Beams of light had barely broke over the horizon as Tsukiyama made his way across the park grass to his favorite bench. He sat down on the far right side, crossed his legs and produced a small, compact purple book from his coat. He placed it on his lap, covered with slender hands and closed his eyes.
Tsukiyama inhaled deeply, appreciating the bite in his lungs from the frigid air. It reminded him of home, where the mornings always took your breath away and left you struggling for warmth. It wasn't a pleasant feeling to many, and even Tsukiyama had memories of cursing the cold most mornings, but in Tokyo, so far away from his native land, even the dismal things of his homeland seemed to fill him with longing.
He looked down at the book in his lap. Though small in size, it had many pages, and was well worn around the edges. The cover was blank, and that bothered Tsukiyama. Books had titles, fancy illustrations or emboldened names. Certainly, a book written by a being of his nature would have all of these things but Tsukiyama understood how the contents of this book must remain secret, so for that reason alone he was discreet.
The sun rose gradually, the rays lapping lazily against his face as the day began. His frigid hands warmed somewhat in the sun, and he opened his eyes, taking in the cherry trees that were stripped bare of their flowers. Trees were very important things to Tsukiyama; like him, they represented the duality of the Ghoul.
Tsukiyama opened the book and withdrew a pen from his jacket pocket; he began to write about another day he had been sitting on this bench.
"Trees are like ghouls, Kaneki-ken."
"…Trees, Tsukiyama-san? How so?"
He smiled, savoring Kaneki's question.
"We are, literally speaking, the paragon of man. As Ghouls, we have evolved into a race that mankind will never be able to compete with. Our physical prowess coupled with Kagune have eliminated the strength disparity between genders and unified our races. Tell me, what sort of strength do the CCG possess? Where does their greatest strength lie?"
"The only time I have ever seen Ghouls killed is by Kagune."
"So by extension?"
"I see what you're saying. The CCG's greatest strength stems from their quinque, which is a Kagune harvested from a ghoul. So their true strength is in numbers and their ability to adapt to their opponent."
Tsukiyama smiled, the right corner of his mouth stretching nearly to his ear in pleasure.
"I see you take your education seriously, Kaneki-ken. Yes, the CCG lacks the ability to construct weapons capable of destroying a Ghoul without the useage of a Ghoul, or rather, a Kagune. True, their guns may be enough to handle weaker Ghouls that stumble across their path, but the reality is that even with the assistance of their archaic technology they do not have the ability to eradicate Ghouls from society. Even if the Doves are successful and catch the Aogiri tree and all the Ghouls at your precious coffee shop, Ghouls will persevere in Tokyo. Throughout the world."
Tsukiyama leaned towards Kaneki. "We are everywhere, Kaneki. We are functioning members of this society, and have been for some time now. My own family is responsible for much of the restoration done to my homeland after the Great War. Granted, we have poor organizational skills." He chuckled. "But we are territorial beings by nature, you see? I am not an aberrant among my kind; I'm simply a product of my environment."
"You're saying humans are helpless before Ghouls? Innately? That hardly justifies their slaughter. Humans have liv-"
"They use us for parts! They harvest our organs and then kill our friends and family with them! Where is the humanity in that? We are trees, Kaneki. Useful only for the resource we yield, not the blossoms on our branches."
"You think the human struggle to eradicate Ghouls from the world is...for nothing? Because Ghouls are simply better?"
Tsukiyama stood suddenly, as if recalling a sudden appointment. "I don't think so Kaneki."
He smiled sweetly in Kaneki's direction. "I know. I feast on human flesh. My very being is fueled by humanity's demise."
"You are a pestilence then. A plague upon society."
"We, Kaneki."
Kaneki rose suddenly, and approached Tsukiyama with a level gaze. "Do not lump me with your lot. I may be a Ghoul, but you are something else entirely."
Tsukiyama giggled. "I'm glad you think so Kaneki-ken."
Behind his relaxed stance and calm demeanor, agitation arose, and manifest itself as fire in Kaneki's eyes. Tsukiyama reveled in his passion.
"You cannot deny you are fundamentally different from humans now. You possess Kagune."
"I possess an extra organ, that makes me inhuman?"
"You feast on human flesh Kaneki. You can never be anything other than a monster now."
Silence reigned over the park. Kaneki looked off into the distance, and his gaze seemed to soften at the sight of the playground.
He stepped close. At this distance, Tsukiyama could smell Kaneki's hair; gone were the coffee grounds and cherry blossoms, now sweat and grit assailed Tsukiyama's senses.
"I do not quite know what I am anymore Tsukiyama-san." he answered, glancing down and shuffling his feet. "But I do know we look, speak, act, and feel all the same things. And, if we could, we would live lives identical to theirs. What are we if not human?"
Kaneki had left him speechless that day. Their relationship had taken an academic turn of late; leading a personal crusade against the Aogiri Tree and protecting the Ghouls of Anteiku, while time consuming, gave Tsukiyama more time with his friend. The overprotective old man was no longer covering for Kaneki, and Touka seemed to have finally gone her separate way too.
Tsukiyama was relieved as he closed his book and returned it to his jacket pocket. He glanced at the sun; it hung high above him. Kaneki would be there soon for their regular meeting. He leaned back on the park bench, pulling from his pocket his most treasured possession, and breathed deeply the scent of succulence.