Chapter 1
Kaneki woke to the sound of his phone ringing. Kaneki looked at the time, 7:22 am. The half ghoul yawned and let the phone continue to voicemail.
After lying in bed for a while, Kaneki finally got up and began getting ready to go to Anteiku to work. He turned the coffee maker on and took a quick shower to wash his white hair. Kaneki dressed in his uniform and turned the coffee maker off. Kaneki dug a coffee cup out of the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee. He yawned and popped in not one, but two special sugar cubes into his morning coffee. Kaneki took his coffee and sat down at the table and picked up his phone. Kaneki checked his messages, there was 263 text messages and 24 missed calls. They were all from the same number.
Hide…
Kaneki sipped his coffee and decided to listen to the first few messages.
Each message was different, but held the same storyline. Hide asked where Kaneki was and if he was okay. He also said what he was doing and wished Kaneki would join him. Hide wondered if everything was alright and in the very end, he always implored Kaneki to call him back.
Kaneki deleted all his messages, texts and voicemails. He had to stay away from Hide, he didn't want to hurt him.
It was a well-kept secret that Kaneki always had a crush on his best friend. Hide was his sunshine and he refused to let anyone take that ray of light away from his world.
Kaneki finished his coffee and slipped on a jacket to go to work. Kaneki put his eye patch on to cover his ghoul eye and He grabbed his shoulder bag before exiting his apartment to lock it up.
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Kaneki washed a coffee mug on dish duty as Touka waited tables. Kaneki did not mind dish duty, he liked the mindless work.
The bell on the door rang, signaling a customer entered.
Kaneki looked over with a bright smile, "Welcome!" He greeted, before he realized who was at the door.
Hide stared at him, in shock. "Kaneki?" The teen asked.
Kaneki did not know what to do and stood their motionless.
Hide walked over to the half ghoul. "Where were you?! Where did you go?!" Hide suddenly burst into questions.
"I-I…" Kaneki was about to create some stupid excuse.
"You had me worried sick!" Hide yelled and about jumped over the counter to hug his best friend.
Kaneki was speechless as his best friend hugged him. Kaneki smiled and hugged his secret crush.
Touka looked at Hide practically standing on the counter to get to Kaneki. "Can you get down?"
Hide jumped down as asked. "We need to catch up. When do you get off the clock?"
"Now is a good time." Mr. Yoshimura answered for Kaneki as he walked into the room. "Mr. Kaneki deserves some time off."
Hide nodded vigorously.
Kaneki took a deep breath and nodded. He took his apron off and clocked out. Kaneki put his jacket on and grabbed his shoulder bag.
Hide wrapped an arm around Kaneki's shoulder. "Let's go! I'll treat you to dinner."
Kaneki gulped, already not excited about the mere thought of trying to consume human food.
