"I brought you some stuff to help pass the time." I held out the bag and she took it off of me. I sat on the bed with my legs crossed and watched her sifting through the bag.
"A book, a t-shirt and a woolly blanket!" She shouted smiling. She hugged me but I pulled away.
"You have to remember." I said raising my eyebrow, meaning the fact that she can't keep hugging me like this, or else we'll get caught.
"You're right." She put the book on the pile of books on her floor and smiled.
"I cleared it with Akira too so you won't have anything I gave you today taken off you. For good behaviour, she's allowed you these."
"Thank you."
"You know why I'm doing this right? Why I'm playing the part?"
"You're being patient. You're saving my life. You said you can destroy files on me and everybody else, gradually and get kaneki back."
"I had to lock up yasuna and soji today. I did this whole big scene so they have no idea who I am."
"They'll understand in the end." She put her hand on my knee and smiled at me.
"Hopefully." I sighed. "Anyway, I'd really love to stay but I have to go home."
"It's fine. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Course." I walked out and smiled. I got into the elevator and tied my hair up. It opened on the bottom floor so I walked out.
"Bye Ai!" Juuzou shouted. I didn't turn around, I just held my hand up, saying good bye in a way and walked out with my handbag. I saw shirazu getting into his car so I ran over. I knocked on the window and he smiled. I climbed in.
"Thanks." I put my seat belt on and sat back.
"Why didn't you leave with haise and the gang?"
"I had to talk to the people I brought in today. There's something about her, the girl, it just screams 'run'."
"The fact she's a mass murderer that likes to paint with her victims blood could be the big red light for me."
"I get what you're saying but it's not that. My gut is telling me things will get ugly and I can't shake the feeling."
"Well you need to because you can't go home work crazed again. If i have to listen to you and haise arguing about work one more time I'll shoot myself in the head."
"Jesus that's a bit depressing."
"So Is lack of sleep, caused by your arguments all the time. Why are you even together if you argue."
"Were not, not yet."
"He got you a ring?"
"It was off all of you razu. Remember, a birthday present."
"I hope he won't use that excuse when he proposes. 'Oh, it was all of us so it's not anything to be awkward about'. He could have grown the balls to...you know, tell you the truth. He wants you. The last girl he had was a psycho ghoul so I think he's reserved about this stuff now."
"Maybe so, but if he wants me he should tell me instead of hiding it. I could die tomorrow and then he'll regret me going without knowing his true feelings."
"You say some really weird stuff sometimes." He patted the top of my head and smiled.
We drove past someone and I recognised them.
"Stop!" I shouted.
"Were far from home you know."
"I'll find my own way back. It's fine."
"Okay." He sighed and I got out. I ran to the pavement and over to the boy.
"Long time no speak." He said. I grabbed his arm and pulled him off with me into the trees.
"Why are you here?"
"I followed you of course. I had a hunch about who you were."
"Well, kuraidesu, will you blow my cover."
"It's Hikari. Your secret is safe. Why lie, again?"
"What do you mean?"
"I have Yuki with me thinking you're dead."
"Well, I've only told yasuna and soji that to keep the facade up. You know how it is now."
"And haise?"
"He knows everything."
"And he loves you."
"I think. Can't say for certain."
"Lucky girl."
"You have a car?"
"Yes. Need a ride to the house of lies you built yourself?"
"Need a punch to the reality of who you're talking to?"
"No." He laughed and led me to his car. We both got in.
"Everyone is scared that you're actually dead."
"I have to do this. It's best for Hinami. I can destroy the ccg from the inside. It's a good plan but everybody needs to believe it."
"Miza thinks soji is dead."
"I shot a bit of his ear off. He's fine. Angry, devastated, but fine."
"Suppose that's what fine means."
"What?"
"He's obviously not okay, but you said he's fine. I think it's time that word had a changed definition."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. It means help me. I'm too proud or scared to ask for help, but I'm fine."
"You've given this quite a lot of thought."
"I've also used the word fine a hell of a lot, enough to know, it's the most misleading word in the history of words. "
"What's wrong then?"
"You know what's wrong. I'm a weirdo and my parents died, leaving their mass fortune to me."
"I'd have thought that you would have been happy with that?"
"I'm not most people. Being lumped with thousands and thousands of responsibilities isn't really my forte."
"What is your forte?"
"Haven't quite figured it out yet."
He dropped me off on the outskirts of the first ward and I walked the rest of the way to the mansion. I know you're probably wondering how I got in so easily. How I'm in the quinx squad and everything... I had juuzou set up a fake surgery, a surgery all quinx members had to under go. I regularly take rc suppressants so I can keep my rc level down. If i need to become strong I just bite a ghoul and bam! I can eat human food if my rc levels are low enough, which with regular doses of the rc suppressant, they are.
I walk inside and everyone is sat eating food.
"Hey." Shirazu smiled. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just tired." I put my bag down by the door and walked over to haise. I kissed his cheek and opened my mouth behind him. He gave me some of the ramen he had on his chopsticks and smiled. I chewed the food and yawned.
"I'm gonna hit the sack. Got a tough day of interrogation tomorrow." I smiled and walked upstairs. I locked my bedroom door, like I do every night and got changed into some pyjamas. I left my hair tied up and began to brush my teeth in the bathroom In my room. I washed my face and sat on my bed. I grabbed the key from my jewlwery box on my bedside cabinet, pulled the door open and unlocked the drawer. I pulled out my lense case with the solution in and pulled my contact lenses out, putting them in the case. I put the case back and pulled out a needle. I walked to the bathroom again and pulled my eyelid up. I injected my eye, and like always, I yelped out in pain, but quietly and then put the needle in my drawer.
I climbed into bed with my sleeping mask and just as I was falling asleep I heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" I shouted.
"Let me in." Haise said.
I pulled the eye mask off and unlocked the door, opening it. He walked in and I locked the door behind him.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I wanted to check up on you."
"You want to know if i knew the ghouls don't you?"
I looked at kaneki and he nodded.
"I knew them. Very well actually, but like I've told you plenty of times, I'm not playing you. I swear. I've changed. I don't want to be like them. I want to help and that's why I'm here. I'm here to help you all, to move on. It's a new start I promise."
"You're not playing me? You're not lying to me?"
"I'm not."
"Promise."
I looked at the vulnerability seeping through the pores on his face. He needed me to be honest. He doesn't want to be lied to, but he doesn't want me to go or to be in danger. He obviously cares about me.
"I swear." I looked up, feeling guilty because I was lying but I need everything to be believable. He knows I'm a bad ghoul, but he has no clue I'm taiga. I'm so sorry haise. I love you, and I'll make it up to you. Don't worry.
