Don't Play With Fools

"You're really lucky to be discharged and recovered so quickly, Kaneki-kun." Inside the convenience store downstairs from the hospital, Satsuki Momoi said cheerfully. "It's all A-Dai's fault for being careless. If you feel any discomfort after leaving the hospital, let me know right away."

"Got it, Momoi-san. I've also troubled you and Aomine-san during this time. You two are really kind people." Ken Kaneki said with a smile.

"Tch." Daiki Aomine rolled his eyes. "I don't care. If this old lady hadn't dragged me along, I wouldn't have come. But I'll say this, Kaneki, your body's no good—too weak. A light scrape and you passed out."

"How can you talk like that? A-Dai, that's so rude." Momoi lightly slapped Aomine's arm in complaint.

Kaneki scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Aomine-san is right. I really have lacked exercise before, and my physical fitness needs improvement. I'll participate in more sports from now on."

Hearing Kaneki smooth things over for him, Aomine felt a bit awkward about keeping a sour face. He patted Kaneki on the shoulder and said, "Can you play basketball? How about playing with me from now on? I've got your back."

"Basketball? I can play a little." Kaneki said with a chuckle. "But I'm not good at it. I'll be counting on Aomine-san's guidance from now on."

"No problem." Aomine agreed with a smile. "Since you're discharged, Momoi and I won't bother you anymore. Head home quick—you haven't called home in a while, and your parents are probably worried sick."

"Don't worry about that, Aomine-san. My parents... they've both passed away." Kaneki's expression shifted slightly, a bit unnatural.

Yes, just like the Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul, this world's Kaneki was also a lone star of misfortune. But he was luckier than that math-savvy Kaneki—though his parents left early, they left him a modest one-unit building and 50 million yen in savings. If he spent carefully, it would last until he graduated college.

"I... I'm such an idiot!" Aomine's expression turned extremely awkward, and he sank into deep self-blame.

"Oh, A-Dai, how could you?" Hearing Kaneki's tragic background, Momoi's maternal instincts flared up as she scolded Aomine for his blunder. Knowing he was in the wrong, Aomine hung his head without rebuttal.

"It's fine, Momoi-san. Aomine-san didn't know the situation." Kaneki smiled gently, looking like a docile golden retriever.

Kaneki paused, then continued, "Besides, thanks to you and Aomine-san during this time, I've felt what it's like to be cared for by friends. It's really warm. After Dad and Mom left, this is the first time I've felt this warmth. Hey, Momoi-san, Aomine-san, we're friends, right?"

"Of course! I'm definitely keeping you as a friend!" Aomine, whose conscience had taken a beating, quickly patted his chest in assurance.

"We're definitely friends, Kaneki-kun!" Momoi said sweetly, hands behind her back.

"It's getting late, Momoi-san, Aomine-san. You two should head back. I haven't been to class for two days, so I need to go home and catch up on homework." Glancing at the clock on the wall, Kaneki stood up to take his leave.

"Alright, see you then, Kaneki-kun. Be careful on the way." Seeing Kaneki ready to leave, Momoi politely stood to say goodbye.

"We're off, Kaneki. Come find me to play ball when you're free!" Aomine waved goodbye with an eager look.

"Definitely." With that, Kaneki turned and left the convenience store.

"Kaneki-kun is really pitiful." Walking home side by side with Aomine, Momoi sighed.

"Yeah, we should look out for him more from now on." Aomine said, hands behind his head, sighing.

Kaneki, of course, had no idea what they were thinking. He happily watched the system's character relationship interface, where the progress bars for Aomine and Momoi had risen from nodding acquaintances to close friends. Just then, the system notification chimed in: "Congratulations, host, on increased character bonds. Reward: one A-rank draw chance, one B-rank draw chance."

"Huh? That doesn't seem right. Aren't Aomine and Momoi S-rank and A-rank main characters? Why only A-rank and B-rank draws?" Kaneki grumbled. "You're not skimming off my rewards, are you?"

"Character bond rewards are confirmed. Aside from the starting level of nodding acquaintance and the highest levels of life-and-death best friend or archenemy, rewards for close friend and deep bond levels are reduced by one tier each." The system explained.

"Fine, something's better than nothing. At least I've got an A-rank guarantee. It's passable, and not a waste of my tea-and-sympathy act, kicking Aomine's conscience hard." Kaneki shrugged helplessly, then used both draw chances.

Two flashes of light streaked by, and the system's voice came: "Congratulations, host, on obtaining B-rank reward: 1 million yen! Congratulations, host, on obtaining A-rank skill reward: Swallow Return Flash!"

"1 million yen (over 40,000 RMB)—not bad. No one hates having more money." Kaneki muttered noncommittally, tapping to open the skill description for Swallow Return Flash. "Wonder what this Swallow Return Flash is like. Is it practical?"

"Skill: Swallow Return Flash. Skill Type: Technique. Skill Trait: Evasion, Stability. Skill Level: A. Skill Effect: After acquiring this skill, while the host is dribbling, no matter the angle or force used to bounce the basketball, it will remain stably controlled by the host. While dribbling, 100% evasion of steals."

"Not bad. Kind of like a low-tier version of the Orchid Butterfly Cloud Wandering Body Step." Kaneki looked at the skill description, getting a general idea of its capabilities.

"If the Orchid Butterfly Cloud Wandering Body Step's already here, I wonder if stuff like the Eastern Three Styles or Rondo will actually show up." Kaneki's thoughts wandered. "Then I'll pull off a Soaring Dragon Repentless Cyclone Dunk—that'd stun Murasakibara silly, hahahaha!" The street echoed with Kaneki's triumphant laughter.

"Mommy, what's that big brother laughing about?" A little girl, about four or five years old, pointed at Kaneki and asked her mother curiously.

The mother, seeing Kaneki's perverted (not really) expression, subtly pulled her daughter closer. After Kaneki had walked far away, she crouched down and earnestly taught her daughter, "Sweetie, remember this: when you grow up, don't play with idiots like that."