"Sorry, sorry, I was just a little late."
Takatsuki Sen finally arrived at the scene. She pressed her palms together and bowed slightly to the crowd in apology.
The signing event began immediately, with a dense crowd surging forward. Uesugi Ryu and the others were positioned toward the back, so Takatsuki Sen didn't notice his presence right away.
"Such high praise... This one's for Mr. Matsuda? Alright, all done!"
She handed the signed book to the fan in front of her, casually spinning her pen between her fingers with a leisurely air.
She truly enjoyed this sort of thing, the feeling of being praised and acknowledged by others was intoxicating.
The sour mood that had lingered from her previous setbacks had begun to clear, like storm clouds parting to reveal the sun.
From the side, her assistant called out, "Next, please!"
A familiar scent drifted in.
Takatsuki Sen's smile froze instantly.
She would never forget this scent in her entire life, it was that bastard investigator.
She cursed inwardly.
"That bastard... What the hell is he doing here? Just my rotten luck!"
However, having lived and mingled within human society for so many years, her acting skills were superb. By the time she raised her head, her expression had already been fully adjusted.
Uesugi Ryu looked at Takatsuki Sen, who didn't show even the slightest unnatural reaction, and couldn't help feeling a bit impressed.
This acting easily put Kaneki Ken to shame ten streets over.
Then, he felt something, an energy inside Takatsuki Sen. A familiar force, identical in source to his own.
Uesugi Ryu had the distinct feeling that he could still manipulate this energy.
Standing a bit behind, Uesugi Ryu watched as Fueguchi Hinami happily chatted with Takatsuki Sen.
"Hinami-chan, tell me, who are these two to you, hmm?"
Takatsuki Sen smiled warmly, resting her chin gently on the back of both hands. Her eyes sparkled with playful curiosity.
Hinami blinked at the question, then raised her small hand and pointed to Kaneki, who stood beside her.
"This is my onii-san."
Then she pointed to Uesugi Ryu.
"And that one over there is Onii-san's friend."
Kaneki quickly and politely added, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Friend? A ghoul and an investigator?
What exactly is this guy up to?
Takatsuki Sen's heart was filled with doubt.
With Uesugi Ryu's strength, it was almost certain he already knew that Kaneki was a ghoul.
For an investigator to knowingly harbor a ghoul, his position became extremely ambiguous.
At that moment, Uesugi Ryu strolled casually to the table and lightly rested one hand on its surface.
He leaned forward, eyes sharp and unblinking, staring straight at Takatsuki Sen.
"Takatsuki-sensei, have we met before?"
Kaneki slapped a hand over his face, groaning silently.
"Ryu, that pickup line is so cliché it's painful…"
But Takatsuki Sen showed no signs of displeasure. Instead, her pale face held a perfectly measured look of contemplation.
"Hm... Perhaps we have," she said thoughtfully.
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair, reclining slightly.
The reason for leaning back was simple: she suddenly remembered certain unpleasant things.
She feared that at any moment Uesugi Ryu might start his zero-frame attack and pull out that bizarre cannon from his waistband to blow her brains out.
You like acting? Let me give you a stage, then.
Amused by the thought, Uesugi Ryu sneered inwardly and suddenly activated the residual mana inside Takatsuki Sen's body.
In that instant, an intense pain surged through her.
Her expression changed dramatically, and she suddenly clutched her arms tightly.
Was she discovered?
Or was it just proximity to this bastard causing the energy to flare up again?
That strange energy in her body had started to riot once more.. Damn it!
She couldn't help but grow anxious. Her perfectly composed facade finally showed a small but undeniable crack.
If her identity as Takatsuki Sen were exposed, it would greatly disrupt her plans.
Her life, though, wasn't her main concern.
Last time she had been injured so badly was because of a combination of debuffs and being at a disadvantage on unfamiliar terrain.
As for that strange shadow clone of his, she had already developed countermeasures.
She had even trained for Uesugi Ryu's signature zero-frame sneak attacks.
She understood everything about him now.
Besides, with this many people around, unless he had lost his mind, Uesugi Ryu wouldn't dare make a move here.
After a brief moment of shock, Takatsuki Sen composed herself and naturally turned to chat with Kaneki.
They hit it off quite well and soon began exchanging thoughts nonstop.
Fueguchi Hinami noticed the unnatural pallor on Takatsuki Sen's face and asked with concern, "Takatsuki-sensei, are you feeling okay?"
Takatsuki Sen exhaled softly. Though she enjoyed talking with Kaneki, her condition was getting hard to bear.
She nodded slightly.
"Just feeling a little unwell. Might not have rested well last night."
"Let's stop here for today."
Kaneki saw her state and felt too embarrassed to keep bothering her.
Just then, the assistant, who had also noticed something was off, hurried over, looking anxious.
"Takatsuki-sensei, are you sure you're alright? If not, maybe we should end the event early?"
But Takatsuki Sen firmly waved her hand, signaling that she was fine.
"I'm okay. Everyone came all this way, after all."
She took a deep breath, interlocked her fingers, and gently stretched her arms.
Despite the pain, she forced herself to maintain perfect facial control, she couldn't afford for Uesugi Ryu to pick up on anything.
Last time he had seen her body almost fully exposed. If he got suspicious again, it would be over.
Uesugi Ryu found her forced composure oddly amusing.
Was this the pleasure of controlling someone?
Looking at Uesugi Ryu's face, full of casual arrogance, Takatsuki Sen wanted nothing more than to tear him to pieces.
Yet on the surface, she still smiled warmly and said, "Would the gentleman over there like a signature? It seems you didn't bring a book?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Uesugi Ryu slowly pulled a book out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of her.
It was the famous The Black Goat's Egg.
Surprisingly, this hefty book had been hidden so effortlessly in his narrow pocket.
Takatsuki Sen's eyes flickered with curiosity. She couldn't help but joke, "Wow, is this some kind of magic trick?"
Uesugi Ryu responded with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"No, not a trick, actual magic."
Takatsuki Sen let out a crisp laugh.
No one present took his words seriously. They just thought he was joking.
She reached out gracefully with her right hand and lifted the book cover.
At the same time, she looked up again, her gaze landing squarely on Uesugi Ryu.
"Then tell me, sir magician, your name?"
"Uesugi Ryu," he answered without hesitation.
Takatsuki Sen nodded softly. The pen in her hand glided across the page with practiced elegance.
As she wrote, she murmured quietly, "Uesugi... such a rare surname. You must come from a distinguished family?"
Her tone carried a hint of wistfulness.
With one final stroke, the characters "Uesugi Ryu" appeared on the page in elegant, flowing script.
Signature complete, Kaneki immediately thanked her.
"Thank you very much, Takatsuki-sensei. Please take care of your health. We look forward to your next work."
Takatsuki Sen nodded in acknowledgment and didn't say much more to Kaneki. She quickly resumed signing books for the remaining fans.
Only after Uesugi Ryu and the others had left did she feel the pain in her body ease slightly.
A chill glinted in her eyes.
As expected, it had flared up because of contact with that guy.