Chapter 3
'Pluck' Them Out
15 minutes of walking and taking bus, the two ghouls have arrived on their home. Kaneki opened the door and Hinami greeted from behind.
"We're home- Huh!?" She was surprised by something and that was...
"KAAANEKI-KUUUN!"
"Ts-tsukiyama! Don't-"
*DUAGH!*
Tsukiyama Shuu was immediately jumping over to Kaneki just to hugged him. But with no succeed, Kaneki kicked his face from the right distance just before he was able to and sent him flying over to the carpet. That's why Banjou tried to stop him.
"Fufufu... As strong as ever..." complimented the Gourmet as he rubbed his bloody nose. He was trying to act tough.
"I told you. No messing around." Said Kaneki irritated. This was what he really hate from Tsukiyama, his overly-weird attachment towards him. If that ghoul keep that up for forever, then Kaneki would seriously kicked him out from this household. He has been trying to endure his annoying behaviour.
"Excuse me." Kaneki went ahead and stepped his foot on Tsukiyama's stomach just like a mound.
"Oof!"
Kaneki sat on the white sofa. He put his legs on top of the coffee table in front of him. He picked up the remote and turned on the LCD TV. Hinami closed the door back and could only laugh awkwardly.
Banjou decided to take that chance to approached Hinami who was hanging her red scarf, "um... so where did you guys go?" Asked Banjou.
Hinami looked behind her and saw the big kind ghoul looming over her, "oh! You startled me Banjou-san!" She left the scarf hanging and smiled, "we only went to a beautiful vintage style café and ordered coffees. It was a really beautiful place!" She replied cheerfully. Banjou smiled and nodded in understanding. He went to the kitchen counter.
After Bajou was already out of her sight, Hinami sighed and glanced at Kaneki. Kaneki paid no attention to them and busily tapping the remote changing channel. 'Onii-chan said I shouldn't tell the others what actually happened back there... I'm sorry, Banjou-san." When Kaneki and Hinami were on their way walking back home, actually Kaneki told Hinami not to tell the others anything about him meeting Hide. He doesn't want to talk about it any further.
The sound of multiple footsteps was coming from the corridor. It was Ichimi, Jiro, and Sante. They weren't wearing their mask.
"Kaneki-san, Hinami-chan! Welcome home! We have finished the laundry." Said Ichimi greeting them home.
"Thank you everyone!" Thanked Hinami representating Kaneki because she believed he was too tired to talk to anyone. Hinami went to the toilet to washed her face.
"Thanks." See, he replied simple, yet with a smile. His black nailed thumb was still pressing the button on the remote trying to find the news channel.
Soon later, Banjou came with a glass of warm water. He put it on the coffee table for Kaneki to drank.
"Thanks, Banjou-san."
Banjou sat beside of Kaneki and joined to watch the TV. Tsukiyama came back with a tissue plugging one hole of his nose. He wanted to sit beside of Kaneki but instead, Kaneki gave him a dead glare.
"Why so serious, Kaneki-kun~?" Whimpered Tsukiyama teasingly.
"Fuck off. Go sit over there." Retorted Kaneki as he pointed to an ottoman* with his head.
"Fufu... as you wish, then." Tsukiyama obediently complied.
Later on everyone gathered on the living room. The trio sat on a red bean bag chair together. Hinami who also just came from washing her face sat on the spot where Tsukiyama wanted to sit on, which made Tsukiyama feel secretly annoyed.
The TV was showing the news about the Doves who have successfully captured some ghouls in the 20th and 7th ward.
"7th ward? Ah, the place where we raided the ghoul restaurant." Said Jiro commenting the news.
"20th ward... I hope everyone in Anteiku still safe..." Prayed Hinami.
"Do you think the Doves will arrive here soon?" Questioned Sante to the people inside the room.
"Who knows. If they're here, then we'll just have to act as humans like we usually do." Answered Tsukiyama to the ghoul who possessed the mask with number three on it.
"The reason why we're here in the 6th ward is because we need to investigate further about Kamishiro Rize and find out more about this ward's boss, Kamishiro Masataka, who has the same last name as Rize... so..." Kaneki paused. The news continued and this time, it surprised them.
"Moving on to the next news of today. CCG has come up with a recent update regarding a ghoul with code name: Gourmet."
"Oho~ they're talking about me now? Tres bien!" Tsukiyama seemed happy when the world notice him.
"This is going to be interesting..." Banjou muttered.
"We are here with a top-class investigator, Mister Koutarou Amon, whose team is responsible for The Gourmet's case. Mister Amon, please tell us about the new update for this case." The female reporter handed her mic to the top-class investigator.
Kaneki's eyes widened when he saw the tall man with tough face. Koutarou Amon, an investigator he met a long time ago and once back in Aogiri.
'Koutarou Amon... So he's that guy, huh...' Kaneki muttered inside his heart.
"Yes. For the last 5 months, Gourmet has been active outside the 20th ward despite the record that shows his hunting ground was there. 18th, 7th, and 8th ward are the frequents for the last 5 months. Now we are trying to hunt him. The other team has agreed to lend us their help, so they're going to send some second-class investigator to the wards around 7th and 18th tonight."
"Then they might come here... No, they will." Said Hinami with her conclusion.
"Fufu... then I shall wait for them to come and slice them up for our dinner." Tsukiyama said with confidence.
"Tch... those investigators will definitely disturb our own investigation. With them roaming around, it's also hard for us to move. Your look is still recognizable even without a mask, Tsukiyama-san." Said Kaneki with his eyes looking at Tsukiyama.
"Then shall I dye my hair with a new color and change my hairstyle? Hmm what color then... I guess green could be good... or pink?" Tsukiyama already lost in his own thought.
"No need for any of that..." Kaneki sighed heavily and folded his arms. Kaneki couldn't understand Tsukiyama's fashion taste. He just couldn't. He leaned his back to the sofa.
"Then you mean...?" Banjou speculated. The trio and Hinami also thought the same. Kaneki smirked and his grey eyes looked back to the TV.
"What else?" The white haired ghoul replied simply still with his smirk there attached.
Tsukiyama could feel his excitement going up. Hinami only gulped and felt nervous, while the trio just put the poker face.
Kaneki stood up from his seat and went to the basement. Everybody else also dismissed themselves and only left the trio who still wanted to watch the other channel.
'I won't let anybody get in my way. Nobody.' Swore Kaneki to himself while his foot dragged his way to the training room.
"Hide-kun... are you okay?" Mizure worriedly asked the gloomy young man.
"Hhhh... I don't know..."
The couple were in a public park, sitting on a public picnic table. They left that café to avoid any awkwardness. Actually for the agenda, after stopping by at that café, they wanted to find the materials for Hide's last assignment in a mall or a bookstore. But never once he thought he would meet Kaneki with a daughter of his friend.
"Just how many anonymous friends does he have out there... Just what kind of life he has been doing... Where was he and that girl going... Does he live here... Oh, Kami-sama why..." Hide muttered bitterly with his head burried under his palm.
Mizure was really sad to see her boyfriend like this. She didn't know anything at all. She also never met Kaneki before but there was one thing she knows for sure. The Kaneki that her boyfriend has been telling enthusiastically, the Kaneki that his boyfriend has been wanting to introduce to her, was completely different than the Kaneki she met at the café. She thought that Kaneki would have this innocent and kind face, but the young man that was called 'Kaneki' before didn't have any of that feature.
"Hide-kun... Why don't we start searching for the materials? And maybe for a break, we can watch a movie later at night. What do you think?" Mizure tried to cheer him up with her plan.
Hide lifted his face and looked at the gorgeous goddess in front of him. He smiled and nodded in surrender. Because he also didn't want to spoil this day for the sake of her girlfriend, right?
The day was getting darker. The sky was painted with dark indigo color. It was cloudy, there was no stars. The night time for the ghouls is their highest chance to roam around. The danger for the humans were always rising up in this moment because they could be a 'dinner' for the inhuman creature.
A certain ghoul party also preparing for that. They made sure they will liven up this danger, for the Doves.
Kaneki wore his combat black suit and brought his black hood. He picked up the mask which gave him the 'One Eyed' alias from inside of his drawer. He already warmed himself enough for battle. Enough for killing.
Someone knocked his door 3 times and without permission, he opened the door, revealing a tall man with bizarre colored suit.
"You ready? Everybody's waiting outside." Reported the Gourmet.
"Yeah."
They both left the house and greeted by the others. They also seemed ready. Banjou was a little bit nervous but he was confident that taking down second-class investigators, even he could do it somehow. Hinami wasn't the same as before. She was more matured, and she also learned how to control her kagune for combat. Hinami was special. She has 2 kinds of kagune and her sense was even more sensitive than the average ghouls. This time she would like to test herself.
Kaneki stepped in front of the others, giving him the aura of a leader. His friends always looked at him like that. Kaneki was their leader, even though the leader himself never really realized that.
The One Eyed pulled up his hood, getting ready to engaged.
"Let's go."
They're going to take down the Doves.
Meanwhile on the other side of the ward, the human couple was unconscious for the news. Never did they know, that night would be the total settlement between the two fated bestfriends.
*ottoman is a piece of furniture consisting of a padded, upholstered seat or bench, usually having neither a back nor arms, often used as a stool or footstool, or, in some cases, as a coffee table. Ottomans are often sold as coordinating furniture with armchairs or gliders. (wikipedia)
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Disclaimer: Ishida Sui except Mizure
Cover: shiromi