Confession

"You know Kōtarō Amon too? What a coincidence." Huiqi looked at Misaki in surprise.

"It was pure chance. I met him in my third year. A classmate had falsely accused him of doing something obscene to a girl, I think. I couldn't stand it, so I spoke up for him. That was how we got to know each other."

"He has a story like that in his past? I never would've guessed."

"Yeah. Ever since then, he's taken everything seriously and held himself to very strict standards..."

At a Western restaurant in the same district.

"Kaneki, which of Sen Takatsuki's books is your favorite?" Rize Kamishiro gazed at him with soft, dreamy eyes as she spoke gently. No matter how she looked at him, she liked what she saw.

"Probably... her debut novel?" Ken Kaneki answered after thinking for a few seconds. He had read all of Sen Takatsuki's works, but her debut had left the strongest overall impression on him.

"Oh... I think so too. The writing didn't feel like a newcomer's at all, especially the portrayal of the male lead. He and the heroine fell in love, and even after learning her identity, he still insisted on staying with her."

"Yes, exactly!"

Ken Kaneki agreed excitedly. As a book lover, finding someone who shared his interests felt like one of life's greatest blessings. More importantly, the woman sitting across from him was such a sweet, innocent older woman.

The two chatted like a couple. Ken Kaneki's face flushed with embarrassment, and his eyes occasionally stole a glance at her ample chest, while Rise pretended not to notice.

Their time together passed pleasantly, but despite Ken Kaneki's reluctance, the moment to part still arrived.

"Thank you so much for keeping me company, Kaneki. I had a wonderful time today!"

"I should be thanking you. You're so knowledgeable, Miss Rise..."

"Um, well... Kaneki... I actually live near where that incident happened."

"The G-Ghoul incident?"

"Yes, so I'm really scared." Rise lowered her eyes to the ground, her voice trembling as she put on a frightened, helpless expression.

Seeing how scared Rise was, Ken Kaneki volunteered without hesitation to walk her home. At his words, an almost imperceptible smile curled at the corners of her lips.

Tap, tap.

Huiqi looked around. The streets were crowded, and lights glowed outside countless shops. Compared with the other wards, Ward 20 ranked among the most prosperous.

Sunday night... Will I run into any Ghouls?

He pondered where he was most likely to find Ghouls, but in practice, Huiqi headed to a roadside stall to buy food.

"This one... and this one. That and that. Yes, exactly. Make it extra spicy."

Ten minutes later.

Crunch... crunch, crunch. A foodie in an investigator's uniform had arrived.

"It's been ages. This is my first meal like this since that person left." Huiqi felt rather nostalgic as he recalled the days when they used to get back at each other.

There were plenty of couples along both sides of the street, as well as boys and girls confessing their feelings to one another.

As the night wore on, the pedestrians gradually thinned out.

With snacks cradled in his arms, Huiqi wandered through the corners of various neighborhoods to see whether he could find anything. When he reached the vicinity of the recent Ghoul attack, he noticed a man and a woman.

"Walking around this late at night? Aren't they afraid of a Ghoul attack? I suppose I'll do them a favor and follow them for a bit."

Huiqi shook his head at the troublesome pair ahead of him. People these days didn't even care about their lives when they were dating.

Caught up in their sweet little world, neither noticed the person following them. Ken Kaneki was still chattering away about amusing things that had happened to him and Hide, while Rize Kamishiro listened like an understanding older woman.

Every so often, Rize Kamishiro pointed out a turn. Ken Kaneki, absorbed in the mood, failed to notice that their route was growing increasingly secluded, but Huiqi picked up on the oddity.

"Why is this woman leading him toward a construction site? Judging by her appearance and clothes, she doesn't look homeless." Huiqi studied her in puzzlement. Though it was night, his system-enhanced eyesight allowed him to observe without difficulty.

"Could this woman be a Ghoul? I'll have to keep watching."

He casually tossed his food bag into a trash can and followed the pair. Just then, two girls approached from the opposite direction.

"What's wrong, Touka?"

One of the girls looked at Touka, who had stopped walking, and asked in confusion.

"N-nothing." No sooner had Touka answered than she turned her head and saw Huiqi approaching.

The Executioner?! What's he doing here? Has he discovered what I am? Am I going to die today? Manager, save me! Yoriko...

Touka Kirishima's eyes widened as she stared incredulously at the approaching figure. Her entire body trembled from overwhelming tension. As Huiqi's footsteps drew closer, her strength gave out, and she sank to her knees on the ground.

"Touka! Touka! What's wrong? Are you feeling sick? I'll take you to the hospital!" the girl beside her cried anxiously, supporting Touka Kirishima's trembling body with both hands.

"N-no... no need. I... I'm fine..."

Touka clung tightly to the girl in front of her and stared at the ground, hoping to keep Huiqi from noticing her face.

At that moment, Touka Kirishima was terrified that Huiqi would recognize her. A few years ago, he had nearly discovered that she was a Ghoul, and the experience had left her with a lingering psychological scar.

At Anteiku, Touka would not have reacted quite so violently. But she was outside now. Demon Ape, Black Dog, Yomo, and the manager were not here. If her identity as a Ghoul was exposed, death would be her only fate.

Huiqi paid no particular attention to the girl who had suddenly collapsed. He merely asked in a level voice, "What's wrong? Feeling unwell? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

"N-no..."

"All right, then. Take care of her." After telling the other girl that, Huiqi left without hesitation. His decisive departure caught Touka Kirishima completely off guard, and she stared blankly at the Executioner's retreating back.

He didn't recognize me...? What's he going to do? That direction seems to be... where Rize Kamishiro, the Binge Eater, went. Is he hunting her down?

"What's wrong?! Touka, can we please go to the hospital now?" The girl beside her shook Touka Kirishima's arm, calling out worriedly.

"I'm fine. Let's get out of here." Coming to her senses, Touka stood and pulled her friend away, though she kept glancing back at Huiqi's silhouette.

"We're almost there... Kaneki."

"Um, will I get to see you again, miss?" After hesitating for a moment, Ken Kaneki nervously spoke up.

At Ken Kaneki's words, a touch of bashfulness appeared on Rise's face. She turned to face him and studied him closely. "We don't just have similar tastes in books. We're about the same age too..."

Rise's words made Ken Kaneki even more flustered. Normally, he was just a boy who loved reading and rarely interacted with other girls. With Rise taking the initiative, he was already swept off his feet.

"Kaneki... actually, I've already noticed... you've been looking at me this whole time..."

As she spoke, Rise leaned into Ken Kaneki's arms of her own accord. She couldn't help sniffing at his neck, and the satisfaction in her eyes grew stronger.

"A confession? Couples these days really know how to have fun. Does picking somewhere this secluded make it more exciting?" Huiqi watched the two speechlessly. He had gone to all this trouble and ended up with nothing.