The Green Eyed Ghoul

Kaneki Adjusting

There's one thing to keep in mind: Anteiku is more than just a regular coffee house. It's a place for the Ghouls of the 20th ward to come together, a safe haven of sorts. Though there will be times when human customers come in as well, just as you and Hide did," Yoshimura said to Kaneki.

"B-but…I thought that Ghouls were supposed to hide themselves from the world? Why are we still serving humans?"

"Because we need to study them. Learn how to blend in to their society. When it comes down to it, humans are like living textbooks to us Ghouls. That said, I suppose the simplest answer is that I like them," Yoshimura said with a warm smile.

"Oh."

"Okay. Do you think you're ready to go downstairs and give Percy and Touka a hand?"

"Uh…yes sir."

Kaneki walked down the interior stairs of Anteiku, wondering just how exactly Yoshimura 'liked' humans. When he opened the door to the coffee house, he saw Touka at the cash register, and Hide talking to Percy.

"Wha-? Hide?" Kaneki said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Kaneki! Isn't it obvious? I'm here to thank Percy, since he was the one that found us after the accident," Hide said cheerily. Kaneki blinked, but when he briefly caught Touka's eye, he realized that the 'accident' was the cover story behind the fight with Nishio.

"Oh, yeah. The accident…"

"I guess he hasn't completely recovered yet," Touka said with a grin.

Hide seemed to accept that. "So buddy, how ya feelin'?"

Kaneki smiled. "Better now. This place has really helped me out."

"Well I'm glad. I heard Nishio is still in the hospital. We're lucky you found us when you did, Percy, or we would've had more than a few scrapes and scratches." The boy beamed, his eyes closing.

"Thanks again!" Hide called as he left Anteiku. After he was gone, Touka's cheery smile fell, replaced with a grim look. "Watch yourself around that guy, Kaneki. If he ever finds out about us, I'll have to kill him on the spot."

"But Touka-!"

"He already knows," Percy chirped.

"He what!?" The bell tingled, and Touka's switch was instantly flipped. "Hi! Welcome to Ant-Ryouko!"

"Hello, Touka, Percy."

Two females, clearly mother and daughter, walked in, soaking wet. Both ladies looked downtrodden, depressed, and haunted. Kaneki wondered what had happened to them, and in his thoughts, he almost missed Touka telling him to get some towels.

"I got it," Percy said, uncharacteristically serious. He placed his hands on either of the females, and suddenly, they were both dry. Only Touka seemed to realize what had just happened. The woman recovered, "Thank you, Percy. Come on, Hinami." They disappeared up the stairs.

"Are they Ghouls too?" Kaneki asked.

"That's Mrs. Fueguchi and her daughter, Hinami. We'll be looking after them for a while," Touka said.

"So, um…why are they here?"

"I'd tell you, but it'd take too long to explain." Before Kaneki could plead his case, Touka rounded on Percy, who had a strangely dark look on his face, before it cleared up. "And what did you mean by 'he already knows'!?"

Percy giggled mischievously. "Yesterday, when the Ancient One and Kaneki were talking up in Hide's room, and the Ancient One offered Kaneki a job here, Hide was awake and heard every single thing they said. So Hide knows that we're all Ghouls, and he hasn't told anybody yet."