Hello! This chapter follows the night that Haise and Mutsuki had sex. If you chose to skip the last chapter, just know that you won't miss out on anything vital here.
Anyways, from now on if I do write a smut chapter, I'll immediately post another chapter after it for those who don't really want to read lemons. Granted there will be sexual themes here since I worship the ground Haise steps on, but that's to be expected from an M-rated fanfic.
Anyways, there won't be anything in the author's notes this time, because I just got done writing and editing this chapter and chapter thirteen, and don't really have anything new to say.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!
Awakening from a restless night ridden with anxious dreams and late-night overthinking, Eto groggily opened her eyes to be instantly blinded by the beams of sunlight seeping into her bedroom from the blinds of her window. Groaning to herself, the only thing stopping the half-ghoul from going back to bed was the sight of her digital alarm clock that sat on top of her bedside table.
'Another day, another migraine,' Eto thought cynically to herself, before tossing her comforter off of herself. Ignoring the fact that her room was a mess, Eto reluctantly stood up from the comfort of her bed and kicked her pajama-bottoms off of her legs before tossing her oversized shirt into the pile of laundry she had in the corner of the room.
Thankful that the coffee shop had its heater running, Eto stumbled into the bathroom with nothing but her panties on as she made her way over to the sink. Too lazy to brush her teeth, Eto instead chose to take a cap-full of mouthwash and swig the liquid in her mouth as she began to tie her long and messy hair into a bun.
Spitting the used mouthwash into her sink, Eto ran the cold-water before leaning down to wrap her lips around the tip of the faucet to fill her cheeks before spitting it back out. Wiping her mouth with her forearm, Eto opened up her medicine cabinet and applied deodorant underneath her armpits before spraying herself with some cheap perfume.
Satisfied with her adequate hygiene, Eto picked her bra up from the floor of the bathroom and clipped it on her before sliding each boob into its respective cup. With her work outfit being the only thing in her bedroom currently kept on a hanger, Eto was able to quickly get into her uniform before heading over to her messy closet to fish out a pair of socks and dress shoes.
Not having the energy inside of her to apply her contacts, Eto decided to just suck her pride up and wear her large circular glasses for the day before marching over to her private minifridge. Chomping down on two protein bars and downing an aluminum can of triple-shot espresso, Eto decided to ignore the fact that she was going to have stomach problems later.
'Alright… Show time,' Eto thought sarcastically to herself, as she quickly jogged out of her bedroom to make her way down the hallway toward the staircase. Before getting to the first step of the stairs, Eto made sure to stop by Touka's bedroom door to poke her head in.
The black-out curtains Touka had inside her bedroom made it hard for Eto to make out the young ghoul's figure laying down on her bed. Wrapped underneath her heavy blanket from her shoulders down, Touka had her back to Eto as she scrolled through her phone to stare longfully at the pictures saved onto her device from a simpler time.
"Morning, Kirishima…" Eto greeted with a warm voice, as she made sure to keep the door closed as much as she could to avoid bothering Touka too much.
"... Hey," Touka called back in a dry and tired voice, as she continued to scroll her finger down against the screen of her phone. "Did you… Did you talk to Haise yet? Did you… Did you tell him that I was sorry? That… That I need him back?"
Frowning a bit, Eto idly sucked in her own bottom lip as she thought of a way to formulate her sentence without further upsetting the fragile woman. "I did talk to him last night, sweetie… He's still adamant about finding Hinami before he comes back home. He did say that he'd call back today though to go over his plan on how to find her; maybe I can convince him to stop by so you can apologize to him yourself, dearie… Your apology wouldn't mean much if it came from me."
Without immediately responding to Eto's report on the love of her life's whereabouts, Touka took a moment to process everything the half-ghoul had said to her before softly nodding. "I see… Thank you Yoshimura… For everything."
"Of course, dear… It's what I'm here for," Eto said in a comforting voice, before letting out a soft sigh while composing herself. "... He still loves you, Kirishima; don't you forget that." Eto said in a somber voice, before quietly closing the door to give Touka the rest of the day to come to adjust and think things over.
Standing in the hallway with her back pressed up against the Touka's door, Eto closed her eyelids and raised her chin up as she fought to keep her tears at bay. Taking in a few medativie breaths, Eto was able to collect herself once again before standing up straight. 'I can cry later… I have a coffee shop to manage right now.'
Waking up feeling refreshed and ready for whatever the day had in store for him, Haise laid on his back and listened to the prominent sounds of seagulls cawing and harbor bells ringing just outside his window. Letting out a yawn and stretching his arms out for a few moments, Haise tucked one hand beneath his head while wrapping his other arm around Mutsuki's naked body.
Closing his eyelids while feeling Mutsuki resting her head against his chest after falling asleep last night to the sound of his heartbeat, Haise came to the conclusion that the Crescent Moon had arrived back at its private pier over at the 8th Ward: 'Moonlight Piers'.
Listening to the sounds of waves crashing against the haul of the boat and the pier they were docked at, the only thing keeping Haise from falling back asleep were the barking harbor seals.
Having felt her mentor stirring awake, it wasn't long after Haise had finished stretching his arms did Mutsuki wake up. "Morning Haise…" She mumbled quietly with a soft-relaxed voice, as she nuzzled her face deeper into Haise's pectoral muscles. "How, -nnnnnghhhhh… H-How did you sleep?" Mutsuki asked after letting out an elongated yawn herself.
Smiling at how cute his underling was, Haise lowered his gaze to be greeted by Mutsuki's green eyes before replying with, "I slept like a rock last night… At least I think I did? I can't really remember the details that much, can you?" Haise asked with an embarrassed look on his face.
Having also been completely drunk out of her mind last night, Mutsuki smiled sheepishly with a blush overtaking the pigmentation of her face before replying with, "Not really… My bottom is sore though, so I'm pretty sure that we did more than just 'fool around' last night... That, and I have a funny taste in my mouth…"
"Oh, so it wasn't just morning breath then…" Haise mused half-jokingly to Mutsuki, hinting that he too had a similarly odd yet satisfying aftertaste on his tongue. "Whatever we did, it must have worn us out, look!" Haise said, before gesturing over to the digital clock mounted in the kitchen area of the living quarters.
Lifting herself up a bit to get a better look to where Haise had nodded his head toward, Mutsuki's eyes widened after realizing that they had slept in until eleven o'clock in the morning. "Oh no… We were supposed to call Yoshimura this morning! We need to show her and the others those forums Tsukiyama wanted us to fill out…!"
"Forums…?" Haise muttered out loud with a confused look in his eyes, as he watched Mutsuki frantically hopping out of bed before running to the bathroom. Hearing the sound of running water cascading down from the shower head, Haise slowly got out of bed while still trying to figure out the reason why Mutsuki was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
"The forums, Haise! Remember?! Chie Hori gave us a manilla folder filled with them?!" Mutsuki called out from the bathroom, as she ran back inside to the bedroom to pick up the aforementioned folder from the entertainment center below where a mounted flatscreen television was. "These! We gotta show them these so we can get them filled out before Christmas!"
"Christmas? Isn't that not until six days?" Haise inquired with an arched brow, while wondering why Mutsuki seemed so frantic about completing them. "I want to find Hinami just as much as anyone else Tooru, but from what I remember last night, aren't we not going to Rushima Island until New Year's Eve? Besides, she's not even there; we're just helping Shuu so he can help us in return."
Bouncing up and down where she stood, Mutsuki found herself having to take deep breaths to calm herself down before explaining to Haise, "That's not the point… Last night, I told Yoshimura that we'd be back at the coffee shop around morning or in the afternoon, and it's already almost noon! We still have to shower and get cleaned up, plus you have that stupid meeting with that German girl... Unless you want to skip seeing her, of course…"
Processing everything that his underling had just relayed to him, Haise was too deep in thought to notice that he was being lifted up from the bed bridal-style by Mutsuki, who promptly carried him like a fireman over to the bathroom. Getting lowered onto his feet, Haise stood in the corner of the shower stall while Mutsuki got in with him. "... Hey I just realized something: didn't you mention to Yoshimura that we were staying at a hotel? How are you going to explain that when you show up with those applications that clearly have Tsukiyama written all over the- Hey?!"
Interrupting the ending of Haise's question by dosing him in hot water in order to speed their shower, Mutsuki worryingly thought about her mentor's point as she used the detached shower head to get the rest of his body wet. "Damn it, you're right…! Shit, why did I have to lie about staying at a hotel?!" Mutsuki muttered to herself with a grim look in her eyes, as she mounted the shower head back on the wall of the stall before squirting shampoo and conditioner on both her and Haise's hair.
"You're probably going to have to tell Yoshimura the truth; lying more than you've already have is only going to make things worse for you, Tooru," Haise said in a lecturing tone, like a father would do to their child. "Speaking of which… When are you going to tell her about us? About what we did last night?"
Feeling herself coming close to the brink of having a panic attack, Mutsuki felt the color draining away from her face as a cold-chill ran down her spine. Idly lathering the soap into her hair, Mutsuki swallowed back the lump in the back of her throat before quietly saying, "Um… I-I think we should, um… K-Keep what happened last night between you and I, Haise… I don't think I'm ready to have that conversation with anyone right now, much less with Yoshimura or Kirishima…"
Leaning his down underneath the cascading hot water to wash away the shampoo and conditioner from his black-and-white hair, Haise furrowed his brow at his trembling underling before standing back up to prepare his loofah with body soap. "It's up to you, Tooru. All I want to know is what does that mean for us? Are you still wanting to be my girlfriend, or was this just, like… A one time thing?" Haise asked without judgement in his voice, before beginning to lather his body up with overly-priced soap that he couldn't pronunciate even if he tried to.
Feeling overwhelmed with reality biting her in the ass, Mutsuki let out a frustrated sigh before squirting a glob of flowery body-wash soap into her palm to begin rubbing it along her body. "I love you Haise, that's never going to change… But maybe you and I can keep this relationship a secret for now? I can be your girlfriend when it's convenient, but… Other than that, can you still treat me the same as before when we're in public or with other people?"
"I'll do that if it makes you happy, Tooru, but can I at least why you'd want that?" Haise asked in a puzzled voice, as he took a step closer to Mutsuki to rinse his body free of soapy suds. "I mean, I'm fine with going back to the way things used to be, but I'd like to know the reason why."
"Because Haise, it's… It's easier that way; for everyone, and for us," Mutsuki replied with a bittersweet tone, as she rested her head against Haise's chest as the water from the shower head rained down on both of them. Feeling safe and comforted by the sound of his heartbeat, Mutsuki slowly was lulled into a sense of tranquility as the hot water ran down both their bodies.
"I… I don't like sudden change and I don't want things to get complicated… Just as long as you're with me, Haise… I'm fine with whatever we need to be." Mutsuki said with a cathartic smile on her face, as she slowly began to let go of what 'whats' and 'ifs' that the future had in store for them, and instead found comfort in being in the moment with Haise.
Closing his eyes while feeling his wet bangs clinging down against his forehead as the hot-steaming water trickled down his face and hair, Haise let out a quiet sigh as he wrapped his arms around Mutsuki to bring her closer to him in a comforting embrace. "... I love you Tooru. I'll be there for you, no matter what happens."
Taking comfort in the sound of Haise's voice along with the reassuring words he spoke to her, Mutsuki was finally calmed down. Wrapping her own arms around his body to return his loving embrace, Mutsuki slowly leaned up to gently kiss Haise before replying with, "Thank you, Haise… I love you too, and always will.'
Deciding to skip whatever Tsukiyama's staff had prepared for breakfast that morning in order to focus on buying themselves time, Mutsuki was told by Haise to wait for him in his bedroom while he went to apologize and make amends with Karren. What was supposed to be a pleasant and heartfelt conversation involving trying to understand one-another ended up being tossed out the window the moment Haise entered her quarters to be met with an annoyed look on the German ghoul's face.
"Mein Gott (My God)... You truly are a man who enjoys making waves, are you not, 'Haiße'?" Karren said out loud sarcastically with a frown on her face, as she moved out of the way to allow Haise entrance inside of her quarters. "Go look at the television… Also, you reek of sex." Karren said snobbishly while cringing, as she escorted the bewildered one-eyed ghoul over to her bedroom area where her television was playing the morning news.
"... Charged with murdering Associate Special Class Investigator Chuu Hachikawa, a ghoul investigator from the federal organization known as 'CCG', Haise Sasaki has also been deemed guilty for resisting arrest as well as injuring three other unnamed investigators." The news young anchor reported, before several pictures of Haise during his time with CCG appeared on screen.
While he couldn't say that he was shocked to find out that CCG was pursuing him after he had last night's incident at ORCA, Haise was somewhat disappointed with the thought that despite him calling the ambulance to save Ayumu and her squad, they still ended up throwing him under the bus. Still, despite the fact that he was a publicly wanted fugitive, Haise still was unable to find himself regretting his decision to defend himself and save who he could last night.
It was a comforting feeling, and a liberating one at that for Haise.
"If only CCG's bureaucratic office worked that fast when it came time for approving vacation," Haise said jokingly, as he turned around to be met with the unamused expression on Karren's face. "Okay, so… What, does this change anything as far as Shuu's 'employment opportunity' goes?"
"You are lucky Master Shuu is an extremely forgiving and flexible person," Karren replied back with an irritated tone in her voice, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "No, your public bounty should not interfere with Master Shuu's grand scheme."
Feeling happy that he was still going to be able to work with Tsukiyama in order to get the help he needed to search for Hinami, Haise let out a relieved sigh before bringing up his next question. "Okay… So what about our little kumbaya session? If things are going to be rocky for me, I'd at least like to know that I have friends to back me up."
Chortling in a pompous-tone, Karren not only found Haise's words to be absurd, but downright hilarious. "Friends?! WITH YOU!? HA! Do not make me laugh, boy," Karren said in a flamboyant tone of pure sass, as she shook her head at the disappointed look on Haise's face. "You and I are not ever going to be friends, it is as simple as that."
"Oh… Can we at least be allies?" Haise asked with a hopeful look on his face, to which Karren met with an inquisitive look of her own.
"Allies, huh? Is that what you are hoping for?" Karren asked with a half-cocked smirk on her face, before slowly circling around the uneasy one-eyed ghoul while judgmentally eyeing him up-and-down. "As much as I hate to admit it, what Master Shuu mentioned last night about you being a very capable person is true… The last time we fought, you not only managed to get the upper hand on both of us, but you also took down the One-Eyed Owl…"
"Hehe, yeah… That does sound kind of badass, doesn't it?" Haise chuckled whimsically to himself with a sense of pride, as he imagined how awesome he must have looked back six months ago. "Speaking of that night, I've been meaning to ask you something, Karren."
"Which part of the night are you referring to? The part where you almost killed me, or the part where I almost fell to my death?" Karren asked semi-sarcastically. "Both parts are still ingrained in my memory, so please, ask away."
"The latter one, please," Haise said, while being oblivious of the way Karren had presented her response. "From what I heard, you leapt after Shuu once Yoshimura threw him off the roof. How did you survive that?"
"I used my parachute that I keep on me at all times, and then landed on a conveniently placed trampoline that some loving parent bought for their child! You really should have been there, they had pizza and cake!" Karren sarcastically said with a convincing smile on her excited face, as she watched Haise scowl at her.
"... You're messing with me, aren't you?" Haise asked with a half-cocked smirk, as he placed his hands on his hips.
"Of course I am, I was merely joking with you," Karren said with an amused look in her eyes, as she took a step closer to Haise to fix his black collar. "My survival was pure coincidence, I assure you that I was prepared to meet my end that night… That might have been the case, had it not been for Madam Matsumae recusing me… Dear Lord, who dressed you this morning?!"
"I did; or at least I tried," Haise muttered to himself, as he looked down with an embarrassed look in his eyes. "To be fair though, these aren't even my clothes. I looted this dress shirt and trench coat from one of those investigators I knocked out."
"Well that explains why your outfit looks so ghastly," Karren muttered to herself, before suddenly pausing as she took a step back to stare thoughtfully at Haise's shanty outfit. "... Take off your shirt and that sorry excuse for a trenchcoat."
"Erm… Sure thing," Haise said nonchalantly with a bit of confusion in his voice, before tossing his oversized trench coat onto Karren's bedroom floor. Unbuttoning his black dress shirt, Haise tossed it on top of where his trench coat was before looking up to see the proud German ghoul blushing with a surprised look on her face.
"Well now… I… I was not expecting you to look so… Attractive." Karren mused with a bit of a scoff at the end of her sentence, as she stared longfully with a conflicted feeling dwelling inside of her as she eyed Haise's body like it was a piece of candy. "... Forgive me, I should not be staring at you like that."
"It's fine," Haise said casually, while not really grasping the reason behind why Karren felt ashamed of herself for looking at him with lustful feelings. "So… Did you have clothes for me to wear in your room, or was there any other particular reason why you wanted me to undress?"
Shaking her head at the idea of giving Haise her clothes, Karren responded by saying, "Do not be ridiculous, 'Haiße'; all my garments have been custom-fitted for my body, not yours. I had you undress yourself simply because I could not stand the thought of you parading yourself around Master Shuu's yacht wearing those… Rags." Karren said with contempt in her voice, as she quickly knelt down to grab Haise's discarded clothing before tossing it in a nearby trash bin.
"Oh, okay… So, like… What am I going to wear when I leave the Crescent Moon?" Haise asked with an uneasy voice, as he glanced over in the corner of his eye to look out of the bedroom window to where falling snowflakes were being swallowed up by the ice-cold ocean waters..
With her back facing Haise, Karren turned her head over her shoulder to express a somewhat prideful smirk on her face as she stared at him with a calculating look in her eye. "Ah, yes… The age-old question of 'What outfit shall I face the world in today?' It is a question as old as time, I assure you of that." Karren said while speaking in a poetic voice that was lost on Haise.
"... I don't get it," Haise said in a flat tone, as he cocked his head to the side to convey his confusion. "So am I wearing clothes or not?"
Letting out a frustrated breath, Karren closed her eyes shut for a few seconds to recompose herself before replying back in a dry voice, "... Just go tell Mutsuki to meet with Madam Matsumae before he goes back to that coffee shop of yours to get those forums signed."
Stricken with a mind numbing sense of panic that overwhelmed every part of her body, Eto stood frozen to the spot within the dining area, as she along with Saiko and Shirazu took a break from their duties to watch the news alongside her.
Not only did the CCG release pictures and information about Haise for all of Tokyo to see, but they also publicly announced that there was a bounty on his head. The small fortune of six-hundred thousand Yen (est. five-thousand USD) would be awarded to whoever shared information with CCG that would lead to Haise's arrest.
However, anyone who would bring Haise into the authorities, dead or alive, would be awarded one-billion Yen (est. over nine-million USD); no questions asked. With such a tempting bounty placed on the head of someone as non-threatening looking as Haise, Eto couldn't help but to eavesdrop at the various muttering and private conservations being had by her patrons.
"One-billion, huh? We could get the Hell out of Tokyo and move anywhere in the world with that much cash… I hear the French Polynesian Islands are nice all year-round."
"Nah, screw that; Silicon Valley and Hollywood are where the big bucks are…"
"He looks like a little bitch… I think I could take him on."
"Hey, wasn't that guy here yesterday? You think he's still in town?"
"Alright boys, let's pay the tab; it's time to go huntin'."
With several groups of patrons tossing down wads of Yen onto the table, many ghouls left without waiting to receive their change as they headed out of :re to begin searching for what they presumed to be their golden-ticket to a better and new life.
Despite her desperately wanting to close the shop so she could go look for Haise herself, regardless of whatever Mutsuki had promised her, Eto knew that if she were to do that, it would bring unwanted attention and suspicion down upon the rest of her staff, and as well as putting Saiko and Shirazu in danger.
"Well… That's certainly a lot of money!" Eto mused loudly for everyone in the dining area to hear, before walking over to where Saiko was visibly trembling. "Honey, why don't you go take your 'break'? You seem a bit tired," Eto said with an emphasis on the word 'break', as she smiled reassuringly at her teary-eyed daughter to comfort her as much as she could without raising suspicion.
"O… Okay," Saiko said with a soft nod while flashing a weak smile, before immediately making her way past the dining area to head upstairs to her bedroom.
With her most emotionally-vulnerable surrogate child taken care of, Eto hummed out loud in a pleasant tone while flashing smiles at her stirred-up customers as she made her way to where Shirazu was staring at the television screen with an angered and curious expression on his face. "I… I don't understand… Did… Did he really do all of that…?!"
"Sweetie, we all have a lot of questions about what we saw on TV… But we can't lose focus on what's in front of us," Eto said in a motherly voice, as she reached up to grab Shirazu by the chin to forcefully avert his gaze from the television screen. "Go ahead check on our customers, I think I saw that table nine needs a refill, love."
"Y-Yeah… Okay," Shirazu muttered back in response, before walking over to the aforementioned table while still contemplating on what he had just watched on the news. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but Shirazu knew that with all that money, he would have more than enough to not only pay for his little sister's treatment, but to give her an extraordinary life to make up for the years she missed out on.
Trying her best to maintain a calm outer appearance, Eto was silently filled with dread and worry as she walked into the main lobby to stand in as a hostess. About ten minutes after the last ambitious party of patrons left :re early so they could go hunt down Haise, Eto's nose picked up on two familiar scents that made her finally lose her tranquil composure.
"Oh no…" Eto whispered in a terrified voice under her breath, as she inhaled the combined aroma belonging to both Mutsuki and Haise that was coming closer to the coffee shop. While a part of her wanted to run outside and tell them to flee, the more rational side of Eto realized that if anything else, the two would be safer inside :re for the time being.
Still trying to maintain what little composure she had left, Eto could feel her forehead beginning to heat up and become drenched in a light-coat of sweat as she walked with a purpose over to the front door. With sweaty palms, Eto wiped her hands on her black apron and ignored her beating heart that felt like it was going to explode as she anxiously waited.
'Why the hell did I have to put the news on this morning?! I should have just put Pandora on or something...!' Eto thought hopelessly to herself, as she faked the best smile she could muster while looking out at the door to see Mutsuki walking into the coffee shop.
"G-Good morning, Yoshimu-"
"-Get the hell inside, child…!" Eto whispered with a hushed tone, after putting her somewhat-dry palm up to Mutsuki's lips to silence her. Taking a look over the quinx's shoulder before stepping outside to poke her head out into the cold, Eto frantically looked for Haise. Once she realized Haise's scent was coming from outside, Eto stepped back inside before pulling Mutsuki into the kitchen.
Having to man the kitchen himself, Yomo smiled at the sight of his assistant returning, but it quickly faded away the moment he realized that she was preoccupied with Eto. "... Figures," Yomo said cynically to himself, before returning his attention back on the meat patty he was cooking.
Wanting to separate Mutsuki away from any eavesdropping ears, Eto unlocked the backroom door that led into an inconspicuous supply closet. Locking the supply door behind her once she and Mutsuki were inside, Eto brought her finger up to silently convey to her surrogate child to remain quiet before moving around a few heavy crates to uncover the secret hatch that led downstairs into a large and cavernous underground concrete room that was surrounded with four large corridors.
Once Eto made sure for a second time that she and Mutsuki were alone, the half-ghoul finally felt safe enough to ask the burning questions that had been on the tip of her tongue since she first saw Mutsuki by herself. "Where's Sasaki?! Why is he not with you?!"
Not being very good at confrontation, Mutsuki averted her gaze downward to the concrete floor underneath her boots, as she wrapped her arms around the manilla folder that Haise told her to bring back with her. "Um…! W-Well… He's safe right now…"
"Where? At the hotel?!" Eto asked with mild irritation in her voice, while still trying her best to be patient with the woman who was dressed oddly femininely. "... I get the black blazer and the white-dress shirt, but what's with that formal skirt? And… Since when did you start putting your hair up in a messy bun?"
Staring back at Eto's bewildered expression with a confused look of her own, it didn't take long for Mutsuki to suddenly remember that she had always gone by male pronouns while under :re's employment. "O-Oh! I-I… I wanted to, umm… T-Try something new! And, umm… Funny story about that hotel I told you about…!" Mutsuki said nervously with a forced smile on her face, as she stood up straight while Eto stared silently at her before suddenly leaning in closer to her personal space to begin sniffing around her body. "H-Hey?!"
Analyzing the smell of Mutsuki's breath, down to her thighs, Eto found herself able to smell Haise's scent the strongest when she sniffed the quinx's mouth and lower extremities. Pulling herself back from the petrified woman who looked as though she finally realized what the half-ghoul was doing, Eto stared back with a look of shock and bewilderment on her face.
Although Eto wanted to know the reason behind why Haise's scent lingered so heavily where Mutsuki's orifices were, the half-ghoul had more important matters to inquire; plus, she already had an idea as to why Mutsuki's nether regions smelt that way. "... Tell me where Sasaki's at; we can talk later about the assumptions I'm having right now about what you did with him last night."
Already dreading that future conversation that Eto had planned out for her, Mutsuki grimmanced a bit before nervously moving her arms out to hold out the manilla folder. "If, um… I-If you just read through these and sign them, it'll tell you e-everything y-you need to know."
Letting out a quiet sigh of frustration, Eto swiped the folder from Mutsuki's hand before flipping it open to skim through the multiple copies of the same packets of paper work that were filled inside of it. "... Mutsuki."
"Y-Yes ma'am?" Mutsuki asked back with an anxious look on her face, as she stared back at the deadpan expression on Eto's face.
"... You do remember that I have crippling dyslexia, right? It'll take me about a week to read through just one of these packets," Eto said with an unamused tone in her voice, as she handed Mutsuki back the folder.
"O-Oh! T-That's right, huh…?!" Mutsuki mused with an apologetic look on her face. "S-Sorry, that was completely unintentional…" She muttered, as she took a packet out of the folder before flipping through it to get to the part of the paperwork that had Tsukiyama's briefing. "D-Did you want me to read you the part wh-"
"-FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST TELL ME WHERE SASAKI IS, CHILD!" Eto yelled angrily, after finally losing her patience with the procrastinating quinx.
Terrified and not wanting to further test the waters with the powerful woman standing before her, Mutsuki immediately replied with, "Sensei's in the 8th Ward, at Tsukiyama's private pier that's called 'Moonlight Waters'. He's aboard Tsukiyama's giant yacht that he's using to operate his new militant organization; it's called 'United Front'! H-He's giving Sensei some equipment and briefing him about breaking into a ghoul prison at sunset! T-Tsukiyama wanted me to have you and whoever is wanting to help Sensei carry out his orders fill out these forums and have them turned in before Christmas! T-This is all so we can get paid and overtake CCG, a-and so Sensei can find that girl he was talking about, ummm?! H-Hinami or something?! I don't know…!"
Wide-eyed and dumbfounded at everything Mutsuki had just spat out to her, Eto stared blankly at the trembling woman standing before her who was cowering. Smacking her dry lips before licking them, Eto took in a deep breath while slowly raising her hands up to press her palms together. Closing her eyelids, Eto slowly exhaled to get a hold of her own emotions.
Eto's meditation worked for approximately twelve seconds, before suddenly becoming overwhelmed with enough rage and anxiety that all she could coherently do in that very moment was scream "WHAT!?"
Inside the armory, Haise stood in the center of a metal platform as Tsukiyama and two of his most trusted servants stood behind him as he inspected the militaristic-combat suit that he had fitted specifically for the one-eyed ghoul's body.
Meant to be an advanced-improvement to the battlesuit that Haise used to wear back when he went by 'Kaneki' and 'Eyepatch', the dark-grey cargo pants, carbon-composited under armour, black gloves, combat boots, and folded-q-metal arm braces and light-curicass were all pieces to a set of quinque armor that Tsukiyama had purchased earlier.
The kakuja from which the entire 'Barbatos' battlesuit had been made was from an infamous French ghoul who targeted prostitutes and lone ghoul investigators in the streets of Paris. The Tsukiyama family had purchased the quinque in an illegal auction that had taken place deep within the infamous catacombs beneath the streets of Paris.
According to Tsukiyama, the suit was different from its similar and less technologically-advanced counter parts that CCG used; more specifically, its sole purpose wasn't to enhance combat abilities like the 'Arata' quinque, but rather it excelled in surviving hostile environments without harming its wearer.
Equipped with its own heating source to regulate the wearer's body equilibrium, Barbatos would repair itself while simultaneously assisting the user heal by using its stored RC-cells to instantaneously provide first-aid. Since Haise was a one-eyed ghoul who already had an incredible healing factor, it meant that Barbatos would be able to keep him in one-piece while protecting his body.
Due to how sleek and fitting the quinque was to his body, Haise was able to hide the chest-piece and most of the other parts of the armor underneath a black-turtle neck sweater and a luxurious white trench-coat that was purchased for him by Tsukiyama, when he was in France four months ago.
"Quel regard magnifique (What a magnificent look)!" Tsukiyama mused aloud with a sense of pride at his own work, as he applauded himself for having such great taste. "Dangerous and sexy… Those two traits are what embodies the United Front!"
"... Is that the reason why my sleeve has 'United Front' on it?" Haise asked with an uneasy look on his face, as he stared down at his right bicep where his shoulder had two black-metal chevrons stitched into the white trench coat. Just underneath the bottom chevron, 'UNITED FRONT' was labeled in capitalized English letters. "If you're trying to keep your organization a secret, then I don't think that's a smart thing to do…"
"Secret!? Why would I turn down publicity, especially when you're the talk of the city?!" Tsukiyama asked with a dumbfounded look on his face, as he chuckled at how naive Haise sounded to him, despite his point being very valid. "No, no, no, no! I want you to spread the word of the United Front, and show everyone in Tokyo how flawed and outdated those bureaucratic morons are in CCG! By doing good deeds and showing everyone CCG's true colors, we'll gain the public's trust and support!"
"You actually want me in the public eye? I guess that would explain why you said not to dye my hair… Or why you didn't want to give me a fake ID," Haise muttered to himself with a worried look in his eyes, as he shifted his attention from the ground to where Tsukiyama was standing proudly a meter away from him. "I can't go back to :re, not with CCG offering that bounty on me… How am I supposed to come back here to sleep without being followed?"
"You'll have Chie Horie shadowing you around wherever you go. If you can't see her, don't worry, she's quiet and she'll always be around to relay information regarding your whereabouts to Matsumae, who will be giving you logistical support… Oh, and of course, you'll have this to keep in contact with us," Tsukiyama said with a smile on his face, as he motioned for Karren to step forward to hand Haise a small-white box. "It's a special iPhone that I had encrypted with its own security measurements and private VPN; it's how you'll get a hold of us and your friends at :re."
Cautiously taking the iPhone from Karren's hand, Haise inspected the device carefully before unlocking it to take a quick peek into the contact list. Considering how resourceful Tsukiyama was when it came to acquiring information, it came as no surprise to Haise that everyone, with the exception of Eto who didn't have a cellphone, was in his contact list.
"Thank you, this is… This is all so sudden," Haise admitted with a half-chuckle, as he shook his head at how quickly everything was happening around him. "Not just the gifts, but… It's only been a day, and I'm already having to deal with this nonsense… It's just a lot to take in, you know?"
Sensing the sound of fear and anxiety in Haise's voice, despite the fact that the one-eyed ghoul was trying to mask his uncertainty with a weak smile, Tsukiyama stepped forward and placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Haise… If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that time doesn't wait for you to be 'ready' for whatever it has in store for you… I'm not going to lie to you: these next few weeks are going to be hell for you and I. We're going to either die being labeled as terrorists, or live long enough to see ourselves be known as philanthropists."
"... W-Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Haise asked with a nervous laugh, as he stared into Tsukiyama's purple eyes that conveyed a heartfelt seriousness to them.
"No, that wasn't meant to inspire you or to put the fear of God in you, Sasaki; it's what life for us will be like right now," Tsukiyama replied with a genuine tone of empathy in his voice, as he gently tightened his squeeze on Haise's shoulder. "The agony and struggles we will have to endure will be well worth it, and the world where humanity and ghouls co-exist peacefully will be what you and I shall give to Hinami, and every one of our loved ones who got us to where we are now."
Swallowing back the lump in his throat, Haise shifted his gaze over to Matsumae and Karren, who stood behind Tsukiyama with prideful and determined expressions on both of their faces. Staring intently into Haise's grey eyes, Karren flashed him a comforting smile before speaking.
"Haiß-... Haise," Karren said after quickly correcting herself before continuing on with what she wanted to tell him, "you will not be alone out there… You have allies here, and in that coffee shop you speak so highly of. My advice for you, words of wisdom one might say, is this: It is better to die as the person you are, rather than live as somebody you are not… Take pride in who you are now, and do not focus on the person who you used to be."
Having expected for Karren to have forgotten his earlier inquiry about being allies with him, Haise was pleasantly surprised that the German ghoul still remembered what he had asked her. While he was still nervous and anxious of the unknown dangers that awaited him outside the safe haven that was Tsukiyama's yacht and private pier, Haise at least felt comforted by the thought of him not having to face the world alone.
Wanting to speak her piece of mind as well, Matsumae met Haise's gaze with a curt smile before speaking to him as well. "You've conquered death several times over, Sasaki; if there's anyone who can live through this and bring harmony to ghouls everywhere, it's you." Matsumae said, as she thought back to when she operated with limited vision while susatiating him, Eto, and Karren. "You're a survivor… And a lucky charm, as well."
Unable to contain himself, Haise couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of him being labeled as anything remotely close to 'lucky'. "I don't know about that…! Why, what makes me a 'lucky charm'?"
As if on cue, Tsukiyama released his grip on Haise's shoulder so he could step back and make way for Matsumae, who closed the distance between herself and Haise. Bringing out her cellphone, Matsumae swiped a few times to navigate to the digital report Chie Horie had prepared for her late last night.
"I say you're a lucky charm for two reasons, Sasaki; the first reason being that you're lucky to be alive right now. The second reason why I consider you to be a lucky charm is because of what happened in the middle of the night," Matsumae said in a courteous voice, before handing Haise her cellphone to look over the electronic-document and the pictures that were saved onto it. "Chie looked her up; she's an Aogiri Tree member, and might be able to give us first-hand intel about Rushima."
'Coast Guard discovers a twenty-three year old woman approximately ten kilometers East of Tokyo Bay at one o'clock in the morning. I've identified the woman as Kurona Yasuhisa: one of the two artificial one-eyed ghouls created by Akihiro Kanou. She was transported from a patrol boat by CCG personnel around two-thirty in the morning, and is currently in the Corniculum Ghoul Detention Center in the twelfth Ward, and will be transported to Cochlea after they've finished interrogating her.' Haise read silently to himself.
Handing back the phone to Matsumae, Haise's eyes shifted downward toward the floor while quietly muttering the reported ghoul's name repeatedly underneath his breath. Trying his best to remember what Kurona was like in the past, much less if she was the twin who had black hair or who had white hair, Haise eventually was able to recall him encountering her in Kanou's lab years ago.
"... I'm assuming that you're wanting me to rescue her then," Haise said with a slightly nervous smile, as he looked over at Tsukiyama, who had momentarily left to retrieve a silenced handgun, a leather satchel full of ammo-stocked magazines, and Yukimura that was still in its suitcase.
"Not only am I asking you to rescue her, I'm also asking you to infiltrate Corniculum to install this little number into its server room," Tsukiyama said, while handing Haise his assigned weapons and ammo before reaching into his coat-pocket to pull out a small-black USB device that was equipped with a compact antenna.
"Wow… You certainly must have a lot of confidence in me, that's for sure," Haise said with a sarcastic chuckle, as he finished putting the firearm into his trench coat along with the rest of the ammo-mags. Using his left hand to hold one the handle of his encased quinque, Haise used his right hand to take the small and intricate device from Tsukiyama before bringing it up to his eye level to inspect it closely. "What the heck even is this thing? It looks straight out of some James Bond movie…"
Arching an eyebrow at Haise's comparison, Tsukiyama let out a chortle as he shook his head. "You somehow forgot most of your life, and yet you still remember who James Bond is? I must say, you certainly have your priorities set, Sasaki… So long as we're talking about the newer ones, anyway," Tsukiyama said jokingly to the one-eyed ghoul, before quickly explaining, "What you're holding is a modified wireless adapter that's been equipped with state-of-the-art software that'll find an exploit in CCG's network security so it can transmit unencrypted data back into the Crescent Moon's server room to be analyzed."
"Oh… So I was right," Haise mused with a satisfied smirk on his face, before carefully tucking the device into one of his secured pockets. "It's an ambitious plan… A little too ambitious if you ask me. How am I supposed to get into Corniculum? There has to be hundreds of CCG personnel stationed there; I doubt they're just going to let me waltz in there..."
Finding Haise's lack of faith disturbing, Tsukiyama shook his head once again at the young man. "Oh Sasaki, Sasaki, Sasaki… Don't you have any faith in me?" Tsukiyama asked endearingly with a confident look on his face that conveyed his sense of preparedness. "I'd hate to ruin the surprise for you, but just know that when the time comes for us to strike, you'll know that I have your back."
While he wasn't very thrilled with the knowledge that he was going into the rescue mission somewhat blind, Haise's motivation to get closer towards gaining the means to expand his search for Hinami was the one thing that made him not want to give up right there and then.
But then again, with a majority of Tokyo's most dangerous and armed individuals looking to cash his life in for a fortune, it wasn't like he could turn around and live a normal life. He was in too deep to do anything else but struggle forth, like a centipede would.
Without any other feasible option available to him that would benefit him as much as the support Tsukiyama was promising him, Haise threw caution to the wind and decided to seal the contract between himself and the other man. Extending his hand out with a firm look in his eyes that conveyed a powerful sense of determination, Haise silently awaited for Tsukiyama to shake his hand.
Overjoyed and excited to see the same level of perseverance in Haise's eyes that he had only last seen in Kaneki's eyes, Tsukiyama eagerly shook the one-eyed ghoul's hand to affirm their understanding of one another before screaming out an over zealous, "TRÈS BIEN!"
Thank you for reading this chapter! I had a blast writing this one, and I look forward to writing the next chapter! Have a great day, and stay safe!
