Hey everyone! New chapter out!

So there was a short delay as I tried to get my bearings with the overall plot and continuity of the story, but now that that's over with, we get to have more frequent updates.

While romance is not mentioned in the genre category, there WILL be some necessary romance in this story. I won't tell you who the pairing is except that it's with the OC; I haven't decided if I'm going to write Touken yet. I originally thought I would, but things have changed. The romance, however, will be for the sake of the plot. This is not primarily a romance fic and that's not going to change. Also, the romance in this fic is meant to be natural and realistic, therefore characters who are together for a time may not end up being together forever or even until the end of the story. Just stick around, 'kay?

Enjoy!

Asymmetrical

Chapter Four

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, 'What is it?'
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit. - by Robert Frost

Thankfully, my visit at the hospital went smoothly enough. I didn't see or speak to Kanou-sensei, but he had given me clearance to visit Ken and had also apparently warned the other doctors away from me. I was hardly spoken to by the nurse who led me to Ken's room, and although I could sense a slight bit of suspicion from the security guards when I passed them, they kept their scrutiny to simply watching. I was grateful for that. It seemed the ruckus I had made from before had been swept under the rug just fine.

I walked into Ken's room quietly and took a seat at the chair next to his hospital bed. Watching him there with an oxygen mask on his face, dressed in a hospital gown and so sickly pale sent a thrum of anger through me. Kanou-sensei had no idea that I knew what he had done, but I decided I was grateful for it anyways—otherwise, my brother would be dead right now. I cursed Rize with all my heart in that moment. I'd kill her if she wasn't already dead.

Slipping my hand over his, I watched him intently. He was breathing well enough, but he looked so delicate and frail that I couldn't help but be reminded just how close he had come to death. Staunch determination filled me and I promised myself I would never let any harm come to him ever again.

"I vow to you, Ken," I whispered. "I'll protect you until my dying breath."

His breath didn't so much as fluctuate and there was no sign that he had heard me, but I had heard me and that was enough. The vow was made and I would honor it with every fiber of my being.

There wasn't much I could do other than sit there and watch him, and since it hadn't been all too clear in the anime how long he was in the hospital, I eventually decided that there were more productive things I could be doing.

Like training.

I stood after a while and left, making a mental note to myself to bring flowers the next time I came. I knew that Hide would not be allowed to visit—in fact, I wouldn't have been if I wasn't so closely connected to Kanou-sensei—and Ken deserved something bright and welcoming to wake up to when he did.

I exited the hospital without hesitation and then began to make my way around the 20th Ward, disguising my search as a walk. I needed a place to train that was well out of sight and not likely to be searched by CCG investigators. I had faith in my ability to train myself, but eventually I knew I'd seek out a training partner—perhaps Touka, perhaps Yomo Renji. Both were skilled fighters, although I couldn't help but remember that Touka had been soundly beaten by her brother, and her brother was likely who I was going to need protection from. The look in his eyes had promised that he would return, and when he came back for me, it would probably be in a place where I wouldn't be able to call for help. Worse yet, depending on how badly Aogiri Tree wanted me, I might be facing more than just two-on-one. It could easily degenerate into a fuck fest of me getting my ass whipped, and that was something I was hoping to avoid.

However, I wasn't quite ready to seek out Anteiku. For some reason, I just felt it wasn't time yet. There was one thing that I was going to have to do anyways, though, and that was to get a mask. If I was caught practicing wherever I decided to train, I would need some kind of protection for my identity.

But I didn't know where Uta worked and without a guide from Anteiku or at least another ghoul, I might not find it for a while. It was definitely supposed to be a hole-in-the-wall; an unnoticeable place. I put my priorities first and searched for a place to train.

Eventually I stumbled across an abandoned warehouse that had once been used to make machine parts. It was a bit of a walk from home, but it was also on the outskirts of the city. I quietly approached the building and opened the rusted double doors, which moved with a loud creak that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Peering inside, I found that there was no lighting whatsoever. However, small windows lined the upper deck of the warehouse and allowed at least some light to pour through. It looked like once upon a time there had been conveyor belts stationed across the large room, but now there was nothing but leftover dents in the ground from where they had stood. All in all, it was bare and desolate, untouched for what was probably years, and it was perfect for what I had in mind.

I closed the door behind me and evaluated just what I needed to do to make it a good training ground. Probably some punching bags to practice on, weights to build muscle, and an obstacle course to build speed and agility. I decided I would start a training regime that would include going for a run before school every day.

Committing the mental list to memory, I wondered if I would have enough money to pay for what I needed. Since I wouldn't have to buy food other than coffee grinds until Ken was recovered, that might allow me to buy most of it, but I was worried about medical bills and hospital expenses. Unless Kanou-sensei was going to take care of that…? The money we would use to pay for that was technically his anyways.

Satisfied with my plan, I closed the door behind me and walked back out into the sunshine. I made a note that it might be a good idea to air out the warehouse at some point—I hadn't noticed how musty it was inside until I left. Before I walked away, I memorized the address so that I could have my training equipment delivered there instead of to my home. The less suspicion I garnered, the better, and also I wouldn't have any way of transporting the gear if it was at my home.

It turned out that the warehouse was only ten minutes away from the subway, so perhaps it wasn't so far off after all. The ride home took another fifteen minutes, but it was certainly faster than walking. Once I was home, I kicked off my shoes and got online to order the things I would need.

The rest of the day passed without a hitch and I headed to bed early, knowing that I would have to return to school the next day. My training gear would arrive in two days and then I would find myself with a lot less free time.

Less free time wasn't going to stop me from visiting Ken every day, though.

The training gear arrived right on time and the next two weeks were spent training vigorously between homework, school, and visiting my brother. I was putting off seeing Amon because I wanted to make sure that if anything went wrong—for example, if I was recognized by anyone—I could defend myself long enough to get away. I never received a hospital bill, so it seemed that Kanou-sensei had taken care of that.

However, at the end of the two weeks, I acknowledged that I needed to see Amon before I became a forgotten memory. So, I went to the flower shop and bought a bouquet of bright, colorful carnations and a thank-you card, on which I wrote a personalized message, just in case Amon wasn't present when I arrived.

As I approached CCG headquarters—it was a Saturday, as I couldn't take off any more time from school—I felt myself grow nervous. Although it was doubtful that I would be recognized by anyone, and humans' sense of smell wasn't nearly strong enough to identify me as a ghoul on that alone, it was still walking into the lion's den. Sweat beaded and I felt it trickle down my back, dampening my shirt. I had dressed for the occasion: an appropriately long black skirt, a ruffled white shirt with a high collar and short, puffy sleeves, and black heels that were still comfortable enough to fight in—and if they proved to be a nuisance, they were easily tossed off. I had even styled my hair and put on makeup.

I paused in front of the building and took a deep breath to steady myself. It would seem off if someone coming in to give thanks was so absurdly nervous, I decided. Therefore, I focused on my breathing for a few long moments before giving a final huff and walking inside.

It was cool inside, a blast of air conditioning assaulting me after I entered past the automatic sliding double doors. I shivered involuntarily, surprised at how frigid they kept their work environment. Then again, I supposed it might help the investigators stay alert and focused.

After entering the lobby, I approached the front desk. A stern looking female receptionist looked at me appraisingly. Her eyes drifted to the flowers nestled in the crook of my left elbow and she immediately looked disapproving. "Can I help you?" she asked, sounding demanding and exasperated.

I wasn't fazed in the least. "I'd like to speak to Amon Koutarou, please," I replied, not letting her attitude get to me.

"May I ask what this is regarding?" There was still that sharp edge to her voice that I did not appreciate.

"He saved my life the other day," I said, downplaying the timeframe. "I just wanted to express my gratitude properly."

The receptionist seemed to suddenly soften at that. "Your name, please?"

"Kaneki Aiko." I hoped Amon remembered me.

She nodded in acknowledgement before picking up the phone on her desk and dialing an extension. I waited patiently as she spoke into it, apparently to Amon. After a few nods, she affirmed something and then hung up.

"He's in his office and he's willing to see you," the receptionist told me. "Two floors up, take a left and go all the way down the hall. He's in the office on your right."

"Thank you," I said gratefully, and then made my way towards the elevators.

It was a short trip to Amon's office, but I had to steady my breathing yet again as I approached the office that I was supposed to go into. I hoped that it was Amon's office, not a shared office for him and Mado. That would certainly put a damper on my plans.

I swallowed the lump in my throat with some difficulty before tentatively rapping my knuckles on the door. There was a short pause before I heard Amon's deep voice call, "Come in." With one last calming breath, I turned the knob and stepping into the office.

Amon turned to me with a smile and then it seemed to freeze on his face. I was startled, immediately looking down at myself and wondering what it was that had surprised him like that.

I didn't find anything, so I looked up at him questioningly.

He cleared his throat and said, "Sorry. I was expecting you, but you look…different." Was that a slight blush on his cheeks?

Oh. I supposed I did look a bit different from the rumpled, terrified girl I had been when he saved me.

I laughed. "Well, I came to show my appreciation for what you did for me, so I suppose I wanted to look the part." I scowled playfully. "I clean up nicely."

The red on his cheeks slightly amplified. "Yes, you do." He cleared his throat again and seemed to come back to his normal serious demeanor. "Take a seat; I have a few minutes before my partner and I are heading back to the 20th Ward."

I nodded and was glad that although my hackles raised at the mention of Mado, it was not noticed by Amon. I knew he really respected his partner and the best way to get on his bad side was to trash-talk Mado. I took a seat gingerly and laid the flowers and thank-you card on his desk.

"You really didn't have to do this, you know," Amon said, moving the flowers to the side, although they were no less visible. "It's my job to protect civilians."

I shrugged. "Yes, well, I was taught to always show my appreciation when appropriate, and I can't think of a more appropriate time to thank someone when they've saved my life." Although not in the way you think you did.

Before I could really start singing his praises—what better way to ingratiate oneself with someone than to flatter them?—Amon asked, "How's your brother doing?"

This stopped me cold and I froze. Then, I focused on the wall behind him, frowning. "Ken's going to be okay, or so the doctors say," I replied. "But what that ghoul did to him…I'd kill her if she wasn't already dead."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

I sighed. "You've probably already heard about it, actually. The binge eater in the 20th Ward attacked my brother. I was there and she almost got me, but Ken sacrificed himself to save my life, and so he almost died himself."

Amon's eyes hardened and he nodded curtly. "Yes. Her name was Kamishiro Rize. She was responsible for dozens of deaths before she died…you say you were there? How did you get away without being injured? You should be in the hospital with your brother right now."

I became nervous at the suspicious tone in his voice, but played it off nonchalantly. "Like I said, Ken sacrificed himself to save my life. There was a lot of blood on me when the paramedics arrived, but it wasn't mine. I still can't believe he survived after how much blood he lost."

Amon nodded. "You seem to get into a lot of trouble with ghouls," he said thoughtfully, and appeared to muse on something, his eyes drifting to the ceiling. After a moment of bated breath on my part, he turned back to me and made eye contact. "You're a very lucky young lady."

"Well, as they say, third time's the charm. I doubt I'm going to be so lucky in the future." This was a blatant lie, as I'd been training to prevent such a thing from happening again, but as I said it, I wondered if there wasn't some truth to it.

"You would do well to stay in urban, crowded areas when you do have to leave your home," Amon suggested. "Avoid alleyways and dark, secluded places. Most ghouls don't attack openly public areas, so you'll be much safer that way."

You obviously don't know the same ghouls I do, I thought. Outwardly, though, I nodded. "That's what I've been doing, actually. It's probably why you haven't had to come to my rescue again, or found my name in the obituaries."

I was teasing, but Amon obviously didn't find it very funny. Then, suddenly, he picked up the stack of post-it notes near his computer and started writing something down. I leaned forward to peek, curious, but he was handing me the note before I could get a glimpse.

When I saw what it was, I had to refrain from jumping up and down in a victory dance.

However, I decided to joke around with him and play stupid. "What's this? Your credit card number? I appreciate it, Amon-san-"

He sighed wearily at my antics. "It's my number. Call if you ever need anything or think you're in danger; it's not often that investigators can actually save lives. Usually, we catch the ghouls in the process of eating and the victim is already dead. I have to say, you're one of the few people I've been able to save before they're mortally wounded." He gestured at the flowers vaguely. "And, you're the only one who has ever gone to so many lengths to show your gratitude. Sometimes I wonder if civilians aren't as afraid of investigators as they are of ghouls."

Taking into account the serious nature of our topic, I immediately stopped being playful and sobered myself. "Thank you. I was really lucky you and Ma-your partner were in the area." I couldn't remember if I had been formally introduced to Mado, so I didn't want to accidentally let slip something that I wasn't supposed to know. "As far as who the civilians are more afraid of…I think they're just tired of this conflict. It's a stalemate, really, and stressful for everyone. Ghouls are hunted, living in fear and having to disguise themselves as humans to protect themselves; civilians have to worry about staying out late at night and wondering if they'll be somebody's next meal; investigators have to deal with dangers every day and never know whether they're going to come out of a fight alive. It's just all around a bad situation."

Amon sighed. "It'll be better once the ghouls are culled. Then no one will have to live in fear anymore."

I smiled wryly. "Except for the people who humans decide they don't like."

He looked at me questioningly.

"There are always going to be enemies of the human race. Or," I added thoughtfully, "enemies of a specific country. It's human nature to fight for supremacy, to be at the top of the food chain. If it's not the ghouls, it'll be something—or someone—else. There will always be a war to fight. The only thing that changes is who the enemy is."

Amon watched me for a moment, then asked, "How old are you, Kaneki-san?"

"Sixteen," I replied with a smile.

He looked surprised, but didn't otherwise show any emotion. "You're very intelligent for your age. I wouldn't have expected it."

I shrugged. "I think a lot of people age faster in this world. I happen to feel a lot older than my years most of the time." If only he knew.

Amon smiled a small smile and then his eyes found the clock. "Damn. I'm sorry to cut this short, Kaneki-san-"

"Please, just Aiko."

He grinned at this. "Aiko-san, but I have to meet with my partner in fifteen minutes. If you wait a moment, I'll walk to you to the front?"

"Sounds good," I replied. I stood and stepped out of the way so he could gather his things, one of which I noticed was a big silver case. So he was going on another ghoul hunt. I wasn't surprised in the least—he was probably looking for Jason.

I hadn't made as much progress on converting Amon to the light as I would have liked, but I supposed that for him to really take me seriously, we would have to have some kind of rapport going before I could really get him to see things my way. He was intelligent and good to talk to, anyways, and I didn't have any friends outside of Ken, so it wasn't like I was protesting. Amon was a good person to have on one's side.

Within moments, Amon had gathered his things and opened the door so that I could walk out. The fact that he was a gentleman was kind of nice, too, I decided. We walked down to the elevator in comfortable silence, and then after that we stopped at the front desk. I fingered the post-it note with his number in my pocket absently.

"I'll see you around, Aiko-san," he said. "Stay safe, and call if you need anything."

"Thank you, Amon-san," I said with a small bow.

"Just Koutarou," he replied, and then he waved goodbye.

I walked to the subway with a slight bounce in my step.