The next day.
"Swoosh!"
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Two people were fighting a Ghoul in a junkyard. One of the women was clearly distracted, completely failing to notice where she was standing.
"Crack!"
The next moment, the rusted car roof beneath the woman collapsed, trapping her foot inside.
"Damn you CCG Investigator! Die!"
Seeing this, the Ghoul immediately abandoned its pursuit of the other man, darted forward, and thrust its Kagune Rinkaku toward the woman.
"Buzz!!"
The woman watched helplessly as the Kagune Rinkaku's spike stopped less than a centimeter in front of her eye.
"Thud..."
The Ghoul fell heavily, and the man behind it retracted his quinque. "Akira, you shouldn't make mistakes like this."
Who else could the woman frozen in place be but Mado Akira?
As he spoke, the man helped Akira pull her foot out. The metal cut her calf, and blood was gushing from her fair ankle.
Akira sat down nearby and expressionlessly took out a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. "If something is bothering you, you can talk to me about it."
"After all, I am your senior, and I can't fight Ghouls with a distracted subordinate." The man looked serious.
Akira watched the blood slowly stop flowing and sighed, feeling the throbbing pain below her ankle.
"First Class Investigator Nishima, do you think there are people in this world who genuinely dislike eating?"
"I don't mean people who are ill."
Investigator Nishima sat on the hood of a nearby abandoned car, rubbing his chin. "Well..."
"There are all kinds of people in this world. Some don't like sleeping, some don't like eating, and some don't like talking."
"That's all normal."
Akira kept her head down, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
"It's about that man, isn't it?"
Nishima seemed to see right through Akira. "He's not..."
Just as Akira was about to retort, Investigator Nishima continued on his own, "Akira, do you know why our other colleagues were so surprised when they heard you had a boyfriend?"
Nishima looked at Akira with a relieved expression.
"Because that man isn't an investigator."
"For years, you've been completely focused on exterminating Ghouls. Everyone respects your dedication, but you've been too tightly wound."
"You need to know that this world holds more things worthy of your attention than just this one matter."
"This one thing shouldn't tie down your life, and it certainly shouldn't be consumed by hatred."
"If you let hatred lead you by the nose, your path will only narrow, and you won't be able to go far."
"That's why everyone's surprise back then was mixed with genuine relief."
"Relief that you were finally willing to loosen that string and experience warmth outside of battle. That's what life should look like."
Nishima stood up, looking into the distance with a somewhat melancholy tone.
"The moment we became Investigators, we prepared ourselves for sacrifice."
"But it would be a huge regret if that day arrived and we realized there were too many things we hadn't tried in this world, too many words we hadn't managed to say."
"Wouldn't it?"
"...He is not my boyfriend."
Akira completely ignored Investigator Nishima's emotional appeal.
"That guy is annoying. He's clearly just lazy, yet he says things like he doesn't like eating."
"He has a million excuses, but it all comes down to him being lazy."
Investigator Nishima let out a hearty laugh. "Hahahahaha!"
"Is that so? It seems you haven't realized it yet, Akira, but you care deeply about that guy."
"I absolutely do not!" Akira's voice rose slightly, then she quickly lowered it, her tone laced with obvious panic, yet she forced herself to maintain a cold demeanor.
"I just owe him two favors. Helping him sort out his identity and tidying up his messy apartment were just ways to quickly pay back the debt so he wouldn't keep bothering me!"
She retorted instinctively, but images flashed uncontrollably in her mind.
Akuto was lying on the sofa that morning, and his sudden appearance when she was in despair.
These fragments made her feel even more awkward, forcing her to quickly add a complaint. "He's so strong, yet he's too lazy to even eat properly, always saying strange things and showing off everywhere. He's nothing but trouble!"
First Class Investigator Nishima watched her rush to defend herself, laughing even more heartily, his eyes filled with understanding.
"Oh? If it's just about paying back a favor, why would you specifically remember that he doesn't want to eat properly? And why would you be thinking about such things during a fight?"
"I wasn't worried!"
Akira immediately interrupted, but she didn't dare meet Nishima's eyes. She turned to look at the distant sky instead, her voice softening. "I just... I just don't want to owe favors."
Her words were firm, but she felt strangely uneasy inside.
Investigator Nishima patted her shoulder, his tone gentle but carrying undeniable certainty, "Akira, you've become too used to wrapping yourself inside the shell of Ghoul extermination. Caring about someone isn't shameful, nor is it a betrayal of your mission."
He paused, gazing at the distant sky. "Just as you worry about your colleagues' safety and give your all for your mission, caring about someone who occasionally intrudes into your life is simply human nature."
Akira's shoulders stiffened momentarily, and the tension in her fingertips slowly eased.
The flush on her ear tips hadn't faded, and her heart felt heavy, as if something had gently bumped it.
"I..."
She opened her mouth, wanting to argue again, but found her throat tight and couldn't speak.
Akuto—this man who constantly caused her trouble and was full of twisted logic—seemed to have truly taken up a small, unwarranted place in her heart.
"No, I haven't!"
She finally managed to utter those three stubborn words, but without her previous forcefulness, instead laced with a hint of subtle panic, and she abruptly stood up. "The Logistics Team is here, I'm leaving first!"
The way she turned and hurried away looked exactly like a panicked retreat.
Nishima watched her retreating figure, shaking his head helplessly, yet his eyes were full of relief.
The string that had been pulled taut for too long finally showed signs of loosening.
Meanwhile, at the Anteiku Coffee Shop.
Akuto was drinking coffee and checking documents when the sound from the television caught his attention.
"Ghouls don't need to consume large amounts of food in such a short time."
"Eating one corpse can sustain them for one or two months."
"Mr. Ogura, are Ghouls, like humans, not satisfied by mere sustenance?"
Akuto looked up at the television, just as Irimi Yuki expressionlessly changed the channel.
"That unlucky fellow Kaneki Ken has probably become a Ghoul by now, right?"
"Speaking of which..." Akuto took out his phone and searched for something.
[ The book signing event for famous author Takatsuki Sen officially begins today! ]
"It's today, as expected." Akuto had a hint of excitement in his eyes.
Takatsuki Sen is the SSS-rated Ghoul, the One-Eyed Owl. Although she may not be the absolute strongest in the world, she is one of the strongest.
Akuto was very interested in this person.
"I should go see her. It's a good chance to test my current strength."
Akuto checked the time; the book signing was scheduled to start in a few hours.
Akuto remembered this event because Kaneki Ken had become a Ghoul after being transplanted with Kamishiro Rize's organs.
He had gone to see Takatsuki Sen's book signing back then, but it had already ended.