The coffee shop of Anteiku was silent as it approached closing time. The female ghoul who hid her right eye behind her violet hair frowned slightly as she rubbed hard at the coffee stain on a table. Her day had been hectic- the coffee shop was so busy that even the eventfulness of the opening paled in comparison. There had been a lot of chatter about the ghoul named Kaneki Ken returning to the 20th ward. The female ghoul had tensed up at every mention of his name. Her ears sharpened in hope of catching even a rumour of a more specific place he might be.

After all, even though Kirishima Touka would never admit it, one of the reasons she had reopened Anteiku was so that maybe, just maybe, Kaneki Ken will return.

The doorbell chimed as it signalled the arrival of a new customer.

"Welcome to Anteiku-…!"

The new customer had changed from the last time Touka had seen him but he was still recognisable.

There were only few people who had that soft white hair of his. One of his eyes was covered by the eyepatch of his mask and his kakugan was present.

The moment the gaze of his kakugan rested on Touka, he felt his breath taken away. In the few years he had gone, Touka had blossomed to be a beautiful woman, not that she wasn't previously. Her voice on his ears was like a starving man hearing the beautiful crunch of an apple he finally gets to eat.

Kaneki lunged forward, holding the woman he had longed for close to him.

Unfortunately, her fist came colliding with his face shortly after.

"You idiot, Kaneki! Where have you been?!" she screamed, landing blow after blow to his rock-like stomach.

"Touka-chan, stop that."

"NO! I won't stop! Do you know how worried we were?!"

"Touka-chan, that hurts."

"Don't call me that, Kaneki Ken! You had deserted us for years! We thought you had died!"

Her blows slowed and she soon slid to the floor exhausted, hugging her knees to her chest as her shoulders trembled with sobs. Kaneki kneeled in front of her, running his hand through her hair which she pushed off.

"Don't touch me!"

But after a while, her faux anger at him disspated as she eventually gave in and embraced him tightly.

"Touka-chan…"

"Don't leave me again, Kaneki. Please don't leave me alone."