"Sasaki Haise…" Touka mumbled to herself, her violet eyes continuing to scan over her English book. "Sasaki…Haise…"
She then paused, a small frown tugging at her expression.
Where has she heard that name before…?
"Boo!" a voice chirped softly as gentle hands grabbed her shoulder.
Touka sighed but flashed her fellow roommate a small smile.
"How was the homework?" Yoriko hummed, pulling out a chair and plopping herself down.
"While you were gone…" she trailed off, her pen once again finding itself tapping the glazed surface of the mahogany table. "Actually, do you know anyone named Sasaki Haise?"
Blinking at the odd question, Yoriko slightly tilted her head to the right before giving her friend a teasing smile.
"Oh?" she giggled, hazel eyes holding a sly gleam as she rested her chin on the knuckles of her right hand. "Is Touka interested in another man? That's rare! Tell me everything!"
"No, Yoriko! That's not it!" the other snapped, irritation obviously visible on her features. "I'm just asking if you know him!"
Still holding onto the smile that Touka had the urge to slap off, Yoriko tried her best to calm her friend with a quick wave of her hand.
"Sorry, sorry." She grinned, squinting against the sharp ray of sun that was streaming through the windows. "I haven't heard of him actually. What does he look like?"
"Um…black hair? With glasses? He seemed kind of like a nerd."
"That's mean, Touka."
"I'm just saying what I think."
Humming an odd tune under her breath, Yoriko glanced at the book that was used as a support for Touka's arm.
"Well, I haven't heard of him…maybe when I see him I'll know." She said lightly. "Why? It's rare to see you so…curious about someone."
Narrowing her eyes, Touka said nothing before leaning back in her chair with an exhausted sigh.
"I felt like I heard that name somewhere that's all."
Still, Yoriko didn't lose the look of suspicion and the gentle hint of amusement that glimmered in her eyes.
However out of respect for Touka's annoyed expression, she didn't question her any further. Instead, she reached over and softly tapped the old English book.
"So? How was it? Did you get it?"
Shifting herself to a more comfortable position, Touka averted her eyes away from her friend before letting another sigh escape her lips.
"Yeah…" she paused, hesitation lacing her words. "Someone…helped me…I guess."
An exaggerated gasp immediately came from the other girl as her eyes widened in a dramatic manner.
"Touka Kirishima asked for help?" she whispered, the small smile still clinging onto the corners of her lips. "Impossible! That is unheard of!"
"You're really asking for it aren't you?"
Yoriko giggled in response before shaking her head, her light hazel locks swaying with each motion.
"I'm just teasing-"
"Sasaki Haise helped me."
The eerie pressure of silence seemed to be filling up the girl's lungs as she stared at her roommate with slightly parted lips.
Yoriko blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering as she tried to comprehend the words Touka had just uttered.
"O-Oh…" she said, uncertainly.
She then paused, searching her friend's face for any hint of irritation. However, the only thing she could pick up was the mixture of anger and mild, very mild, admiration.
"He's an annoying bastard who's actually really smart. Damn that glasses wearing nerd…" she trailed off before flashing her friend a cold glare. "Don't give me that look."
"What look?" Yoriko asked with the full knowledge of her expression.
"That one!" the other snapped with a fierce scowl. "Honestly, Yoriko, give me a break."
An apologetic smile graced the young girl's face as she watched Touka mumble another round of incoherent curse words under her breath.
"So, what did he help you with?"
"Character analysis…" she said with a frown, unconsciously biting her lip in frustration. "He was really good at it and he's going to tutor me from now on."
Yoriko nodded, holding back the urge to add in another teasing comment.
Then, a random thought dawned upon her, her eyes traveling towards the huge plastic clock hung up on the library wall.
"Touka, it's six." She said.
"Yeah? So?"
Another moment of silence danced through the autumn air until Yoriko finally offered an awkward smile along with a gentle look of concern.
"You have work."
Instantly, books toppled off of the table as a chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor. Pens were scattered across the ground and the loud snap of multiple textbooks being closed shut echoed throughout the quiet room.
"Shit!" Touka hissed, grabbing her coat and bag. "I'm late!"
An exhausted sigh of relief escaped from Touka's lips as she plopped herself down onto a spare chair near the counter.
She had barely managed to change into her bartender uniform, get into her car, jam her keys into the engine, and speed down the streets as fast as the law would allow.
Perhaps, due to luck or maybe due to the power of sheer desperation, she had arrived at Anteiku right on time.
Running her fingers through her hair, Touka closed her eyes as a sense of weariness drifted itself onto her.
Then with another sigh, she raised her arm and placed the outward surface of her hand onto her forehead. Work should be her main priority, but the gentle clinks of glass and the soft whispers that seemed to be fading in and out was making it extremely difficult for her to stay conscious.
She was tired and wanted nothing more than the warmth of her bed and the coolness of her pillow.
Then, carefully and almost calmly, the silent creak of a wooden door tugged at Touka's ears, signaling the entrance of another costumer.
Forcing herself to open her eyes, Touka got up from her chair with a light scowl.
Her eyes flickered towards the door, expecting Tsukiyama to come strolling in with a brilliant smile along with another murder story to share.
But instead,
There was someone else.
A sharp piercing color of pure white sliced through the air causing Touka's eyes to widen in surprise.
A young man dressed in rather formal clothing entered the bar with a look of indifference. His gray eyes traveled around before resting them on Touka. His hair was the extreme color of white – almost like snow, contrasting with the black jacket that hung onto his shoulders. He had a crisp red tie that went incredibly well with his gray waistcoat along with trousers that was also dyed with the rich color of black.
Besides the white hair, there was another odd feature that Touka couldn't help but notice.
An eyepatch with the design of a white centipede grazing its surface.
A centipede…
Why would he have a-
Oh.
She paused, her violet eyes lowering themselves from the young man.
This was quite interesting.
She held her breath as she noticed the new costumer quietly take a step forward, his black coat fluttering behind him with each step.
And as he walked, the whispers became quieter and quieter until not even a single one could be heard.
And as he approached the bartender, the gentle clinks of glass gradually ceased its music.
And then, he stopped, an aroma of something similar to gun powder floating around him. He stopped right in front of the counter, the deadly sound of silence taking over the air.
Silence clung onto everyone in the bar including Touka and including the young man who was too busy digging his hands into his pockets to notice the suffocating atmosphere.
Exhaling with the utmost of care, the bartender leaned over, placing a wine glass in front of him with hesitation.
"Hello," she said softly, her eyes still refusing to look at her costumer. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
He paused, gray eyes slowly lifting themselves up and resting them once more on Touka's face. He stared at her for a brief second before letting a small yet warm smile form at his lips.
"Ah, yes, water will be fine." He said quietly, pulling up a chair and settling himself down.
She nodded, grabbing a nearby pitcher of ice water and pouring him a cup without saying a word.
He took a sip while his dull eyes rested on the surface of the counter. He exhaled, placing the cup back down, and letting the ice clink against each other softly.
Then, slowly and very carefully, Touka leaned over, her violet locks swaying against her cheek as she did.
"What are you doing in a place like this…" she whispered, her voice soft as a feather.
She paused before adding, "Kaneki Ken?"
No one said a word.
Silence coveted the land with its eerie presence as the white haired man in front of her remained calm and quiet.
And then,
He chuckled, his shoulders trembling with laughter as he raised his hand, running his fingers through his snow colored locks.
"You figured it out rather quickly, haven't you?" he said lightly, adding in another small laugh once he finished.
He tilted his head to the right, white eye lashes slowly fluttering as the gentle whispers finally resumed its song in the background.
"It was pretty obvious." Touka replied darkly. "Who else would have an eyepatch? And who else would be able to make an entire bar sound like a funeral?"
He gave her another timid smile before nodding, "I suppose so."
She stared at him before sighing from exhaustion, "So? What do you want?"
"Shall I get straight to the point or shall I enlighten you on the manner?"
She narrowed her eyes, a scowl taking over her expression as she glared at him.
"I'm guessing you want me to get straight to the point, am I correct?" he smiled.
She made no attempt to reply.
"I see…" he said softly. "Well then, if I were to be specific, I desire information." His gray eyes flickered around the bar for a good second before resting them back on the bartender in front of him. "And I heard that you are the only one who can give me this information that I so desire."
She sighed, her eyes studying his features with mild amusement.
She knew this would happen.
There were thousands of people who had come up to her seeking her knowledge.
Mafia leaders, gang leaders, political figures, and even some policemen had all come to her demanding answers.
However, she refused to give in without a fight.
And of course, sometimes violence would be enforced, and of course, sometimes her boss would have to come in and clean up the mess.
But this…
This situation was a bit different.
Because in this situation, the person asking for information was the most infamous and deadly mafia leader in the world.
In this situation, life and death was like a game.
But,
Touka Kirishima had her pride and sometimes her pride got in the way of many things.
"I'm sorry," she said, narrowing her eyes. "But I'm afraid I can't do that."
He nodded, a sense of serenity and elegance gracing his features as he shifted his weight a bit to the left.
"Ah, I see." He trailed off with a disappointed sigh. "That's unfortunate…"
"Very." She said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "If that's all then I suggest that you either leave or order an actual-"
"How much?" he said quietly.
"How much what?"
He offered her a casual smile as he brushed his bangs away from his eyes.
"Money." He replied, gently taking another sip from his glass of water. "How much would you like?"
Violet eyes widened in frustration as she glared at him – her arms crossed across her chest with a look of defiance.
"Are you," she hissed. "Bribing me?"
"It seems so."
Narrowing her eyes, she sighed before grabbing a wet rag and wiping the marble counter down with utter annoyance.
"I don't want your money." She snapped, ignoring how some suspicious looking eyes were on them. "And I won't give you any information. It's too dangerous especially if it's you."
His gray eye that seemed almost like the dull shade of steel stared at her with a timid look of amusement. Resting his chin on the palm of his right hand, he gave her a small smile of curiosity.
"Is that so?" he said lightly. "Then if it's not money, what do you want?"
"I don't want anything."
He sighed before quietly getting up from his chair.
"I'm sure there's something you desire." He said with a hum. "I can give you anything. Money? Gold? Jewelry?" he then leaned over as softly as a ghost, his lips brushing against her ear. "Perhaps drugs?"
The urge to slap his face away was grinding into Touka's bones as she gritted her teeth, taking a step back. Her anger was radiating off of her with enough force to fill the entire room, but she held firm onto her temper as best as she could.
"Stop mocking me." She seethed in between clenched teeth. "I don't want anything you have to offer me."
He blinked at her, snowy eyelashes fluttering in surprise.
"Ah, I see." He said softly. "If you change your mind-"
"I won't."
Again, he stood there in silence for a brief moment before smiling.
"Well, in case you ever do," he started quietly. "Tell Tsukiyama. He seems to like this place after all."
With a curt nod, he bid her a small farewell and was about to turn to leave, but something latched onto his shoulder.
"Hey," a voice hissed venomously. "Are you Kaneki Ken?"
The mafia leader glanced back to see another man gripping his shoulder with obvious wrath. He stood to be at least six foot with a wide frame and burly shoulders. Oily black hair was slicked back with an excessive amount of hair gel as scars from various bloody battles decorated his face and arms. He was sneering down at Kaneki, panting heavily as his alcoholic breath streamed out of his lungs.
Touka mentally smacked herself on the forehead.
This idiot was drunk.
"Yes. I am." Kaneki said with a look of indifference.
"Rize wants to see you." The burly man grumbled lowly. "Come with us."
"Us?" Kaneki smiled wearily.
Almost on cue, a couple of wooden chairs skidded across the floor as nearly half the bar's costumers stood up from their tables, abandoning their alcoholic beverages. Touka bit her lip once she noticed some of the weapons in their hands.
Shit.
Touka mumbled a round of curse words under her breath as she quickly tried to think of a way to escape.
She's seen these types of scenes enfold so many times and it never ended pretty.
Wait…
Did he just say…?
Rize?
Double shit.
She knew Rize. She knew her very well.
Rize, or also known as the Binge Eater, had spread her influence beyond imagination. Unlike Kaneki's network which is the trading of questionable weapons and also the trading network itself, Rize was also a mafia leader who was in charge of drugs, weapons, and the trafficking of humans.
She was in charge of all the nasty things in the world.
And she was also known for her nasty personality.
There were rumors about how her business rivaled the Centipede's himself, but those were only rumors.
In terms of success, Kaneki Ken was number one.
The white haired mafia held his gaze with the man who still wasn't letting go of his shoulder.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Kaneki said quietly, his gray eye scanning the area. "I'm quite busy."
"You don't have a choice, pretty boy."
Again, irritation was forming at the pit of Touka's stomach. She didn't want to be in this mess and she certainly didn't want to be shot full of lead.
Struggling to think of a quick plan of escape, she took a step forward.
Almost instantly, a sharp crack of a gunshot and a shatter of several wine bottles echoed like a piercing scream. It was almost like a streak of silver as a bullet skimmed through the air – rendering the room in utter silence.
Touka's eyes widened as she slowly glanced at her right, a bullet hole buried deep within the cabinets of alcohol.
It missed her head by a centimeter.
"Don't move, girl." Another voice growled almost slyly. "Or parts of your brain will be used as paint for the wall."
She glared at the other man who still had his gun raised and aimed. She gave him a cold look of defiance, refusing to show even a bit of fear, but it was proving to be difficult because the weapons in his hand did seem a bit threatening.
She then took a quick peek at Kaneki Ken who, for some reason, didn't seem too fazed. In fact, he looked as if the entire situation was just another event on his to-do list. He had his usual calm kind of expression with the same dull spark in his eyes. He was even ignoring the metal gun placed right on the surface of his forehead.
"Hey," the burly guy growled with a pathetic hiccup. "I said to come with us. Rize is waiting."
"Tell her to wait even more." The mafia leader sighed. "Like I said, I am very busy." He paused, a strange dark look flickering across his expression. "And also, I would like it if you let go of my shoulder."
The burly man cackled, the hot breath of a drunken man crashing against the mafia leader like waves.
"What makes you think I'll-"
Touka blinked and a part of her sort of wished she kept her eyes closed.
Because in the split moment her eyelashes fluttered shut and opened once more – all she saw was the putrid color of crimson.
That sickening odor of metal along with that horrendous burning color of scarlet, and those ear piercing cries of terror.
It all became a musical of chaos.
The white haired idiot had smashed his knee into the burly maniac's face, sending him flying across the room, scattering tables and chairs everywhere. Everyone had stared at the scene unravel and maybe they shouldn't have let themselves be distracted because in that second, a line of pure white sliced through the air as Kaneki grabbed another man and his weapon – pinning him onto the floor with the gun right next to his skull.
"Alright." He said lowly. "Nobody move."
Nobody moved.
The other men of Rize's little group had clamped their mouths shut, but their guns were all pointed at that one mafia leader.
Kaneki held his weapon firm next to the hostage's head who seemed to be whimpering underneath his breath.
"You," a raspy voice coughed.
The man who got kneed in the face came limping back over. His nose was twisted in such an odd direction with blood splattering the floor below that Touka almost felt bad for the drunk moron.
"You think we care about him?" he laughed before wincing in pain. "He's worth nothing, not even as a hostage."
Kaneki remained silent, his eye carefully watching the men surrounding him.
"Kill him." The man with the broken nose chuckled.
Still, no one moved.
Confused and slightly agitated, the man glanced at his comrades.
They stared back at him, their eyes wide with fear and shock.
"What's wrong you idi-" he started but something silenced him.
The cold bite of metal touching the back of his head seemed to be burning into him.
"Non, non." A voice said almost playfully. "That will not do."
Touka would never admit it, but in that moment, she smiled in relief.
Never did she think that she would be so happy to see that thickheaded, stupid, retarded yet glamorous…
Drama queen.
"Pleased to meet your acquaintance," Tsukiyama said softly into his victim's ear. "Let's have a little fun tonight, shall we?"