"If you follow this lead, clues will turn up. If you discover a place like this, call this number, I'll clean up the garbage."
Kaneki Ken took the slip of paper. Somehow, this scene felt familiar. Inori-san had also once asked him to look into the matter of the Ghoul Restaurant.
After thinking for a moment, he agreed to Uesugi Ryu's request. "Got it."
"The Gourmet, huh? Kaneki, you know that ghoul too?"
Nagachika Hideyoshi, who had been a background character for quite a while now, spoke up.
He didn't know much, but just hearing the words "Ghoul Restaurant" made it sound like it was deeply connected to that Gourmet ghoul.
"Yeah... I do." Kaneki's expression stiffened as he suddenly recalled his previous experience.
That unusually massive butcher man had stuck in his mind. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but looking back now, there was a good chance it was the handiwork of Kanou Akihiro.
The three of them chatted idly for a while.
Uesugi Ryu nonchalantly pulled out his phone and glanced briefly at the time displayed on the screen.
Then, he furrowed his brows slightly and said in a calm tone, "Alright, I've got other important matters to take care of, so I'll be excusing myself for now."
As soon as he said that, both Kaneki and Nagachika Hideyoshi's faces instantly lit up with curiosity, the fire of gossip burning brightly.
Nagachika Hideyoshi's lips curled up into a grin. With a teasing chuckle, he said, "Hey, Ryu, you're in such a rush, don't tell me you're off to meet up with Akira-san for a date?"
Saying that, he even rubbed his chin, his face displaying a mixture of regret and envy.
"Man, how envious. Ryu has the beautiful Akira-san, Kaneki has the considerate Touka-chan, and poor old me, still single to this day..."
At this, Kaneki tilted his head in confusion and quickly asked, "Wait, Akira-san? She's a ghoul investigator too?"
But before Nagachika Hideyoshi could answer Kaneki's question, Uesugi Ryu had already snatched up his coat from nearby, shot Hideyoshi a sharp glare, and said impatiently, "Alright, Hide, enough nonsense out of you!"
"You bastard, I'm on injury leave and you're the one going crazy? Get to work this afternoon!"
After a slight pause, he softened his tone just a little and added casually, "If you don't have a date, then go be useful. Head to the archives and dig up whatever evidence you can find on the Ghoul Restaurant, write a report. It'll make things easier when we take action."
Nagachika Hideyoshi pulled a bitter face.
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have mouthed off. Rank really does crush people, his superior was off on a date while he, the suffering subordinate, had to write a report.
He slumped over the bar counter in despair, grumbling in protest, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it... and for the record, who says I don't have a date?"
Uesugi Ryu's lips curved into a mocking smile as he glanced at both Kaneki and Hideyoshi. "Ah, right, right, off to have a romantic evening with your bicycle, huh?"
With that, Uesugi Ryu put on his coat and left Anteiku.
Nagachika Hideyoshi turned to stone on the spot. Now that he thought about it... he did like riding his bicycle around town aimlessly.
Kaneki, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but cover his mouth and chuckle softly.
Suddenly, it was as if Nagachika Hideyoshi snapped back to life. His body jolted upright, and like a starving tiger pouncing on prey, he grabbed Kaneki by the shoulders and roared, "KANEKI!!!"
...
Sunlight streamed through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground while the sun was shining brightly.
Uesugi Ryu walked leisurely near the zoo. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he looked around with curiosity, muttering under his breath, "The zoo, huh... not bad."
At that moment, a striking figure caught his eye.
Wearing an ivory-white suit, Mado Akira appeared in his line of sight. Unlike usual, she wasn't wearing her trademark black stockings, instead, she had opted for sheer nude ones.
Around her neck was a pale blue scarf.
The corners of Uesugi Ryu's mouth lifted in a faint, nearly imperceptible smile. Then, he began walking toward where Mado Akira stood.
As if she could sense him, Mado Akira turned just in time and noticed Uesugi Ryu approaching.
The two of them entered the zoo together.
"The Owl's kakuhou has already been delivered to Dr. Chigyou. If you have time later, let's visit the lab together," Mado Akira said softly as she gazed at the sand cats behind the enclosure.
"No problem. How's the new development going?" Uesugi Ryu let out a helpless smile.
He had thought that since Akira had invited him to the zoo, it was supposed to be a date. But here she was, completely serious, talking about Quinques again.
Then again, maybe that was for the best. If it were an actual date, he wouldn't know what to do, his experience with romance was literally zero.
"We're still working on resolving the issue of backlash against the user, but I think it'll be ready soon."
A mysterious smile played at the corner of Akira's lips. After saying that, she spun lightly on her heels and walked toward a small path nearby.
Uesugi Ryu looked on with curiosity. The new prototype offered a considerable power boost.
But if all it did was eliminate the rejection effect on the host, that wasn't enough for him. What he needed was greater performance.
"Akira... regarding The Owl's kakuhou, I'd like to ask you and Mado-san to help me craft it into a Quinque. Would that be alright?"
Mado Akira was momentarily taken aback by that request.
After all, The Owl's kakuhou was an extremely rare and valuable material. A Quinque made from it would possess tremendous power, easily SSS-rated.
In all of CCG, the only person who wielded such a top-class Quinque was Arima Kishou.
Crafting something of that caliber was exceedingly difficult and had to be handled with the utmost care.
After a brief pause for thought, Akira nodded slightly and said, half-jokingly, "If we mess this up, I won't be able to afford the damages, are you sure about this?"
Uesugi Ryu looked at the tiger stretching lazily in its cage, and with a calm expression said, "You don't need to pay. If it breaks, I'll just go harvest another kakuhou from her."
Both Mado Kureo and Mado Akira had a uniquely deep understanding of Quinques. With the help of experienced personnel like Kouitsu Chigyou, they would no doubt be able to craft a powerful, SSS-class Quinque.
"Mm. I'll let my father know, I'm sure he'll be glad to help."