Unraveled

Chapter 20: If this will be the Last

A few weeks after...

Garden Wedding

Yoriko walks down the aisle glancing at every corner. She imagined Touka also in the crowd standing next to Rikina but it was just the investigator that she saw and the lady was no longer wearing her dyed white hair. She went back to her natural color. The lady wore a white dress with a blue lining. She gave a wide smile and hoped that it would heal the lady's broken heart. Rikina gave a wide wave and she was able to lipread a congratulations.

"I haven't attended a wedding for a long time", Saiko commented while eating the pastries. She clung to Rikina as if she was making sure the lady would not disappear anytime. "You look beautiful, Tohru", Rikina commended the investigator finally coming out as a lady. "I am nothing compared to you, Special Class Imai-san", she said with embarrassment. "Eh~ I really think that you really spit a woman's image", Rikina continued appreciating her. The wedding was filled with laughter. Takeomi had colleagues teasing him and also some of them were jealous that the investigator was getting married while they had a hard time looking for someone to marry due to the nature of their work.

"How about you, Akira-san? When are you planning to get married? I am looking forward to mini-versions of you", Rikina joined her in the conversation. "Aren't you the one who should be worried about yourself?", Akira sighed looking at the investigators taking a photo of the white head secretly. "A white-haired Kina-chan is very lovely but a raven-head Kina-chan is also gorgeous", Juzou walked towards them. "Suzuya, we haven't seen each other for a long time", Rikina raised her hands and they both had high fives.

Being Yoriko's friend, Rikina was made to give a speech. "Well~ I kind of feel teary for this beautiful day, Yoriko, Takeomi-kun. Yoriko and I met in the 20th ward. We both attended the same high school and she was always there to help me out in various ways. One thing I knew about her was that she was orphaned and that her grandparents took care of her. Since that, she was the reason why I also became fascinated with flowers. Yoriko lost her parents due to a massacre done by a ghoul", and the atmosphere suddenly turned dark. "As most of us, we lost many because of this long-lasting conflict. But today, even just for a while, I am grateful that we can celebrate love and be reminded that life is not just about remembering our loss but also celebrating the things that we found. Takeomi-kun, Yoriko found her home in you. She knew she loved you when 'home' went from being a place to being a person. Congratulations to the both of you", Rikina gave a wide smile and hugged the two of them.

After some time, Rikina went to grab some drinks. "You know your limit", Ui stood next to her. "What's the harm? It's my best friend's wedding", she raised a glass and gave it to the man as well. "I quit smoking. I don't want to get caught with liquor as well", he rejected the offer. "Good for you, Ui-san. I thought I was going to lecture you on lung cancer and many more conditions", she chuckled and sipped through the glass. There was a moment of silence. The two watched as Yoriko and Takeomi danced in the middle of the crowd. They both basked in the presence of serenity.

"Ui-san"

"Rikina"

The two called each other's names at the same time. The lady was quite startled to hear her first name. "You can go first", Ui cleared his throat. "You look good in your suit. Since the time I saw you, you are wearing your coat or a training suit", Rikina clapped. "It's a comrade's wedding. Why would I be wearing my uniform?", Ui sighed. "What is it that you want to tell me?", Rikina turned to look at him. Ui stared at her for a long time.

"Imai-san, Saiko is asking if you can fix her dress. She's been eating a lot and her tie went loose", Urie butted in. "Of course. Sorry Ui-san. I'll get back to you", she waved and went to where Urie pointed.

Ui gave a short chuckle. "I felt annoyed to say that I am thankful and frustrated at the same time", he pulled Urie's tie. The other investigators who attended felt the tension and whispered to each other. "Thanks", Ui calmed himself and let go of Urie's tie.

Saiko saw Rikina approaching. "Why are you all flustered? Did you drink a lot?", Tohru noticed and saw the glass on her hand. "Uhmm. That's right", the lady laughed nervously. Saiko looked at the direction where she came from and saw Ui grabbing on Urie's tie. "I see", she hummed.

Rikina sat on the couple's couch. Takeomi was dragged by the investigators for a drinking challenge. "You can be honest with me now", Yoriko held the lady's hand. "I might be in hiding for the next months, years, or decades. But then, Yoriko, know that you will always be in my heart", Rikina gave a small smile.

Few Days After,

Imai's Residence

Laboratory

"You are under arrest, Imai Akihiro or should I say, Washuu Akihiro. As the next director of the CCG, I am to make sure that you will not follow the actions of your ancestors", Furuta smirked as he entered the laboratory. Karin entered and grabbed Akihiro's arm. "Karin, I am just going to have a quick talk with the new director. The car is already prepared outside. I'll see you after", the doctor patted her head. The woman felt warm in her eyes. The doctor nodded giving a sign for the butler to lead the woman outside the laboratory. "Kina and I will be waiting for you", Karin said with a serious tone.

The two were left standing in the middle of the laboratory. Furuta activated his kagune and went directly to impaling Akihiro's arm. "If you didn't exchange the beauty of being a ghoul, you could have regenerated from that wound", the man sighed and shrugged his shoulder. Akihiro revealed a long scalpel from his lab gown and slashed Furuta's kagune. "Tell me, Uncle, why did you decide to become humans? Why did you leave the Washuu clan? If you could have been there, Rize, Hairu, Arima, and I wouldn't have to suffer this half-baked project that CCG created?!", Furuta was enraged and pinned him on the wall. His blood dripped on the floor. Akihiro watched the floor slowly being tainted with his blood.

"Instead of my brother being the first one to be injected with anti-RC cells, I was chosen as the candidate for the experiment. He has a promising future of becoming the director of CCG so they cannot bear losing him. I was a rebel, a bad tomato in the family. If I die, they can just have another candidate for the experiment. I was angered by that fact so I tried to get back to my brother by stealing the woman he loved", Akihiro raised his head and looked at Furuta's eyes. "We don't fall from a different tree, Furuta. Eventually, I fell in love with her. Love does make someone do even the craziest things. I experimented with my body on my own and gathered as many humans as I could to make anti-RC cells. I killed people to make me human", the man grabbed Furuta's kagune.

"Sorry, Furuta. It must have been scary to know that you won't get past the age of 30", Akihiro's apologized. "What's the use of apologizing now?! It was your project to make experimental humans like us. If not because of you-", the man snapped at the recall of Rize's smiling face and directed all his kagune to Akihiro.

Another set of kagune blocked the way and were destroyed. Chains enveloped Furuta's kagune and was locked on the ground by the scythe. "Ri..kina", Akihiro was startled to see her having a set of kagune growing from her back. "We'll talk later. First, we have to escape", the white-haired lady stood. Akihiro saw another man with him wearing a cloak. "I am just paying my debt", Amon gave a slight bow of the head.

Chapter end.