Kaneki finishes work

As you may have noticed, there was a longer than usual gap between the previous chapter and this one. I'll be frank and say this wasn't due to real life busyness, lack of motivation, or other common reasons not to write.

I've recently begun writing a new story on this site, and, to be honest, I'm more invested in that story at the moment than this one. My new story takes place in a world of my own making, and features original characters and plotlines. This allows me much more creative and writing freedom, so I enjoy writing that story more than this one. And I can let it be more sexual by default, so you don't get too many chapters without any erotic content, like you do in this story.

However, I understand that there are people who enjoy this story, and none of you want to see it suddenly dropped while I work on something else. So, to be clear, I am not stopping this story. My current plans are to work primarily on this story until I get to a point where I'm comfortable ending it. I never planned to cover all of :re anyways, and have had plans for how I would finish this off sooner already in my head. I will try to update this story regularly until then.

Again, I am more invested in my other story. I think it's a better premise, with my own characters, and is better erotica. This story is half retelling and half erotica, which isn't very satisfying to write, and probably not to read. If I want the erotic scenes to be satisfying, they have to come up naturally, and that's harder to do when trying to follow a source material, even when straying from it as I have.

If you like futa on male, I think you'll enjoy my other story just as much, hopefully more, than you do this one. I haven't published it yet, because I'm trying to work on this story still, but I'll drop a link here, and on the last chapter, to my other story when I do publish it. Also, consider following me to know when I release it if you're interested. And if you think I should just stop this story now to begin writing the other one, please let me know in a comment or something, because if there really aren't that many people who care to see this story continue instead of getting a new story, I don't see why I shouldn't work on my other story immediately.

But, for now, this story will continue as normal.

"Have a good night, manager!" Kaneki called out as he walked out the back door of Anteiku. It was pouring outside, and he hoped Hinami and Ryouko had an umbrella with them. They had left only a short while ago, and Kaneki, who wasn't working today, didn't have much reason to stay in Anteiku with them gone.

Kaneki began the trek back to his apartment, his feet sloshing against the rain pooling on the ground. He'd had fun today, really. With his sudden transition to being a ghoul, he'd been so wrapped up in other things that he'd not spent time to enjoy any of his hobbies as a human. He didn't even think he'd picked up a book since his surgery, and he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed literature. Teaching Hinami had re-ignited that passion in him, though.

As he walked, his stomach let out a loud growl. The hunger was constant, so Kaneki had gotten used to it by this point. It was still unpleasant, but bearable. Since the manager had **** fed him flesh, Kaneki had only ever eaten the special sugar cubes, and one load from Ryouko, and he knew it wasn't enough to fully sate him, as he felt his stomach clench once more.

Consumed by hunger as he was, Kaneki nearly missed the book lying on the street. It barely caught his eye as he passed, but Kaneki stopped to look at it nonetheless. It really stood out on this small Tokyo street. He wasn't even anywhere of anybody except Anteiku employee's who passed through here regularly. As he gazed at the cover of the book, Kaneki's eyes widened, and he felt his knees begin to shake as he unsteadily knelt down to grab the book.

'Monochrome Rainbow.' It was the book Hinami had been reading. Kaneki quickly stood and spun around, searching for the girl around him, hoping she and her mother would be standing just there to thank him for finding her book, but no such sight greeted him; he was alone in the alley.

A scream rang out through the streets, and Kaneki frantically took off in it's direction, speeding through the familiar roads and alleys of the 20th ward. Kaneki was moving so fast he nearly collided with Hinami as he ran out of an alley and into a larger street of Tokyo.

"Kaneki!" She screamed as she saw him, running into him and hugging him tight around the waist. Kaneki looked down to see tears streaming down her face. "Please! You have to help. Mom, she's . . . " she trailed off as she pointed down the street. Kaneki looked and saw Ryouko standing surrounded by men in long coats. Two of them had scaly weapons aimed at the woman, and Kaneki could see blood coated her in several places.

Ghoul investigators. It had to be. Kaneki stared at the sight, struggling to comprehend. Rain beat down on his head as he stared, wondering why Ryouko, the gentlest, kindest person he knew, would be targeted by the ghoul investigators.

Kaneki was pulled out his thoughts by Hinami tugging at his wrist. Trying to drag him in the direction her mother. For a second, Kaneki began to follow before he stopped. Ryouko had talked to him about the investigators. He knew they were dangerous. And there looked to be plenty of them surrounding Ryouko. He knew what the only outcome of this situation could be.

Mustering all the strength he had, he grabbed Hinami around the waist and dragged her back into the alley he had come from. "I'm sorry," he said. He could feel tears prick at his eyes. "There's . . . there's nothing we can do for Ryouko right now." Hinami began to let out a cry of despair, but Kaneki clamped his hand over her mouth. He couldn't let them be heard, no matter what. He couldn't let Ryouko die in vain.

He and Hinami peeked out of the alley and watched the scene play out. Hinami was constantly struggling for Kaneki to let her go, so she could rush to her mother's side, but Kaneki held his arms tight around her, keeping her in place. They both watched as Ryouko spoke for a second to the investigators. Her kagune were out, and it was the first time Kaneki had seen them. They were beautiful.

A slash of the investigator's weapon came down, and he felt Hinami scream into his hand as her mother blocked it with her Kagune. Immediately, the other investigator holding a weapon swung at her from behind. Ryouko barely managed to avoid being impaled by it, but it grazed her stomach as it passed, and Ryouko let out a small cry of pain.

The first investigator took another swing, and time seemed to stop. Kaneki and Hinami both watched helplessly as the blade connected with Ryouko's neck, sliding through cleanly and instantly killing her. Kaneki's other hand instantly came up to cover Hinami's eyes, shielding her from the site, but he couldn't help the scream that tore itself from his throat as he watched.

HInami shouted into his hand, as she heard his scream, but Kaneki barely registered it. He felt tears finally stream down his face as he watched the investigators stand over Ryouko's body. Her blood flowed out into the street, only to be washed away by the pounding rain.

The air was stuffy in the small room on Anteiku's second floor. Silence filled the room, as the rain had stopped some time ago. Kaneki sat on a couch in the room with his head down, still in shock over what he'd witnessed earlier that day. A cup of coffee, prepared by the manager, laid untouched in front of him. Kaya sat in a chair across the room, and Yomo leaned on the couch next to Kaneki, but nobody had said a word in a while, each absorbed in their own grief.

Downstairs, Touka opened the door to the shop and to find the manager alone behind the counter inside. "Ah, so you were here, manager," Touka greeted him as she stepped inside. "The sign outside is flipped the wrong way, so I wasn't sure."

"Touka . . . " the manager tried to get her attention, but Touka continued talking.

"More importantly, listen to this! I failed my literature test in school." Touka was seemingly unaware of the grave air pervading the cafe until the manager cut her off again.

"Touka, could you please come upstairs with me?" The manager asked.

Touka finally seemed to grasp that something was wrong, and her face scrunched in worry as she followed Yoshimura up the stairs.

Kaneki turned his head as he heard the door to the room open, and saw the manager enter with Touka behind him.

"Even Yomo is here," Touka began. "Did something happen?"

"Ryouko Fueguchi," the manager paused. "Was killed by the ghoul investigators. It seems she was protecting Hinami."

A loud bang rang throughout the room as Touka slammed her fist into the wall. "Where's Hinami?" She asked.

"She's asleep in a room here."

"And her face, were they able to see it?"

"Unfortunately . . . it seems they did," the manager said.

Touka sank to her knees. "What the fuck . . . " she muttered, her head hanging low.

"For now," the manager continued. "I have decided to shelter Hinami here at Anteiku. When the time is right, though, I'm considering moving her to the 24th ward.

Touka's head shot up to glare at him in anger. "Is that a joke, manager? Sending Hinami to live alone in that shit hole?" Touka spat out, her words dripping with anger. "We should just kill those CCG 'doves.' Before they can dig up Hinami's information, we should kill them all. Especially since Yomo is here, with everyone's cooperation we . . ."

Silence filled the room after Touka's violent suggestion. "We can't." Yomo finally said. "If we kill the CCG's 20th ward doves, they'll start focusing on this area, sending more doves until we're all hunted down. Understand that Touka."

"But . . . " Touka looked at him betrayed, as if she expected him to agree with her warlike proposal.

"Touka," the manager interrupted. "It's as Yomo says, we can't get mixed up with those doves. That's the best thing to do for everyone's safety."

Touka lowered her head and grit her teeth. "Even though our friend has just been murdered you're going to suck on your thumb and watch quietly? That's 'the best thing' to you, manager?" She raised her head to look at the manager, and Kaneki thought Touka looked like she was going to cry. "Ryouko and Hinami's father were both killed by the investigators, It would be pathetic if we didn't attack the enemy!"

The manager paused before answering Touka. "The pathetic thing is not that we won't attack." His words had an edge to them that wasn't there before. "The truly pitiful thing is to be consumed with the desire for ****, and being unable to live one's own life."

"Are you talking about me?" Touka glared at him, but the manager didn't respond, looking disappointed in her.

"Tch," Touka exclaimed as she strode out of the room, slamming the door behind her as she went.

The room was silent for a second before Kaneki began to speak. "Ah . . . um . . . "

The manager cut him off before he could get anything out. "Don't worry about that. She has a lot to think about," he said. "Kaya, Enji, don't ever consider getting involved with the investigators, and please, urge the customers to be cautious too." Yoshimura seemed to notice Kaneki's melancholy attitude. "No one thinks you did anything wrong, Kaneki. Even we ghouls are hesitant to go against the doves. You did the right thing to fulfill Ryouko's wish and keep Hinami safe." The manager said, trying to comfort him.

"If . . . if the one at the place and time was Touka, instead of me," Kaneki began. "Then maybe Ryouko would still be . . . " he trailed off, unable to finish the thought. He half expected the manager to correct him, but he didn't.

"Don't blame yourself, Kaneki."

Later that night, Kaneki stood motionless in the shower as water poured down on him. "If I was as strong as Touka . . . then I would have fought against those investigators." He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes again. "Those investigators are supposed to kill ghouls to maintain the peace. The ghouls, the ones who kill and eat people. They're supposed to be the ones at fault," he thought.

"Ryouko . . . Hinami, they didn't do a single thing wrong." Kaneki leaned forward, resting his head against the shower wall. "The one who's wrong here," he thought. "Is me." Kaneki broke down, tears streaming down his face as he cursed his own weakness, his helplessness. "Fuck, Fuck," he muttered, as he sank to his knees, crying in the shower.