Falling Into Your Arms [Tokyo Ghoul: Female!Kaneki x Tsukiyama Shuu] BOOK 3

7

Ken curled up on her bed, her hands wrapped around her stomach. It was around 11 PM, and she hadn't eaten since noon. She wouldn't eat again until noon.
But she was so hungry.
She decided to take a chance. She knew that her aunt hated her, but maybe Yuuichi didn't really care.
She quietly slipped out of her room - already breaking her grounding - and silently opened Yuuichi's door.
He was at the computer, playing some game, but he looked up when she entered.
Ken hesitated before pointing to his headphones.
He took them off slowly, staring at her, probably surprised because she'd never gone inside his room before. After a moment, he got up and walked towards her.
She froze up, but he just went around her to shut the door.
"They'll see you," he said, turning back to look at her. "What do you want?"
"I haven't eaten for eleven hours," Ken said, trying to keep her voice down. "I was wondering-"
"You want me to break the rules and steal food for you."
Ken looked at the floor. "Y-yes."
"You could get me in trouble."
Ken nodded. Didn't say anything.
Yuuichi sighed. "You know, you piss me off. Everything I do is compared to you, and it's never enough. It's always try harder Yuuichi and do better Yuuichi and crap like that."
"I'm just trying to survive," Ken said, looking up at him. "I can't help it."
Yuuichi nodded. "I know. I thought so. It wasn't like you were trying to shove it in my face. But it still pissed me off." He sighed, looked away. "Stay here. I'll go check the kitchen."
Ken nodded as Yuuichi padded out of his room and down to the kitchen. She looked around while she was alone. Posters of video games. A few pictures with similar-looking kids, Yuuichi looking bored. Her heart hurt when she saw a picture of Yuuichi's family posing with Ken and her mom. She was young then. She couldn't remember even taking the picture.
She looked happy.
She couldn't remember being happy either.
The door opened and she turned, only it wasn't Yuuichi, it was her aunt.
She seemed shocked but quickly covered it up with disgust. "What are you doing in here? You're grounded! Stop distracting Yuuichi from his studies!"
Ken didn't tell her that Yuuichi hadn't been studying or why she'd been in there. She just stood up, ready to leave. And saw Yuuichi waiting outside the door, his head down so he didn't have to see her.
Did he sell me out? she wondered. Wouldn't be the first time.
But her aunt wasn't satisfied with just yelling. She smacked Ken with the back of her hand, her wedding ring impacting hard. Ken's vision waned, and she felt blood on her face,  though she wasn't sure where it was coming from. Her cheek? Her nose?
Her aunt yelled stuff at her, she wasn't sure. Her ears were ringing. Her aunt had only ever hit her once, this being the second time. Her mom had never hit her. The experience was so novel that it was almost interesting in a way.
Her aunt yelled some more and left.
Ken got up and walked to the door. As she passed Yuuichi, he pressed something into her hand. She didn't acknowledge him, just took the item and went into her room before opening her hand to look.
Two granola bars.
He'd brought her food.
He hadn't sold her out.
She felt relieved.
But then she heard a knock on the door.