A/N: I hope you like this little one-shot! Please tell me what you think ^.^
And also, How can Shie's name be added on the character list? Seriously?!
Chie didn't really think anything of it when Tsukiyama-kun asked her why she was eating cake. He followed her around and talked to her about all sorts of random things she doesn't really care about all the time, after all. So she simply told him. It was her birthday that day, her 17th birthday to be exact. Her mother had baked her a cake and so she was eating it. Simple as that.
So when Tsukiyama-kun gave her a dress the next day, she was actually very surprised, although she didn't really show it. She didn't really know what to think of the present he gave her. It was a nice dress, she supposed. But it was also quite obvious that Tsukiyama-kun wasn't even thinking about her when he bought it, if he was even the one who got it for her in the first place. The dress was obviously very expensive, but it was also something she never would have even thought of wearing. It was still a present though, so she thanked him.
After school was finally over, Chie was on her way home when some girls approached her. It was the same group of girls that have been bothering her recently, and all because Tsukiyama-kun spent so much time with her. She didn't bother to listen to them bully her. They were nothing more than shallow girls that were infatuated with Tsukiyama-kun, who also happened to be rich enough to believe that the world revolved around them. Chie figured that it would go on the same way as every other time they decided cornered her, and nothing interesting ever happened during those times. Certainly not anything worth taking a picture of.
However, because of her inattention, she wasn't able to stop one of the girls from taking her present. The girl had such an ugly look on her face as she stared at the dress in her hands. The girl ripped the dress into pieces and Chie stood there as it happened. After that, those bothersome girls finally left.
As Chie picked up the pieces of ruined fabric, she felt a heaviness in her heart. She wondered why she would feel such a thing. She didn't even like the dress.
On the day of her 18th birthday, Tsukiyama-kun presented her with a bouquet of flowers. She went about taking pictures of it along with Tsukiyama-kun. They were a very nice bouquet, very colourful. It was just like Tsukiyama-kun to give her flowers of all things as a birthday present. He's always had a weird fixation on them.
After she had taken a sufficient amount of good quality pictures, she took the flowers and thanked him. It was already time for class at that point and so Tsukiyama-kun, along with everyone else was going to their classrooms. Chie on the other hand decided to leave the school altogether.
Chie placed the the flowers inside a vase, filling it with ice-cold water, and then placed the vase in the middle of her desk. Chie then began to think why she decided to leave school just to take those flowers home. She knew it was because she didn't want those pesky girls getting their hands on them like her gift from the year before. That only confused her more though.
Deciding it was pointless to dwell on it, she took another picture.
Chie was given a cake on the day of her 19th birthday. A massive chocolate cake. It was so big that it had to be carried by two of Tsukiyama-kun's servants. She immediately went about taking pictures of it. Peripherally, Chie noticed the students crowding around them, including more jealous bothersome girls, but Chie was too focussed on the cake in front of her to bother to pay attention to them.
One of the servants cut a big slice of the cake for her and she happily took it. It was the best thing she had ever tasted in her life. She continued to eat her cake and happily thanked Tsukiyama-kun for his gift. So he actually could be a great gift-giver, if he just put some actual thought into the person he was giving the gift to instead of just thinking about himself. That thought made Chie even happier, though she didn't really know why.
The servants followed Chie to her classroom but stayed outside in the hall. They weren't allowed inside. Some of her classmates and even a university teacher asked her if they could have a slice. Chie refused. That cake was hers, it was Tsukiyama-kun's gift to her.
Chie could feel her heart beating. It was a feeling she associated with happiness, or even elation. There was another feeling as well, but she wasn't sure what it was.
Chie went to get another slice.
On the day of her 20th birthday, Chie was a little surprised to note that she was actually excited to find out what Tsukiyama-kun's birthday present for her would be. It was a camera set. It was the best present she had ever gotten. The camera itself had several settings that wasn't available in the other cameras she already owned. The set came with several optical lenses, and a bag to put them all in.
When Tsukiyama-kun presented his gift to her, she was actually tempted to hug him. She just decided to test her new camera instead, by taking as many pictures as she can with it. She made sure to test every single setting as well as all the lenses. She took pictures of everything she could lay her eyes on. More than a few times, she found herself taking pictures of Tsukiyama-kun.
She was becoming really fond of him. Perhaps a little too much. She didn't know whether or not she should be worried to realize that she didn't know when she started to feel that way to begin with.
For her 21st birthday, Tsukiyama-kun had told her that he was taking her to a ghoul restaurant. The next thing she knew, she was pawned off to his servant-slash-high school teacher who was apparently given the task of getting her dressed properly. What happened next was probably the most awkward experience in her life. Not even her excitement over the thought of all the pictures she would take at the restaurant could fully curb the awkwardness she felt over having to play dress up with Tsukiyama-kun's servant.
Finally, she was dressed for the event. The dress showed more of her legs than Chie was used to and she could barely walk on the high heels she apparently had to wear. She didn't let that bother her though. At least she was finally dressed and ready to go to this ghoul restaurant.
As soon as they arrived to the restaurant, Chie quickly discarded her high heels so she could actually move, and with the camera Tsukiyama-kun gave her the previous year in her hands, she began taking pictures of everything she could lay her eyes on. With the mask on her face, it was a little more difficult to see through the viewfinder but that didn't deter her one bit.
She could sense all the stares from the ghouls all around her, but she took no mind to them. She was aware of Tsukiyama-kun though. Even through all the picture taking, Chie was still very much aware of where he was and what he was doing. She took quite a few photographs of him as well. It was clear he was in his element, especially as he made his speech to capture the attention of every ghoul in the restaurant. Something he had no trouble with at all.
Chie came towards the stadium, where the show was held. Below was just about the gorriest scene Chie had ever come across. More pictures were taken.
After the whole affair was over and done with and the ghouls were beginning to leave, Chie went about trying to find her high heels. Tsukiyama-kun just watched her walk about on her bare feet. One of the servants handed the high heels to her and she passed them onto Tsukiyama-kun, much to his amusement.
Chie told Tsukiyama-kun that she was hungry and he took her to a nice little diner. The meals were simple but delicious and there were many desserts to choose from. The two of them looked so out of place with his suit and her dress, but neither of them cared. Chie was smiling the whole time, just a little wider than usual. Chie was glad to have been able to spend her 21st birthday with Tsukiyama-kun. It was the best one she's ever had.
She could feel the warmth that crept its way in her heart. She didn't bother to question the feeling. She was pretty sure she already knew anyway.
Her 22nd birthday was spent with ghouls once again, although a much humbler group. It was the group that Tsukiyama-kun has recently been a part of, and the group that Chie has been giving information to. She has definitely improved her skills as an information broker thanks to this group.
Even though she's been helping them though, they still obviously weren't comfortable with her. Chie didn't mind that though. She just took pictures and ate all of the delicious food Tsukiyama-kun had prepared. He also gave her a locket. The pendant was small, and yet it could fit several pictures within it. She wondered what pictures she should fill it with.
As she was taking more pictures, she overheard one ghoul comment about how it was weird that Tsukiyama-kun would do so much for her. His response warmed her heart, a feeling she was getting more and more familiar with. She even felt her cheeks begin to flush a little. Good thing that no one seemed to notice.
Chie spent her 23rd birthday helping Tsukiyama-kun as best as she could, which she had been doing since he has fallen into depression. She's done this by helping his servants find food and giving them information. She continued to do so and before she knew it, her 24th birthday had passed.
There was no point in celebrating anyway, not with Tsukiyama-kun the way that he was.
Chie had eventually found out that Kaneki Ken, the one responsible for Tsukiyama-kun's depression, was alive. She was both unbelievably ecstatic and irrationally angry.
Her 25th birthday soon passed as well.
The whole Tsukiyama family was in trouble. Tsukiyama-kun was in trouble. Chie decided to do something reckless, even riskier than falling into the CCG's radar. She asked the help of the ghouls from Anteiku, now called :re. She didn't know if they would bother to help. She was pretty sure, however, that they wouldn't react well to finding out that she knew they were ghouls.
Luck was on her side that day, thankfully. She wasn't immediately killed and they actually helped her save Tsukiyama-kun.
On her 26th birthday there was too much going on, too much danger, and too many things that had to be done to even think about birthdays. Tsukiyama-kun still greeted her that day though, and even apologised for not having a present to give. She didn't care about that.
She was just happy to have him back.