Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 21

A brief explanation later, Lily couldn't speak very well.

"T-Tha-That's...uh...ah...I didn't expect...I'm not exactly..." Lily couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence.

Kaneki, though the dire situation, was amused. "Speechless, huh? That's a new one."

Lily blushed, embarrassed. "Shut it!"

Kaneki just chuckled in return to the rude comment.

"Wait." Lily paused. "You have tentacles."

Kaneki blinked for a moment before his face lit up like a Christmas tree, protesting. "Why does everyone call them tentacles?! I've established that they're not!"

"I know." Lily admitted. "It's just funny to see you embarrassed."

Kaneki's eyes widened and his face scrunched up, trying not to splutter. "That's mean!"

"Payback." Lily curtly said.

"For what?!" Kaneki whined.

"Trying to eat me." Lily giggled.

The comment was meant as a joke, but Kaneki went blank and frowned. Lily regretted bringing it up.

The guilty tension was back.

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"You can't sulk all day!" Hide huffed.

Kaneki sighed, face down on the bed, and didn't answer.

Hide frowned. Kaneki had explained to Hide what had happened, and while Hide was worried about Kaneki's more serious injury, Lily couldn't heal herself like Kaneki could. Kaneki knew that.

"Lily wouldn't want you to be guilty." Hide told him. "She chose to do what she did, and that's that."

"Everyone seems to choose the wrong thing." Kaneki spoke into his pillow, voice muffled.

"No." Hide disagreed. "You got lucky, and have loyal friends."

"Stupid friends." Kaneki muttered.

"Don't be so negative!" Hide whined. "Lily's going to feel bad if you don't stop this nonsense."

"Nonsense. Mph. I beg to differ." Kaneki scooted away. "Go away."

"Nope!" Hide denied. "Up you go!"

Hide grabbed Kaneki and heaved him up. "Up!" Hide repeated.

"Being a ghost didn't enhance your strength, Hide." Kaneki told the boy, but there was the slightest bit of amusement in his tone.

"You got a lot heavier!" Hide groaned.

"Muscle." Kaneki reminded the boy.

Hide tried to pick his friend up, but ending up dragging him off the bed and dropping him.

Kaneki landed with a loud 'thump', and he groaned. "Hide, that hurt!"

"Did not. You've taken harder hits." Hide rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." The ghoul clambered up from the floor. "And Hide?"

"Yes?" He asked.

"You seem to forget that you have been able to pick me up in more ways than one." The smile on the ghoul's face gave away what the comment meant.

Hide grinned and cheered. "Neki!"

Kaneki couldn't stop the force that lifted the corners of his mouth into a grin.

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Delia couldn't get the thought out of her head, no matter how hard she tried.