Encounter

"The Aquarium? The Binge Eater?"

Huiqi instinctively thought of that ghoul. His research into Ward 20 showed almost no ghoul attacks on humans over the past few years. Only recently had he occasionally heard reports of the Binge Eater arriving in Ward 20.

"I'm not sure, but I trust my instincts. Before that, though, I need to introduce a Rank 2 Investigator, Kōtarō Amon."

Clap, clap.

With that, Kureo Mado clapped his hands, signaling for the person outside the door to enter.

Click...

"Kōtarō Amon, reporting! I look forward to your guidance, Special Class Investigator Huiqi!"

"Uh, hello."

Huiqi stared blankly for a moment. The Rank 2 Investigator before him radiated seriousness, his entire presence practically declaring, I love my work. I take my work very seriously.

"You... remind me of him... Kawashima..."

"Kawashima? Is he a Ghoul Investigator?" Kōtarō Amon asked respectfully. They had only just met, yet his tone already reflected the strict hierarchy between them.

"He's dead now. He was Special Class Investigator Huiqi's former partner, and the only partner he ever had. After that, Huiqi stopped teaming up with anyone."

"He was a dedicated Ghoul Investigator too. Unfortunately, he never made it out of Ward 24." Kureo Mado answered Kōtarō Amon's question from beside them, a wistful look on his face.

"My deepest apologies! I've caused you so much distress, Special Class Investigator Huiqi!"

"Enough. Let the past stay in the past."

Huiqi waved a hand, signaling them not to continue.

"I'm sorry!"

Kōtarō Amon's booming apology rang in his ears again. Huiqi's gaze froze briefly before he sighed.

"I hope you don't end up like him..."

"Let's talk about the Aquarium first."

Three minutes later.

Huiqi and Kureo Mado agreed on their approach. Huiqi would apply for permission to go out and visit the Aquarium, while Mado and Amon would search the surrounding area for other clues.

Before they set out, Huiqi gave Kureo Mado a skeptical look. This absurd plan was based on nothing but intuition.

Kōtarō Amon also felt somewhat helpless as he watched his eccentric superior. Still, his superior's instincts were fairly reliable. When they first teamed up, they had dealt with the apple-headed ghoul by relying on those very instincts.

"Trust me... we'll find something... wouldn't you agree?"

As he spoke, Kureo Mado turned his gaze toward Kōtarō Amon, his words carrying a pointed implication.

"Yes!"

Seeing their attitude, Huiqi said nothing more. He simply used his phone to apply for authorization to head out. His promotion to Special Class Investigator had imposed plenty of restrictions on his movements, and he kept applying for opportunities to go out and kill ghouls.

At night, the Aquarium was filled with an eerie, terrifying atmosphere. Ever since the ghoul attack, no one had come to visit.

Huiqi stood at the scene of the incident, surveying his surroundings. The tank's enormous pane of clear glass had shattered, and a few fish remained in the calf-deep water.

"I can't make out any traces. There's no way to tell what kind of ghoul it was."

Huiqi carefully examined the surroundings and the traces of battle. The Binge Eater could not be ruled out, and another ghoul had definitely been present. Some sort of argument or another factor had led the two to fight. The humans who had died gruesomely there had not been completely devoured, either; only some of them had been eaten.

"Nothing to show for it. I wonder how Kureo Mado is doing."

"Pliers? Sir... is this a clue?" Kōtarō Amon looked puzzled. Rather than entering the Aquarium grounds directly, the two had circled the surrounding area and unexpectedly discovered a pair of pliers that did not belong there.

"Yes. Look at the workmanship. This definitely isn't from Ward 20... let me think... seems like something made in Ward 13?"

Kureo Mado turned the pliers over in his hands, occasionally bringing them closer to examine their construction and markings. His smile grew brighter.

"Does that have anything to do with the Binge Eater?"

"Indirectly, perhaps... but we have a new lead."

The next day, television programs in Ward 20 kept replaying the report.

The ghoul attack at the Ward 20 Aquarium has been taken over by the assigned Ghoul Investigators. Please remain calm and take care when walking outside at night...

"Hahahahaha! Come on, Ken Kaneki, who does something that ridiculous? A bookstore for your first date?"

"Hey, hey, what's wrong with going to a bookstore?!"

Inside Anteiku, two young men were talking about recent events. The boy named Ken Kaneki had a bowl cut and gentle features. The boy laughing uproariously across from him was Hideyoshi Nagachika, Kaneki's close friend.

"That's so boring... of all the places you could go, you picked a bookstore... haha..."

Hideyoshi Nagachika mocked Ken Kaneki's idea, his grin widening as though he had heard a hilarious joke.

"You're really something! Ugh, I'm not talking to you anymore."

A mixture of irritation and embarrassment crossed Ken Kaneki's face. He turned away petulantly and stopped talking.

"Come on, don't be like that. Tell me about her? Which pretty girl is it? Don't tell me it's her?!" Hideyoshi Nagachika abruptly changed tack and pointed at the blue-haired girl behind the counter, who was carefully wiping a coffee cup.

"No, it's not..."

Jingle...

While the two were talking, an unexpected visitor appeared at the entrance.

"A cappuccino... with a sugar cube."

Huiqi loosened his tie and slowly walked to a corner to wait for his coffee.

"Manager?"

Touka Kirishima watched Huiqi with a grave, wary expression, quietly calling for the manager.

"I'll handle it."

That was the manager's only reply to Touka. He immediately began making the coffee.

"Sen Takatsuki, you've really outdone yourself. You even managed to write a novel..."

Huiqi flipped through The Egg of the Black Goat. The name printed prominently on the book was Sen Takatsuki.

A few minutes later, the manager approached with the coffee and set it on the table.

"Your coffee, sir."

"Got it."

Without looking up, Huiqi continued reading the novel in his hands. Its contents were interesting, but he already had some idea of the plot's general direction. After all, he had swept up trash every day back then and had seen plenty of Sen Takatsuki's original drafts.

A rare chance to rest. I hope the ghouls don't cause me any trouble.

Sipping coffee while reading his enemy's novel, Huiqi felt rather good. A moment of leisure could enrich his inner world, too. Doing the same thing over and over would turn his world gray.

Jingle, jingle.

Another customer appeared at the entrance, a purple-haired woman wearing red half-rimmed glasses. With her intellectual air, she looked like the perfect heartbreaker for innocent young men.

Tap, tap.

Her footsteps stopped abruptly after just two steps. The purple-haired woman eyed Huiqi in the corner warily, her body instinctively coming to a halt as she considered leaving.

Why is he here... have I been exposed? No... tonight's meal is here too. Should I leave or not...

As conflicting thoughts raced through her mind, she caught sight of another young man out of the corner of her eye. After considerable hesitation, the purple-haired woman chose not to leave Anteiku. Instead, she found a seat diagonally across from him.

A strange atmosphere settled over the room. The manager, Touka Kirishima, and the Binge Eater, Rize Kamishiro, were all keeping a wary eye on Huiqi, while Ken Kaneki stole glances at Rize Kamishiro...