The two just looked at the horizon with no one interrupting the silence.
And I got used to this silence.
And I began liking the serenity that she provided.
Touka turned to look at the lady who was taller than her. She grabbed on her sleeve and lo...
The maids and butlers left the room for privacy. Rikina felt on edge seeing the Director of CCG. "This is Washuu Yoshitoki. We're classmates back in the university. Right now, he's working with your father", Karin introduced. "Thank you for taking care of my father, Yoshitoki-san", Rikina kept her head down, not wanting to make eye contact with the man.
A tall black-haired man wearing a doctor's lab gown sat next to Rikina. The lady straightened her back and gulped. "Did you just come from your lab room? You still have blood all over your lab gown", Karin went to his side and removed it. Akihiro had always been a man of few words. He picked a cup of tea and drank.
"Come sit with us, Yo-chi. Sorry, Aki didn't greet you again", Karin chuckled. The new commer gave him a quick look and threw a scalpel which Yoshitoki was able to evade. "That's dangerous", the director of CCG sat in front of the family. Instead of finishing med school, the talented Imai Akihiro decided to raise the child he had when he was 17 and practice medicine illegally. Because of the CCG's permission, the man was able to put up a laboratory and clinic in his mansion.
"What brought you here?", Akihiro opened his mouth. Contrary to his intimidating aura, he is soft-spoken. "I won't beat around the bush. We're bringing a ghoul we captured a few weeks ago in your laboratory. The research team was able to extract RC cells from him sufficiently enough for the next project. We need a place to lock in the ghoul and for him to continue being brainwashed. I couldn't think of a better place than here", Yoshitoki informed. "You're bringing a ghoul in this place? All we have here are a bunch of injured humans caught in the crossfire", Rikina stood. "You don't have to worry. We will assign a special class investigator capable of protecting this place", Yoshitoki's words made Rikina's heart beat faster. "That's all I have to say", Yoshitoki stood and gave a bow.
"Are you leaving already?", Karin asked. "Karin, go show him the way out. He must still be lost until now", Akihiro said without looking at his wife. "Let's go to my room", Akihiro turned to face Rikina.
Akihiro's Study Room
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Akihiro raised a frame with a photo of him and his wife. "When you were Karin's age, she already had you", the man broke the silence. "What? Are you bragging about how early you found love?", Rikina pouted. "And she would always say that your eyes are pretty like gem", the man continued. Rikina gulped and held onto her eyepatch. Akihiro turned in her direction and removed the patch revealing auburn eyes nearly turning into scarlet orbs. "This way, you can see what kind of face I am making", Akihiro cupped his daughter's face. The man known to be stern and to have a poker face is crying.
"Who took away your sight?", the man was referring to her right eye. He is a doctor and he already knew at first glance that her right eye was not functioning. "Father, the truth is-", she was about to confess all that she's done but the door was opened wide. "Special Class Investigator Imai, the ghoul is to be released from the container van. You are being summoned by Director Yoshitoki", one of the investigators informed. Rikina started to exit the room but turned to see his father wiping his tears.
Garage
Rikina activated her quinque and wrapped Kaneki with the chains. He's been unable to suppress the ghoul inside of him. The investigators together with Akihiro's medical staff watch as the special class investigator handles a special-rate ghoul alone without any assist. After some time, Kaneki's kagune grew. She was able to slash them all returning him to his state of being unconscious by knocking him off. "Inject tranquilizer", Akihiro ordered the medics.
The place was abandoned only leaving Akihiro and Rikina. "What was that thing you wanted to tell me?", Akihiro stood next to Rikina who deactivated her weapon. "I had been working under CCG for two years. While I was in junior high, I already asked for mentorship under Arima-san", the lady stood straight and confessed. "I killed ghouls and had my hands tainted with their blood. I rose to the rank of being a special class investigator in my second year of becoming an official investigator. I still attended school and graduated thanks to my friends covering me up", Rikina added.
"What happened to your eyes?", Akihiro asked calmly. "I got it from the owl extermination mission. It was supposed to be over but then another owl appeared. My balance tipped off and it got my eyes. An investigator willingly signed to donate his organs if he is to die. I wanted to keep my other eye even if the doctor says that it might take a long time for it to heal or it might not even get healed", she answered.
"How were you able to navigate without seeing anything? You covered your seeing eye with an eyepatch", Akihiro asked more questions. "My body remembers. At every turn in this house, I have it imprinted in my mind. I deceived you all these years. I gave multiple lies. I came back to ask for forgiveness", the lady bowed very low. "You heard her, Karin. What should we do?", the man knew that his wife was listening all this time. She hid behind the wall but went out at the mention of her name. "Kina, didn't you tell me that you're staying for a week? Let's keep it slow and make up for the time we lost", Karin hugged the lady's head.
"Why did you join the CCG?", Akihiro clenched his fist.
"When I saw invesigators writing their will, I just found the urge keep them alive. I wanted them to tell whatever they wrote in their will to their love ones in person", the lady answered. "You're such a simple girl, just like me", Karin caressed her head.
16th Ward
Yomo's Hideout
"You're leaving, Hinami?", Touka was baffled by the girl's decision. "I don't want to just sit around and not do anything. They have a brother. Who knows what they're doing with him", the youngster clenched her fist. "What are you going to do then?", Yomo asked. "I will become stronger", Hinami answered. "How do you plan on becoming stronger?", the man stepped forward and tried to intimidate Hinami.
"I will be joining Aogiri Tree", Hinami said with a serious tone. Touka's eyes widened. "Hinami. Ghouls in Aogiri tree committed such heinous crimes. Why would you be turning to a group of mur-", Touka stopped as she realized that she was also one. "I don't plan on becoming like them. I will be strong so that I can also change the organization from within", she activated her kagune. "Please don't stop me, sister. Once everything is done, we'll see each other again", Hinami smiled then jumped out of the balcony.
Touka's phone got a notification.
Kaneki Ken is in my custody. He is not to be sentenced to death.
The lady felt relieved. She knows that Rikina will be true to her words.
