I own nothing.
A/N: Thanks to everyone reading/favorites/follows and general interest! And also reviews, while I don't demand, its very comforting to know that someone human approves/disapproves/abhors/adores my fanfiction.
So Hide didn't actually confront Kaneki about being a ghoul. It would be too blatant and damaging on the boy's psyche. Just throwing that out there, in case anyone was expecting something like that.
Rated for blood/vivid graphic imagery and general discomfort.
It was a rare occasion when you met old class-mates.
One of those classmates was Sugita Kido. A short, freckle-faced kid who was really memorable for his corny one-liners. He'd been with them through middle-school and then high-school. But after their first year, Hide and Kaneki had gradually lost contact of the boy.
Usually, Hide just passed by some of these encounters and avoided eye-contact. But when a certain commuter had the same t-shirt a.k.a. the super rare edition t-shirt of Jimi Hendrix merchandise that he had been trying to get – he had to point it out.
"Ahhh! I know that t-shirt!"
They looked at each other.
"And I remember you!" They both chorused, drawing attention from nearby train-passengers.
There was an awkward pause.
"Do you remember my name or are you just being very nice, Nagachika?" The boy sent him a teasing smile.
"You remembered my name!" Hide told him, scratching the back of his head, "Unfortunately I don't think I'm as popular as um…'One-liner Sugita'!"
He winced, hoping he was right. For all he knew, the boy could have been the resident nose-picker.
The boy blinked before laughing. "One-liner Sugita! That nickname brings back a lot of memories!"
And the two boys chattered on about their current lives, the academic careers and potential future plans.
"Hey do you remember Ogata-sensei?" Sugita leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin on his face, "So the other day – I found out that he is now a super popular Ghoul-enthusiast!"
"Ghoul-enthusiast?" Hide asked him, he raised a brow in incredulity, "You mean those crazy people who like to make ghoul conspiracy theories? Are we talking about the same person?"
Sugita snickered as well.
"He's got this blog page – you can find him easily by just searching up his website name 'The One-eyed king'! I very much recommend reading it for laughs."
Eventually, Sugita had to get off before Hide but not before sharing his phone-number.
"Hey Nagachika – did you hear about that guy who lost his left eyeball?" He waggled a brow, biting his lip as if he was ready to spill with laughter.
"Um…?" Hide's insides curled at the joke.
"He's all right now!" Sugita slapped his knee. Hide blinked for a few seconds before letting out a low chuckle, "That's a good one, Sugita."
"Thanks! Later then, Nagachika!" The crowd began to exit and Sugita picked up his bag, sending him a grin. Hide smiled back.
"Yeah, take care!"
The train doors closed. Hide tapped the save button on his phone. He briefly wondered if he'd ever see 'One-liner Sugita' again.
Probably not in times like these.
An hour and a half in, Hide was hooked onto the blog's content.
The One Eyed King had series of posts, everything ranging from general ghoul absurdities to conspiracy theories. There were comments on the blog, discussions around the existences of ghouls and ghoul attacks. People loved this stuff!
But to Hide, perhaps it was the "About" section of the blog that had him thinking.
"One thing is for sure, dear readers – the CCG hides information from the general public. Why? Because should the public be able to utilize the tools that CCG is given, the organization will become futile. People will be able to take justice in their own hands. I have created this blog to help you, to teach you and to equip you against the dangers of what's out there…"
And then there was an anecdote.
"When I was a middle school teacher, I taught a ghoul. I didn't know she was a ghoul, I didn't even expect her to attack one of my students. I never expected to see the hollow, misery that reverberated throughout the corridors in the wake of her destruction. I never expected to see such pain in such young budding children. It made me think of the ways that ghouls deceive, blend into human society."
He always liked Ogata-sensei's history classes. He was a very inspirational teacher. But perhaps Hide felt touched at being the sheer catalyst, the reason for the website.
And thousands of people read this story.
He found himself almost agreeing with the sentiment – hunt all ghouls, kill all ghouls. And then –
"CKr1234 says: I'm vry sorry u had to go thru that horrible experience, TOEK – but as someone who has lost a sister to this attack, i found myself feeling sorry for these individuals. After all, imagine having to eat someone's sister, mother, father or brother, or a lover. Many of them try to blend with humans and their activities just so they can live honestly, and pay the bills. They don't ask to be born this way and it's a horrible guilt."
CKr1234 was upvoted about 599 times and then down-voted 1023 times.
But beneath in the comments, Hide began to find streams of anger, paranoia and disbelief.
"Sorry? Why would you feel sorry for these monsters?"
Occasionally between vitriol against the original poster himself and a mixture of both – there was a smatter of sympathy.
"I think CKr1234 is right, these ghouls don't ask to be born this way. I think people should try and find ways to actively help them."
And then finally –
"Maybe if they didn't treat us like meat, we wouldn't treat them as animals to be killed."
The comment thread ended there. As the lecture ended, CKr1234's comment got the 600th upvote.
"Nagachika."
Hide glanced away from the coffee section of the store to find Nishio-senpai giving him a sort of odd look.
"Oh Nishio-senpai! Nice meeting you here! Are you shopping for groceries?"
"Something like that," the older boy said, he glanced at the coffee section, "Mind if you move over for a bit – I need coffee."
"Ah." Hide picked up his basket, "Sorry."
He stepped back. The older boy traced the prices and the coffee on sale. He frowned and muttered to himself.
"They raised the damn price again."
"What's your favourite brand of coffee ice-cream, Nishio-senpai?" Hide asked him, suddenly.
He glanced back at Hide with a frown.
"Come again?"
"Coffee ice-cream, you know, since you have a lot of coffee."
"That makes no sense, Nagachika."
"Haha…" Hide snickered lightly, "Why not senpai?"
"Because I like my coffee black–" Nishio began but paused, "But I greatly enjoy Haagen-Daz coffee ice-cream. It's great."
Hide nodded.
"Later then, Nagachika – please don't forget to return that DVD to me," He pushed up his glasses and walked away, coffee-beans in tow. Hide looked down at his basket and took out the same container that the older boy had just taken before calling out to him.
"Ahh! Senpai! Hang on for a bit – let's go out for coffee or something."
The boy halted. It was so abrupt, Hide almost crashed into the cart.
"Is there something you want from me Nagachika?"
"Just company and good coffee," Hide offered with a grin, "If you aren't busy or something, y'know? With the rest of the club, I know this great café nearby, it's called Anteiku…"
Nishio's face darkened.
"…or somewhere else I guess," He scratched the back of his head, "I just think we should do more outings. Just a suggestion from a club-member to the president."
The older boy looked at him silently for a few moments, "We'll think about it Nagachika."
"Right," Hide nodded, "See you around, senpai!"
"Maa, you didn't eat again – did you, Kaneki?"
The boy looked up at him as he entered, "Hide – you don't have to come in everyday!"
"I brought you some notes." Hide shrugged, "You'll be missing four classes and a test, not bad, eh?"
He dropped the grocery bag onto the stand beside the bed. The mini Haagen Daz coffee-icecream spilled out. Kaneki's eyes widened with excitement as he made to grab for one of them.
"Thanks man!"
Hide nodded, watching him pull out the ice-cream and crack out the spoon from the cover.
"I got it on sale at the local store."
Kaneki brought a rather large spoonful to his mouth. Then was a moment before he registered the taste. His expression twisted from bliss to horror.
Hide handed him the vomit tray, wordlessly.
"Ahhh!" There were more sounds of retching. He pushed the nurse button. The mild yet unnerving ding from the pager filled the hospital room.
"Its fine," Hide averted his eyes, "Must have been spoiled – sorry about that. Didn't check the date."
"I-it tastes sour - like bile after you can't swallow down milk."
"Sorry," Hide flung the now opened ice-cream in the direction of the bin, "Well at least now we know that Haagen-Daz is horrible, eh?"
Kaneki wiped his mouth and placed the vomit bin on the table, shakily.
"That's not funny Hide – at least check the date of expiry before buying them!"
"So ghouls only like their coffee black, huh?" Hide asked as he leaned back against his bike. He emptied the last of his ice-cream cup and threw it over his shoulder. It swirled around the edges of the bin before landing inside.
Bulls-eye.
"Good to know."
Two weeks had passed by. Kaneki was taking half as much time to heal as a normal human condition. The only problem was, he wasn't eating properly – either throwing up is food or forcing it down without chewing properly. What happened to be a four-week discharge ended up being a two week discharge.
Hide had been marking off his progress.
Besides Kaneki, Hide had also picked up a new hobby – profiling the local ghouls.
Nishio Nishiki made the list.
"Hide, you've been acting weird – are you hiding something?" The capped boy flinch and stop writing in the corner of his book margin.
Hide pretended to be taking more diligent notes during the lecture.
"Hmm…" Kaneki gave him a side-look before turning the page of his book, "Whatever, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. And I know you aren't even paying attention to the lecture by the way."
Kaneki smelled bad.
There was a mix of perfume, vomit and paranoia underneath his hooded appearance. Pushing Kaneki's hood down head playfully, he grinned at the yelp it elicited.
"I don't want to hear it from someone who looks like something out of a horror manga – Kaneki. What's with that eyepatch! Prowling around the neighbours, ready to claim your children –"
At the visible flinch that Kaneki gave him, Hide felt awful. He sighed and scratched the back of his head remorsefully.
"Ah…sorry, bad joke." He muttered, "It's just that with all the news lately, it's a very bad joke, y'know?" He added.
Kaneki and Rize had been registered as accident victims – construction sites in particular were very unstable. Unfortunately for Kaneki, they couldn't sue the construction site as he had genuinely ignored any form of warning. What did make the papers was Akihiro Kanou, Kaneki's doctor who decided to transplant Rize's organs without any form of consent from her family.
But perhaps that's not the bit that was unnerving.
Although, according to the police – none of them could figure out how a very secure steal-beam was let loose upon two unsuspecting, silly, 'love-struck' adolescents.
But Rize's mysterious demise was the least of Hide's problems.
"By the way, I was going to treat you to Big Girl's burgers but I'm completely broke, ya know."
Kaneki needed to eat.
"Shut up." Kaneki muttered, "You are acting weird, Hide."
December 12, 10:58 PM:
User1282 says: What is a ghoul's weakness point that you could potentially exploit? Mucus membranes, like ears, nose, eyes, lips - I think.
"Nagachika, do you not understand the concept of knocking." The older boy pushed his glasses up his head irritably. He swiped the DVD from his hands and pulled out his phone.
"Ahhh sorry senpai, I didn't realize that you often left private hobbies to club-rooms."
"There has been no one coming to the club for the past two weeks, not the point, Nagachika." The older boy furiously typed something on his phone – probably an apology to his girlfriend.
"Did you see anything? Pink bra-straps? Nipples?"
They had just been walked in on by a very embarrassed Kaneki and a sheepish Hide.
"We didn't look." Hide assured him. Kaneki spluttered out an apology - gathering Nishiki's attention.
"Anyways, who's this?" His eyes flickered to Kaneki. Hide didn't miss the glint in his eye. Something was wrong.
"Senpai...this is my friend, Kaneki Ken."
"Hello…" Kaneki smiled.
"Ahh," He stretched a hand out to Kaneki who took it carefully, "Nishio Nishiki. I assume you are a freshie too? Maybe I've seen you around?"
"Yes, Asian History and Literature major. Pleasure to meet you," Kaneki avoided his eyes, "Maybe we have met before."
His teeth shone as his lips spread, "Don't forget to ask me for anything you need."
"We'll get going now." Hide said, clearing his throat lightly. Kaneki gave the older boy an uncomfortable nod, "See you around senpai!"
"Why don't I join you on your walk home? We don't live very far from each other Nagachika. I was just clearing up anyways. Actually –" he interrupted himself as he picked up an empty coffee mug. He twisted on the tap at the nearby sink. "Why don't you come over, I have a new limited edition DVD from Badshield United to show you."
"Ah…" Hide turned back to Kaneki, "I guess you could go ahead."
Maybe he would just decline on Nishio-senpai, bail out on him, tell the boy that he had some homework - anything. Kaneki stiffened and then he shook his head.
"I'll come over as well, if it's not too much trouble, senpai."
What the hell? Hide shot Kaneki a side-eye.
Nishiki placed the cup upside down against the counter, gently.
"Of course not."
Ten minutes in, Nishio senpai bought the two of them Taiyaki from a street-side vendor. Nothing was amiss.
Fifteen minutes in, Hide did not recognize the neighbourhood. That should have been the warning sign, he should have stopped. But he spent way too much time debating whether he should or shouldn't.
Seventeen minutes and forty-five seconds in, Nishio Nishiki halted his pace.
"Ah…I think we may be lost."
And then Hide felt the force of a knee to his stomach, and then the rush of the air through his ears as he flew over the site.
And then he felt the chunks of food, bile and fall over his jacket and onto his hands. Disgusted, shivering yet eyes shut – Hide heard footsteps away from him, and then frenzied cries from Kaneki.
"Awww…Kaneki, I dirtied your little snack.
He snapped open his eyes as a jolt of pain ran through his body.
"Dammit Hide, do something – Kaneki's in trouble."
He almost decided to do something about it until he heard an inhuman scream. It clenched up his insides. It sounded nothing like Kaneki.
"Don't hurt him!"
He froze. The red branches – no the kagune – protruded from the boy's back and rammed through Nishiki's belly. The screams intensified as Hide remained mute.
"Let go of me you fucking idiot! I'm going to die die die die die!" He didn't know what happened next, but the Kagune shot out and flung a now injured Nishiki away from them.
But it didn't stop there.
All he could see was Rize in Kaneki's eyes. All he could see was Rize in Kaneki's smile. All he could see was the same person as he ripped the boy apart, flinging him away from Hide.
And then Kaneki turned his eyes on Hide. Black sclera, red pupil met his own momentarily. He wasn't there – Kaneki wasn't there. He was one of them. Beautiful red branches splayed haphazardly. But they lacked the same grace that Rize possessed with her Kagune.
Do you still think I'm beautiful even when I'm about to eat you?
The ends of his mouth were dripping with spittle as he took steps toward Hide.
"Hide. Hamburger. Hide. Hamburger. Hide." He repeated the asinine combination over and over, "Itadakimasu."
Gripping onto a stray metal pipe that lay inches away from his fingers, Hide glanced at Kaneki – how would he…
With great difficulty, Hide got up – pain wracked his body. His feet shuddered as they met solid ground.
Kaneki looked momentarily confused then very annoyed.
"Stay down!" It hissed, lunging forward for Hide as he aimed for the boy's mouth. Hide raised the metal pipe. The small pipe met Kaneki between the teeth, who then bit down on it – shattering the metal like glass.
Hide felt hands wring his throat, next.
"Kaneki!" He screamed, "Kaneki! It's me!" The boy didn't listen as Hide thrashed around. He felt like his thirteen year old self again, as Kaneki's jaws widened – and then he thought of that website. And that comment - what could he exploit?
Think Hide, Think.
Eyes.
Black and red, one of them was – a kakugan. The other one was human and staring wildly at him, like he was food. Just like the way she stared at him.
Before he could stop himself, Hide reached forward and jabbed Kaneki in his left eye with his left index finger.
There was a sickening squelch.
There was a scream before his back met the wall again with a violent smack. Spitting out blood, Hide felt his body buckle. His vision was getting dimmer. Then there was a shuffle of steps, the sound of scuffling and the arrival of someone new.
They stepped in front of him, almost blocking is vision of a very frenzied Kaneki.
Kaneki grabbed his eye in pain as the right eye was trained on the newcomer.
"So you finally cracked, huh, punk?" The world was fuzzy.
Cold, wet trickles of blood dripped down the side of his cheek as Hide's vision was drowned out.