a (un)romantic date

- Didn't you have to be at the CCG now?

Eto asks me who is sitting across from me in a restaurant.

-Yes.

I reply amusingly while looking at the restaurant's menu.

I feel Eto's gaze boring into the menu.

- So I can understand that you went back on our agreement....?

Eto asks dangerously.

I sigh.

-And ghoul nature to constantly threaten others?

I lower the menu and look at Eto.

-No, I didn't go back on our agreement, I always stick to the things I say, and it's just that there was an interesting change in events...

Eto for her menacing air and looks curious.

-...I was promoted...?

I end by talking about doubt.

Eto raises an eyebrow.

-How do you not know if you were promoted or not?

I am offended.

-Hey! A lot of strange things happened yesterday, first you open me...

He makes a forced cough interrupting me.

-...hug...

She coughs again.

-...hugged!

I finish quickly and Eto tries to slap me which only deflects me backwards.

She huffs in anger.

"Is she flushed?"

Eto is slightly red and I giggle.

"Well she's really cute sometimes"

Now I blush slightly.

"No! She is dangerous..."

I pause in my thoughts.

"...but so much fun to be..."

I shake my head and go back to talking.

-Then I went to class and guess who the teacher was?

Eto turns his attention to me.

-Kureo mado...

-Wasn't he the one in the video?

-...Yes.

I mumble and Eto starts laughing.

-Your luck is really something...

Eto comments and I start laughing too, drawing even more attention from the people around us.

"In retrospect, hanging out with Eto so casually was not a good idea"

It was important to remember that Eto is Sen takatsuki.

In other words, she is a famous writer.

Since we appeared at the restaurant, two people have already come to ask for autographs, several have taken photos in a hidden way and there was always someone who just kept looking.

-Are you sure that being in public like this is a good idea?

I ask Eto who seems to ignore all this attention.

-Why? Are you ashamed to be seen with me?

She asks feigning sadness.

-Never! But don't you think we'll both get unnecessary attention and better yet, the rumors you've definitely seen?

She looks thoughtful for a while.

-I don't really care, in the long run it might even be useful for me to have some public relationship like that and you care about that?

She asks looking at me expectantly?

"I really don't care enough what other people think at all"

I give her a teasing smile back at her.

-Of course I don't care about that, I only care about you E-chan~

She stares at me in shock and blushes again.

"It's really funny that she's so easy to tease with the least amount of affection..."

I make a slight face.

"...and funny and sad actually"

I give her a slight smile as I wait for her to recover.

"...would it be possible to help you with that?"

-Idiot...

She whispers.

-But it's true...

I respond calmly.

-...who is my ally and someone I'm starting to consider a friend and you...

She looks surprised again.

-...even though most of our meetings involve my life risk and some possible crime.

We both laugh a little and Eto smiles brightly.

I freeze.

"Her smile is really beautiful"

I feel a kick in my chair.

I look confused at Eto who looks quite flushed.

I spoke out loud.

I blush too and try to lose it.

After a while she coughs and speaks.

-Well let's continue talking about what happened to you yesterday.

I nod.

I keep talking about everything that happened the day before, the class, the meeting and the fight with Juuzou and finally all the conversation I had with Mado and Shinohara.

This one Eto seems to know.

-You know, you already told me you were a Scrapper but I didn't think you were The dancer.

She comments in surprise.

-Yes, some called me that.

-What about your supposed promotion?

-This afternoon when I went to class Mado called me and said that I was already fit enough to be an investigator, so I'm already considered a Rank 3 and I'm on Shinohara and Juuzou's team.

She nods.

-Did you graduate on the first day of school?

I laugh.

-It can be said that the Shinohara squad is now responsible for investigating Jason.

Ero raises an eyebrow.

-...he was responsible for the bing eater but...

-CGG thinks Jason is the Eater now.

Complete Eto.

I nod.

Eto looks thoughtful.

-Is there a problem with Jason being a target?

- no...and even better if he's a target...he's causing trouble for the aogiri.

-What kind of problems?

Eto sighs and stares at me.

-And it's actually your fault, the attention Jason is getting has fed his ego too much...and now he's questioning the fundamentals of aogiri and even our orders.

-I don't think it's my fault...

-It was your video that caused this change.

-I don't believe people change...

I whisper and Eto looks curious.

-what?

-I don't think people change, I think they just become what they always were inside...

I say softly and Eto looks thoughtful and I continue.

-...he's probably always been like that and now he's just received enough motivation to get started, but speaking of aogiri and time for my questions!

But before we get started a waitress asks our orders.

I order just juice and Eto orders a plate of salad.

She, a ghoul, ordered a salad.

I send her an odd look which she just ignores until the waitress leaves and then asks me.

-What's it?

- You and a ghoul.

- You're insightful.

- You don't need to force yourself to eat in front of me.

She smiles slightly and then laughs.

-I'm not a normal ghoul, I was born to a human mother and a ghoul father, which makes me a half-ghoul...

"Isn't that the same as the kaneki is? No, the eyes are different sides...but she really only has one kakugan..."

- Didn't you realize that I only have one kakugan?

I slap my face.

"How did I not notice before?"

She laughs and continues.

-...so I can taste human food with normal taste, but it doesn't sustain me as much I still need human flesh at the end of the day...

-That's really interesting... now, first question.

I take a break.

-Who is the leader of aogiri?

-To the point, our leader is the one-eyed King.

-A boastful title, who is he?

Eto laughs and responds.

- Secret~

-...is that you?

-Not!

"I won't have anything else about it now"

-ok, how does aogiri work as a whole.

Eto is silent for a while.

-The one-eyed king and our leader, but Tatara and I mainly give orders, and we give orders to our associates, yes, you could call it that, and those associates are heads of small gangs who have their own duties ...

She pauses.

-...Jason for example and the leader of the white suits...I don't mind remembering, and they mainly take care of the food supply.

-Your system is very interesting but you realize how flawed it is, right?

Eto nods.

-As long as Tatara and I manage to show strength and having the CCG as an enemy, everything will be stable.

-But do you have any plans in case someone tries to rebel?

Eto opens his mouth to speak.

-One that doesn't just involve killing.

She pauses and pouts.

-No problem that murder doesn't solve!

she exclaims.

At that moment our orders arrive.

I start drinking my juice slowly.

-You know, I don't like violence very much.

Eto stares at me with dry eyes and a lettuce leaf in his mouth.

- You killed four ghouls in five minutes.

-Being good at something doesn't mean that I like it...I like fighting, my point is that killing besides ending the fun won't solve all problems.

-Ohhh I doubt it.

-Can I give you an example?

Eto nods.

-If you kill Jason, what will happen to the rest of your gang?

-Those who tried not to attack her died together.

-And the ones that don't?

- They continued working for us.

I sigh.

-And do you think they will still be trustworthy? No, they will try to avenge their leader, or at least prepare not to die, will they conspire or flee, if that whole squad that is responsible for providing food decides to get out of aogiri what will happen? What will happen when in the moment of your greatest need they decide to betray you?

Eto stares at me seriously considering my opinion.

-...You have a point, but you forget that ghouls are different from humans, we are more selfish, we don't care about loyalty, we only care about eating.

I give a light laugh that seems to bother Eto.

-oh! E-chan how is it possible that you don't understand something so simple?

She looks offended.

-Eto you are one of the leaders of aogiri why?

-Because I hate the CCG and this world, I want to change that.

-ok, anger, that's your reason, not greed, not gluttony but anger...

Eto looks surprised.

-...your hate comes from something, you wouldn't hate the CCG just for killing ghouls, unless they've killed some close to you, your hate is driven by revenge, revenge comes from many places and loyalty you felt by the ones who died and one of them, and you still think ghouls are so one-dimensional?

I finish my speech and Eto looks thoughtful, his face goes through various emotions, anger, disgust, sadness and many others.

-Okay...I get it...but why does it matter to know that humans and ghouls are so similar?

I clap a hand.

-A soldier who fights for something is much more useful than a pawn who serves only as a sacrifice...

Eto looks interested.

-...Aren't you good at judging people? Understand why they fight and use them in the way that will be most useful, there are those who are not apt to violence but still believe in what you fight, use them to get information and so on...

I take a break.

-...understand your feelings and build on them.

I finish.

-Monsters have no feelings...

Eto whispers as if it's more for her than me.

-It is only necessary to be alive to have feelings and allow yourself to feel them and of course.

Eto pause.

-So monsters might want to be happy?

I smile brightly.

-Why not?

Eto smiles slightly and finishes his salad.

We were in an oddly comfortable silence for a while.

- Shall we take a walk?

I ask and Eto agrees.

After paying we left the restaurant and walked and talked around.

We stopped by a bookstore and Eto told me he loves horror literature and gore movies.

Which I didn't find the least bit surprising and I got an amusing punch for telling her that.

I ended up buying a big hat to hide Eto as the looks were already bothering me.

She called me jealous.

And I kicked her.

It really hadn't been the best of ideas.

I thought as she chased me down some alleys.

After we calmed down she got a call from her editor who was annoyed that she left unannounced.

We both ignored him.

Afterwards we just walked through a park and I tried to get some information about Eto's family who soon realized my intentions.

-Tell me about that Michel first.

-I can talk calmly, will you talk about you later?

She looks surprised.

- Would you talk that easy?

-Of course, my past is there, in the past and he formed who I am today, I'm not ashamed to talk about him, Michel was someone important to...

-You can stop there! I was just kidding, I won't tell you about it right now.

I pout.

-...not yet at least...maybe in the future...

She says shyly.

"Wow, I lived to see Eto like this"

I smile and speak.

-So in the future I'll talk more about it too.

She nods.

After walking for a while, we decided to end the day and I accompany Eto to her house.

In the lobby of the building I go with her to the elevator.

Before entering she gives me another hug and this time I hug her back.

After a while she leaves the hug and enters the elevator.

-I really enjoyed today...

Before she's finished speaking the elevator door closes and he starts to climb.

I sigh and start walking away.

"Wow it's already night"

I think as I look up at the starry sky.

"I really enjoyed today too"

I smile and go humming home.