My head hurts today, so be thankful I'm posting. Looking at this screen does not make me happy. Nor does proof reading. I wouldn't post except that I didn't post yesterday when I had originally planned to. Aren't you guys glad I love you and my writing? My reason for the delay was because I was having a hard time getting the time to write, so I actually had to finish the chapter just today. I hope you enjoy it.

Without farther ado, Chapter 16.

My chopsticks balance precariously atop my soda bottle as I carry it with my bowl to the sink. Once I've successfully sat them down, I turn on the faucet and begin washing my bowl. While I'm at it, Mami tosses her own dishes in the bubbly water for me to clean. We've come to an unspoken agreement that I clean up after the meals, whether I make them, she makes them, or she orders them. Before I started doing this, she'd just let the dishes pile up until her cleaning lady came by.

"You still haven't called Yui," she notes, leaning against the granite counter.

"I didn't have the time," I lie. Truthfully, I just let it slip my mind again. She catches this immediately, though.

"You had plenty of time yesterday," she accuses, "lazing around. You only went out once in the morning."

I sigh, setting my bowl down to dry before moving onto hers. "I'll call her when I'm done with this, then." Who knows when I'll get the chance again? I have no say in when I'm called on. It wouldn't surprise me if Uta rang me up again today with yet another thing for me to attend, whether it be with him or on my own.

Ugh. Uta. Let's not think about him right now. If I think about him, I'll think about what I did to him that night.

"You'd better call," Mami threatens. "She's been moping around the school like a zombie for the past week! She really ruins the atmosphere of the classroom!"

"Like you liked that atmosphere to begin with," I tease.

Mami grins. "Seriously, though. When are you going to come back to school? People are saying you transferred."

I pause. Then, making a point to keep my eyes focused on my work, I state, "I have no plans on returning at all, at the moment."

Mami doesn't respond, but I can feel her eyes searching me. Finally, she claps me lightly on the shoulder and makes to leave the room. Under her breath, she grumbles, "What did you get yourself into, girl?"

I pretend I didn't hear, and she leaves without another word. I quickly finish the dishes and call Yui's number. It isn't even to the second ring when she picks up.

"KIYOKO!" I inch away from the deafening voice on the other end of the line, cringing. "THAT'S YOU, ISN'T IT?"

"You're going to make my ears bleed," I scold, gradually bringing the phone back to my ear. When she speaks again, her voice has gone so soft I can barely make out what she's saying.

"Sorry. Don't hang up."

"If I'd planned on hanging up right away, I wouldn't have called you." I prop my hip against the counter. "And I should be the one apologizing. I know I must have shocked you when I disappeared like that."

Her voice finally reaches a volume level of normality. "Yeah you did! Geez! You never responded to any of my calls! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"I have an eyewitness report saying you've been a zombie at school."

"Damn right I've been!" she huffs.

"Anyway, I just wanted to call and assure you that I'm fine. I have my reasons for ditching school, and I promise they're nothing petty." Well...I don't think they are, anyway. "But I can't contact you regularly, okay Yui? I've gotten myself mixed up in some things I don't want you to be a part of."

"I know!"

What? "You know?"

"Yeah! You've got some ghoul on your tail, don't ya?"

I straighten. "Yui, where did you hear this?"

"The first day you were missing, I got called into the office. There was this handsome ghoul investigator there who said that you were in danger and needed to come under protection, but they couldn't find you! He wanted to know if I knew where you were, but of course I didn't! Oh, but you should have seen the investigator! He probably wasn't all that much older than us, and he was hella good looking. I think his name was Urie, and-"

"Yui!" I cut her off. "You can't, under any circumstances, let him know I contacted you!"

"Huh? Why?"

"I….I can't say. Just trust me. It won't be good if he catches me!"

"But they only want to protect you," Yui argues. "Think about it! If that ghoul caught you, you'd be nothing more than that night's dinner! And think about how lucky you are to have such a hottie to protect you!"

"Yui." I rub my forehead, my brain hurting from thinking too hard. "Just. Please. I trust you, okay? Trust me."

"But…."

"Yui."

"...Fine. Not a word. But in exchange, can't you at least tell me where you are? Or how you became a ghoul's target in the first place?

"No, I can't."

"Why not?" I startle at her sudden rage. "You said you trust me, right!? Then confide in me!"

"You'll be in danger if I let you get close!"

"I don't care! I'm your friend! Let me help you! Or at least let me know what's going on!"

"This is why I didn't want to contact you!" She falls silent on the other end, and I know my words have hit her hard. I should have worded it differently, said it was a bad idea to call her instead of saying I didn't want to, but it's too late to take back what's been said. "Yui...I trust you enough that I did call you, even if it took me this long, so you can't tell, okay? I just couldn't leave you hanging like you were. You are my friend, and I can't do something like leave a friend wandering around half dead. So please, cheer up a little. There are people besides me, too, who don't like seeing you so depressed. Can't you please just take it easy knowing I'm safe?"

When she doesn't respond immediately, I begin to chew my lip nervously. Finally she snaps, "I'm not happy about it."

I release my breath. "Thank you! I can't make any promises, and I can't specify any time, but I'll call you again in the future. Be good and wait for that, alright?"

"I'm not a dog at your beck and call."

"I never said you were."

"Fine. I'll be good and wag my tail for you, so I'd better get that call sometime soon."

"I'll call you later, then," I conclude.

"I'm not about to end this phone call after all this time, you know?" she pouts.

"Good-bye, Yui." I end the call, putting the phone face down on the counter and heaving a huge sigh. I feel like I've been sighing a lot lately.

"She sure chewed you out good, from the looks of things."

I glance up to find Mami leaning casually against the doorway to the kitchen, her arms crossed. From there, she stares me down with an all-knowing look in her eye. I run my fingers through my hair and collect my bearings.

"She needs to become a cop when she's older. I can already see her grilling suspects in the interrogation rooms."

"That'd suit her," Mami nods, grinning a lopsided grin. "What happened over the phone, though? Who's the dude trying to catch you you mentioned?"

I click my tongue. This delinquent must've eavesdropped on the entire conversation. "Nobody good," I wave off.

"You'd be in bad shape if he found ya, huh?" she deduces. When I nod, she asks, "Is that why you dyed your hair?"

"Pretty much."

"Annnnd what about the guy who dropped you off here the night of the party?"

"He's-" I pause. "Wait, how'd you know about that?"

Suddenly that asymmetrical smile of hers looks mischevious. "A certain employee saw you and it came up while we were talking yesterday. So it was a boy you were with!"

"N-no, it-"

"Yes it was. You said 'he' just now."

I cringe. "That was a slip of the tongue."

"Yeah, uhuh. You liar. You don't have to tell me if he's involved in whatever you've got going on, but tell me about him! You two got a little something going on between you?"

I shove away the memory of the kiss. "No."

She snaps her fingers, startling me. "Aha! You're averting your eyes! What are you hiding?"

"Mami!"

"Stop whining and spill it already! The lady I was talking with said he was driving a real sleek, black, foreign car. Even if it wasn't a supercar, she said it had to of been expensive! Have you gotten yourself a sugar daddy or something?"

I flush. "Of course not!" I mean, yeah, I'd noticed that his car was nice, but that had been pretty much the farthest thing on my mind that night!

"Then correct me! Who is he to you?"

"Um, well," I fumble, not really sure how to explain it. How was it I referred to him when I was talking to my mom? Benefactor? But doesn't that reveal that he's involved in what I'm getting myself into? "See, he….um...he's not that. He's just a close acquaintance of mine I met after the party. He offered me a ride home when he noticed me feet were injured."

Mami snickers. Sirens go off in my head at the sound, warning that I must have said something wrong. "He's important enough for you to meet him after the party?"

"T-That was just coincidence!"

"And he noticed your feet? Like you'd fess up to having hurt yourself to someone you weren't close to! And if you didn't tell him yourself, he must've been paying really close attention, because the way you walked these past few days, no one would've been able to tell you were in pain unless they were studying you head to toe."

Damn it! Why is she so observant? I can't very well tell her he smelled the blood!

"So?" she pushes. "Who is he?"

"He's...uh…."

Ding, dong.

Relief flooding through me, I suggest, "W-We should get the door."

She continues to stand where she is, expression suspicious, until I pass her to reach the front door. Both her earlier questioning and the continuous periodic ringing of the doorbell encourage me to welcome the distraction as quickly as possible. As I twist the knob, Mami asks, "Who is it?"

"Did you not order room service?"

"Idiot, we just ate! Why would I order room service?"

As she finishes speaking, I finish opening the door and freeze. A vaguely familiar, dark haired subordinate with two moles under his left eye stands situated in the hall, his hand lifted with identification as if I didn't already know who he is.

"Kiyoko Himura," he begins, shocking me from my stupor. Able to now move, my body begins to shake. I reflexively step back away from him, but I know there's nowhere to run. Damn it! Hanako always used to be the one to get me out if I was ever cornered! What am I supposed to do on my own? "I am ghoul investigator Urie Kuki. You'll have to come with me for questioning under suspicion of aiding a ghoul."

Well would you look who it is. Welcome back to the story, Urie! I'm sure Kiyoko is absolutely delighted to see you again. I figured it was due time for his reappearance. While we're on the topic, I wonder about the other investigators from the quinx squad. I wonder if we'll ever see them. Meh. Who knows. It depends on whether or not there's a spot for them. Honestly, though, Urie's probably my favorite from the quinx squad, other than obviously Haise. I just can't say I've taken a liking to any of the girls, although they aren't bad characters. The ukaku user I like, but he isn't developed as much as the other characters I feel. For an obvious reason. I have to wonder how much longer :RE is going to continue. I imagine it has to be close to the end, by now. I'm seriously anticipating the grand finale of the series!

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!