Do you like that girl?

In the original work, Arima spent nearly his entire life serving the "V" organization.

However, there were two moments where he acted on personal desires. One was collaborating with Eto to become the secret first One-Eyed King behind the scenes of Aogiri Tree. The second was grooming Ken Kaneki or Haise Sasaki, as he was then known—to succeed him as the new One-Eyed King, fulfilling his long-held wish.

Arima knew his life was short. Even if he openly rebelled against the V organization, he wouldn't be able to change the world. Despite his overwhelming strength, he knew he couldn't prevail alone, especially against his former master, Kaiko, the head of the V organization. Kaiko's abilities were likely on par with his own, if not greater, and he also faced other foes beyond the V organization.

In his service to both the V organization and the CCG, Arima suppressed his emotions entirely. No matter how pitiful the ghoul he encountered, even if he felt a twinge of sympathy, he would still deliver the killing blow without hesitation. This was the V organization's directive: eliminate any threats.

Even at the end of his life, Arima followed the V organization's orders, killing Rize Kamishiro's foster father, Matasaka Kamishiro.

But in this timeline, the current Arima has not yet been fully bound by the V organization's constraints. He has not become their "cleaner" yet.

"By the way, Mr Byakuya, you wouldn't happen to have feelings for that ghoul girl, would you? You seem quite considerate of her" Eto teased suddenly.

"Absolutely not" Byakuya responded without a shred of hesitation.

His true hope was for Arima and Minami to connect, so he couldn't possibly harbor feelings for her himself.

"Oh? That's a surprisingly decisive answer" Eto remarked, clearly intrigued.

She had her doubts about this peculiar investigator's interest in the ghoul girl—after all, it was unusual for an investigator to be so concerned about a ghoul's well-being. But his response was so straightforward and devoid of hesitation that it surprised even her.

"It's unusual for a ghoul investigator to care about ghouls, but that's just the kind of person I am" Byakuya said coolly.

"I see. You're quite the oddball. Still, if the protagonist of the next story is a bit odd, I think it could work" Eto mused, quickly jotting down notes for a character concept.

...

13th Ward

After parting ways with Byakuya, Arima stowed his quinque "Yukimura" back into his cello case and escorted Minami home.

Walking down the street, they looked like an ordinary pair of students heading home after school. To an outsider, there was no indication that one was a ghoul investigator and the other a ghoul.

In fact, they might have even seemed like a young couple.

"This is my stop. Thank you, Arima, for walking me home" Minami said at her doorstep, gratitude evident in her tone.

Arima nodded slightly but remained silent.

Even though Arima's attitude was distant, a smile spread across her face.

As Arima turned to leave, Minami hesitated, then called out, "Arima, could we walk to school together tomorrow morning?"

Arima paused briefly before replying, "...Alright"

He didn't refuse because he considered it a reasonable request and, in truth, wanted to ensure her safety from potential ghoul attacks like the one they had encountered earlier.

"Great!" Minami's face lit up with a radiant smile, one that could make any boy's heart flutter. Yet, Arima's expression remained as calm as ever.

...

Back home, Minami found herself reflecting on the ghoul with the tiger stripe mask.

"Who is he?" she wondered.

His strength was terrifying, and he knew her secret identity as Lantern. Despite her cautious behavior at school, even among her ghoul acquaintances like Yakumo Oomori, no one had ever discovered her true identity.

The thought made her uneasy. Unknown enemies were the most dangerous of all.

Still, her ultimate fate seemed to lead toward capture and imprisonment in the ghoul detention center, so perhaps it didn't matter much in the end.

Shaking off these dark thoughts, Minami refocused on her studies. Her top-tier academic performance wasn't just an act, she genuinely enjoyed learning, even if it was a part of her human disguise.

...

The next morning

On the train ride to 13th Ward, Byakuya asked Arima, "So, after walking Minami home yesterday, did anything else happen?"

"No" Arima replied stoically. "Lantern seems to have given up any intention of resisting."

"That's not really what I meant... Never mind. With your personality, there's no way anything could have happened that fast" Byakuya muttered cryptically.

Arima frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

He couldn't have guessed that Byakuya was subtly asking if there had been any romantic progress between him and Minami.

"Forget it" Byakuya said, dismissing the topic.

"By the way, when we get to the 13th Ward subway station, I'm heading to see Lantern first" Arima said.

He no longer referred to her as Minami, but now called her Lantern.

Byakuya's response carried a peculiar tone. "Good luck."

Arima, however, didn't catch the hidden implication, interpreting it purely as encouragement for his work.

...

Upon arriving in 13th Ward, Arima made his way to Minami's home and stood silently outside. He didn't knock or call out.

She happened to open her window and saw him waiting. "Oh! Arima, why didn't you say anything? Have you been waiting long?"

Arima looked up at her, his voice calm. "No, I just arrived"

"That's a relief" Minami said, glancing at the clock.

It was precisely 7:00 AM.

She couldn't help but marvel at Arima's discipline. "CCG investigators really are something else" she thought.

Despite waking early herself, Minami spent extra time preparing—she enjoyed mimicking the routines of human girls, including putting effort into her appearance.

Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer, she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs, snatching a slice of bread from the table on her way out.

Seeing her step outside with bread in her mouth, Arima raised an eyebrow. "I thought ghouls couldn't eat human food."

"We can't, but I wanted to mimic those girls in manga who run to school with bread in their mouths. Doesn't it fit the vibe?" Minami replied with a playful grin.