When Did All This Begin?

When did he start feeling all of this differently?

He wasn't someone who sought romance in every possible moment, nor had it even crossed his mind to have someone by his side before fulfilling his main objectives in this life. He wanted, at the very least, to feel secure enough to relax, close his eyes, and sleep deeply.

His mostly cold demeanor was something that distanced most people, but there was one person who stayed by his side regardless of his behavior. That girl, who behaved fiercely in normal moments and affectionate in close situations, showed a concern for him that kenzo never expected from anyone.

kenzo had discovered the Ghoul world at a late age, with no mentor and no one by his side to tell him he wasn't a monster. He never had anyone who cared for him apart from his adoptive father, who died shortly afterward, so he had to be cold and smart at an early age to survive in a world he believed he could never escape, even if he could camouflage himself in society.

He never wanted that. It wasn't suitable for him to pretend to be human when humans remained foolish, arrogant, hypocritical, and above all, reckless even with their fellow beings. They criticized Ghouls but ignored bullying; they didn't want to be eaten, but they adored meat.

How dare they show concern for an issue when they are indifferent to the problem?

They never treated Ghouls as humans with problems; humans never cared about the true origin of the problem and treated all flesh-eaters as simple dogs to be exterminated.

kenzo saw all of this in a completely different way, so he decided to punish both humans and Ghouls who didn't know how to behave. He saw business and work where others were simply seeking their own purpose in life.

In his early life, he liked to have fun and loved money, above all, he liked to earn it through his skills. But now, that fun was leading him to a challenge that everyone believed was impossible, something that simply wasn't in their levels of understanding, shaking the world completely and making them doubt what they had been doing until now.

While kenzo watched Touka carefully enjoying her meal, he drank the rest of his wine and said, "If I fight for something, it's only for our future. Now, you'll be a part of it, so I must protect what my father couldn't."

"So, what will you do?" Touka understood a bit of kenzo's situation.

"My father was a strong Ghoul; he fell in love with my mother, and after that, he was hunted due to certain problems. What relates my parents' situation to mine is that I don't want to feel vulnerable. I don't like living with the constant fear that someone I love will be hurt."

kenzo lit a cigarette and said, "They consider us enemies, Touka, all humans do when they themselves are more swine than the most twisted Ghouls you can imagine."

"That's precisely why we must ignore them. You know that staying as we always have is much safer than exposing yourself to danger." Touka extended her hand; she didn't want to impose her own principles on kenzo and what she believed was safe, she just tried to make him understand what was best for both of them to stay safe.

"How long will that last? If someday we reach a further point in our relationship, what if someday with our friends, children, and loved ones? Humans are advancing their technology, researching ways to exterminate all Ghouls, so what we must do is prepare." kenzo took the wine glass and poured himself a drink, also filling Touka's glass, who seemed very calm.

"So, what do you have in mind? If you agree with Anteiku and live here, your methods will be different, fighting directly with humans. I don't agree with you exposing yourself, but you're smarter than that, so you can share your worldview so I can understand you." Touka knew kenzo wasn't a fool; all his moves were meticulously planned, so she wanted to know more.

"Uniting all the districts. For my plan to succeed, I need all Ghouls in the country to be a single entity. If I achieve that, everything will be much simpler for what will happen next." kenzo simply said this as if it weren't a big deal.

"Do you plan to do it alone? Does the organization you belong to want that same path? How can you be sure that's what they really want?" Touka questioned kenzo's words as she sought a clear answer to be sure of allowing him to go down that dangerous path.

"Touka, I am the leader of the Three-Eyed Crow organization; I created that group of Ghouls due to my constant concern about being hunted without being able to do anything against humans. When my Ghoul cells awakened, I didn't know what to do and when I would stop being able to taste human food as sustenance."

"Eh?" Touka, who appeared to have tranquility in her face, lost color.

"The only reason I stayed at Anteiku is not for anything special, just because I wanted to understand why my father didn't seek justice with his own hands. But now, it seems that he understood his position a little."

kenzo was telling the truth, but when he realized how his words could be misinterpreted, he added, "Of course, now I have a great reason to stay in this place."

Touka now understood many things; she didn't want to talk more about it, so she drank. She couldn't stop kenzo; it would be very selfish of her to do so. For the same reason, she understood what Manager Yoshimura went through and what kenzo thinks about it, so if she wanted to accept it in her heart, she had to start supporting him from now on.

"Just don't die, can you promise me that?" Touka asked as the alcohol began to take effect on her body.

"Of course, how could I die having such a beautiful girlfriend who loves me just as I am?" kenzo asked as he stood up and added, "Don't you want to go to an incredible place?"

"I want it to be a cool place, with good views, and where we can be alone..." Touka murmured as she took kenzo's large hand.

"Then let's go."

"Aren't we paying?"

"This place is mine."