Autumn. A beautiful season, but it was merely just a transition from the so-called important seasons: a cold and bleary season to a sweltering hot season. The golden leaves, almost mimicking the sun's radiation; the dark crimson leaves, as if an animal had been cruelly slaughtered by a predator, its blood splattering onto the trees surrounding them. Everyone would all be astonished by the beauty, but both the leaves and astonishment is temporary. After all, it would soon be forgotten as soon as it falls onto the ground, left to rot.
Kaneki trudged along a path cracked with age, the weight of his textbooks in his loose grip felt like a noose preventing him from having a bright, carefree life. His other pale hand ran through the snow white locks of his hair. His dull eyes matched the gray streaks across the sullen canvas of the sky, angry marks streaking the sky like an unsatisfied artist. The laughter of children, the sound of shiny rain boots splashing into the newly formed puddles, warm caresses and sweet hugs- those meant nothing to him anymore.
Kaneki noticed a beautiful golden leaf whisking through the air, finally landing at his feet. The young man paused, hesitating to pick it up before thinking, 'Would it make a difference if I picked this leaf up? Nothing lasts, anyways. I can't keep this leaf's beauty forever; not even if a put heavy bags of sand on it in an attempt to keep the color from fading away.'
Suddenly, a bright haired teenager blundered his way towards Kaneki, crashing into him which sent sheets of neatly stacked origami paper flying like confetti at a parade. The teenager, who was about the same age as the white-haired man, smiled sheepishly and let out a small chuckle. Kaneki stared at him, emotionless and dull, and then their eyes locked with each other. Amber met gray like steel and gold, and a silence was created.
"Sorry, man!" The dirty blond-haired student smiled awkwardly, "I was in a rush to get to school today, you must be on your way as well, huh? My name's Hideyoshi Nagachika, but you can just call me Hide! Oh, man, I have so much stuff to tell you now that we're friends." The cheerful man stuck out his hand invitingly, eagerly awaiting for Kaneki to introduce himself.
"No point in making friends if we're all gonna die at some point," Kaneki muttered as he looked away. The fading grin on Hide's face almost broke his heart as he stepped around Hide, passing by the colorful sheets of paper that didn't seem as much bright anymore. There was no response from Hide.
"See you in school?" Hide's small voice croaked out, barely audible as he still didn't turn around. Perhaps there were tears falling like autumn leaves. And perhaps it was a good thing that it was temporary. Kaneki's responded by walking away.
"I guess no one's there to listen to me from the start, huh?" Hide whispered, laughing sadly as he fingered a crinkled wing of a paper crane in his pocket.