The flesh.
It fluttered on her tongue, sending ripples upon ripples of waves down her spine.
She couldn't stop.
A frenzy.
Her mind was blank, spiraling down to the depths of insanity; nothing but brutality coursing through her cursed veins. Her glowing crimson eyes pierced through the darkness of the night, the moon hidden from sight like a slumbering eye. The stars were weak, and an ominous storm brewed as the wind howled across the city streets.
She feasted in an abandoned alleyway, moaning and shoveling the chunks of meat into her voracious mouth, blood spilling from the sides of her lips as her eyes rolled to the back of her head in ecstasy; this was a ghoul's bliss.
A patter of footsteps stopped her binging abruptly, the ghoul whirling around with vicious, vulgar eyes. She let out a threatening hiss, hovering over her kill as she hopped up onto her light feet and lowered her body, barely grazing against the carcass. She trained her piercing gaze at the boy who stood a little further down the alley, his mop of wavy black hair rustling in the icy breeze.
"That's a nice kill you've got there," he commented smoothly, his voice level.
A pair of wings erupted from her shoulders like jets of flames, expanding high into the chilly night air. It hovered there for a second before each wing split in half, crystallizing into four insect-like legs, writhing and jerking around; she slammed each long limb into the ground ferociously, her body swaying in the air as they carried her up over the pavement.
"If you think you can come over here and beg me for some," the young girl spat, her scarlet irises, swirling crimson against an ocean of black tar, glared down at the boy with a savage intent. "You're fucking crazy."
The boy just blinked, his wavy black hair fluttering softly over his smooth forehead. His dark eyes flickered to the corpse under the girl, and then shifted his rather amused gaze back up at her and smirked.
"I'm not after the meat," he said simply.
The girl growled, the low sound ripping deep within her throat.
"Like you can convince me that," she hissed. "Look at you. All scrawny and shit. You look like you haven't eaten anything in months."
The boy stared at her still; his dark eyes remained calm like a dark arctic pond.
She scoffed.
"You must be absolutely starving," she muttered mockingly. Her long crystal legs slowly sank back into her shoulders, lowering her back onto her own two feet. Her glowing eyes flashed. "Surely you'd love to take a bite?"
He swallowed, his gaze glued to the bloody carnage.
"He was an innocent bystander, yes?" he asked solemnly, narrowing his eyes.
The girl gritted her teeth, irritated; a vein pulsed in her temple.
"Why does that concern you?" she spat. "You didn't even know the thing."
The older boy bit his lip, chewing on it as he stared at the carcass for a while, a blank, indifferent expression upon his face. The rain began to sprinkle down upon the city, dousing the two children in stinging droplets. He blinked once through the drenched, wavy locks of his jet hair, and then shifted his gaze back to her.
"Takashi," he said finally. His dark gaze softened to sheets of black silk, surprising the other ghoul and knocking her back a little bit in shock. "That's my name. What's yours?"
Her eyes grew wide, the scarlet light dissipating from her eyes and merging the terrorizing hue into a staggering shade of amber. Her breath hitched, stunned.
"My...name?" she breathed.
"You do have one, right?" Takashi asked, tilting his head to the side.
The girl sputtered, completely dumbfounded.
"A-ah...Etsuko. It's Etsuko."
Takashi smiled, warm and enticing despite the sight of blood that smeared across Etsuko's pale face; dripping down from the corner of her lips with icy droplets that fell from the heavens, they glided along her sharp jawline and toppled towards the pavement.
"Etsuko," he said slowly, as if savoring the words upon his tongue like sweet blood. He closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them again, radiating a rare and beautiful kindness. "How old are you? Where are your parents?"
Etsuko swallowed, her golden eyes wide and her white hair sparkling with little raindrops that glittered like stars.
"Fourteen," she murmured softly, gazing at the boy in a paralyzed awe. "My parents are dead."
Takashi hummed quietly, twisting his lip to the side.
"Ah," he whispered. "Yours too?"
Etsuko flinched.
"M-mh." She hummed a sputtered reply, tilting her head to the bloody ground. Her eyes fell upon the corpse, her hunger having to have mysteriously vanished. "They were killed two years ago..."
"It hasn't been that long then, hasn't it?" Takashi said in surprise, fluttering his dark eyes. "Have you been on your own since then?"
"Ah," she confirmed softly. She stared down at her blood-encrusted hands, the dark gore crackling and lodging under her fingernails. "Since I was twelve."
Takashi gazed at the solemn girl, the hostility in her eyes wearing away as the rain pattered down still. There was something in his look that emanated warmth against the frigid air, his breath misty and deep. He swallowed.
"Forgive me," he murmured, catching her attention again. She glanced up at him, her brows slightly knitted together; she looked away. He had his hands inside his jean pockets, casually slumped over as he chewed on his lip. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but if you want some company, you can move in with me...if you want."
Etsuko's eyes snapped back up unexpectedly. They were wide orbs, her mouth suddenly ajar as she stared up at the boy in shock. She searched deep within his dark eyes, furrowing her brows deeper in confusion as she tried desperately to find some kind of treachery within that liquid gaze; to her disbelief, she found none.
"You don't even know me," she said, stunned. She found herself on her knees, next to the oozing body of the man she had only just killed. Her scarlet eyes stared wide at the body, her breath shallow. "Why...?"
Takashi's lips pulled up into another glittering, close-eyed smile; she sucked in a breath.
"Kindness is lacking between us ghouls these days," he said, cocking his head slightly to the side again. "We all need kindness every once in a while, right?"
Etsuko's breathing quickened, her heart rate spiking and beating wildly in her throat. The boy deemed it was safer and began walking forward; he slowly approached the kneeling girl with her eyes remained staring up at him in a dumbstruck expression.
"It's pretty lonesome living alone, eh?" he laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I always thought I'd be rooming with a guy first, but I guess it doesn't really matter if we're both under ease in each other's company, right?"
Etsuko bit her lip, scrunching her brows together as she gulped.
"Y-yeah," she stammered, blinking up at him.
Takashi beamed, reaching out a sturdy hand to her. Etsuko timidly reached out her own hand, hesitating a little bit before she clasped her wet, bloody fingers around his palm; his hand was firm as he hauled her up onto her own two feet. They gazed at each other for a while, the rain continuing to tumble down as Takashi gave her another embarrassed grin, rubbing the back of his head again. He switched his gaze down onto the corpse.
"And you were right," he said softly, catching her attention once more. "I didn't know him, but I know an innocent bystander like him didn't deserve to die."
Etsuko blinked, and then lowered her eyes to the ground in a sort of shame.
"He begged me to spare him," she murmured, licking her bloodied lips. "Said something about a wife and a kid."
Takashi closed his eyes, shaking his head lowly as he sighed.
"People like him don't deserve to die," he whispered. "Which is why I only target criminals."
Etsuko cocked her head to the side, puzzled.
"Criminals?" she asked.
Takashi nodded once.
"Murderers, rapists, thieves, thugs, etcetera," he said, shrugging. "I just...haven't had an appetite for a few months."
Etsuko pressed her lips into a thin line and reset her gaze onto the carcass, her thoughts wandering into oblivion.
"Do you...want some?" she asked quietly.
Takashi choked out a surprised grunt, and then let out a hearty laugh, his brilliant smile lighting up the dreary moonless night. She stared at him, awestruck.
"I thought you said I'd be fucking crazy if I begged for some," he jeered.
Etsuko scowled.
"You're not begging." She crossed her arms over her chest, grumbling. "I'm offering you some. So are you gonna accept or not?"
A smirk appeared on his face, making her scowl deepen even more.
"I don't see why not," he chuckled, his eyes merging into a dark canvas, two scarlet irises appearing in his sockets.
Etsuko huffed, blinking her glowing eyes once more as she gave him a curt nod.
"Help yourself then," she murmured.
Takashi swallowed, swiping a tongue over his lips as he slowly bent down onto his heels. He hovered over the body for a moment, staring down at the mutilated red carcass. He reached out with a trembling hand towards the pile of meat, his fingers digging into the flesh, curling inside the bloody tissue and slowly tearing out a chunk from what seemed to have been the man's abdomen. He brought the lump of meat to his face with a shaky hand, and dug into the flesh ravenously with bared teeth.
Etsuko stood over the boy as he fed, scarfing down the scraps, dropping to his knees and sinking both of his hands into the carnage. Her scarlet eyes gleamed, the early morning brimming into the darkened sky as the young sun, whose light was weak and pale, began to lighten the air. The rain had faded off with the night, and the morning dew began to bud in the waking dawn. She took a breath, tilting her head to the side curiously as she stood watching the starving ghoul devour the flesh in a frenzy, watching the ghoul who had been unusually kind to her.
"Takashi..."
✿
Her eyes fluttered open in the bleak darkness. Her breath was steady, but rather ragged, as she stared up onto the blank wall above her. Her jaw was tense, her lips pressed into a thin line, chewing on the inside of her mouth. She lay there for several minutes, contemplating about the hauntingly vivid memory. She blinked her scarlet eyes, glowing against a deep ocean of black tar, glaring into an empty space far beyond the reality that enveloped her current state. She then swung her slender legs gently to the side; her head hung as she sat on the side of her bed, her long snowy hair draping down past her bony shoulders. She remained still, like a predator preparing to strike.
However, the hostility eventually subsided, and her scorching red eyes ebbed back into soft honey irises; she lifted her head slowly, the long strands of hair tumbling down like cascades of white sand. She rose from her spot, her silky pajamas hanging over her delicate frame. She stood and rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand, stretching and arching her back slightly backward as she grunted; she strained her neck to the side, sounding loud pops through the empty bedroom as she let out a tired sigh.
She made her way over to the bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth before walking out into the kitchen to boil some water on the stove. She poured herself a cup of water and ambled towards the television, clicking the screen on to the local news channel. A woman with short black hair, dressed in a nice heather blazer and a button-up linen shirt flickered on the screen, in the middle of a broadcast about a peculiar assault.
"-a very gory scene just last week in Himonya Park in Meguro. Five-year-old Mitsuki Kiyomi was found brutally slaughtered along the path, nothing but a severed head still attached to her spinal cord and a vast amount of blood left behind. Her mother, thirty-year-old Mitsuki Ayame, was found over in an alleyway in the main town, suffering from a similar condition. The police are certain this is yet another serial ghoul attack and have turned the case over to the CCG investigators. According to the CCG, this is the work of the notorious Mad Temptress. Although this ghoul has never been seen in person, she has a habit of leaving behind decapitated heads of her victims, much like what she had done to young Mitsuki-san and her mother in Himonya Park.
"'The Mad Temptress', whose first victim was twenty-three-year-old Nagashima Riku four years ago in Ota, is a name coined by Tokyo's CCG investigation teams for a truly vicious S ranking ghoul, whose primary victims are young males ranging from the ages of sixteen to twenty-seven. From the data received from the serial killings, the CCG investigators have deemed the ghoul a female, possibly in her early twenties. Any information regarding this monstrous ghoul should be reported immediately to your local CCG office."
The anchorwoman moved on with the news broadcast, despite the horrific details she had just informed to the public. Etsuko's lips tugged up into a sly smile, her amber eyes glittering in a demonic hilarity.
The water on the stove spewed into a rolling boil; she hurried over to it and turned down the heat to medium. She then placed a glass bowl over the bubbling hot water, and scooped a few cups of cold, thick blood into it. Pulling out a metal spoon, she stirred the thing with a constant gentle swirling motion, her hair pulled back into a long ponytail and her golden eyes narrowed with boredom.
As the blood warmed up, she took the liberty to dice a bicep into good-portioned cubes and removed a few phalanges, plopping them into the bowl of swirling hot blood. After leaving those on the stove for a few more minutes to thoroughly warm up, she removed the bowl from the boiling water and set it down on the ledge of a counter next to the sink. She spooned the blood into her mouth and slurped it like a broth, eating the tidbits of bone and flesh as her scarlet eyes gazed in oblivion.
Finishing her meal, she scrupulously washed the excess blood down the drain and stacked the clean dishes into the dishwasher, heading back into her room to pull on a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a nice hoodie. She tugged on a pair of non-prescription glasses, slinging a small leather satchel around her torso; slipping on some sneakers, she ventured out into the frigid morning air.
The sun was rising, about seven o'clock, and the city was already bustling with activity. She walked past several people dressed sharply in suits and blazers with pencil skirts, others in casual wear wandering off to some of the flashy shops that littered the streets. However, though her rather drab outfit stood invisible even to the relaxed tourists, she wasn't headed towards any of the shops; she walked for some time, eventually turning into a stairway leading down into the subway tunnels.
She boarded the cart without a single glance around her, setting herself down on a cushioned seat before any other person could take it. She flickered her eyes up at the blinking sign inside the train, the words Shibyua to Omote-sando flashing in bright characters; she huffed in confirmation and pulled out a book from her satchel, flipping to a rather worn down page, yellowing with age, and leaned against the back of the seat to begin her reading.
The ride to Omote-sando was short, and the blinking sign switched to read Omote-sando to Aoyama-itchome. She remained on the subway, paying no attention to the people who filtered on and off of the cart. She continued reading, uninterrupted and completely immersed into the book.
Once again, the ride to the next stop was rather short, and when the announcement blared over on the intercom, Etsuko closed the book with her finger lodged into her place inside it and slipped out the train. She made her way over to another track, where she waited for the subway, leaning on a concrete column and commencing with her rather docile and passive activity. Her eyes fluttered across the pages and her fingers were constantly flipping the papers, her golden eyes shimmering with mirth.
The train roared through the tunnel and screeched to a halt at the station, a ding sounding through the dank underground as the doors hissed open. The people filed in and out of the train, and Etsuko squeezed her way through to grab a plush seat; she had eleven stops to ride in order to get to her destination, after all. She leaned back against the seat again, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. A body set itself down next to her, dressed in a pair of ironed black trousers and a crisp white linen shirt; a jacket was draped over his arm.
"Salt and Opium, huh?" the man murmured to her.
Etsuko blinked, flicking an indifferent gaze up towards his face. Her mouth as slightly parted, and she inhaled a soft breath, the scent brushing against her tongue - a human.
"One of my personal favorites," she replied monotonously, sighing deeply as she turned the page. "Takatsuki Sen is by far one of my favorite authors."
"Her work is quite interesting," the man chuckled. "Interestingly gory."
Etsuko smirked, her eyes never leaving the pages of the book.
"It's quite amazing how she can describe such scenes, yes?" she said. "It's like she's experienced it first-hand."
"Yes," the man murmured. "Quite."
It was quiet again, only the roaring of the subway filling their ears. He cleared his throat
"My name is Okajima Ichijou," he said, offering out a hand to her. Etsuko blinked, turning her head to stare at the outstretched hand. It looked firm and authoritative, just as a man's hand should look, but so fragile and supple at the same time. Her eyes flashed.
"Etsuko," she said vaguely, turning her head back to her book.
Ichijou frowned, taking back his ignored hand and setting it in his lap a little awkwardly. Still, he faced her and said in a deep, polite voice.
"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Etsuko-san."
"And same to you, Okajima-san," she muttered.
"Just Ichijou is fine." The man smiled.
Etsuko lifted her head up from the pages again with a perplexed, but bored expression; she faced the man and looked at his face for the first time. Upon setting her gaze on his features, she suddenly blinked her golden eyes wide in shock.
His narrow jawline, peppered with a bit of dark stubble, was sharp and defined, outlining his rather long face. A brushed tuft of black hair rested upon his head, framing his face with the long wavy strands. His skin was latte in color - light but not quite pale. His eyes reflected that of a deep pool of stars against the vast canvas of the clear night sky.
"Takashi..." she breathed.
Ichijou raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?" he asked politely.
Etsuko shook her head.
"Pardon me. You look a lot like someone I used to know." She pressed her lips into a tight line, twisting them down into a slight frown.
Ichijou fluttered his eyes, bewildered.
"From the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be quite a happy memory. Am I bothering you?"
"N-no," Etsuko stuttered, a light blush creeping upon her cheeks. She flickered her eyes down to the ground, shuffling her feet. "He was just a very good friend."
Ichijou blinked his dark eyes, cocking his head to the side a bit. He pondered about this a little, looking down at the woman.
Her hair was neatly pulled back and almost reached her hips, draped over her shoulder and cascading down in a single smooth curtain. She was petite and thin, probably 170 centimeters in height, maybe even shorter, and possibly 50 kilograms in weight. Slender as she was, her body seemed tight and toned, her hoodie hanging loosely on her figure and her jeans outlining the thinness of her long legs. Her eyes were most unusual; they were the color of a glistening piece of amber that was held up against the sun's rays, so they glowed like fire. Even more so, her face, white as paper, formed a rather cute shape; it was small with a squared jawline, larger cheeks adorned with delicate features, along with small, pouty lips.
She was beautiful.
"Where are you headed this early in the day?" Ichijou asked, keeping his composure.
Etsuko chewed on her lip, shielding her face from the man.
"Finding a nice place to relax and read," she answered softly.
"I see," he murmured. "Are you on your day off?"
"I'm currently unemployed," Etsuko replied, a hint of mirth weaving within her sly tone. "I just graduated with my master's, but I haven't found a job just yet."
"That's rather unfortunate," Ichijou said. "What did you get your degree in?"
Etsuko smirked.
"Human Biology," she chuckled. "And Physiology and Neuroscience."
"Oh, a double major." Ichijou raised his eyebrows. "That's quite impressive."
"Thank you," Etsuko huffed, absentmindedly flipping the pages in a fan-like motion.
"May I ask where you went?"
"Kamii University."
"K-Kamii University?" Ichijou sputtered in shock. "You double majored at Kamii University?"
"Ah," she sighed, seemingly bored with the conversation. "What of it?"
Ichijou fluttered his eyes wildly, stunned.
"I-it's just...isn't it quite difficult? At Kamii, that is."
"I've had my fair amount of sleepless nights," Etsuko murmured. "But I managed to make it out in the top ten."
"Top ten as well?" Ichijou gasped. "Etsuko-san, you must be quite amazing."
Etsuko scoffed.
"Obviously not," she jeered. "Since I'm not in with a job yet."
"If I may, I just think you have to try a little harder, Etsuko-san," Ichijou encouraged her. "From what I just heard, you seem to have a lot of potential."
She blinked and turned her gaze over to him, bemused.
"I would assume so," she chuckled. "However, I think I'm enjoying all of this free time a little too much."
Ichijou laughed.
"Yes, leisure time is definitely something dangerous to get used to," he mused.
Etsuko set her book back inside her satchel and trained her gaze back towards the man. This human was rather...interesting.
"What about you, Ichijou-san?" she asked, her voice filled with a little more buoyancy. Her golden eyes shimmered. "What do you do on your leisure time?"
The man's eyes brightened even more so, glittering like a lit up firecracker.
"Of course, I read some of Takatsuki Sen's works every once in a while," he started enthusiastically. "However, I do enjoy exercise and cooking as hobbies as well."
"Oh, a chef?" Etsuko mused. A glint of humor sparkled in her eye. "Are you any good?"
"I guess I'm okay at it," Ichijou said sheepishly. "Perhaps you would like to come over to my apartment sometime and tell me what you think about it yourself?"
Etsuko's expression immediately darkened.
"Oh?" she hissed softly.
Ichijou, noting her sudden bitter tone, eased back a little.
"I-I mean, if you'd rather not then that's fine just as well."
"My apologies," she murmured, dipping her head to the man politely. "I'm rather inexperienced in those kinds of...complex creations."
"It's quite alright," Ichijou laughed airily. "Another time, maybe."
Etsuko nodded curtly, turning her gaze forward, staring outside the window in front of her as the lights of the underground flashed by. It was silent again, and the subway had already screeched to a stop in eight other stations, charging forwards still like an eternal current. She just sat there, not even bothering to get out her book anymore, only lost in the thoughts of the past - in those simpler and happier times.
"So where are you headed to, Etsuko-san?" Ichijou's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.
She turned her head towards him with a blank expression, her features completely unreadable.
"Nerima," she said plainly. "In the Twentieth Ward."
"Ah, that's the same place I'm going to." Ichijou beamed.
Right as the words escaped his mouth, the intercom blared over the cart again, announcing their arrival at Nerima.
"It was nice talking to you, Ichijou-san," she murmured. Without waiting for a response from the man, Etsuko rose from her spot, clutching her satchel, and followed everyone else out of the train cart. She disappeared into the crowd and climbed her way quickly up the stairs into the open air. She stopped for a moment, looking both ways to get her bearings straight. The streets were busy, as usual, and she started heading to the right before a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Oi, Etsuko-san!" Ichijou called from the swarm of people.
Etsuko turned around, her face phlegmatic.
"Ichijou-san," she said.
"Would you like me to walk you to your destination?" he asked, huffing.
Etsuko raised a curious eyebrow up at him, taking in his figure and analyzing him.
He was a very tall man, possibly reaching 180 centimeters, with broad shoulders and was extremely toned. He looked to be in his mid- to late twenties, most likely twenty-five or twenty-six. Despite his youth, in the morning sunlight, she could see the bags that hung like light shadows under his eyes. She cracked a small smirk.
"If you want," Etsuko said, shrugging. She continued her way, swiftly dodging the people on the sidewalk. Ichijou followed after her in a brisk walk, his expression firm. "But if you must know, I'm perfectly able to fend for myself."
"I don't doubt it," the man murmured. "And I know it's just the Twentieth Ward, but there are still ghouls lurking around here."
An amused grin mentally stretched across her porcelain face.
"Ghouls?" she murmured, her face spreading with a certain naivety. "Oh my."
Ichijou nodded stiffly as they turned a corner onto another path, shaded with trees and leading down towards the next street over. Ichijou pressed his lips into a tense line.
"What's worse, that serial killer is still on the loose," he growled.
"Serial killer?" Etsuko asked, blinking her golden eyes up at him.
"Ah," Ichijou huffed. "The Mad Temptress."
An electrifying shock rippled up her spine, bumps appearing across her pale skin as her eyes flashed.
"You've heard of her, yes?" the man asked her seriously, bending forward a little to catch her gaze.
"Oh yes," she mused darkly. "I've heard a thing or two about her."
"Her main targets are young males," he mumbled. "However, the death of that little girl just last week proves that she's more than willing to go after others."
Etsuko suddenly halted in front of a building complex, her arms crossed over her chest and a stern expression plaguing her pale face. She leaned against the brick wall, staring up into the stairway that led into the shop above.
"What makes you think you can protect me from something like the Mad Temptress?" Etsuko spat.
Ichijou blinked and stared at her, as if the answer was painfully obvious.
"I work as an investigator for the CCG," he stated matter-of-factly.
Her heart stopped. She immediately widened her eyes and snapped her head back to glare at him. She scoured the man for those cursed briefcases; however, to her surprise, he carried no such item.
"What are you doing in the Twentieth Ward, then?" she asked, her muscles tense. She eyed him intently. "Aren't the headquarters in the First Ward?"
Ichijou nodded.
"My partner and I are doing some investigations here today," he said. He then gave her an apologetic smile. "However, the information and details to that are strictly classified."
Etsuko cracked a miniscule smirk.
"That's quite alright," she said. She turned around again, facing the dark stairwell with her hands clasped behind her back. "My stop is here, so I guess I'll see you around."
"A-ah." Ichijou blinked. His eyes darted from the woman to the sign that sat in front of the building. "Anteiku?" he murmured.
Etsuko looked back at him, her eyes glittering an unusual gleam.
"It's my favorite place to unwind," she sighed. "They have the best coffee here."
Ichijou stared at the secluded shop, peaceful and docile among the almost empty street. He cracked a smile.
"It looks very nice," he commented, admiring the complex. "Perhaps we should go here together some day."
Etsuko glanced at Ichijou, her golden eyes testing.
"You could get a quick cup with me now," she offered, flashing him a teasing grin.
Something of a red blush crept up onto the man's cheeks.
"I-I would love to," he sputtered, his lips fumbling. "B-but I really must be going. My partner will be waiting for me to arrive to start the investigation."
"Ah, that's too bad," she grumbled. She gazed up into the darkness at the top of the stairs.
Ichijou opened his mouth a few times, as if racking his mind for something to say quickly. A few moments passed before he successfully spoke a few words.
"How about tomorrow?" he asked, gulping. "Here. Eight o'clock."
A cruel smile crept up on her porcelain face again, hidden under a mop of silky white bangs.
"Tomorrow?" she mewed, pouting her lips. She lifted her head and cocked it to the side, tugging her bottom lip down slightly with a crimson nail. "I suppose that could work."
Ichijou's eyes widened, his mouth gaping.
"Great! I-I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
Etsuko whirled back around and faced the man, her white hair swirling around her body with her hands still clasped behind her back. She nodded once, giving him a warm, close-eyed smile.
"Mm!" she giggled. "Tomorrow at eight."
Ichijou's face brightened, a wide grin adorning his features.
"Wonderful! Well, have a nice day then, Etsuko-san!"
"Same to you, Ichijou-san," Etsuko murmured.
Ichijou beamed gleefully, waving at her as he went his way down the path and towards the main street ahead. Etsuko stared after him for a little bit, watching his tall figure make his way into the crowd of people. Her expression was blank, cold and detached, as she slinked away up the stairs and into the coffee shop; a frown curled her lips. All the while, her occupied thoughts swirled around only one memory, revolving around only one person - the ghoul who had been unusually kind to her; the ghoul who had been taken from her.
"Takashi..."
~~~✿~~~
Well? Did you expect something like this to happen?
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