It was an evening, just starting to get dark, as a stout man with the face of a thug entered a run-down bar.
After exchanging a couple of words with the barman, he went to the back, where a man was drinking a rich red colored liquid from a glass, with a beautiful red haired woman draped over him.
"I heard you got out."
"Just recently." The man replied.
"Well, so did your 'friends', they are looking for you. They missed you last time, and when you were released, but they know you'd come here."
"You snitched?" he asked, face and voice neutral, muscles tensing, preparing for action as a hand reached into a pocket.
"No. but it's only a matter of time 'till -"
"Doesn't matter. " The man growled, "you did what I asked last time we met?"
"Y-yes." Was the uncertain reply. "I kept an eye after you family, but, I got some bad news."
"Were they approached?" the man asked, his eyes boring into the thing owner, who with a wave, sent the girl away.
Once she left and closed the door behind her, he answered.
"Not exactly, you see…"
"Out with it!"
"It's Nagachika Hideyoshi-san…"
"What?"
"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but he went to work for the authorities. "
"Hideyoshi a freakin' cop now?" the thug asked incredulous, displeasure obvious on his face.
"Not exactly… you see, he joined another government agency, one of greater influence, which made keeping track of him harder…"
"What?"
"Nagachika-san has joined the government agency CCG-the Commission for Counter Ghoul. They hunt and kill ghouls."
"So he hunts ghouls now?" the man asked, as surprised as if a flying pig landed on his head.
"He was, he went missing in action, presumed dead, a few months ago."
"Tell me everything." The thug commanded, looking intensely at the man in front of him.
The man refilled his glass with wine, and drank it all in one go, before starting.
Gakudera Hayato was a having a good week. He finally got released from prison-his sentence ended, managed to avoid the ambush his old 'associates' prepared for him, and lay a false trail to get them off his back, got back into Tokyo with none of them the wiser…
And it had to be ruined.
"Should've known the good luck would end. Did you join the gov's to embarrass me, Hideyoshi? Ghoul cop is still a cop, of sorts. And with a cop in the family I lose trust."
He needed to find the wayward family member, and hope he was still alive. It would realy ruin his day if Hideyoshi-kun ended up as ghoul chow before Hayato got a chance to see him.
It will be a week more, before an old contact who owed him will call back with a clue.
Much as he didn't want to be a security risk, and endanger Kaneki, or Touka-chan, Hide found himself needing to leave again.
It was about time to pick up his cane. And his 'special order'.
This time, however, they didn't let him go alone, as he was about to leave.
"And where do you think you are going?" a displeased feminine voice called at his back.
"Touka-chan! I didn't notice your return! Did you just get back? Did she just get back Kaneki?" he sheepishly asked.
Touka put her hands on her hips, and in a pose and tone that made him think of 'angry mom lecture' (not that he'd dare tell it to her, much as he was certain she really liked him now, he didn't want to face her indignant feminine wrath)raised her voice at him.
"Don't try changing the subject! Just where were you thinking of going? And when were you planning to tell us?"
Kaneki was standing at her side, with his now brown hair, saying nothing and looking anxiously at Hide.
Being the source of that anxiety for Ken felt like a punch in the gut.
"Sorry, Touka-chan, but I ordered some stuff last time I was out, and I need to pick it up. Besides, Kaneki here needs his books, and I wanted to buy him some new ones to read. I think I can now recognize the kind of literature he prefers."
"Books and stuff for you? Does it really worth risking yourself and us? Risking Kaneki?" she asked, incredulous.
Hide looked away, at the floor in front of him, as he muttered. "It's not that… its… I need more underwear, and I'm sorry, Touka, but I think I'd better be the one to buy groceries this time. Some of the stuff you bought is now past expiration date, and what left can't be made into a reasonable meal. "
"You could've said something." She sighed. "Fine, but you aren't going alone!"
"Ken can't leave, and you are busy most of the day."
"I don't have anything that can't wait now."
The young man looked at her, and with a defeated sigh nodded.
Touka had other plans for the day, but Hide was right. She wasn't human-couldn't properly gauge the needs of one and cater to them.
And without Yoriko, whom she didn't want involved, she had no human to ask.
And as she said, she had nothing urgent.
So with a promise of swift return to Ken, they left.
Shopping for the groceries seemed similar enough, that she didn't see any meaningful difference from her own attempts, aside from checking expiration dates and sometimes ingredients.
Though it took her back for some reason when Nagachi- Hideyoshi asked what coffee brands he should take for her and Ken.
Next was a custom made prosthetics shop in a side street that for some reason reminded her of Uta and his shop.
Though the owner was undoubtedly human here.
Hide took a cane, all too similar to the one he was leaning on-the one Yomo got for him, and paid from his pocket in cash.
Next was an underwear shop. Touka found herself blushing a bit, as the two approached the boxers section.
As Hide was rummaging a bit among them, looking for something ("What do you think of this Naruto design?" he asked, an orange pair in hand) another man approached them, and started asking if he (Hideyoshi) and his girlfriend were looking for some sexy underwear for a spicy night, she decided to take a distance.
She still could keep an eye on him from some distance.
And Hide was now pointing at stripped speedos that would leave little to imagination. She was certain he did it on purpose.
"I think I will go see about suitable lingerie."
With these words turned, and walked away. Missing as the man turned a serious face towards Hide.
On their way back, they stopped at a bookshop, where Hide bought a few books from western writers she has never heard of, exclaiming that Ken will love them, and some manga. "For my own refined tastes." He said with a straight face.
Hide insisted to be the one to pay for it.
Touka smelled a vaguely familiar ghoul entering as they finished paying, and asked about the bathrooms. The two walked there in casual pace, and as she spotted the back door, she led Hide through it, leading him to a bus station and on the first bus to stop there.
If Mado Akira found the Yakuza politely questioning her strange, the topic he asked about was even stranger.
'Why would Yakuza be interested in Nagachika, of all things? And why now? Did they have any reason to doubt him missing, probably killed? Are still alive somewhere out there Nagachika? Am I really not the only one from our small team to survive THAT operation?'
Kaneki was glad when Touka and Hide returned, and it couldn't be soon enough.
The books Hide brought with him were generally fine- Conan Doyle was a good author, even if 'Lost World' wasn't his cup of tea. This Gerald Durrell book seemed…strange as well. The Shakespeare novel seemed intriguing, and the 'Lovecraft' books Hide got seemed right his alley, from the brief prologue he went through.
…and then he found a book he knew Hide picked to tease him. He wondered if Touka got any strange looks for buying it.
Still, that 'The Threesome handbook: A practical Guide to sleeping with three' was going to his drawer, to be read when Touka is away.
That neither mentioned the book, even to tease him, confirmed his suspicions. The mirth in the eyes of his longtime best friend, and now more, upon going to another room after Touka left again, who claimed to 'not want to stand between Kaneki and his books' nailed it.
For the next couple days Ken didn't dare touching the book, much as he felt its knowledge, wisdom, sorely needed.
A Ring interrupted him. It then rang again.
As he approached the door, seeing Hide on the sofa, with headphones on his ears, doubtlessly listening to music too loudly to hear the door bell, Ken sighed, and looked at the peephole.
It was a stranger, and from the scent neither ghoul nor a Dove.
Kaneki opened the door, just a bit.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I'm lookin' for Nagachika Hideyoshi-kun. I know he was here. Recently. "
"I'm sorry?" Kaneki didn't need to feign surprise at it, he first thought this to be someone from a local gang or something.
"I'm his Cousin." The man, who looked like a stereotypical thug- face and build and all, said in what he probably thought a helpful, friendly tone.
OMAKE:
"Ne, Koutarou-kun, do you think our parents will ever reconcile with each other?"
"Don't know, Yoriko-chan, but judging by the way both our moms looked murderous and about to take out their respective, Kagune/Quinque, when they jumped from their hidden spying nests after following us in secret to see who we went to a date with, I think its best we don't tell them about our plans to marry just yet."
Yoriko-chan nodded sagely.
"I can't wait till I have my own Kagune. Mama said she thinks I'll get it by my fourteenth birthday, so it's only a few months away."
For some reason, the thirteen year old boy imagined Yoriko-chan with a Kagune weapon like Mrs. Kirishima, or his mother, and found his throat suddenly dry.