The next morning at Anteiku, I found myself helping out behind the counter when a familiar face walked in—Kaneki. His pale features and hesitant demeanor stood out against the warm, cozy atmosphere of the café. He gave me a curious glance before nodding politely.
Touka nudged me with her elbow. "That's Kaneki. He's... well, complicated."
I raised an eyebrow. "Complicated how?"
She didn't respond, just shot me a look that clearly meant to drop it. I watched as Kaneki greeted Yoshimura, his eyes flickering over to me briefly before settling down with a book in hand.
The café buzzed with quiet chatter, and I found myself lost in thought. My body felt stronger than yesterday, and the odd marking on my hand tingled faintly. The system hadn't given me any new notifications since last night, and I couldn't help but wonder how far I could push it.
Suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere shattered. The door was flung open, and a group of hostile ghouls barged in, their eyes gleaming red with hunger.
"Anteiku, huh?" one of them sneered. "We heard rumors about this place sheltering the weak."
Yoshimura remained calm, but Touka immediately stepped forward, her kagune flaring to life. I could feel the tension building, and my instincts screamed at me to act.
Before I could move, Kaneki stood up, his expression unusually firm. "Leave," he said quietly, but his voice carried an unsettling edge.
The leader of the intruders laughed. "Or what? You think a wimp like you can scare us?"
Without warning, Kaneki's kagune erupted, black and red tendrils slicing through the air. In an instant, the leader was pinned to the wall, blood dripping from his mouth.
[You have been idle for 15 minutes. Combat Awareness increased by 3. Reaction Speed increased by 2.]
Touka didn't hesitate—she launched herself at the remaining ghouls, swift and precise. My own instincts took over, and I lunged at one who tried to attack her from behind. My hand smashed through his ribcage with an ease that startled even me.
When it was over, the survivors fled, dragging their injured leader away. Kaneki's gaze lingered on me, curious and wary.
"You fought well," he said, his voice soft but sincere.
I glanced at Touka, who just huffed and crossed her arms. "He's still an idiot."
I couldn't help but grin. "Glad to know I'm living up to expectations."
Yoshimura approached us, his calm smile unwavering. "Thank you both for protecting Anteiku. But be careful—trouble seems to follow you."
Later that evening, while cleaning up the mess, Touka approached me quietly. "Why did you jump in back there? You could've gotten killed."
I hesitated. "I just... couldn't stand the thought of you getting hurt."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly turned away, mumbling something about me being a reckless idiot. Despite her harsh words, I could feel a subtle warmth in her tone.
As the night fell and the city lights flickered to life, I couldn't help but feel like I'd found a purpose—even if it was just staying by her side.
This world was brutal, unforgiving—but for some reason, with Touka around, it felt a little less daunting.