Thanks again for everyone who has stuck around for this. At this point we are moving into Tokyo Ghoul: Re. However, I think that this story is probably going to come to an end here fairly soon. I think it's time that I stop making these characters suffer.
It was a grueling few months after Yuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov retired from skating. After five years of study, Yuri finally decided on using his degree to search for a stable job to support them. Unfortunately, as much as they'd wanted to stay in St Petersburg, the best job that Yuri could find was in Tokyo.
"It's a pretty stupid idea, isn't it?" Yuri asked Viktor when he finished explaining his findings. He found the job a month after the party, and had already been asked to do an interview.
"It's been over a year, and I'm sure that this job would offer enough protection. It's security, isn't it?" Viktor reasoned as he thought it over in his head. Neither of them had any fond memories of Tokyo, but if that was where the money was, then it was hard to say no.
"I think it's security. They don't really say too much about it, and a google search didn't give me anything useful back. CCG…I don't even know what that stands for."
Viktor shrugged. "Maybe it's better that way. You'd be safe there, way more than here. Besides, it would be better for you to be close to family."
"But how about you? What about-" Yuri tried to ask, but was stopped short as Viktor slowly shook his head. His expression was soft. Light danced off his silver hair through the open window.
"You're the only family I need. If that's the job you want, then we can move there."
And so that was it. Frankly, Yuri was getting tired of moving back and forth, but he hoped that this would be the last time. They managed to find a nice house, close to Yuri's job. It was about a fifteen-minute walk for him.
While Yuri had the benefit of a college degree, Viktor was left without one. He'd been a serious competitor his whole life, which left him with intense practices that barred him from a higher education. He could have started college, but ultimately decided that he was too old for that. Instead, he decided to use his residue fame to start coaching again. After coaching Yuri for a year, he'd really grown in his ability to help other people. He took on three young skaters, although none of them could possibly hold the same energy that Yuri did.
And so Yuri began his new job. Something about him must have impressed the interviewers, because they hired him on the spot. Now, he just had to complete his orientation. Which, for some reason, required top security. Most notably, he was the only one in that orientation. He sat at a table face-to-face with another man. His hard eyes and scarred hands were intimidating to the young worker.
"Have you ever heard of the CCG before?" he asked, his voice like steel.
"No, I can't say I have."
"That's probably a good thing. By signing this contract here, you hereby relinquish all rights to speak about this job to anyone outside of it. That means friends and loved ones, too. By not signing, you forfeit your job."
Yuri bit his lip. This job probably wasn't like other ones, he could see that now. However, this was still the job he wanted. A protected little desk job with a lot of protection. Before he backed himself out of it, he signed the document.
The man took the document back and stashed it in a suitcase. There was no way that Yuri could get that back. "CCG stands for Commission of Counter Ghoul. You probably don't know what a ghoul is, but I can assure you that you've been in contact with them before. In fact, a ghoul is what ended your skating career."
Yuri paled at the mention. He'd done such a good job of tucking that memory away from himself, hearing it being brought up was like a kick to the gut. "I'm sure you remember it. Now, do you remember what they were like?"
This was juts like when the police asked for his statement. However, it felt more like this guy was trying to lead him to something, to some big truth. "They were strong, too strong for their size. And fast."
"Was that all?"
Slowly, Yuri nodded his head. "That's all I remember. Honestly."
"Well, they were called ghouls. They weren't human, not even close. They're beings that reside in the shadows. But when they can, they'll strike. Not only will they kill you, they'll feast upon your flesh and blood. It's our job to exterminate them."
Yuri's heart was racing faster and faster in his chest. "That night…my friend saved me. Is he…?"
"It would be best for you to forget that he ever existed. Now, I'm sure you might also be wondering why you were hired here, and why I'm telling you all this. Rest assured, the job description is accurate. You will be working solely in an office, out of harm's way. It's important for you to know this information, however, because you will be documenting cases and researching ghoul sightings. It's menial work, but it isn't for everyone. Do you still accept your position? Before you say yes or no, I'd like to remind you that your contract stands no matter what. This information does not leave this building."
It was a whirlwind of thoughts in Yuri's brain. However, if they knew what attacked him in that hotel room, then they knew how to defend against it. If he were being honest with himself, the safest place for him would be in that building, surrounded by people who knew what they were fighting.
"I accept."
The CCG was a vast space. Yuri wondered if he'd ever be able to find his way around. He'd been working there for about a week, but every time he turned a corner, it seemed liked there was something new. Lucky for him, he had a mentor to show him around. They worked at desks next to each other, which made it easy for Yuri to see what he was supposed to do. The computer system that they had was impressive, but Yuri was glad that he'd been schooled with such high tech. Otherwise, he'd be completely lost in the operating system.
Now, he was trying to find where he could get some lunch. It was one of the first times that he'd left on his own, and it wasn't turning out so great. He sat down on a bench to try and get his bearings. There were people everywhere. Most of them were office workers like him, but every once in a while, there would be a few doves. They wore long white coats and carried silver briefcases. Yuri had been told that they were weapons, although he had no idea what one looked like.
"There you are," his mentor said as he approached Yuri. "Got lost?"
"Hopelessly," Yuri answered as he shook his head.
The other man laughed. "Don't worry, you'll find your way around eventually."
He sat down on the bench next to Yuri. He seemed exhausted. "You had me looking all over for you. Turns out your barely even made it out of the office before you got lost."
"Sorry," Yuri answered. He really felt bad for the guy. With Yuri on his coattails, it was hard for him to do any of his own work.
"Nah, don't worry about it. All of us were new here at some point."
Both of them watched the crowd for a bit. Yuri was about to get up and suggest that they head back before something caught his eye. Another squad of doves were walking past, but something about the group made Yuri uneasy. He studied their faces until he stuck on one in the back. He looked different, but there was no mistaking that face. "Hey, is that-" Yuri started to get up, but his mentor quickly pulled him back down.
"Don't approach those guys, they shouldn't even be here."
"What does that mean?" Yuri asked. He could only watch as they walked away from him.
"That's the Quinx squad. They aren't like the other doves. They're experiments. Mostly human, but they have some ghoul in them."
"But that guy-"
"Haise? You definitely don't want to talk to him. Or any of them. They're downright dangerous. This work should be left for humans, not those kind of experiments."
Yuri didn't answer. "Let's head back, before they wonder where we went," Yuri's mentor suggested. He silently followed, but he couldn't take his mind off of what he saw.
Maybe he looked different, but there was no doubt about it. That was definitely Ken Kaneki.