I wait in the office, tired of not having anything to do again. He is quiet, as usual, and it irks me just a little bit. I like conversation when I'm tense, and I am not relaxed enough around Doves for me to keep quiet. I guess he probably figures I'm nervous since I'm so new at this. Really, I'm nervous because there are freaking butterflies everywhere. Was that too sarcastic? "Miki!" I snap my head up, and he set a bunch of papers in front of me. "Read these by the end of the night. They're on Rabbit and Cherry."

Touka-chan. I don't question him, but I know exactly what the CCG thought of my best friend, and I have to agree with absolutely nothing on the inside. On the outside, I have to repeat it. Same goes for me, Cherry. I wonder if Uta is done with my new mask... "Rabbit? You're still trying to track that Ghoul? What about the Binge-Eater? Jason? Anyone other than Rabbit?" Amon's gaze turns on me, and Akira watches the exchange out the corner of her eye. "I'm not saying you don't deserve revenge, Amon, but I think Rabbit is taking a rest. Nothing for the last two months? Someone's hiding her."

"And?" Amon asks, leaning back in his chair.

I roll my eyes. "What happens when a leader dies in the middle of a battle?" No one answers me, and I sigh. "Everyone goes crazy until someone assorts authority again. If someone is hiding Rabbit, we'll know because they'll turn her loose. Especially a human. Or she'll take it as her spotlight chance." Amon and Akira exchange glances. "Cut off the head, and the cockroach struggles."

Amon shakes his head. "Read the file. Final decision." I open it up, and immediately read the first sentence. Someone is being accused of being a Ghoul, and they're... fifteen. Stupid kid. I can't let them kill him. I read further.

He has been missing school for several weeks, and family and friends are unable to contact him. Teachers say he constantly came in smelling too strong, like he was trying to hide some scent, but they never thought he just might be a Ghoul.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. He may or may not be a Ghoul, but I'm not going to let him die for it. "Going on lunch." I place the files back down. "Read enough of it to get the gist."

"Miki! Don't leave until you finish it!" Amon calls as I make my way to the door. I pretend I don't hear him and leave anyway. "Miki!" I laugh as his voice can be heard outside the room, and many stop to stare at me. I take a deep breath and look around. Then I pull out his records, and the lock of hair. I take a breath of the scent, and catch it in the air easily. How is it so hard for the CCG to find this kid?

I find him in an alley. He has an arm in his mouth, and I sigh. "Kid." He looks up. Definitely who I'm looking for. "You should stop. CCG is getting a nice whiff of you, and if you aren't careful, you'll be dead. Don't be surprised if I deliver the blow either." The kid stands up, looking at me hungrily. I roll my eyes again. "Man, who are your parents? Can't even recognize your own species, you stupid kid."

He stops, and I smirk. "Ghoul?" He sniffs the air again. "Very much so, but you have a faint scent of human. You're probably one of those who like to play nice with the humans." The kid sits back down, taking a chunk out of the arm. I sit down next to him, and he stops for a moment. "What do you want, stupid? You probably don't even have a proper mask."

I chuckle. "Says you. Look at yourself. How do you think Ghouls have survived? If we went around blindly killing and drawing suspicion, we would never live past twelve. I knew a girl a lot like you. You've probably heard of her. Cherry." His eyes went round. "Oh, yes. I knew her well. She was making her own kills at eight. Humans, and she loved their taste. Didn't ever think of them having a family. Didn't ever think of them having a life of any type. She didn't own a mask either."

"What changed?" he asked.

"Well," I say. "A couple of things. She met another kid. An orphan, like her. There were two, in honesty. She taught one to be like her. 'Humans are cockroaches' she would tell him. 'Always kill them before they can escape and tell on you. That's when they're dangerous.' The boy took it to heart. Last I heard, he was in Aogiri Tree and was a baddie. Another, she was a lot like her already. But then the little girl was nearly caught by the CCG. Wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"Because they had seen her talking with Cherry in public." I let it sink in. "They didn't know if she was a Ghoul or not. Little did she know, three other teams were doing the same thing. A human waiter who always gave her a pie on the house died. A Ghoul who had saved her life countless times died. And the boy killed the ones who chased him. Cherry then disappeared for six months, and she destroyed every piece of information about her. Pictures, footage. Everything. Eventually, no one remembered her name. It took a while though. Then she returned as Cherry."

The boy stares. "I'm missing the point."

I look at him. "Cherry needed the CCG threatening her friends because they couldn't find her. How far will you go? Surely there's someone you love. Someone who means a lot to you. A girl? A childhood friend? Or maybe a waiter like for Cherry?" His eyes narrow slightly. "As a Ghoul, it is your job to protect them. Yours. Believe me, the CCG will mark them as a Ghoul in a split second, and they'll have the whole damn Ward think it too."

His gaze returns to the arm. "Wanna hear more?" He nods. "Cherry made more friends, and she was terrified of it. She would... strike, and she would strike violently. She actually thought the girl was dead for a while, and it left her with nothing. She stopped eating. She killed humans to kill humans. She still didn't know the value of a life, and she wanted revenge." Once again, the boy looks at me. "Cherry... Damn it, Cherry. She nearly killed a Ghoul, and she was going to eat the Ghoul for the small bit of sustenance it would provide, and for the pure purpose of saying it. By that point, she was sixteen, and coming into the world.

"Then a tiny face split the mother's skirts. Cherry stared at the face, so innocent, so full of wonder. The mother was ready to call her kagune. Or for help. But Cherry focused on the small bit of life. She wasn't like other Ghouls, she knew. She had her mother, and how many can say that? Cherry couldn't. CCG killed her parents while she an infant. Older sister took care of her, and then Cherry killed her older sister so she wouldn't hurt Cherry's best friend. The friend actually became her first kill... Anyway, the kid was there, innocent as a little human. But she wasn't human. She was Ghoul. Cherry changed right then and there."

The boy is silent for a minute longer. "Where is she now?" he asked a bit hesitantly.

I smirk, and turn my gaze to him. "You're lookin' at her." I mussed his hair. "Start establishing yourself in another Ward, alright? Not as a Ghoul, but as a human. Start now. Put the arm down." He does so. "I know a coffee shop, Anteiku. It's a great place, and you can be a person. I'll tell the CCG I looked into you, and I found you at work in the shop, a high school dropout."

"What about food? Won't there be humans there too?"

"Nah. Ghoul run. We eat people who committed suicide, so we aren't taking from the population. Provides board, too. Just say the word, and I'll bring you there."

His eyes meet mine, still red. "Please." I nod, standing up, and I offer him a hand. "My name is Hikaru. I never caught yours."

"Miki Yaruma. The Yaruma is my undercover name. I'm in the CCG for now. Gotta keep Doves away from the shop somehow." Hikaru nods, seeming to understand. "Let's get you cleaned up, then I'll take you to the Manager."

An hour later, I am staring at a pissed off Amon. Akira is already gone, as is most of the office from our shift. I spent a little more than my lunch break looking for Hikaru... "Where were you, Yaruma?"

I sit down, opening the folder again. I take out his information, crossing it off. "Kid checks out. Works at a coffee shop, and he dropped out of high school." I sigh, running my hands through my hair in a seemingly frustrated fashion. "That's where I was. I was looking for the kid. Couldn't find the other one though, the thirty year old. She's gone, home cleared, everything. I'll hunt her down tomorrow."

Amon takes the file from my hand, surprised. "You... were working the case?" I nod, laying my head down. Honestly, it really was exhausting looking for him. He grabs his coat, and I look back up. Her grabs a set of keys. "C'mon," he says, and I get up. "Twenty five, untrained, and already going after Ghouls like it's no big deal." He shakes his head, and I smile a bit.

"Well, if I don't, who will?" I get to my feet, and I see Touka-chan outside the building. "Hell. I'll see you tomorrow. A friend needs me." Amon watches me go, and I see something almost disappointing in his eyes. I stop, and turn around. I get on tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Trust me from here on out, alright?" I say, then turn and run to Touka-chan.

"Miki-nee," Touka-chan whispers. I take her into my arms, and she grips my shirt, untucking it a little. The last time she called me 'Miki-nee' was so long ago. I push her back a bit. "I'm sorry. It's just, today is his birthday, and-" I pull her back again. I can't believe I forgot about it. I'm so damn stupid.

A voice breaks us apart. "Yaruma, make sure you don't do anything stupid tomorrow. We look for the Ghoul." I nod, and Touka-chan glares at Amon. He clears his throat a bit uncomfortably. "Am I missing something?"

"No. You're supposed to be though," I say a bit impatient. "You're supposed to be missing a touching moment, stupid. Now it's all ruined. She even called me 'Miki-nee' for the first time in a long time." I begin pouting, and Touka-chan rolls her eyes. Amon chuckles a bit. I take a breath and get serious. "I'll be ready, Amon. I'm not helpless, ya know. Let's go, Touka-chan. I think Hide-san is supposed to drop by today. Something about math homework and tutoring. Would you like to stay with me?"

We begin walking away and I stop, disbelieving myself as I turn around. "Amon, would you like to come as well? I make killer steak." Amon smiled.

"Thank you, but I have to get home soon." I nod, and a blossom of disappointment stirs in me. How odd. I turn, an arm over Touka-chan's shoulder. "I'll take your offer another day if you let me take you for coffee in the morning."

I laugh. "Meet me at the corner around... Six?"

"Six it is."