After climbing over the wall, Ihei Byakuya and Uruka Minami headed toward the location of the school warehouse.
Along the way, they moved while avoiding the surveillance cameras.
Having already been enrolled for quite some time, Byakuya had long since observed where all the cameras on campus were located.
Halfway through, Byakuya naturally noticed that Uruka Minami had not let go of his hand the entire time.
"..."
However, this did not affect anything, so he did not say anything.
"Let's lie in wait at this spot. Even if someone goes in or out, they basically would not notice this corner."
Ihei Byakuya chose a suitable ambush location, which was a blind spot in terms of visibility.
Of course, as a ghoul, Mr. Tanaka might be able to smell their scent if he got a bit closer, but what they needed to guard against was being discovered by a duty teacher or the like. Being discovered by Mr. Tanaka instead did not really matter.
Because the other party would only treat him and Uruka Minami as ordinary students, which would just be perfect to use them as hunting targets.
...
However, after lying in wait until very late, Ihei Byakuya and Uruka Minami gained nothing.
Tonight, Mr. Tanaka did not appear.
At this time, Ihei Byakuya glanced at the time and said in a low voice, "It's already almost ten o'clock. The duty teachers have all gotten off work. That Tanaka probably will not show up tonight. Let's head back."
There was no way he could forget what Yoshimura Eto had emphasized before he went out, telling him that he must be home before Eto fell asleep.
And now the time was already close to Eto's bedtime, so he had to hurry back.
"Mm, at worst we can lie in wait for a few more days. Mr. Tanaka will definitely attack someone again."
Uruka Minami nodded and said.
After that, the two left the school following the same route they had used to avoid the cameras.
Not far outside the campus, the two prepared to part ways.
"Ihei, see you tomorrow."
Before separating, Uruka Minami said, "By the way... there is someone at your home waiting for you, right?"
The reason she asked was that when they were lying in wait together just now, she had smelled the scent of another human girl on Ihei Byakuya.
Now that Uruka Minami's identity had already been exposed, she naturally could smell Byakuya's scent without restraint.
That was right, it was Yoshimura Eto's scent.
Although Yoshimura Eto was a half-ghoul, her own scent was that of a human. During her time in the 24th Ward, she had mixed ghoul scent into herself to confuse others in order to protect herself.
Now that she had come to human society and was living together with Byakuya, there was naturally no need for that anymore.
The most direct evidence was that even in the original work, Fueguchi Hinami, who had extremely gifted sensory abilities, did not notice Yoshimura Eto's identity when she spoke face to face with her under the identity of the human writer "Takatsuki Sen".
Perhaps this was also one of the reasons why Eto, later as a cadre of the [Aogiri Tree], wrapped her entire body in bandages. Doing so could completely conceal her appearance and also cover up her scent.
"Yeah, it's my younger sister."
To save trouble, Ihei Byakuya directly described Eto as his younger sister.
Otherwise, was he supposed to go on at length and explain his experiences in the 24th Ward?
"Mm mm, Ihei, hurry back then. Don't let your younger sister worry."
Uruka Minami said with a smile.
As she turned and left, a feeling of envy arose in her heart.
Because she had been alone since childhood. Her biological parents had died when she was very young.
Although the cause of death was unclear, there were only two possibilities. Either they were eaten by their own kind, or they were killed by ghoul investigators.
At the same time, Uruka Minami also felt a trace of relief. That scent was only Ihei's younger sister.
...
Returning home.
Ihei Byakuya arrived right at 9:59, entering the door just in time. In only a few seconds, it would be exactly ten o'clock.
Yoshimura Eto usually fell asleep a little after ten, because children needed relatively sufficient sleep, so Byakuya cutting it this close could be considered quite extreme.
Walking into the living room, Ihei Byakuya immediately saw Eto's displeased expression.
"Byakuya... it's true that you came back before I fell asleep, but this is way too late."
Eto stood on the sofa with her hands on her hips.
"Sorry, sorry. That ghoul did not show up tonight, so I lay in wait there for a bit too long."
Ihei Byakuya explained with an apologetic smile.
"Forget it. At least you still knew to come back."
Yoshimura Eto snorted lightly. "I want to sleep, but before that I want to read."
"Okay, okay."
Ihei Byakuya first went to put his things away, then took a shower.
Next, his task before sleeping was to coax Eto to sleep first.
...
Day after day passed.
Finally, on the tenth night, there was a turning point.
However, a small accident happened first.
When Ihei Byakuya and Uruka Minami were near the school preparing to infiltrate it, by sheer coincidence they ran into Fura Taishi, who was wandering around nearby.
There was still some distance between them and Fura Taishi. Ihei Byakuya and Uruka Minami both pretended not to see Fura Taishi and very tacitly quickened their pace at the same time.
But their figures were still noticed by the swaying Fura Taishi.
"...?"
At first glance, Fura Taishi thought he had seen wrong. He rubbed his eyes and confirmed again. Those two figures really looked like Minami and that new guy.
"Minami? And that Ihei brat... why would they be here..."
Fura Taishi immediately became very concerned and muttered to himself.
Moreover, he noticed that Ihei Byakuya and Uruka Minami were heading in the direction of the school. He wondered what they could be doing at the school so late at night.
Growing more and more concerned, Fura Taishi immediately followed them.
"It seems we were discovered by Fura. He is following us. Is that okay?"
At this moment, even without turning her head, Uruka Minami detected Fura Taishi's footsteps behind them and immediately reminded Ihei Byakuya in a low voice.
"It's fine. Just let him follow."
Ihei Byakuya said casually.
Something similar had happened in the original work, and Fura Taishi did not cause trouble.
This guy would later become a First-Class investigator of the CCG. He was just somewhat lost in his youth and almost went down the wrong path. His nature was actually not bad.
Hearing Ihei say this, Uruka Minami stopped worrying so much.
After that, Uruka Minami once again pulled Byakuya's hand and took him over the wall.
Just as Fura Taishi followed out from around a corner, he saw Ihei Byakuya and Uruka Minami's figures disappear.
"What's going on...?"
But Fura Taishi did not give up. He felt that they should be inside the school, so he also planned to climb over the wall and get in.
As a delinquent who skipped class every day, climbing walls was right up his alley. He even knew which sections of the wall were easiest to climb.
Fortunately, his movements were fast enough. As soon as he got into the school, he saw Uruka Minami and Byakuya's figures in the distance and continued following them.
And so...
Without realizing it, Fura Taishi followed them to the vicinity of the warehouse. He did not know when he lost sight of Minami and Ihei.
Just as he was anxiously looking around, he saw a hat-wearing cleaner slowly approaching from behind.
"You are... Mr. Tanaka?"
Fura Taishi recognized the other party and planned to directly ask whether he had seen other students just now, completely unaware that Mr. Tanaka at this moment was very strange.
Mr. Tanaka's eyes flashed with a trace of crimson, and a Rinkaku covered in scales was released from his back.
"Mr. Tanaka... y-you, what's wrong with you?"
Seeing the strange, moving tentacle behind the other party, Fura Taishi, who had never seen a ghoul before, was completely dumbfounded.
Ordinary humans had no way to resist ghouls. Frozen in place, Fura Taishi was about to have his body pierced by that Rinkaku.
At this very moment, a low and calm voice suddenly came from a corner nearby.
"Finally, I've waited for you, Mr. Ghoul..."