The wind chimes above the door rang softly.
Clink—
Snowflakes drifted in as the door opened.
Ren Kiryu stepped into the warm interior of Anteiku.
"You're back, Kiryu."
Seated in a booth, Arata Kirishima looked up and smiled gently.
"Yomo and the others have already left."
Behind the counter, Kuzen Yoshimura nodded calmly.
"Yomo will protect Touka."
His voice remained steady.
"You don't need to worry."
Kiryu brushed the snow from his coat and walked toward the counter.
"The Commission of Counter Ghoul has already evacuated the civilians."
"The streets are completely empty."
"We're the only ones left in the district."
"I see…"
Yoshimura's expression did not change.
"Kiryu-kun, please sit down."
"I'll prepare some coffee."
At that moment—
The wind chimes rang again.
Clink—
All three turned toward the door.
A tall man stepped inside.
Snow clung to his white coat before melting into droplets under the café's warmth.
"Oh dear…"
He patted snow from his shoulders.
"Looks like it'll snow heavily tonight."
It was Yukinori Shinohara.
His eyes swept across the café casually.
But when they met Arata's—
His pupils shrank for a split second.
Then returned to normal.
Arata also recognized him.
But remained silent.
"Welcome."
Kiryu greeted him with his usual calm smile.
"What would you like to drink?"
"A black coffee."
Kiryu turned—
But Yoshimura gently stopped him.
"I'll prepare it."
Kiryu nodded and sat beside Arata.
Shinohara took a seat at the bar.
His fingers slowly traced the smooth surface of the counter.
"So…"
He said casually.
"How's business today?"
"Not very good."
Kiryu shrugged lightly.
"There were almost no customers."
"You're actually the first one today."
"Oh?"
Shinohara raised an eyebrow.
"Seems I'm lucky then."
Inside his mind—
A chill crept in.
What a disgusting pretense.
"Your coffee."
After a moment—
Yoshimura placed a steaming cup before him.
The liquid glowed amber beneath the warm lights.
Shinohara took a sip.
His eyes brightened slightly.
"Very good."
"Did you use special beans?"
"Partly."
Yoshimura folded his hands calmly.
"But coffee is influenced by many things."
"The roasting level."
"The brewing method."
"Even the water."
He paused.
Looking quietly at the surface of the coffee.
"I've always believed something."
"What matters most is not the origin of the beans."
"But how you treat them."
"Every bean has its own characteristics."
"If you understand them…"
"Even inexpensive beans can produce excellent coffee."
Shinohara looked down into his cup.
His reflection rippled faintly.
"…That's a profound philosophy."
He finished the coffee.
Then stood up.
Putting his white coat back on.
"The coffee was excellent."
"You don't need to pay."
Yoshimura said gently.
"Consider it a courtesy."
For a moment—
The two men looked at each other silently.
Then Shinohara nodded.
"In that case…"
"I'll gratefully accept."
He pushed open the door.
The wind chimes rang again.
"Thank you for the hospitality."
Snowflakes blew inside as he stepped out into the night.
Yoshimura watched quietly as the white figure disappeared into the snowfall.
Outside
The moment the door closed—
Shinohara's expression darkened.
He had seen Arata Kirishima.
The man he and Kureo Mado personally captured and sent to Cochlea.
There was no way he could mistake that face.
Their earlier deductions were correct.
If Arata Kirishima was here—
Then Massacre was here as well.
The calm face of Ren Kiryu appeared in his mind.
"The Corpse Collector…"
"The Non-Killing Owl…"
"And…"
"…Massacre."
His voice grew quieter with each name.
Until it was swallowed by the wind.
He tightened his coat.
Taking out a communicator.
"This is Shinohara."
His voice trembled slightly.
"We've encountered the worst possible situation."
"There are multiple SSS-rated ghouls in the 20th Ward."
Inside Anteiku
Shortly after Shinohara left—
The back door opened quietly.
Koma Enji and Irimi Kaya stepped inside.
Cold air followed them.
"The shop has been cleaned."
Koma removed his coat.
"All documents have been taken care of."
Irimi brushed dust from her sleeves.
"Thank you."
Yoshimura placed four fresh cups of coffee before them.
Steam rose gently from the cups.
"Please."
Arata took a sip.
"…Delicious."
"It's been a long time since I tasted this."
Koma smiled faintly.
"The manager's skill hasn't changed."
Irimi drank quietly.
Saying nothing.
Kiryu lifted his cup.
Speaking inwardly.
"Want to try?"
"Maybe this is the last chance."
Carnage's voice answered slowly.
[…No thanks…]
[…I prefer chocolate…]
"When this is over…"
Kiryu replied.
"I'll buy out the entire supermarket."
[…Deal…]
Carnage fell silent.
Leaving the coffee entirely to him.
Kiryu took a sip.
Bitter.
After a moment—
He finished the entire cup.
Still bitter.
He truly couldn't understand why people liked coffee.
"It's becoming quiet."
Yoshimura murmured.
His eyes fixed on the falling snow outside.
"We will follow you until the end."
Koma said seriously.
"If it weren't for you…"
Irimi added softly.
"Demon Ape and Black Dog would still be fighting endlessly."
"You showed us another way for ghouls to live."
Silence filled the café.
Only the faint aroma of coffee lingered in the air.
Yoshimura stood quietly by the window.
Watching the snow fall under the streetlights.
Snowflakes settled on the empty street.
On the old café sign he had hung so many years ago.
He had believed this peaceful life could last forever.
But perhaps—
This was always how it would end.
He sighed softly.
"Ukina…"
"…My wish…"
"…in the end…"
"…could not be fulfilled…"
On the Eve of Chapter 100
The wind chimes above the door rang softly.
Clink—
Snowflakes drifted in as the door opened.
Ren Kiryu stepped into the warm interior of Anteiku.
"You're back, Kiryu."
Seated in a booth, Arata Kirishima looked up and smiled gently.
"Yomo and the others have already left."
Behind the counter, Kuzen Yoshimura nodded calmly.
"Yomo will protect Touka."
His voice remained steady.
"You don't need to worry."
Kiryu brushed the snow from his coat and walked toward the counter.
"The Commission of Counter Ghoul has already evacuated the civilians."
"The streets are completely empty."
"We're the only ones left in the district."
"I see…"
Yoshimura's expression did not change.
"Kiryu-kun, please sit down."
"I'll prepare some coffee."
At that moment—
The wind chimes rang again.
Clink—
All three turned toward the door.
A tall man stepped inside.
Snow clung to his white coat before melting into droplets under the café's warmth.
"Oh dear…"
He patted snow from his shoulders.
"Looks like it'll snow heavily tonight."
It was Yukinori Shinohara.
His eyes swept across the café casually.
But when they met Arata's—
His pupils shrank for a split second.
Then returned to normal.
Arata also recognized him.
But remained silent.
"Welcome."
Kiryu greeted him with his usual calm smile.
"What would you like to drink?"
"A black coffee."
Kiryu turned—
But Yoshimura gently stopped him.
"I'll prepare it."
Kiryu nodded and sat beside Arata.
Shinohara took a seat at the bar.
His fingers slowly traced the smooth surface of the counter.
"So…"
He said casually.
"How's business today?"
"Not very good."
Kiryu shrugged lightly.
"There were almost no customers."
"You're actually the first one today."
"Oh?"
Shinohara raised an eyebrow.
"Seems I'm lucky then."
Inside his mind—
A chill crept in.
What a disgusting pretense.
"Your coffee."
After a moment—
Yoshimura placed a steaming cup before him.
The liquid glowed amber beneath the warm lights.
Shinohara took a sip.
His eyes brightened slightly.
"Very good."
"Did you use special beans?"
"Partly."
Yoshimura folded his hands calmly.
"But coffee is influenced by many things."
"The roasting level."
"The brewing method."
"Even the water."
He paused.
Looking quietly at the surface of the coffee.
"I've always believed something."
"What matters most is not the origin of the beans."
"But how you treat them."
"Every bean has its own characteristics."
"If you understand them…"
"Even inexpensive beans can produce excellent coffee."
Shinohara looked down into his cup.
His reflection rippled faintly.
"…That's a profound philosophy."
He finished the coffee.
Then stood up.
Putting his white coat back on.
"The coffee was excellent."
"You don't need to pay."
Yoshimura said gently.
"Consider it a courtesy."
For a moment—
The two men looked at each other silently.
Then Shinohara nodded.
"In that case…"
"I'll gratefully accept."
He pushed open the door.
The wind chimes rang again.
"Thank you for the hospitality."
Snowflakes blew inside as he stepped out into the night.
Yoshimura watched quietly as the white figure disappeared into the snowfall.
Outside
The moment the door closed—
Shinohara's expression darkened.
He had seen Arata Kirishima.
The man he and Kureo Mado personally captured and sent to Cochlea.
There was no way he could mistake that face.
Their earlier deductions were correct.
If Arata Kirishima was here—
Then Massacre was here as well.
The calm face of Ren Kiryu appeared in his mind.
"The Corpse Collector…"
"The Non-Killing Owl…"
"And…"
"…Massacre."
His voice grew quieter with each name.
Until it was swallowed by the wind.
He tightened his coat.
Taking out a communicator.
"This is Shinohara."
His voice trembled slightly.
"We've encountered the worst possible situation."
"There are multiple SSS-rated ghouls in the 20th Ward."
Inside Anteiku
Shortly after Shinohara left—
The back door opened quietly.
Koma Enji and Irimi Kaya stepped inside.
Cold air followed them.
"The shop has been cleaned."
Koma removed his coat.
"All documents have been taken care of."
Irimi brushed dust from her sleeves.
"Thank you."
Yoshimura placed four fresh cups of coffee before them.
Steam rose gently from the cups.
"Please."
Arata took a sip.
"…Delicious."
"It's been a long time since I tasted this."
Koma smiled faintly.
"The manager's skill hasn't changed."
Irimi drank quietly.
Saying nothing.
Kiryu lifted his cup.
Speaking inwardly.
"Want to try?"
"Maybe this is the last chance."
Carnage's voice answered slowly.
[…No thanks…]
[…I prefer chocolate…]
"When this is over…"
Kiryu replied.
"I'll buy out the entire supermarket."
[…Deal…]
Carnage fell silent.
Leaving the coffee entirely to him.
Kiryu took a sip.
Bitter.
After a moment—
He finished the entire cup.
Still bitter.
He truly couldn't understand why people liked coffee.
"It's becoming quiet."
Yoshimura murmured.
His eyes fixed on the falling snow outside.
"We will follow you until the end."
Koma said seriously.
"If it weren't for you…"
Irimi added softly.
"Demon Ape and Black Dog would still be fighting endlessly."
"You showed us another way for ghouls to live."
Silence filled the café.
Only the faint aroma of coffee lingered in the air.
Yoshimura stood quietly by the window.
Watching the snow fall under the streetlights.
Snowflakes settled on the empty street.
On the old café sign he had hung so many years ago.
He had believed this peaceful life could last forever.
But perhaps—
This was always how it would end.
He sighed softly.
"Ukina…"
"…My wish…"
"…in the end…"
"…could not be fulfilled…"
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.