Kaneki Ken glanced around, put his ear on the door, and after a few moments, nodded to himself satisfied.

The Ghoul went to his drawer, where he dug under a pile of cloths, first frowning, and then pleased, withdrawing a book from there.

He finally got to sigh into a couch with a good book in book.

'I couldn't just read it with Gakudera-san around who might see it. And I should have read on the subject before. Hide, Touka… you both try so hard to keep this strange thing we have between us working. To keep each other happy, keep me happy. I'm going to learn to take initiative as well.'

With those thoughts, he opened 'The Threesome Handbook', which they got him, and started reading.

'Now that seems promising…'

As he continued to read, absorbed and absorbing the new, vital knowledge, Ken Kaneki grow redder and redder, as his blood rush to his face in a scarlet blush. The book was fascinating, and… he didn't know, wasn't sure, if Touka really intended to do some of the things in the book, even now, despite every evidence on the contrary. Nor was he sure how he really felt about it… 'But I know that I was really happy, with both Touka and Hide at by side.'

The book was most helpful in providing context and advice about how the relationship should go, how to tend to the emotional side of it, and what he should be paying more attention to… It even gave some examples for such relationships-which was both great help and relieving-to know, to have a proof, that it wasn't just them. That it wasn't as weird as it felt, still felt, to him.

But as happy as he was, in those halcyon days, with the two people he cared about, and dare he say it… maybe even, loved… the most, it still felt weird to him. And To make it worse, he kept being afraid to lose it all… to lack the strength to keep it, after all, nothing he loved was his to keep, as long as he was weak, and to be strong, meant to lose it. Kaneki felt like he was walking on a tightrope. And a fall will mean he will fail to protect and keepall that he cares about, and lose it. Again.

He was so lost in the book, that the young loverdid not notice the time, how fast the hours come and gone.

It was five minutes into the walk that trouble found him.

Hide was reminiscing on the nice week he had. Without The Cousin, Kaneki calmed-And Hideyoshi did NOT miss how his bestie (and probably, a bit more, by now… or soon to be) was tense while they were hosting Gakudera-san. The sense of 'togetherness' they were developing was very nice, and the cuddles and petting with pretty Touka was definitely a plus! Even if they were still a bit shy and hesitant about it.'Well, with ghouls involved, careful hesitation is best… I wonder if Nishino ever found herself worrying about Nishinki feeling hungry while they were in bed…'

The scenes about his Sempai biting his girlfriend as they shared a bed that Hide was imagining were not the stuff of nightmares a ghoul attack on Sleeping human would be, but a lighthearted comedy of a grumpy boyfriend giving a hicky to his girl, who would want to get back to sleep and show here protest to being awoken by way of elbow to stomach. He giggled at the thought.

So lost in the sitcoms his mind conjured, the boy didn't pay attention as he should have, and did not notice he ambushed.

"Yo! So you areNagachikaHideyoshi-kun! It was difficult to find you, a suspicious fella might've even got the wrong impression that you were trying to hide or something…" a man wearing a suit, with too much jewelry on sneered.

With him were quite a few unmistakable Yakuza Toughs, armed with weapons ranging from baseball bats to iron pipes.

"Big Bro was itching to have a chat with you. It would be rude to decline his invitation now, wouldn't it?'

The former CCG agent turned runaway felt something poking his back, and heard the cocking of a hammer on a handgun.

If Touka were to describe her feelings about her current relationship, she would say that it was like walking on a tightrope. Balancing between her boys (and she was still ruefully shaking her head at the thought-she didn't have even one 'boy' before, and now she had two), and trying her best to be inconspicuous. As nice as it was to no longer feel as alone as she used to, after her stupid little brother left, such… 'arrangements' were hardly norm, and she felt the ever-present fear of discovery closer, particularly with a human involved in it all.

Still, the day was productive so far-she found a good place to reopen their Café, and hoped Yomo-san will agree with her. Particularly as arranging purchase and ownership would have to be done by him.

And so it was, that she rang the doorbell with a pleased feeling…

"You're Back, Hide!" Kaneki exclaimed, as he opened the door, and seeing her, frowned. "Didn't you say you will be gone for long?"

"I was", the girl replied, with a sinking feeling, as her good mood evaporated, "Hide still not back? He was supposed to go for a SHORT walk. I was away for hours!"

Ken suddenly reached for his head in pain. "No! No! No, no, no, no…" his single eye Kakugan may have been still been partly hidden by the lens he wore, but it covered only the red iris, his now pitch black sclera was a glaring telltale to his great, growing distress.

His Kakuja mask was starting to form.

"Kaneki! Ken, listen to me. We will find him! Hide is OK! He probably just got distracted and lost track of the time-just like you did!"

The Kagune of the infamous, thought to have been killed, dangerous 'Centipede' ghoul appeared from his back.

Mado Akira was on her day off, eating ramen. She usually went for spicy curry, in the place where she first invited Amon to eat it, when they became partners, but today she decided on a whim to go to the Ramen stand Nagachika have been inviting the two of them occasionally.

Her phone rang.

"Hello." She answered.

"Mado-san, its Kimura, from the branch office… I believe I may have found something important for matter we last discussed. You better hurry, though, we don't have much time..."