It Starts With a Question

For a Friend

Seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn into hours, hours turn into days and well, all the other crap. Touka had to agree on that. The girl sighed as she opened the toilet door. She had checked everything in the mirror before leaving. Toothbrush, which she always brought with her, had done its job, hopefully. Face cleaned from any vomit or other things, she was sure not to bring any attention towards herself. She sighed, damn Yoriko must have been trying new things, because it was getting harder and harder to stomach all that food. She stopped in her tracks when she entered Anteiku and met with Kaneki's worried looking face. Dammit, she completely forgot about him!

"Touka-chan... Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, yeah." The girl mumbled. "Just ate something bad."

"You ate Yoriko-chan's food again?"

The ukaku ghoul gave her colleague a glare. "So what?"

"I admire your willpower to eat her food, but it's not good for you if you keep doing that. What if you collapse?"

Touka felt happy and flustered for the half-ghoul's concern about her, but god she has to stop doing that! Why is she so uncomfortable near the idiot. The high school girl took a deep breath. "It's my problem if I get sick, not yours!"

She pushed Kaneki softly aside, on her way to start working, but Kaneki grabbed her. His face slightly serious and a bit nervous as well. "At least take this... You probably want something nice in your mouth after eating human food.

He let go of her hand and returned to do his work. Touka just stood there dumbfounded. She glanced at her hand and opened it, only to spot a meat cube. Her gaze softened as she placed it in her pocket. "Thank you for your concern... idiot..."

The cube did help a bit. The nauseous feeling had finally subdued, but she still felt weak. So after arriving at her house, the only thing she did was sleep.
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"Hey Touka-chan, are you alright?"

The ukaku ghoul lifted her head slowly as she stared nonchalantly at her friend. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep well the last couple of days."

"Hmm." The blonde eyed her friend suspiciously. "Could it be... boy problems?"

"Whaa?!"

"Has it to do with the boy who was at your place some weeks ago?"

Touka was quiet, sure she was feeling more... uncomfortable around Kaneki, but that wasn't the reason for her lack of energy. "He's just a colleague from Anteiku." She protested.

"I don't remember you ever inviting a boy, colleague or classmate to your home."

"That's because that idiot volunteered... to help out with a problem I had in one of my rooms."

"Well, isn't that polite of him. Do you know what school he attends?"

Touka eyed her friend suspiciously, but answered anyway. "I believe he's a student at the literature department of Kami university."

"Oh my, Touka-chan, he's a keeper for sure!"

"Huh?"

"It's so hard at this age to still find a decent guy. Sure, he's not a looker, but personality is important and he goes to a good university!"

"What are you saying? I don't have any interest in him." 'Besides, he's a fucking idiot who only knows how to step on my nerves.' Not that she would say that aloud. Her chest felt warm upon remembering Kaneki's kind words, but she quickly pushed it away. "Anyway, what was that thing you wanted to talk to me about?"