Young Love, Innocent Love [An Ayahina Fiction]

Chapter 16 : The Truth

A/N: Hi~~~~~~ I'm back~~~~ school's been busy, lots of homework, tests, quizzes, all that crap, you all know. Anyway, here's chapter 16~~~ please enjoy~~~

At Anteiku--

"Hey, Koma-san, Irimi-san." Kaneki greeted as he and Touka pushed open the door to Anteiku. "Oh hi, Kaneki-kun, Touka-chan. It's been a while." Koma said, waving. ":re is busy, isn't it?" Irimi asked, taking them to their table. "Yeah, it is. But, it's closed for today." Touka said, sitting down and taking the menu.

"Oh? Is it for something special?" Koma asked from the counter. "Well, we'll keep it as a secret now. It's a surprise for Hinami-chan." Kaneki said, handing the menu to Irimi. "A surprise?" Asked Koma. "Yep, a surprise." Kaneki said, nodding rather proudly.

"Hm hm, how exciting." Irimi said, returning to the kitchen to make them their drinks and food. Ten minutes later the drinks and food they ordered arrived, and Kaneki, Touka, Irimi, and Koma started chatting. "Well, Kaneki-kun, I've been wanting to ask you something for a while." Koma said about fifteen minutes after the four started chatting.

"Yes, Koma-san?" Kaneki said, taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm not being offensive or anything. But do you, uhm, have a full time job?" Koma asked, scratching his head. "How offensive, you are." Irimi said. Kaneki turned into a gargoyle. Touka choked on her drink at Kaneki's reaction, laughing. "I mean, we know you got in Kamii, but you say you're taking a gap year before starting, and it's been two years since then and it doesn't seem like you went back, so..." Koma went on but only to be cut off by Touka's laughter.

"N-No! Of course he doesn't have a job! He's just a freeloader who is relying on me and my money and my cafe--"
"Stop it already!! Touka-chan!!" Kaneki protested, pinching Touka's face. "Okay okay, I'll stop. It's just really funny. After all you're 21 now--"
"Touka-chan stop giving them false information!!" Kaneki exclaimed. Koma and Irimi sweat dropped.

"So....... care to explain??" Koma asked Kaneki and Touka stopped fighting. "Well, what you said was indeed my original plan, but my job, uh, it gave me a new aspect of my life. It's, um, let's just watch the TV and you'll understand." Kaneki said and he turned on the TV and changed to the news channel.

"....Recently people in skeleton masks were frequently spotted at the 20th ward. There are reports saying they have been scaring people they encounter on the street. No one was wounded or hurt by them, but make sure to stay alert and raise awareness when you go out alone...." The three all stared at him in disgust. "......Impressive...." Koma said. "Simply impressive....." Irimi said, and the two sighed.

"Hey!! Wait!! This's a misunderstanding!! Hey!! Come back!! Don't go back to the kitchen!! Irimi-san!! Koma-san!! Let me explain!! Just wait a bit longer!!" Kaneki shouted as he went to chase Irimi and Koma back. "But this is just like something his stupid gang will do..... You'd better not.... Ayato...." Touka thought, frowning at the TV.

Just then an ambulance zoomed through the street, emitting loud siren. "Hm, hope whoever is in the ambulance is okay..." She thought, and went to find Kaneki and the others.

Earlier At School--

Hinami and Akira were at their deserted classroom. "Just listen now, Fueguchi-san, no matter how you feel, no matter what you want to say, no matter what you want to do, stay calm and listen to me first." Akira said, looking Hinami in the eye with her shaky pupils.

"It was.... it was my father..... who killed your family." Akira said in a small and shaky voice.

"......Huh?" That was all Hinami could manage to say. At that moment, everything seemed to freeze. Her body stopped functioning. She couldn't make a sound, couldn't hear, couldn't move a finger. The whole world simply seemed to have stopped.