OUTSIDE AOGIRI'S HIDEOUT, A FEW STREETS AWAY, AYA AND KEN WENT FOR A WALK – OR SHOULD IT BE SAID THAT AYA WENT TO ESCORT KEN. Ken had made a choice to leave Aogiri – whatever power he came to seek within Aogiri, he might have found it but it was costing his sanity. He could lose not lose that what made him human. Aogiri could strip that away from him. He needed to return there were he belonged and that was Aogiri. The only con was that fact Aya did not want to follow him. And he fully accepted her wish.
It has been quiet in Aogiri after Cochlea's attack. They have been healing from all the damage. As much as Ken knew, they had no plans for now – instead they decided to go dark for a little while before they begin to create solid plans. At least, that's what Aya had told him. Aya was the one who makes sure all Tatara says is planned and set in motion. Therefore, she knew everything before any other Executive did.
In silence, the two of them walked with a slow pace. The sun was falling behind the towering buildings with only small rays of sunshine shining through the gaps between buildings. One such ray of sunshine danced on Aya's face, the orange hue enlightening her usual pale face. Aya closed her eyes of a moment, walking blindly while enjoying the warm ray of sunshine warming up her cheeks.
Ken smiled at the sight of her. He memorized her small nose, her almond blue eyes with long dark eyelashes, her soft lips... He pinpointed the memory of her in his mind. She was too perfect for him – to perfect for a tragic protagonist. Yet, he didn't understand how did he come to deserve her; at least part of her. Never did he imagined that a girl from his childhood, a girl he had not seen for so many years, would become part of his life again. He didn't expect she would mean so much to him.
Aya breathed it and she opened her eyes. "So, this is it." She halted her steps and turned towards Ken.
"You could come with me to Anteiku. To meet everyone."
Aya shook her head lightly with an apologetic smile. "I don't think they would like me." She giggled uncomfortably.
Ken had decided that he wished to go back to Anteiku. It was the best for him, especially after what happened with his kakuja. He met someone else within himself – a person he couldn't recognize and going back to his friend, to all those people that helped him during his time when he became a ghoul was the best idea. Aya supported him. Despite feeling sad that he was leaving, Aya swallowed her own feelings and selflessly responded to the situation.
"They will warm up to you." Ken told her. "You are not like the others in Aogiri." Believe me, I am. "If I could warm up to you, so can they." He said reassuringly as he stepped closer to her.
Aya could seriously doubt that. "Yeah, maybe one day."
The manager of Anteiku, Yoshimura knew exactly who Aya really was. She met the old man a few times in the past and she heard quite a few things about him before he became the manager of Anteiku. Aya knew the other ghouls at Anteiku as well, but she did not believe they knew her very well. For years, she had kept herself in the dark under the request of One Eyed King. She was taught to manipulate from the shadows, plan for Aogiri and keep her identity a mystery. That did not go so well...
"Maybe when all of this with Aogiri calms down for a bit, I'll drop by for a coffee." Aya added with a smile.
"I would like that, yeah." Ken said. "I will be waiting for you then." He shyly looked down at the ground briefly. "Just don't make me wait too long."
Aya smiled at the cuteness she saw in his awkwardness when he said those words. "I won't."
Hesitantly, Ken leaned in and placed a light kiss onto her lips. It seemed like a natural thing to do with a person for who he has feelings for – and the person shares the same feelings. He saw it in the movies, he read it in the books, he saw it on the streets – the "exchange of love" many would call it. Aya returned the short kiss, therefore it gave him a signal that he did the right thing.
He smiled down at her as he leaned back. They exchanged a silent goodbye and Ken turn to walk further down the path that will soon lead to subway. Aya stood in the same spot with her hands in the pocket of her jacket. She watched the white hair of the boy she liked until it completely disappeared from her sigh – well, not completely, she could still see him thanks to the improved eyesight. Aya released the air she was keeping in her lungs and twirled on her feet as she turned the other way – back to Aogiri's hideout.
She could still feel the warm sensation of his lips against hers. She could still smell his scent of book pages next to her. It felt as if he was still with her – but that was only in her mind. Aya attempted to throw the through of Ken out of her head as she begun to come closer and closer to Aogiri's hideout. She wiped the smile of her face and took a deep breath as she walked within Aogiri's territory. And for some reason, it was too quiet.
Only her footsteps echoed through the empty hall as she walked within it. And for a very unknown reason, Eto stood in the middle of the hall with Tatara standing on the side, leaning against the wall uninterestedly. Aya's footsteps slowly disappeared into thin air as something suspicious took place in the atmosphere. With lowered eyebrows, Aya glanced from quiet figure of Eto, to the quiet figure of Tatara. Strange, uncomfortable feeling begun to build itself within her stomach.
"What's wrong?" Aya questioned, her eyes constantly looking between the two figures.
"So, Kaneki left." Eto commented – standing still with her petite figure with her hands behind her back. "Shame." She added with a dark tone. "The One Eyed King had great plans for him."
Aya shrugged with her shoulders nonchalantly. "Not anymore, I guess."
Chuckle left Eto's lips. "You think you can outsmart us, Aya?" She questioned her.
Aya let out a sigh. "He didn't want to be part of Aogiri anymore and I let him leave."
Tatara suddenly pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning out. "You let him leave!?"
Tatara stomped towards her – his sudden reaction making Aya's blood run cold within her veins. Never had she ever seen such a sudden and aggressive response from Tatara. He came before her and she didn't even have a chance to breath in. She was frozen in her spot and he came to tower over her – there was fear written in her wide blue eyes and she tried replace that fear with fearlessness. But it was too late, he had already seen how his sudden reaction affected her.
"Since when do you have authority to make decisions!?" His red eyes glared down at her – that stare was cutting her into pieces.
But that did not make her unable to speak back. "I have every right to do what I please!"
Tatara's eyes burned with rage. He was beyond furious with Aya. He was trying to build her, make her the perfect leader, but she was doing things that were unplanned, unapproved by the rest. And Tatara's respond to such behavior was out of anyone's expectations. He rose his hand, ready to strike her down with flames in her red eyes.
"Do you really want to disrespect the One Eyed King?!"
Aya's words came out of her lips quick and clean, making sure that Tatara understood every word before his hand could come close enough to strike her for her behavior. Realization filled his eyes and he stood paralyzed with his hand stopping fast enough. Aya didn't even blink – she kept her eyes wide open and locked onto his eyes. I have you in my grip... Aya thought slyly as she watched Tatara, but she didn't show him how full of herself she was feeling for realizing how to manipulate Tatara.
Tatara had great respect for the One Eyed King and all he endured with Aya, was for the One Eyed King. Striking her down, Tatara knew he would lose all the trust the One Eyed King has in him. And he couldn't allow that to happen. Tatara lowered down his hand, squeezing it into a tight grip to hold every bubbling emotion with him that wanted to burst. He retraced into his calm and collected persona. And Aya was slightly relived when his hand was no longer in the air.
"The One Eyed King will not be pleased with your decision." Tatara told her, respect in his tone.
"I'll deal with him." Aya replied. "In fact, I'll just go see him right now."
"You won't find him where you usually do." Eto skipped into her sight next to Tatara.
Aya looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
A giggle left Eto's lips under the bandages. "You'll find him in 20th Ward. Eliminating the Owl."
Aya's eyes wide. She stared at Eto as she tried to put two and two together, yet she couldn't believe that conclusion she came up with. She looked at Tatara. She sought explanation from him. She didn't want to believe her own mind at the moment and Eto seemed to enjoy the petrified expression dancing on her pale face.
"The CCG had commenced an attack on the small coffee shop in 20th Ward. Anteiku." Tatara explained more clearly without too much mystery.
"No..." She whispered. "No..."
Aya turned, her feet wanting to rush towards 20th Ward and stop Ken before he even finds out about the operation – if he hadn't found out already. But as soon as she turned, she came to a halt as the towering body of Noro stood in her way. Noro did not allow her to pass by him – instead he grabbed onto her shoulders tightly and turned her around to face Tatara and Eto. Aya struggled against Noro, but it was no use as he was much stronger than she was.
"Ayato and Naki are preparing the subordinates." Tatara told her without a drip of emotion. "The battle will begin and we will take advantage of the chaos. We will capture the Owl and as many doves as possible that will serve their purpose as Dr. Kanou's experiments."
"I need to go warn Ken." Aya said, completely ignoring Tatara's plan.
She tried to shake Noro's grip of off her, but the more she tried, the more his grip tightened on her shoulders. If he gripped his grip anymore, he would probably end up crushing her bones. Aya groaned and glared at Tatara. Chill ran down her spoke when Tatara's hand suddenly extended towards her face. She through he will try to smack her again, but instead, his cold gloved hand gently placed itself onto her cheek – taking all her thoughts away as she focused only on him.
"You have lost the sight of our cause, Aya." He told her. "The sight of who you are meant to be."
His words caused pain in her heart. Aya had lost the sight of everything – she lost herself in her own imagination. With Ken, she forgot to think about the future and what was required of her as Executive of Aogiri Tree. For a while she let her guard fall and enjoyed the new emotions. And she strayed of her path. There were high hopes for her to take Tatara's place one day if something is to happen to him. Eto trusted her. Noro trusted her. The One Eyed King trusted her the most.
And Aya acted as if she didn't care about the cause. After all Ken was just one person, and Aogiri was a group of ghouls that all relied on the leaders of Aogiri; which meant her as well. Aya was being selfish. She actually thought of turning her back to people that took her under their wing and trained her, feed her, took care of her, and she naively wanted to turn her back to them because of one childhood friend. Aogiri should have always be in her first place, and Ken and others in the second. With guilty, Aya looked down at the ground.
"Tatara."
The familiar voice of Ayato Kirishima made everyone's attention averted towards the dark blue haired boy who stood on the corner. His eyebrows lowered sharply as he saw Aya in Noro's tight hold, Tatara's hand on her cheek and Eto standing by Tatara, watching everything. Millions of questions begun to drift through Ayato's mind and he didn't know whatever to worry or not for Aya's well-being.
Ayato stood speechlessly as his thoughts took time to sort themselves through his mind. "Yes, Ayato?" Tatara broke the silence between them as he waited for Ayato to respond.
Gulping and breathing in, Ayato sorted the answer in his mouth. "We're ready."
Tatara's hand fell down from Aya's cheek. "Good." He looked back at Aya and she looked at him. "Prepare yourself. We're leaving in ten minutes."
In his red eyes, Aya could see the trust he was putting in her for this mission – Tatara was hoping that she had come to realize what was expected of her. Noro loosen his grip on Aya and let he go. She walked away from them with a quicker pace and didn't even share an eye contact with Ayato as she walked by him. Ayato wanted to ask her so many questions, but he knew he had no right to do so.
Ever since he joined Aogiri, he learned that when the four of them – Eto, Tatara, Noro and Aya – talk, it is something no one else can know. That's probably why Ayato always felt out of place when they were all together and decided what to do next; mostly because he was the one in the room who knew the least. He kept his lips tightly shut and decided to keep the questions for later.