I prepare to leave Nezu's office, holding the envelope he handed me in one hand and my costume case in the other.
"Remember to burn the documents after reading them, Kaneki-kun," Nezu reminds me.
I thank him and leave.
"..."
I feel like I can truly trust Nezu...
Just the fact that he handed me these documents, which could cause serious trouble for him, and even allowed me to take them to my apartment, trusting me with their disposal…
I return to the classroom. When I walk in, some of the students already greet me.
Tsuyu, Himiko, Uraraka, and Toru's group approaches me as I return my costume case to the wall.
"Hey, Kaneki-kun, classes just started two days ago and you've already been to the principal's office twice!" Toru says.
"Principal Nezu has been helping me with some documents; I'm not in trouble yet," I reply as I place the envelope in my backpack, slinging it over my shoulders.
I notice Himiko's gaze lingering on the envelope, even after I put it away.
She seems a bit anxious. I am too, although I hide it better than she does, since it's something I've wanted to see for a long time.
Then Mina joins our circle, along with some others. Himiko quickly shifts her expression back to her usual cheerfulness.
She moves closer to me, standing by my side.
"Hey Kaneki-kun, you know, after all the scare I went through during the exercise, I have to admit it was actually fun, it felt like I was playing a horror game!"
I blink, a bit confused by Mina's excitement.
"It really would make a good horror game," Jiro says. Kaminari nods, and Kirishima seems to consider the idea.
"It was also a learning experience! I'm going to add a flashlight to my costume so I don't go through that again," Mina says excitedly.
Some of the others even seem thoughtful, considering adding something similar to their own costumes.
'Then it really would turn into a horror game, with a flashlight and all,' I think to myself.
Then Midoriya arrives in the classroom, still wearing his tattered costume and with his arm bandaged.
The other students gather around him to introduce themselves and talk.
Uraraka, in particular, seems worried about his injuries.
He asks about Bakugo, who apparently left shortly after I entered the room. Then Midoriya runs out of the classroom, looking determined to say something to Bakugo.
From the window, the others and I watch the romantic comedy unfold, from Midoriya saying something to Bakugo, who yells something back and leaves rubbing his eyes, to All Might arriving in the conversation.
"..." I exchange a look with Himiko, followed by a shared sigh.
It's time to go home...
─── ◆ ───
Already in our apartment, I sit on the couch with Himiko, the envelope in my hands trembling slightly.
[ Confidential file ]
[ Case: "Jason" ]
I open it and take out the stapled papers.
The first thing I see is a photo with a very familiar face, a face that has haunted my nightmares, nightmares that disappeared after Himiko came into my life.
I feel my scars tingle and the tremor in my hands increase. Himiko notices my unease and places her hand on my thigh.
"Kaneki-kun…" she says, her voice soft, her expression worried.
I take a deep breath.
"I'm fine, Himi… I need to see this… Thank you for being with me." She rests her head against my shoulder, still worried, still by my side.
I look back at the papers.
Next to the doctor's photo is his name: Yakumo Oomori, followed by some information such as age, date of birth, and Quirk: Passive Sharpening, which passively sharpens any blade held by the user.
There was also some additional random information, such as the fact that the doctor was nicknamed "Jason" by his former hospital colleagues.
The nickname came from a Halloween party held by the hospital staff to help patients feel better and less distant during the day.
Oomori showed up dressed as the classic serial killer, wearing a disturbingly well-made costume.
There are some details and photos of the house where I was held.
There are also notes referring to a human trafficking operation, the same one that resulted in the arrest of those who kept us on the ship.
And then, photos of the doctor's office, along with several drawings of a child being tortured in terrible ways… drawings of me… drawings of me being torn apart, dismembered, burned, and broken.
Himiko lets out a shaky breath upon seeing the drawings, burying her face in my shoulder.
I place my hand on her head and gently stroke her hair as I continue turning the pages.
The next photos are of the bloodstained surgical table and the "operating room" itself. Several notes describe the equipment found, including the blood bags, scalpels, and the blowtorch.
For a moment, I'm there again.
I feel the uncomfortable table against my back, the restraints holding me in place, the smell of dried blood and burnt flesh.
The doctor's words and hysterical laughter echo in my mind.
Tec
I take a deep breath and crack my fingers, pushing away the thoughts as I lean into Himiko, who looks back at the papers with me.
I keep reading the documents.
Next are photos of my cage.
The sight of it makes me feel a deeply unpleasant and uncomfortable sensation.
On another page, there's a photo of me sleeping, perhaps taken by the hospital staff, I'm not entirely sure when.
There is some information about me, including age, name, and other details.
The document doesn't seem very updated, since my Quirk isn't included.
Under family relations, my parents' names are not listed, only marked as unknown.
Some notes appear below the profile, mentioning my Brazilian nationality, life on the streets, and my parents' deaths.
Information gathered by detectives while I was in the hospital.
A few more pages mention support and cooperation with the police in Brazil and other countries to deal with human traffickers.
There isn't much in the report that I don't already know, which makes me sigh in relief, it means that anyone who had access to these documents wouldn't have much information about me.
Himiko hugs me tightly, tears in her eyes. I wipe her tears with my thumb and return the embrace.
The images are quite terrible, but they didn't affect me much since I've already overcome most of it with Himiko's help.
'Time to burn this. Thinking about it won't take me anywhere. I have someone to protect now. I have to be strong and discard the past to live the future with her… for her.'
I sink into Himiko's embrace, ready to burn the documents.
─── ◆ ───
[A/N]: I didn't feel the need to include anything (again) about the doctor's "research" on limb regeneration; in the end, it was all a facade for himself, disguising his pleasure in making others feel pain with the possibility of reconstructing his leg and having his name written in history books.
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