"Sir, the term 'human-like' isn't used to describe people."
Little Kaneki was still too gentle.
He simply thought Akuto had used the wrong word and was still defending Kamishiro Rize.
"Sorry, my Japanese isn't very good."
Although Akuto was apologizing, the mocking look in his eyes couldn't be faked.
"By the way, do you guys like people?"
"Eh?"
Kaneki Ken was stumped by Akuto's question, and many people around them also looked over.
The Anteiku Coffee Shop was a gathering place for Ghouls, so in the entire shop, only Kaneki and Akuto were humans.
To be precise, only Kaneki Ken was human.
It was quite a terrifying thing to say.
"I think Miss Kamishiro Rize must really like people," Akuto rubbed his chin. "You could say she can't miss a single meal."
Silence.
The entire coffee shop was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Not just Kamishiro Rize, even the Manager looked at Akuto in shock.
Touka almost dropped the cup in her hand.
Akuto was dealing damage right in the faces of all the Ghouls in the shop!
Who couldn't understand those words?
He was clearly saying that Kamishiro Rize was a Ghoul!
"Is this guy... a White Dove?"
Touka frowned slightly. Beside her, Irimi Yuki and Koma Enji exchanged a look and shook their heads. "Doesn't look like it."
"He doesn't have the stench of a White Dove."
"And no White Dove would be stupid enough to provoke an SS-rated Ghoul, the Binge Eater, like this right in front of her."
"It's more likely they would set an inescapable trap." At this moment, the focus of everyone's gaze is on.
Akuto suddenly grinned.
"Just kidding!"
"I won't disturb your chat anymore, Kanou."
Akuto put away the documents, paid the bill, and turned to leave elegantly.
Everyone in the coffee shop kept their eyes on Akuto. Through the window, they could see him getting into a luxury car.
Before the car started, he rolled down the window and waved toward the coffee shop.
Then, with a roar, he disappeared around the street corner.
Touka and the others withdrew their gaze, unable to understand for a moment.
"A coincidence?"
If this was a coincidence, it was too much of one.
"Miss Rize..."
Kaneki Ken looked at Kamishiro Rize with concern; her expression was so dark it looked like it was about to drip water.
"I'm fine."
"Kaneki-kun, let's talk next time. I'm feeling a bit unwell."
Kamishiro Rize also left in a hurry; she couldn't stay in this place for another second.
In an alley, Kamishiro Rize was no longer pretending to be intellectual, but was venting her rage against the wall with a face full of madness like a lunatic:
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!"
"Aaaah!!!"
"Boom boom boom boom!"
Large holes were smashed into the wall one after another.
"Excuse me? Beautiful lady, are you having some trouble?"
A blonde-haired man heard the noise and walked in. Seeing a beautiful woman standing in the alley, he immediately walked over with a sleazy air.
Kamishiro Rize sneered and pointed to the other end of the alley, pretending to be terrified. "Someone just ran past, I'm so scared..."
"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you. I certainly won't let a beauty like you be in danger."
The man gave a lewd smile and reached out to touch Kamishiro Rize's butt.
"Really? Then I'm a bit hungry. Can you satisfy me?"
Chomp!
The sound of feasting echoed in the alley.
Half an hour later, Kamishiro Rize walked out of the alley feeling refreshed, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth... The next day.
Akuto woke up in a large hotel bed.
"I need to buy a house."
Akuto yawned.
His lack of identity had almost made checking into a hotel a problem; now he had money but nowhere to spend it.
"First, solve the identity issue, then go verify the clues I found yesterday."
Having planned his schedule for the day, Akuto took a refreshing bath, changed his clothes, and drove away from the hotel.
At the entrance of the CCG 2nd Ward Branch.
"Beep beep!"
Akuto honked the horn.
The Investigators who had just walked out of the CCG for their lunch break all looked over.
Seeing the top-tier luxury car, many men let out exclamations of surprise.
Akira's heart skipped a beat when she saw the face inside the car window. She then walked over in her high heels and said with a cold face.
"What are you doing here?"
Her eyes swept over her colleagues who were peeking around, and her tone became even heavier. "Drive the car away quickly. This is a CCG branch, not a place for you to show off."
At the same time, she cursed inwardly, "Does this guy have any common sense? Coming here in a car like this, does he want me to be the talk of my colleagues for the whole year?"
The whispers of the colleagues behind her were like needles, making her earlobes turn red, and her grip on her briefcase tightened involuntarily.
So much so that her knuckles turned white.
"I'm here for you, of course. Get in."
Akuto exhaled a puff of smoke and said calmly.
Akira's brow furrowed even tighter. Her cold gaze first swept over the cigarette between his fingers, then landed on the increasingly curious eyes of her colleagues. The blush on her ear tips almost spread to her cheeks. "Put out the cigarette."
Her voice was cold and hard, carrying the unquestionable authority of an Investigator. "This is a CCG branch. Smoking is prohibited, and you're not allowed to be so flashy."
Akira's fingers tightened on her briefcase as she deliberately kept her distance from the luxury car, her tone full of impatience.
"I'm not getting in. If you have something to say, say it here."
Akuto raised an eyebrow dismissively, then lightly waved two fingers.
"Should I slaughter them right here, or are you getting in the car?"
"Try touching them and see what happens."
Akira took half a step back, her fingers tightly gripping the quinque's switch, as if ready to pull out her weapon and fight Akuto at any moment.
Akuto remained calm.
Akira looked back at her colleagues and sighed.
At this point, even if she said she had nothing to do with Akuto, they probably wouldn't believe it.
The atmosphere was at a stalemate.
Akira looked at Akuto's calm face and finally compromised.
"...I'll get in."
Opening the car door, Akira sat inside, her briefcase placed neatly on her knees.
She looked a bit embarrassed and constrained.
"Wait!" Akira suddenly spotted a key detail: "Where did you get the car? Where did you get the money?"
"Possession of huge amounts of property from unidentified sources—I can arrest you for that too."
"What do you want to eat?"
Akuto started the car. Akira could even hear her colleagues cheering behind them. A few veins popped on her forehead, and her face turned red.
"How about steak?"
"You decide. I won't waste time on such things."
"I hope you can finish what you have to say quickly and let me leave."
Akuto shrugged, found a Western restaurant, and sat down with Akira.
After casually ordering two steaks and some side dishes and desserts, Akuto finally looked at Akira.
"The reason I came to see you is..."
Akuto fell silent for a moment, suddenly not knowing how to put it.
Asking someone from the CCG to go through the back door of the Police Station?
That was a bit strange.
Seeing Akuto looking conflicted and not speaking for a long time, Akira's earlobes turned redder and redder.
A few seconds later, Akira summoned her courage and squeezed her fingers tightly.
"I won't be your girlfriend. I have no intention of dating right now!"
Akuto raised his eyes expressionlessly, looked at Akira, and said in a flat tone. "I'm here to ask you to help me solve my identity issue."
Akira's face instantly burned a fiery red!
That shade of red spread from her neck to her entire body.