It Starts With a Question

Reunion

What Touka had labeled to be an average day, turned out to be quite the opposite. At least in the morning, when she got up and went to her classes, was something she considered normal. When she had to brace herself and eat Yoriko's food again during lunchbreak, that was also normal... for her, except for the extra secret ingredient, as Yoriko called it. That made her gag terribly. She couldn't even hide it from her classmates. Why did Yoriko have to engulf herself with the foreign culinary dishes? At least no one found Touka's reaction odd. Be honest, who would want to eat a strange French dish with... She didn't remember what it was, but it was too much. The weirdest thing was when Yoriko started to apologize and that she would be more careful next time. Touka wondered what the French dish was...

At least her shift at Anteiku went eventful. Nishiki had to keep his girlfriend busy, who decided to drop by. Enji was still wondering how Nishiki was able to get a girlfriend like Kimi in the first place, Irimi just continued with her work, Roma was trying not to drop any more cups and the manager just did his job like always.

She trained with Yomo afterwards for a few hours and headed home when they finished. That was when it happened. She had inserted her keys in the lock when she felt someone behind her... And when he called her name... That was when she froze.

"Hello Touka-chan."

She turned around slowly, hardly believing what happened. She was staring at him, HIM, in living flesh, those same melancholic eyes, the same white hair. The girl just stood there until she finally got over her shock.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" The girl barked.

Kaneki just stayed put, unfazed by her attitude, but of course he wouldn't, he wasn't the same anymore...

"I... Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Well, as you can see I'm as fine as fuck! So, go back to your little place! I don't want to see you shithead!"

"I'm sorry... I know that I hurt you..."

"Save your pity excuses for later, dumbass! You think I'd pass it off as if nothing happened?! Well, think twice!" Her blood was boiling with anger and sadness, hadn't he done enough? She was doing fine without him. Why did he have to appear in front of her, with that same painted expression he had when they separated? It made it more painful than it already was.

"I just want you to be safe... I don't want you to get hurt, you or the others."

"You have my gratitude, your highness!" The ukaku ghoul spat sarcastically. "But what do you know about what's safe for me and what's not?! You don't know a fucking thing about me!" The girl's voice became uncontrollable, she felt tears already forming in her eyes, but she didn't give a damn anymore, she was sick of it all. "You don't give a shit! You don't even care about trying to know! You only think about your selfish actions! You don't even care what others feel! Well, I'm sick of it! I'm sick of the empty promises! I don't need any fucking liars!"

By now the girl had broken into sobbing and hiccups as she couldn't control her emotions. Her vision was blurred from the tears, but she didn't care anymore, it didn't matter anymore if the idiot saw her weak, fragile, vulnerable side. Everything she tried to hide... It didn't matter. She just wanted it to spill out and get over with it. The girl was pounding angrily with her fist on his shoulders, not that she could use much force at the moment.

The girl didn't even flinched when she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her torso, nor when she felt his breath close to her ear. "I'm sorry..."

Touka didn't answer, his words felt empty to her.

"I'm so sorry Touka-chan."

Touka gritted her teeth. "I... Fucking hate you!" She barked between her sobs.