That night, Ju San made her way to a quiet apartment complex in the twentieth ward. It had begun to rain. Not like the misty rain of the night before, but a torrential downpour that soaked the servant. She climbed a flight of stairs, struggling not to slip and fall. She reached the apartment, adjusted her bangs that were dripping with water, and knocked softly.

The door creaked open, and Juuzou's red eyes looked the woman standing in the doorway over.

"Did you walk here?" he asked, looking down at Ju San's simple dress that was completely soaked.

"Yes."

"Don't you have an umbrella?"

"No."

Juuzou looked the ghoul over one more time, hesitated, and then invited her into his apartment. Ju San looked around; it was a rather spacious apartment for one person. It was painted with static colors, and the furniture was all very simple. Two chairs and a couch sat in the living room. Ju San caught a whiff of a stale scent; she quickly identified it as Eto's. It was a nice place, but there was something about it that disturbed the servant deeply: there were deep gashes all of the walls; like a madman had taken a knife to them. There was also a smell that Ju San could not identify. It was faint and was coming from a briefcase in a corner; and it was a familiar scent. It reminded her of her childhood from some reason.

Juuzou motioned for her to sit down in one of the two comfy looking chairs that adorned the living room, and he walked into the kitchen. Ju San sat down and watched Juuzou clatter around behind a large countertop.

"Do you want anything to eat?" he asked, turning to face the woman that was sitting in the chair.

"Ummmmm," Ju San stared at him awkwardly and shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"Sorry," Juuzou said, quickly turning back around. "I forgot."

He opened the fridge, pulled out a slice of cake, and sat down in the chair across from the young servant.

"So," he said, taking a bite of the chocolate cake. "Where are my kids?"

"First our terms," Ju San said, sitting up straight.

"What are your terms?" Juuzou said in a bored voice, lazily heaping frosting onto his fork.

"First off, I want Eto not to know anything about me giving you the children," Ju San said, watching the investigator eat a huge ball of chocolate frosting.

The white haired man raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"My orders are to bring them to her," Ju San said harshly, a bit of guilt seeping in.

"Why are you disobeying orders?"

"Personal reasons."

Juuzou did not comment on that, and he took another bite of cake. "Your second request?"

Ju San took in a shaky breath. "I want you to make all the CCG's files on S rate Naki 'disappear'."

Juuzou stared at the ghoul in front of him. "You want me to get rid of his files?"

"Yes." Ju San's hands were shaking.

"Why?"

"Personal reasons," Ju San said, trying to keep the upper hand.

"Clearing out everything on an S rate ghoul is a pretty big request," Juuzou said. He put aside his now empty plate and leaned forward. "I'll need to know your motives for this one."

Ju San sighed. She did want to tell this man anything, but she reminded herself she was doing this for Naki. Sort of. "I work for him."

Juuzou narrowed his eyes. "What type of work?"

Ju San lowered her head and swallowed her pride. "I'm his servant."

Juuzou had no reaction. "What's your name?"

"Ju San."

"He numbers you instead of giving you names?" Suzuya asked, scrunching his eyebrows together.

"Y—yeah."

"Does he treat you well?"

Worthless servant

I'll wring your neck

You can die for all I care

Clean quickly or die slowly

I hit you when I want

Ju San shifted around in the chair. "Yes, he treats us well."

Juuzou chuckled and leaned back in the chair. "I was abused constantly all my childhood and into my teen years. I know the look. He doesn't treat you good at all, does he?"

Ju San tensed her shoulders. "It's not important."

"How much does he pay you?"

"He doesn't."

"Are you allowed to leave at your own will."

"No."

"So you're a slave?"

Those words hit Ju San hard. She always thought of herself as a 'servant', and that's what she had always been referred to. She didn't want to think of herself as a slave, but deep down, she knew that's what she was.

"Yes," she choked out.

"I see," Juuzou said, frowning. "Well, you're out in the city now. Why don't you just run away?"

"He hunts down and kills any runaway servants," Ju San muttered.

"Could he actually do that?"

"He's a gang leader and is a powerful member of Aogiri," Ju San said in a praiseful manor. "Of course he could."

"There's something I'm confused about," Juuzou said, looking over the ghoul again.

"What's that?"

"If Naki and Eto sent you to find the children, they obviously had no intentions of having you come talk to me. You even said your orders were to bring the kids straight to them. So why would you come here, with a request from Naki? How does that work?"

Ju San stared at the investigator blankly. "What's Naki's request?"

"To clear out his file," Suzuya said, giving Ju San a confused look.

"That's not his request," Ju San said slowly. "That's mine."

Juuzou cocked his head. "You're trying to protect your abusive master? Why the hell would you—."

Suzuya stopped mid sentence. A grin spread across his face, and he began to laugh. Ju San stared in confusion at the man.

"What?" she asked, irritated.

"You like him, don't you?" Juuzou said through giggles.

The servant's entire body tensed. Her nails dug into the chair, and she could feel her kagune prickle, threatening to burst from her back.

"I do not!" Ju San clenched her jaw, but the words were already out. They had come out sounding squeaky and much like a five year old.

Juuzou chuckled and shook his head. "You love him don't you? That's why you want to protect him?"

"That's enough," Ju San said. Her eyes were ice and her voice was steely calm.

The change of tone made the white haired man stop laughing and he sunk down into his chair.

"Are the feelings requited?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"And by that, you mean no."

Tears flooded Ju San's eyes. "You don't know anything about unrequited love."

"Actually, I do," Juuzou said, sitting up straight. "I have two children. They were products of an unrequited love."

Ju San stared in Juuzou in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Eto, of course."

"She loved you with all her heart," Ju San said, unknowing if she should be giving out this information or not. "The month after you left her, she was a wreck. She wouldn't eat or talk. She would never get out of bed. All she would do was cry."

Juuzou stared at Ju San. His eyes were wide and misty. She could see all sorts of emotions floating around in them. She saw fear, guilt, longing, and more she did not even know what to call.

When Juuzou recovered, he instantly changed the subject. "Naki's files. That's huge. That could cost me my job if I get caught."

"And?"

"Well I was thinking. We already have one deal; my kids for me keeping hush hush. And this; delete the files, for… What? You need to do something for me."

"Like what?"

"Well, one's a personal issue. And the other, is, well, business. So how about a business deal?"

"What do you want me to do?" Ju San asked cautiously.

"I want you to be my informant," Juuzou said, leaning forward.

"You want me to spy for you?" Ju San said, eyes widening in horror. "For the CCG?"

Juuzou shrugged. "CCG needs help sometimes. Of course, nobody would know you were spying. Nobody would even know there's an informant. It would just be you and me."

"I'm not spying on Master Naki's organization for you," Ju San spat.

"I know," Juuzou said. "I'm not asking you to. There's bands of ghouls that attack people for no reason. They're everywhere. I want your help."

Ju San scowled. "You want me to turn in my fellow ghouls?"

Juuzou rolled his eyes. "These aren't your 'fellow ghouls'. They aren't peaceful. They would kill you no questions asked. For no reason at all. In fact, you'd be helping the peaceful ghouls by taking out the dangerous ones that are drawing attention to their ward. And I'll pay you too."

Ju San hesitated. She knew she could do it; she could sneak out the window at night and go out the courtyard door. "And if I do this, you will delete Master Naki's files?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

Juuzou smiled. "Good. The files will disappear tomorrow. As for you, you'll need a mask."

"I don't have any money."

Suzuya pulled out his wallet and handed the servant a couple yen.

"You don't need much. Just a ski mask or somethin' like that. And then add some 'personal flare' to it or whatever."

"How much are you going to pay me?" Ju San asked, shoving the bills in her pocket.

"A hundred yen each week. And an extra twenty for each ghoul you help me take down."

"Where will I meet you?"

"There's an abandoned warehouse right around the block from here," Juuzou said. "Meet there every Saturday."

"Alright," Ju San said, standing up. "I'll take you to your kids now."

"No, not now," Juuzou said. "It's late. I'd probably scare them. Tomorrow morning. I won't have to be at work as early."

"Alright." Ju San's heart twisted at the thought of the children spending the night in a box in this weather.

The servant once again turned her head to the case sitting in the corner. She smell coming from it; it was so familiar. It was driving her crazy that she couldn't put her finger on what it is.

"I see you have an interest in my quinque," Juuzou said, lazily sinking down in the chair.

"Oh," Ju San blushed. "Yeah."

"I would assume so, if Naki's your master. Must hear about that fellow a lot."

"Who?"

"Are you familiar with the 13th ward's Jason?"

Ju San's heart almost stopped. Horrifying images of her brother's death and other gory images from her childhood filled her head. "Y—you killed Yamori?"

"Yup. You know him?"

Ju San looked down, not wanting the investigator to see her tears. "He was my master. Before Naki was."

"He treated you bad."

"He ate my brother and forced me to watch."

Juuzou said nothing to that.

"Well, I best be going," Ju San said awkwardly.

"Where are you going?"

"Find a dry place for the night," Ju San said, embarrassed.

"You can crash on my couch."

"I can sleep in my clothes?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," Ju San said, blushing. "Okay."

Juuzou got up from the chair he was in and wandered down the hallway to his bedroom. "It's not the first time a ghoul has slept here anyway."

Ju San laughed, but inside, she was secretly asking to leave. She flicked off the lights and laid down on the couch that was next to the chair, and listened the the rain fall.

"Goodnight, Naki," she muttered, in memory of every other time she had uttered those words to the man.