months later;

Not being with Hide or Kaneki as often as you used to became a routine that you forced yourself to accept.

It didn't happen overnight, though. It happened slowly until the pain of not having two of the closest beings by your side was too much for you to handle that you let the memories go.

That night when the three of you went out for karaoke, the night something was finally going right before it all crumbled down again. The day you met Hide who introduced you to Kaneki only minutes later after meeting when the three of you were still in elementary school. The nights when all the three of you would do was laugh, watch movies, and eat candies together. The days when everything seemed gloomy, but then you had Kaneki and Hide to brighten you up.

Maybe not completely forgotten, but you chose to ignore that pain and ringing at the back of your mind when you were reminded of them.

It happened at the weirdest and most random moments. One day you were on your way to work and happened to pass by a coffee shop which immediately reminded you of where Kaneki used to work, where you and Hide would wait for his shift to end so that you could enjoy the rest of the day or night together. Other times you were walking in a grocery store and suddenly feel like you had to buy candies or popcorn for a movie night with your friends only to realize they weren't in your life anymore.

However slowly but surely, your life started to pick back up again. You became too busy for moping about the loss of your best friend and the loss of your lover. You started attending your classes more frequently now and began hanging around the college crowd more often.

-
So we move on.
-

"...it was kind of like a romance movie. High school crushes all over again," your friend rambled on and on about her high school reunion with an old flame. Quite frankly, you weren't listening like you were supposed to.

The two of your were walking through the city to see what there was to do that day, the day your schedules were cleared of classes. It was supposed to be a day for the two of you.

It was supposed to be.

Until a patch of white hair appeared out of the corner of your eye. You could have sworn it was his.

But who knows? Dyeing hair pale colors is in at the moment. Maybe someone just wanted white hair.

Your friend started to become worried by your distractedness. She knew you to be always attentive to what you had to say. "(Y/N)? Are you listening?"

"Huh?" At the sound of her voice, you whipped your head to your right side, where she was walking next to you, to face your friend. "Yeah. Of course."
-
Okay. You definitely were not listening. Your mind kept on wandering off to the patch of white hair you saw only a few minutes ago. You felt like it was still around you.

Okay. That's a little bit creepy.

Your friend was still rambling on about her high school lover she was reunited with.

You sighed, your curiosity getting the best of you. It wouldn't hurt to check for "he who shall not be named." It could end up being some random person with white hair. But it could also be him. Either way, you couldn't let this opportunity go.

However there was still that voice screaming at the back of your mind telling you not to go. It's taken months for you to recover from that loss. Wouldn't disappointment just send you crashing back down again?

Before your mind could reach the feelings in your heart, your mouth had already moved. "Listen, Mei, I forgot that I need to run an errand," you lied. "Is it okay if I take off? I'll text you later. I promise."

Mei nodded, eyebrows furrowing in worry. It was rare that you forgot an errand, after all. "Okay. I'll be waiting, then." 

You smiled. "Thank you for understanding!" After giving her a quick half hug as goodbye, you turned around to walk the other way so suddenly, alarming the grey eyes that seemed to be following you.

The only thing you saw was that same white hair. The person was quick on their feet, turning a corner before you could even step forward.

Your breath hitched, your heart beating so hard you could feel it against your chest. Could this be it?

-
But we should always be careful, because disappointment could tear down all that we've built up.
-

You ran after the person, mumbling apologies to people you bumped into on the way.

His name left your lips under your breath when you saw the white hair again. So many memories came flooding back to you, as if a door blocking them had just been opened. It was an exhilarating yet stressing feeling all at once, causing adrenaline to course through your veins.

The person had broken into a light jog ever since you turned the corner to follow them.

"Please..." you breathed out, running to catch up with them.

This had to be it.

It had to be him.

Why would a random person just run away like that, anyway?

He turned into an alleyway and you hesitated before following.

What if it wasn't him and you could be walking into a trap?

Screw it all. Your heart said, ignoring the doubting of your mind, causing your feet to move on their own. I have to tell him what I should have all those nights ago...

You ran into the alleyway after him.

"Ken-!"

His name spilled out from your mouth in the form of a plea, startling you. You hadn't spoken his name in what felt like forever.

"Kaneki Ken!"

The figure stopped moving at the sound of the name.

You stopped too, your world coming to a halt as they began to turn around.