"Can I refuse?"
From Rize's tone alone, Byakuya could tell she was planning something devious.
"No. If you don't agree, I won't let go."
Rize's arms around his waist tightened.
"Whatever, do as you like."
Byakuya said with a shrug.
Only then did Rize release him.
As Byakuya began cooking rice and preparing dishes, Rize commenced her assault.
At first, she targeted his earlobe, but this time Byakuya was mentally prepared. He showed no obvious reaction, and his hands continued their work undisturbed.
Seeing this, Rize shifted her attention to the middle of his ear.
The moment her tongue lightly grazed it, Byakuya couldn't help but react.
The center of the ear was even more sensitive than the lobe.
Before long, Byakuya couldn't take it anymore. He turned his head toward her. "You know... doesn't this gross you out at all?"
"Not really."
Rize wore a slightly wicked smile. "By the way, you lost the game."
"Fine, fine, I lost. Now please let me finish cooking."
Byakuya said with resignation.
"Since you lost, there has to be a penalty. I haven't decided what it'll be yet—I'll let you know when I figure it out~"
Rize said with a grin.
"As long as it's not too outrageous. We'll deal with it when we get there."
Byakuya didn't dwell on it, focusing instead on preparing his dinner.
Even if Rize made an unreasonable demand later, he could simply refuse. She wasn't strong enough to force him.
Afterward, Rize stayed in the kitchen but stopped bothering him, watching quietly as he cooked.
...
Byakuya used a small rice cooker to make just enough for himself, paired with simple tomato scrambled eggs and braised beef with potatoes.
He brought the fragrant meal to the dining table—though to Rize, the smell was anything but pleasant.
"It looks pretty good, but unfortunately I can't eat any of it."
Rize remarked flatly.
"Since ghouls can't eat most human food, there's not much to be done about it."
Byakuya said. "But maybe someday someone will develop food that ghouls can actually eat. Technology keeps advancing."
He'd said "most" because there were exceptions.
Coffee, for instance. There was nothing inherently special about it, yet ghouls could drink it and taste it just like humans could.
Water was obvious. As for beer—the original story had a scene where Yomo got drunk, proving ghouls could handle alcohol too.
But that was it. Everything else—food and various drinks—was off-limits.
"That's just wishful thinking."
Rize held no hope for such a thing.
"I think there's a real chance."
Byakuya said.
The reason no ghoul-compatible food substitute had been developed was because the Washuu Clan had been secretly sabotaging such efforts.
The Washuus didn't want the conflict between humans and ghouls to diminish—that would hurt their interests.
Despite being a ghoul family themselves, the Washuus had founded the CCG—the very organization dedicated to hunting ghouls.
Yes, the CCG was established by the Washuu Clan.
That achievement had earned them immense prestige in Japan. Today, the Washuus lacked nothing—status, reputation, wealth—all thanks to the CCG.
Consider this: if a food substitute for human flesh were developed, ghouls would no longer need to risk their lives hunting humans while being pursued by investigators. That would weaken the CCG's influence—and by extension, the Washuu Clan's.
So the Washuus would never allow that to happen. What they needed was a perpetual stalemate between humans and ghouls.
On the human side, they had the CCG—staffed not just by human investigators, but also half-humans they'd cultivated, like Arima, Hairu, and Shio.
They also had another group of half-humans in a shadowy organization called "V"—operating under the Washuu banner. Similar to the Anbu in Naruto, V worked exclusively in the shadows, unlike the public-facing CCG.
V specialized in eliminating anyone who might "disrupt the balance between humans and ghouls" or "threaten Washuu rule"—whether ghoul or human.
Arima himself was one of V's "cleaners." Touka's mother, Hikari Kirishima, had been eliminated by Arima because her growing strength had become a perceived threat to the Washuus.
In short, if the Washuu Clan ever collapsed, ghoul-compatible food would probably be developed very quickly—as proven by the original story's ending.
...
Byakuya had finished dinner, but Rize showed no signs of leaving.
"It's getting late. Aren't you heading home?"
Byakuya asked while washing the dishes.
"That man in the clown mask you mentioned—I actually know who he is."
Rize suddenly brought up the steel beam incident. "As it happens, he attends the same university as you."
She'd only recently recovered some fragmented memories from that day. The severity of her injuries had caused partial amnesia.
Once those fragments returned, she'd recalled seeing the "clown" on the construction site rooftop. The build and the specific mask design—she'd recognized him as Nimura Furuta.
She didn't know why Furuta had done it, but she knew to treat him as an enemy.
"You're saying he's at Kamii University? So you know him?"
Byakuya feigned ignorance. He couldn't reveal his transmigrator status—he had to avoid giving anyone reason to suspect.
"Yes, we're actually quite well-acquainted. But even if I told you who he was, you wouldn't recognize him."
Rize nodded slowly.
"So someone you know tried to kill you. What are you going to do?"
Byakuya asked.
"Leave things as they are for now. If Ward 20 becomes unsafe, I'll just flee to another district. I'm used to it by now."
Rize said casually.
[Ding! Host has triggered a quest. Initiating Divine Selection!]
[Option 1: Show no concern for Rize's situation. Reward: 1 Fusion Point!]
[Option 2: Declare that you'll protect Rize. Reward: 20 Fusion Points!]
[Option 3: Elope with Rize immediately—leave Ward 20 together. Reward: 30 Fusion Points!]