『 A Life Lost Is A Life Given 』~ |Uta - Tokyo Ghoul|

Part 5: I Can Live Neither With You Nor Without You

"I am very sorry for your loss."

I bowed respectfully to the mourning couple with a bitter smile on my face. The man nodded in response whilst the woman barely acknowledged my existence as she sobbed heavily with eyes glued to the coffin that was being lugged out to the hearse. I watched them leave with one final bow as they got in their black cars to drive away.

"That was pretty believable."

A smile crossed my lips as I rose up to stare at the male who had just walked into view from behind the building.

"It should be, I was being sincere."

"They were the parents of the child Renji and I took yesterday right?"

"Yes, they were."

"So what they believe is their son in that coffin, is really a bag of rice? How cruel of you to say that's sincere Eve."

I felt my heart tighten at his words; it hurt but I responded with a cynical grin through challenging eyes at the male. My dark orbs meeting his even darker lenses.

"And is it sincere of you to wear your sunglasses in public to hide that you're a ghoul?"

"That's different. I would be hunted."

"True, it's a security net; a peace of mind. You're eyes not being shown to the world and to let it know you're ghoul-like nature. Just as it's a peace of mind for humans to hold a funeral, it has nothing beneficial for the dead after all. Funerals are sometimes done even if there is no body; it's for the living to have closure is all."

"You sound as if you speak from experience."

My head tilted lightly at the male as my cynical smile softened at the look of his own features. He's always so calm and to the point with everything he says.

"The point is that it doesn't matter if it's the body or not they're getting so long as they're happy with the final result. They get their closure and ghouls that don't hunt can go on living in this world. A life lost is a life given after all."

I walked over to the bench outside the morgue, tired of being on my feet all day and ready for a break. I flopped down onto the hard wood with a content sigh as the pressure left my feet and left them with a pins and needle like feeling. The bench sunk down even more as I lolled my skull to look at the ever blank male who sat beside me.

"A life lost is a life given. That's a pretty dark way of thinking."

"And your way isn't?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can live neither with you nor without you."

The male blinked at me, his face unreadable as I clicked my tongue before sitting straight on the bench, never removing my eyes from the ghouls dark rimmed shades. I had time to think about Uta's tattoo, finally coming to a conclusion of its meaning.

"A ghoul can't live without humans as they need them in order to eat and survive. Also-"

I reached my hands up to his face slowly, waiting to see if he would jerk away or something to my gesture as my fingers grazed the cold skin of his cheek before gripping around the frames of his glasses once I realised he wouldn't move. His skin was soft...

"They can't live with humans for fear of being cast out or killed."

I removed the glasses from his face, taking in his dark Kakugan that were staring directly at me with a smile. I felt more at ease now I could see them. As expressionless as he was, the eyes were the window to the soul, and I felt more confident looking into them.

"So bitter poetic."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Eve."

Uta stared me down for a while until a soft smile tinted his face, leaning back into his seat to get more comfortable.

"Why did you text me to come here?"

I tilted my head at him, suddenly conscious of my decision as I tried to keep my voice steady in my reply.

"Should I not have?"

"No, I'm glad you did."

"Then why ask?"

"I gave my number to you a while ago, so I was beginning to think you never would call me. So why now?"

"Would 'because I was bored' suffice?"

"No."

I giggled lightly to myself, I guess it wouldn't. He is a perceptive man from what I've seen, and he likes answers.

"Well why are you glad I text you?"

"I asked you a question first."

I lent forward in my seat, turning my head and body around to fully face the ghoul. He blinked at my sudden gesture as I grinned happily at him.

"I find it fun being around you."

"Fun?"

His eyebrows creased slightly at my statement to which I nodded firmly.

"Yeah. Yoshimura, Kaneki, Renji, you... I enjoy your company. I do get quite a few ghoul customers but they're nothing like you guys."

"But you are a human that works with humans as well, don't you enjoy being around them?"

I sighed heavily as I looked to the grass, darkened by the setting sun under my feet.

"Not really."

I scuffed my foot into the floor, digging up some grass beneath my New Rock as I played with the leaves with the toe of the boot.

"Why not?"

I turned and gave him a sly smile, flinging myself back into the bench as I did so.

"Because I can live neither with them nor without them."