One week later...

It's Friday and we decided to close up shop early today. It's only around 5 pm. Laying on Touka's bed, I glance over at her studying at her desk, headphones on her head.

She's been studying real hard these past few hours... She says she wants to go to Kami University. It makes me wonder about what I wanna do. Before I came here, I spent most of my life on the move so I never really got a chance to think much about going to college...or getting a career.

"Hey, I said we're closed, buddy... What are you, deaf? I said-" Nishiki's voice is cut off by a loud sound. I instantly sit up, shocked by the sudden noise.

"Come on, Touka." I say, taking the headphones off her head. "I think something's going on down there."

"Alright, just let me get Hinami." She says.

Oh, right... D*mn...

"Just in case something happens, I want you to leave me."

"Wait, what?" Touka stops right before she can even open the door to Hinami's room.

"Hinami's gonna need you. I'll be able to make it on my own."

I rush downstairs, only to see Nishiki in a bad condition struggling to get off the ground and everyone else looking prepared to fight. In the middle of the room are three ghoul investigators armed with weapons.

Sh*t...

Kaya and Enji take a step closer to the investigators, no fear showing in their eyes at all. Instead, they both turn towards me and smile, only to put their eyes back on the investigators with a look of seriousness.

"Go." Kaya says. "We'll handle them. Isn't that right, Enji?"

"You got that right. Let's kick some a**."

They both literally cut right to the punch, their first attacks sending the investigators stumbling back. Touka and Hinami run down stairs and I motion for them to follow me out the back door. But then I stop and run over to Nishiki, lifting him up and letting him lean on me.

"What...are you doing?" He asks, barely even getting out those words.

That's a stupid question...

"What does it look like, idiot?" I turn around and begin walking over to the back door with him, approaching Touka and Hinami.

"What the h*ll... I'm helping you." Touka goes on the other side of Nishiki and helps me carry him. He doesn't feel as heavy now considering the fact that Touka's dealing with the other half of his body weight.

"Hinami, you stay by us, alright?" I say. Hinami responds right away with a head nod.

We all exit the cafe. A certain feeling begins to wash over me but I ignore it, not that it helps. It keeps bugging me, telling me to do something. I take a quick glimpse at Nishiki's face and that feeling begins to subside, but it still remains there faintly.

"I know what you're thinking... Don't you even say it."

"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to. Look, you're just wasting your time hauling me along like this. Why don't you just-"

"What the h*ll did I just say, Nishiki?!" I yell.

"Tch... Don't be so stubborn that it blinds you."

"...Don't you have a girlfriend? How would she feel if she heard you talking like this?"

"Like what? You think I'm talking about death? You think I'm gonna die or something?"

I don't respond right away. I just keep quiet and continue to carry him, hoping that we don't encounter more investigators any time soon.