Chapter 2: The Future Mrs. Kaneki.
Songs:
Pumped Up Kicks
Some Nights
99 Luftballons
Fate is a cruel mistress.
That is an unrelenting truth all psychological-horror authors milk to the bone when they envision their characters.
Take Sen Takatsuki, the reigning queen of making fate ruin the lives of countless of people- in fiction.
The revered young writer just loves making her characters suffer with every page, using such miniscule details and fateful encounters to develop a narrative so cruel that it makes readers suffer just as much the characters that very universe itself wants to break in her works
As though she wanted all her characters to suffer in the most artful way possible, Sen blurs the line between reality and fiction in such a way that makes it feel her works could and would happen, which makes her readers wish they never happen in real life; a rare class of fiction that should remain in fiction for the sake of people's mental health.
But like all great works, none of it is original. For the whole world is satire; all she's doing is recording fate in her bitchiest.
And fate was at her bitchiest four years ago, when Ken Kaneki walked home from school one night, it was just after first day at a new school, the second time he's been the new kid this school year. On his back was a guitar case carrying a much more physical instrument.
His loner image was more than established, always the new kid, never a friend. Kaneki gazed one last look at the building he'd already grown attached to, something about it very appealing to the bookworm.
But his work was too important for his personal feelings, so he killed that desire as he walked further away from the school of his dreams.
Like it or not, ghouls come in all ages. And some teenaged ghouls go to school, and being the only investigator old enough to pass as a high school student meant Kaneki had to be the first line of defense against ghouls for every high school in Tokyo.
And there are allot of high schools.
It was fitting this is how he'd spend the best years of his life, just like his dad.
It was said when he was still in high school student, Kishou Arima killed a ghoul while in the middle of class with nothing more than a well-sharpened pencil.
Was that possible?
No.
Did Kaneki believe it?
Yes.
Waiting at a stop light he ponders on what to report back to his boss Marude.
There weren't any tangible signs of ghouls in this school. The report could just be some prank made by an idiot hoping class would be cancelled.
Just great, his entire student life once again reset because someone didn't want to take a test.
Kaneki pulls out his music player, the songs he liked weren't your standard Japanese teen's type of music about idols or pre-packed pop, and they weren't some high-end genius' Classical Music Playlist consisting of Beethoven or Bach either.
Kaneki found foreign songs more enticing, reading while listening to music often lead to failing to do one or the other if they were the same language as lyrics are often processed instead of the text or vice-versa. By listening to a song you don't understand, you can still listen to something while reading a page-turner.
Pumped Up Kicks blares in his headphones at an unhealthy volume, he didn't get much of what the lyrics meant, but he enjoyed the catchy baseline, and the really high-pitched chorus, and most of all the melody just makes you want to walk with a spring in your step.
There was another reason why Kaneki needed to play music when he felt the need to relax; his hearing was simply too well-trained, Arima taught him to value his hearing more than his sight when exterminating ghouls, meaning his hearing has been dialed up, making everyday life sounding much more detailed, bombarding Kaneki with sensory information:
People's mindless chatter sound like next-door shouting competitions; noticeable and uncomfortable to listen to.
Trains sound like constant battle of metal.
Simply sitting close to a person typing on an old keyboard sounded like a giant insect's creeping noises to Kaneki's heightened hearing.
The heavy music simply dulled it back, letting Kaneki manage the input from his ears and read his books in peace.
Before long Kaneki was humming to the song, ignoring everyone on the sidewalk giving him weird glances.
Waiting at the stop sign, the song ends and Kaneki still hadn't had his fill yet of the song a repeats it.
"That song is about a school shooting you know." A girl says to him. How he could hear her through the music he'll never know.
"W…What?" he said in what could be his best impression of a baby dear.
Present Day.
Kaneki's phone plays Pumped Up Kicks, his earphones resonating that last note as Kaneki comes bac to the reality of his profession, arriving at the entrance of the 20th Ward's Branch Office just in time for the song to end. A sign of good luck for most music lovers.
After a few years, Kaneki's overly sensitive ears annoyed him less and less, enough that he could perform the most boring part of his job without the need for an awesome guitar rift blocking the annoying scratching noise a pen makes when on paper.
Allowing him to perform the most underrated task of his career path; paper work. And as boring as it may sound, Kaneki was surprisingly good at it, one of the few non-violent skills he could boast to his civilian friends…if he had any.
In the day time, there isn't much difference between a ghoul investigator of any rank and an average Japanese salaryman and the CCG looked just like any other private corporation or government office, it's employees, though armed firearms, still wore formal office attire.
Kaneki himself wore a tailored charcoal-grey suit that he hoped made him look older, compared to his fellow investigators who predominantly wore navy or blue suits to appear younger.
Another parallel salary men and investigators have is they both worked in tiny, soul-crushing, cubicles that a majority of the CCG's employee's- namely the Bureau Investigators.
Kaneki was standing beside his chair, piles of paper work just asking for him to slam them on the table, practically begging him to do them for hours non-stop. He'd finish them all. All he needed was the day to finally start. The work day didn't officially begin yet, he and his co-workers were still waiting for the boss to arrive to start the briefing for today's agenda.
To satiate himself, Kaneki buries his attention to a pocket book he bought for some light reading, a thin little thing that was comedic in its attempts to appeal to the target audience of Ghoul Investigator fanatics.
The light novel was about a ghoul investigator, only in name at least, as this was one of the most inaccurate interpretations of the job. It was comedic to an actual investigator like Kaneki, and infuriating in some parts. Like how ghouls are represented as Hollywood zombies. And Ghoul Investigators nothing more than over-exaggerated black trench coat wearing vampire hunters with an endless amount of one liners.
"Who wrote this?" he asked, shaking his head at the depiction of the climactic fight scene involving a city skyscraper collapsing from a ghoul and an investigator punching each other to death Dragon Ball Z style.
Right as the digital clock on the wall hit exactly 8:00, Brach Director Kamemochi arrives, an ordinary employee by CCG standards who's expected to retire in the coming year. The old man walked with a more precise gape than usual, the uncomfortable kind when wanting to impress.
Kaneki would soon figure out why.
"Before we begin, I'd like first to introduce someone; our newest member. Please come in."
The door opens and a single yet distinctive clink of a heeled shoe makes Kaneki dart his eyes from his book.
At that moment a young woman walks through the door, an air of diligence about her, she wore a neutral expression where a smile would look better, her paleness made Kaneki stare at her longer than he'd care to admit, the way her skin contrasted so well with her dark business suit, how her hair was just as fair and youthful at the same time practical was an enigma in itself, and her purple eyes, a contrast to the color of life as they made it look as though she even had control over her genetics to suit her theme.
"This is Second Class, Akira Mado. From today on she will be assigned to this ward's branch."
"It's nice to meet you all. I will be joining the investigation as the subordinate of First-Class Investigator Ken Kaneki."
At the end of her sentence, all of Kaneki's curiosity became annoyance.
Kaneki's sour attitude ruined the paper work for him, it became rushed and half-hearted, evident in his sloppy handwriting and lack of the usual finesse in vocabulary he preserved only for the written aspects of the job. He wanted to get this done fast so he could have a word with his superior.
"I don't want a partner." Kaneki made clear, he didn't just get promoted to a senior investigator just to be partnered to a junior investigator.
Besides, he already has a partner, and he's got Kaneki's back- covered most of it, even. Technically, he has three partners if you include his handguns.
"But you're still getting one anyway." All of Kaneki's bosses never liked him to begin with, so Kaneki should've expected this harshness from Kamemochi. "In light of your recent promotion, it is only fitting you should have firsthand experience leading a subordinate." There was logic in his words. Whether he agreed to the new system or not, as a Senior Investigator, Kaneki would one day have to lead an entire squad during an operation, it was expected of him, and having a single subordinate to look after would give him just enough to get his feet wet. The problem was that Kaneki thought he'd have at least a year before getting a partner again. Bowing his head to his boss's order, Kaneki leaves the office, also leaving with a question he already knew the answer to.
"This was Special Class Arima's idea, to have her as my partner wasn't it?"
Kaneki took the silence as a yes.
As far as Kaneki knows, there have been three new young additions to the CCG's ranks, the test subjects included a barely legal serial killer man-child named Juuzo who decided to use his homicidal tendencies for good instead of evil, an orphan boy by the name of Kuki Urie, a mere child obsessed with revenge and was rushed into training, now currently assigned to some hard-ass in Division II, and lastly, arguably the sanest of the batch of new Child of Deaths in the making; Akira Mado.
Who just so happened was standing right outside the door listening in to Kaneki's conversation.
"How much of that did you hear?" Kaneki asked his patiently waiting partner, her expressionless face made even a mask envy of how well it hid her emotions.
Not liking the way this was starting, Kaneki sighs, deliberately showing his tiredness, and lightening the mood by showing her that he wasn't the indestructible second-coming of Arima.
Offering his hand to create a better first meeting, Akira accepts it. Starting over.
"Ken Kaneki. Investigator First-Class, 19 years old, My hobbies are reading, and killing ghouls, I hope we can get along well." The way he said it sounded more like how a high school boy would greet a new transfer student instead of a new work subordinate.
Apparently there was a reason to that.
A look of surprise flashes in her eyes, followed by a creepy cheerfulness as she says "We're the same age, then."
'Sure we are' Kaneki thinks sardonically, they could have been classmates in high school. Hell, if the world wasn't so messed up they'd both be attending university as freshmen, they'd probably have classes together. He'd be taking literature like a good little bookworm and she'd be the ice-queen taking law or something that ends with working behind a desk and wearing a suit.
They'd probably never meet, but who knows, they might actually been friends if life let them in the fantasy world where ghouls don't threaten humanity.
It's funny how crapsack the world is.
"Akira Mado. Good to meet you."
Kaneki only shudders a little with the last name, he always knew Mado had a daughter, the few times he talked about her Kaneki could only assume that she was still in middle school, guess Mado was actually still treating her as though she was still a child. That would make an embarrassing story later, Kaneki was sure of it.
Aside from the name and hair though, the investigator in Kaneki still wasn't entirely convinced she was the Mad-Eye's daughter.
"I hope we get to kill as many ghouls as possible." She smiles cheerfully, thinking of one in particular dead and its murderous organs stuffed in an attaché case.
Cancel the paternity test, Kaneki was now convinced.
"I'll be in your care for now on~." The way she put it made the young senior investigator's mind go haywire at the implications and suggestions she deliberately added. Somehow Kaneki knew this was not going to end well for the both of them.
Sadly, that prediction wasn't wrong.
At 11:50, it was lunch for Kaneki and the other investigators not currently assigned to an assignment. Immediately at the sound of his peers stretching out from their desks, Kaneki stretched as well, the desk lag getting to him as well.
As usual, his co-workers were headed off to lunch together, as most company employees often do. Kaneki stood and straightened his coat, reaching up to loosen his tie. In that exact moment, the aforementioned group of colleagues pass by his cubicle on their way to the exit, and one of them stops in their tracks, the others following suit.
"Ah, Kaneki-san!" a man whose name Kaneki remembers to be Shirogane chimes in. The others behind him echo in greeting, though a little more reserved. Kaneki only nods, a little uncomfortable at the sudden, long and close range bombardment of social interaction.
Shirogane seemed unfazed. "Well me and the others were just about to head out for lunch."
Given the sudden invitation, Kaneki paused, mouth opening but his voice not coming through.
The men before him visibly tensed. One of them proceeded to tap Shirogane's shoulder with a lowly muttered "Shirogane-san…"
Shirogane only turned and shrugged, not quite expecting Kaneki's reaction.
Or the apparent lack thereof.
Silence meant a lot of things. Most of the time it was a sign of respect when you put in an effort to not be too loud in public places. Other times it was a sign of visible comfort. But if it were coming from the heir apparent of the world's strongest investigator, the imagination can't help but move a little…all over the place.
To the investigators before him, Kaneki's silence could only mean three things.
First was that he wasn't really the social type, which was understandable considering their profession, and that he was using the silence to contemplate an excuse to not join or the nicest form of rejection he can muster.
Second was that it was out of arrogance because he was First Class Investigator Kaneki Ken, the Child of Death, ghoul slayer of the highest caliber, and that meant he was too good to eat with them. None of them would admit out loud that they agree.
And lastly, the silence was just byproduct of Arima's upbringing and his godliness through and through. Which also made him too good to eat with them.
Meanwhile, Kaneki was only thinking about the best way to accept the invitation, and maybe, just maybe he could invite them all to his favorite café, the cozy one nestled just in the 20th which had the best coffee. Already, Kaneki had fantasies of making the old coffee shop their own usual spot, for all their lunches.
But sadly Shirogane-san and the others would never know that. Sighing at the self-inflicted rejection, Shirogane just smiles. "Maybe some other time then, Kaneki-san." And just like that he leaves, the others trailing behind him.
Kaneki stops in his train of thought and watches them leave. A hint of regret somewhere in him only to have the thirst for a good cup of coffee overpowering that already accustomed negative emotion.
Many in the CCG wondered why such a promising investigator like Kaneki would be assigned to a pretty peaceful ward like the 20th ward. Some believed it was due to a covert operation by the Heads of the CCG and the Washuu family.
Others found it nothing more than ammunition to use against Kaneki and by extension Arima.
A small percentage believed that, deep down, the First-Class was just doing as he pleased. They were right.
Kaneki just did it because he wanted to.
After graduating high school with a collection of school uniforms from every school in Tokyo, Kaneki was relieved of the undercover duty and for his service he was given the choice to choose to be assigned to any assignment he wanted.
Many had bet that he'd jump straight into Arima's 0- Squad, to officially join Arima and be the CCG's ultimate two-man team. No matter what any may say, beyond the rumors and urban legends, the CCG knew that Special Class Arima was still just a man, and men die. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but he was as mortal as the rest of the investigators. Having Kaneki could, in simple terms be insurance. If Arima were to die in battle, or by other means, Kaneki would still be there to fill in the enormous void left.
It was a morbid thought but it was a possibility that had to be addressed one day and hopefully, Kaneki was the solution to that eventuality.
A few, Arima included, expected that Kaneki would make his own squad, one that would rival even Arima's own in terms of eliminating ghouls. Just the thought of the Second Arima making a squad of his own made more than just a handful of the CCG excited. Having one elite ghoul extermination unit is good, two is even better. A few junior officers even aspired to be a member of the conceptualized squad, thinking it as an exciting milestone in their careers, already imagining the future under Kaneki's command.
No one knew which would have been the better option. The office politicians in the CCG held their breaths in anticipation of what the Heir Apparent to the tittle of World's Strongest Investigator. As a promising figure like Kaneki Ken's decision would no doubt make a lasting effect to the CCG.
It was only First-Class Investigator Kureo Mado that predicted the boy's course of action. No one believed him, even his partner was skeptical but it all went as he expected.
Kaneki Ken assigned himself to the 20th ward.
The CCG equivalent of assigning himself to a tropical island resort.
A decision that made more than a few people unhappy, even if he could choose any assignment he wanted, Kaneki is a Ghoul Investigator and not a Bureau Investigator, that meant he should be assigned to the Main Office and ready to be deployed at a moment notice, not taking it easy at a docile ward like the 20th.
The promotion to Senior Investigator should have motivated him further, and not wallow away at the safest ward in Tokyo.
But he had his reasons, A ward like the 20th was, by Kaneki admission, had everything an investigator need to survive.
One of those being, the nectar of the gods: coffee. Because other than being a safe ward, the 20th had one thing it had going for it that no other ward had.
Anteiku
Kaneki entered the little run-down coffee shop, the jingle of the door's chime quietly ringing to signal his patronage. He relaxes at the sound, taking in the atmosphere with a small smile on his lips.
The invigorating smell of coffee enters Kaneki's nose and just like that his sleeplessness fades from bearable to unnoticeable. There's light chatter coming from the few people who were at the tables, but it was a quiet, comforting sort of ambiance compared to the hushed whispers inside the many shops near the CCG buildings. He immediately feels at home, for some reason, shoulders feeling lighter despite the weight of the guitar case digging into them. The hard leather case seemed innocent enough, a perfect place to hide a quinque in plain sight.
Kaneki shifts to lift the said case off his back, opting to carry it by the handles on his way in, before taking a step forward.
Like always he gets a polite greeting from the staff, this time it was the elderly manager.
"Welcome to Anteiku."
The sweet old manager gets a smile from Kaneki as a reply, and then heads for his usual table just next to the window.
He moves to the chair across his usual seat to set his case as gently as he can against the wall. The result is a clatter loud enough to startle the people around him from their quiet conversations and give him looks. Kaneki only raised a hand in apology with a shy, easy-going smile, and just like that everyone goes back to their business.
From there he makes his way towards his usual chair, removing his white coat to rest on the back of it and loosening his tie a little more before finally settling on the wooden seat, already worn down and slightly molded to the shape of his bottom and thighs.
He lets out a quiet but contented sigh. There definitely was an ulterior reason why Kaneki chose this seat, though he could never exactly pinpoint what it was.
Maybe it had something to with it being in its own secluded corner in the shop, away from all the other regulars and just the right amount of quiet ambiance? The short distance between it and the counter, ensuring that he always got his order hot and fresh? The beautiful view of the busy street outside for his guilty pleasure of people watching?
He internally let out a scoff. Who was he even kidding?
Kaneki knew for a fact that it had nothing to do with the quiet or the fresh coffee or the view and just about everything to do with the waitress who's assigned to wait that table every time he went there.
As if on cue she's walking toward him now, mini notepad and pen out and ready as soon as he sat himself down.
The waitress/ junior barista of the old coffee shop, Touka, as her name tag proudly said. She moved gracefully, navigating through the tables and chairs on his way to him with masterful movements, each step as precise and coordinated as even the best investigator. Not that, Kaneki was staring at her movements, of course not, no, that would be creepy.
Many say that a stripper or any female in the business of selling flesh would be what all men would want to see and keep for themselves.
Clearly, they've never been to a café with a cute barista behind the counter.
There was just something about how they'd greet you kindly and engage you in small talk, the way they move in in meticulous fashion, and another feature that makes them appealing is the uniforms they were, outfits which are often overshadowed by much more common fetishes like maids, and schoolgirl outfits. But added an apron to that uniform and then they're practically wife-bait to any man of marrying age.
Because as the saying goes, the way to man's heart in through his stomach, and nothing goes straight to the stomach faster than coffee.
And there she goes, flashing him a smile.
"Welcome back. The usual?"
And there goes his higher brain function as well. Kaneki bit his tongue, sure he was going to stutter. "Hello, Touka-chan." He managed a nod. "And yes please."
Smoother than the ice in the middle of the arctic. Nice.
Touka-chan nods back, smile still perfectly in place. "Alright coming right up." She said as she tucked the pen and pad back into her apron pocket without even bothering to jot down his order. She looks back up at him. "I'll be right back." She said with a small bow and before Kaneki knew it she had already set off to the bar.
And like the fool he is, he stares after her as she proceeds to prepare his order.
The usual was just a tall sized Americano with cream and a roast beef sandwich. Kaneki wasn't necessarily picky over his coffee preferences per se. Coffee was coffee, and as long as it had enough caffeine to get him through the day it should be good enough. The same applied with food. The only reason why he chose that order specifically (and not to mention quite frequently) was because it took the shortest time to prepare, and as result would have her back at his table the soonest.
In short, Kaneki had it really, really bad.
He doesn't really know that much about Touka save for the fact that she was still in high school and that she only did shifts during the weekends. Also the fact that she was cute but he was sure that everyone knew that.
It had taken less than a month for them to fall into routine, that was certain as well. He'd walk in, take his usual seat. She'd follow up at his table as soon as she was done at the counter or with another customer. They'd have small talk before she'd go back to the counter and make his order and he'd pull out a book as she makes his way back to him.
That part of the routine is currently in progress, his copy of Black Goat's Egg opened to the recent page and Touka carrying the tray with his order towards him. She set down the tray on his table as soon as she arrived, and proceeded to put his plate and mug on the wood. "Here you go," she said before standing back upright to give another short bow and head back to the bar.
From here Kaneki would nod back, then start reading.
For him, reading was pretending to follow the lines of the pages with his eyes when they were actually focused on the barista just a few feet away and using the book in front of him as a scapegoat to boldly watch Touka as she moved around the café.
Yes. He has it really, really bad.
Whichever the case, he'd keep reading and finish his lunch with his other hand for the remainder of his lunchbreak, swallowing bites of roast beef and taking sips of coffee as he tries not to smile like a creep as he just watches her like the infatuated one he was.
Yes, a grown-ass man like him was head over heels for this beautiful high schooler who works part-time at his favorite café.
Infatuation aside, to an avid reader, Kaneki can just see the cliché plot lines that's happening in the work of fiction that was his life. The rom-com gods sure do love the saying "If it's not broken, don't fix it." As he was walking in all the right routes for a cheesy, coffee-shop romance, Customer x Waitress story. And from in his dangerous line of work, a tragedy tag could fit in nicely in the mix.
Kaneki could already smell the writers and producers running at him and wanting to adopt his sad, maybe illegal, excuse of a love story into a movie.
It's not so bad. Kaneki thought. At least I'm not a huge idiot and propose to her right off the bat. He laughs at his own joke. Cause seriously who's brave enough to pull that stunt off?
Besides, whatever Kaneki was feeling, he'd felt it before. Seven times in fact. He knew how easy it is to fall for a pretty girl, and how just as easy it is to fall out of a girl. Every feeling of affection he's ever had on a girl just, one day vanished. Faded back to the reality of the life of a Ghoul Investigator.
Around half past twelve the sandwich would be finished and his drink would be almost empty, leaving him with no other excuse to keep staying at Anteiku. So around this time Kaneki would hastily finish the last few sips, gather his things and ask for a glass of water at the bar before leaving the café premises.
And of course, he can't leave without waving a pretty girl goodbye first.
He set the glass down back on the bar and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, flashing a smile at the barista before him as she wiped the countertop. "I'll be off now." He said, mustering the most natural looking smile he could. Touka looks up and gives him a bow with a smile of her own.
"I'll see you next time, then. Thank you for your patronage." The words despite being common etiquette for any waitress, still sent a pleasant tingle up his spine anyways. A tingle, Kaneki knew won't always be there. Even so, he managed a wave, adjusted the guitar strap over his shoulder, and headed out.
Yoshimura-san was at the door, and opening it in anticipation for him, to which Kaneki nodded gratefully to. Hope to see you again, Kaneki-kun." The older man would say every day without a fail. Kaneki would manage a nod before actually stepping out the door, and would silently continue his pace towards the CCG building and back to his shift, paying no mind to Tokyo's crowded streets and the people that brushed by him along the way.
At least, that's how it was on any other day.
But today? Today felt a little different.
As soon as he stepped out on the street, he felt a chill crawl and twist its way up his spine and make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge as he walked past someone near the entrance. Investigator senses kicking in, he spun to the source, instinctively reaching for the case behind his back.
The only thing he saw was blur purple before it disappeared into the crowd.
Kaneki kept staring off at the distance before lowering his hand and continuing his way. Questions going through his mind, most of them about his sleep schedule probably causing his sudden feeling.
Unless he's suddenly become clairvoyant, Kaneki dreaded going back to the office now. Because if he did suddenly get a future seeking ability, there is something bad waiting for him when he gets back to the Branch Office, because right now, Kaneki had a very bad feeling about this.
Waiting at the traffic light, a car with a government issue spy black paint job breaks in front of him. Kaneki was sure he had read this in a spy thriller before.
What happens next would be a pretty girl on the wheel telling him to get in. The government had a mission for him or something, and the girl was a honey pot to take him to the mission briefing, probably with some flirting on the way.
Imagination running a few scripts too wild, Kaneki barely registered that the back seats widow had rolled down, and the face of his new partner came in to view.
She's going to tell me to get in…3…2…1
"First Class Kaneki, the director said he wants the both of us to get in the vehicle, it appears we have our first mission."
He wasn't exactly spot on, but it was kind right. "Where to? Or is it an "I'll tell you on the way" kind of thing?"
It was strange, not every case needed got a car ride. That only meant a restricted area that can only be accessed by CCG personal that was very far away from public transportation. Kaneki had a few guesses, one being the most obvious.
With patient expression on, Akira replies "I'll tell you on the way."
Kaneki gets in. Adding only one thing as the car began to drive to their destination.
"You know we're going to take you on a field test, right?"
"Field test, sir?"
He begins to elaborate "We put you in a situation where you either live or die. Probably in a ghoul gang's lair" He says in the most casual manner. Already in a comfortable position he plays a song befitting a car ride "No big deal."
And Some Nights plays away, and Kaneki begins to hum along, all while Akira stares at him, not knowing exactly what to say and becoming unable to as he engrosses himself in the song.
Unable to control himself from signing alone, a line of lyrics escapes Kaneki's lips "Whoa oh oh… What do I stand for? Most nights I don't know anymore..."
He really doesn't.
Not anymore.
Four Years Ago
"Pumped up Kicks by Foster the People." She said in enticing air of intellect and cultured taste. "It's about a tortured outcast murdering people with his father's revolver."
"Oh, I-I had no idea…"
"Don't worry…" she comes close to his ear. "I want to kill people too."
"And kid's that's how I met your…"
HIMY theme plays.
Pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa…pa pa, da da da da, da da da da da…
End of Chapter.
AN: I'll be honest this was just a plot bunny that let me write nothing but fight scenes, and I mostly just ignored it and kept writing other scenes to a bare minimum. But I realized that I wasn't being fair to the people who wanted more of this story, so I'll update as much as I can. Also my humor can be a bit skewed at times, hence the sudden How I met Your Mother joke you see above. It's up to your interpretation.
Also, every single candidate for Kaneki's wife has been shown or at least briefly mentioned.
Also Kaneki has a few Psychological and Social Issues and just a bit of a Teenage Rebellious Phase going for him. So expect some OOC. But don't worry, I'll mess him up to become the character you know and feel sorry for...hopefully.