"Hey! Hey you! Wait!"

Kaneki turned around, looking for the source of all the shouting and saw a blond young man running in his direction, waving his hand over his head. Kaneki looked around quickly and saw several other people glancing up from what they were doing to see what was happening. Kaneki took a step back so he was standing against the corridor wall, trying to get out of the running man's way and keeping his eyes on the floor as to not garner any attention.

"Oh, thank you! It's Kaneki, right?" Someone said in a labored voice right in front of him.

Kaneki looked up in surprise. "Eh?"

"Your name? It's Kaneki, right?" The blond young man who had been running down the corridor screaming was standing in front of him, smiling from ear to ear.

"Well… Yes," Kaneki said with hesitation. He felt his cheeks heating up from the unexpected attention, and from the fact that he could see several people look at them from out of the corner of his eye.

"Great! I'm Hide! We share Asian History!" The young man named Hide proclaimed while extending his hand, seemingly expecting Kaneki to shake it. He seemed utterly oblivious to the scene he was making.

"O-okay?" Kaneki carefully extended his own hand and gave a small squeak as Hide grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.

"Can I interview you?" Hide said while still shaking his hand with a bit too much force.

"Excuse me?" Kaneki felt like he had missed some important information. Hide seemed to realize that he didn't make much sense and stopped shaking Kaneki's hand, much to the other's relief. Hide took a deep breath and straightened up. Kaneki suddenly wished he hadn't backed himself up against a wall, he felt unexplainably trapped in front of the other's intense gaze.

"I'm sorry. I know I can get a bit intense. It's just for a class assignment. If you're not busy, maybe we can sit down and I can explain? And we could get away from all the looks," Hide cast a quick look around and rubbed his neck. Okay, not oblivious to the scene he was making, then. Kaneki smiled.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember you from class, and I have a lecture now-"

"Please! It won't take long!" Hide interrupted him, clasping his hands together in front of him as if praying. Kaneki continued with a slightly louder voice.

"-BUT if you are free, we can meet up at 17 and talk then?" As he finished speaking Hide laughed.

"Sneaky! Okay, yeah, that works! Thank you!" Hide said and gave a small jump on the spot. Kaneki thought the other reminded him of a puppy with his excessive energy and big expressive eyes.

"It's nothing. See you later then, I really have to go now," Kaneki said as he pushed away from the wall. He didn't look back at Hide, but felt like he could finally breathe properly again, no longer feeling cornered.

"Meet me at the cafeteria at 17! Okay?!" Hide called after him. Kaneki raised a hand to indicate he had heard him.

The lecture passed in slow motion and Kaneki wasn't able to focus at all. Why had a student, whom he barely knew, from Asian History approached him for an interview? What was the interview about? Why had he approached him specifically? When the lecture was halfway done Kaneki had started to doubt his decision to meet up with the other. What if he was an investigator? What if he was part of the Anti-Ghoul movement? What if he wanted to out him in school? Or just humiliate him?

As the clock struck 17 and the teacher announced the end of class Kaneki was sweating and trembling. He would not go to the meeting. He didn't know this Hide-person, and he had nothing to gain by meeting up with him, but he had a lot to lose. Kaneki nervously carded his hands through his white hair and tried to think.

Touka had warned him that there were people that still searched out ghouls and bullied them, no matter the new anti-discrimination laws. But Hide had seemed so nice. So happy. So genuine. And Kaneki had to admit to himself, he was lonely. Keeping to himself as to not risk someone discovering his secret had ended with a very lonely school experience. And what if Hide was as kind as he seemed. He could just go to the meeting and see what the other wanted. If he sensed any foul-play he could simply leave.

Having made up his mind, Kaneki made his way over towards the school cafeteria. He stopped walking several times, having to talk himself into continuing again and again. Living a life in hiding did result in some problems when it came to trusting people.

Kaneki came to a halt right outside the cafeteria and peered in. He could make out Hide sitting alone at a table in the back, two cups in front of him and a pair of headphones over his ears. Kaneki quickly scanned the rest of the room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He slowly let out the breath he had been holding and felt his shoulders relax. It really seemed like Hide had just wanted to meet and talk.

Kaneki started to make his way over to where Hide sat, but hadn't taken more than a couple of steps before the other shot up from the chair he had been sitting in, ripped of his headphones, and started waving at Kaneki with a huge grin.

"Kaneki! Over here!" Hide shouted over the cafeteria, earning quite a few annoyed looks from the other visitors. Kaneki wondered how he could have possibly missed this person being a part of his Asian History class for a whole term. The wonder of always keeping your head down, he supposed.

"Yes, hello Hide. I see you," Kaneki said when he was close enough to the other to be able to communicate with a normal speaking voice.

"I thought you weren't gonna show! Your coffee got cold," Hide said and pouted. He actually pouted. Kaneki quickly looked away and focused on the clock situated above the cafeteria entrance. 17:20.

"Oh…" Kaneki turned back to Hide's still pouty face and felt himself turn red, "I'm sorry Hide, I lost track of the time." At his words Hide's face transformed back into the smile that seemed to be its standard setting. Kaneki breathed a bit easier.

"It's cool. Your coffee that is. Might want to get a refill if you're not a fan of ice-lattes," Hide said with a laugh as he sat back down at the table. Kaneki forced a laugh as well, suppressing a shudder at the thought of coffee with any trace of milk in it. Maybe he should go get a new coffee.

"Alright, I'll be right back. You want anything?" Kaneki said as he put his bag down by the chair opposite to Hide. When had this turned into such a pleasant, friendly, meet up? Kaneki couldn't bring himself to mind.

"Yeah! Can you see if they have some bread? Melon bread. Thanks, and sorry!" Hide smiled at him and Kaneki smiled back instinctively. He turned to make his way over to the counter when he felt a small frown replace his smile. He turned back towards Hide.

"Why are you sorry?"

"Hm? Well, it might be a bit uncomfortable for you? If not, then I'm sorry for assuming!" Hide smiled and rubbed at his neck again, seemingly feeling a bit ashamed. Kaneki opened his mouth to ask why it would make him uncomfortable to buy him some bread, but closed it again. They could talk when he got back. He did really want some coffee.

After picking out a piece of bread, filling a cup to the brim with warm, black, coffee from the cafeteria's coffee-machine, and paying, Kaneki made his way back over to where Hide sat. During his absence Hide had produced a notebook and a pen and sat scribbling small shapes in the corner of the paper, humming aloud to a song Kaneki didn't recognize.

"Here's your bread." Kaneki put the food down on top of Hide's notebook, seemingly startling the other out of his thoughts.

"Oh! Thank you!" Hide said and directed a big smile up at Kaneki who cleared his throat and took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"It's just bread," He mumbled out, but Hide continued to smile at him so in an attempt to make him stop Kaneki huffed out a "You're welcome." It didn't work.

"I'm glad you decided to show up, I didn't know who else to ask," Hide started as he tore open the package of sweet smelling bread. Kaneki fought to not wrinkle his nose at the strong smell. Hide looked up. "Oh, is it okay if I eat this? I'm starving!" Hide chuckled apologetically and bit into the bread with clear delight. Gross.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Kaneki scratched at his chin and brought his coffee up to his face, breathing in the comforting aroma. Hide simply shrugged in response.

"So… Why did you ask me? We have never talked before. Have we?" Kaneki knew he was sometimes bad at remembering people, but he was sure that he would have been able to recall a conversation with the overly-happy, loud, and positively beaming guy that sat in front of him.

"Well... As I said, I didn't have anyone else to ask. And I remembered you from Asian History, and you seemed nice, even though we never really talked before, and… yeah!" Hide spoke with his mouth full. Kaneki did wrinkle his nose in distaste this time. Hide laughed.

"What is this interview about?" Kaneki asked with a slight sense of apprehension.

"Well…" Hide swallowed his food, "Ghouls."

"…What?"

"Well, it's an assignment from Ghoul Studies, and I thought -" Hide spoke with an innocent smile, seemingly not noticing Kaneki's suddenly pale face, "- that I could interview a ghoul close to my age, you are around 18, right? Well, anyway. Then I remembered seeing you in Asian History, and thought that; man! I want to interview that guy! And then - " Kaneki felt himself start to sweat and he carefully placed his cup on the table when saw his hands shaking, Hide continued on, " – I saw you in the hallway earlier today, and well, the rest you know!" Hide ended his speech by raising his hands high, still smiling. Kaneki looked at him with wide eyes, opening and closing his mouth several times without saying a word. Hide finally seemed to focus on the person he was talking to and his smile immediately fell. "Dude, you're all pale. Are you okay?"

"I- I'm…" Kaneki managed to get out of his suddenly very tight throat. Hide knew he was a ghoul. Who else in school knew? Would he have to change school again?

"Oh. Oh no. I'm sorry," Hide lowered his voice and bent forward towards Kaneki, "Was it a secret? I didn't realize. I haven't told anyone, it's cool." Kaneki felt himself relax slightly at this.

"Okay, o-okay. I believe you," Kaneki mumbled and grasped his hands together on the table, trying to get them to stop shaking.

"Shit. Sorry, again," Hide looked genuinely distressed as he looked at Kaneki, "I mean, it's not something you have to hide, right? It hasn't been illegal to be a ghoul in years." Kaneki simply raised an eyebrow at this. "Well, okay. On paper at least," Hide amended.

"Well, I better get going. Sorry Hide," Kaneki said as he stood up on slightly shaky legs. Hide got to his feet as well.

"You can't do the interview? You sure?" Hide spoke with less gusto than before, seemingly having realized that he had brought up something quite sensitive.

"No, I can't," Kaneki said with finality, bending to pick his bag up.

"You can be absolutely anonymous, you know," Hide said in a low voice. Kaneki looked up and regretted it the moment his eye landed on the other's face. Hide had his mouth in a pout again, and in combination with bunched up eyebrows and wide eyes he made the perfect picture of pleading innocence. Kaneki was weak.

"Only if you can guarantee that no-one will know it's me," Kaneki said hesitantly. Why was he agreeing to this? Was he really so desperate for a friend?

"I promise!" Hide raised a hand to his heart and Kaneki found it impossible to doubt the sincerity in the other's eyes.

"Well… alright. But not in school," Kaneki said as he sat down again. Hide followed suit and sat down on his chair with a small smile once again stretched across his lips.

"Okay, no problem. We could go to a café?" Hide said as he picked up his notebook and pen and stuffed them into his bag. Kaneki picked up his cup again, relieved that his hands were no longer shaking, and took a long sip of the coffee. It wasn't very good.

"I know just the place," Kaneki said with a smile of his own.