"Woo~ Woo~"
The kettle boiled. As the hot water poured into the cup of instant noodles, Amano Hiro's furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes in thought, organizing in his mind the series of events that had happened today while waiting for the noodles to finish soaking.
What had happened in just one day was bizarre and unbelievable. Transmigration, slaughter. It left him mentally exhausted.
"Hoo. Eat first. No matter what, eating comes first."
He decided to think after eating. He snapped apart the disposable chopsticks, picked up a strand of noodles, blew on it twice carelessly, and put it into his mouth.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
The noodles had not even stayed in his mouth for three seconds before he spat everything out.
An intense stench exploded in his mouth, like biting into rotten, fermented fish guts.
"Damn! What is this crap? Is it expired... ugh. Ptooey!"
Amano Hiro rushed to the bathroom and frantically rinsed his mouth, trying to wash away the taste. After more than ten rinses, the flavor finally faded.
Still cursing under his breath, he rummaged through the convenience store bag and pulled out a piece of bread. He tore open the packaging and took a bite. The same violent stench shot straight to his scalp.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
The violent retching nearly made him throw up his stomach.
Even thinking with his backside, he knew there was something wrong with his body.
He rushed to the bathroom again, turned on the faucet, and blasted water into his mouth. After the taste finally weakened, Amano Hiro raised his head and looked into the mirror at his pale, unpleasant expression.
He slowly mobilized the power within his body, wanting to confirm the guess in his heart.
As the power surged, his eyes changed. His pupils turned scarlet. The whites of his eyes became black, covered with crimson veins.
"As expected. A Kakugan."
"This body is actually a ghoul."
Amano Hiro muttered to himself.
Looking at himself in the mirror, his thoughts were chaotic and his emotions complicated.
First he transmigrated for no reason. Then the system ran away right after arriving. Now he discovered he was not even human anymore. On top of that, he had none of the original owner's memories.
From the scattered bits of information in a diary, he barely learned that the original owner's parents had gone out not long ago to search for food and were discovered by the CCG, executed on the spot.
The inheritance they left behind was this small apartment and less than 100,000 yen.
"Sigh. Really out of luck."
Before transmigrating he had been alone. After transmigrating he was still alone. That was not the main issue. He was already used to being by himself.
The real problem was that he could no longer eat normal food. Not being able to enjoy good food was a heavy blow. It seemed he would have to learn some "human cooking techniques" from Hannibal.
Amano Hiro could not sleep that night. On top of that, he was somewhat hungry. He tossed and turned in bed, not knowing how long it took before he finally fell asleep.
When he woke up, the sun was already shining brightly. He glanced at the time. It was almost ten. He planned to go out and take a look around to familiarize himself with the surroundings.
The streets felt somewhat quiet. The air was cool. A breeze brushed against his face, blowing his messy bangs from side to side and clearing his drowsy mind.
By noon, Amano Hiro had gained a rough understanding of the area. The place he lived was not far from the café. It was directly south of it, separated by only a few streets.
He decided to go sit at the café and see what the main characters looked like in reality.
"Ding-ling~"
"Welcome to Anteiku."
As the bell chimed softly, a slightly slender and handsome young man walked in.
There seemed to be a faint smile on his face. His gaze swept lightly over the customers and the interior before he chose a seat by the window.
The girl who had just spoken showed a flash of surprise in her eyes. She clearly recognized him. The boy who had stared at her so brazenly the night before.
"What would you like to drink?"
Touka asked Amano Hiro with a polite smile.
"She really is beautiful."
Looking at the purple-haired girl smiling in front of him, Amano Hiro could not help but sigh softly. As expected of the heroine. There was nothing to criticize.
Maybe he should just cuck Kaneki Ken. The thought turned slightly dark in his mind.
Touka heard his remark. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks and a trace of annoyance flashed through her eyes. She could not help thinking that there was something wrong with this guy.
Yesterday he had stood there staring at her openly. Today he walked in and immediately commented on her looks.
"What would you like to drink?"
Her tone grew a little heavier.
"Sorry."
"A cup of Blue Mountain, please."
Amano Hiro came back to his senses. What he had just done was indeed impolite. After all, they did not know each other.
"Alright. Please wait a moment."
While Touka went to prepare the coffee, Amano Hiro sized up the so-called ceiling-level figures of ghoul combat power.
Behind the counter stood an elderly man with white hair neatly combed, wearing a gentle smile as he slowly wiped a cup.
Judging by his appearance alone, who would associate him with the manager of the 20th Ward, the man who once stormed the CCG headquarters and fought Arima Kishou, the former cleaner of the V organization, the famous SSS-rated ghoul known as the One-Eyed Owl.
Yoshimura Kuzen. The manager of this café and the overseer of the 20th Ward. The killings of his youth and the death of his wife had left the old man physically and mentally exhausted. Here, he sought redemption and inner salvation.
On the surface, this was a café. In reality, it was a ghoul mutual-aid organization led by the manager, meant to help ghouls who disliked killing and wanted a peaceful life integrate into human society.
In the 20th Ward, there were rules set by the manager. At most, one person could be hunted per month. Killing and hunting at will were forbidden.
Most ghouls feared the manager's strength and quietly obeyed the rules. Compared to other wards, the 20th Ward was far more stable.
At the register stood a beautiful woman. Her hair was tied up behind her head, her bangs parted naturally on both sides. A white shirt paired with a sleeveless vest, a tight skirt, and black stockings fully displayed her mature charm.
The leader of the Black Dog organization, Irimi Kaya. An SS-rated ghoul.
Who would have thought that a small café contained several top-tier ghouls?
"Your coffee. Please enjoy."
The clear voice interrupted Amano Hiro's thoughts. He came back to himself and thanked the girl.
He lifted the cup and took a light sip. The aroma was rich, the texture smooth. It was slightly bitter on entry, but as he savored it, a sweet undertone emerged. The body of the coffee was just right.
"Ding-ling~"
"Welcome."
The boy who entered made Amano Hiro's eyes light up. It was the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul, Kaneki Ken.
He looked shy and timid, glancing around the shop. A book was clutched in his hands. It was the currently popular novel written by Takatsuki Sen, The Black Goat's Egg.
While Amano Hiro was observing him, Kaneki Ken had already walked over.
"Um, hello... is this seat taken?"
Amano Hiro paused. He had not expected Kaneki Ken to speak to him. He glanced around. At some point, the shop had filled up.
"Go ahead."
Amano Hiro smiled slightly, gesturing for him to sit.
"Ah, thank you."
Kaneki Ken seemed especially shy around strangers. A trace of embarrassment appeared on his face.
"You're welcome."
"That book is by Takatsuki Sen, right?"
Amano Hiro looked at the book Kaneki had placed on the table.
"Yes."
"I really like Takatsuki Sen-sensei and her works."
"Do you like her and her works too?"
When the topic turned to books, Kaneki Ken seemed like a different person. He spoke fluently, without a hint of shyness.
"They're alright. I'm more interested in the author herself."
"I have something to do, so I'll be leaving."
Amano Hiro answered ambiguously. He was only interested in Takatsuki Sen herself. The book did not matter much.
He had things to take care of and did not chat long with Kaneki Ken. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future. He picked up his cup, drained it in one go, paid the bill, and walked out of the café.