It was a cold night as a purple haired woman walked down the street, carrying a bad that made a klink noise every time it bumped into her side. All was silent as she walked down the street light lit sidewalk leading into an alley. She got to the end of the alley, resting her back against the chain link fence cutting the alley way off. She pulled out a flip phone, pressing several keys on the keypad, sending a message.
Several minutes passed her by as she waited and waited. She began tapping her foot, becoming overwhelmed with impatience. Finally after what seemed like a good forty minutes, a car drove up to the beginning of the alley way, several men with guns on their waist coming out of the van and heading down the alley. The leader of the pack was a very tall and very large, bulky, man. He had a thick nose and lizard like eyes, with wild blond hair and wearing a luxurious white suit.
"Do you have it?" The man asked with a crazy look in his eye.
"Of course. The real question is do you have the money?" The lady asked with a seductive smile.
"Hehehe...Hey, show her the briefcase." The tall blond man said to the tattoo wearing and heavy armed thug beside him.
The guy walked back to the car and popped the trunk. He pulled out a heavy set brief case and walked back down the alley. The man smiled as he was handed the briefcase, and popped it open. Inside was roughly over ten million Yen, making the purple haired mystery lady lick her lips.
"Looks like we got a deal then." She said, handing over the bag in exchange for the briefcase.
"...I was never here, alright?" The lady said.
"Of course, of course, same for us...We don't want them knowing we made a deal with you either. You keep quiet about us...and we, keep quiet about you. Deal?" The blond haired man asked, extending his large beefy hands for a shake.
The lady stared at his hand for a second, before sighing, and shaking it. The man smirked and finally let her hand go.
"Great things will be happening in this city soon. I need this merchandise to realize those great things...I thank you for this...But remember...This deal we have is only temporary." The man said.
"Of course. That is the extent of this dealing. Goodbye..." The purple haired lady said, jumping over the chain link fence and disappearing into the darkness.
The blond haired man threw the bag over to one of the thugs as they headed back to the van. While walking over to the van, the thug holding the bag stumbled slightly, a vial filled with red liquid falling out of the bag. He was about to bend over and pick it before...
"Hey, get in the van before someone notices where here!" One of the other thugs yelled.
The thug looked down at the vile and shrugged, stomping on it and spilling the red liquid onto the cement floor. He walked off, and hopped into the van with the bag, leaving behind the puddle of red liquid and glass. The van peeled away and then drove off, its light fading off into the night. All was peaceful in the alley way until...
A small centipede crawled into the liquid, before emitting a loud buzzing noise. Its black exoskeleton changed to color red, and it made bug noises as it crawled away, into the darkness of the alley...
The cherry blossoms where in full bloom as young college students could be seen walking through the main gate of Kami University. January had arrived bringing the new year, and with it, new possibilities. As the students filtered in through the main gate, one could easily spot a salt and pepper haired young adult among the bunch, carrying a large stack of books.
This young man was stumbling with each step, trying his best to keep hold of the large stack of reading material he so desperately clung to. People began to take notice and giggle behind their hands, amused by the antics of the individual. A taller student sporting glasses and wild orange hair walked past, nudging him while doing so, causing him to drop all his books.
"Move out of the way dork, your slowing traffic!" The man called out while smoothly walking past the now downed young adult.
People laughed and chuckled as they walked past the white and black haired boy scrambling to pick up his books. Once he finally gathered them all together, he stood up with a sigh.
"Just my luck...Only my first day here and I've already managed to make myself look like a bumbling idiot." The young man grumbled.
"Well maybe if you weren't holding so many books that wouldn't have happened! Here let me help ya carry them!" A snarky toned young adult sporting orange hair and headphones said from behind him, surprising the young man.
"Hide! What took you so long! I was waiting all morning! I thought we were gonna walk to the main campus together!" The black and white haired young man complained as the orange haired teen smirked.
"Sorry Kaneki, totally my fault. I was kinda busy watching a movie for too long last night and overslept! Anyways enough of that, let me help!" Hide said, taking half of the stack from Kaneki's arms, causing the young man to sigh in relief.
"Thanks Hide, your a lifesaver!" Kaneki exclaimed, feeling as light as a feather!
"Don't mention it man, now lets hurry! Or we'll be late to our class!" Hide exclaimed briskly jogging ahead of him, causing Kaneki to have to do the same.
As Kaneki jogged alongside Hide, he took in all the sights of the area around him. Kami University was one of the top universities in not just Tokyo, but in all of Japan. It only allowed the smartest or most athletic to enter its ranks. Kaneki smiled, remembering all the studying he had to do before the entry exams to even hope of qualifying.
"Man...I can't believe I'm in Kami University! It feels so surreal!" Kaneki exclaimed, admiration shining in his eyes.
"I know what you mean! Its really impressive! I'm just glad I got good enough at Soccer to come here with you!" Hide said with a relieved chuckle.
"Me too! I don't know what I'd do without you Hide!" Kaneki replied with a grin as they finally got the main building.
"What was the lecture hall number again?" Hide asked as they walked throughout the corridor.
"I think it was number nine." Kaneki said back.
"Number nine...Number nine...Number-Oh, there it is!" Hide said, spotting the room they were looking for.
They quickly scrambled into the room, everyone turning to look at them as they did so. The lecture had not begun yet, much to Kaneki's relief. They quietly walked to their seats, making sure not disturb those taking a notes. Kaneki flinched when he saw the glasses wearing man he had bumped into in front of the main gate. He tried avoiding contact as they walked up the steps, finally finding seats next to each other to sit in.
Hide, not being one to waste free time, began listening to his music, waiting for the professor. Kaneki pulled a book off from the top of the stack he had brought with him, and began immersing himself into it. He was able to get through one of the chapters before the professor arrived. Putting the bookmark on the page, he set the book back onto the top of the stack, as they professor began his lecture.
"Psst, hey, Kaneki, look over there, check out that hottie." Hide whispered to Kaneki, much to his annoyance.
"Shh, I'm trying to listen to the professor." Kaneki whispered back, taking notes in a small journal.
"Jeez, your no fun." Hide whispered, pouting before going back to leering at women in the class.
Kaneki rolled his eyes, going back to listening to the lecture. As the man lectured on and on, Kaneki felt himself becoming immersed in whatever the professor was saying. He took several notes in his journal, making sure to write down everything he heard or saw on the board at the front of the class.
"-And so, that is why the medical field has began to look into Red Child Cell research. When studied, doctors and scientists have found that RC Cells have a profound effect on the subjects healing capabilities, and could be the key to the next major advancement in medical history."
'Amazing...' Kaneki thought in awe.
"Although, scientists and doctors have yet to find a way to properly utilize RC Cells in a way that is not dangerous to the patient. There is still too much we do not understand about the subject, and so, research continues. Maybe one of you will find the secret to RC Cell utilization huh?" The professor joked.
The professor turned to write something onto the board when the class door was thrown open with a loud thud. The professor sighed in an annoyed manner, looking to the door with a tired expression. At the door stood a blue haired girl with a unfazed look in her eye. She carried herself with pride, a smug sneer appearing on her face as she nonchalantly walked into the class.
"Hello Touka Kirishima, nice of you to finally join us. What number is this? The twenty-fifth, the thirtieth, please explain to me why you see it fit to always arrive late to my lectures?" The professor scolded, looking mad, but too used to this to even care it seemed.
"Sorry, had to uhhhh, help an old lady across the street." She said, not even trying to come up with a decent excuse.
"Very funny, go take a seat so I can continue my class." The professor said with a shake of his head.
"Aye aye captain." Touka joked, not seeming to have a care in the world.
Kaneki sat wide eyed at the audacity of the girl. He couldn't even fathom someone coming late to class considering he was always a stickler for the rules. Hide whistled and waved his arms, much to Kaneki's dismay.
"Yo, over here! Sit over here!" Hide said, loud enough for Touka to hear but not loud enough to disturb the other students listening to the lecture.
"What are you doing!?" Kaneki asked his best friend in a panic.
"What does it look like? I'm inviting her to sit with us! Anyone brave enough to talk like that to a college professor is sure to be cool." Hide said with a grin.
"I swear Hide, do you ever to stop to ask me before doing something idiotic..." Kaneki grumbled.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." Hide said, waving him off.
Touka walked over, taking a seat to Hide's left.
"Whats up? You two friends?" Touka asked to Hide.
Hide smiled as Kaneki grumbled and went back to taking notes.
"This killjoy next to me is Ken Kaneki, but you can just call him Kaneki. My names Hideyoshi Nagachika, but my friends just call me Hide. Nice to meet ya!" Hide said with his natural charisma and charm Kaneki wished could rub off on him.
"Cool, my names-"
"Touka right? The professor already said it, haha." Hide said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
Touka giggled, gaining another grin from hide.
"I have a feeling your gonna liven this boring class up Hide, nice to meet you too." Touka remarked with a smirk, shaking Hide's hand.
Touka look past Hide, seeing Kaneki fast at work writing every little word that came out of the professors mouth. She raised a brow at this, turning to Hide.
"Is he always like that?" Touka whispered.
"Pretty much. You get used to it though. Kaneki's a total study freak and a bookworm to boot." Hide whispered back, unaware that Kaneki heard everything.
"I have ears you know, jerk." Kaneki responded, making Hide chuckle nervously.
"I think your friend is a little too obsessed with academics." Touka said in a joking manner.
"Beats being tardy." Kaneki quipped back.
"Oh! Certainly have never heard that one before." Touka said with a roll of her eyes.
"C-Come on guys, Kaneki, chill dude." Hide said nervously, intervening before things could get heated.
"Whatever..." Kaneki grumbled, going back to listening in on the lecture.
They descended into silence, Hide trying several times to reignite conversation with the blue haired rebel, only to fail. He hung his head in defeat, before glaring halfheartedly at his childhood friend who was writing in his journal. Kaneki noticed the stink eye Hide was giving him, but chose to pay it no mind. After all, he had a reason for being in this college unlike his orange haired friend.
'If I can learn more about RC Cells and their relation to the brain, then maybe I can find a way to help her...' Kaneki thought, an image of a woman wearing an apron coming to the forefront of his mind.
Kaneki steeled his resolve, and began furiously taking notes, his goal to become a neurologist and learn more about the human brain and ways to cure mental illness. The lecture went on for an hour, before it finally reached its final stretch, the professor beginning to wrap up his lecture. Kaneki read through all the notes he had taken and compared them to what was on the board, making sure nothing was missed. Once he made sure he wrote everything down, he smiled to himself and turned his attention back to the professor.
"-And so, that ends today's lecture on the benefits of RC Cell research and its relation to the medical field. I hope you all will be joining me tomorrow as we take a trip to the biggest RC Cell research facility in Japan; The Cell Containment Research Grounds. And remember students; the future is whatever you make of it, have a good day." The professor said, walking off the podium in front of the board, several students getting up to discuss things with him.
Hide yawned loudly, stretching out his arms above his head. He turned to Kaneki with a cheeky grin.
"Seriously, I don't get how you can listen to that malarkey and not get tired! Your such a nerd dude!" Hide joked.
"Yeah yeah, so you always tell me. Your just too dense to even get all of it." Kaneki joked back.
Hide chuckled, before noticing Touka stand up and begin walking to the door.
"Yo Touka! Where you going! You wanna come eat with us? My treat?" Hide said, calling out to the girl.
"Sorry, but I've got things to do. Rain check tho?" Touka said back.
"Sure! No problem!" Hide said, smiling widely.
"Okay, and thanks for the offer, hope I see more of ya!" Touka said, before looking at Kaneki with a mischievous grin.
"Hey! Bookworm!" Touka yelled, getting Kaneki's attention.
Kaneki looked down at Touka, glaring full force at the annoying disturbance.
"Woah, chill it with the death glare, I just wanted to give you this!" Touka remarked, throwing a small sized book up at the white and black haired Kaneki.
Kaneki inspected the book, finding out it was a book detailing information on RC Cell technology and advancements in the field. He looked back at Touka in shock and confusion. Touka winked before running off to the door.
"I figured you would want that considering how many notes you were taking on the subject, sorry for being rude!" The blue haired rebel shouted before leaving the room.
Kaneki, finally getting over his shock, smiled to himself and looked down at the book.
'I guess she isn't that bad huh...'
"Yo! You wanna eat lunch Kaneki? It'll be my treat since I owe ya for sleeping in and all that." Hide asked, holding his hands behind his head in an relaxed manner.
"Sorry, I would if I could, but I have to head to the Mental center." Kaneki said, bringing a frown to Hide's face.
"O-Oh...That's right...I guess its that time of the month huh?" Hide said, walking up to Kaneki and patting him on the back.
"Go on, its okay. I'll eat me some food on my own. She needs ya more then I do right now." Hide said, an understanding look in his eyes.
Kaneki smiled and and gave Hide the thumbs up, running out of the classroom. While running out, he made sure to wave at his childhood friend one last time before leaving. He walked down the corridors in a brisk pace, making sure to not run in the halls. Finally making it outside, he ran for awhile before making it to the University's main gate, and began walking once he made it to the side walk down the opposite of the Kami University Campus.
He walked down the sidewalk before getting onto the train heading to downtown Tokyo City. The train took thirty minutes before arriving to the destination. Kaneki got off and began to briskly jog, wanting to get there before the sun went down. After a couple minutes, he finally arrived at the Mental Facility and walked into the building, walking over to the receptionist.
"Hello sir, are you here as a visitor?" The lady behind the desk asked.
"Yes ma'am, I'm here to see Shizuka Kaneki." Kaneki said, an uneasy smile resting on his face.
"I see...I see...And your relationship to the patient is?" The receptionist asked.
"I'm...I'm her...her son..." He said, his smile disappearing from his face.
"O-Oh...My apologies, I'll call someone to lead you to her room." The receptionist said, calling someone over to show him to his mothers room.
Upon arrival, a large see through glass rested between him and the room in front of him. He looked into the room with a worried expression. In the corner rested a restless disheveled women with long black hair. He stood silently, watching her through the glass, before finally mustering up within himself to say something.
"...Mom...Hey...Its been awhile huh..." Kaneki said.
"..."
"Its been eight years now...I...I come to visit you every year you know..." Kaneki said, trying to fake a smile.
It wasn't convincing.
"You know...I still love you mom, I miss you everyday..." Kaneki said, holding his chin in his hand as he began to tear up.
"..."
"Yeah...I figured you wouldn't respond..." Kaneki said, chuckling in defeat.
He put his hand onto the glass, smiling bitterly. He touched his white and black locks, twisting them in his fingers.
"I still haven't forgotten everything you did to me...Its because of you that my hair is like this after all..." Kaneki said.
No response.
"One day...One day I'll find a way to get you to talk, and then...Then I will finally say all the things...All the things I wish I could've said before you became...this."
Kaneki stepped away from the glass, putting his hands in his pockets, walking back to the lobby. After signing out, he walked outside, and stared at the setting sun, wearing an melancholic expression on his face. He stood still in front of the building before sighing and pulling out his phone to check the time, and noticed a text. Smiling to himself, he read it to himself aloud.
"'Yo dork! Text me back when your heading home, I bought a bunch of food and I need help eating it all-Hide, P.S. I'm so psyched for the class trip tomorrow!'" Kaneki finished reading the text and headed over to the trains, smiling to himself.
'Thank you, Hide...'