Where's My Wallet?

After serving the two of them ice water, Kiyoko carried a glass of red liquid out from behind the bar, sat down beside Louis, and struck up a conversation.

Within just a few exchanges, the conversation turned to the Ice Mask, whose name was all the rage lately.

"Well, most people know about the Ice Mask. Only a handful know that the person behind it is actually human." Kiyoko Itori sat beside him with a glass of blood wine, studying Louis.

"Speaking of which, how exactly does your power work? Making ice without water? I've never seen that before. Show your big sister a little trick."

Crack-

No sooner had she finished speaking than the blood wine in her hand froze solid, and bluish-white crystals spread over the glass.

"This..." Kiyoko stared at her glass in surprise. All she had felt was a chill against her hand, and the wine had turned into this.

"Impressive! Very impressive! I've never seen anything like it!"

At that, Louis twitched his finger. The blue crystals covering the glass shattered and fell away, and the blood wine quickly melted back into liquid.

"I hear you have a lot of useful information here?" Louis finally asked the question on his mind.

"Well, all sorts of customers mingle in a bar. You always pick up a few things." Kiyoko took a sip of the blood wine, now liquid again. "Is there something you want to know?"

"Nothing right now. Maybe in the future," Louis said after a moment's thought. There were things he wanted to investigate, such as Kanou, the V Organization, and even the Washuu Family.

But he couldn't show any interest in those things yet. Otherwise... it might get him killed.

Of course, there was another reason. Almost every fight awaiting Anteiku down the road involved top-tier opponents. Without improving his strength and gathering enough information, he would have trouble influencing events. He might even end up dead.

"Planning for the future... Hmm... You're quite the forward thinker." Kiyoko Itori suddenly leaned her face closer. "But you're human, you know. Information comes at a price."

"What do you want?" Louis glanced around the bar. "Want me to make some ice for you?"

"Hmm..." Kiyoko gently took Louis by the wrist, concentrating on locating his major artery. "Personally, I'm rather interested in blood..."

Louis: "..."

Kaneki: "Miss Kiyoko!"

Kaneki also asked for information about Rize, but he learned nothing useful beyond the fact that she had originally lived in Ward 11.

"You keep feeling like Rize has possessed you? Miss Rize isn't some ghost. Why would you feel that way?" Kiyoko found it unbelievable.

"I don't know either. In that moment, it was like I lost myself. If it hadn't been for Lou and Touka, I might have..."

As Louis listened to their conversation, he picked up the glass Kiyoko had just drunk from and sniffed it.

It smelled of both alcohol and blood.

That night, the streetlights had all gone out, and the two of them were the only people walking along the silent road.

"Kaneki, maybe you could try mastering that power that's trying to swallow you." Walking ahead, Louis glanced back at the distracted Kaneki.

"It's inside you. The more you resist it, the harder it'll be to control."

"Mastering it..." Louis's words pulled Kaneki out of his thoughts a little. "But I'm afraid I'll lose myself if I accept that power."

"Not accept it. Master it." Louis looked up at the gray sky. "Conquer that power with your own strength. Make it work for you."

"My strength?" Kaneki froze. He had never thought there was anything strong about him.

"Yes. Your willpower is actually very strong." Louis turned his head. "It's extremely difficult for ghouls to stay rational when they're hungry. Touka told me that even when you were starving, you stayed clearheaded and protected your friend."

"Not accept it, but master it... Conquer it?" Kaneki looked at his hand and pondered the question.

"Lou, are you trying to tell me something?"

"Huh?" Louis paused.

"It always feels like there's something behind your words..."

"Uh... Nothing, really. If it's a blessing, it isn't a curse, and if it's a curse, there's no escaping it. I just can't bear the thought of watching you review your math lessons." Louis shrugged awkwardly.

1000 - 7 = ?

As they were speaking, an oddly dressed, white-haired young man suddenly came toward them on a collision course. Fortunately, Louis reacted quickly and dodged out of the way.

When did he show up...?

Louis couldn't help glancing at him. He hadn't noticed the young man approaching at all.

Does he walk without making a sound?

[Ding! Identity confirmed! Juuzou Suzuya, Rank 3 Ghoul Investigator. Weapon: B-rank Poison Scorpion (Rinkaku 1/56). Overall combat power: S]

Juuzou Suzuya!?

Louis instantly remembered him: the human lunatic who could slaughter his way through Aogiri Tree's ghouls without even using a Quinque.

Louis hastily looked back, just in time to see him collide with Kaneki.

"I'm sorry..." Realizing he had bumped into someone, Kaneki hurriedly offered a sincere apology.

"Oh, I'm the one who should apologize. I was a little distracted just now." Juuzou Suzuya pressed his palms together apologetically. He looked perfectly polite, but something about his tone felt strange.

"Well... I'll be going..." With that, he made to leave.

"Hold on a second..." Louis seized the hand he had tucked into his pocket. The instant he did, he felt the red thread Suzuya had stitched into his flesh.

Yikes...

Apparently, that was the work of a certain pedophilic sadist Louis had met once before.

"Hand over the wallet..." Louis sighed. He had just seen Suzuya swipe Kaneki's wallet the instant they collided.

With sleight of hand that polished, he was clearly a repeat offender.

If Louis hadn't had good night vision, and if the system's notification hadn't drawn his attention to Suzuya, he would never have noticed.

"Huh?" Kaneki hurriedly patted his pockets. Sure enough, his wallet was gone.

"You caught me. Sorry, sorry!" Realizing he had been caught, Juuzou Suzuya hurriedly took out the wallet with an air of deep remorse and offered it with both hands. "Your hand's so cold, mister. Could you let me go?"

Mister?!

"Have you ever seen a middle-aged man who isn't even old enough to drink...?" A vein bulged on Louis's forehead. He clenched his teeth and firmly marked this down in his mental ledger.

Suzuya might not be quite right in the head, but he was still a Ghoul Investigator. Louis had no intention of getting too involved with him right now.

"Huh? You're not old enough to drink? I thought you looked twenty-five or twenty-six..." Suzuya touched his lips, looking incredulous.

"..." Louis couldn't help giving him another look. The guy might have a few screws loose, but his intuition was incredibly sharp.

I'd better not stick around...

"All right, don't do this again. Hurry up and go home."

"Got it, got it! I'm leaving right now!" Juuzou Suzuya hurriedly nodded and immediately fled.

Holding his wallet, Kaneki checked that nothing was missing, then looked at Suzuya's retreating figure.

"That girl just now seemed a little strange."

Louis: "That was a guy!"

Kaneki, shocked: "Huh?"

"Hey, wait..." Louis suddenly stopped and patted his pockets.

"Fuck! Where's my wallet!?"