"Juuzou,"
The white haired boy's gaze snapped up from his small plate of cake at the sound of his name.
"I would like for you to meet a friend of mine." Shinohara spoke lightly, feeling relieved when the red eyed boy smiled and blindly agreed.
Juuzou proceeded to eat his cake once more, feeling very much satisfied. He was mindless to the fact that Shinohara was smiling down at him even in his thoughts.
Today marked another year since Juuzou had been discovered in the hands of the notorious ghoul, Big Madam. He wanted to say that he could not even tell the boy had been taken in the first place but the amount of aggression Juuzou has displayed these past few days had been worrying. The kills had become messier and even more bloody, Shinohara has even noticed that sometimes he would be absent minded to the point that his eyes would grow jaded.
The most recent kill, Juuzou had violently ripped the male ghoul apart and seemed to practically bathe in the filthy blood. What made Shinohara stiffen, however, was the glint in the crimson hues of Juuzou. The large proud smile that lit his sickly pale face and he seemed to think he deserved a reward in his haze. When he awoke, he seemed confused but he remained uncharacteristically silent. Even the next day, he was not as hyperactive or attentive as he usually was.
The large man stirred his coffee with a sigh, the white haired boy across him being completely unaware of the worry that came from him. He believed that Juuzou had something pent up inside of him and he hides it, covering it with mindlessness and hyperactive joy. But there was something dark hidden within the boy that showed in moments where he loses control and goes all out in the battlefield or when the bright white closed eyed smile becomes a lot more menacing.
He planned to have Juuzou talk to a friend of his that has been put into a similar situation as Juuzou. She was discovered and brought back to humanity, raised by a member of the CCG before she had became independent. Currently, she strives to become a therapist at a college in the peaceful ward and happens to be rather intelligent. In fact, now that Shinohara thinks about it, he has not seen her since she graduated at about sixteen and a half.... About three years ago.
"Come, Juuzou." Shinohara said as he stood and left bills on the table. The white haired boy hummed in content before bouncing up from his seat and following the taller male.
He wondered what this friend looked like and who he was. Was he tall or short? Was he pale or dark? Did he look sickly or lively? Was he a giraffe?
Juuzou could not suppress the image of Shinohara hugging the neck of a giraffe, while being teary eyed as he stroked it's fur and it made him giggle lightly.
"You have not heard a word I've said, have you Juuzou?" The male suddenly came from his thoughts and blinked blankly in confusion. He did not even notice that the man had looked at him or opened his mouth. Shinohara sighed with an amused smile tugging his lips before he continued walking with the pale boy.
"I said, that the friend we are meeting is at the college. I want you to be wary on touching her too suddenly or in general. I do warn you tha-"
The amusing image had left his mind as he realized disappointingly that the one they were meeting was a girl. Not only that, a girl who was in college which was where boring people went. Juuzou's lips pouted in a discontent frown as his mind filled with disappointment.
Shinohara glanced back with a sweat drop, realizing that the boy had stopped listening ages ago in the midst of his babbling filled with warnings and cautions. With a sigh, Shinohara continued the short walk to the college, glad he chose the small cafe that tended to be visited by students of the college. But he knew the student he searched for was not going to be in the cafe because resting seemed to not be her thing in the midst of her hyperactive mind.
.
.
.
She stared at the board expectantly, waiting for something to come together as she tried to piece the puzzle together. She glared when they did not, feeling irritated.
The answer was so simple, it was proving to the professor that it was that caused difficulty. She wished she could throw a desk at the older male but she was alone in the classroom with her task in mind.
He's an idiot teacher. How do you learn from a stupid teacher?!
She rubbed her face before jumping out of her skin when a knock came to the door. She looked over before turning her full attention once she saw the familiar face.
"Ah, Mr. Shinohara." She greeted with a fixed smile, though her eyes were blank and calculating.
The man chuckled as he took in the formalities of the small girl.
"Why do you insist on formality?" He asked as he entered the empty room with with a warm smile. The girl forbade a scowl but instead gave a tighter smile.
"Why do you expect me to know you well when you leave me for years?" She lashed in return with her light tone causing the man to mentally flinch. Much like Juuzou, the girl had two different personalities that defended eachother.
She seemed harsh and cold, even emotionless at times but she hid it with politeness due to being trained into it. However she still had a childish and kid like personality buried in her due to it's repression for so long. The childish acts, sarcasm and snide comments worked as some kind of defence for her emotions, and was why she has not been broken and the harshness was what kept her alive instead of suffocating in her own emotions. Without one she would be dead or succumbed to madness.
"I wanted you to meet a boy I've been in charge of for a while... Emiko, this is Juuzou Suzuya." The girl eyed the boy who was visible after Shinohara moved.
He was pale and malnutruished seeming because of how prominent his thinness was. She eyed the stitches that decorated his body and his face that seemed girlish and young in a light but by the bags under his eyes, it made her well aware that he was older than his doll like features let on.
Stitches.... They are across his body... He's grown a liking for pain. He's been tortured mentally or physically in his lifetime.
The girl analyzed as if it was instinct. She wanted to say she's heard and seen a glimpse of him before, or point out that he was her replacement but resisted her cold and cruel remarks.
"Mr. Shinohara, she looks like a doll! You didn't tell me you were friends with a doll!" She blinked and Shinohara smiled at the girl knowingly as he apologized for Juuzou's outburst.
He was well aware that she had a habit of practically scanning someone's appearance for clues of who they were.
She squeaked when she was suddenly lifted into a hug and looked down to see that the stitched up boy had been the one who embraced her so oddly. She tried to calm her pounding heart as she awaited to be put down.
"You're so cute, Emi!" He exclaimed with joy as he shook her around causing her long hair to fall from the bun that held it up.
"Juuzou put her down! What did I tell you about?!" Shinohara scolded and watched the boy put down the small girl reluctantly. Her face was flushed and she looked awkward as her dark waves surrounded her face and fell down her arms.
"Again, so sorry Emiko." Shinohara bowed as the girl attempted to recompose herself.
"Whenever you visit me, Mr. Shinohara, you require something from me. What will it be this time?" She spoke and it made him bite the inside of his cheek. She always lashed like this, at least when she has not seen him in a while. When she was smaller, and he contributed to her growing up, he saw her everyday he went to work and was her primary caretaker. Eventually, however he had to give her to Arima because he decided to look after and soon become the caretaker for Juuzou and he knew he could not handle both. Obviously, the dark haired girl took the news hard.
"Juuzou, will you please leave us a moment?" The boy mock saluted and waved before leaving the room.
Emiko, finally found the ability to be collected once more now that the boy has left. Something was so offsetting and discomforting about him.
She eyed the man with leveled and cool eyes, expectantly waiting for a request from him. He only came to her or saw her when he needed something. This caused her eyes to sharpen and hardened, daring his request.
"I want you to talk to Juuzou, as a thera-"
"I'm not certified yet." Emiko interrupted and it caused the man to give her a weary smile.
"You're not required to be certified if the CCG sees you fit, and they have. I just believed asking formally would make this easier than telling you that the CCG requires you as Juuzou's therapist. He's grown aggressive and you're trained in emotions and mentality." Shinohara explained with a sigh.
She pointed at the door with a wrinkled nose.
"He doesn't need therapy Mr. Shinohara. If he has aggression beneath that, he needs medication." She answered cooly and took an instinctive step back when he began to walk closer.
"If that was true then you would need medication too, Emiko." Amusement in the eyes of the man.
She was not amused.
The playful poke did not affect nor move the girl who only crossed her arms.
"It's most definitely true, Mr. Shinohara." Emiko stood and the man had let out an exhausted sigh. He almost regretted having her trained after she was discovered. She's grown too controlling of her emotions, yet coy. He suddenly cursed himself, why would he want her to remain as broken as she was upon discovery?
"The CCG wants your appointments to be every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can pick the times to fit your schedule." Emiko glared harshly but knew she owed the organization her life so she did not reject.
She bawled her hands to fists at her sides.
"What is wrong with him?" She asked through gritted teeth, wanting to know what she was getting into.
"Wouldn't that be your job to learn, Emiko?" Her glare darkened to a glower before she took a sticky note from the desk next to her and a pen. She began writing before shoving it in Shinohara's hand.
"Just make sure he goes to that address at ten a.m." Emiko snapped before leaving the room.
Shinohara smiled.
He honestly did miss the small girl, but he wondered why she acted harsh. When she was smaller, she was always so soft spoken and hesitant.
At least she still somewhat respects me.
He chuckled.