Chapter 1: Rui…
"I wouldn't trade your love for all the candy
In this great big world
I feel so crazy blessed and so lucky
To be the place you go
When you need to feel safe
When you need a kiss
It's me"
"Me" by Plumb
Four Years Later
.
The city of Tokyo was barely having the signs of life like it always did due to it being early in the morning, but it was able to retain the beautiful sight of the dawn. The sun was, at first, dim as it stained the town orange and pink, but as soon as the clock was thirty minutes to eight, it exploded with the brightest color of yellow as it rose high into the azure sky. The city, as the sun gives life, started to begin its natural life and wonders roaming. Men and women crowded the sidewalks, stores began to open, schools started to begin and welcome its eager students, and cars were busy in the streets as they're about to head to their destinations. The life of Tokyo was just beginning to go on as it always did, especially in the [3] springtime.
At a small coffee shop/apartment called :re, Touka Kirishima was in a deep sleep in her room when sunlight began to spread into it through her window. As soon as it reached her eyes, she woke up with hazy eyes and looked towards the window.
The teenage she-ghoul would usually look at the sun disgustingly and hide under the covers until Yoshimura had to rip them off her. However, the Touka that slept on that bed was a different person. She did have a nasty look on her face as she looked at the sun that woke her up. It was so bright that it hurt her eyes, yet it felt so nice against her skin. It's so warm and so relaxing as it collided against herself. She couldn't help but smile as bits of the sun embarked on falling onto her face.
She stayed in her bed for awhile, enjoying the sun and remembering how soft her bed was. When she looked at her clock which read 7:45, she gave off a normal groan when she realized that she had to work today. She had her alarm set to 8:00 but there was no way that Touka would be able to go back to sleep for the next fifteen minutes. It bothered her that :re had to open every day at 9:00. Then again, she had nothing else to do.
She got out of her bed still feeling lazy like any other teen. She is almost twenty-three yet she still doesn't know if she's still a teen, technically. Still feeling tired, she slipped her feet into her bunny slippers near her bed and she began to head towards her bathroom. Usually, she would hit into something while walking after she woke up, but she was able to reach towards her bathroom without hurting any part of her body.
While in there, she began to take off her sleepwear, which just consisted of one of her old t-shirts and shorts. When she was stripped naked, she stepped into the shower to finally make herself wide awake with the hot water that poured down her body. Drowsiness was in her veins when she got in but as soon as she felt the hot and comforting water trickle down her body and face, she felt so much better and lost all of her drowsiness.
When she finished, she grabbed the nearest towel near the shower and wrapped it around her breasts. As she dried her body with the towel, she managed to look at herself at the foggy mirror in front of her. With her hand still clutching her towel, she came closer to the mirror and ran her hand across it to clean up the fog to see a clear reflection of herself.
A lot has happened to her the past years since she left Anteiku and it still managed to surprise herself every time she realizes that she changed not only mentally, but physically. She lost a lot of weight and her face was skinny as hell. Her skin was a bit darker, which confused her since she hadn't been outside that much. She was much paler in her teenage years, but now her skin had a nice tone. It's not too dark and not too light, yet she loves it. And finally, her hair took the form of a bob cut as it was much shorter than before. It was not her style to leave her hair longer, so she was able to cut it to where it almost reached her neck. She even dyed her hair a little lighter to give it a nice touch, in hopes that the CCG won't ever find her.
She didn't look like the old Touka that she once was. She looked like how people could see her as: a woman. Not just a ghoul; a woman.
She was glad.
She always did the same routine every morning; always looking at herself in the mirror. She wanted to see if the person she once was was still there. The person who was strong and stubborn for and to anyone that appeared towards her. That was the old her. And she didn't see the face of the old Touka. Not anymore. She didn't want to look at the person who had a troubled past. The girl who would always talk about the past and would always complain about how her life was horrible. It's for the best, anyway, to not reminisce.
What's done is done.
Realizing what she's telling herself, she tried changing the subject by forgetting about her thoughts and began giggling at her reflection. "Wow, Touka," she said in a vague, yet cheery tone. "Look at you. You're not the tomboy your mother once was, huh?"
She gave herself one more giggle before she opened the small doors underneath her sink to grab her hairdryer. Plugging in the plug, she pressed the button up on "High" and started to try her hair, her left hand holding onto the towel and making sure it did not fall.
When she finished and her hair was at its fluffy yet natural hairstyle, she walked out of the bathroom and towards her closet. She already knew that she wouldn't have any trouble picking her outfit.
As she opened the slick, wooden doors she quickly reached for the outfit by the right side of the closet without even checking if it was the right one. A white blouse with a black skirt, black apron and thin tights for underneath: her work uniform.
Yomo knew that her old uniform that she wore while she worked at Anteiku was too girly for her, so when they both found :re, the current coffee shop they both worked in, he decided to give her a uniform that had a more…fair look. Since she was no longer the tomboy people knew she was, she didn't hate her uniform.
When Touka finished drying her body and putting on her undergarments, she grabbed her outfit and began to slowly fit herself through it without getting it wet with the excess water from her body. She grabbed her hairbrush from near one of her counters and brushed out the tangles in her hair. Her hair was still dry from the hairdryer but she still managed to gain a few tangles once in a while.
When she set her brush back onto the counter, she took her makeup bag and started to look in front of the big mirror hanging on the wall near her closet. She didn't like to put in a lot of makeup, but she needed to at least be more presentable for the cafe. As soon as she was done, she took one more look at herself in the mirror and smiled back, as an approval for the way she looked.
Congrats, Touka. You're beautiful as always.
Shaking her head, she started to put on her heels and exit her room to see if the others were awake. When she went to see Yomo in his room, his door was already open and she could see that he was still asleep. He usually kept an alarm like Touka, but she concluded that he forgot to turn it on again.
He still had his emotionless expression while asleep, yet the way he looked was still funny. His mouth was wide open with drool racing down his mouth and his body was in a weird form. It was like he was being exorcised. He looked so stupid that Touka had to laugh as softly as she could. When she managed to stop herself, she closed his door and gave herself a little giggle. She wouldn't want her "brother" to lose his beauty sleep.
I might as well wake Rui first then, she thought to herself.
When she reached the door between the bathroom and Yomo's room, she began to put on a cheery expression and smiled as she already had her in her thoughts already. For her, it would always be such a joy just to think of Rui, be with Rui, or do something with Rui. Of course, Touka had to smile every time she's on her mind. There's nothing else on her mind on what to do when she appeared. It's only natural that she felt that way.
Rui is her daughter, after all.
As soon as Touka settled down her enthusiasm, she slowly opened the doorknob to Rui's bedroom and made sure that the door didn't wake her daughter up since it always had a creaking noise to it. She always forgets to tell Yomo about it after she always visits Rui.
Another same, old habit of hers.
"Excuse me," she whispered as she entered the room without closing the door, not wanting the noise to appear again.
Everything in Rui's room was hard to not notice. Last year, Touka and Yomo asked her what she wanted in her room since she used to have it bland and boring, and she replied that she wanted everything sparkly. Let's just say that thanks to Touka, she was able to not let her get everything in her room shiny or sparkly. Well, it would seem that that that promise never did happen since all of her furniture has bits of glitter: her chairs, her bed, her tabletops, even her walls. However, her decorations and her bed sheets had no glitter whatsoever.
Touka was too busy looking at her daughter's room that she forgot about waking her up first. She knew this, but she decided to let her sleep for a while. Everything in this room was too pretty and flashy that she couldn't just ignore them.
She walked towards one of Rui's shelves near the window. Her shelves had the most beautiful figurines that Touka bought for her and some that she made out of paper mâché. Plus, she even had a colorful collection of books, from picture to small chapter books. She may be four, but she's already smart. She's already reading at a fourth grade level. It scared her mother just by realizing that.
Touka wanted to send her to school already even though she's not the perfect age yet, but she just couldn't let her attend school. Since Rui doesn't go to school, she always attends her mother in the coffee shop and sometimes helps out with the coffee and other treats. Touka wouldn't want to send her daughter to school while she always loved to have her by her side at work.
She couldn't, at least not yet.
Without even noticing, Touka grabbed one of her books and played with the pages without even looking at the cover. As she looked through the words and colorful pages, she suddenly stopped as she saw a piece of paper sticking out of a specific section. When she turned the page to where the paper was, she felt herself smile as soon as she knew what it was. A little photo that Yoriko took and gave to both of them.
Touka grabbed the photo from the page and began to study it with wonder. In the picture, she, Yomo, and Rui were all inside :re with all the other employees, smiling as they all gathered around her in the middle of the crowd. She then noticed a large red circle revolving around a certain moment [4] at the time when the picture was taken: Rui was opening a gift from Yoriko, while she and her mother were laughing as they both snuggled close. Her long, black hair frequented around Touka's face meanwhile, making her remember how the locks were so close to her nose that she almost sneezed
The picture was taken a week ago on Rui's fourth birthday. And to think how much she has grown throughout the small yet wonderful years Touka had been with her. She never thought that she'd be so grown up or mature even for her age. She could speak in full sentences, ones that an eleven-year old could understand, she learned how to walk when she was five months old, and she started speaking two months later.
She's grown to be so mature and so smart…just like her father.
Touka's smile then changed as she thought about her child's father. Her smile was still there, yet it was not as joyful and peaceful as her regular smile. It was a bit awkward, but at the same time, it was…a little bit sad. She always had the smile every time she thought about her deceased lover. Sometimes, she would wonder what would've happened if he had survived the Raid; a little fantasy she liked to picture over and over in her mind. Habits were natural for her to have, but remembering him was the most bittersweet one she could ever have.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a bed creaking and a object falling to the floor. Her head turned away from the picture and examined the bed behind her. An alarm clock rested on the floor and the bed had crippled blankets rather than aligned ones as Rui would have it while she slept. The closet next to the bed was also open and a few dresses on the hangers began to rock slowly.
Touka smirked a bit once she knew that Rui was hiding from her again. She put the picture back into the book and placed it back in the same spot in the bookshelf, letting herself be able to find Rui without anything in her hands.
"Oh, my God," Touka said aloud, pretending to sound scared. "Where did Rui go? Did she disappear? Did she turn invisible?" [5]
Touka's sarcastic tone was funny enough to make someone laugh in the room as soon as she said her first sentence. She walked slowly to the closet knowing that her daughter was hiding in there when she suddenly heard a sneeze. It was loud enough to make Touka realize that she wasn't in the closet. She wasn't very close to the closet yet, but she was close enough to the bed to see that the curved covers moved. Another grin started to grow on her face as she began to walk towards the covers. Her daughter tried to trick her into going to the closet when she was underneath the covers all along.
Quite smart for a four year old.
Touka then grabbed the covers and yanked them off the bed. "Aha!" The blankets then revealed Rui, who was smiling, even after she saw her mother's face. Her eyes-shining a bright shade of blue like her mother's- widened once she saw her face [7]. Without saying anything, she scooped up her child with ease and carried her from under her arms with both of them laughing.
"Now there she is!" Touka exclaimed with glee. "I thought the closet ate her."
Rui shook her head. "I was so close to tricking you, Mommy. I was gonna get you from behind if you looked into my closet."
Touka couldn't stop laughing, even as she gave Rui a quick kiss on her forehead. "Now that was not very nice, Rui. You almost scared me."
"I'm sorry, Mommy," Rui said with worry. "Am I in trouble?"
"Yes, you are, young lady. And I'm afraid you have to be punished." Touka, now having a disappointed look, set Rui down on her bed and knelt down in front of her. "Do you know the punishment?"
Rui shook her head, now curious and worried of what her mother was going to do. While she stared at her, Touka raised her hands in the air and began to smile again. "It's a visit from the Tickle Twins!"
She grabbed her daughter and began tickling her stomach. Rui's laughter filled the room and she tried her best to stay away from her mother's grasp. However, she was still a baby, so she had to let her mother keep tickling her when she didn't have the strength to protect herself and escape. Though it seems as if she doesn't mind it.
"Do you really have to be this loud?"
Touka took her hands away from Rui and turned her head to see Yomo by the doorway, his bed hair sticking up and his eyes looking dull as always. He really didn't like waking up early. Even if it's for work, he couldn't take the idea of waking up early seriously. He's like the old Touka.
"Uncle Renji!" Rui shouted, unaware that he's upset from waking up too early. She escaped her mother's grasp and ran to him to hug his legs. But then, she changed her position and hid behind them while she was able to see her mother. "Don't let Mommy use the Twins on me!"
Yomo turned his head back to Touka. She couldn't tell if he was still tired or he was already in his normal state. She decided to play along with him. "Uh-oh. Rui, I think you found the Twins' only weakness: my brother's zero-degree personality!"
She raised her hands in the air and twitched them as if the "Twins'" were "dying" while she also made sounds that resembled tiny creatures screaming in pain. Yomo wanted to not be amused, but when he saw what Touka was doing and heard Rui's laughter, he couldn't help but smile. While he did maintain his old solemn face, he was able to break into a smile once in a rare occasion. Those rare occasions involved Rui. He was able to absorb the pleasure that Touka felt whenever they hear her laugh. It always reminded him of his older sister when she tried to make her daughter laugh [6]. It had been able to give him a sort of hope for him that he could be able to be happy daily.
As Touka set down her hands when she was done killing her characters, she raised herself up from the bed and walked towards Yomo, who was still smiling at Rui. "Wow. This is the brightest I've seen you smile. Does this mean that you're not in your morning mood?"
Yomo then changed his persona and he once again displayed his silent demeanor. "Whatever. I needed to get ready for work today anyway. Apparently, I should probably thank you for letting you guys wake me up."
Touka chuckled as she put a strand of her blue hair behind her ear [7]. "No problem. Anything for my big brother."
She gave him a playful punch on the shoulder, but he didn't react. However, Touka could tell that he wanted to smile. It was a rare occasion to try and make him smile everyday, with some help from Rui. She was only able to get some smiles from him, but it made her happy. Ever since the day they left Anteiku, he started to warm up to his feelings and wasn't afraid to let out a smile. He still didn't show whether he's angry or sad, but a smile was good enough for everyone that was around him.
Rui walked away from Yomo and to Touka. She started to tug at her tights, not bothering about stretching them. "Mommy, I'm hungry."
Touka looked down at her face and gave a small chuckle before turning back to Yomo. "Well, why don't you get ready for work while I take care of Rui?"
Yomo didn't say anything but he gave a small nod and walked away from the two so that he would change. When he was gone, Touka grabbed Rui's hand. "Okay, Rui. You can go ahead and get ready while I prepare your food, okay?"
Rui gave Touka a nod. She was able to get dressed on her own since last year, so she didn't need her mother's help anymore. The young mother walked to the exit and gave her daughter another smile before closing the door. She then made her way down the small flight of stairs to the kitchen. She walked towards the fridge and grabbed the first package she saw as soon as she opened the door: a bag of human meat.
After carrying it to the counter, she unwrapped it to reveal large chunks of meat. Pushing it to the side, she opened one of the drawers and grabbed the largest and efficient knife she could use. With it, she grabbed each chunk and chopped it into pieces small enough for Rui to eat, also managing to eat a piece or two.
As soon as she put the pieces into a small bowl and grabbed a fork, Rui was climbing down the stairs, dressed in almost the same outfit Touka was wearing, and, already, despite the height of it, sat down on one of the chairs by the kitchen table.
"Here, sweetie." Touka smiled as she set the bowl in front of Rui.
"Thank you, Mommy," she said with a smile. As soon as she said her thanks for the food, Rui grabbed the fork and stabbed each piece and put them in her mouth. The food and juice were already spreading across her face so fast that Touka was surprised that it hadn't gotten onto her outfit yet.
It was probably due to her eating with her eyes closed.
Rui knew about her identity as a ghoul, so she knew what sort of power she would posses one day. She was told that she would have eyes that were in the color of black and red every time she would eat human meat, the only nourishment that ghouls like herself and her family would eat. She had seen the eyes before, on Touka, Yomo and the other employees, and they scared her. She didn't want anyone else to see them so she would always eat her meat with her eyes closed. She was obviously too young to have her eyes come out every time she ate meat. Whenever a child was too young to show their kakugan, their irises show a bright red instead to give people an idea that they're ghouls. It's a minor trait, but she prefers to be safe than sorry. She assumed that she would scare everybody that looked at her, but her eyes were not the scariest things that Touka nor her friends have seen.
By the time she was done with her food, Rui pushed her plate forward with her eyes still closed and Touka knew that that was her cue to take it away. Yomo then entered the room dressed in his uniform as she finished washing the plate.
"Hey, what time is it?" Yomo asked as he pat Rui's head as she grabbed the nearest napkin and wiped the remaining blood off her face, her eyes finally open to show her average cobalt irises.
Touka looked at the small clock next to the fridge. 8:45 already?
"Oh, man," she said. "It's 8:45 already, Bro."
Yomo gave a quick nod. "Well, we should set up :re already. Do you need to eat, Touka?"
Touka shook her head. "I'll just go ahead with you to set up. Come on, Rui."
The small child just finished wiping her face when Touka carried her in her arms and she and Yomo began to leave their home. They lived on the second floor of the building, but they were able to reach towards the coffee shop by climbing down the stairs. It was basically the same structure Anteiku once was: a coffee shop on the first floor while being an apartment on the second one. It was the only kind of building that they both were comfortable living in, and Kaito was kind enough to help them find a place that was able to fit their standards.
Touka was expecting to see chairs on top of tables and dishes that were still not cleaned from yesterday's shift when they entered the shop. However, she did not expect to see the shop entirely spiffed up and clean. All the tables were fixed, the floor was swept and mopped, and the dishes had been washed. Everything was spotless.
"Ehh?" was all Touka was able to say as she saw what the looks of the cafe. She wasn't that surprised, but she was a bit startled since she had came to the shop at around this time and always saw it being dirty. She would always fix it before the other employees came in and before the shop opened, but it was the first time she saw the shop being cleaned up besides herself and Yomo.
"Close your mouth, Touka-san," a familiar voice commanded. Touka closed her mouth with panic as she heard the voice. However, she was able to comprehend who's voice it was and calmed down as soon as she saw one of the employees cleaning one of the last of the dirty cups.
"Oh, Miyu, it's you," she said with her right hand held against her forehead. "You almost gave me a fright."
Miyu scoffed. "Really? 'Cause I didn't expect you out of all people to be 'frightened.'"
Before Touka could make a reply, Rui squirmed out of her arms and landed on the polished floor before she started running towards the dark-haired she-ghoul. "Aunt Miyu!"
Rui's collision towards Miyu's legs was strong enough to make her lose balance in her left leg. Her knee was able to save her from falling entirely so she was able to resume her natural posture while she welcomed the strong clutch of Rui's arm. She gave the small child a smile that was barely noticeable and ruffled her head. "Hey, kiddo." Her voice was weak, but she did her best to stay happy for the kid.
Miyu, to Touka and Yomo, would pass for the adult-version of Rui if it weren't for her eyes and skin. They were both in colors that would only be found in the bodies of the deceased: grey in the eyes and white in the skin. However, she was able to still look attractive due to her curves and medium-sized breasts. Her hair was raven black and reached down to her breasts, having bangs that were able to cover her right eye like Touka's. She looked as if she was already dead if it weren't for the fact that she's able to walk like a natural being. Her personality's very calm and silent, although there were times that she unraveled a smile while she was working or talking with her coworkers.
"Did you actually fix the entire shop, Miyu?" Yomo asked while he fixed his gaze on the coffee cups.
Miyu gave a small nod before she moved away from Rui's grasp to put away the cup that she had finished cleaning. "I accidentally set my alarm clock too early, so I decided to come to work so I could fix the shop."
Touka walked closer towards the others and gave Miyu a smile, even when she wasn't making eye contact. "Well, thank you, Miyu. We really appreciate it."
Miyu looked towards her boss only to quickly turn away, being able to give her a disgusted face. "Whatever, don't get used to it. This will probably be the only time I'll do this for you guys."
Touka stopped smiling, but she knew that she was joking. Miyu always had a nasty attitude-a reminder of what Nishiki had always acted like-ever since they met when they first opened :re. Yet she was able to do childish things like apologize for dropping a plate or making sure that Rui was alright whenever she's babysitting her. She's bi-polar, but everyone knew that her bad side was her way of toying with everybody's feelings.
The bell rang, meaning that someone had entered the shop, and everyone turned their heads to see two more employees enter.
"We're here!" Tomoya shouted with worry as he and and Kaito arrived. "We're not late!"
"I think that's a bit obvious, Tomoya," Kaito assured his friend as he fixed his blonde hair, looking extreme from how he had to run to make it to work on time.
Tomoya ran up to Rui to give her a pat on her head, making her giggle. "This is the earliest I've been here though, Kate!"
And that is true. He usually forgets to set his alarm clock and he comes to the shop at around eleven or twelve. He's been late so many times that it's surprising that he hasn't been fired yet.
Kaito winced when he heard his friend call him by his girly nickname. "Don't call me that, Tomoya. I told you it's Kaito."
Toukathen gave a chuckle and walked towards the two. "Oh, come on, Kate. I think that nickname suits you."
"No, it does not!" Kaito complained, letting Rui, who was now at her mother's side again, release another giggle louder than the previous one. He gave her a bright smile as a response to her before he faced Touka. "Are Aomi and Yoriko here yet?"
Touka shook her head. "No, but they should be here. The shop is about to open soon."
"I made it here before Mii-chan?" Tomoya asked with wonder. He didn't need to wait for a response as he made a fist, raised it in the air with glee, and jumped high enough for his dark lavender hair to move along with him like a samba dance. "She now owes me three thousand yen!" Another giggle was heard in the shop, but it came from Touka.
It was always wonderful to see her coworkers socializing with each other before they started working. It reminded her so much of the other employees at Anteiku. They're all ghouls, except Yoriko, and they all wished to work in harmony and be able to combine the two races to have a pleasant conversation, as did Anteiku. She would often compare her current friends to her old ones. Aomi, another employee at :re, is like Roma: a bit clumsy yet super friendly. Tomoya is like Koma: super ecstatic and a jokester. Miyu is like a combination of Nishiki, Yomo, and Irimi, being a pain in the neck and sarcastic yet can be so calm and kind. Only Kaito was his own person, not making her remind herself of anybody she knew. However, he did manage to have some traits of everyone in the coffee shop, including Yomo. They were best friends and they both even take over the shop, only when Touka wasn't around. Already they, along with her and the other employees, were all a family.
The sound of a bell rang once more, and everyone in the shop turned to the front door to see two more workers coming in. They were the last employees that they recognized, so everyone's now reassured that they didn't have to worry about any more workers being late. Aomi, with a doughnut in her mouth and her purse in her hand, barged into the shop without worrying that she made a loud noise that filled the shop's silence. Yoriko, who appeared by her side with another doughnut in her hands, was the only one being startled by the sound her companion made.
"Rrewrehurr," Aomi mumbled loudly, yet still couldn't be comprehended by the other employees. By looking at her coworkers' confused and shocked faces, from how they couldn't understand her and how she was eating regular human food, she shoved the doughnut down her throat and ate it whole, probably to ignore the bad taste she must have had contact with.
"Sorry for being late," Yoriko apologized, knowing that Aomi won't repeat what she said. "Me and Aomi-san woke up late and we skipped breakfast, so we decided to go to one of the shops around here for doughnuts."
"More like, she decided to get doughnuts," Aomi added, her face covered with leftover crumbs that she desperately wanted to brush off. "I didn't want any food, to be honest. She just had to buy me one."
"Oh, stop whining, Aomi-san," Yoriko pouted. "I feel bad that you don't eat breakfast in the morning due to your diet, so one day eating a doughnut won't ruin it."
The other ghoul employees just stared at Aomi, probably trying not to show the shock that she was able to let Yoriko buy her human food. They both lived together as roommates, so it was hard for her to try and not reveal her ghoul identity to her boss's best friend. She had to lie to Yoriko about her not eating by saying that she only drinks "nutrient smoothies" from stores that she "goes to" on her breaks. Though once in a while, she had to eat something Yoriko prepared in their apartment in order to prevent any suspicions. She now understood her boss's pain.
After Aomi wiped away the crumbs off her face, her eyes widened when she saw Tomoya, who was wearing the most silliest grin on his face. Her reaction was not because of his silly reaction, but because he was here before her. With that, she just remembered the bet that they both made.
"Tomoya?!" She exclaimed, with shock and disappointment. "What?! No!"
Everyone in the shop started laughing except her. They were all well aware that this wasn't the first time Tomoya and Aomi made a bet with each other. The streak for who won each bet was so long that the other employees lost track when they reached a hundred.
Tomoya, walking towards her with his arms crossed across his chest, laughed sarcastically. "I'll take my three thousand yen now, Mii-chan."
He held out his hand as he patiently waited for his reward. While Aomi let out a disapproving scowl, she reached inside her purse to grab a huge wad of money without even checking if it was three hundred yen. She slammed the money so hard against his hand that she was able to scratch them with her manicured nails. "Ow!" Tomoya exclaimed.
Aomi scoffed, letting a small grin grow and flipping her red hot hair as she walked away from him. "Serves you right for taking my money."
"It's your fault for making a bet with me in the first place!" Tomoya pointed out, his voice loud and his eyes still on his hand as he tried to blow on it to ease the pain. Even when he knew that he's a ghoul and a small scratch is nothing to them, the pain can be displayed mostly from surprise.
"Children, children," Touka playfully called to them before another argument could burst inside the shop like a volcano. When they both looked towards her, she crossed her arms with disapproval and as a joke. "As much as we all would love to enjoy seeing you two argue, we all got business to do in the shop." She pointed to the nearest clock on the countertop, which read in bright red 8:59.
Tomoya and Aomi, without wanting to argue anymore, turned their bodies towards their boss and bowed their heads. "We're very sorry, Boss." Tomoya's voice was very calm, meaning that he really was serious, while Aomi said her apology in a sarcastic tone, making anyone know that she will get back at her coworker for taking her money. Nevertheless, she enjoyed how they both said "Boss", so she forgave them.
With the matters fixed and the clock almost at 9:00, the employees went over to the countertops to grab their aprons and prepare ingredients for their coffee, managing to happily greet Rui. The only one that was able to give hugs to both Rui and Touka was Yoriko. She always enjoyed greeting her best friend and her daughter in the mornings as they prepared to work. It brought a smile to Touka's face also.
When they finished exchanging hugs, Touka walked towards the door to grab the sign that's used to announce the daily specials, which was already written by Miyu. She walked outside the door, letting the bell ring as a practice for when customers come in for their daily coffees. Once outside, she set up the sign to stand by itself and changed the little sign that said "CLOSED" into "OPEN". She looked at the sign with a calm yet hopeful expression, right before she walked away from the entrance of the shop so that she could stretch her arms. When she finished, she gave herself a pleasant smile as a special guide to help her get through another, possibly busy, day.
"Alright," she said to herself. "Let's do this." She turned around to go back inside the shop when she felt something odd.
She stopped in her tracks and looked towards the long aisle of neighborhood shops and apartments. Nothing was making a sound, there weren't even any cars at the street at her right, and no one was around. It was natural for it to be so silent since they lived in a quiet neighborhood. However, Touka felt as if someone was watching her. Even when the early mornings the neighborhood were always at a quiet state of position, she always looked around the front of :re to see if a person was coming by. She doesn't why she does this, but in reality, she's ignoring the reason why [8].
The reason why she's looking around was that she was waiting for anybody she knew from Anteiku. She hoped to see Irimi, Koma, Roma, Hinami, Yoshimura, even that idiot Nishiki. Sometimes, she would imagine her former lover being alive again and that would make her even more elated to wait outside the shop just so she could see him. Reality, however, hits her hard like a bus and she's always brought back to the fact that Kaneki and some of her friends are dead, and there's nothing she could do to change it.
"Mommy?"
Touka flinched. She turned her head to see Rui by the newly set-up sign, her hands behind her back and wearing nothing but a confused yet worried look on her face. "Are you okay?"
Touka gave a sigh when she realized she was staring out into space again, but she managed to smile at Rui before she ruffled her hair. Even after, she continued to play with her black locks. "I'm fine, sweetheart. I was just thinking. Come on, let's go back to the shop."
Rui nodded with approval and determination before Touka grabbed her from under her arms and carried her by her hip. They both walked to the door, mother and daughter, and let the bell ring as she opened it.
Touka always loved that sound.
It meant that the gentle peace shall begin.
1. I was in a phase when I loved listening to Evanescence. While reading interviews, I read that Amy Lee's inspiration included Plumb. I decided to check her out and I grew to love her instantly. She really spoke to me and I'm glad I found out about her. Anyway the first album I listened to from her was Blink, her first lullaby album. The album was dedicated to her children and other children in the world. This song is my absolute favorite out of all the songs in the album. No, I may not be a mom, but I understood the feelings since I read them in many novels. I thought that this song would describe Touka's relationship with her daughter perfectly.
2. I know that Tokyo Ghoul:re takes place two or three years after the events of Tokyo Ghoul, but I'm going to make it four years. This is for two reasons: One, I want Rui to be a fully developed child and I don't like the fact of a three year old talking like a professional. I know she seems smart because of her heritage, but her being four just seems right to me. Two: Look up Tarot Card 4.
3. I don't know what time of year it was when Haise met Touka, so I decided to make it springtime. Let's say around March to April, since Rui was probably born in that time.
4. The Tarot Card hints that Ishida-sensei (yes, I'm calling him that; don't judge me) put into Tokyo Ghoul is ingenious. If he was a real life author, then he would be in the New York Times for years and years and years haha :) Anyway, I decided to add in some of my own Tarot Card hints in honor of him. But I won't say what tarot card is included here, that's just take away the fun of researching and guessing, right?
5. Monster's Inc, anybody? Anyone? Anyone at all? Huh, I'm such a child.
6. If you've recently read Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 70, then the irony is EVERYWHERE.
7. I keep reading fanfics about whether Touka's hair and eyes are really blue or purple. It's been bothering me for a long time and I still don't know which one is the right color she has! Anyway, I'm just gonna say that her hair and eyes are blue for now.
8. Remember the after credits scene from the finale of Tokyo Ghoul Root A? I decided to include it into this chapter. Idk why but I just imagined Touka looking off into the distance while Rui calls for her to snap her out of her trance.
Oh, my God. I never thought that I would get so many followers this fast. I mean, I got ten favorites in one day. I'm so happy for that. Also, I would like to say that the next chapter might take a while since I promised my other followers I would update soon on my other story. Please be patient with me and I will be able to anage everything soon. Thank you and I love you all! XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD