I sighed for the umpteenth time, was she going to be no show? Kirishima Touka. What a strange girl, she said the meeting was four in the after now its freaking six thirty three!

The scent of mid autumn came about, as people of many shapes and sizes walked to their destinations. As of now, I was at the Shinjuku train station, the sun was slowly setting for its sleep. While awaiting for the lovely Touka, she really was a jer—

A powerful force, from the back sent me diving to a small distance. I guided my feet, as to balance my body. Which made me stable again. The kick wasn't that painful. Just surprising.

I turn to my kicker. To my surprise, it was her.

"Hello..Touka," she shone only a poker face and turned her back against me.

"Aren't you going to say sorry for making me wait for two hours?" I murmured, as I followed her to the streets, going deeper in the city.

"Um..Miss Touka..?" I tried to open a small convo, to get the awkwardness out. She didn't reply and continued to walk. So much for understanding between girls.

I moved my gaze to different places but I couldn't deter my eyes on Touka, now that I think about it. I wouldn't have expected for her to be a ghoul at first. She looks really beautiful though, even at her young age.

To think that she, was a normal girl..

"What's your problem?" She stated not turning to me, irritation filled her tomboyish sounding voice. She is pretty, but her attitude was kinda rotten. The female ghoul stuffed her hands into her pockets of her navy green jacket.

"Not-thing..." I croaked, as she quickened her pace, all I could do was imitate her actions.

I realized that we were going deeper in to the city, the surroundings got older and older as time passed.

The once modern places of Tokyo, seemed was growing to the red light district. Clubs, sprung everywhere. Especially only appropriate for adults. Alleyways that was littered with trash, empty bottles and some other things I couldn't recognized laid there.

Loud music blared through some pubs, the scent of putrid alcohol stung my nose. Many brightly neon colored signs shown, Welcome but I didn't want to enter even if it was if utmost grave importance. I can see it all still, we trudged to the main road. I can sense the malice within this area.

Even though I wasn't raised in Tokyo for half my life,
I grew out of the country. I can recall the all wards. Weird.

But still, it came in handy.

We reached another stairway, leading down to a small building underground. A very distinct sign shown on it. Which was kinda suspicious...some how.

Hy Sy Art mask Studio

Touka, didn't hesitate to open the door and strode inside like she owned the place, I followed yet again, this was becoming a habit of me. Trailing other people. From day one of being a ghoul.

"Mr. Uta!" She called out, her feminine voice echoed through the large place. "Where are you?"

The place sent bad vibes, many mask of different styles and shapes hung from the four walls. Some of the most scary were encased in glass and others masks were worn by manikins. The polished checkered floor reflected my image.

"Geez..could he have gone home already?" She searched for the one she called Mr. Uta. 

I walked around too..being curious was hard. I get bored easily if I didn't do something every five minutes or so—
My concentration broke. Upon seeing a large sheet of white in the near middle of the standing in the middle of the room.

'I wonder what this is?' I grasped the rough cloth and pulled it up.

"Boo." A calm voice says, under the sheet. My eyes widen and..forced a creeped out smile.

"He-llo Sir.." Was all I could say, I backed away. Trying to get some distance from the guy with piercings and irises of red.

"Oh there you are Mr. Uta. " Touka smiled at the older male, wow. She can actually smile for once. In my time with her she couldn't even show a slighter of—

"Mr. Uta is the one who makes 'ghoul' masks." Kirishima placed her hands to her pockets again.

"I'm Uta" He seemed quite passive. As his reply was really short.

"Oh I'm Yoshikawa Yuna—" She closes in me, added he breathed deeply. Was he..smelling me?

"Your scent..seems unusual." (Yeah, he is doing it) His face was in my personal in bubble. I couldn't move much less counter his sniffing ordeals..gross..

"I see the Doves are being active again."  He stood from his stool, and walked past me. "The 20th ward is pretty calm and safe, until she showed up. Seems like the police investigators are loitering again in your ward Miss Touka. I heard they found Renji too."

"Ye..ah Mr. Yomo too did you hear that from the Manager?" They seem to be the ones only taking info..I feel left out.

"Yes I did, Doves usually leave alone the 20th ward because it was 'docile'. " He sighed lightly "As expected due to Rize's influence, she really was the worst." he took out some instruments for measurement from a roll on drawer.

"Tsukiyama is pressing his luck too." Touka added, and wandered around the place.

"So Nerima was a safe ward.." I mumbled, a bit surprise to Touka.

"It is but, few humans have noticed the changes." She added and continued walk from place to place.

Oh..but some places are more safer than the 20th ward.

Uta, lead me to the a small stool. "Sit here, I'm going take the measurements."

"The place where you too reside in has Anteiku, it regulates most of the hunting or feeding grounds there." Uta, the pierced ghoul took a measuring tape. "If you go the other wards..like the 13th then you'll have something else to say," he lays the tape across the right eye.

"If you're a half ghoul, like Yoshimura mentioned. Have you mastered the kakugan yet?" He questioned, still in a calm face.

"Y-You mean the eye thing?" I retaliated with my question. Alright, it was kinda childish but I don't know how to answer it.

"Yes, Miss Yoshikawa the 'eye' thing" He said, with a lazy tone.

"Yeah..I guess..I have control with my body even if have this new one.." He continued his work and I was getting bored from doing nothing other than sitting in a hard stool. "Hey Mr. Uta.. does that happen a lot here? In the 4th ward that is...cannibalism?" I continued to drone questions while he did some sketching drawings on paper.

Yes, but it maybe on some lucky nights. The wards 1 and 4 are unhabitable. There's a lot of us so there's often a lot of disputes." He acknowledged my statement.

Silence for a few milliseconds..

"Hey Ms. Yoshikawa.. Do you have any allergies.. Like metals or rubbers?" He was awfully touchy when talking. His tattooed hand grasped my lower face. Examining each wrinkle and inch of it.. The sensation was still strange but I was used to it.

"Mr. Uta..I think you can call me Yuna, I'm fine with that, I'm not used to being called by my last name..and no I don't have allergies to those things."

"Then Yuna.." He grabs a round thing, from his desk, I could barely see because he was behind me but, I could hear it. "Are you hungry right now? Here's a snack." Uta offers me..an..eye ball?

"Oh..no..I don't eat much." I threw my gaze elsewhere. Ghouls can consume anything that came from a human. Any body parts and others at come from them..so I guess its natural for them to take snacks?

"Fine then." He retracted the squishy looking thing, and started to gnaw at out behind me. The sounds of wet..soft..mushy..actions.. resembled that of a dogs tongue against my cheek when I was a little bit younger. I had a canine once, so I can still remember the memories.

"What do you think of Touka, Miss Yuna?" My eyes widen to her his question. "Isn't she cute?"

"M-Miss Touka?" He backed away, ready to listen my answer, Uta props his hand to his hip in wait.

"I guess she's pretty.. Prettier than I was, when I was younger..but I think..she's kinda scary." I look back at the female brunette, her expression bored as she takes a look at another mask.

"Scary you say?" He wraps the measuring tape around my forehead. "Well, I think she's a hard worker."

I went silent to his statement. Touka Kirishima...is a hard worker?

"By that I mean, she's balancing her work in Anteiku and school. She has to be careful around her friends too. It's really hard living in as a human but she knows the risk, and still does it. Getting too attached to humans has great dangers."

"Why do we associate with humans anyway? Ghouls should just hide and be under the radar. Right?" I look at him, still questioning about his thoughts. "I wonder, what's her reason for stick out her neck to humans..Even though she will be exposed to the dangers."

"What indeed, it's certainly true than segregate yourself and live off safely...But, occasionally when I human comes to my shop. My heart races for some reason..and I don't know why but...." He touches his tattooed neck.

"I'm happy to have them."

-+-+-+

Touka and I were currently walking home. She led the way, and I came in second. Our feet scuffling down the pavement path. The setting sun, sent hues of orange and red to the sky line of the city. At first glance, Tokyo might seem normal to tourists.

"Hey, you." Touka mumbled, "You were completely terrified with Mr. Uta's appearance weren't you?"

"Yes...but, I'm used to see strange things..." I continued while looking down on the cemented floor. "..He seems different from his looks, and the way he talks is very kind."

"He'd also kills and eats humans.." She continued and walked more.

I took in a deep breath, and walked near Kirishima, she raised a brow to me but, I only smiled (half). "Uh..by the way Touka, what are the mask's used for?"

The girl, halted in her tracks and turned to me with wide eyes. "Haah?! So you mean, that you came with me but didn't know?" Her voice raised with irritation.

She groaned some what irritated and continued to combed her hair with her fingers. "Geez... Why didn't Manager tell you such crucial things?"

"Do you know the Doves or ghoul investigators? At least you heard the name?"

"Yeah..I kinda know them..from some experiences." I nodded while we walked.

"Those bastards are itching to kill us all, if we expose our real faces to those guys.. And if we don't finish them off, they will become some troublesome affairs for us. That's why we are forced to wear the masks."

"So, a troublesome affair? How?" I droned.

"If they are able to identify your face, then you'll be a goner already." She scoffed, as if thinking what those people could've been doing. "Use your head a little more, won't you?" She raised her voice a little bit higher, so..angry again? Touka gave me another dirty look. "Tch, idiot." She quickened her pacing thus leaving me behind.

Mr. Uta...I think Touka is really scary.

++-+-

Dono with another chappie,thanks for staying with me my readers. 😀 thanks a bunch,
Vote- If you think it's worthy for you
And always comment in how you guys feel about it.
And also..have you guys seen any diverging...moves from Yuna?

-Riza