It's been a busy week for Ryusei. Since he'd interrogated Kyomu, the GCC had been preparing for two assaults on the Aogiri tree hideouts he'd mentioned. He'd already prepared, but obviously these were the hideouts they were going to invade. There was going to be MUCH more than he'd faced at Kyomu Tower.
He had just dressed in my usual outfit, arranging his trench coat sweater and sighed happily. It was Monday, which meant he was going to the movies with Sen. Of course, they'd continued to talk throughout the week and he thought they were both very excited.
He took a deep breath. Suddenly, the door behind him opened. He turned and saw that it was Akira.
"Are you ready to go Ryusei?" she asked.
He nodded with a smile on his face.
"Yeah. Are you sure you want to give me a lift? I mean, you worked hard enough last week, I don't want to bother you with my own stuff." He said.
Akira and Kotaro were in charge of making sure the soldiers and investigators on this base were ready to take on the ghouls. This included providing armor/uniforms, weapons, battle plan training, etc. She just smiled and shook her head.
"It's good. Besides, it's nice to see you growing up. I still remember when you had just really joined the GCC. Sometimes I feel like I've seen you go from a small, thin boy to a full-grown man in a single day." She said with an almost maternal smile.
This made Ryusei laugh.
"Well, I was already almost mature when I joined the GCC." He said.
"Yes. Anyway, let's go. It's not nice to keep a lady waiting." She nodded.
"Knowing Sen, she'll probably keep me waiting." Ryusei joked.
"Ah? Sen? You didn't tell me you were on a first-name basis." She said to tease him.
"W-What?! N-No! It's not that!" Ryusei stammered, his face turning slightly red.
"Oh, calm down. I'm only kidding. You know how much I love teasing you about these things." She said.
"Yeah, a little more than I like..." He said in return.
They then set off for a car and left the base. Ryusei sat in the front with Akira as she drove him to the cinema.
"How are you feeling? I know it's been a stressful week." She asked.
"More for you than me, I feel like I should be asking you that." Ryusei retorted, causing Akira to chuckle.
"It was painful. But when it comes to organizing two different assaults and preparing troops, it's bound to be." She said
"Would you mind giving me the details?" He asked.
"Using Kyomu's information, we've tracked down the hideouts he mentioned. His information is solid. We had a few scouts find these areas and of course, they found ghoul activity." She explained.
"You know, I'm honestly a little surprised that he gave the answers willingly when he could have been trying to kill me." Ryusei confessed.
"So am I, but you earned his trust by freeing him. And it's well known that Kyomu has a habit of stabbing the people he works with in the back, humans and ghouls alike. Maybe he's betrayed the Aogiri Tree and wants to use us to destroy them." Akira pondered.
"Why fight a war alone when you can let the two dominant sides fight and kill each other?" Ryusei said, looking out of one of the car windows.
Akira hummed and nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, back to what we were talking about. I plan to have you and Juuzo Suzuya lead the attack on the warehouse. Kotaro and Kishou will attack the sewer hideout. I'll be at the base to give you all the information I can to help you." she explained.
"And what do we do with the caches once they're cleaned?" Asked the half-Amazon.
"Then we'll send out a few teams to get rid of the mess and collect anything that might help in the fight against the ghouls. Information, weapons, anything." replied the woman.
Ryusei nodded in understanding. Finally, they arrived at the cinema. She stopped just outside and he got out of the car.
"Have a good time, okay? I'll pick you up at midnight. That should be about the time the movie ends." Said Akira.
"Okay, but what if it ends earlier?" Ryusei asked.
"You can try walking home if you want, but don't forget to be careful if you do that." She replied.
"Okay, that works." Ryusei agreed.
She waved and left. I looked at the cinema, then picked up my phone. I checked the time to see that it was 9:58pm. The movie should start at 10pm, which meant they only had two minutes to spare.
He took out his phone and dialed Sen, who took a few seconds to answer.
"Hello?! Ryusei?!" She said.
"Yeah, where are you? The movie's about to start. And yes, I know the commercials are about 10 minutes long, but still." Says he, anticipating what Sen was going to say to reassure him.
"I'm so sorry! I lost track of time! I'm on the street right now!" She replied.
He looked around and saw a small figure with long, messy green hair running down the street. He hung up and put his phone in his pocket. He heard the girl exclaim as she ran.
"Hello?! Ryusei?! Did he just..." She said.
He quickly grabbed her before she ended up running in front of the cinema. She let out a cry of surprise as she was held back. She turned her head and saw him.
"Hey. I don't know where you were going, but the cinema's here." He joked, pointing to the cinema.
"O-Oh! O-Okay. Sorry about that. My mind's a bit of a mess." Sen apologized.
"And your hair too." Ryusei commented as he brushed Sen's hair with his hand, trying to make it a little cleaner.
Once that was done, he moved my hand and looked at it.
"I've got the tickets. Don't worry," she said, pulling out two tickets to see The Grudge.
He smiled and patted her on the head.
"At least you were able to remember something." he joked.
She smiled shyly. Over the course of the week, Ryusei had managed to build up her confidence in talking to him. He also had to thank the way their first meeting had gone, as it had allowed him to learn a little more about her.
"Well, let's go inside. Would you like some snacks?" Sen asked.
"I'll just get some water and popcorn. I usually have Coke, but it's late." He replied.
"Okay. Do you mind if I share with you? It saves money." She says.
"Of course." Ryusei agreed.
They smiled at each other and entered. The main room was quite large. The walls were red with yellow patterns and the floor was a red carpet. They went to the front and got their food. They'd had a big bag of popcorn, a bottle of water and a big cup of soda for Sen. Once they had their food, they handed the person their tickets and let them in to see the movie.
"Come on. I've reserved the middle seats." Said Sen.
They entered the cinema and were greeted by a giant advertisement on the screen.
"Well, at least we didn't miss anything important." Said Sen.
"I guess coming late sometimes has its advantages." Ryusei observed.
She nodded in agreement and they walked down the aisle until they reached the row for which she had reserved the seats. They sat down and waited for the commercials to end, chatting.
"How's work going for you?" Ryusei asked.
"As usual. I think I might stay up a bit after this. I need to hit my stride." She replied.
"You've set yourself capes?" Asked the half-Amazon.
"Yeah, I use them as deadlines and I find it's much better for me to work if I stick to them." She nodded. "What about you? How's work?"
"Me? Oh, it's fine. Last week was a bit busy, but I've been told to take it easy for a while." He replied.
"That's good to hear. But I think I know why you're so secretive about your work." Said Sen before leaning towards Ryusei's ear and raising a hand to cover his lips as he whispered. "You're an Investigator, aren't you? The same ones who hunt Ghouls?"
Ryusei's eyes widened. He let out a defeated sigh and nodded.
"Y-Yeah... I am one. Sorry I didn't tell you." Ryusei apologized, feeling a little guilty about it.
"That's okay. I can understand why you didn't tell me. And I hope you stay safe. I'm sure it's very dangerous to be one." She said, making him nod to confirm her words.
The commercials ended at that point and the film began.
"Yes! It's starting!" Sen said, her eyes shining with excitement.
Ryusei thought she looked cute like that, reminding him a little of himself when he went to get her to sign his book.
He looked at the screen and they watched the film. He thought the film was pretty good and had a few jumpscares that gave him a slight shiver. One scene in particular made Sen sit up and take notice.
The one where Kayako's ghost was attacking someone under the blanket.
When the ghost was visible under the comforter, Sen gasped and her hand went to Ryusei's wrist. She held on tightly, which hurt a little. He didn't think she could be so strong. A little time passed before her grip loosened, but her hand still remained on his wrist. He said nothing in case it complicated matters. Although it was embarrassing for him, I didn't want her to feel the same. Finally, the film ended and the lights came up. Sen smiled with joy.
"I enjoyed that. How about you?" She asked.
"I really liked it. Maybe I should look for the other films to watch." Ryusei replied.
"I've got the DVDs at home. You can borrow them if you like, I don't mind." Sen offered.
"That's really nice of you, but I don't think I can trust myself with other people's stuff." Declined the half-Amazon politely.
"Are you afraid you'll break them?" Sen asked, earning a slight nod that made her chuckle. "At least you're honest about it."
They got up and left the cinema. Sen's hand still held Ryusei's wrist. He still hadn't said anything, which made him feel warm and comfortable. Once outside, they faced each other.
"Thanks for coming with me to the cinema. It's nice to be with someone else." She said.
"I'm glad you did. I enjoyed spending time with you." Says Ryusei.
Suddenly, it started raining and I looked up.
"Huh. The weatherman didn't say anything about rain tonight." Said Ryusei.
"Yeah, it's a bit annoying. Hey, my house isn't far from here. How about spending the night with me?"
"W-What? Y-You sure? I don't want to bother you." Ryusei stammered.
"It's fine, really. you have nothing to worry about." Sen smiled.
He nodded with a small smile on his face. Sen's smile widened and she giggled.
"Good! Let's go !" She said.
They walked side by side, she still holding Ryusei's wrist. He swallowed and did something risky. He raised his hand to hers and held it. He glanced down and saw Sen's face turn slightly red. But his grip became more comfortable and she intertwined her fingers with his. It was her face that turned red. He fully realized he was holding Sen Takatsuki's hand!
While Ryusei was stuck in his thoughts about his own life, Sen was thinking about something else.
"I can see why Kishou turns his back on the idea of Ryusei being the one. But what is it... this weird feeling? I've never felt anything like this before. Be it with ghouls or humans. I feel warm and tingly with Ryusei, and somehow happier when I'm with him. Could it be that...? N-No! I can't feel like this! I-it's not... I..." She thought.
She looked slightly at Ryusei's face, admiring the sky-blue tint in his visible left eye. His face turned a little redder and heated up.
"Can I really be... No, it doesn't matter. I said three weeks for Arima. One week has already passed... Two more to go." She thought.
Ryusei could hardly believe it! He was going to Sen Takatsuki's house! As they drove through the midnight sky, he wondered what her house looked like. Considering she had messy hair and looked sleepy almost all the time, he thought it might be a bit messy.
Their hands were still holding each other. He managed to get used to it and couldn't help smiling. It was... peaceful. Maybe one day he wouldn't have to fight ghouls, or worse, ghouls who'd been through the same experiences as his mother.
Finally, they came to a building that didn't look all that grand.
"Here we are! I know it doesn't look like much, but it's home." Said Sen.
They went to the front door, which Sen unlocked. They entered and she let go of Ryusei's hand to turn on the lights. There was a small green carpet on the floor and the walls were a pale color. Shoes were lined up a little messily beside the front door. Some shoes were knocked over while others were in inverted places. They took off their shoes and placed them next to the others.
"I've got to warn you, it's a bit of a mess. I hope you don't mind." Said Sen, to which Ryusei shrugged.
"I don't mind at all. Besides, it's your house, it's up to you to decide how it looks and whether it makes you feel comfortable or not." He said, making her smile.
"Thank you. A lot of people, like my manager, lecture me about it. So thanks for looking at it my way. Let me show you around." Said Sen.
She passed the stairs and entered the door at the end of the hall. He followed her and entered the living room. It looked simple. There was a low wooden table, a sofa, a TV and a chair. The chair was covered with a pile of books and papers and the coffee table was littered with scraps of paper.
"This is the living room. There's more than enough space for me, so I use it to clear out some of my stuff. I usually clean on Sundays, but I forgot to do it yesterday. I'll try to do it tomorrow." Sen explained.
"I thought you wrote on a computer, not on paper." Ryusei confessed.
"I write on a computer, but I like to write drafts and notes to remind me of what I'm doing in my stories. But, as you can clearly see, I'm not the most organized person in the world." Sen chuckled nervously, making Ryusei laugh. "I'd show you the kitchen, but the fact is, I don't keep much food in there. I mainly cook instant noodles."
"Is that really healthy for you? How much do you eat a day?" Ryusei asked, a little worried for her.
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I'll show you upstairs." She replied.
They left the living room and returned to the corridor. This time, they climbed the stairs and encountered three doors. One on the right, one in the middle and one on the left.
She pointed to the right-hand door.
"That's the bathroom."
Then the middle door.
"That's my bedroom."
And finally, the left door.
"And this is where I work. However, it might as well be called room number 2. I've fallen asleep several times while working."
"Didn't you also fall asleep at some of the events where you signed books?" Ryusei asked.
She scratched the back of her head nervously.
"Yeah, only a few more times. But it's nice. Come on in, I'll show you my room." She said.
She opened the middle door and stepped inside. He followed her in and saw that the room was pretty messy. Clothes, towels and packets of instant noodles littered the floor and the bed. She rubbed the back of her head.
"Y-Yeah... I... wanted to clean that up." She said nervously.
"I don't mind lending a hand." Ryusei offered.
"H-Hein?! What?! B-but you're a guest! You shouldn't have to compensate for my laziness!" Sen said, shaking her hands in front of her, embarrassed by his proposal.
"Think of it as me paying you back for the movie." Ryusei retorted.
"I..." Said Sen as her face turned slightly red.
She suddenly threw her arms around Sen's neck, hugging him tightly. The young man's eyes widened at the sudden action, but he smiled and held her close. They stayed like that for a few seconds longer before parting. She gave him a gentle smile.
"Thank you so much!" She said, making him smile.
"You're welcome. Now let's clean up this mess." He said.
They both worked together to fix the problem. Sen put away her clothes and towels while he cleaned up the many empty noodle jars. It took them about 10-15 minutes to get everything clean and tidy, but it was worth it because the room looked so different. Once they'd made sure they hadn't forgotten anything, they looked at each other and gave each other a high five.
"Thank you Ryusei! You're a godsend." Said Sen.
"No problem. Anyway, it's really late and..." Says Ryusei before yawning and stretching his arms upwards. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep on the sofa."
"A-Actually... It might be more comfortable if... if you slept in the bed." Sen said shyly.
"What? I can't do that. This is your house, your room and your bed." Said Ryusei with surprise.
"W-Well... I-it's big enough for both of us." Sen added, making Ryusei blush.
"Y-You sure?" he asked.
She nodded shyly. He didn't know what to say or think. But he didn't want to upset her, so he nodded. She took off her top, leaving her in a simple t-shirt. He took off his hoodie and lay down on half the bed while she lay down on the other half.
"Good night Ryusei." She said.
"Good night Sen." He said.
She turned off the lamp and they closed their eyes, finally falling asleep.
The next morning, Sen awoke with a soft groan. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his alarm clock, which for some reason wasn't ringing. She looked at it and saw that it was 12 o'clock!
"WHAT?!" She said in shock.
She jumped out of bed, her messy hair in her face. She moved it to the side and looked up to see that Ryusei had left. She let her shoulders fall back as a sigh escaped her lips.
"I should have expected this..." she thought.
Suddenly, the door opened and she saw Ryusei holding a tray with two cups and a kettle. He walked towards her with a smile on his face. She thought it was cute.
"Good afternoon. Or rather, good afternoon." He said.
He set the tray in her lap as he sat cross-legged on the bed. He handed her a cup and I looked at it to see it was coffee. I picked it up.
"I picked it up. But you didn't have to do that for me." Said Sen.
"Yeah, but I figured it would be enough for you. Excuse me if this is offensive, but you look completely tired almost all the time." Says Ryusei.
"Hey. Yeah, being a novelist does that to you." Sen sighed.
"I can only imagine." Said the young man, looking at the author.
"Have you had lunch?" She asked.
"Yeah, I went out to a café. I just had pancakes." Said the half-Amazon.
"Sorry I didn't have anything to eat here." Sen apologized.
"Don't worry about it." Said Ryusei, shaking his head.
"The way he always seemed so happy was just adorable." Sen thought without taking his eyes off Ryusei. "No matter what bad things he hears about me, he doesn't care and always stays with me. How could I not love him? Well... as a friend! Not like romantically! I-I mean most of the time, but..."
"Hello? Earth to Sen, do you copy?" Said Ryusei, snapping his fingers in front of Sen's face, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah. Just... I dozed off again for a second." Sen lied.
"You'd better drink that coffee then. It'll make you feel better." Said the young man.
She nodded and took a sip. Almost immediately, he felt the rest of her body wake up, making her sigh with happiness. She admitted that Ryusei knew how to make a good cup of coffee.
"Thank you, it's delicious." She said, making her guest smile.
"I'm glad it's good for you." Said Ryusei, taking a sip from his cup before speaking again.
"So what do you have planned for today?" Ryusei asked.
"I'll have to catch up on my work since I didn't do it last night. I don't really have any events scheduled for today so I guess I'm free for the day." Sen replied.
"That's good. Try to take it easy, okay? I don't want you to tire yourself out." Said Ryusei.
"Okay." Sen agreed with a smile on his face.
He checked his phone and quickly finished his coffee.
"I should be going. A friend of mine is coming to pick me up." Ryusei said.
Sen felt his heart clench slightly as he heard this. Something that had never happened before.
"Ah..."
"Sorry we didn't get to spend any time together today, but I'll be sure to talk to you later on the phone. Is that okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'd like that." Sen nodded.
He nodded in return and took the tray from her lap and placed it on the dresser beside him. He left the room and said goodbye. She heard the front door open and close. She sighed and looked down at her hands, frowning.
"Oh Ryusei... What have I gotten you into...?"