She was a tall girl with a slender figure, long purple hair cascading down her shoulders, tied neatly with a white butterfly ribbon.
Dressed in a white-and-lavender one-piece dress, she moved gracefully as she walked, the snow-white hem fluttering like butterfly wings, displaying a mesmerizing rhythm with every step.
A pair of brown-framed glasses rested on her nose, lending her an air of elegance and intellect.
She was none other than Rize Kamishiro the girl who had been "missing" for days.
The moment she stepped into the café, Kaneki Ken saw her at once.
"It's her… that girl."
When Rize passed by his side, Kaneki's cheeks flushed red, his breathing growing faintly hurried.
Hide's eyes were glued to her as well. After a moment, he suddenly spoke.
"Give it up, Kaneki."
"Huh?" Kaneki turned to him in confusion.
"You and her are like a beauty and that thing…" Hide said mercilessly.
"You mean a beauty and the beast?" Kaneki supplied.
"Heh, I didn't say that~ Anyway, I've seen enough embarrassing expressions from you today. I'm heading out, Kaneki."
With that, Hide placed a few coins on the table and turned toward the exit. At the door, he didn't forget to shout back loudly:
"Later, delusional Kaneki!"
Kaneki's face instantly turned crimson. He hurriedly lowered his head.
"Bastard, Hide!"
That shout drew the attention of others in the café Rize included.
She looked toward Kaneki, a strange glint flashing through her eyes.
"What a cute little boy," she murmured softly.
"Maybe I'll choose you tonight?"
The look Kaneki had given her earlier was far too familiar.
It was the look every man wore when faced with a beautiful woman
except there was no lewdness in his eyes, only pure fascination.
"At last, that guy's been lured away. I really hope the 20th Ward never sees that bastard again."
Ever since she had passed Fushimi Kyo's information to Tsukiyama Shuu, Rize had been closely watching both sides.
That afternoon, when Kyo had been "kidnapped" by Tsukiyama's people, she'd received the news almost immediately.
And when she did, she'd been ecstatic.
Whether it was Fushimi Kyo or that perverted Gourmet, she hated them both.
Watching them kill each other was the most delightful outcome she could imagine.
More importantly, no one would be interfering with her meal tonight.
Though, to be fair, she had already eaten once before coming to Anteiku.
Just then, Touka walked up to her and asked calmly,
"What would you like to drink?"
"A cappuccino," Rize replied gently.
"You've been gone for so many days. Why come to Anteiku today, of all days?" Touka asked.
"Because that guy isn't in the 20th Ward anymore," Rize said with a smile.
"I finally managed to send him somewhere else. Took quite a bit of effort."
"Sent him away? He's not in the 20th Ward?" Touka froze.
"What did you do to him?"
Though neither of them mentioned a name, both knew exactly who they were talking about.
"Relax, Touka. Your little boyfriend was just taken away by Tsukiyama Shuu," Rize said lightly.
"I heard he was injected with RC cell suppressants and anesthetics too."
"Oh dear, I wonder if that pervert's already eaten him~"
She patted her chest, her face filled with worry so convincing that it looked entirely genuine.
At least, from Kaneki's perspective nearby, she looked heartbreakingly pitiable.
"He has nothing to do with me. Don't spout nonsense," Touka snapped, glaring at her.
Just recently, she'd been set on killing that guy herself.
Yet now, inexplicably, a hint of worry had crept into her heart.
"I really hope Tsukiyama kills him," Rize said indifferently, adjusting her glasses.
"I've been in the 20th Ward for so long this is the first time I've suffered such a loss."
"Hmph. If you hadn't set your sights on him in the first place, you wouldn't have ended up like this," Touka mocked before turning back to the counter.
Rize didn't mind at all. She pulled a novel from her bag and began reading.
From nearby, Kaneki caught sight of the book title and his heart stirred.
"It's The Black Goat's Egg… by Takatsuki Sen."
He glanced at the book lying on his own table.
"We're reading the same novel…"
The Black Goat's Egg told the story of a cold, merciless female serial killer known as the "Black Goat," and her only child.
The novel was filled with brutal depictions of reality and delicate psychological portrayals.
It not only sharply mirrored the real world, but also deeply dissected the behavior and inner worlds of people living under such circumstances.
For someone like Kaneki, introverted, withdrawn, living in his own inner world this book held a fatal allure.
As for Rize, she was captivated by the female killer's methods.
During her own hunts, she even imitated some of the murder techniques described in the book.
The darkness within those pages fit her current state of mind perfectly.
If Kaneki had once been drawn to Rize purely by her looks, discovering that they shared the same taste only made him more convinced that he hadn't been mistaken.
A ghoul's senses were extraordinarily sharp. Rize naturally noticed Kaneki's gaze.
She looked up and smiled faintly at him.
That sudden bloom of beauty made Kaneki's breath hitch.
"She's… beautiful," he thought, completely entranced.
Amused by his reaction, Rize picked up The Black Goat's Egg and walked over to him.
"Hello. My name is Rize Kamishiro. I feel like I've seen you several times before," she said warmly.
"You like Takatsuki Sen too?"
Her gaze fell on the novel on Kaneki's table.
Kaneki hurriedly stood up.
"M-Miss Rize, my name is Kaneki Ken! We've met a few times at the bookstore!"
Once the ice was broken, the two shared a table, chatting animatedly and effortlessly.
Touka placed Rize's coffee down, her brows knitting together.
"This woman… has she set her sights on that boy?"
Anteiku's rule was clear: their own kind couldn't hunt humans but they couldn't stop other ghouls from doing so.
So Touka wouldn't break the rules to warn Kaneki.
Besides, she had no real connection to him. At most, he was just a regular who came for coffee; occasionally there were plenty like him.
Outside Anteiku, Rize and Kaneki prepared to part ways.
Then Rize twisted her fingers together, looking embarrassed.
"Kaneki-kun… could you, could you walk me home?"
"I know it's rude to ask on the first day we meet, but I live in a pretty secluded place…"
"And lately… the whole city's been a bit unsafe."
As she spoke, her head hung low, as if she were truly shy and apologetic.
If Fushimi Kyo were here, he would've applauded her Oscar-worthy acting.
"Huh?" Kaneki hesitated.
He'd just been attacked by a ghoul not long ago.
To be honest, even the thought of such creatures made his legs tremble.
But the moment he imagined rejecting a girl's request, his blood surged.
"It's fine," he blurted out. "I'll walk you home."
Hearing that, a faint smile curved Rize's lips beneath her lowered head…
...
A street or two away, police had cordoned off the entrance to an alley.
"Pretty gruesome," a bespectacled investigator remarked.
"I heard ghouls can last a whole month on one corpse. Guess big eaters really are different things only stayed quiet for a few days."
"If you leave beasts alone, they'll gorge themselves, right?" another investigator chimed in.
"Are ghouls really beasts?"
"If we're talking about being useless, they're worse than livestock."
"True enough."
Just then, messages from CCG Headquarters crackled through both of their earpieces.
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