Prologue
Money. Stone cold cash. That was what ran the world in America. My name is Kaneki Ken, but I have people refer to me as Ken to stop confusion between how to pronounce Kaneki. I was on a Visa, visiting Chicago to study abroad. My family quickly created a business here, and I had slaved over all summer, working overtime almost every day each week. With a sigh, I put on my blue hoodie, one of my favorites, and looked back at the wooden coffee shop. There were very few customers compared to the restaurants nearby, and most everyone chose to drink coffee rather than eat.
"Antaiku, huh? Couldn't you have chosen an easier name for a Japanese-style Eatery, Auntie?"
"Now Ken, watch your mouth. You know your mother would throw a fit if you said something like that."
"Alright."
The chime rang as I exited.
"Hey kid, how much you got in that wallet?"A masked robber approached me. I could barely even get out of the doorstep.
"Why does it matter to you?" I asked.
"Does it look like I give a fuck what you think, boy?! How much you got? Let me rephrase that, tell me or get fucking shanked. Sound good?" He unsheathed a switchblade.
Without a second thought, I sudo flipped him to the ground, jumping on top of him and punching him. Blood splattered across the streets, as I heroically flipped my hair and wiped the blood off of my knuckles.
…
As if.
"How much do you want? I've been working extra." I asked.
"Really? Like that? Good lookin' kid. Good lookin'."
And like that, all my summer cash had drove off. Robbed in broad daylight. How much worse could America get? I wasn't going to let it stop me though. The robber was merciful somehow leaving enough money to go run errands. I knew I had to run errands, I knew I had to do everything my mother wanted me to. Or else…
I'm on my way downtown Chicago, the streets swarmed with people. I wish that I could have been born here, or at least gone to high school here. everyone seemed so interesting wanted to meet as many people as I could. But it's hard to create ties with people outside of school, maybe it's because of how awkward it would be.
If there's anyone in America who I could ever consider a friend, it would be Hideyoshi. Here's another foreign exchange student however he came from Korea instead of Japan like me. The two of us were absolute contrasts. Well he'd always be out partying with the coolest people in the neighborhood, I'd rather spend my time digging my nose in a book. However there were times where I wondered what it would be like to be so popular.
My phone started ringing and vibrating in my pocket. It was a cheap Android, nothing expensive. I almost jumped up and happiness as I realize the person calling was Hideyoshi.
" Ken what's up?" Hideyoshi said as loud yelling and screaming occured in the background.
"Where you at? It sounds like a robbery."
"Robbery? Nah man it's party, you-know I'm at these all the time."
" Sounds obnoxious. Do they really have to scream to the music? Anyways what's up do you need something?"
" Well we ran out of pizza at this party and I hate to bug you, but maybe could you go out and buy some for us all. I swear I'll pay you back!"
"Yeah sure, I was just about to go shopping. You always swear but you never pay me back. It's okay, bye." I wish I could tell him about me getting mugged a second ago, however, knowing how popular he was he probably get some sort of gang to come after that dude. I myself wouldn't still but knowing how rough it is being poor I don't exactly blame them.
Before I knew it I was at the supermarket. a Cashier greeting me. She was a woman with long hair that stretch to her waist, cute Freckle face, I'm gorgeous blue eyes. Something about her seemed familiar, but I'm not sure why.
"Food." she said.
"What was that?" I asked.
" I said we have the best food in town. If there's anything you need just find me." She said.
"Yeah where's the pizza isle? In fact, where's the cheapest that you have?"
" Aisle 7. Tiger Mamas, it's a pizza with a tiger on it, can't miss it."
I grabbed a buggy and made my way to aisle 7. To think I was actually buying party food before buying my own groceries.
I purposely went in the cute girl's aisle. Not because she was a girl-obviously not. More like with me being a recluse I'd rather go in the aisle of someone who greeted me than anyone else. Her nametag read Teresa.
" Will this be all today?" Teresa said.
"Yeah, but uh, ma'am? Are you okay?" I noticed that she began to drool from one of the corners of her mouth.
"Oh sorry! I just got kind of… lost in your eyes. They're really beautiful you know?" She added.
"Thanks, I guess." I hate interactions like this. Because of how I addressed I was often a target of gold digging people thought I had money. But something about how genuinely honest this woman was made when I get it a try anyways.
" I hear the public library in town has many interesting… books I guess? Heh, maybe after your shift you could find me. I spend a lot of time there."
"All right handsome. Whats your name?" She smiled
"Ken. Ken Kaneki.".
As soon as I exit it the supermarket I internally screamed. what the hell?! did I actually just flirt with an American Girl? Better yet did I actually just schedule a date? oh my God this is terrible. what am I going to wear, what am I going to do?! I know what. I'll ask Hideyoshi, he's got a new girlfriend every week. Surely he's good with women.
I texted Hideyoshi. "OMG, got a girl to go out with me. I'm gonna die, what do I do?"
"No way man you? She another nerd?"
"She's really…. Uh… I forget the word in English for it."
"I think the word you're looking for Ken, is thick."
"What? She wasn't fat ."
"No no no, thick is American for pretty. hey next time you're at your mom's why don't you try it?"
"Will do."
I drop the pizza off at the front door of Hideyoshi's house. No way was I walking into a party. Too much anxiety. Suddenly, however, the door of Hideyoshi's neighbor opened up. Something was off. How was it, my entire life of knowing Hideyoshi, I didn't realize that the cashier, Teresa, was his neighbor?!
"Oh my goodness!" I blurted out loud on accident.
"Hey you're the Cutie from earlier. I was just heading out in way."
" By any chance could I catch a ride from you? All I've got is my bicycle actually."
" Really? by chance do you know any tricks?" There's a skatepark nearby."
" Eh just a bunnyhop and a spin or so?"
" You've gotta show me!"
" sure."
It had to be an alternate universe. We sat outside her house for a good 30 minutes just watching with her just watching me doing tricks. at a point I was just making shit up and she still found it interesting.
Hey stop right there. she said as I approached the top of the halfpipe. I want to talk with you."
I press on the brakes inside on the top of the half pipe. We looked out at the industrial World which was Chicago. it was beautiful though not as beautiful as her.
" what makes you interested in me?" I asked Teresa.
" honestly your smell."
"Really ?" I asked, not pointing to the fact that I forgot to wear deoderant today.-
"Come here." Teresa leaned in for a kiss.
My heart began pounding. This would be my first kiss and with an American girl, that was pretty much a supermodel at that. Sure the beginning of today was completely horrible, but I'd lose all my money again for a Girl Like This.
I leaned in as well expecting to be kissing her lips, but found my mouth on her chin instead. She had put her lips on my eye for some reason.
"This isn't exactly what I expected."
"Just shut up for a second let me take over." She said. This was about to get steamy.
There was a jolt of incomprehensible pain. It was like my eye was struck by lightning. I collapsed to the ground, noticing that my vision have shifted dramatically to the left. Teresa's teeth had grown sharper, in fact, there was an extra row of teeth, and one of her canines had impaled an eyeball.
I didn't feel the pain at first. But the second I realized it was my eye, she had in her mouth, I began to squirm and scream in pain. my yells could be heard throughout the neighborhood, blood spraying from my eye socket like a tap water faucet. I tried to crawl away, but my body was far too weak from all the blood loss. My arms simply flailed erratically like the lens of a dying bug.
"You just ate my eye?!" I said in between screams.
"Isn't it beautiful? Did I already say that about your eyes. I don't even want to swallow this. I honestly want to see how much I could sell it for."
"What?! You're fucking crazy."
"You think that's crazy?" She laughed, " Just wait till we get to the torture."
In a desperate attempt to get away, I pushed against the concrete with my feet. However, she took a knife out of her pocket, getting closer.
"Get away from me, get away from me!" I continued to squirm.
"I'm gonna watch you die, slowly and painfully. But first, I wanna see just how much blood you can produce. Watching my products suffer for as long as they can sure is sweet." She plucked my eyeball off of her tooth, nerves and pink innards dripping out of it.
With a swift movement, more swift than my dream of sudo flipping the burglar, I grabbed her calf with one hand, digging my nails as deep as I could, and the wheel of my bike with the other.
"He's trying to fight! How beautiful. He thinks he can kill me." Teresa laughed.
I chucked the entire bicycle at her. She fell down the halfpipe, twisting her ankle on contact with the ground. You could hear it snap from up here.
"That oughta do it, right?" I asked myself.
Suddenly, red gas began to pour out of Rize. It wasn't blood, but rather a mysterious mist of some sort. It formed into spikes, which hardened into solid spiked arms stretching from her back. She had become a human spider.
"You're so cute!" She twisted her head with a few loud pops. It was twisted far further than the human human neck could allow.
I had finally gathered the strength to get up and run, however my first step I dropped my phone down the halfpipe. Before it fell, I must've clicked a contact, as I could hear it calling.
It's official, this is literally the worst morning of my life. I should've stayed in Tokyo.
Fuck.