Chapter 1 "Trying to Help"

Something was there he thought.

He stops walking.

Clack clack clack clack

He sweatdrop. He took a deep breath and started walking again. Yes, it was his imagination. ¿Who would in his right mind follow an 18-year-old to his house? Nobody of course…..

clack clack clack clack

Oh no, he didn't want to believe somebody was following him. Yeah, maybe he was getting paranoid.

Clack clack clack clack

Okay…. Now he definitely thought he was getting followed. He stops and turns around. There was nobody. Okay, this needs to stop. He didn't want to believe he was getting followed or worst that he had a stalker. He thought the people who are getting stalk are the ones who are 'cute' or 'interesting' and he didn't have those things, to begin with. But if he actually was getting stalked… ¿Why him? "Hello", the stranger said. All this time Kaneki was thinking and walking while looking to the ground. When he looked up, he saw a tall dark figure talking to him. "¡AAAaaah!"

The tall figure started walking towards him. He was paralyzed in fear. He couldn't walk. It almost felt like fear had taken all over his body. The dark hallway didn't help at all. He thought. It only helps to make the dark figure scarier. Kaneki closed his eyes and when he opened his eyes. There was a woman.

He blinks his eyes one more time. Trying to organize his thoughts and mind, he didn't want to believe that because of fear he was seeing a woman. Sometimes his mind loved playing games with him.
The woman smiled. She had long purple hair and she was wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple shirt, with long sleeves and had a frilly white skirt.
Kaneki stared at her and was breathing out loud. Not because the woman who was in front of him was beautiful. I mean, yes. She was definitely beautiful. But the real reason why he was breathing out loud, was because he was trying to recover the breath he lost when this woman appears out of nowhere in front of him. She almost gave him a heart attack. Speaking of heart attacks, because of that attack she almost managed to make him pee his pants.

And that is not something you want to explain to your mother when you're doing the laundry in front of her.
As he continues to breathe. The woman just stared at him, when he was catching the tension between them. She smiled at him, her smile was piercing through him. Kaneki's heart starts beating fast.
Oh no. Don't tell me, this is going to be the moment when he had his second heart attack. God…

They stared at each other for a while. Until he decided to take the risk and talk to her. "Um… do you need something?"

Uhu, kill you perhaps, he thought. But, why though? He didn't have any money, to begin with. That's the reason, why he was started working dammit! She smiles one more time, but innocently and lean towards him. What is this? What is this sudden development? What he was finally getting a kiss from a girl? Is this the tale he would tell his grandkids when he gets older? Listen, kids, your grandmother and I met on a dark street. Even though it was dark and smell like vomit but we gave each other our first kiss. But no. That wasn't it. She extended her hand and grab something off his backpack that he was carrying around his waist. She took a book.

Eh...?

It wasn't his. How did the book get in there? Oh no, don't tell me is this the famous scene 'I caught you red-handed give me money. If you don't give it to me, I will tell the cops' kind of situation.
He sweatdrop. "Oh, Mr. employe I'm sorry I accidentally left this book landed on your backpack" She closed her eyes, tilting her head to the side smiling. "Don't worry, I know you didn't steal it. Hehe silly me". She hides her smile, with one hand covering her mouth, and gesturing her face that was getting embarrassed. "Kaneki kun, would you let me repay you?"

She smiles once again, taking her hand out of her mouth. Kaneki blush. Was she flirting with him? If that's the café, then it definitely it was working. "O-oh okay?" She bowed and turn the other way. "Well then, see you tomorrow at the same café". Oh… something clicks in Ken's mind. That's when he knew her. Oh his new work, stupid him. She suddenly stops her walking and looks at him"By the way, you smell nice".

He was blushing like a read tomato totally avoiding the fact that the girl just told him that he smelled nice, she put her book on his backpack and follow him home. Yep. Nothing suspicious about that. After all, he thought that was normal and that was a normal approach of flirting with someone, right? Right? She was way too ahead and again she stops and looks at him again. "I'm Rize Kamishiro. Remember it well" She screams but not that hard, so Ken could hear her.

When Rize was walking near the corner. She stops walking and lookup. Kaneki still hadn't moved an inch where he was and now he was wondering what on earth is that woman doing. He surprised when Rize sticks her tongue out. Kaneki looks up and saw a man, looking down at her. As a surprise to get his attention she turns her head looking at him. "Don't be so boring, okay?"

She smiled at him and gave him a wave goodbye. ¿What? I. What on earth did she say that? That woman was strangely weird but he didn't give it that much thought after all. A woman that was that beautiful was talking to him. It surely was a dream. Either way, he was getting ecstatic for meeting Rize tomorrow. He saw to the roof once again. He wonders why Rize knew that a person was there. But to his surprise…. The man on the roof was gone. Either way, a man on the roof wearing a clown mask was a bad sign, it's better not to think about it.

Kaneki ken only lives with his mother ever since he had a memory. His mother told him, that he had a father but he died when he was really young. So she took all the responsibility to take both of the roles in the house. Ken's mother "Kaneki Hiroko" was the most beautiful and hardworking woman he had ever met. She was his personal heroine. His mother was the perfect example of those persons who had nothing in the beginning and then at the end, they become a greater version of themselves.

His mother was not there but she was in the way. She was both a seamstress and tailor. She once works on a quite popular company but after 10 years she decided to quit. "I want to make something big, Ken kun. You will see, your mother will reach high!" Those words inspire him. This was the first time, his mother was acting kind of selfish. She was very humble and always thought that the kind of others was first instead of hers. But right now, his mother is changing and he liked that.

After she quit her job, she had been saving money and open a little workshop in their own house. She had told him, that she wants to start since from the beginning and then this workshop could become a great company that designs clothes. But right now, she didn't have that much money, to begin with. So he decided to help her out. "No, ken kun! You can't do that, what about university?" His mother grabs him by his shoulders and looks at him with a concerned gaze. Ken innocently smile at her and look to her eyes.

"Mother, ever since I was a little boy. You had taken care of my expenses and provide me a grateful life. I have been seen with these two eyes, that life hasn't been that great for you. You had sacrificed so much to take care of me and now it's time for me to repay you". Hiroko let go both of her arms, she put her hands on her eyes and started crying. "N-no this way Ken kun". Ken just watches her dripping tears for her cheeks.

"I don't want you to drop out of college. Life is getting really hard for grown-ups to get jobs and you know how hard it was for me to get a job at that time. That was a mistake of mine, to drop out of college and that is not something that I want for my son too" Still having tears in her eyes, she looks at him very seriously, biting her lips. Ken view to the other side. "I know mother, but it's not like I will drop out of college. I will be going, but not now. I will just get a simple job to help you to get materials and build this little workshop because I know this workshop will become a great company."

Hiroko expression changed to an amazing one. Staring deeply in her son's eyes, she quickly smiles and blushes. "I don't deserve you, Ken kun". She hugged him and put her head resting on his son's shoulders. Ken surprised and smile staring at her backside, he hugged back. "Don't say that mother. It's me, that doesn't deserve you". She lets go of Ken's body and stare at him smiling, putting her head to the side. She places her hands on her waist.

"So, we don't deserve each other then?" Hiroko raised her eyebrows. He closed his eyes and smile happily. "I think so"

After two days of searching jobs for him. He didn't find any.

He was looking at some coffee shops he could work at Daikanyama district. Some of the coffee shops are always looking for younger staff members. That's what it said in many articles on the internet.
Or could it be, they were referring to the girls. Either way, even though he was an 18-year-old, people still mistook him like he was a 15-year-old boy. Yes. Some people could receive that as a compliment but he didn't like that. Some of the neighbors still treated him, like he was a baby and pinched his cheeks. He didn't like that all.

While he was having all these thoughts, he was waiting for the lights to change. When he saw a brown-haired man styled in a pompadour and with a bulbous nose putting a bulletin in the glass of the store. If he could read well, it said Help Required Now Hiring

He smiled and he thought that his luck had changed. Maybe this could be the job he was looking for. When the lights switch, he runs and first saw the information below the title. First, he wanted to know, if he had the requirements they were looking for. Because in no sense, he will go to an interview, if he knows deep down he didn't have the requirements or the things they were looking for.
Ken read discretely without looking inside the shop. While he was reading. A girl with long black hair, touch the man's shoulders and move her head like "look outside". The man with the big nose, look outside, and smile. They stared at each other and smirked.

-The applicants must require a quite good knowledge of books of any genre. If the applicant could make coffee that would be wonderful, but it really is not that important.-

A lot of knowledge of books.

¿Are you kidding me? He loved books, if he could write a poem, and of how much he like books. He could write it. So he decided to give it a shot. He didn't know if the interviews were programmed but if that's the case, he could ask if they could give him one. When he was about to enter, the door suddenly opened."Boy, are you interested in the job?" The woman with black hair leaned on the door, arms crossed. She was wearing a white shirt, a black skirt and brown apron that had the café's logo. The café's logo was quite unique. It was a circle and in the middle, there was a coffee cup and to its side, there was a book. Above the drawings, there were some letters "Rijunjoni". Below the drawings, they were small letters that where on the border of the green circle said "Book café".

Oh. ¿So it was a book café? He heard those shops were becoming quite popular. All this time, Ken didn't know he was staring way too long on that woman's apron. "Pervert, my head is in here". The woman looked annoyed and raised her eyebrow. "I-it wasn't my intention! I…" Kaneki ken was blushing, looking nervously to the ground. "Irimi san, don't tease our new employee". The voice came from the same man, who hang the poster. He saw Ken and wink at him.

"I'm Koma Enji by the way and she is Irimi Kaya. Nice to meet you!" He gestured his hand towards the woman who was now smirking playfully at him. He stared at them… and blink a few times. Wait, did he just said? New employee? Ken look to the back if he was referring to another person.

"Dummy, we are talking about you"

"Eh, me? But I haven't been interview yet"

"Yeah, our manager is on a trip. So he told us, if he saw someone that had a potential for the shop, we could hire them" Irimi still had the smirk on her face. Ken surprised and blush. "And to your luck, you pass the interview. Congrats, young man!" Koma patted Ken's shoulders, smiling brightly. He jumps at his sudden approach. "But, you didn't know my name and don't know if I read books" Koma and Irimi stared at each other and look back to Kaneki. "Okay…what's your name?" They said in unison. "I-I'm Kaneki ken!"

"Hmm…. So do you read books?" They said in unison and with a complete uninterested look on their faces. "Y-yeah!" Ken smiles brightly. "I love reading books ever since I was little. I love reading any kind of genre, my favorite author-" Ken was cut off when Irimi interrupts him. "Okay, okay we get it, nerdy boy. You love reading books." Koma appears from the shop and gave Ken an apron. "Welcome to Rijunjoni, Kaneki kun!" Ken look at the apron in disbelief and stared at them.

"Come here tomorrow at 7: 00 am and we are going to instruct you on some basic things". Irimi said. "Can you please tell me why did you really hire me?" Came Ken's voice with a still disbelief tone to it. They stared at each other and look at him. "Because you're cute". They said in unison. See? His looks where his curse.

She didn't come.

He sigh.

It was too good to be true. I mean, how you can explain a beautiful girl like Rize could flirt like a wimpy kid like him. Maybe it was a prank or a dare. Maybe somebody dares Rize to do that. He has seen some prank videos online, and it's a common prank to make to wimpy kids like him. He sat down on the table near the "seinen section" of the café.

"Wow! It really it's a big place"

Maybe his horoscope was right. Maybe this month was going to suck ass. Like Hide will describe it.

"Oi, Kid if you want to read or grab a drink come to the cashier first!" Irimi said. "Irimi san, don't be rude to the customers." said Koma.

But, wait. He didn't believe in horoscopes in the beginning. The reason why he started to read those things was because of his best friend. His childhood friend always thought that luck could be everywhere. But Kaneki didn't believe that. Well, sometimes he believes in those things when he was bored. He pinches his cheeks and put both of his shoulders on the table, hiding his face with his hands. God…. Why people always think that was fun to play with his heart?

Someone came and gently touch Ken's hands. The same person, put them apart to reveal himself. "¡Hello bro! I'm back!"

"¡Hide!"

Oh, maybe his day won't be that bad after all.