"Lou, go say hello to Hinami," Manager Yoshimura said to Louis, who was cleaning the café.
"Now... wouldn't that be a little sudden?"
That morning, a mother and daughter had arrived at the café in the rain. Louis had only caught a glimpse of them before Touka sent him back to his room.
Her reason was that having a human around would make them uncomfortable.
"I've already explained things to them, but I can tell they're still a little uneasy." The manager's voice was as steady as ever. "Go talk to her. I sincerely hope you can become friends."
"Um... let me think..." Louis grew nervous, searching his memory for things Hinami liked and ways to bridge the distance between them.
Hinami had never attended school and wanted to learn to read, but Louis was practically illiterate here himself...
"..."
"Don't overthink it. Genuine feelings matter more than tricks or acting to make someone happy," the manager added, seeing Louis's worried expression.
After spending several days together, the manager had realized that Louis was more mature than his apparent age suggested.
"Genuine feelings... right..." Louis nodded, set aside his work, and headed upstairs.
Just like the feelings he had when the manager took him in after months of wandering. Although he had an ulterior motive, his gratitude was real.
That's right. Hold on to that feeling. Just like that...
Standing outside the door, Louis took a deep breath.
Louis began, "Hello, Hinami. I'm..."
The first thing that caught his eye was a flash of scarlet...
The girl had brown hair held back with a hair clip and looked no more than twelve or thirteen. She had a frail, gentle air about her, and she was holding a table knife, eating bloody chunks of meat from a plate.
The sight left Louis momentarily stunned.
Don't interrupt a ghoul while they're eating.
That was the first thought that sprang into Louis's mind.
"Sorry to disturb you..." Louis forced a smile onto his stiff face, then gently closed the door.
Knocking was a good habit, but with his thoughts running wild, Louis had forgotten.
Not a great start...
Louis returned to the café and told the manager what had just happened.
There was still a way to salvage things. A little later, Louis returned to Hinami's door with coffee the manager had brewed himself.
Genuine feelings are important, but you still need a little finesse.
I can't make her feel uneasy...
With that thought, Louis gathered his courage. "Miss Hinami, may I come in?"
It took quite a while before Hinami's slightly uneasy voice came from inside. "Okay..."
Louis turned the handle. With a click, he pushed the door open.
Hinami sat on the sofa, clutching a book to her chest as she looked at Louis nervously.
"I'm sorry... I forgot to knock earlier." As Louis spoke, he gently set down the coffee from his tray. "Here, please have some."
Despite his gentle movements, Louis still noticed Hinami shifting back a little.
"The manager probably told you already. My name is Louis, and I suppose you could call me human." Louis sat down, but seeing how shy and frightened Hinami was, starting a conversation seemed difficult.
I'll have to take this slowly...
"Please don't worry. The manager took me in recently, so I'm very grateful to everyone here. And I'd like to be friends with you, too."
"Showing up out of nowhere like this might be a little abrupt, so whenever you're ready, you can come to me if you have any questions or need help with anything."
As long as it doesn't involve eating me...
"Well... sorry to bother you." Louis gave her an apologetic smile, then stood, turned, and left the room.
In the end, I still couldn't get her to talk...
If it were Kaneki, they'd probably be chatting naturally by now, right?
Louis understood that beyond their different bodies, there was also a gap between him and Kaneki in how approachable they were.
After all, Louis had come from the Special Ability Army. Even though his age had reverted to eighteen, he still let an air of coldness slip through without realizing it, putting the child on guard.
With a click of the latch, the door closed again.
"Pretty smooth talker, aren't you, freeloader?" Someone who had been eavesdropping outside the door hadn't managed to leave in time.
"Weren't you studying?" Louis asked, looking at Touka leaning against the wall.
"I don't trust an oddball like you, so I came to listen. So far... hmm... not too bad." Touka picked up the bloody plate from the floor, then turned and left.
Louis looked at Hinami's door again.
Hinami Fueguchi, and her father and mother.
He didn't know where Hinami's father was. Besides, an S-rated ghoul and two Ghoul Investigators would be present when he met his end. With Louis's strength, trying to save him would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
Tell the manager...
No, that would only make everyone here suspect I have ties to the CCG. Sacrificing himself for a righteous cause wasn't his style.
Let the plot run its course?
Louis really couldn't think of a way to change the outcome.
As for Hinami Fueguchi's mother... if I see her over the next few days, I'll tell her to avoid going out as much as possible. At least I'll have done something.
But if it still happens...
Louis looked at Hinami's door. Then, as long as you ask me for help, I'll help you.
Ultimately, Ghoul Investigators were fighters trained to deal with ghouls, and Louis's methods of attack weren't quite the same as a ghoul's.
The following afternoon, Kaneki and Touka went to have masks made, while Louis stayed behind to look after the café.
At that moment, a customer who gave him quite a headache arrived.
"What a lovely boy." A plump woman reached out and stroked Louis's cheek, her voice doting.
"Uh... ma'am, what would you like to order?" Louis took a step back and forced a smile.
This woman was also a ghoul, and there was something deeply unsettling about her.
"Then you recommend something, dear boy." The fat woman propped her chin on her hands and stared unblinkingly at Louis.
"All right." Louis nodded. He had already noticed that ghouls only ordered plain coffee. Other drinks, such as cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas, all contained varying amounts of things they couldn't eat. It was like adding something revolting to their drinks.
"Mr. Koma, one black coffee, no sugar." Louis turned toward the man brewing coffee behind the counter.
The man with slicked-back, light-colored hair and a broad nose was Enji Koma. His true identity was that of a powerful ghoul, as well as the leader of the ghoul organization Devil Ape.
"All right." His manner was nothing like what Louis had imagined, and his voice was warm and gentle.
"It seems you really do know a lot about us..." The woman started acting up again, spreading her arms as though she wanted to sweep Louis into a hug. "I'd really love to have you..."
"Your coffee will be ready shortly. Please wait a moment..." Louis felt his skin crawl. He quickly dodged the embrace and hurried over to another customer who had just entered.
"What would you like to order?"
Those ten-odd minutes felt like years to Louis.
"It's been so long since I've met a boy I liked this much." At last, the woman finished her cup of coffee.
But her next words made Louis's heart sink.
"Mr. Koma, I'd like to invite this boy to visit my home..."
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