Author's Note: About the update schedule for this story, it may vary from time to time, depending on my workload. It should be relatively frequent, but I cannot promise that. I have school too, if you didn't know. Aside from that, just saying, Ken Kaneki has some serious abilities, mainly due to his half-half characteristic, and as ya'll know, hybrids are much stronger than pures. And with that, lets begin! As always, helpful criticism is VERY much appreciated. It can help me a lot more in improving my story and writing. You can also suggest some chapter ideas, just in case my mind runs dry. No lemons though. I will decide myself when to put one in ;)


He walked past the cafe. It was two days after the bridge incident that could not leave his head.

Stopping to look at it, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The manager's hospitality, Koma's cheerfulness, Kaya's calm, and of course, the constant flow of insults flying back and forth between Nishiki and Touka, with Hinami in the middle trying desperately to stop them.

Damn, were those good times.

However... He almost cried right then and there on the street. "Never let me see your face ever again, you filthy piece of shit." He could not get that out of his mind. That was their opinion of him; a traitor, a coward, a power-seeker to go to the Aogiri Tree. A smile crept up his cheeks, a sad one. He shook his head. Get it out of your head Kaneki, you don't need to stay in Anteiku to protect them. You have your ways. They just need time to understand... No. Letting time do the job will not be good enough. I have to...

He stood there for a solid minute. He finally decided. "Alright then, time to get going." As he made his way down the road, he could faintly catch the sound of shattering glass, followed by Nishiki's pissed off voice...


She was at the bridge again. But it was not the same day, not the same time. She could tell. The wind picked up slightly, leaves fluttering around he feet. She surveyed the area, before noticing the man infront of her.

"Kaneki..."

As she approached, his kagune suddenly shot out and stabbed her in the stomach.

"Urk... KANEKI." Her mind was in shock. What is going on? Why is he attacking her?

"Listen here you asshole." He never talks like that, yet he did. "Remember that day on this bridge? Of course you do." A second kagune shot into her leg. "Guess what? I'm not returning. After all I did, the first thing you do is try to kill me? Threaten me?" A third stabbed her shoulder.

"I didn't...mean..."

"SHUT UP. JUST SHUT UP. If you really think everyone hates me now, then I have no need in protecting you. I will just leave Anteiku to its own demise, how's that?"

"No...Kaneki...Stop..."

"Heh. You really are as pathetic as I pictured you to be."

"No..."

The final kagune came out and went straight through her chest. She screamed. Then sat up.

"Huh?" Panting, she looked around. It was her room. Another fucking nightmare. It already happened two days in a row. "What the fuck is wrong with me..." Sweating buckets, she cried out in frustration. She decided to get some coffee to calm down. Leaving her bed, she exited her room and went downstairs...


He quietly opened the windows.

"Touka?" He whispered. No response. He realised Touka wasn't in her room."Probably downstairs for a midnight coffee..."

Sighing, he landed on the floor of her room. He decided to write a letter, addressing the entire Anteiku, stating his reasons for leaving. "This should be enough, I hope."

Walking to her table, he put the envelope and turned to leave. then he noticed a strange thing. "A...Piano? Why the hell does she have a piano in her room?" His fingers itched. It has been a long time since he set his fingers on one. He sat down, and instantly started smiling...

"Hey Mommie, what is this?" Kaneki asked. "A piano, sweetheart," she replied, eyes still glued to her work.

"Woah...Can I try it?" He stared at it in awe.

"I don't know honey..."

"PLEASEEEE." He begged. Unable to reject him, his mother gave in to his request.

"Be careful, ok? It was your dad's one, so don't break it." She replied with a sigh.

"YAY! THANKS MOMMIE, YOU ARE THE BEST!"

Kaneki smirked. How naive his 10 year old self was. Man, he really missed his mom...

Putting that thought away, he opened it. He found a folder, filled with piano sheets. "Is she attempting these? Wow, that's a lot of complicated scripts. Oh? Unravel? The one by TK? From Ling tosite sigure huh. Hmm, I played it before. Time to test myself."

He hovered his hands over the keys, too focussed to notice the door opening...


She made herself a cup. Kaneki always liked my coffee the best... She thought out of nowhere. It made her smile. Truth be told, she missed him more than she was pissed at him. But her pride got in the way, causing her sudden outburst at Kaneki. Stupid Touka. She just could not show her weak side at all, can she?

She brought her coffee upstairs. Just try to get some sleep for now, she thought to herself. She opened her bedroom door, and almost dropped her cup of coffee on the floor.

Kaneki? What the hell is he doing here? She was too shocked for words. Wait...is he on the piano? She set the coffee on her table...

Suddenly his hands moved. Unravel... She recognised this song. His hand moved quickly, getting past the first part easily.

Has he had experience? Damn, it sounded good...

He was clearly engrossed in the music. Her eyes widened. His hands were literally flying. This is inhuman.

How the hell is he doing this? He's so good, holy shit. She started tearing up a bit. He was about halfway through, playing the song perfectly. This is beautiful, fuck...

He finished the song. Damn, that felt good. Seems like he didn't loose his touch after all.

Satisfied, he closed the lid over the piano. Putting his hood on, he got ready to leave.

Then, he heard a sniff.

He abruptly turned around, and standing there with tears in her eyes, was a shocked Touka, gaping right at him. He lowered his head and quickly jumped out. He pushed off the outside wall with superhuman force, and flew away.

What the hell? How long was she watching for? Shit...why did I leave? I should have stayed...Argh, hell to me. He landed softly on a roof. He wiped at his face and realised he was crying. He sighed. Deciding to head home, he wiped away the tears, aimed himself and blasted away again...


She stood there, gazing at the man just meters away from her. She was somewhere between shocked, happy, and wanting to cry out loud.

She sniffed.

Fuck, she's crying.

He turned to look at her, tears and all, for a good few moments. He turned his gaze to the floor, and without hesitation, jumped out the window. Her body finally reacted, and she ran after. Sticking her head out, she saw the silhouette of him in the distance, before it disappeared.

What the fuck? How did he get there so fast? She clenched her fists, fighting the urge to shed more tears. She turned back into her room and immediately notice the envelope. What the hell is this? Opening it, she found a letter, addressed to the entire staff force of Anteiku.

Dear Anteiku,

Been a while, hasn't it? I hope you guys are doing okay. Better than me, anyways... This letter is to explain my leaving of the Anteiku family. I really just want all of you to be safe. I have been training my ass off the past few months, getting stronger. I'm sorry it had to be the Aogiri Tree group. AT that time, it seemed most fit for me to improve my skills, although in your eyes, it may seem like the worst possible idea. I am sorry if i cause all of you any despair or anger. It was unintentional, and I did not think of anything other than gaining strength. If you hold any grudges against me, I am fine with it. The prospect of coming back to Anteiku is not possible as of now, and I seek your forgiveness. If any of you really want me to stay away, I will still do my best to protect you, but until then, I will not come back. And for those who really miss me...hang in there. I will get back in contact as soon as possible. For now, keep all of your spirits up, and look towards a brighter future. Together.

Till we meet again, Ken Kaneki

That did it. Touka fell onto the floor. Hugging her legs, she started crying he heart out. I'm sorry... Come back please... I really miss you... She was bawling by then. I did not mean anything I said... Come back... Please... She cried her eyes out. She could not think of anything but Kaneki. His eyes... his mouth... his face... his talk... his kindness... his smile...

She cried for a full hour before finally, tired and dehydrated, fell asleep on the floor...


Aaaand there. In case you did not figure out, the reason I included a piano scene is because I love the instrument. It can somehow turn any song into a master piece. I am currently doing Unravel on the piano. If you want to see it in full glory, check out the cover on Youtube by Animenz. It totally blew me away the first time I saw and heard it, and I am aiming to be able to play it perfectly, so wish me luck! XD

That will be it for now. Till next time, bai!