The man glared at the boy before him,"Yes it is worth it. She could be a very valuable piece in the Aogiri's plans. She was once a inside man of sorts for Kaneki ken... I'm sure we could persuade her to do it for us.."The man stepped closer to the boy, who stiffened slightly, an leaned his mouth close to his ear,"... and besides... from what I have seen and heard reported... She is quiet the remarkable little half ghoul... we will have her..."
The young teen nodded...
"Yes Tatara-san...."
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After stepping through the front door, Rima immediately took her shoes off setting them beside some of Akira's that were already there before walking any further into the large apartment. Akira was close behind her, taking her shoes off too and locking and dead bolting the door. Sighing Akira followed Rima as she made her way to the living room.
"I'll give you the tour tommorow, I know you're probably tired right now."Akira said, but Rima shook her head softly.
"I'm feeling fine right now, but I can wait till tomorrow. Thank you."
Akira nodded, waving Rima's thanks off with a little wave, smiling at the young girl."There's no need to thank me. I would do anything for my long lost little sister. Anyways I'll show to your room tonight so you know where it is. Follow me."
After following Akira down a long hallway and turning left once, Rima was stopped by Akira at a dark wooden door, 3 doors to the right to be exact. Akira looked behind herself at Rima.
"I know it's not much, but I thought since you'll be moving in with Sasaki and the others soon, it would be better not to have to worry about moving a lot."Akira explained opening the door and letting Rima walk in.
The room was bigger then the one she had in the hospital, but it wasn't so big that Rima wouldn't be able to live in it all. It was just the right size for Rima. A twin bed was pushed up against the farthest wall from the door, in the right corner. A window to the left on the bed a few feet away. And lastly a small bookshelf with a few books already on it.
Rima smiled lightly an turned to Akira, who stood leaning against the doorway,"Thank you. I would have been just fine on the couch though.."
"Again, you don't need to thank me... and I'm not letting a guest sleep on the couch."
"I know, but still..."
Akira laughed before rubbing the back of her neck tiredly,"Well I'm going to take a shower, you can take one after me if you'd like. I'll be out in 10 minutes." When Rima nodded, Akira turned and started to leave wanting to get her shower over and done with so she could eat and go to bed, when she heard Rima calling her name. Turning around, Akira looked at Rima questionably,"Yeah?"
Akira noticed how Rima's cheeks instantly went a little shade of red, averting her eyes to the floor an start twiddling her finger. A sign of embarrassment and nervousness.
"U-uh... I wanted to ask I-if I could use your phone to c-call someone... please..."Rima stuttered out.
Akira was confused,"Who would you want to call this late?"
Rima's blush reddened as she looked at the older female.
"... Hamaki-san..."Rima mumbled under breath. Akira leaned closer not being able to hear Rima correctly.
"Who?"
Rima sighed,"...Sasaki-san..."Rima answered, her eyes moving to the floor again,"... I just wanted to check up on him and let him know - if he doesn't already - that I'm out of the hospital..."
In truth, Rima just really missed Sasaki. That day on the elevator a few days before... it kind of scared her. She didn't know why she kissed Sasaki back. It was just like it was something she was used to doing. But they way Sasaki kissed her, it was different. When he held her, it felt like the way that boy - Kaneki Ken - held her. Rima felt safe and happy. When he kissed her... Rima felt like everything was okay. Almost like he was saying that even though I lost part of my life - figuratively - I was still me.
I was still Hizake Rima...
That and she just really wanted to hear his voice...
Rima blushed harder at that thought. Akira sighed before reaching in to her breast pocket and pulling her phone out, handing it to Rima."Don't stay on for too long, he might be doing something important an Sasaki's is too much of a gentleman to tell you he has to hang up."
Rima nodded and watched as Akira turned and walked out of her bedroom. Once she knew she was gone, Rima turned and walked towards the bed sitting gingerly on the side, and opening the phone up. She scrolled through the long list of contacts till she came to one in particular.
...Sasaki Haise...
Rima was nervous, but clicked the dial button anyway putting the phone to her ear, and listening as it rang. This would be Rima's first time talking to him in a few days. Though they've gone much longer without talking to each other, this was the first time after their shared kiss. What if he regretted it? What if Sasaki didn't like Rima anymore because she was a dead brain?
"Hello?"
Rima froze. He really answered! Rima thought in a hurry.
"Hello? Akira-san are you there?"
Rima gulped quietly,"U-um... this isn't Akira. This is Rima..."
It went quiet on the other line before it sounded as if someone fell over. There was a moment of shuffling before Rima could hear Sasaki's voice again.
"R-Rima! W-what are you doing with Akira-san's phone? Are you alright?"Sasaki's words were rushed an pushed together. There was no doubt in Rima's mind that she had shocked him.
Rima laughed softly,"I'm fine Haise-kun, an Akira-nee let me borrow her phone so I could call you to tell you something."
Rima could hear Sasaki sighed in relief,"That's good. What is it you want to tell me?"
"I just wanted to say that I'm not at the hospital anymore..."
"What do you mean?"
"Akira-nee discharged me earlier. I'm staying with her now until you get finished with your case."
There was a slight intake of breath."Y-you mean you're out of the hospital... for good?"
"No not for good. I'm gonna have to go back sometime or another..."
"You know what I mean?"Sasaki's huffed, embarrassed.
"I know, I know... but yes. As far as I know, I'm out for good."Rima explained. She never was really told why she was being discharged, well other then 'you're probably tired for being here' and stuff like that, but not an exact reason.
"That's good. I was starting to go crazy, knowing you were just a few floors above me, but I couldn't go see you."Sasaki answered truthfully, making Rima's once gone blush come back ten-fold.
"How have you been lately? Akira-nee said your working on a important case, am I interrupting?"Rima asked in a small voice. She remembered someone telling her small talk helped getting to know someone... but Rima didn't want Sasaki to think she was being nosy or anything like that.
"I've been doing good... better now though.. and you're not interrupting anything. Saiko, Shirazu, and I just got back to the apartment."Sasaki's answered.
Rima nodded, she remembered Mutsuki-kun telling her about their game loving 5th member of the QSquad. Thinking of Mutsuki,"Where's Mutsuki-kun? Is he not with you?"
Sasaki hesitated,"U-uh, well you see... he's not with us right now..."Sasaki didn't sound to happy about that and it made Rima worried. Sasaki was hardly ever a non-happy person.
"What do you mean?"
"...U-uh..."
"Haise-kun... You can tell me you know... I won't tell anybody else..."
Sasaki sighed. He was finding out quickly that he wasn't able to deny Rima for long."...Mutsuki... on our mission...He went... missing..."
Rima's eyes widened as she gasped quietly, lightly bringing a hand over her mouth. Not Mutsuki... Rima thought. Mutsuki was Rima's first new friend she made when she woke up. If something bad happened to Mutsuki, Rima didn't know what she would do.
"Mutsuki-kun's missing!? What happened?"Rima asked. A sense of urgency clear in her voice, even though her face didn't show anything.
Sasaki sighed,"We were on a mission with Suzuya Juuzou. Mutsuki and Suzuya were to dress up as girls to be sold in an auction an execute the 'nutcracker'... but... some where along the way, when they got into a car... we lost communication... since then, neither Suzuya or Mutsuki have been seen..."Sasaki explained tiredly.
Rima was shocked. There was no telling what is happening to Mutsuki now. He could be getting toured right now, and she couldn't even be of any help. A pang went through Rima's heart as she thought of Mutsuki getting tortured. A feeling that she went through that before came over her. Rima sighed, trying to clear her head of any negative thoughts.
"Do you think they were sold in the auction?"
"I don't know, but I really hope not. That would be the least of their problems..."Sasaki sighed. This wasn't how he thought his first conversation with Rima would go after what happened in the elevator. He wanted to talk about that, not about a missing Mutsuki. Sasaki worried that it might upset Rima too much.
"Have you tried to search for him?... I-I mean, I've seen Juuzou-kun in action before, he's more then capable of handling himself.. but Mutsuki-kun... he's only been a half ghoul for not even a full year, what if something went wrong?"Rima felt like she was going to start hyperventilating.
"Calm down Rima, just breath. Putting yourself back in the hospital is not gonna help Mutsuki, okay? Just calm down. Saiko, Shirazu, and I have been searching for the two along with Suzuya's squad all day, we are going to find them... just trust me... Do you trust me Rima?"Sasaki asked in a gentle voice. Keep Rima calm was his main concern right at that moment in time.
"Of course I trust you... I always will. It's just the ghouls I don't trust..."Rima admitted in a small voice.
At the mention of her always trusting him, Sasaki's cheeks grew warm. Great, he hasn't even talked to her longer then 15 minutes and he's already feeling warm. Only Rima could do this to him...
"Everythings going to be okay... we'll find him. So don't worry okay?"
"O-okay. Just... Haise-kun..."
"Yeah Rima?"
"You'll call and tell me if you find anything on Mutsuki-kun right?"
Sasaki chuckled."Oh course. You'll be one of the first people I will call... You know besides the director and everything..."
Rima smiled lightly,"Mhmm. Tell Saiko and Shirazu I said to be safe...You too... don't try anything stupid or reckless. I don't think I could handle losing anyone else."Rima teased but it seemed Sasaki seriously.
"I'll get Mutsuki back safe with us, then you can come live here with the rest of us, and we can all be together. I promise you that..."Sasaki said, with promise in his tone.
"I believe you, Haise-kun."A sound of water shutting off reached Rima's ears,"Uh, I have to go now Sasaki, but I'll call you some other time? Maybe same time tomorrow night?"
"Yeah that fin- Wait! What? Why are you leaving?"Sasaki didn't want to stop hearing Rima soft voice. It helped ease his worries about Mutsuki and everything going on with everything.
"Akira-nee just got out of the shower, it's my turn now. Do you want to talk while I'm taking a shower?"Rima asked innocently.
Though Rima didn't hear - or mean - the double meaning in what she said, Sasaki sure did. His face, neck and ears all turned a blood red color. He put a hand over his face to try an hide the embarrassment as a cold shiver went through his entire body.
"U-uh, n-no I'm fine. Tomorrow night's great. I'll be waiting."Sasaki voice turned into a whisper at the end that Rima barely heard.
But she did, and she smiled."Goodnight Haise-kun..."Rima said softly.
"Goodnight Rima..."
Rima clicked the end button just as Akira walked in with a towel over her head, scrubbing it around to catch any hanging droplets.
"You speak to Sasaki?"
Rima nodded,"I just hung up with him when you came in." She walked over, giving Akira her phone back.
"Thanks. Now go get a shower. Arima's going to accompany us to the store tomorrow to get you some new clothes. You don't want to be sleepy."Akira ordered motherly, pointing to the door."I have some old clothes of mine waiting on the sink you could wear." Rima nodded, hurrying to the bathroom so she wouldn't get in trouble.
Locking the door and turning around, Rima spotted the clothes Akira had set out for her. Being curious she picked them up and started to inspect them. She found they were a plain white t-shirt with black pajama shorts - the short having a cute little panda on the side. Rima smiled at Akira's old choice of clothes. She always did have a thing for cute things.
Taking off her shirt, Rima caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Turning she caught sight of her left shoulder. Eyes widening, Rima looked at the big scar she had that reached from the bottom of her neck all the way to her shoulder on the left side. The whole patch of skin was a whiter tint then the rest of her, and it looked old.
After taking her shirt all the way off, Rima leaned closer to the mirror, inspecting the scar - poking and pulling at it. Yep. It was defidently old. Hmm. Rima wondered how she would have gotten such a big scar, but then again it was probably one of the big traumatic experiences she had and forced herself to forget.
Shaking the thoughts from her head, Rima finished undressing, and started her shower. She couldn't help but start thinking about what Sasaki and her could talk about tomorrow night.