"Ah… it really is late."
Kaneki stood up in a fluster and, almost without thinking, blurted, "Should I walk you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them—worried he'd been too forward and might put her off.
Kamishiro Rize's eyes flickered. Her gaze drifted, seemingly casually, over the other customers in the café.
In the corner, a short-haired girl with bluish-purple hair in a server's uniform was quietly polishing a glass—expression calm.
Beside her, the older waitress, Irimi Kaya, carried a tray; her eyes glanced their way now and then, a cool look on her face.
Rize's lips soon curved back into that gentle smile. She nodded. "All right."
"!!!"
At her answer, Kaneki's heart seemed to skip a beat. Joy washed over him in an instant, and he got so excited he could barely string a sentence together.
"I—I'll just go get changed!"
He spun around and hurried toward the staff room, his steps almost springy.
Watching his retreating back, Rize's smile thinned. She lifted her cup and took a light sip, her eyes once more, almost imperceptibly, sliding toward Touka and Irimi—assessing.
A moment later, Kaneki emerged in his own clothes: a simple white T-shirt and jeans, looking clean and boyish.
Rize stood, picked up her small handbag, and smiled. "Shall we?"
"Mm!"
Kaneki nodded hard and walked beside her toward the door.
After the two of them left, the café settled back into quiet, though a faint tension still clung to the air.
"Sigh." Irimi set down her tray and let out a soft breath—quiet, but loud enough for Touka Kirishima beside her to hear. "Let's hope that kid's still alive to show up for his shift tomorrow." Her tone held resignation and regret.
Touka paused, looked toward the entrance, a complicated glint passing through her blue-violet eyes. She nodded in grim agreement.
Not once had she considered stopping Kaneki. She knew exactly who Kamishiro Rize was—a ghoul infamous even among ghouls for her brutality and greed, called the "Glutton."
Anteiku might shelter some ghouls and hold to a rule of not killing, but that didn't mean they'd offend someone as dangerous as Rize for the sake of a human they'd only just met. That would drag the entire café into peril.
Such were the survival laws of the ghoul world—cruel and real.
Touka simply turned back and kept polishing the glass, as if nothing had happened.
…
Kaneki and Rize walked side by side down the evening street. The afterglow of sunset stretched their shadows long, weaving together and parting again with each step.
At first, Kaneki was still basking in the joy of getting to walk with Rize. But before long, regret and awkwardness crept in. His social skills were hopeless. All the topics he'd prepared back at the café had already been talked to death. Now, racking his brains as they walked, he couldn't think of anything new, and could only follow in silence. The atmosphere turned heavy.
From the corner of his eye he stole glances at Rize. She walked unhurriedly, steps graceful. The sunset lit her profile, making her even more beautiful. She didn't seem bothered by the silence; a faint smile still rested on her lips. Now and then she looked at a shopfront or a passerby, perfectly at ease.
The calmer she seemed, the more Kaneki berated himself. This was such a good chance, and he had no idea how to handle it. Several times he tried to speak—ask what she liked to do, maybe chat about the weather. But the words died at his lips every time, for fear of saying something dull and ruining the mood.
"Um… Kamishiro-san…" he finally ventured.
"Mm?" Rize turned to him, eyes gentle. "What is it, Kaneki-san?"
Under that gaze, his heartbeat kicked up again. Everything he'd meant to say vanished. He opened his mouth and managed only, "N-nothing… It's just… the weather's really nice today."
He wanted to crawl into a hole. What a worthless thing to say!
Rize seemed amused by his fluster; her eyes smiled. "It is. The sunset's beautiful." She didn't press him, nor show any impatience—just picked up the thread naturally. Kaneki let out a small breath.
They fell quiet again, but this time it felt less awkward. Maybe silence was also a way to be together, he told himself, quietly savoring her presence—nervous, and a little sweet.
He didn't know how long they'd walked before Rize stopped and pointed at an apartment building up ahead. "Kaneki-san, this is my place."
Kaneki blinked, followed her finger, and felt a faint pang of disappointment. He wanted to stay with her a little longer. But he knew he couldn't rush things—especially when pursuing a girl.
"Okay, I'll head back then," he said, forcing a smile to look composed.
Just as he was about to turn away, Rize spoke up with an invitation: "Kaneki-san, would you like to come in for a glass of water?"
His heart jumped; his first instinct was to blurt "yes." The chance to be in her home, to have more time alone together—that was everything he'd hoped for. But then he hesitated. It was late. A boy going alone to a girl's place—wouldn't that seem frivolous, out of line? If he left a bad impression, it would backfire.
After a fierce internal struggle, reason won out. He pulled a stiff smile and shook his head. "No… it's pretty late. I wouldn't want to give you the wrong impression. See you tomorrow."
He waved—part pep talk, part farewell—then turned and strode off in the opposite direction. He didn't dare look back, afraid that if he did, he wouldn't be able to refuse her invitation.
~~~
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