Chapter 25.1 - His Name is... (Part 1)

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Everyone go home after they finish celebrating their graduates at Anteiku.
In the evening Touka chat Sasaki to asks him about his condition.
She wait for five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes, till thirty minutes but Sasaki doesn't reply her chat.
She begins to worry, afraid that his condition become worst but shortly after that She saw chat notification.

I'm okay, just need some rest.

Touka stared at her phone for several minutes.
Even though He said that but Touka get the feeling that He is not okay.
Touka asked him again whether He needs some help from her then She receives a notification and She read it.

No, I'm really fine. Don't worry about me.

She wants to believe Sasaki so She typed 'Okay. Get well soon, Haise.' and send it to him.

-----

While lying on his bed, Sasaki read the chat message from Touka.
He put his mobile phone down then He cover his eyes with the bolster.

Sorry, Touka.. I don't want you to see me like this.
I don't want you to meet 'him'. 

Why not, Haise? I already met her once on the festival day, remember?

TCH! SHUT UP!! Get out from my mind!!

You're mean, Haise~ You keep rejecting me. 

If you keep treat me this way, then give me back my body.

SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!

-----

The next morning, Touka chat Sasaki again but He doesn't reply her chat message.
She waited until noon but She didn't get any reply from him.
She asked his friends and they said that He didn't reply them either.
She is getting worry about him so She asked Yoshimura's permission to visit Sasaki.
Yoshimura gives her permission then She left the cafe and headed to his house.

After several minutes She reaches his house then She knocks the front door for several times.
She waited for five minutes but Sasaki is not coming out then She calls him but He doesn't answer it.

Haise? Does his condition worsened?!

Touka grasped the doorknob then unexpectedly the door opened.

..Did He forget to lock the door? That's dangerous.
What if a stranger enter his house? ...No, I can't think bad like this.

Touka entered his house and found the house in dark condition, all of the curtains in the house are closed.
She opened the curtains, the sunlight entered the house and brighten the rooms.
While She is walking pass through the bathroom, She saw the mirror is broken into pieces and there's some blood on the floor.

B-Blood?! W-What's going on here?! thought Touka as her heartbeat is increasing.
The memories about the burglar broke into her house when She was kid haunting her again.
Her breath become raging and her leg become weak till She fall down.

*gasp* *gasp* Calm down yourself, Touka! You need to calm down and find him. Get up! Get up!!

With her whole strength, She stood up then She follow the blood trails which ended into Haise's room.
She paused for a moment, She takes a deep breath then She decided to open the door.
Touka entered the room and She noticed Sasaki is lying on the bed.

"Haise!! HAISE!! Are you alright?!?", asked Touka with worried tone.

Sasaki opened his eyes a little, He startled when He saw his girlfriend in his room.

"T-Touka?? Why are you here? And how did you-", before Sasaki finished his question Touka embraced him tightly which make him flustered.

"Thanks God! I thought someone break into your house and they-!!", She stopped as her tears fall down.

Sasaki's mind become blank when He heard that and after several moment He finally get what She mean.
He patted Touka's back and try to calm her down.

S.H : I-I'm sorry for making you worry about me.Don't cry, okay? 
K.T : *sob* ..What happened, Haise? I followed the blood trail from bathroom and it lead to here. Are you hurt somewhere?

Sasaki hides his hand but Touka already noticed it and She pulled his injured hands.

K.T : This.. Did you break the mirror with your fist?
S.H : *touch chin* N-No! I tried to pick the shards on the floor but I accidentally hurt my hand.
K.T : Stop lying, Haise. If your hand got pricked, the wound won't be deeper like this.
S.H : .............
K.T : I will give first aid but you need to go to hospital later. Where's the aid kit?

Sasaki told her then She went to take it.
While She is treating his wound, both of them still stay quiet.

K.T : Hey, why did you break the mirror?
S.H : ....
K.T : ...I will change my question. Haise, you are being weird from yesterday. You aren't sick, are you?
S.H : T-That's..
K.T : I know it. *sigh* Haise, can you just tell me about what exactly happened? Please?

Sasaki looked at Touka, He knows that He can't keep this as a secret anymore.
Touka is sensitive person that's why She knows there's something that Sasaki hide.
He sighed then He stroke Touka's head. Before He tells her, He touched his chin once.

"...You were right, I'm not sick. I punched the mirror because I feel angry to myself. You see..I'm not a good guy, Touka. I saw someone that I know on the way yesterday.The person who I saw is..the person who I've abandoned. Before I move here, I..befriended with him since childhood. He was a good guy but because of an incident, He have changed. He lost both of his parents at such a young age. I heard He has been taken by his relatives but his relation with them wasn't good. His uncle and aunt ignored him and his cousin bullied him. One day, He can't take it anymore and He accidentally push his cousin down from stair. His uncle and his aunt always hit him since then and one day He ran away from home, my best friend took him into his house.

When we entered junior high school, He became aggressive and often fight with other students. I don't like his personality anymore so..I distance myself from him since that but He keeps following me until last year. Right after the final exam on last year, my best friend told me that 'He' depressed and hate himself. He also told me that the people who precious to 'him' are leaving 'him' one by one. I feel guilty, I don't deserve to be his friend then..I ran away from 'him'. The reason why I transfer here is not because of my health issue but because I was ran away. But yesterday we meet again, I afraid to meet 'him' again since I abandon 'him'."

For a moment the room become quiet then suddenly Touka asked him a question.

"...Your friend, what is his name?"

Sasaki paused a moment and thinking if He doesn't tell her, She will be suspicious.
That's why Sasaki told her 'his' name.

"His name is... Kaneki Ken."

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