DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TOKYO GHOUL.

Note: This is my first Tokyo Ghoul fanfic. And this is a oneshot that I happen to think of after watching the whole scene when Amon, Akira and Seido hung out and Seido shouts at his partner through the phone. So yeah, you could say this is similar to it. And advanced apologies for the OOC's. It is likely to happen since I don't own them, just someone who wants to write about them.

And by the way this is AU. Ghouls exist and all but Takizawa did not die because I need him here. And I made up some personal background too. I don't read the manga, just watched the anime.

AKIRA MADO'S DEEPEST, DARKEST SECRET

At present date, a reunion happen to take place. Five years after the young cadets have graduated from the Academy. Of course they invited some of their friends and superiors, coworkers and others.

Among those invited guests are Shinohara Yukinori and Suzuya Juuzou. Amon Kotaro and Kureo Mado (yes, they're alive here too). Sasaki Haise (confusing how he got there when a lot of changes happened, but this is AU and I needed him too.)

"There's a lot of people." said Sasaki, he was pretty observant of his surroundings.

"Well it's a big day. These cadets gained a lot of friends since they graduated." Shinohara explained.

"Oh."

They were sitting at the living room set at the corner. Sasaki just kept looking at his surroundings, telling himself that these people here that they are celebrating with, are his mentor's classmates when she was a young cadet. Juuzou eyed for any treats and happen to spot them on a tong table. He had a wide smile as he tugged Shinohara's blazer, pointing at the treats. Shinohara nodded and Juuzou ran towards the table.

"I can't believe I wasn't invited here before! This place is amazing!" Kureo exclaimed.

"Really? That's odd to hear from you Mado." Shinohara told his old friend and Kureo chuckled.

"There are a lot of new quinques invented! Lots that I could learn about and lots that I could share to them!"

"So that's why." Shinohara finally understood.

Amon on the other hand didn't feel much comfortable. He didn't know how to communicate with all these people. All he was focused about before was his job, hunting ghouls and all. Celebrating like this feels so new. Even if in his younger years, he's barely had experience.

"Amon-kun, go enjoy yourself." Kureo said as he left his seat. "I'll be sharing my knowledge with the other investigators, maybe they'd listen."

Before Amon could reply, Kureo has already gone to the rest of the investigators that is crowding in one corner. Amon released a sigh and Shinohara noticed that somehow Amon felt lonely.

"Looking for someone?" He asked. Amon was about to shake his head but then he realized who Shinohara was pertaining to.

"Well, I'm not sure she's the type to attend these things." He replied.

"True but, she's here."

"Really? Where?" Seeing Amon's change of mood, Shinohara decided to share something to Amon.

"Amon, Sasaki, do you want to know what Akira's deepest, darkest secret is?" Shinohara asked, his face wore a smirk. The two nodded, curious what the always in-control, quinque mania woman was keeping. "She-"

Shinohara was cut off when he saw a shadow growing closer towards them. Seeing a woman with pale blonde hair standing in front of him with her arms crossed. Juzo was standing beside her, carrying several treats in his arms hugging tons of sweets that he's gathered.

"Shinohara-san, look what Mado-chan brought me!" Juuzou exclaimed, raising the sweets.

"H- How nice of you, Akira." He tried not to panic. He was about to share her 'deepest, darkest secret' to Amon and Sasaki. She'll be raging mad if she finds out.

"Suzuya is a cheerful boy. He doesn't get on my nerves. I like it." She replied simply, locking her eyes on Shinohara's, intimidating him. As if she had a clue on what Shinohara was about to tell the boys.

"Akira-san, Shinohara was about to tell us your deepest, darkest secret. What is it really about?" Sasaki asked and Shinohara's heart started to beat rapidly. He grabbed Sasaki, an arm around his neck and his other hand covering Sasaki's mouth as he nervously faced the woman.

"H- He has no idea what he's saying!" He tried to cover up.

"Really now?" Akira raises a brow on him. Amon took glances at Shinohara and Akira, feeling the tension between them. Whatever that secret was, it's worth knowing if Akira's acting this way to block it out.

"Y- Yeah. Isn't that r- right Amon?" Shinohara tried to ask for Amon for help but Amon couldn't decide which one to side to. He half-shrugged and half-nodded.

"It doesn't seem that he's even sure of it." Akira was emitting a strong black aura, that no one could see, which is actually a sign that she's really angry.

"Akira!" shouted her father. The woman turned to her father, surprised at his sudden hug as if they haven't seen each other for years. "I've been hearing from the guys about your dirty little secret five years ago, want to share it?" He asked after pulling away.

Akira glared at the group of men that Kureo once spoke to. The men trembled and pointed at each other. She dropped her glare when Kureo pulled her to the counter to order her a drink.

"I'm coming too!" Sasaki shoved Shinohara's hands away as he ran after the father and daughter. Juuzou ran after them.

"What about you Amon?" asked Shinohara.

"I'm also curious. But if Akira doesn't want to talk about it.. then I shouldn't probably hear it." He said, being humble and all.

"Don't worry. It will take another five years to forget about it."

"Huh?"

"Kidding. It's your choice anyway."

Shinohara stood up to join the other senior investigators. While Kureo stood behind her daughter ordering a drink for her. Juuzou sat beside her, placing the sweets his gathered on the counter. Sasaki sat on the other side. Wanting to know more of his beloved mentor. Akira could only release a sigh of disappointment of how the events have turned out.

"Come on, my treat! Tell your father what it's really about." He probed.

"I- It's nothing." She denied.

"You stuttered." Sasaki stated.

"What's that got to do with anything?" She turned to Sasaki, challenging him.

"People stutter when they're not sure, keeping something so they formulate a lie or simply because it's a sickness."

"W- Where did that come from?!"

"Now, now, Mado calm down!" said the new arrival, Takizawa, placing both hands on her shoulders, imitating a massage action to calm her down. "You're getting too obvious about our little secret here!"

"Just shut up Seido!"

"N- No way! You and Seido?!" Sasaki shifted his gaze from Takizawa to Akira and vice versa.

Immediately, Akira shoved Takizawa's hands away from her shoulders. Kureo seemed to be amused at the sight, as if seeing his daughter finally growing up and even finding a partner for life. But that's not it! She can't accept that and there's no way they'll think Takizawa has something to do with her or her future.

"Enough with that. This is nonsense. Talk about something else." She said coldly and Kureo pats her in the head.

"We'll talk about that later." He said and walked away. The tension finally faded. Takizawa bribed Juuzou away and sat in his seat. Akira ordered a glass of water.

"You're really tensed. I didn't know being 'us' gets on your nerves." Takizawa started and Akira glared at him.

"Don't you even think about spouting more lies." Then she felt a tap on her shoulder from behind. Sasaki was staring at her, wanting to know more.

"Don't tell me you believe him, Sasaki?"

"Sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?! Don't you trust your mentor?!"

"I do. But I trust him too."

'This is hopeless'. She thought. She gave in and just grabbed the glass of water she ordered to take a sip. This party is not going well as she thought it would.

A little while later, the woman was sleeping on the counter. Everyone was already going home. Sasaki was tapping on her shoulders to wake her up but she was deep in sleep. Shinohara approached them to call on Juuzou when Sasaki decided to ask him something.

"Will you tell us? About it?" Sasaki asked. And Shinohara knew the coast was clear.

"It won't hurt to stay for a while, right Juuzou?" He asked and Juuzou nodded. "It happened five years ago. It was their graduation."

FIVE YEARS AGO

In the graduation of the cadets in-training, everyone was celebrating. But there's one person that doesn't like to mingle with others that much. One person who prefers to make quinque's than spend time with human beings. In this celebration of their graduation, she was forced to attend. And who is this person? The only daughter of Kureo, Akira Mado.

Takizawa Seido. Always the second best in class. That was all he was against Akira Mado.

He decided to do something about it.

Sitting beside Akira, he ordered a drink for the two of them. Akira darted him a squint, wondering what he was up to. She's aware that he's uneasy around her, so sitting beside her and ordering a drink for the two of them is an unusual deed.

"What do you want, Seido?" She kept her eyes squinted at him as the sake he ordered was placed on the counter.

"Direct to the point as always, Mado." He replied as he took a glass of sake. "What does it look like? I'm trying to compensate."

"Compensate? What kind of nonsense is that?"

"I hated you all these years. That's what I'm compensating about!"

"I'm not affected by it so don't bother."

Her words stung him so deeply. Why can't he win? Just once? Just for once! Just once he wished that he could win against this undefeated opponent of his! Just once he is ranked first and she the second! Just once and he'll feel better! Once! He only asked once!

"Please." He begged. Akira sighed in defeat and took the other glass.

"You're paying right?" She said as she lifted the glass to her mouth.

"Yeah." He assured and Akira drank.

Takizawa started to talk about what he feels during their times at the Academy, how he always wanted to beat her in everything but always failed. Akira said she wasn't competing with him or anything, she just wanted to mature early so that she can assist her father but that's about it.

Takizawa couldn't believe that he's hating her for it. When she actually had a good intention of being the best cadet. While his goal is to simply outrank her. So he considered the drink they had, really as a compensation.

But the two had one too many drinks already, making the two quite drunk. Takizawa's phone rang and he answered it, shouting at the caller without even looking who it was.

"Why ar' you calling at thish hour, doucshebag?!" The caller didn't respond. "Hey! Hey!"

"I wanted to inform you that you didn't pass any report for your first mission." replied the caller.

"Report? Shcrew thoshe reports! I already graduated!"

"You could always be pulled back into the Academy, Seido."

Takizawa only laughed. Akira, who was also drunk, looked at her classmate who laughed his lungs out.

"You're too noishy Sheido!" She yelled at him.

"Are you with Akira Mado?" asked the caller after hearing her voice.

"Yeah. Sshe's sho hot! And she's shtaring at me like I'm shome lunatic!" Takizawa exclaimed and Akira reached for his tie to pull him close and took his phone, pressing the loudspeaker button.

"Who issh thishh?! Why are you asshking about me?" she asked, the caller could quickly identify that the two were drunk.

"I heard of your exemplary performance at the Academy. I thought highly of you until now."

Takizawa heard it and grabbed her wrist to lean his phone closer to him.

"Don't 'ya tell me sshe'll get promoted becausshe of her 'exempery performanshe'!" He complained.

"No I won't. She's only human, so I can't exactly exempt her from going through rank 3 first before anything else." replied the caller.

"HA!" Takizawa releases her wrist with a big grin in his face. "HUMAN!" He teased/

"Iff my intelligenshe issh conshidered 'human', what'shh yoursh?!" She threw at him and Takizawa stopped to actually think about it.

"Darn it all!" He yelled. "Thissh issh all yo'r fault you shhleezshbag! Iff I ever shee you, I will rip you open like a ghoul!"

"Really? Is that a challenge?" the caller seemed amused to play with the two.

"Yeah! And I've got hish back!" Akira added.

"Well then, see you two tomorrow. Back at the Academy."

The call ended and the two danced frantically, ignoring what others are thinking about them.

The two woke up and were a mess. It was quite a hangover for them. Young Shinohara was waiting for them to wake up. They were in one of the rooms at the clinic in the Academy.

"Ah, have you two prepared yet?" Shinohara asked.

"Prepared for what?" Takizawa asked, rubbing his eyes, still drowsy.

"For the big fight. We're surprised you actually challenged him."

"Him?" Akira wondered as she stretched her arms. Her head was throbbing really bad.

"You two don't remember a thing, don't you?" The two exchanged looks. Shrugging to each other as they looked back at Shinohara. "Well, it's best you get ready. Akira, you should be thankful your father isn't here to see this."

"Huh?"

Shinohara didn't bother to explain further. Probably as ordered to him.

"Just get ready. And for the record, I'm glad you two finally found something in common. Something that you don't argue about."

Leaving with that statement confused the two. What could they possibly have in common?

PRESENT

"So for short, Seido and Akira challenged-" Sasaki was about to tell the conclusion when suddenly a tall, well-built man with snow hair approached them stopped him from talking.

"Yes. They did." He eyed the sleeping Akira and Takizawa.

"Did they win?"

"You'd be surprised." An answer which left Sasaki thinking. "Sasaki, the reason I chose her to be your mentor, is because I got to know her more that day."

"I'm honored to have her as my mentor." He replied with a smile.

The man took one last glance at the two sleeping nutheads who once teased him, before leaving. Amon heard and saw everything, making him wonder, what really happened back then.

"Well then, let's go home Juuzou." Shinohara called it. It was going to be a long night.

"I'll take Akira home." Sasaki volunteered. "But what about Seido?"

"I got him!" Amon volunteered, appearing from behind Sasaki.

"Oh thank you." He blinked when he suddenly wondered. "Where's Kureo?"

"Oh uh, he left with the other investigators who got interested in his work." Amon explained.

"I see."

"Take care now." Shinohara said. "It's a big day tomorrow. We'll be back to work."

"Yeah. Work." Sasaki said and waved at Shinohara and Juuzou.

"Sasaki.. take care of her alright?" Amon said.

"Of course."

Probably Amon is hinting that he'll die soon. Well, they never know when they die in the field of action. But Amon is rest assured that even if he's gone, someone will look after his precious Akira.

Amon carried Takizawa with him to a taxi while Sasaki stayed for a while. Watching his mentor sleep so peacefully. The man's words still playing in his head.

'So her deepest, darkest secret is that she challenged him?' he thought. 'It has to be something else, right Akira?'

He wanted to ask.

And in his surprise, Akira mumbled something. At first he couldn't understand, but as the woman repeated her words, Sasaki smiled.

"I'll do my best. I'll make you proud." He said, even if he knew that she won't hear or remember it.

And with that, he took her home.

The End