TRACK ME DOWN [Taneki] [Touken Fanfiction] [Tokyo Ghoul Fanfiction]

Chapter Sixteen

•Kaneki•

I scamper across buildings, warehouses, the like, looking down on every single road, pavement, alleyway. Aiichiro follows right behind me, and I can almost feel his feet on my heels, hypothetically speaking. I can hear his breathing, and it doesn't sound good. I decide to stop. We're close enough for the time being, anyway. I stop abruptly, hearing an 'oomph' and feeling a small thump as Aiichiro stops early, but not early enough, resulting in our bodies smacking together. I take a step back to give him space.

"You alright Aiichiro?"

Aiichiro crouches down, resting his hands on his knees as he catches his breath.

"Yeah. But don't we need to keep going?"

"Nah. I think this'll be okay for now. We'll wait an hour and then head further East."

I say, pointing in the direction of East. I sit down on the edge of the building, kicking my knees over the edge like a little kid. I make sure to scan the rooftops and roads below us, searching for Doves in case any appeared or tried to ambush us. Aiichiro sits next to me, his shaggy brown hair hanging over his face. I smile. He looks up at me, a small hint of admiration in his eyes as I look over the edge of the building, noticing two Doves standing almost directly below us.

I gesture to Aiichiro to shush, and immediately jump to the next building, checking all around the perimeters of the building before concluding that the coast is clear. Screw an hour. We've been here a minute. I motion for Aiichiro to follow; our quest has begun, and hopefully with my new quest, comes my new strength. Then. Then I'll return...

•Touka•

I sit at my desk, trying desperately to study I slam my now blue and black fist against the cheap wooden slab. Why is this calculus question so damn hard? I grit my teeth to keep from yelling out in frustration. I sharpen my pencil angrily as I try to focus on the question, but no matter how hard I stare at it or how angrily I drill my eyes through it, the question doesn't become any easier or any harder. In fact, it stays the same, just staring at me with a smug look. Well screw that question.

I abruptly stand from my desk, grabbing my mask and my jacket as I do so; I'm going out. I can barely concentrate, and I have a pretty good idea why. I nod my head at Nishiki, who just rolls his eyes as I make my way past the counter and toward the one and only exit, running down the stares as I do. Once I get down there, I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do. I look right; the way to Yoriko's. I look left; the way to the University. The way to Hide's. I feel my heart pound as I feel regret form in my stomach, and I can't help but internally hit myself as I opt left, turning on my heel as I begin to almost wander down the street. The street feels so much more different from before... Before the 'incident' happened, regardless of the fact that nothing seems to have changed. The buildings look the same; and so do the gardens. This road feels foreign, as though I've never set foot on it once in my pathetic, ghoulish lifetime. It feels as though this road has no memory of me, and I have no memory of it. I sigh. This is what Kaneki leaving does to you, huh? I shake my head. Sometimes I just want to punch that prat, other times I want to punch Ayato for being the cause of this whole damn scenario.

After about a good fifteen minute walk, I reach the university; the university I'm studying to attend, and the university that Kaneki graduated from last year. I punch myself internally; I should just shut up about Kaneki. He'll come back in his own time. Will he?

I make my way up the stairwells, to scared to stand in the deafening silence of the elevators, which in my opinion shouldn't even be in a university. But then again, this is the legendary Kamii University.

I reach the designated floor, and this time, I feel my heart take flight. I'm going to see Hide; the human boy who vowed to keep my and Kaneki's secret, as long as I stayed safe and in the perimeters of the 20th Ward. He's such a fool. I feel my legs buckle and my hands shake, and my palms begin to get clammy. What will he say? Will he tell me to go away? Or will he welcome me with open arms? I don't think it would be wrong to do either. For one thing, I lied to him about being a ghoul, and secondly, he was told to protect me by Kaneki. Both is wrong, yet both would be right. Right?

I wipe my hands on my jacket, and bring my hand up to quickly knock on the door before I change my mind. But it's too late now. As soon as my hand leaves the wooden surface, I immediately to think if the worst case scenarios; what if he isn't here at all? What if he is, but he doesn't open the door because he knows its me? What if reality is that he hates me and that's why he hasn't been coming to Anteiku lately? My thoughts continue to swirl around my already overloaded head as I hear footsteps, and practically freeze as someone comes to open the door.

I start to tell myself that if I run now, I can still get out of here without Hide ever knowing it's me, but that would almost be like lying to his face. I look at the handle as I watch it turn, clenching my fists so tightly my nails are making my skin bleed, before the door makes a 'click' sound before swinging open to see an orange-haired boy with a black T-shirt and a pair of boxers on, headphones tightly secured over his ears.

"What is i-Touka?"

He says, rubbing his eyes as he looks at me.

"What're you doing here?"

He asks, yet I say nothing.

"Why aren't you at Ante-"

I crash onto him completely, hugging him tightly as I cry into his shoulder. I almost collapse as my tears stain his shoulder, and I feel my face heat up as my emotions get the best of me, shock gets the best of me. Life gets the best of me. My arms tighten around his neck as I let myself cry onto his shoulder, and at first I think he's going to push my away, but instead I feel the warm embrace of his arms. I practically whine and wail into the air out of grief and rejection, loneliness. I'm so glad to see him again.

~•♡•~

I sit in Hide's bedroom, sitting on his bed as I lean my head on his shoulder. I wipe my tears that continue to trickle down my now wet cheeks every now and then.

"You do realize he's not gonna come back, right?"

I hear Hide say, and I just slowly nod my head.

"Yeah, I know. And I hate him for it."

I pick my finger nails lightly, looking for something to do while Hide continues giving me a reality check.

"You should just get over him. I hate him just as much as you do."

"I guess. But... Why do you hate him? He saved your life, you know."

Sigh.

"I hate him because he's a fucking idiot. And because he broke my best girl friend's heart."

Hide says, not one hint of amusement or joking in his tone, like usual.

"...Thanks, Hide."

Silence.

"...Why do you hate him?"

My heart skips a beat, and my ears get hot just thinking about the one thing that keeps me awake until the early hours in the morning, the one thing I've been denying to myself this whole time; the sole and single thing that makes me see how much I really do hate him. I clench Hide's jacket as I finally let myself realize my true feelings.

"I hate him because...Because..."

"Because what?"

"He was the bastard who chose my brother over me, just like everyone else."