"Hmm...do you have a phone, Tatata?" Isa asked him.

"I don't."

"Hmm."

Well, that meant they couldn't communicate when they separated. Isa felt a little disappointed. Truth was, he did have a cell phone.

They spent more time with each other, walking side-by-side. Isa felt a shock each time their hands brushed. She'd look the other way, blushing. Tatara kept his cool, although he had to convince himself that he did not feel anything whatsoever. He started to feel the heaviness of the guilt within him for lying about everything. Their whole relationship was an act.

Tatara glanced at her, pitying. He silently clenched his fist and looked ahead.

"What's wrong, Tatara?" Isa noticed him being tensed up. She took the body language as if he wasn't delighted being with her. "Did you not want to spend time together today…?"

Tatara became baffled at the assumption. "No," he answered. "It isn't that at all." He tried to sound genuine. Isa pouted, doubting him. Tatara smiled. "You over analyze, Isa."

"Hmm...do I?" Her cheeks slightly glowed red as she laughed shyly.

"Too much."

"I'll try not to anymore," Isa smiled. "Where did you want to go?"

Tatara thought briefly. "Do you like high places?"

"High places? Like?"

"Sightseeing on top of buildings."

Isa hesitated. "Are you sure we're allowed to go there? Isn't it trespassing or something?" She asked.

"It's abandoned."

Tatara started walking, stopping when he noticed Isa wasn't following. He looked back at her. She gave him an unsure look, a little uneasy too. Tatara smiled. It had amused him. He walked back and took her hand, gently pulling her towards him. He leaned forward and said in her ear, "I wouldn't do anything to harm you, nor myself."

They went up the large case of stairs to the top of the building. If it were just Tatara going himself, he wouldn't have even used the stairs to get to the top. It would take more time and effort after all. But since Isa was with him-a human-he had to take into consideration of all his actions and methods.

They stood at the roof, looking at the many buildings and streets that made the city of Ano. "It's beautiful," Isa said.

"Yeah."

"Do you come here often?"

"Usually, yes."

The wind breezed through gently. Isa looked out into the distance, in awe of how much she could see from the view. Maybe...I can see my old house from here.

"Tatara."

He glanced over at her.

"It always makes me feel so glad when you're always around...I feel like," she smiled, tears forming in her eyes, she felt weak. She didn't want him to see her like this.

Tatara slowly neared her. "I feel loved," she said, then paused.

"When I was young, I lost my parents… I felt so guilty because I was so angry at them earlier that morning, wishing they would die just for such a little, stupid thing…" Tears flowed down her cheeks. "A close friend of mine took me in as their family. Her and her father were so loving and kind… I'm so grateful for them, and...you."

Tatara cupped his hands on Isa's face, gently pulling her closer towards him. His eyelashes brushed her forehead and he looked at the woman that he knew he had feelings for. He swiped her tears with his fingers, and lifted her chin up so their eyes met. She smiled, the last tear falling down her cheek. With a slight laugh, she raised to her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning closer to his face, looking into his eyes. Nervousness filled Isa, she continued to look at Tatara's eyes, thinking doing so would pry open his emotions. Her grip clenched as she began to pull him lower. Isa couldn't stand it anymore. She felt his hand travel through her hair, and then a pressure when he pulled her closer so that only a inch of space between them. She gazed into his placid eyes, feeling his warmth radiating from his body and his breaths against her skin. With a jerk she pulled him forwards until their lips touched. A surge of heat and shock flowed through her body, then was laced through with a calming and relaxed sensation.

They stood and watched the sun slowly set.

"I'll take you home-actually this time," Tatara said.

Isa sighed playfully. "Well...if you insist and really want to take the subway home by yourself," she paused. "Where do you live?"

"In a condo not too far from here."

They headed down. Tatara started to feel the urge to say something about himself. Something more personal. For all the things that Isa had told him-even if it where just little things that didn't matter, he wanted to express himself at the least to the woman he started to develope feelings for. He tried to remember the last time he ever loved someone as much as Isa, but then the horrifying thoughts of the purpose of his whole relationship clouded his mind. To become...something that she could never go back to. To ruin her life for the sake of Aogiri's next step.

But I truly love her… He thought to himself.

No, he wasn't stupid. He knew that wasn't an excuse for what was to be done to her. His heart clenched and felt heavy. He wished that he gotten someone else that did the job from the beginning. His memories traveled back to when they first met at the cafe. When she had bumped into him, spilling matcha all over his clothes; when he had bumped into her again at the library.

Isa suddenly grabbed hold of Tatara's hand, locking her fingers with his. She blushed and looked away. The pain that Tatara felt melted away, and he squeezed her hand and walked on. He felt glad that he had met such a person, he didn't know what would have happened if another Aogiri member was in his place.

This would have never happened with someone else, since I am the only one that ever went to Arôme, he thought. He wanted to forget about everything, wished that she didn't have to be the one-wished that she wasn't human.

"Tatara," Isa said, making him snap out of his thoughts. "Is that a little girl?"

Tatara looked ahead where Isa was looking at.

"Seems so."

"What's a little girl doing out in the night alone?" Isa let out of his hand and rushed forwards. Tatara felt a little curious as to why she would even care. Maybe it was just a human thing to be concerned for one another. Ghouls were not very much like that. No ghoul felt the need to care of others that they did not know, they were mostly other beings that was an interference to their territory. Sometimes they were even the prey or predator.

Tatara caught up with Isa and heard her talking to the child.

"Do you know where you live?"

"No…" The little girl said with an innocent, scared voice. She was hugging herself, keeping herself closed offish, or she was just trying to stay warm. She looked at Isa and then at Tatara. "I saw my mommy walking over there," she pointed far head. "She told me to wait here, but she didn't come back yet…"

A human mother letting her child be alone in the night? How foolish, Tatara thought.

Isa bent down to level her height with the child's. "Hey, we'll help you find your mommy, don't worry," Isa said. "My name is Isa, and that man over there is Tatara," she gestured over to him. "What's your name?"

"M-Mika," the little girl looked over at Tatara, who, in return, gave her an emotionless look. She quickly snapped her head back to Isa and walked to her, seemingly wanting to be near her instead of him. He didn't care. To him, he'd wished that Isa didn't have to help this human child who lost her mother due to the mother's own foolishness. But he gave in shortly after.

The little girl began to direct Isa where her mother had went, trotting ahead. Isa looked back and gave Tatara a look. He narrowed his eyes and walked on after the girl.

"Slow down!" Isa was telling the kid, laughing a bit. The girl seemed overly excited to find her mother.

"This is weird," Tatara said to himself. Isa just smiled to herself and continued walking.

Mika stopped in her tracks, looking like she had just seen something.

"I think…" She paused, straining to see in the dark. "There she is!" The girl jumped and broke into a run, sprinting across the road.

"Wait! Mika! Don't run on the streets!" Isa yelled.

A light flashed passed the road. The next three seconds where just a blur and a mass of fear and shock for a normal human. But Tatara saw it all so clearly, and a terrifying sound ripped through the air. Isa screamed, her eyes widened in terror. The young girl was hit with a vehicle and flew, her lifeless body skidding across the concrete road. The car ended up sliding, smashing into a building. Something wasn't right anymore-Tatara knew. He sensed it-the smell: a ghoul.

"Isa!" He yelled, dashing ahead to grab her away-but then the realization that he could not reveal himself struck him and he stopped. He grabbed Isa's shoulders and briefly stopped her from dashing forwards towards the dead girl-or was she dead?

A flash of light as quick as lightning came flying towards Tatara and Isa. In that split second he decided he had no choice but to fight back. He had to get her unconscious.

Feeling refreshed and ready to continue the story! Recently came up with more juicy scenes to add on in the later chapters-and I'm trying to decide whether to write another fan-fiction of an OC and Eto. If I do, I'm going to try to mention her (OC) in this story before it ends.

Sorry for the long wait, more updates coming soon~

~janice