"AAHHRGG!"
Nanashi regained consciousness—but in the worst way possible.
An unbearable pain overwhelmed him, a pain he had never expected to experience, violently tearing him out of his stupor. He could do nothing but groan in agony; he couldn't move a single part of his body.
Sweat drenched him as his body began to shake, to convulse. Nanashi knew it—if he didn't eat the seed, he would die of cardiac arrest.
"COUGH, COUGH—"
He coughed as a large amount of blood poured out of him. As a result of sharpening his senses to such an extreme, blood streamed from his nose, ears, and eyes. Many of the bones in his body were broken, shattered to pieces; all he could feel was deep, overwhelming pain. Every time he coughed, he spat up more blood.
It was already a miracle that he could remain conscious under such agony. Nanashi tried to curl up as best he could; after a great effort and clenching his teeth, he managed to assume a fetal position. His hand barely reached his mouth, and the seed slid down his throat almost immediately. He didn't even have the strength to chew it—but it was enough.
A comforting warmth began to spread throughout his body. Nanashi wanted to cry, to kneel and thank the world for the existence of such miraculous seeds. The pain vanished in an instant, and he was able to sit up and breathe calmly. With every breath, his mind began to settle; only then did he finally notice his surroundings.
It was a strange, dreamlike place.
He would never have believed such a place existed if he weren't seeing it with his own eyes at that very moment. Everything was illuminated; he had no idea where the light came from, yet it bathed the entire white space perfectly. Now that he thought about it, the place reminded him of heaven—as if he were inside a cloud.
In that seemingly endless room, doors lined every direction. None of them were different from the others; they were all identical. Nanashi stood up, retrieved Murasame—which he found lying nearby—and inspected the area without touching any door. He walked on, yet the doors never stopped appearing; he couldn't find an end. He even approached one closely and confirmed what he already suspected: it was no different from the rest.
He felt uneasy, yet he continued walking aimlessly, hoping to find something—anything—different among those doors. He didn't know how much time had passed, but at some point, he began to feel hungry.
What Nanashi didn't know was that those seeds could suppress hunger for ten days. Lacking any sense of time, he had wandered through that space for ten full days.
The moment he felt hunger, concern followed. He remembered that from the moment he ate the first seed until the second, he had never felt hungry at all. He didn't know how much time had passed—but it had to be more than two days.
He took out the bento box and ate Saeko's food. Seeing it made him think of them. He smiled softly and tried not to worry; they had done well without him, and he had to believe they would continue to do so. They were strong enough to survive.
That thought gave him the courage he needed to face his fear of those doors. He had a strong suspicion—he only needed to confirm it.
After eating his fill, he grasped the doorknob of one door. Since they were all identical, he chose one at random. As he did, he prayed silently not to lose his memories.
Nanashi froze as the door opened instantly and sucked his body in, leaving him no time to react. The door slammed shut just as quickly, and the surrounding space returned to complete stillness.
…
It was a sunny, pleasantly warm afternoon over the city of Tokyo.
In a small, multi-story café with a façade decorated in flowers and vines cascading from the second-floor railing like waterfalls, the place had a lively charm that blended beautifully with its white exterior. Trees surrounded the building, filling the area with life. The entrance, paved with neatly arranged red bricks, gave it a rustic touch.
Inside, the morning news played softly, reporting on the murders that had occurred the previous night. Through investigation and DNA evidence, it had been confirmed that the perpetrator was a ghoul.
The laughter of a blond, spiky-haired boy echoed throughout the café. This was all thanks to his short-haired, black-haired friend with gentle eyes and a delicate appearance, who was glaring at him reproachfully.
"It's not that funny."
"Hahaha! I'm just saying—you can't have your first date in a library."
"But she'd love it."
Hide shook his head as he listened to his childhood friend, Kaneki, explain how he planned to have his dream first date. He burst into laughter, amused by how predictable his friend was—and laughed even harder knowing he was absolutely right.
"S-so first I'll take her out for burgers, and then we'll go to—"
"HAHAHA!"
Kaneki felt frustrated and embarrassed as his friend continued to tease him. He truly had no experience with women and didn't want to mess it up. Deep down, he believed that if they shared the same interests, she would surely enjoy spending the day at the library with him.
"Listen, Kaneki. When you plan a date, you have to choose a place where girls can actually have fun."
Hide felt obligated to teach his dear friend that failing to choose the right place would end in disaster.
"For example… for example…"
He trailed off, unable to think of a single place. Kaneki looked at him with clear annoyance.
"You don't know either, do you?"
"If I did, I wouldn't be stuck here spending the whole afternoon with you."
Then Hide remembered what really mattered as he looked at his lovestruck friend. He stood up slightly and whispered with a crooked smile:
"So… who's the cute girl you're talking about?"
Kaneki blushed, and Hide scanned the café, searching for the one who had stolen his friend's heart. His eyes landed on a pretty waitress with short blue hair who looked about their age.
"It's her, right?"
"No… it's not. But she is pretty cute too."
Kaneki glanced at the waitress, blushing slightly. He hadn't really noticed how pretty she was; he had only been enjoying the coffee and reading quietly. It was only when Hide pointed her out that he truly became aware of her cute appearance.
"Excuse me!"
Hide called out, raising his hand. The waitress approached with a calm, gentle smile, ready to take their order.
"A cappuccino, please. And your name."
"Hide!"
Hide spoke shamelessly as he asked for the waitress's name. She really was quite cute, and he wanted to hear it. Kaneki was startled and immediately called out to him reproachfully.
"Kirishima Touka."
"Touka-san! Do you have a boyfriend?"
Hide was visibly moved upon hearing her name and couldn't help but ask what he considered the most important question for any man, standing up as he did so. The sudden movement startled Touka, who hurried off to prepare the order. That reaction struck Hide as incredibly adorable; it felt like he could fall for her at any moment.
Kaneki scolded him immediately upon seeing his behavior. He was afraid they might get kicked out; if that happened, he was fully prepared to force Hide to kneel in front of the owner and apologize.
"Don't act like that! What am I supposed to do if we get kicked out? This is the only place where she and I can—!"
Kaneki froze mid-scolding. His face flushed instantly as he saw the person who had stolen his heart walk into the café. His eyes followed that delicate figure intently—bright purple hair that perfectly matched the color of her eyes. Her beautiful face was framed by red-rimmed glasses, giving her a more mature, intellectual charm.
Unconsciously, murmuring without taking his eyes off her, he said:
"It's her."
Hide was also surprised when he saw her; she truly was beautiful. However, he knew the harsh reality and could already see the future his friend was about to face. He shook his head and delivered a dose of truth.
"Give up."
"Huh?"
Kaneki was confused by what his friend said, but he understood it almost immediately.
"I've already seen you suffer from love once. I think I should go."
Hide left a few coins on the table so Kaneki could pay his bill and then walked away. After hearing the news, he knew the incident had happened nearby and wanted to take a look. Besides, he didn't want to watch his friend suffer from unrequited love right in front of him, so he hastened his departure. This surprised Kaneki, but at the same time relieved him; he didn't want his friend to witness what would happen if he gathered the courage and failed.
Hide turned his back and, before leaving, waved goodbye to Touka.
"See you next time, Touka-chan~."
Watching Hide leave, Kaneki tried to calm his nerves by reading a bit of his favorite book. He hadn't brought it just for that—out of the corner of his eye, he had noticed that she was carrying the very same book. That alone made him smile with happiness; they shared the same favorite author. As he watched her, their eyes met. Kaneki lowered his head, embarrassed at being caught staring, but deep down—and perhaps remembering how bold Hide had been—he lifted his head and returned her gaze. They looked at each other for a moment; she smiled at him, kind and charming, which made him blush even more.
…
On the bustling main streets of Tokyo, somewhere in a crowded district, people moved nonstop, heading either to school or to work. Tourists passed by, taking pictures of a scenery completely different from their own homes. It was a very common daily routine for everyone, something they were already used to.
Still, strange things happened from time to time. Some people stopped to stare; others simply ignored it and kept walking. A few looked on with disdain, hoping that such trash would be killed by a ghoul and stop polluting the streets.
Near one of the busiest avenues, a man wearing tattered, torn clothes clutched his head in desperation. His face and parts of his body were covered in red tattoos, and his long black hair gave him a disturbing appearance, somewhere between a vagrant and a criminal. Passersby could hear him muttering and shook their heads, thinking he was insane. If they looked closely, they might notice traces of blood, though they blended in with his tattoos.
"Impossible… impossible… impossible."
Several officers watched him from a distance. He could have been a drunk or some petty criminal; they would only intervene if he did something suspicious. For now, they simply observed, hoping he wouldn't cause any trouble. It never crossed their minds that a ghoul would be stupid enough to enter one of the safest districts.
The moment Nanashi touched the doorknob, his mind was flooded with information—information that terrified him far more than anything he had experienced in that world filled with zombies.
These were no longer the memories of a group of students struggling to survive. No. These were the most hopeless memories a person could possibly endure. His mind replayed the experiences of the young Ken Kaneki. A boy who fell in love and, because of that alone, nearly got himself eaten. He survived only for his existence to turn into endless suffering: he could no longer eat his favorite foods, everything tasted like garbage, and worst of all, he was forced into a hidden world—a world where superhuman creatures fed on humans, and he had become one of them.
Even though there were good people within his group who helped and cared for him, that only brought more disasters and tragedies into his life. He was tortured relentlessly by those monsters, his mind broken again and again until he was driven insane. The experience made him stronger—only for him to be battered by even greater misfortune afterward.
The last memories Nanashi witnessed were those of the Anteiku organization, which had once extended a helping hand to him, now being besieged by countless agents. Among them were several ruthless and powerful individuals. Even when they told him to escape, he returned. The final thing Nanashi saw was Kaneki approaching an investigator who had slaughtered hundreds of ghouls. Blood painted the ground, and the man fixed his gaze on him, his face showing neither exhaustion nor emotion—as if it had all been nothing more than a routine task.
Kaneki knew it. He knew that man was going to kill him. And with that, the visions ended.
Although Nanashi felt deep sorrow for Kaneki, that wasn't what made him curl up on the ground—it was the premonition of death that followed after witnessing those memories.
Save Anteiku.
Nanashi fell into despair the moment he felt it. It was impossible. Kaneki—someone who had become superhuman—had failed, and now the task had fallen onto him. He was just a normal human; there was no way he could accomplish it. The realization left him utterly hopeless.
The light slowly turned orange as the streetlamps began to flicker on. Even though the season was fairly warm, the nights always carried a chill. A faint breeze brushed against him, pulling Nanashi out of his pitiful state.
He sighed and looked up at the sky. Facing mindless zombies felt far more comforting than confronting superhuman monsters that could kill him with a single blow.
He walked on, sighing, without any real destination, glancing around as he went. That was when he noticed how different this world felt compared to the zombie-infested one: people walked slowly and carelessly, and the lights and signs that opened an entirely different world for night dwellers were beginning to glow.
Cold crept into the soles of his feet; the bottoms of his shoes were ruined, torn apart back when he had lost control of himself.
He wandered like a vagrant, staring at the neon lights. He approached several places where hotel signs loomed over the street.
He entered the first one he saw, but the receptionist grew nervous upon seeing him and politely asked him to leave, threatening to call the police otherwise. Although the receptionist feared ghouls, the establishment was located in the 3rd Ward—considered one of the safest districts. It was a commercial area that thrived on nightlife; that was the only reason he had agreed to work such late hours, which would be practically suicidal in other wards.
Looking at Nanashi was more like looking at a homeless man than a ghoul. No ghoul would be insane enough to risk entering a safe district—or at least, that's what most people who lived and worked there believed.
Nanashi meant trouble, and the receptionist had no intention of dealing with a penniless vagrant. Nanashi left, somewhat confused. Still, he entered another establishment—and the same story repeated itself.
Little by little, his options ran out. He wasn't even allowed to say a word before being told to leave or threatened with a call to the police.
In the distance, he spotted his last option. Unlike the others, this place's neon lights were old and flickering, turning on and off. It was narrow, its façade painted red, though large patches of white showed through where the paint had worn away with time.
Nanashi didn't care about its appearance; he just wanted somewhere to spend the night. He decided to use the best technique he had learned so far. When he entered, he saw a young blond man talking on the phone.
Daiki Yamamoto was speaking sweetly to his girlfriend. She had dumped him after seeing him dancing with another girl at a party. Although he had been caught red-handed, he had spent quite some time trying to convince her it was just a mistake. He cursed the situation, but also felt lucky he hadn't been caught doing anything worse than dancing. With honeyed words, he managed to win her over. He ended the call and sighed in relief. At least he'd still be with her—after all, she was pretty, gave him some money, and never spent anything when they went out.
"Huh?"
He noticed a ragged man covered in tattoos silently staring at him from the entrance. He stayed on guard, thinking he might be a thief, and just as he was about to kick him out, something happened that left him confused.
Nanashi threw himself to the floor and dropped to his knees, pressing his head firmly against the ground.
"Please… let me stay."
Hearing this, Daiki felt annoyed. The tattoos had initially put him on edge, but now the man just looked like a homeless drifter. Irritated at having scared himself, he considered hitting him—but seeing how submissive he was, he smiled maliciously. He pulled out a knife he had hidden and tossed it to Nanashi.
"You know there are a lot of those monsters around Tokyo. How do I know you're not one of them? You should prove it."
Nanashi understood immediately and nodded. There were many of them, and it was impossible to tell who was human and who was a ghoul. He remembered Kaneki snapping a knife in half, and seeing that he'd been given a chance to stay, he picked up the blade and made a small cut on his forearm. He thought it would hurt, but it was barely anything. Smiling faintly, he showed how a thin line of blood ran down his arm.
Daiki saw it too and burst out laughing as Nanashi proved he wasn't a ghoul. Amused, he thought the man clearly didn't know this was one of the safest wards—ghouls hunted elsewhere. Laughing and barely paying attention, he said:
"Hahaha! That's impossible, buddy. Unless you've got a lot of cash, you'd better get the hell out."
When he looked up, expecting to see a sad expression, he instead saw a thick wad of bills in Nanashi's hand. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be seeing things.
"I have money. How much would it cost to stay?"
Daiki stared at the stack of bills—ten-thousand-yen notes. He spoke while closely examining them. A night cost less than ten thousand yen. He swallowed hard and said:
"Uh… one hundred thousand yen per night."
He looked anxiously at Nanashi, realizing he'd spoken impulsively, completely forgetting that this man had just been kneeling and begging. But then he saw Nanashi calmly count the money and hand him ten ten-thousand-yen bills.
"So I can stay now."
"Y-yes…"
Nervously, Daiki touched and checked the bills several times. They were real. Ecstatic, he assigned Nanashi the best room available and personally led him there. His mind was filled with doubts as he observed him—his clothes were completely torn, and his shoes looked like they might fall apart at any moment. An idea crossed his mind, and he spoke up.
"Hey…"
…
From a distance, Hide watched CCG agents handle the bodies. He was observing the ghoul incident that had occurred the previous night. The sound of his phone distracted him, and he answered Kaneki's call.
"Well damn… so miracles really do exist."
Hide said this after hearing how his friend had managed to pull off the impossible.
"Yeah! We're going to the library on Sunday!"
Hearing the word "library" again, Hide felt a wave of hopelessness for his friend—but he supported him anyway.
"I don't know how a date at the library is gonna go, but… good luck."