So I've got some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that after thinking about it for a while, I've decided to take this story up as a legitimate project, so you can expect more updates for it – though they probably won't be adhering to any sort of schedule. So yes, I will continue this, but it will be slow going.

And that brings me to the bad news portion of this author's note. While I will be taking this on wholeheartedly, I do plan on re-writing the prologue and first two chapters. The reason for this is because I've realized that I've left out some important bits throughout it, mostly by my own mistake. In order to keep writing it the way I want, I'll need to go back and make the changes that need to be made.

Don't worry too much though; it won't be like reading an entirely different story. The characters and the important plot points have already been established, so you can expect those to stay the same. The biggest changes will be applied to the prologue and chapter 2. There will be enough new content after the re-write to be worth reading, so I wouldn't skip over anything to get to new chapters.

I'll be re-writing the prologue and chapters 1 and 2 before I post any new chapters, of course. And I'll be doing it all in the same day, as well, and releasing chapter 3 and maybe 4 along with them. As such, it will be somewhat of a wait before this story gets updated, but hopefully it'll all be worth it.

And now, because you're all in for somewhat of a long wait, I'll give you… whatever this is. Not exactly a sneak-peak, but maybe a look into Yuzumi's mind following the last chapter's events? So maybe part of chapter 3. I don't know, but enjoy it anyway?

Yuzumi felt sick. She felt sick to the bone and beyond, not even her still-healing injuries had anything on the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to retch.

He was seated over at the front counter, sipping gingerly at a cup of coffee and conversing with the shop's owner. Touka stood nearby, watching the display with a look in her eyes that said she was still bothered by everything that had taken place that night.

But Yuzumi didn't care about what Touka was feeling. A deeply disturbed feeling of her own was eating away at her insides. Guilt gnawed furiously away within her, sitting like a lump in her belly.

It didn't matter if how many times she was told – what had happened was definitely because of her. She had allowed this to happen, her weakness had caused it. If only she hadn't hesitated and frozen up. It had let Rize take advantage of her moment of vulnerability, and she despised herself for it.

Kaneki, her friend… he wasn't human anymore.

Yuzumi couldn't even look him in the eye. She'd been there, she had been right there. She could have stopped it. She could have saved him from this.

Instead here she was, sitting in the corner of Anteiku, watching the poor boy as he struggled to come to terms with his new body. His new life.

She felt useless. Unworthy of his friendship. Ashamed of her own weakness.

She caught him looking over in her direction several times, but each time she glanced away before their eyes could meet. The way he had looked at her when he'd arrived here earlier in the shop, when he had seen her and discovered what she really was – she couldn't get it out of her head.

A mixture of disbelief and confusion, and it had been quick to morph into one of horrified understanding and fear. Then the look of betrayal had risen to his eyes, and Yuzumi felt that one like the anvils that had crushed Rize alive.

She regretted ever talking to him. She should have stayed away after that bookstore meeting, should never have asked for his phone number, and should have never talked to him again. Maybe that would have saved him from this fate. Maybe then she wouldn't have had to see him look at her like that.

It almost felt like Rio all over again. Once again, she had destroyed someone's life, simply because she was there. (In the back of her mind, a voice sneered at her, told her that she'd better cut ties with Keiko and Reika, before misfortune struck them too)

The feeling of grief over what was lost was overwhelming to her. It was almost too easy to just sit back and let it wash all of the colour and brightness out of her existence. It was almost too easy to just succumb to it.

But Yuzumi took some sort of comfort in it, didn't let it bother her. She'd been here before. Maybe she never left it. It didn't matter though, not it the end.

There wasn't much happiness left to squeeze out of her anyway, after all.