"In here Shinohara-san!" Juuzou exclaimed, smiling widely, with his arms thrown out towards the place for emphasis.
Shinohara just looked at where Juuzou lead him to with an exasperated expression. Though he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised at his unusual subordinate for pulling something like this.
In front of the two men was a store that looked like it came out of a fairy tale. It was small and childish. Every corner of it was filled with pastries, candies and just about any other sweets known to man. There were also tables and chairs where customers could sit and eat.
"Juuzou" Shinohara started "we came here because you said you knew someone who had information for our latest case. If you want sweets, we can get some later but now is really not the time."
"I do know someone, she's in here!" Juuzou went inside and the tinkling of a bell sounded. Shinohara had no choice but to follow him. As soon as the door closed behind them, a young lady around Juuzou's age was standing right in front of them.
"Hello, welcome!" she smiled sweetly, for some reason her eyes were directed intently on Juuzou.
"Hi Shouko-chan! We're here for information." Juuzou said, straight to the point.
She beamed at him "Oh? Why of course, I'll be happy to tell you whatever you need to know Juuzou-kun!" she flipped the sign by the door from open to closed. Then before either of the men could even so much as blink the girl was suddenly by Juuzou's side. She latched on to his arm and started dragging him off to somewhere within the store. "You came at a good time, nobody's here right now so we'll have no problem with anyone overhearing."
Shinohara just looked at the two, bewildered. He did not expect the girl to react like that. The way she latched on to him, it was obvious she was infatuated. Juuzou on the other hand was just letting the girl drag him. He was a little uncomfortable but he didn't do anything to stop the girl. Shinohara couldn't really tell whether the boy was just oblivious to her feelings or not. He never could tell just what went on in his subordinate's head.
The older man shook his head. There was no time to think about such trivial things, they had a case to solve. And apparently, Juuzou believes that girl could somehow provide them with the information they need to do so. He just followed them, hoping that this so called information gathering would actually be worthwhile.
Shouko led the two investigators to a table secluded from outside view. She reluctantly let go of Juuzou's arm and he immediately sat down. She sat down in front of him and Shinohara sat down beside him.
"Alright. So what do you need to know?"
Shinohara went into professional-mode and took out his badge showing it to the girl stirring in front of him "We're from the CCG and we are currently investigating-"
"Do you know anything about "Crocodile" Shouko-chan?" Juuzou cut him off.
"Crocodile? Hm...I'm not sure who you're talking about, can you give me a description?"
"Eh?!" Juuzou exclaimed "But Shouko-chan I thought you knew everything!"
"And for the most part I do. I know pretty much anything significant that happens in this city, whether it be about humans or ghouls. But all these nicknames you CCG give to some ghouls can be confusing, you know?"
And so Shinohara told her the physical description of the ghoul they know as Crocodile, from its mask to the general shape of its mature. Nodding in understanding the girl raised a hand in a signal to show she understood.
"Say no more, I know who you're talking about. That guy is real trouble, I tell you." Shouko told them.
"So, so, tell us!" Juuzou said in excitement, already visualizing how he's going to kill this ghoul and finally get himself his own quinque.
She giggled "Hold on Juuzou-kun, I said I'd be happy to give you information about this guy but I didn't say if give it for free." she told him mischievously, an impish grin and even wagging of the finger to emphasize her words.
"Eh?! So what do you want? Do you want me to hunt for you?" Juuzou asked curiously. This innocent (to Juuzou) question however, sent alarming bells through Shinohara.
"No, I'm not hungry. And I don't hunt anymore. Not since coming to this ward."
"Then what do you want?" Juuzou asked, starting to get irritated
Shinohara was having a hard time processing what's happening. Hunt? Not hungry? What was going on? Something was definitely off about this girl. By the way the two were talking it was as if this Shouko is a...no it can't be right? Juuzou wouldn't trust this girl otherwise. He may not be right in the head sometimes but even he wouldn't...
"Something you've worn. Preferably something that still smells like you." Shouko said cheerily, as if there was nothing wrong with that statement.
"Why?" Juuzou simply asked.
"Because" Shouko said in a 'no-duh' tone "you smell really good."
Shinohara was then thrown even further out of the loop when Shouko suddenly stood up and sniffed Juuzou as if it was totally normal to do so. Her nose was buried deep into the crook of Juuzou's neck and the guy was just letting her.
"You smell really really good, it's intoxicating!" she giggled. She then threw her arms around him and rubbed her head into his chest, all while he was still sitting but she somehow made something that should look totally awkward and out of place look natural. "Well, you could always just spend more time with me. You always leave me too early!"
It took a few moments for Shinohara to snap out of shock and remember the alarming signs this girl has been giving. If he wasn't hinted to the possibility with that "hunt" comment, he could have just passed off this weird display of affection as just that, a weird and overly enthusiastic display of affection. After all, it's pretty normal to love the smell of someone you have feelings for.
Shinohara was at a loss of what to do. This didn't seem like it was going to get them anywhere with the investigation. The girl claims to have information for them but has so far done nothing to help them and is downright suspicious herself!
All he could do was stare.
"It's really no wonder why you attract other ghouls so much, with how utterly delicious you smell!" she purred, her red eyes half lidded.
Wait, red?! A kakugan! Shinohara didn't waste anytime and unleashed his quinque.
Shouko saw this and instinctively leapt away a few feet from the man, with Juuzou still held in her arms. She let go of him and looked at Shinohara with deceptively innocent and calm eyes.
"Hey, watch where you swing that thing. If you mess up my shop, I'll make you pay for the damages." she simply said.
Shinohara narrowed his eyes "Juuzou, she's a ghoul! You knew this, so why?"
Juuzou held his arms in front of him, almost in a pacifying manner and grinned "But she's a good ghoul!"
Shinohara tightened his grip on his quinque. Ghouls cannot be trusted! What in the world is Juuzou thinking?!
"It's true. She was the one who got me away from Mama!"
This made Shinohara confused. What was he talking about? He was certain the CCG's raid in that Ghoul Restaurant was how Juuzou got away from his captor.
Shouko didn't bother explaining this to him and instead tried to move things along "Look, Investigator-san. If you want to kill me then go on right ahead and do it. But then I wouldn't be able to tell you the information that I know if I'm dead, and what good will that do for either of us?"
The man just looked at the ghoul distrustfully. His posture stuff and tensed, in all sense ready for battle.
The ghoul shrugged uncaringly "Hey, I wasn't lying earlier when I said I know pretty much everything that happens around here. So by killing me you're just going to make this and all your future cases a lot more difficult than it has to be." She smirked "After all, information means everything in this world we live in."
Shinohara faltered as he considered her words. If she really was telling the truth, then killing her really would be a great loss. And although he was greatly disappointed and a more than a little betrayed at Juuzou for pretty much siding with a ghoul, he still did have a level of trust for his abilities. And that included making decisions pertaining to a case. His best option right now would be to capture her and-
As if reading his thoughts she said "And don't even think about putting me in the ghoul prison of yours. That's a sure way to get me to withhold information. I only ever talk out of my own free will."
Shinohara took a deep breath, and sighed. He took away his quinque and sat back down, but he still made sure to keep a close eye on the ghoul. He couldn't be too careful around her.
Shouko smiled at that. Then she turned to Juuzou "So, how about it Juuzou-kun?"
Juuzou gave her a look that clearly said she was irritating him. But he knew that she had to get what she wants, otherwise not only would all this have been a waste of time but he would get a scolding too since Shinohara-san found out Shouko-chan is a ghoul. "I'll come back with one of my shirts or something."
"NO!" Shouko whined "Then it'd be clean and wouldn't smell like you anymore. Give me this one!" she took hold of Juuzou's white button down shirt.
Juuzou almost scowled "Alright! Just tell us what we need to know already!"
Shouko giggled at that sat back at her previous seat and waited for Juuzou to do the same. "Okay, so this "Crocodile", I actually know him personally. And like I already said, this guy's a nut job and I honestly believe that he deserves what's coming for him. I won't just go right up and tell you who he is, if you can't easily find that out on your own after what I tell you then you guys don't deserve to be investigators."
"Will you just tell us what you know?" Shinohara almost growled, his professional disposition completely gone. This ghoul really managed to rattle him.
Shouko told them everything about the ghoul they were investigating and even explained why this would be so with the information they already had to begin with. With the amount of information she did give them, it would be utterly ridiculous if they didn't manage to find Crocodile. And Shinohara was almost positive that she was telling the truth. Unless she knew beforehand and had time to prepare, she shouldn't be able to give that much information. And besides, it all made sense and none of the information clashed with each other.
"This is really good Shouko-chan!" Juuzou complimented with his mouth full from the cake he was eating. Somewhere in the middle of Shouko giving out information, Juuzou got too bored and got himself a slice of cake.
"Thanks, it's a new flavour." she smiled.
"Thank you for this information." Shinohara said stiffly and Shouko turned to him. He was still uncomfortable with what they have done and he doesn't know what he should do now. She's definitely helped them a lot in finding Crocodile, but she is still a ghoul. He's an investigator and as soon as he finds out someone is a ghoul he should eliminate them immediately. That was a basic principle.
"It's no problem at all, I'm happy to help you capture this guy." Shinohara was snapped out of his thoughts by her words, that sounded so sincere "I'd be happy to help you again in the future, regarding the ghoul is someone I deem deserves it anyway."
"What do you mean by that?" so she'd be willing to sell out some of her fellow ghouls but not others?
Shouko just looked at him as if his wuestion was completely ridiculous and then snorted in a way that said she should have expected this "Has it ever even crossed your mind that not all of us are the monsters you think we are?"
She looked back at Juuzou who was eating his cake, oblivious to everything.
She started drumming her fingers on the table as she watched Juuzou "Let me tell you something about us ghouls, this time for free."
Shinohara paid full attention to her. He didn't know why, but for some reason he really wanted to know what she was going to say next. Actually, everything this ghoul had said and everything she's done...he wanted to understand it.
"Its an unspoken understanding between all of us ghouls that if one of us ever meets a human who would accept us for what we are, we will treasure that person more than anything in the world. Because they're what living in this world finally be worthwhile. For your existence to be accepted into this world...what could be more gratifying than that?"
Shouko gave the man a face splitting grin as she said that last sentence. Shinohara just sat there, frozen in shock and revelation. Even Juuxou stopped stuffing his face to listen to her. With the way she said that and the emotion she showed, it was impossible to even think that she might be lying. To be accepted. It was something that most humans took for granted. It was a given that you'd be accepted somewhere. To humans.
But by the way Shouko said it, it's a privilege that ghouls could only hope to have. Shinohara knew for a fact that most humans either hate or are afraid of ghouls. So a human who would actually accept a ghoul is near impossible to find.
Ghouls ate humans, so they're monsters. That's what pretty much all humans believe. But just what that ghoul has said right in front of him, makes him wonder if they really are. Makes him wonder if ghouls actually have feelings and emotions, just like humans do.
He doesn't want to believe it. Because that would mean that he was wrong. And that would mean that what he was doing all this time was actually wrong. It would mean that he's ruined families and caused grief. All the things he was trying to protect people from having to experience is the very thing that's causing it by taking this job.
If ghouls aren't monsters then...what is the right thing to do?
A/N: Hey, I hope you enjoyed reading this one shot of mine. It's something I've written a long time ago but never actually published for some reason. So I'm publishing it now. Please give me your thoughts, any comments or reviews will be appreciated