Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 18

"Come on, Kaneki! Don't be a downer! Sure, a lot of things have gone wrong, but you could still have some fun!" Hide yipped as he pranced beside Kaneki.

"Hide." Kaneki sighed, but turned kind eyes towards the ghost and smiled. "You always do see the positive in everything."

"Of course I do!" Hide replied.

"It's funny." Kaneki mused. "You see the positive and I see the negative. We're polar opposites."

"We balance each other out!" Hide corrected, smile brighter than the sun plastered to his face. "Besides, you aren't completely negative. You see the positive in a lot of things."

"Maybe when I was human." Kaneki said.

"Quit it with that!" Hide pouted. "You're still the same Kaneki! Just a little broken. Nothing hugs can't fix!"

"Hide!" Kaneki scolded as Hide hugged him tightly on college campus. "You're lucky no one's around!"

"Don't be such a downer! Have fun!" Hide smiled.

"How would I do that?" Kaneki asked after Hide let go. "Need I remind you, I'm on campus during lunch. There's really nowhere I can go or anything I can do as of now."

"Like this!" Hide smirked before Kaneki's homework slammed into his face.

"Hey!" Kaneki swat the paper away from his face. "How'd you do that?"

"I can't touch anything or anyone besides you, but I can interact with objects with my mind. It's like telepathy!" Hide laughed. "I have superpowers! I can use telekinesis and invisibility!"

"You're having fun with this." Kaneki stared before chuckling. "Of course you would."

"Now, you have fun!" Hide huffed.

"I don't have telekinesis." Kaneki stated bluntly.

"You don't need it!" Hide smiled. "Tag! You're it!" Hide poked Kaneki.

"Tag? Really, Hide? I'm nineteen, and so are you." Kaneki raised a brow at the blonde ghost.

"Forever young!" Hide yelled happily.

Kaneki smiled and looked down. "Hide."

"Kaneki? You okay?" Hide asked, worry seeping into his tone.

"You really shouldn't have done that." A dark chuckle escaped the white haired boy's lips.

"Kaneki?" Hide asked, warily. "Are you sure you're okay? Don't go insane on me, now."

"Tag!" Kaneki leapt up, with inhuman speed and poked Hide. "You're it!"

Hide blinked, shocked before laughing. "Not for long!"

Kaneki laughed and dodged the finger that dared to poke him, and sped off down the field.

"Come back here, Bakaneki!" Hide cried, laughing happily like a mad man while chasing after his best friend.

__________________________

Lily watched Kaneki talk to himself before he leapt up and poked the air. He laughed and ran away.

It went on like that for the whole lunch period. Kaneki would race across the grass and seem to dodge and poke at the air.

Almost as if he was playing tag with someone.

"That's ridiculous." Lily scolded herself. "Kaneki's just lost it, that's all."

Though, she had to admit, it was a sight to behold as she watched Kaneki laugh and smile for the first time in weeks.