Chapter 10 – A new Journey

Kaneki was cleaning outside the shop with the broom when across the street he saw the "Quinx squad". Now, you may think that sounds ridiculous. He also thought the same way but Saiko has texted him, that's how their squad called themselves. So, that's now a new word to add to his vocabulary. Apparently, Higemaru was carrying a big board, meanwhile, they were walking to the street. Something inside Kaneki knew that big board was going to bring him trouble.

"I would like a chai tea please." Said Mutsuki as he sat down, giving Kaneki a big smile. Something inside Kaneki wanted to cry. The quiets of the group are more open towards him. He loved that. There was nothing that can replace this feeling. The feeling when you know somebody already trusts you. As he grabs everybody's orders and delivers the orders to Koma. He proceeded to clean some of the dust of some books. Since he was near their table, he heard somebody talk about a party.

Kaneki wanders his gaze to look at the big board who was on the next to the wall resting. Shirazu grins and puts his arms back of his head looking at Kaneki. "Yeah, there's going to be a party!" Kaneki looks at Shirazu in a curiosity. "Party? Whose party are you going to celebrate?"

Kaneki at this point had already clean the books he had to clean and stood up. He directed his attention towards the kids. Saiko looks at him. "Kan kan, my birthday is just around the corner. My mother is not going to be here. You know, kind of like those American movies." She grinned at him.

"But instead of alcohol, we are going to have many sodas. I can't tolerate how the beer tastes".

"Wait, Saiko sama. You have drank beer?"

"I just tasted once and hated it. I don't get adults."

"I prefer tea" Ching li said, as she looks down to view her book. Saiko grabs the big board and turns it to reveal a big letter. "Don't worry Kan kan, you're invited as well. But first you need to open the letter, alright?" The whiteboard was decorated as a big white envelope. The seal that was in the middle, was a big red circle that was divided in 4 pieces. Kaneki grabs the seal and carefully detach it, the card opened to reveal some letters, which stated the following.

Dear participant,

Congratulations on beating the game of life. Now, dear contestant, your new quest consists of going to the big event that is held in the Yonebashi castle. We will wait for you there, please bring a present or else the queen might get upset with you.

Kaneki folded the card again to its original form. "Thank you!" Kaneki smiles at Saiko.

"Is this Saturday, so don't you dare don't come!"

"Alright, I will" Kukie scoffs. "This whole invitation is a whole level of Otaku-ish behavior." Saiko offensively looks at Kukie. "There's nothing wrong on being an Otaku and for your information, I'm not an otaku. I'm a gamer!" Kukie scoffs and puts back his headphone without a care in the world. "The same thing" Saiko starts arguing, while Koma tells Kaneki their drinks were ready.

As he was coming with the drinks, from the kitchen to the area where the kids where. "By the way, don't you even dare invite Takeomi." Kaneki widens his gaze. 'They know him?' Saiko pouts, while still holding her cellphone. "Oh c'mon, if I invite Itou, I need to invite Takeomi as well." Kaneki pulled the drinks on their table. Kaneki felt a little bad for Takeomi. They were talking bad about him behind his back. He didn't like that all. "Don't talk behind people back Kukie kun" Kaneki whispered, but the teen listens carefully and took Kaneki's arm, while he was departing their table.

"You know him?" Kukie stared at him. Kaneki gulped and tried to look away from Kukie. Everybody in the group looks at him. 'Great Kaneki, now they know you heard their conversation.' Kukie waited for his response. Shirazu looks at them. "It appears he knows them."

"I met them in an arcade once and we became friends." Saiko smiles widely and points at Kaneki. "Oh! I met him there too and he became my great friend!" Saiko puts her finger in her chin and tilted her face sideways. "Although Takeomi kun is our classmate." Saiko grins and points her finger to her classmate. "But he doesn't hang with us, because Kukie doesn't like him." Kukie let go of Kaneki's arm and stood next to Saiko. "He is a shitty boy." "

"You don't like him because he always takes first place in the exam positions, isn't that right Kukie?" Aura said as he was just staring at the whole situation quietly. Kukie gritted his teeth. "I also heard, the first crush Kukie had. Instead of confessing towards Kukie, he confessed her feelings towards Takeomi instead."

"Eh? I thought he hated him because he beat him in the swimming competition once?"

"Oh, that was three times."

"Ah yeah, you're right!"

"I can't compare you with 'L vs Light'. Because you have never outsmarted him in any way. So it's a 'mellow vs near' rivalry. Since one party is always fighting while the other is not even trying to fight".

"Good one!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

A slim, middle-aged man with short black hair wearing a beige coat enter the store. "Welcome, dear customer." Kaneki greets the man and smiles. The man just stares at him. He looks around questionably. Then he looks around. As if, he was looking everywhere beside Kaneki. "Yeah, yeah just give me an expresso." Kaneki bows at him and smiles. "Okay, dear customer!" The man looks away and just sits down, still not looking at him.

While he gave the order to Koma. The door of the café once again opened and once again the batch of flowers came again. Kaneki sighed in protest. He furrows his eyebrows. Kaneki looks at the tag of the flowers and sighs desperately. "And of course, it was from Tsukiyama."

'God, this man couldn't be creepier.'

He heard some clicking noises. He looks to one of his sides and saw a familiar girl with a camera who was taking photographs of him. "¡Stop it Chie!" Chie put her camera down and looks at him. "Well… I can. But you told Shuu san not to visit you." Kaneki gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "Ahh… why?" Chie looks at her camera, and tap the button to look through the photos she has taken. "Because Shuu wanted your reaction in a photograph." Kaneki gritted his teeth and looks at different many sides of the store in annoyance. "¡Oh god!"

"Oi kid, you know you can report him for assault, right?" The man came to the counter where Chie and Kaneki were. Chie takes her came and takes a photograph of him. "Oh isn't Marude, the superintendent of the police force?" Kaneki widened his gaze to him. "Superintendent? What?" The man furrows his eyebrows in their direction. "Chee, I'm about to meet some acquaintances of mine, and YOU!" The older man pointed his finger at Kaneki. Then he looks away again. "-You will serve us right?"

Kaneki nods and smiles at him.

"Kid, do you like motorcycles?"

"I think they are cool, I never driven one though I'm afraid of them." Kaneki says as he puts the expresso and a slice of cheesecake the man ordered. The older man smirked look at him. "He… Well. Do you want me to drive you one of this da-"

Marude mas cut off when a white-haired man with glasses and a soft brown hair man came into the shop. Kaneki drove his eyes to see the two figures coming in. "Welcome to our store!" Both Arima and Hirako bowed at Kaneki. Arima furrows his eyebrows and lowers his voice tone when he sat down next to Marude.

"Again insisting people ride in your bike?"

"Tchhh, bookworm and stiffen blank board has come to ruin my day once again." Marude gritted his teeth, crossed his arms and looks away in a demeanor way. "Well, if I didn't know you better I could say you're harassing Kaneki." Hirako blank statement came in action, as he sat down next to Arima. "Hirako san, he wasn't harassing me. He was just being friendly, that's all." Kaneki smiled at the three-man in front of him. They stare at him for quite a while.

Kaneki realized that. When for a whole minute, the four of them didn't say anything. He gasped and as he nervously grabs his notepad from the front pocket of his apron. As he grabs the pen that was intertwined on his notepad, Marude just scoffs at his direction.

"Kid, only because these guys look like they will flash you with a light and make you forget your memories. It doesn't mean you have to be nervous now. Relax just think of them of pair of grey glasses and wood board." Kaneki looks away and made a fist with one hand and the other hand to cover the laughter that was coming within him.

"There you go again, you roast, made-up, old drunkard version of Goofy."

"The fuck! Did you just say wooden table?"

Marude stood up and slams his hands on the table. Arima put a hand to cover his laughter while looking down. Kaneki just runs towards the kitchen area. After a minute, Kaneki came blushing and apologize to them. While Arima just told him, he shouldn't feel guilty about laughing because he also laughs and this is how they all three act when they are together.

Kaneki once again apologized to them. While he took the orders of the two of them. Kaneki didn't register that both of Arima and Hirako was deeply staring at him. "So, um… is that all?" Arima just nods, while Kaneki smiles at them and gets away to get their orders. Kaneki's heart was beating fast. Kaneki grabs the orders put it on their tables. "Why is there cream on your cheek?" Kaneki gasped and blushed. "I'm sorry, Koma our barista, made a new drink with Chantilly cream on it and I tasted a little bit."

Arima chuckles and grabs a handkerchief from his suit to handle to Kaneki. When he elevated his handkerchief, he didn't know Hirako had already given his own handkerchief to Kaneki. Kaneki wiped the cream of his cheeks and stare at Arima blushing. "-I'm sorry he Ummm… gave it first and-" Arima just puts down his handkerchief away. "You're getting fast Hirako." Hirako just nods in response and grabs his coffee.

Kaneki stares at them, while Marude just grabs another bite of his coffee cake. "You guys sure are good friends. I really like your friendship." They both stare at each other and stare at him. While they were about to respond to him. Marude cuts them both.

"Ah, no wonder why people like this place. You're definitely a cutie". Kaneki blushes at the response. Arima looks at Marude, brows frowning.

"Marude san, shall I accuse you as a sexual offender?"

"Why, I'm only telling this kid a compliment"

"Absolutely not, you creep him out, isn't that right kid?"

"No, he didn't"

Kaneki blushes and scratches the back of his head. "Sometimes there have been times I have said thing and people get the wrong impression of me. So, when compliments like what Marude san just tell me. I get the feeling I'm not being awkwardly alone, you know?"

The men stared at him. "What do you mean in an awkward way?" Kaneki looks to the shelf of books as if was just searching for something. He grabs a random book and holds it in front of his face. "This book was put in the romantic section of the café, right? But what if the author wanted to make a tragedy out of this but the author's words were mistaken as a book of romance?" Kaneki stares at the other books on the shelves. "Or what if, any of these books were never meant to be romantic, but the authors themselves were pressured to make a romantic story out of it, just to please their audience."

Kaneki puts the book back to its place. "So, in response to your question. Sometimes people like me or any person in my position get in awkward situations because they have been taught how to act in some situations but when you do it. You just don't do it right and people might mock you because you don't look "normal" in their eyes."

It was around 2:30 when Kaneki left from his work. As he was cornering the store to press the button to switch the lights of the streets. He spotted Hirako near the parking lot of the café. "Ah, Hirako san hello!" Hirako just nods at him. "Where are you going right now?"

"Oh well, I'm was just wondering where to go. I was invited to a birthday party. So, I don't know what to get her. I thought to myself, just by looking at the stores I might get an idea of what to buy her."

"I see"

"Do you want to come with me?"

"Yes, sure. If you don't mind a wooden board coming with you." Kaneki widens his gaze and blinks at various times. "Please, I already apologized for laughing about it."

"Wait, Hirako san… look!" Kaneki grabs Hirako by the arm. Hirako blankly stares at Kaneki's sudden action. They both stare at a pet store. The pet store's windows were clear, so you could see what kind of variation of pets they had in the store. In a small corner, near the glass window. They were some little puppies that were looking outside. Kaneki points to the puppies inside the store, with a bright smile.

"Look at this Shiba dog, he looks just like you!" Kaneki stares at the dog while taking his cellphone to take some photos of them. Hirako kneels himself and puts his face near a Shiba puppy that has put its face stick to the clear window. Kaneki blushes and gasps.

"Oh my goodness, you actually look alike, can I take a picture?" Kaneki grabs his cellphone in a position to take the photo, but immediately put the phone down and pouted. "…or you don't want me to take the picture?" Hirako just nods at him. "Yes. It is better for me if you have a picture of me." Kaneki blushed and softly smiled. He positioned himself again to take a picture of the two of them. "Okay, there I got it." Hirako stands up and looks directly at Kaneki. "Mind if I take a picture of you too?" Kaneki shakes his head and smiles. "Not, not all." Kaneki kneels himself and puts himself next to the puppy. Hirako takes the picture and again kneels himself. He positions himself to the other side of the puppy and extends his phone to take a picture between the three of them.

Hirako stands up and extends his hand to offer his hand to Kaneki. They both stared at each other. "Did you know I own one?" Hirako nods and taps his cellphone to reveal a picture of a well mature Shiba dog resting on a wooden floor.

"Oh, it's really is beautiful! Can I go and pet it?" Ken looks up to Hirako. In response, Hirako just stared at him. He gasped and look sideways. "Oh… I mean…um." He looks down for a second and back to Hirako. "-If you want me to." Hirako caresses Kaneki's head. The wind blows between them as if the wind was a person trying to get them together. "Of course. I will be flattered, in fact, I have a barbecue event set on my house this other weekend. If you can, you can come."

"Kaneki?"

Came a familiar voice coming out of the store. It was Yomo carrying a big bag, on top of his shoulder like it was nothing. 'Wow, that man is strong.' Kaneki thought. Yomo looks at them while looking blankly at them. Kaneki looks between the two older men and interrupted their stare battle. "He is Take Hirako, a Neuropsychologist is that correct?" Kaneki nervously looks at Hirako. Who responds in a nod, still not losing the stare battle with Yomo. "He is someone I befriended when I was in the hospital." Kaneki moves his hand to signal Yomo. "He is Yomo Renji, he is the owner of a pet shop." They both stood there without saying anything, Kaneki stood there in confusion. "Well-"

"NICE to meet you!" Kaneki jump as the sudden introduction between the two of them. Kaneki glances at Yomo's heavy bag. "So umm…. Yomo. What are you carrying there?"

"Food for Shooting Star Wing." Kaneki looks confused.

"Shooting Star Wing, who is that?"

"Is our bird…Well, my bird."

"Bird, I thought he was called Hetare." He recalls that because of the times he has gone to the pet shop to tutor. Touka had always yelled that, at the innocent bird, while feeding him. "That's the nickname that Touka gave him. His official name is shooting star wing." Kaneki sweat drops and awkwardly smiles at him.

"That's a weird name." Said Hirako, as he just stared at the floor and then back at him. Yomo gritted his teeth

"Huh?'" glared at him, raising his eyebrows.

"Why don't you name your pet's normal names? Like Kotarou. My dog's name is Kotarou."

"Did somebody called me?"

Came Amon's voice from the back of Hirako. They all turn around to see him. Amon looks at them, but especially to Kaneki and immediately bows at him. "Kaneki ken, thank you for your patronage." Kaneki smiled and also bowed at the response of the older man.

"Thank you as well…!" As he stood up once again, he startles himself between the three men that were around him. He points out to Amon with both of his arms.

"This is Koutarou Amon, a police officer and a great friend of mine." Then he persuaded to do the same to Hirako and Yomo. "This is Hirako and Yomo, they are also good friends of mine." Hirako stares at Kaneki and slightly smiles to himself. Amon just stared at them silently, then proceed to bow himself. "Nice to meet you." Both Hirako and Yomo bowed and also greeted Amon.

There was a small pause between them. That's until somebody broke the silence. And by 'somebody', Kaneki's stomach. Kaneki is used to eat something around this hour. He clenches his fists. He glances around awkwardly and spots an ice-cream store. He thinks, that if he leaves them for a moment. They won't get annoyed at him. I mean, he would just leave them for some ice-cream. Though the aura around them feels a little tense.

"I will go and buy ice-cream, you guys can talk and-"

"WE ARE COMING."

So they all grab their respective ice-cream. Of course, all of them bought the same type of ice-cream that he bought. He didn't know that they all had the same particular taste as him. He actually thought that they could like more simple ice-cream flavors for their appearance. But of course, Kaneki can't base their personalities of liking some types of ice-cream. So, in the end, they all sat down on a large bench that was near the ice-cream store.

Of course, he thought the vibe around would feel intolerable since none of them didn't initiate any type of conversation. That's until Yomo stood up, munching the last bit of ice-cream. He announced to the group, his siblings were left alone in their shop all this time. So he needed to get back to their store as soon as possible. After a while Amon left as well, he also announced he needed to leave because he had taken some time off, of his patrolling. He bowed at them and dismiss himself. Of course, when Kaneki was bowing at him. He missed the bit when Hirako glared at Amon.

As they were done with their ice-cream. They decided to keep on searching for the right present for Saiko. That's until they encounter Ihe Hairu. Hairu was leaving a certain store with some bags in her hands. She runs towards them.

"Ah, hello Hairu!"

She dismisses Kaneki's greeting. When she looked directly at Hirako. "So, where is my precious older brother?" Hirako just blankly stares at her. "He had some work to do." Hirako looks to the side as Hairu just 'tchh' in response. He looks back at hair. "And also if somebody greets you, you need to greet them." Hairu offensively scoffs and takes her tongue out in the direction. Hirako just rolled his eyes in her direction.

"Older brother?" Kaneki looks at Hairu direction. Hairu puts her bags on the floor. She proceeds to take something inside of her pink coat. It was a pink wallet, with some roses decorating the corners that were intertwined with spiky green vines. "Oh, you didn't know? Of course, you don't know." Kaneki sigh meanwhile Hirako just stared at him. "This is my brother." She takes a photograph of her wallet and handles it to Kaneki. "Look" Kaneki grasps the photo and as he grabs it, it kind of looks like of those antique photos. In the photo, there was a teen with dark blue hair with glasses, he was holding the hand of a pink-haired girl. On his right side, there was a purple hair girl who was also wearing glasses. To his left side along with the other girl, there was also a raven-haired boy.

Hairu smiles and points to the smallest girl. "Look, that beautiful girl who is holding the hand of my beautiful older brother is me. The purple hair girl is my older sister Rize and the other boy is Kichimura." Hairu smiles proud but the lights of her eyes began disappearing. As to like, she was trying to remember something. "Although…"

Kaneki stared at the photo. There was something inside of him that thinks he knows all these people in this photo. Hairu snatches the photo of Kaneki, making him surprised at the sudden action of her. She puts the photo back on her wallet and as well inside of her coat. Hairu looks down for a moment. "We are sisters and brothers, but we don't belong to the same mother." Hirako steps forwards. "Ihe" says Hirako in a really stern voice.

Hairu panics and puts her hands in the air and then in front of her. "What?! Don't get mad, I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying they're my siblings!" Hairu steps forward to look up to Hirako, clenching her fists. "I'm still a human, a human who has…." Hairu looks down and the light of her eyes began decaying. "-siblings…"

Kaneki wanted to react to the scenario in front of him. But he couldn't. But why? What was stopping him? His head began hurting. His eyes look down. 'Those people… Rize he knows her… and the boy, didn't...didn't he looked like Furuta?' His eyes felt very heavy. He clenched his eyes and clenched his teeth.

'Furuta?' His background got foggy. 'Kichimura?'

'Rize?'

Exterminate

Kaneki felt sick. Kaneki began trembling and almost lost his balance. His eyes widen as big as he could get them. His pupils rolled up, almost leaving him without pupils. He puts his hands on each side of his face. Both Hirako and Hairu surprised at the sudden action of Kaneki. Hirako took him by his back, maintaining his head as well. "Hey, are you okay?" Kaneki's body now felt light. He looks at Hirako, who looks concerned at him. He didn't know what happened to him. If he could describe it, it was like a sudden adrenaline rush took his body and just like that the rush left him as well. He stood up between them. He took some deep breaths of air.

"Ha, it seems like I feel a little sleepy?" Hairu flinched in his direction. "Are you sure that you are okay?" Kaneki apologetic looks at her. "Yes, don't worry about me." They all decided to sit down for a moment in a nearby bench that was empty. Meanwhile, Kaneki rested in Hirako's lap. Since the man insisted he takes a rest and then they could search for the present. Although, this position seems a little bit 'compromising'. "But people might get the wrong idea, Hirako san." He just stares at him.

"Did you think I care?" 'Of course, he doesn't.' So Kaneki did what he was told. Although he gets some questionable looks from some people who pass by. Hairu decided to help them to search for a good present.

As time pass by, they decided to search for a good present. Kaneki told Hairu some details of Saiko that could help Hairu to search for the present. In the end, they decided to buy her some 'Led lights'. Hairu said, that teenagers nowadays especially people like Saiko. Loved the aesthetic of the '80s. Kaneki didn't understand many things Hairu said. But he thanked her regardless, because If it wasn't for her. He would never have guessed what Saiko like. In his mind, he was just going to buy her something related to 'games'.

When they already found the present. Hairu waved them goodbye. Of course, she gave him a kiss on his cheek leaving him very flustered. While Hirako just glared at her. Then Hairu, just took her tongue out in the direction of Hirako. Soon after her figure was nowhere to be seen. They both started walking in the same direction. The sun was now leaving the earth. Now the clouds were tangling with the night creating a purple-orange sky.

As he was admiring the beautiful sky. He was cut off from his thoughts when Hirako began talking. "You may be wondering why Arima looks different for the way, he looks on the photo." Kaneki stares at him. Yes, but he didn't put a bigger thought to that. He was just amazed that they were siblings. That's the biggest shocker. "Arima has an unknown decease that doctors still can't explain. They haven't found the cure yet… that's one of the reasons he became a doctor."

Kaneki was still shocked when he didn't realize that they were near his street. Hirako caressed Kaneki's cheeks as well giving him a kiss on his forehead. He parted while giving his phone number as well as Arima's cellphone. While Hirako's figure was gone, he went to his house.

This is a lot to take in, Arima is sick, and he is the older brother of…..

He once again felt sick. So he told himself, he will just eat and sleep early. When he was drifting to sleep. He thought to himself, that the information he gained today. Wouldn't get more shocking than this. Little did he know, that this would just be the beginning of a new journey in his life.

Thank you guys for reading!
Please, I will be thankful if you leave any reviews if you like the chapter.
Also, please keep yourselves check and wash your hands properly!
Stay inside if is possible.