DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul
Retrace: One - Where to?
First Ward...
Three days earlier…
Each passing day become more frustrating to Ghoul Investigator Haise Sasaki. Ever since Rank One Investigator Akira Mado proclaimed that the Mado Squad would discover the identity of Torso's face within a single month, life has gotten more stressful.
It has been three weeks since.
They were on their last leg.
Torso proved to be a challenge to track down. His hunting grounds were broad, spanning several districts. He had to be traveling by car, which was then narrowed down to a taxi driver, thanks to Rank Two investigator Kuki Urie's input. Even then, it was like trying to finding a needle in a hay stack. There were countless taxi cabs, and taxi drivers in Tokyo. It seemed like an impossible task. Should they fail, they would be the laughing stock of the CCG. To add to the stress there was also the Bureau Chief's expectation…
Raise an inspector who can surpass Arima.
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The pressure was on
He was going to go insane. There were too many things on his plate. It was already taking all of his effort to put his team together. He doubts he can raise an inspector who can surpass Arima. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Haise stood up from his desk, stretching as he approached the window of his room.
He opened the curtains, only to be greeted by the blinding sunlight. Once his adjusted to the light, what he saw beyond the window was a marvelous morning.
The sky was a vibrant blue, not a single cloud in the sky. It was autumn, leaves were changing colors and falling to the ground. A gentle breeze caused the trees to shift. People wore warm clothes, and went about their business. It was like peace on Earth.
Maybe I should take a walk. He thought to himself as he got dressed in his usual investigator uniform and left his apartment.
The cold air nipped at him. It felt quite refreshing.
Breathing in his surroundings, he came to one conclusion.
Today is a good day
With everything going on, rarely does he have the chance to savor a wonderful day such as today. He made it his personal mission to make the most of the day. But what should he do? Should he go visit the bookstore? The grocery store? The park? In the end, he decided on just taking a walk around the district, and letting his legs take him to an unknown destination.
20th Ward...
In a courtyard of the famed Kami University, a woman sits alone on a bench. She is reading a book. Completely engrossed by the piece of literature in her hand, her long and dark purple locks obscure half of her face leaving her left eye exposed. Her one exposed eye shone with brilliant curiosity and intrigued. It was like a precious gem. An amethyst refracting light with magnificent splendor. She reads voraciously, like a beast with insatiable hunger. With loud and momentous music playing into her ears, she is lost in her own world. The sense of thrill and excitement grow with each passing word, paragraph, chapter, and page. But the roller coaster ride always ends, and she eventually finishes the book.
It seemed time had stopped for her, and she was almost certain she stopped breathing at the conclusion of the story she just read. Taking a deep breath, she removes her bunny earphones and leans her head back. She takes in the sounds of the tranquil courtyard. The rustling trees, and the whispers of the gentle, autumn breeze make her relax and let all of her worries melt away. The feeling of satisfaction, and resolution after reading a book makes her wonder.
Is this how he felt...?
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"Touka-chan!"
A voice called to her, breaking the delicate peace. Looking up, she meets face to face with a bubbly, orange-haired woman, about the same age as her.
"H-Hello, Yoriko." She managed to stutter in her surprise. Her friend smiled and pull back her head. "W-What are you doing here?"
"I was just passing by when I saw you sitting by yourself. Whatcha doing?" She asked cheerily, wondering why her friend was all alone in the Kami University courtyard. "Are you waiting for someone?" False realization hit her.
"A-Are you going on a date with someone? C-Can I meet him!?" Touka's cheeks turned ever so slightly pink in embarrassment.
"I-Idiot! It isn't anything like that!" She retorted, before looking down onto the book the rested on her lap. "I was just reading a book..." Her voice trailing off. Her friend gave her a quizzical look.
"You've been reading a lot lately, Touka-chan." She had noticed that her best friend, had changed. Not drastically, but after the coffee shop she had worked at was demolished due to being run by ghouls. She was thankful that Touka did not become an unsuspecting victim. But this change worried her. She suppose it wasn't a bad change, but she's worried that Touka might be traumatized by her near-death experience.
She has decided. She would make it her mission to cheer best friend up.
Touka was confused as she continued to look at her friend, who seemed to be completely lost in her thoughts no matter how many times she tried calling to her.
"Yori-"
"Touka-chan!" Her friend exclaimed, breaking away from her thoughts and startling Touka. A big smile forms on her face. "Would you like to go shopping?"
Touka blinked several times at the sudden question. What was her friend up to? She really didn't feel like it. But seeing as her friend was getting jittery with excitement, she decided it might not be a bad idea.
"Sure!" Her friend reels in excitement, and grabs her hand and proceeds to drag Touka with her.
Touka could not help but smile and be amused at her friend.
It might be a good way to keep things off of my mind
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Although, she had to admit.
Her friend was dead on.
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She was waiting for someone.
They walked for several hours, going from store to store. Touka was not much of a shopper, nevertheless she enjoyed spending time with her friend. She was grateful that she had a friend like her. But their paths might never cross again if she were to find out the truth. She would be devastated.
As they continued to go shopping, Touka spots a bookstore. They both go inside.
Maybe I'll get a book or two.
Inside a different bookstore, Haise stood between bookshelves. After taking a walk for several hours, he decided to take a break and go look for a book. Scanning the bookshelf in front of him, he manages to spot a book that interested him. Picking it up, he reads the title. He opens it up and reads the first few pages. Suddenly he realizes something, turning from page to page until he reads the last line. He has read this book before. Sighing, he closes the book, and returns it.
Touka picks up the same book from the other bookstore. After reading the first few pages, she decides to get it.
Scanning a different bookshelf, he finds another book. Reading the first few pages, he realizes that he has also read this book. Confused, he wonders why he seems to remember reading these books before, but does not ever remember seeing them in his life.
Deja vu, maybe?
He returns the book back into the shelf and heads for the exit.
Touka, in the other bookstore, picks up the same book, and reads the first few pages. Eventually, she decides to get it. She never thought she would be buying books for entertainment, or something to keep her preoccupied. She used to hate literature. She suppose it all started after the Anteiku raid. She and Yomo found some of "his" belongings, particularly "his" books. She did not know why she started reading them. She just did.
As he was about to the bookstore, something caught his eye. It was a book nestled in a display shelf. The cover depicted a deep cyan sky, with clouds outlining its sides. The book was entitled...
"Bewildered Souls"
Picking up the book, he opened it and read the author's note.
"A duet between two wayward souls. One with uncertain emotions, and another with forgotten memories. These two dance a faraway waltz, until the finale brings them both together as they struggle in a wayward world that has lost its way."
He hasn't read this book before. He decides to get it.
Deciding that they had enough looking at books, Touka and Yoriko were leaving the bookstore. However, a vibrant blue book managed to catch Touka's exposed eye. Taking a slight detour, she decided to check it out. She picked up the book. After reading the first few lines, she decides to get the book. They leave the store, exhausted.
"So what now?" Yoriko asked her friend.
"I think its time we head home." She replied, Her friend agreed. They were both tired.
"Yeah." Yoriko, too tired to continue walking, decided that they should take a taxi cab home. "Taxi!" She called to one that was just approaching them. Immediately, Touka's heightened sense of smell picked up something ominous from the approaching cab, whose windows were slightly open. Something that Yoriko would be oblivious about.
"What are you doing, Yoriko?"
"Eh?"
"I have car, it's parked not far form here. I can take you home." She didn't.
"W-What!? B-But? Since when did you get a car? No fair!" Yoriko exclaimed incredulously, as she followed her purple-haired friend.
The taxi driver sighed from inside his cab. He thought that he was about to get a "customer." Another one would turn up soon. However, something perturbed him.
That purple-haired woman knew.
She has also seen his face. There was no doubt about it. That woman was a ghoul. This cannot do. He would have to do something about her. But that would have to wait. The door to his cab opened. A young woman, around her mid-twenties entered, and took a seat. A maniacal grin formed on the man's face.
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"Where to?"
Hey guys, chapter one is up! I hope you guys enjoyed it!
Thank you very much for the positive reviews! I greatly appreciate them! I'll try to upload a new chapter every Thursday, or Friday. It depends on my schedule during the week if I'll have free time to write.
Anyway, how was it? Let me know! Constructive criticism is welcome!
Thank you very much for reading!