Conversations about food and hunger

After kaneki's abrupt arrival, yoshimura decided to change the place of our conversation to the main area of ​​the coffee maker, which as its facade had no one.

And this is where I find myself, yoshimura making coffee behind the counter, touka sitting on a stool nearby making faces at me and kaneki, and the hooded man (who I found out was Touka's uncle) who goes by Renji yomo and aside from the fact that not speaking almost a word he seems like a nice person.

-Now.....

Speak yoshimura.

- Why did you specifically choose us to ask for help?

- and why, o-or rather how did you know about my problem?

asks a desperate kaneki.

-First, about you kaneki, I already thought Rize was weird at the cafe that day, so after her accident, the ghoul cases in the region stopped and you didn't eat right away ... I thought it was pretty obvious what it could be.

I say slapping him on the head.

- and I didn't tell you to let me know of any problems?

Kaneki mumbles an embarrassed apology and whispers.

- I was afraid.....

- I know....I know....but continuing, about why here in particular....

I take a break that gets everyone's attention, even kaneki who is still confused pays attention.

- Chance!

I exclaim happily ignoring the shocked looks from the ghouls in the room.

- So you came to seek help in a place that you suspected only had ghouls, to help your friend who, again, you only suspected to be one, without a real plan of action?

asks a touka seeming to vocalize everyone's thoughts.

- Yes !

I smile and touka headbutts the counter.

- but yes, it was mostly by chance, I was suspicious of touka since our first meeting here so I left a little bait...

- the paper.....

Yoshimura comments, whereupon I nod my head in agreement to the displeasure of a confused kaneki.

- and then I made my biggest bet.

Deep breath.

- you work serving humans all day and this district is one of the most peaceful, I imagine the reason is you.

I get a nod from yoshimura.

-So I based this whole game on you guys not killing me instantly...

-to my disappointment.

A Touka grumbles.

-and calling me for a conversation with the intention of threatening me not to say anything, or just kill me, but having the attention of the leader of such a group, which is slightly, it seems to me, peaceful...

-You could say what you want....

Start yoshimura.

- That would be help for him.

I point to kaneki who looks surprised.

-uh?

- On second thought, what the fuck are you doing here kaneki?

- eh, well, I, I'm hungry...very hungry, and I remember seeing her...

He points to Touka.

- m..killing a person and if, if, revealing as a ghoul to me.....then I came for help.

For this I ask curiously.

- What kind of help did you expect kaneki?

- I, I don't know...

He admits it quietly.

- anything that makes this hunger go away...

- How long have you not eaten?

Calmly asks yoshimura.

-since...since the surgery, about three weeks....

With that yoshimura stares at me.

- and I assume you've made a plan for that too?

- Un....oh yes, there was, I was going to put it into practice tonight.

I say while I play with my needle passing it through my fingers which gets a curious look from everyone.

- Like?

Abruptly asks Yomo who so far hasn't said a single word.

- ah?

- How would you solve his hunger problem?

- With food! What else solves hunger?

Silence.

- Ghouls eat human flesh.

Touka comments.

- You and a master of pleonasm ein....

Silence.

- Where did you get human flesh?

- From a dog.

Silence.

- Ryo?

Kankei question hesitantly.

- Yes?

- Did you kill someone?

- We have a winner!!!

I clap my hands mockingly, to which Kaneki only responds with a sigh and lowers his head.

-Why?

He Whispers.

- Kaneki, what happens when a ghoul arrives in a deep state of hunger?

- and...I don't know, they go into some kind of coma state.

With that I shoot a look at yoshimura who doesn't seem to mind the fact that I've just admitted to murder, and he nods in acknowledgment and sighs.

-I understand why you came to us.

- yes, kaneki is extremely ignorant when it comes to ghouls.....

Kaneki exclaims in indignation, one of the few things he's proud of is to consider himself a cultured person.

-...like the average people in general.

-Kaneki, when a ghoul is very hungry he simply starts attacking everyone that comes his way.

He speaks yoshimura, causing kaneki's eyes to widen.

- So you mean...

- that you would at some point attack everyone indiscriminately.

With that Kaneki loses himself in his own thoughts and starts to tear up.

- eeee can we go back to the point where he said he killed someone?

asks a confused touka.

- Why would you care about that?

I ask back.

- Because you're human?

- and?

Touka looks annoyed.

- and you just killed someone to feed your friend?

-Yes? Of course I had to cut the body a little, take out its bones, dry its blood, and other laborious things since said friend couldn't have known it was human flesh.

Right now yomo seems to remember something she saw just before we came here.

- The hamburgers...

He whispers.

-What hamburger?

Touka asks a Yomo who now looks at me with a really weird look as he explains something to Touka.

- Why doesn't your friend seem bothered by your murder?

asks a very curious yoshimura.

- Because even if I've never seen him do that, it's very much in his nature...

Responds in a low kaneki voice.

- I know he's dangerous, he's probably committed other crimes before, as hide said when we met...but as he's my friend I trust that he wouldn't hurt me...

Kaneki stops and thinks for a moment.

- At least not directly...

I give a real happy smile after that.

- I, only, can only eat human flesh, not any other way?

Kaneki asks in a fragile tone full of despair to yoshimura, who returns a sad smile and a calm voice.

-Human meat and the tastiest is the one you'll always get first, human food as you've probably noticed is basically inedible, we can even swallow it but it will make us feel bad if it stays too long in our stomach.....

He pauses.

-...and it won't sustain us, only human flesh will make us feel satisfied.

He pauses again as if weighing up whether or not something is worth saying and continues.

- but we can drink coffee, and that may lessen our hunger but it won't satiate it.

- but what about the ka...

I'm interrupted by a menacing look I get from the old man.

- OK...

I say sulk, kaneki looks thoughtful again but after a while he asks.

- Could you help me?

Yoshimura smiles.

-We always help ghouls in need Kaneki.

Kaneki looks like he wants to say something but is silent.

- Thanks.

He whispers.

-ok, great conversation, yoshimura-san where do you get the meat?

I ask the most important question at once.

He pauses as he looks at me.

- Why ?

And with that the room has a palpable tension, but imperceptible to most in the audience, Touka and Yomo are still talking quietly about something like "Why hamburgers?"

Kaneki is still thinking about his life and it's just yoshimura staring at me, I take a deep breath and reply.

-So I can help in some way.

He keeps looking at me and I do.

- You should have some kind of non-traceable source otherwise the CCG would have been here for a long time, but if this source is limited I can help.

- Would you kill your own kind to feed ghouls?

- I would kill anyone to help my friends.

And with that we stared at each other in silence for a while, with Yoshimura judging me whether or not I could be trusted and me knowing he could be killed now, I couldn't beat him in a fight, not now at least.

He sighs.

I hold my breath.

- I'll give you a vote of confidence Konton-san

-Thanks.

- But one more thing.

- Yes?

- How did you intend to feed kaneki today?

With that question asked everyone's attention turns to me.

- oh, that....

I laugh.

-I would go to Kaneki's house in the middle of the night and stick one of the steaks I made in his mouth.

Silence.

- Did you actually make human meat hamburger steaks?

- Would you like to enter my house?

Touka question is kaneki at the same time.

- First yes, I thought about tricking him but he would have smelled it and it would also be much more fun to see him choking in the middle of the night....

I comment and kaneki and even touka breaks out in a cold sweat.

-...and second, kaneki, who says it's difficult to break into a house.

With that, Kaneki looks even more depressed than before and even gets a pitying look from Touka.

- but well, now I have things to do...

I say as I get up and prepare to leave.

- Now that I've at least guided kaneki to a solution...

"at least temporary"

-...I will continue my main fun plan.

- and you had told me that in the hospital, what is it this time anyway?

Kaneki asks curiously.

- oh, and simple, I think Sen takatsuki is a ghoul, probably dangerous and I want to know if it's true or not.

I say while I come out humming from the anteiku ignoring the awkward silence that remained there.

================================

Inside the anteiku the silence is broken by a touka question.

- Is your friend some kind of suicide?

- ah?

Kaneki's super expressive response.

- Is your friend a fucking suicide?

Touka asks again, but more aggressively.

-oh, na...no he just  likes to have a lot of fun.....

Kaneki makes a grim face.

-...but your idea of ​​fun is pretty weird.....it involves things like....

-play a game betting your life with unknown ghouls, destroy a human body on a whim, invade and force someone's food, and still chase someone he admits to be dangerous?

Says touka.

Silence.

- Yes....

Whisper kaneki, who gets a grumble from touka that comes out right after that.

Kaneki then looks at yoshimura who looks thoughtful after ryo leaves.

- Do you trust him Kuzen-san?

asks Yomo.

-so far he has only been honest with us, and he can be a really useful ally.

Yomo nods and leaves.

-So kaneki....

Yoshimura speaks.

- How about working here?