared each other's warmth, which they hope will last, this time for good.
Welcome home, stupid Kaneki.
I'm home, Touka-chan.
FIN
Epilogue
Meanwhile, on top of the nearby building, four figures with clown masks were watching the reunion. The group consists two women and two men. One of the women who was covering her upper face with a mask resembling a rodent with a star picture marked on its left eye, pouted at the scene before her.
"Che… And I was hoping a depressing story…", said the woman not amused.
"Come on now, I thought you like Kaneki?" replied one of the men who was wearing a suit, giggling.
The woman who was pouting before only remained silent in annoyance.
"As touching as this scene may be, it seems my information was wrong", said another woman, this time she has a fine body and her mask has a spade and heart shaped picture as the eye, and a smiley fangs for the mouth.
"Nevertheless, it seems the fun is not over yet for us pierrot… We should tell Uta about this", said the man who was a former Aogiri, Nico.
The group then vanished from the top of the building, leaving the youngsters before them to continue their reunion.
And… that's how I managed to pull out this crap. Positive and negative reviews are welcomed.