Chapter 3: Anteiku

"Dialogue"

"Zangetsu's dialogue"

'Thinking'

'Zangetsu's thoughts"

Published:

20th ward~

"Still can't get over how creepy that Uta guy was" a certain carrot top muttered under his breath as he was walking to Anteiku. He had discovered the little coffee shop a year previously, finding it to have a comfortable atmosphere. "Hope the blonde and bookworm aren't there yet"

As Ichigo was walking along he couldn't help how keen his sense of smell had gotten. Before Uta pointed out that ghouls had a heightened ability to smell things, he really didn't notice a difference. Everything was different. He had walked by some restaurants and noticed that all food smelled like complete crap, humans now had distinct fragrance of previous foods he enjoyed, and now he could actively tell humans and ghouls apart from sent. Ghouls definitely had a unique scent. It wasn't necessarily bad, if anything most he had passed by had, almost, like a perfume smell coming off them.

A few minutes after focusing almost solely on the smells of others Ichigo found his destination. Upon entering he heard distant shouting from a young man with dirty blonde hair wearing a yellow and black jacket sitting next to another young with black hair and wearing a blue sweater, currently with a book to the side of his hand. Honestly he looked almost uncomfortable about his friend shouting in a public coffee shop.

"Yo, Ichigo hope you don't mind that we already ordered something!" The blonde shouted, even if they were fairly far from the door his sheer volume was almost overwhelming. Ichigo sweat dropped, considering if he still wanted to hang out with guy. "Hello Hugo, Kaname." the orangette greeted. Now it was the other teens turn to sweat drop. "Dude, those aren't our names, and here I thought you were joking about being bad with names.". Ichigo could only blink, he was sure he had gotten it right. "Uh, sorry what were your names again?". "No problem man, I'm Nagachika Hideyoshi, but please just call me Hide." Hide then motioned to the other teen "And he's Kaneki Ken.". "Pleasure to meet you again Kurosaki-san" Kaneki smiled.

"Kaneki, please drop the formalities, I never really liked them" Ichigo told to kaneki. "Told ya a guy like him wouldn't like the formality once we became his friend" Hide, not so subtly, whispered. "S-sorry Kuros-" Kaneki was cut off. "Please, just call me Ichigo." Ichigo smiled. "Uh, sorry Ichigo" Kaneki apologised, a little timidly.

You see Ichigo Kurosaki had a bit of a reputation, mostly rumored amongst student and thugs alike. Most looked at him thinking he was a deviant or punk, that would always look for trouble. It also didn't help that he was scowling most of the time, making him look more menacing. This rumor mainly started due to his naturally bright orange hair.

"Excuse me, but your coffee and sandwiches are ready" the voice came from a teenage waitress, with purple hair covering her right eye, she wore a look of apathy at the moment. "Thank you miss, what would your name be?" Hide's asked. "Touka." the now named Touka replied. "Touka are you seeing anyone?! My name is Nagachika Hideyoshi!" Hide practically yelled. This in turn caused Touka to blush and run off, surprisingly answering with a no.

Ichigo just sighed at the blondes antics, but Kaneki shouted, "Hide what are you doing?! Did you finally lose it!?". Hide then closed his eyes, a sparkle coming off him. "Kaneki, I've seen through everything, She's the reason we're here to day. She's the one you fell in love with at first sight, right?" He continued "That's why I got the head start on you by asking her out first."

Ichigo just stared. 'I thought we were here to hang out' he inwardly complained. "Hide, why would you do that?" Hide quickly whispered to Ichigo "Sush, I'm trying to get Kaneki to man up and fight for his love.". Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. 'I am glad he's never going to be my wingman'. "Yeah, this guy is a bit of a nut"

Ichigo almost jumped in his seat. He had forgotten about Zangetsu. "How could you forget about me, I live in your head?". 'I don't know you've just been really quite, kinda thought you vanished or something. "Nah, your life has been pretty boring lately, been hoping you'd get mugged on your way to the mask shop" Zangetsu stated. "Sort of been rewatching Anime from your memories". 'Uhhh...Okay.'

Returning back to reality, Touka returned ,not looking at Hide, and asked if Ichigo wanted anything. Ichigo decided he would at least try to stomach a coffee, too avoid suspicion of him not ordering anything. While she was their Ichigo noted that she smelt like a ghoul. After Touka left again Kaneki said that the waitress wasn't the one he had fallen in love with. He actually then stared at a woman with light purplish/pink hair with glasses wearing a dress that had just walked by, he quickly turned his attention to his coffee. It didn't take a genius to figure out that's who Kaneki was crushing on.

"So, the one you fell in love with...she over at that table right?" Ichigo teased. This cause Kaneki to almost fall out of his chair due to shock. "I-is it that obvious?" kaneki muttered out. "yeh dude, you started to stare when she walked by," Hide nudged Kaneki "You are going to ask her out right?". "I-I, maybe I have a chance she has stared at me and we've talked a bit…" Kaneki mumbled. Ichigo chuckled at their behavior, it seemed like a stereotypical shy guy and bold nutcase friendship.

Ichigo then received his coffee and was surprised, it didn't give of the scent of rotting fish guts or horse shit, it still smelled like regular coffee. Taking a little test taste he was relieved that he didn't end up vomiting on his new friends. Speaking of them, they move off of the topic of Kaneki's love interest for a while, and start to discuss about the topic of ghouls because the news had a report about a ghoul related murder, the topic made Ichigo tense up slightly.

"You know Kaneki, you'd be eaten up pretty quick if you were attacked by a ghoul."

Well that's chapter 3, sorry if it's a bit disappointing but I need to re-read the first chapters of Tokyo Ghoul. Anyway I hope you enjoyed.