An aroma of fresh coffee grains tickles his sense of smell. The gust of wind from the air condition also holds the scent of recently baked pastries, each of them displayed behind dainty glass platters. There's the slap of shoes against tile as he walks across the rustic terracotta floor. Booths are bathed in sunlight, the reflection gleaming through the window only slightly.
Just ahead of him is a familiar face, albeit a few years to boot. The old friend has his arm raised just under the coffee shop's slow turning ceiling fan. "Toshinori!", the hand waves in a gesture to come over so they can sit together. Toshinori chooses to oblige.
The gaunt blonde grunts as he slides into the booth, a result from the strain on his bones. If not for his sickly appearance, the groan may have been a reminder of age catching up instead. Yet, his hollow cheekbones are pulled into a soft smile regardless of those health issues. Sunken eyes meet rectangular ones, "It's good to see you, Naomasa."
Always the detective, whether he's on or off duty, Naomasa is wearing his usual attire of a tan overcoat and slacks. A matching hat is set aside, letting his short black hair breathe a little, as well as exposing a few grey strands. "It's always a pleasure.", he returns the smile before sliding a menu across the table, "Please, order something. It's on me."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose!", Toshinori tries to politely push the menu away. "The food wouldn't be very good on my stomach anyways..", he subconsciously places a hand over the left side of his chest. Beneath an oversized t-shirt, there's a gnarly cicatrix, the very cause for his health problems.
"Right.. Caffeine is probably a bad idea then..", Naomasa looks down with a pensive expression before returning his gaze to the blonde. "Would you mind a cup of tea instead?", he suggests.
The blonde nervously scratches his cheek with a forced chuckle, "I don't really have a choice.. Do I?"
"Nope.", Naomasa pops the P as he shuts the menu.
Toshinori's laughter becomes genuine after that, the wound on his side aching a little from the wracking of such a frail body. Clutching the sore injury until the pain fades, he can't contain a few side effect wheezes. The blonde lets out a cough in order to clear his throat before asking, "As much as I'd like for this to be a simple friendly meeting, I assume there's a reason you called me here?"
"Since when do we ever skip the pleasantries, Toshinori?", Naomasa tries jesting the blonde a little more before letting himself give in to a stressed sigh, "You're right in your assumption though. I need your help on a case."
Toshinori bashfully rubs the nape of his neck, "Don't get me wrong, Naomasa. I'm flattered, truly.". He then hangs his head with a small shrug, "But.. YOU'RE the detective here. I'm not exactly the best person suited for cracking a mystery by comparison."
"Trust me, I would have gone to Aizawa for help instead if all I wanted was half baked conspiracy theories.", Naomasa leans back with a dismissive wave of his hand. "What I'm really looking for is somebody that can bring this one in for me with relative ease.", the detective taps the menu as if he's pointing at a case folder instead of an overpriced croissant.
Toshinori muses to himself for a few seconds, nodding in understanding. Occasionally, there's a villain that the police can't handle; that's where the pro heroes come in to help. However, there's a variety of talented locals to choose from. "Why me of all options?", Toshinori has to ask.
"You KNOW why..", Naomasa fixes Toshinori with an intense stare. The blonde swallows his nerves, acknowledging the unsaid reason with a single nod. "This is a villain that's just as elusive as the hero killer, with a body count even higher. The victims are found as mangled corpses, half eaten and signs of torture completely evident.", Naomasa briefly summarizes the information necessary for Toshinori to become determined in catching the criminal.
Leaning forward in his seat, Toshinori gives the detective his complete undivided attention. "Tell me their name.."
Naomasa locks eyes with the blonde again, gazing into blue orbs of righteousness. "Everyone back at headquarters has dubbed him -", he hesitates as if the name itself is evil, "-The Tokyo Ghoul."
"Hi! I'm Mikumo Akatani; I'll be your server. Can I take your orders?", their waiter finally arrives at the table.
Waiting there with a pen and pad in his hands is a boy with long dark hair, one emerald eye peering out while the other is covered by heavy locks. An apron loosely hangs around his waist, part of the coffee shop's standard employee uniform. A grey waistcoat over a white dress shirt and brown cravat makes the boy look more like an underage bartender though.
"Ah, yes!", Naomasa is pleasantly startled from his cogitation, "I'd like a coffee for myself with a touch of toffee nut. As for my friend, could you please bring him your most purifying tea?"
"Of course!", the boy nods along to the order as he transcribes it to his notepad. Once he's finished writing things down, he clicks the pen with an assumed finality, "Anything else?", but still asks the question just in case.
"That'll be all.", Naomasa hands his waiter the set of menus. "Thank you.", Toshinori says it in synchronization with the detective once the boy takes them away.
Once their server leaves to place the order, the two law enforcers return to their previous discussion. "I heard from Nezu that you'll be teaching at U.A this year. If that's the case, you're the best suited person with the perfect opportunity to capture this villain.", Naomasa doesn't miss a beat with the continuation of his explanation.
Toshinori is starting to make more sense of this meetup now. While it's true that a villain so elusive can potentially pose a threat to the majority of heroes sent to stop them, this whole thing isn't just about the case. It's not like Naomasa is asking for a big favor when Toshinori is in the local area, so that must only be an added benefit to all of this.
"Speaking of which.. Don't take this the wrong way, but I never took you for the type that would get into teaching.", Naomasa laughs as he tries to shift the subject into a more lighthearted one.
Toshinori only manages a smile, still not being completely content with the bait & switch of the 'Tokyo Ghoul' case. "Neither did I.", the blonde shrugs as he answers honestly.
Naomasa nods along with a knowing smile, as if he predicted that's exactly what his timely friend would say. "I'm going to assume there's an ulterior motive to why you chose to begin teaching heroics classes then.", the detective folds his hands in a sophisticated manner. When it comes to this perspicacious posture, Naomasa shows a slight relation to Nezu's pawkiness.
"I'M the one with an ulterior motive?", Toshinori raises an eyebrow in jocular recrimination.
Naomasa sheepishly rubs the nape of his neck, trying to placate the blonde with a rueful titter. "I thought you said you aren't a detective?", he throws in a joke for extra measure before giving his apologetic confession, "I didn't arrange this JUST to discuss The Tokyo Ghoul. I also wanted to see for myself if your condition has worsened or gotten better. Since your patrols have gone down to three hours a day and you look even more disheveled from the time I saw you last.. it isn't good, is it?"
Toshinori softens his expression, body hunching in admittance. The smile that he had been trying to use as a mask slips away, a yielding frown in its place. "I'm running out of time, Naomasa..", he gives his own confession, "The real reason Nezu offered me a place to teach at U.A is to potentially help find a successor."
"I see..", Naomasa breathlessly replies. He nearly falls over, having to brace himself in the far corner on his side of the booth. Conceding to the realization that Toshinori's time as a hero is coming to an end, he almost pales more than a corpse. It's one thing to know of it, but almost near impossible for him to come to terms with.
Toshinori must notice the detective's disposition, his demeanor shifting to something somber. Once Naomasa regains some of his composure though, he's able to put on a false smile to reassure his friend. "We thought Nighteye was just being pessimistic when he tried telling us the necessities of finding a suitable successor. Now, the time has come..", he tries to keep his voice from wobbling and abruptly stops to avoid giving in.
Toshinori begins to absentmindedly pull sugar packets out of the table's condiment container. "Er, well, my sidekick and I aren't really on good speaking terms because of all that..", his hands continue to occupy themselves by lining up the sugar bags into a row that resembles a miniature train. If Toshinori anxiously playing with the tiny packets is anything to go by, he's just as unsettled by this whole predicament.
Sinking deeper into the vinyl of the booth, Naomasa finds himself feeling discouraged. "That's a shame. You two really were quite the dynamic crime fighting duo.", he and the blonde look off to the side as if that's where they'll find those forgotten days. Shaking off the dull attitude, Naomasa tries to inspire some optimism by making a suggestion. "He always liked coffee, right? Maybe bring him here to Anteiku to share a drink and hash things out.", he slaps the table for emphasis which only accomplishes the startlement of Toshinori.
The blonde gives a non committable hum, his gaze still lingering on the sugar packets strewn across the table and purposefully ignoring Naomasa's eyes. Neither side says anything more for a solid six seconds, the atmosphere turning awkward as a result. It's like the detective is waiting for the person that he's interrogating to crack, but Toshinori is too nervous to steal a glance in order to check. Giving in to his own anxiety, the blonde sighs in defeat, "You're right. I'll try inviting him here sometime.."
That must be enough to pacify the law enforcer, since he's already moving on to the next topic of conversation. "You know, it was actually my sister that told me about this place.", he holds a fond expression as he looks around the charmingly quaint cafe.
Toshinori smiles now that they're on a subject that he can get behind. Discussing family with his friends always brings warm feelings, which is much needed after the prior conversation. "Speaking of which, how is Makoto doing these days?", he decides to ask.
Naomasa snorts, "As rebellious as always.", which gains a chuckle out of Toshinori. "But.. She's doing really good for herself. She actually graduated from college not too long ago with both a bachelor's and master's degree.", he proudly proclaims.
"That's wonderful news! I'm so glad to hear it!", Toshinori fixes his posture as he conveys his excitement for Naomasa, "I've always known that she's a bright one."
"Oh, you have no idea how many times she's come close to figuring out your secret all on her own.", Toshinori gives a nervous chuckle in response to that news while Naomasa simply carries on with his own laughter.
Their waiter returns to the table with a tray then. "One coffee with toffee nut.", Akatani Mikumo places the mug in front of Naomasa, "Careful. It's still hot.", he warns. Then there's a cup of tea that's slided over to Toshinori, "And I made sure to consult a few others to find our best option for you. I hope you like Barley."
"I love Barley Tea. Thank you.", Toshinori slightly bows his head in appreciation. Wrapping his frail fingers around the cup, the blonde brings it to his lips to take a sip.
"If there's anything else that you need, don't hesitate to ask.", the waiter flashes his customers an earnest smile before carrying the tray back towards the kitchen.
"On the other hand, it's probably better to have a variety of candidates to choose from. This is a big decision after all, and you can't just pass the mantle on to the first kindhearted kid you see.", Naomasa refers to their earlier conversation about Toshinori's successor and U.A.
The blonde shys away, curious as to if the detective has some sort of observational skill that may have given away his thoughts about their waiter being a nice person. "I wouldn't be as brash to do something like that..", Toshinori isn't entirely sure if he's trying to convince himself or his friend anymore.
Naomasa is too busy gently blowing on his coffee to cool it off rather than to be observational, allowing the blonde to breathe a sigh of relief. "Have you reached your limit for the day or are you still planning on patrolling later?", Naomasa asks before taking a small sip of java from the mug.
Toshinori stops just short of taking a sip from his own drink to respond, "I've still got about two hours left that I plan on using.", he lowers the cup only slightly to get a better view of Naomasa, "What's up? Did you need my help with something?", he wonders.
Naomasa waves in an allayed manner, "Nothing urgent enough to keep you from your patrol as a hero.", he pauses to take another sip of coffee before continuing, "I was only going to invite you to swing by the station so we can go over the Tokyo Ghoul case. It can wait until tomorrow though, I've got other paperwork to finish anyways."
"Ah, alright. That works for me.", Toshinori nods in agreement.
Suddenly, the muffled noise of sirens starts to draw near. Toshinori and Naomasa turn their heads in time to watch a set of police vehicles zoom by the window in some sort of high speed pursuit. All it takes is one shared look between the two law enforcers and they're both giving mutual nods of understanding.
"Next time, I'll cover the check.", Toshinori promises before he downs the last of his tea.
"Just go.", Naomasa smirks as he watches his friend briskly head towards the cafe's exit.
Once the blonde steps foot outdoors, he glances each way to make sure nobody is watching him. Then, the frail form of a skeleton morphs into that of a bodybuilder. Steam generates from the solid muscles of a hero, a triumphant rictus grin etched across his face.
The shift in mass isn't very hard to miss, especially when what's left behind is acknowledged by all of Japan as the number one hero. "Waahh! It's All Might!", a teenage fangirl shrieks with glee. The mightiful man bellows out a boisterous laugh at the awed reactions of pedestrians before launching himself into the sky with a powerful leap.
Watching his friend soar over dozens of skyscrapers, Naomasa can't help but deflate somewhat. Pretty soon, that sight overhead won't be there anymore. When All Might retires, it'll be the end of an entire era. Not only is Toshinori recognized as the highest hero in rankings, but he's considered to be a literal symbol of peace. The hero always wears a massive smile in the face of danger, assuring everybody that everything will turn out okay. Good will always triumph when All Might is there.. So, what about when he's gone?
The detective is shaken from his musings by the loud clang of a tray clattering against the tiled floor. Glasses shatter from the impact as well, water and coffee alike spilling everywhere amok the mess. Standing at the center of it all is the one responsible, the young waiter named Akatani Mikumo. The boy's mouth is hung open, undoubtedly gawking at the receding back of All Might.
Snapping out of his rumination, he begins to profusely apologize. "Sorry everybody! I'm sorry!", he repeats it like a broken record while hastily picking up the shards of glass. What must be a co-worker rushes over with a cloth to wipe up the spilled beverages.
Naomasa chuckles to himself, appreciating what might be one of the last times he sees a kid geek out so hard over All Might. The show alone is enough of a reason to leave behind a bigger tip than usual.
Placing the grey fedora on his head, Naomasa prepares to take the coffee to-go. As he slides out of the booth, he leaves behind some yen.
As the day goes on, nearly every customer follows suite. Some tips are hefty while others are low, but business is booming, especially after word got around on social media that All Might 'passed by'.
When the sun sets though, and day turns to dusk, the coffee shop finally closes. Akatani has the responsibility of sweeping and shutting things down for his shift though. So, after hours, he remains as the sole worker to clean everything.
As he idly sweeps some stray crumbs into a dustpan, there's a sudden tapping at the door. Akatani sets the broom aside, glancing to see who's knocking. Peering through the glass is the girl that he had met the previous night. She looks like she's still wearing her school uniform and her hair is tied into messy buns just like last time.
Akatani flips the lock so he can open the door for her. Stepping into the coffee house, the girl lets out an impressed whistle. "Anteiku, huh?", she plops herself down into the nearest booth.
"If you're curious about the name, the manager wouldn't even tell me why it's called that.", Akatani locks the door again to ensure no late night customers try to get a last minute order in.
The blonde shrugs with no sincere interest, "Not really what I meant.. I was just wondering why you decided to bother working here.", she even starts drumming her fingers against the table in boredom.
"It has its benefits, such as free coffee, which does wonders for my quirk.", Akatani pays her no mind until he finishes setting up the brewer, "Would you care for any?"
"Nah. Caffeine isn't really good for my complexion.", she bats her eyelashes in a teasing manner. Akatani just turns away from her, hiding the small blush that's dusting his cheeks. "So, why is coffee so good for your quirk? Is that what those tentacle things are made of?", she bounces in her seat with eagerness for an answer.
Making his way to the booth so he can sit across from her, Akatani shakes his head with a dry laugh. "I wish it were something that simple..", he doesn't even try to plug up the leak of depression in his tone, "I wouldn't wanna scare you off, but I guess you've already seen what I really am."
Himiko Toga twirls a lock of her blonde hair, "It'd be pretty rude of me to run away from the person that saved my.. well, ya know.", the natural blush on her face darkens a little bit. She ends up pulling her legs close to her chest so she can wrap her arms around the knees. "Besides, I really want to get to know you. I think it'd be super cool to be like you.", she flashes a toothy grin.
"Well.. Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you.", Akatani rubs the back of his neck with lingering hesitation. "I guess you could consider it as a drawback; my quirk makes it so I can only eat.. h- human flesh..", the boy flinches as he reluctantly finishes the end of his sentence.
The blonde tilts her head in confusion at the action, but it soon starts to sink in that most people would likely judge him at that point. Thoughts of bullies calling him cruel names and possibly even beating him over it crosses her mind. Any ordinary person would run away screaming, not even giving the poor kid a chance to show his true personality.
"Hey.. It's okay..", the soothing words feel strange on her tongue but she feels obligated to say them. "I got a lot of ridicule for my quirk too. I won't judge you.", she reassures him.
Akatani's one visible eye widens at that news, clearly surprised to hear the confession of her relatability. "Y- Your quirk?", he stammers out what must be a desperate question to hear more about it.
Raising one pointer finger and wagging it back & forth, Himiko tuts in a teasing manner. "You're supposed to tell me about YOUR quirk first. Remember?", she giggles at his instinct to shyly turn away; it'd be a cute reflex if it weren't for the reason why he has it.
"Uh.. Besides human meat, I can have coffee. It doesn't completely satisfy my hunger though.. Believe me, I tried. I still try..", he solemnly hangs his head as he finishes explaining the details of his unique taste buds.
"Yeah, the bags under your eyes - Oops! I mean EYE - make that obvious.", she jokingly covers half her own face with a hand. Akatani doesn't have the reaction she was hoping for; he doesn't look offended, per say, but he doesn't laugh either. "You make it work though!", she adds as an afterthought to save him from feeling embarrassed since he seems like that type.
"Thanks..", she hears him say it even though it's a low mumble.
"What about those tentacle things then?", she then catches his gaze with her own, "Oh! That's right! Your eye was really weird too!", she can't contain her elation as she leans forward to get a closer look.
Receding just a bit at the sudden lunge, Akatani self consciously places a hand over his eye. "Oh.. That's just another side effect of my quirk.", he recovers as he realizes she's just genuinely curious about it, "W- Whenever I'm hungry or excited o- or.. It just happens. I call it my kakugan."
"Can you summon it on your own?", she leans forward more with piqued interest.
Slowly pulling his hand away so that she can see, Akatani slowly nods. "Y- Yeah..", the red iris glows at the center of a black sclera just like the last time she saw it. What excites her most about seeing it again though, are the veins that branch out like shattered glass.
"Wow..", she gasps in awe before falling back with a squeal, "That looks so cool!"
Akatani chuckles with a small smile that has the potential to melt Himiko's heart. "That's probably the first time anybody ever said that to me..", he catches her eye with his own, "Thank you."
Himiko feels her face heat up more than usual, forcing her to turn away from him. "W- What about the tentacles?! You never told me about those!", she whines in the hope that he'll be too distracted by the question to notice her fierce blush.
"Oh, right!", he jumps in his seat as if he's suddenly reminded, "I call it my Kagune. It's made out of my Rc Cells, which is why they're as flexible as ordinary blood cells, but strong enough to fight with.", he begins to mutter while trying to explain it as simply as possible.
Himiko nods along like she can understand every word until he suddenly realizes that he's still murmuring nonsense. A heavy blush settles over his face as he clamps two hands over his mouth. Himiko can't suppress the laugh that breaks through her lips like water crashing through a dam. Akatani looks down at his lap with a pout, "You should've stopped me."
"Why would I?", she heaves in between giggle fits, "It was just too cute!"
Akatani practically has steam coming out of his ears at this point. Fortunately for him, he's saved by the beeping of the coffee brewer, an indication that it's finally ready. Hastily climbing out of the booth so she doesn't see how red his face is, he starts to stammer out his own diversion, "It's your turn now! Tell me about YOUR quirk!"
"Oh..", Himiko abruptly stops laughing as she starts to deflate with her own embarrassment. "I didn't think you would actually want to know..", she mumbles so Akatani doesn't hear it.
"Hm?", the boy throws her a brief glance as he pours himself a cup of coffee, "I didn't catch that."
Shaking herself from her self inflicted brooding, she puts on a smile that would make some people assume she's the illegitimate daughter of All Might. "My quirk allows me to turn into other people!", she summarizes it to the best of her abilities.
"Whoa, really?!", Akatani nearly trips over himself as he spins around to see if she's just joshing him. "That's so cool! How does it work? Do you get their quirks too? Does it only work if you turn into a girl or does it work with boys too? How does it activate?", he starts spewing questions like rapid fire before lighting up as if he just had an epiphany, "Do you mind if I write all of this down?"
Himiko stares at the boy in bewilderment. It's almost like his personality just did a one eighty; he went from a sulking emo to an overly excited dork. Not only that, but this is the first time that somebody showed such genuine interest in her quirk. Akatani just looks so enthusiastic about it that she doesn't have the heart to say anything other than, "I don't mind!"
Realizing that he just geeked out over her quirk, he does a reclusive action similar to when he caught himself muttering paragraphs. "Awesome. Thanks.", he tries to passively play it off while grabbing a notebook that's stashed under the cashier's counter.
Himiko instantly notices that the journal has some serious damage. The binder looks singed and some of the pages are sticking out as though they were torn apart at some point. Despite the condition of the book though, she can also tell that he takes it seriously since there's a label all the way at number thirteen.
Flipping through some seared pages, he eventually lands on a blank one. Setting his cup of coffee aside, he clicks a pen and looks at her with eager anticipation.
"Like your quirk, most people shun me for how its used.", she reminds him before continuing, "I need a person's blood so I can drink it; I then look and sound just like them. I only use it on people that I really really like though!"
Akatani glances up from his notebook at that last part, still writing detailed descriptions from what little information she gave him. "That's amazing..", he exhales in awe, "You would be perfect for stealth missions, whether it's as a hero or some sort of spy in the FBI!"
Himiko's mouth starts to slowly slide open. Nobody had ever told her she can work as a law officer, let alone a HERO. She doesn't know whether to be flattered or angry, she's still too shocked. Instead, she asks, "D- Do you really mean it?"
Nodding enthusiastically, he only piles on more crazy compliments. "There's so much potential for what you can do with your quirk! If there was some sort of assassination target, you could disguise yourself and set up the perfect ploy. If disguising as somebody else comes with any other perks, you could catch your opponent by surprise in a fight as well!", he then gasps with worry, "A- Are you crying?"
Himiko lets out a startled gasp too, bringing a hand to her cheek where she feels a warm stream of tears. "I.. I..", wiping the water away with the sleeve of her cardigan, she profusely shakes her head. "I'm just surprised you can be so sappy!", she jokes with a laugh to boot.
Laughing along, even if it's somewhat forced, Akatani slowly relaxes. "I sometimes forget that's still a part of me too..", he lets out a distant sigh, "It's probably from my mom's side."
Himiko tilts her head like a kitten trying to figure out why he looks so sad. "How does SHE feel about your quirk?", the blonde warily asks since that may be the cause.
Akatani's smile quickly vanishes, replaced by a woeful frown. Instantly, Himiko jumps to wave her hands in an apologetic gesture. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!", she shouts with the anxiety that he may be too upset with her to keep talking.
"N- No! It's okay. That's not it..", Akatani shifts his gaze to the notebook that's in front of him. "This was actually really nice. It feels good to talk about my quirk with someone and to hear about their's without any kind of ridicule.", he runs a hand along the journal before shutting it. "The last time I got to experience something like that was with my mom, actually.", he continues staring at it like it's a picture of her though.
Himiko nervously rubs her elbow, thankful that he isn't looking at her as she asks, "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Akatani looks contemplative for a moment before he closes his eyes with a sigh, "No. Sorry."
Himiko nods in understanding before snapping her fingers with a grin, "We can always get out of here and do something fun to forget about it instead!"
Akatani takes a sip of his coffee before shaking his head, "Not tonight.. Sorry."
Himiko pouts, feeling although she just backpedaled and lost all the progress of befriending the boy. She doesn't want to sound desperate, but she still decides to use a final question as her last resort, "What about tomorrow?"
Akatani taps his chin as if he's mulling over some plans before shrugging, "I could probably do something after work. Meet up here? Same time; same place?"
Himiko feels relief wash over her with the breeze of the building's air condition. "Perfect! It's a date, then!", she shoots up from her seat with excitement.
"D- Date?", Akatani looks like he just blew a fuse or something. Due to the computer crash of his mind, he isn't able to register her leaving the coffee shop until she's already gone.
His head hits the table, eliciting a groan from him despite the smile on his face.