This time, he was going to do it! Third time was the charm after all! Kaneki grinned to himself as he stepped out into the alley with the convenience store bento in his hands. This time he would just put the bento somewhere the couldn't reach it. It wasn't as if she was very tall. The girl only came up to his stomach and Kaneki was admittedly not the tallest specimen out there. Humming softly to himself, Kaneki moved over to the opposite side of the alley and carefully wedged the bento up onto one of the adjacent building's window sills.

The sill was about a foot above Kaneki's head so there was no way someone as small as the girl would be able to get to it without help.

Kaneki gladly pulled out a book to begin reading while he waited. There was no reason he couldn't enjoy a relaxing novel.

Minutes ticked by.

Kaneki glanced at his watch. His break would end soon.

Kaneki waited a few more minutes before glancing once more at the mouth of the alley. The street girl still hadn't come. Worry prickled at his gut. She was normally here by now, had something happened?

Kaneki tried to read a few more pages of his book.

He glanced at his watch and grit his teeth. He really needed to head back in now or he'd be late for his shift. Should he just leave the bento here for her to eat later? It somewhat erased the purpose of his coming out here to talk to her, but Kaneki didn't really want her to go hungry…

But if he left it out here, and she learned that if she waited for him to go back on his shift, she wouldn't have to deal with him…

Kaneki gave a mournful sigh. He'd have to take the bento with him and pray for forgiveness at a shrine on the way home. Hopefully the little beggar girl wouldn't be too hungry tonight.

Turning, Kaneki reached his hand halfway up to the ledge before he processed how empty it was.

The bento was gone.

Kaneki blinked slowly. Sometime in between his setting the bento on the window sill and now the bento had been taken. Yet, Kaneki had stood in the same spot for the entire half hour he'd been waiting. There was no way someone could have approached it without his notice.

Kaneki lowered his face to his hands and gave a gusty, drawn out sigh. He wasn't really sure how, but the girl had managed to grab the bento again.

The third time was apparently not the charm.

Ya'll, he tries so hard. He really does.

Also, review are much appreciated. They kill writers block.

Have a great day, ya'll!