The author's notes are at the end of the chapter, lessss go!
The train ride back to his aunt's estate at the 20th Ward seemed to go at a snail's pace from Kaneki's perspective, as he anxiously kept checking his cell phone to monitor the minutes that were ticking by before his very eyes. Terrified of being late to his lunch date with Rize, where they would meet up at an Italian bistro at three o'clock on the dot, Kaneki resorted to pushing his way through the crowded train the moment it arrived at his stop.
Having to feel the need to jog his way through the sidewalks of his neighborhood, earning himself a few judgemental glances from various neighbors, by the time Kaneki had arrived at his aunt's front gate, he was gasping for breath and drenched in a layer of sweat. Not being the most athletic person in Tokyo, Kaneki was coughing up a lung and was hunched over as he wiped his thumb across his slacks back reaching his hand up to press it up against the biometric scanner that was mounted into one of the two reinforced iron-clad pillars that stood at the ends of the security gate.
Luckily for Kaneki, his sweaty skin wasn't too much of an issue, and after a couple of tries his aunt's security system finally recognized his thumbprint. Staggering back a bit, Kaneki was finally composing himself and able to catch his breath by the time that the gate had opened up, allowing him to walk down the long brick-laid pavement road that led him past his aunt's garage, and toward the front porch. Upon approaching the security camera that was mounted above the three-meter tall mahogany door frame, Kaneki waved casually at it before beginning to fiddle with the keypad mounted above the golden electronic doorknob.
Entering in the correct code into the keypad, Kaneki turned the handle of the door and opened it before walking inside his aunt's mountain-lodge like living room; a decorative choice that she took inspiration from during one business trip she made to Germany a few years ago. Closing the door behind him, Kaneki could hear the all-too familiar sound of the electronic security system automatically locking the door behind him as he pressed his back against its solid surface.
Kaneki was able to collect his thoughts and decompress no longer than a few seconds before the sound of excited and small footsteps came closing in from just around the corner of the hallway. Immediately knowing whose attention he had gotten, Kaneki braced himself moments before being tackled against the door as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his chest.
"Ken! You're back!" Ichika Kaneki exclaimed with a look of utter enthrallment in her high-pitched voice; her lips smiling from ear-to-ear as she buried her face into Kaneki's chest. However, Ichika's excitement was soon replaced with shock as her body grew stiff in an instant. "… Oh my God, you're sweaty…" Ichika muttered with her face still pressed into Kaneki's sweat-drenched shirt.
"… It's nice to see you too, Ichika," Kaneki muttered sarcastically, as he heard his younger cousin making odd gurgling noises as she remained too shocked to move away from his sweaty shirt.
When Ichika finally gathered enough of her wits to pull herself away from her older cousin's body, she stepped away and had a look of utter horror and disgust. "Aw h-hell…! I-It got in my m-mouth…!" Ichika whined out with tears beginning to form in her indigo eyes, before immediately beginning to dry heave as she raised her hands up to her mouth in an attempt to try and dissuade her body from vomiting.
"Ichika! You shouldn't be talking like that…" Kaneki scolded with a disapproving look in his eyes, as he stared down to watch his cousin dramatically trying to wipe her mouth on her white sleeves.
"A-And you shouldn't be gross, ugh!" Ichika spat as a retort, while glaring at Kaneki as if though he had purposefully gotten himself drenched in sweat just to spite her. "Oh God, I gotta wash my mouth out with soap… Maybe bleach too…"
Ignoring his cousin's sarcasm, Kaneki rolled his eyes before walking past her. "Okay sure, do what you need to do; I don't have time for this nonsense, Ichika…" Kaneki said with a bit of confidence in his voice, which in turn made Ichika let out an amused snicker as she lowered her arm back down to her side.
"Oh come on, Ken, you know I was just joking around with you! Err… Kinda," Ichika said with a shiver, as she tried to ignore the salty taste in her mouth while following behind Kaneki. "Besides, we both know that you don't have anywhere to be… It's summer vacation after all, and last I checked, you're not exactly the most outgoing person there is."
Not being a fan of being roasted by his younger cousin, Kaneki muttered something snarky under his breath before suddenly flashing a smirk at her. "Actually, that's where you're wrong. I have a lunch date at the 'Little Italy' restaurant at three, with a girl who I've had my eyes on for a bit…!" Kaneki said smugly, which prompted a gasp from Ichika.
"N-No way! You're not talking about that purple haired bimbo, are you!?" Ichika demanded with a look of disbelief and anger in her eyes, to which should have surprised Kaneki to hear such things being said by someone younger than him, but the young man simply chalked her vulgarity up to being raised with a silver spoon in her mouth.
"Her name's Rize Kamishiro, Ichika… You really shouldn't talk about people like that," Kaneki scolded once again, as he climbed up a flight of stairs with Ichika trailing behind him. "She's not a bimbo, she's very fun to be around, and very kind… Besides, she and I both have an affinity for books, so us having a common interest is a good thing, isn't it?"
"Normally, yes, I'd agree, but I don't think she's the best choice for you, Ken," Ichika argued with puffed cheeks as she followed Kaneki into his upstairs bedroom, where she stood by the opened door and watched as her cousin picked out his clothes for his date. "She's one of those 'influencer' girls; she posts everything on her Instagram… And I mean 'everything'," Ichika warned with a disapproving look on her face, which prompted Kaneki to momentarily pause in the midst of him picking a vest from his closet.
"… Well, I mean… W-We're not dating yet, and it'd be selfish and controlling of me to dictate what she does in her free time," Kaneki reasoned with an understanding look on his face, before suddenly something clicked in his head. "Hey, if you knew who Rize was, why did you call her a bimbo?!"
"Because she is a bimbo, look, I'll show you!" Ichika cried out with a vindictive tone in her voice, as she reached into black overall-skirt pocket to pull out the latest iPhone model. Unlike Kaneki, Ichika was very tech-savvy and was able to pull up Rize's Instagram account within a matter of seconds. "See, look!" Ichika shouted, as she stormed her way over to Kaneki before practically shoving the screen of her phone into his face.
Grabbing Ichika's hand to lower the phone away from his face so he could get a better look at what she was trying to show him, Kaneki remained still and allowed for his grey eyes to adjust to the breath-taking image he saw before him.
Dressed in nothing but a lacy black-spandex swimsuit that left little to the imagination, the image of Rize sitting down with her voluptuous and shapely bottom sitting down on a colorful beach ball; her practically bare cheeks displayed in HD with sand particles covering the lower bottom of her peach-shaped ass.
Gone were her red-framed reading glasses, which meant that Rize's soul-piercing eyes were staring unobstructed towards the camera while she seductively kissed an orange popsicle; her saliva mixed in with the orange syrup of the popsicle creating a bridge between its tip, and the bottom of her luscious and pink bottom lip.
Rize's white skin shone underneath the beach's high-noon sun, and had a blanket of sea-water and sunscreen that was made especially evident to Kaneki, just from seeing her long purple and wet strands of hair clinging onto her arched back. By the time Kaneki's awe-stricken eyes wandered over to her exposed side-boob, which to him was far larger and perkier than her sundress earlier had showed, Ichika's face was just as red as his the moment she realized he was really into Rize's 'hot girl summer' post.
"Y-You're a pervert, Ken…!" Ichika scolded as she pulled her phone away from Kaneki's hyper focused eyes and back into the sanctity of her front pocket. "I don't understand what the appeal is…! She's probably been passed around by the boys at your school like the flu…" Ichika said with a bothered look on her face, as she crossed her arms over her small chest while glaring daggers at her embarrassed cousin.
"T-Those are just rude assumptions you're making up, Ichika…" Kaneki said in a defense, yet still unsure tone in his voice, as he started to reconsider just what Rize saw in him.
"And if I'm right?" Ichika retorted, before turning her head away with her eyelids closed tight, as if she really wanted Kaneki to know just how much she was against him trying to pursue a romance with someone as promiscuous as Rize.
Sighing, Kaneki let out a long breath before taking a black dress-vest out of his closet. "… For argument's sake, let's say that your accusations turn out to be true," Kaneki said with a solemn tone in his voice, as he draped his black-vest over the folded outfit he had prepared for when he was done with his shower.
"… There's an expensive carnival going on tonight, it's called the 'Dragon Festival'," Kaneki explained, which immediately grabbed Ichika's attention and almost made her forget about Rize all together. "Hide bought a ticket and gave it to me so that Kamishiro and I could go together after we have lunch. If what you say is true, and it turns out that she isn't right for me, then… Then at least I can say that I didn't waste Hide's ticket, or wasted his generosity…"
"… I'll do my best to enjoy whatever tonight has planned for me; with or without Rize, if need be," Kaneki said with a determined tone in his usually shy demeanor.
Placing her knuckles against her slender hips, Ichika thought about Kaneki's absolution for a moment before letting out a sigh as a reluctant smile broke across her lips. "Well, that's good then that you're at least open to the idea that things might not be what you were hoping they would be… The last thing I'd want is for you to come home crying and moping around like a heartbroken idiot, Ken."
Unable to help himself, Kaneki let out a chortle from finding Ichika's sarcasm to be amusing. "Thanks, haha, ha… I think?" Kaneki replied back with a confused smile on his face, as he couldn't exactly figure out if Ichika's sarcasm was supposed to be endearing, or offensive.
"Pffft…! Yeah, no problem," Ichika chuckled softly, before taking a step back to allow Kaneki to walk by her as he made his way toward the upstairs bathroom. Closing his bedroom door for him, Ichika watched as Kaneki closed the bathroom door behind him. Once she knew he knew that she was alone, Ichika immediately whipped out her phone before searching up the 'Dragon Festival' on Google, with the intent of securing herself a ticket as well using her mother's account to make the purchase.
Although it was the start of summer vacation, and technically speaking he wouldn't be teaching class until late August, Haise Sasaki still made sure that the literature club he ran at the university he worked at would be active during what should have been his time to kick back and relax.
Never being one to neglect those who depended on him, Haise had already secured a large corner booth that would be perfect for his four students who were scheduled to come in the next hour. Once settled in and alone at his booth, Haise removed his white-trench coat and folded it before placing it inside his steel-plated suitcase, which sat nestled between his feet and under the table.
With his copy of the first novel of Harry Potter placed in front him on the table top, Haise stared at the cover art while going over the plan he had in his head. Lost in his thoughts, wondering if any of his club members had actually read the assigned book, Haise nearly leapt out of his seat the moment he caught a glance at Eto's puzzled eyes staring at him with interest in them.
"… Forgive me if I'm going off as rude, but weren't you just here an hour ago?" Eto asked with a perplexed voice, while still not understanding just how close her face was with Haise's.
Squinting his eyes and tilting his head, Haise nervously let out an awkward laugh while scooting slightly away from Eto's intrusive gaze. "Haha, hehe, ermm… S-Sorry, I think you might be confusing me with someone else," Haise suggested while reaching up to fidget with his white tie. "I moved here just about a week ago, so I can safely say that I've never been here before in my life."
"… Are you sure?" Eto asked with an unconvinced look on her eye, as she leaned even closer toward where Haise had scooted to try and distinguish the physical differences between the young man she had served earlier, and the one who was sitting before her. Other than the obvious difference of hair, the differences Eto could find were extremely hard to find; the only notable signs that she could notice being that the man before her seemed more developed, and spoke with more confidence.
"… Yeah, I'm pretty sure that we've never met before," Haise reaffirmed with a smile on his face, before thinking of a quick quip he could say in order to make the situation less awkward than it was. "Besides, with 'brew-it-ful' eyes like yours, I'd think that I would be coming back here a 'latte', just to 'espresso' myself to you~!" Haise said playfully with a flirtatious wink, which stunned Eto to say the least.
After a few moments had passed, Eto finally broke out into a hardy laugh while trying to keep herself from making too much noise. "Oh God! Pfffft, t-those were awful…!" Eto snickered, while raising her order pad up to her pink lips to avoid accidentally spitting on Haise, as she tried to quell her laughter. "Ah…. A real charmer, aren't you?"
"Hey, they always say first impressions are everything; might as well break the ice and put my best foot forward, right?" Haise replied back with a wide smile on his face.
"Well, I'll say this," Eto said, as she lowered her notepad down while reaching down in her apron to whip out her pen. "It sure is refreshing to see someone who's not afraid to stand out, even at the cost of risking to embarrass themselves in public… I like that," Eto complimented, before lowering her eyelids as she tried to subtly keep her eyes locked on Haise's grey eyes, while pretending to keep her focus on the empty sheet of paper in her notepad.
"Thank you, I try my best," Haise said kindly with an open and honest look of positivity on his face. "My name is Haise Sasaki, by the way, and who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" He asked, before extending his arm out to offer his outstretched hand for Eto to shake.
Having been mentally ready to bow at the waist while greeting Haise, seeing the young man's hand being offered to her was something that genuinely caught the green-haired woman off guard. Blinking at it while trying to regain her composure, Eto finally managed to awkwardly hold her pen and notepad in the same hand before reaching out to shake Haise's hand.
Taking a moment to process Eto's reaction, Haise's smile turned into one of embarrassment as he did his best to finish shaking the young woman's hand before retracting his arm back to his side. "Ah… S-Sorry about that, I'm still, ermm… N-Not used to Japanese customs, haha, ha…!" Haise apologized, before reaching up to rub the back of his head while trying to come off more strange than he made himself look already.
Chalking up Haise's explanation as just further proof of him being new to Tokyo, Eto shook her head reassuringly to quell his worries. "Oh no, you're fine, you're fine! I'm used to the occasional foreign-travler walking through my doors and sticking their hands out for me to shake," Eto explained with a good-natured look on her face. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing; from just how well you speak Japanese and judging from your appearances alone, I figured you were from here."
"Ah, no worries; it happens," Haise shot back with an understanding tone in his voice. "I'm still getting used to the whole culture shock, but hey, I'm sure I'll get there sooner or later," Haise said with a hopeful tone in his voice, as he picked up the small menu in the middle of the table before quickly rifling through the options he had.
"I could give you a moment if you need to look through the menu; it's a little extensive, I'll admit that, but I try to have options available here that caters to most people's fancy," Eto mused while tapping her pen rhythmically against her notepad.
"Oh no, that's fine! I'll probably just get a plain red-velvet cappuccino; it's my usual go to," Haise said with a content look in his eyes. "Besides, I'm waiting for literature club members to show up, it would be rude for me to order food before they arrived."
"Ah, a literature club?" Eto asked with a raised brow, as she wrote down Haise's order while simultaneously looking down to take note of the book's cover art. "That's the English copy of the 'Philosopher's Stone'… Don't mean to pry into your business Sasaki, but are your club members young teenagers by chance?" Eto asked with a curious tone in her voice.
Thinking of why Eto would assume that the students in his club were adolescents, it took Haise a moment to piece together that the coffee shop manager came to that assumption, due to the Harry Potter series being targeted for a young audience. "Ah, not exactly, no. They're all between seventeen through eighteen years old; they're students who attend the English courses I teach at Kamii University…"
"… The reason why I've assigned them to read something as… 'Casual' as the Harry Potter series is because it's an easy read, and I'm hoping that it'll hold they're interest long enough for them to improve their reading comprehension," Haise explained to Eto, as he pointed his hands toward the book. "In all honesty, the literature club I run is more like a tutoring group that I'm doing in my free time. My four students who've agreed to join are failing English, so I'm doing my best to make sure they're able to learn outside of a classroom environment."
Impressed at the selflessness she saw in Haise, Eto nodded her with an approving look in her green eyes as she put the notepad and pen back into her apron. "How admirable of you to go out of your way for those who are struggling… Although I must confess that I'm confused," Eto admitted with a perplexed frown. "From what I understand, Kamii is a rather hard university to get enrolled into, no? How is it that these students of yours are struggling with English literature, when the requirements to get into the school are so high?"
Appearing serious with a saddened look in his eyes, Haise took a moment to compose himself before letting out a calming breath. "It's… From my understanding, Kamii University was one of the few schools who agreed to work alongside the city to ensure that troubled students who came from poverty or unfortunate circumstances were given opportunities that were once considered… Unobtainable for them," Haise explained with a sudden look of hopefulness in his eyes, as he looked up to smile calmly at Eto.
"… I completely agree with what the school is doing, and I want to go the extra mile to ensure that no one gets left behind in my class… The world can be cruel enough, and these students need someone to believe in them and their futures," Haise said with a determined tone in his voice, and simply stared back at Eto's green eyes before suddenly letting out an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry if I went on a tangent there! I sometimes get a little too worked up for my own good; I didn't mean to hop on my soapbox and preach to you, haha…!"
Shaking her head profusely, Eto waved off any notion of Haise being a bother as she suddenly sat herself down beside him within his booth. "No, no, no; not all, Sasaki! I… I find your passion to be very endearing; it's not everyday that I get to meet someone who's as selfless as yourself," Eto said reassuringly with a bright smile on her face, which lasted a few moments before a sudden thought crossed her mind. "Oh, I'm sorry; I never gave you my name, did I?"
"I mean, no, not really, but I wasn't going to make a big fuss over it," Haise replied with a slightly nervous chuckle, as he rested his arms down on the table. "I'd love to know your name though, if you're still okay with giving your name out to me, that is…!"
"Not at all; I want you to know who I am," Eto said reassuringly, before turning her head and resting her elbow down on the table so she could prop her arm up to rest her cheek in her palm. "My name is Eto Yoshimura: I own and manage this coffee shop, and uh… Just between you and I, I dabble in literature myself," Eto admitted with a somewhat embarrassed look on her face, as she felt her cheeks heating up. "M-Maybe since you're a college professor and all, I… I could show you some drafts I've been working on in my free time?" Eto suggested with her heart racing inside her chest; the thought of her overstepping her boundaries by being so forward with someone like Haise made her feel anxious as she awaited his response.
Beaming at the idea of being able to befriend someone who shared a love for literature, especially fiction, Haise smiled and bounced slightly in his seat as he marveled at the idea. "Absolutely! I-I would be totally honored if you were comfortable enough to share your writing with me! W-What sort of stuff are you into?!" Haise spat out faster than his mouth could articulate, which made Eto leap back slightly in her seat from just how surprised she was to see how enthusiastic the white-and-black haired man was to read her works.
"Ah?! I-I like to write, umm, err," Eto stumbled with her words, as she felt butterflies suddenly flying around in her gut as she felt abnormally tingly all over. "I-I enjoy writing short stories, particularly horror anthologies and, uhhh, occasionally poetry and whatnot…!" Eto said while feeling worried about the possibility that her answer would disinterest Haise.
But of course, Haise was even more excited by Eto's answer. "Oh wow, I love horror stories and poetry! My favorite authors when it comes to the genre are Steven King, Kanae Minato, Edgar Allen Poe, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, and Apache Kafka!"
Not only did Eto know who Haise was talking about, but she happened to share an appreciation and admiration of every author that the young man had said out loud. "No way?! Me too!" Eto blurted out loud with enthusiasm in her voice that she hadn't felt since she was a young girl. Instantly becoming self-conscious after looking around with her hands over her mouth, Eto found herself scooting slightly closer to Haise in order to avoid being singled out by the many judgemental looks she was receiving from her nearby patrons.
Blushing, Eto let out a nervous chuckle as she ran her fingers through her long strands of hair, "Oops… That was louder than I intended it to be," Eto mused out loud, before turning her head toward Haise again to let out a recomposed sigh. "Ah, this has been fun… I really should go get your order prepared and actually do my job, haha…!" Eto said humorously, as she started to scoot her way out of the curved booth seat before standing up on her two feet.
Although Haise was enjoying Eto's company, he understood that she had a business to run, and the last thing he wanted to do was to impede on the young woman's time. "Ah, of course, of course; thank you for chatting with me, Yoshimura! Hopefully we can meet up and have another chat, and perhaps even discuss whatever's on our minds while I read whatever it is you want to share with me?" Haise asked with a hopeful look in his way, which prompted the smitten manager to quickly reach back into her apron to retrieve her pen and notepad.
"Forgive me for coming off as unprofessional, but…" Eto trailed off, as she carefully wrote down something on a piece of paper before ripping it out and reaching over the table to place the piece of written-up paper into Haise's hand. "I'd hate to miss out on an opportunity to get to know you more, Sasaki… How about you and call or text each other sometime? I get off at five o'clock." Eto said with a flirtatious and charming voice, as she gave a wink to Haise.
Blushing harder than the time he accidentally walked into the women's restroom while at Disneyland, Haise felt his heart racing and his stomach making double-flips as he stared down at the piece of paper. "O-Oh?! Y-Yes, o-of course Yoshimura! H-How about I call you tonight around seven? Will, uh… Will that be alright?" Haise asked nervously, to which Eto responded by playfully lifting her finger up to her pink lips before pursuing them together, while trying to convey an over exaggerated sense of inner conflict.
"Hmmmm, I don't know…" Eto said teasingly, before finally letting out a chuckle and relaxing her arms down to her side. "I'm just kidding! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you, Sasaki! Don't keep me waiting…!" Eto said with another flirtatious tone in her voice, and kept her head turned towards while walking back to the bar-table to get a start on Haise's drink; accidentally bumping into a chair before making a smooth recovery before finally turning her head forward to avoid any more slip ups.
That's it for chapter two, thank you for those who've shown interest in this idea of mine. And honestly, I've made this story rated M because, well, let's face it: I can't help but to write smit; it's in my name after all. I can't call myself a lemon farmer if I ain't growing them lemons, boys! What finally did me in was when I had to describe the Instagram post Rize made. I'm sorry fellas, I couldn't help myself.
Let me go over some of your reviews, because to me, it's the least I could do to return the respect you've shown me by taking time out of your life to write to little ol' me.
We don't talk about Smallvillelover, no, no, no.
Thank you for writing Taiwoeretan1! I'm glad you enjoy the premise of my fanfiction, and I hope it meets your expectations.
Thank you guest for writing to me, you've always shown me support and I'm appreciative of that! I might use the idea of Hide running into Haise, and mistaking him for Kaneki since Haise isn't going to the carnival. As far as the cloning goes, we gotta keep shit simple in this fanfiction lol; my plan was to have Haise separated from Kaneki when they were too young to remember one another, after their parents separated.
I did implement the idea of Ichika being Kaneki and Haise's cousin, because it made more sense for this AU's lore. Besides, you know me, and I know some of you, not saying it'll happen, but uh, it's a possibility, especially since I've aged up Ichika in this story and left her age ambiguous to the reader's imagination. Not saying it'll happen, but it'll always be a possibility for us to do if we choose to pursue taboo shit. I have to say that she's about Kaneki's age, or close to it, but younger than him; you don't.
Anyways, I might add Attack on Titan characters later in the series, especially when we're going to be adding more and more girls to Kaneki and Haise's harems. Although I'm not sure if this will be a harem story, you guys seem to like those a lot, so it'll probably end up being one while Kaneki and Haise have their 'main waifus' above the rest of their girls. Realistic? Probably not, but realism isn't what most of you are into.
Ryouko and Hinami will be in the fanfiction, and since we're going with the lemon route, you can bet your bottom dollar that Haise will be taking the milf, and Kaneki will be taking Hinami. Eto isn't an author, yet, in this one she's more hesitant to present her writing, and one of the things tying her and Haise together will be him helping her gain the confidence to pursue her dream of being an author.
Kaneki's aunt is rich in this story, it'll be explained more in the story, along with what happened to Kaneki's parents. But just because she has money, it doesn't mean she's eager to spoil Kaneki like she does with Ichika, who's her daughter. I know Kaneki's aunt has a son, but wtf remembers him other than he was an overweight gamer? I replaced him with Ichika, who's a bit of a spoiled brat with a good heart and a head on her shoulders.
Don't worry, Kaneki is still going to get a job at Anteiku, because I mean, it wouldn't be a Tokyo Ghoul fanfic if he didn't get a job at Anteiku. Also, we gotta get a name for Kaneki's aunt; I can't keep calling her 'Kaneki's aunt' for the remainder of the FanFiction. If someone could give me a name, that would be cool, otherwise I'll just make one up later lol.
And lastly, thank you Kodiak161 for writing a review as well! I'm glad that you've enjoyed my past fics and are looking forward to this one, even if some of my fanfictions range from normal to just weird lol. End game shipping is probably going to be Haise x Eto, and Kaneki x Touka.
Anyways, that's all for now. I hope you all have a nice day, and thank you again for reading! See you soon!