Author's notes:

An update, yes! XD

First of all thank you for the reviews, follows, and likes! I really appreciate it. :) I hope you continue reading and please do leave reviews and suggestions, maybe. XD If you see grammatical errors and the like, please feel free to correct me! :)

I wrote this whole chapter on my phone while on a two-hour bus trip so yeah (ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED LOL)

Please enjoy, leave a review and share (short chapter ;-;).

He didn't see it coming.

Actually, no one saw it coming. He just appeared all of a sudden.

It was the first time he came without notice. And Hide knew that it wasn't a good thing.

Probably. He still doesn't know if Touka is still nervous about seeing him. Well, it's clear in her eyes. It was very obvious. He wondered why he came without notice in the first place.

As usual, he greeted him cheerfully.

"Kaneki, you didn't even tell us you were going to come," he greets, walking to him.

He was still wearing his uniform. He smiles with a little worry in his face, and scratches his head.

"I'm sorry for coming unannounced," he apologizes profusely. "Did I disturb something?"

"Not really," he replies. "We have finished all of our activities for now so don't worry. Do you have any particular reason for coming here?"

Kaneki makes an expression Hide can't make out. Perhaps his question sounded wrong. He gets flustered and immediately speaks up.

"Ah, I didn't mean it that way. It's just that it's really surprising that you came here unannounced. I was just a little surprised."

"No, it's okay," he says, smiling. His son notices his arrival and quickly runs towards him. Kaneki catches him and carries him in his arms. They chat for a little while, and after a few minutes, Ken leaves them to play with the other kids. Kaneki talks to him again.

"Thank you so much for looking after him," he tells him.

"That's no problem. Always here to help, Kaneki."

He chuckles, and averts his gaze. There's something glinting in his eyes, as if he wants to ask him something.

"Hide-san, I told you, you can call me by my name, you know."

Hearing him say his name with honorifics in the same voice feels very different to him. It's already been years since they got reunited, but he still calls him with honorifics. He tries convincing him to call him like back then again by calling him "Kaneki", but it seems like that made him more uncomfortable calling him just by name.

He still tries hard.

"But I'm used to it," he chuckles. "And, it IS your name too, you know."

Kaneki purses his lips. He looks around, his eyes distant. He scratches his cheek before talking again.

"Uhm... I heard someone new came."

I knew it, Hide thinks. He wouldn't have come without any reason. Ken probably told him about Touka, considering that the kid is very fond of her.

"Ah, you want to see Touka-chan, don't you?" he says, his mouth stretching to a wide smile.

Kaneki laughs softly. "Not really. I wasn't even sure that she is the person that came here," his hand hovers over his chin.

Wasn't sure, huh, Hide thinks. Well, it wouldn't hurt to let him see her, right? He came a long way after all.

He hopes that it's okay for Touka to see him.

"Well," he starts. "Touka-chan is just right here—"

He turns around, but was surprised not to see Touka anywhere.

"Hm? Where's Touka-chan?" he asks one of his co-workers.

The woman gives a startled expression, obviously struggling with the stack of papers she's holding. "She went to the loo. And she seems to be in a hurry too."

Hide approaches the woman and helps her. She glances at Kaneki. "I'm sorry, Kaneki. I didn't know she left. Maybe you could wait somewhere. I'll just help with this and I'll look for Touka-chan."

"Oh, maybe I can help—"

"Nah, it's okay," Hide assures him, smiling. "You're a guest here, it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

Hide nods.

"Okay then, I'll just go look with Ken. Where do the kids play?"

"Same place just like the last time."

Kaneki thanks him and leaves. Hide hopes Touka feels fine with seeing him.

But he knew she wasn't.

What the hell is this?

Touka looms over the restroom sink, contemplating. She didn't expect to see him that instantly.

She splashes herself with water, closes the faucet, and looks at the mirror.

What the hell is up with me? she says to herself. I wanted this, right? Right? So why am I so nervous?

"Okay," she breathes deeply. "I calmed down now."

She wipes her hands dry and leaves the comfort room. She looks around sees a few people wandering the building. Thinking that she needed some air, she decides to go the back garden.

She sits on the swing located at the garden. Touka laces her fingers together and sighs deeply. She hates the stirring emotions inside her.

All things she wasn't expecting happened. She was certain that she would see the people from the past, but what she didn't expect was that she would see them right after she came back. It was that instantly.

She wondered why she is hesitating to see him. Is she afraid of something? What is that something? Why would she be afraid of something?

The noise of the children playing outside snaps her out of her thoughts. She looks up, and sees a kid much livelier than the rest of the playing children. It is Ken. It was then it came to her mind as to why she's hesitating to see him.

"Ah, excuse me, is it okay—"

Someone appeared behind her, and upon turning around, she was met with startled eyes. Hers were surprised as well.

It's him. Sasaki.

"Kirishima... san?" his voice was soft.

His then-fluffy hair was now short and thin, and it was somehow weird seeing him sporting a sidecut hairstyle. The colors of his hair remain the same, though the white colors are lesser than the black. His build is much more different—he's fitter; lithe. Even now, he's still wearing the standard suit as his uniform.

She remains speechless. She's still nervous, but she was more nervous before—and she doesn't understand why. She's just motionless, sitting on the swing. Her eyes are fixated on his.

She gulps, and gathers her courage to speak.

"It's been a while, Sasaki."