After that final song, our time in the room was up, so we started tidying everything up before leaving.
While I was helping clean, I saw Aoyama quietly heading toward the door.
I walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey Aoya—"
"Hyaaaa!!"
He spun around immediately, looking quite startled.
"Oh… It's you, Kaneki-san, haha." He scratched the back of his head.
I noticed he looked more normal now.
"Sorry, man… I just wanted to know if you're okay."
"The others were worried too, you suddenly disappeared…"
"Ohoo! Oui! Oui! Everything is wonderful!"
He went back to making those exaggerated gestures of his, which eased some of my concerns.
"If you say so…"
Aoyama clapped his hands together and held them in front of him, wearing his usual smile. 'OvO'
"Merci! Thank you for worrying about me… I... I must be going!"
He bowed, stood there for a few seconds, and then walked out the door.
"..."
'He should be fine.'
─── ◆ ───
With Momo's permission, we managed to pack some snacks to take home!
That meant our dinner was guaranteed for the next two or three days.
We had already said goodbye to the group, and at that moment, it was just me, Himiko, and Toru walking together.
We were heading toward where Toru's parents had parked their car.
According to her, they had spent the evening at a restaurant not too far from the mall.
Himiko and Toru chatted the entire way, with me joining in every now and then whenever the topic was something I could comment on.
During a rare moment of silence, Toru turned toward me, seeming like she wanted to say something, judging by how anxiously her floating clothes swayed back and forth.
"Er… Kaneki-kun?"
"Yes?"
"Well… Can I ask for something?"
She looked at Himiko and added,
"For both of you…"
We nodded.
"Would it be possible... you know... for you to make me one of those red armors like Himiko has?"
'Oh…'
I looked at Himiko, and we exchanged glances.
She gave a small nod, so I turned back to Toru.
"I don't see why not... But—"
"But why do you want one?" Himiko finished my sentence.
Toru pressed her fingers together... Or at least that's what it looked like she was doing.
"Er... Well... When I have to wear my hero 'costume,' I kind of…"
"Ahh, I understand, Toru-chan..." Himiko placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and gave it a few encouraging pats.
"Yeah... Even if nobody can see me, it's still uncomfortable…"
"I kind of feel... you know, vulnerable... Without something covering me and protecting me…"
"..."
"I can help you, Toru-chan, but the Kagune suit is still highly experimental."
The girl immediately brightened up, but before she could speak, I continued.
I raised one finger.
"First, it's not nearly as durable as it looks... At least not yet."
"It's still better than walking around naked!"
"..."
'Apparently, the embarrassment she was feeling disappeared.'
I raised a second finger after Himiko finished scolding Toru for shouting something like that on a crowded street.
"The suit needs my blood to function. Think of it like a battery."
She extended her wrist toward me.
"..."
"???"
"I'm giving you a thumbs-up!!"
"...Okay."
"Just give me a drawing or something showing how you want the suit to look."
"YUUUPPIIIE!!!!"
Toru jumped with excitement and pulled both me and Himiko into a group hug.
She squeezed us so tightly that Himiko even started turning red from lack of air.
Toru let us go before Himiko started turning purple.
"Thank you so much!!! You guys are the best!!!"
"We're happy to help a friend..." I said while comforting my girlfriend.
Once Himiko had recovered, we continued walking.
"I'll give you the drawing when we go to the summer camp!"
"Sounds good... Just don't go too crazy with the design."
"Hehe, I'll try…"
"Oh, my parents are over there!"
Himiko and I looked across the street where Toru had "pointed."
There stood a well-dressed couple beside a black car.
The man wore an elegant dark gray suit with a red tie, and just like Toru, he was completely invisible.
Standing beside him was Toru's mother, holding onto his arm.
She wore a blue floral dress, had light orange hair, and her eyes were completely closed.
Even so, she was clearly aware of our presence, considering her face was already turned toward us before the man even noticed us.
Toru waved to them, and both waved back.
"Hehe, you two remind me a lot of my parents, you know?"
"You're always stuck together."
Himiko intertwined her fingers with mine.
"Ah, don't say anything weird. Mom has super hearing, and she loves gossip."
The woman stuck her tongue out at Toru, though she was clearly amused.
Himiko and I exchanged glances, then turned toward the couple across the street and bowed slightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hagakure," we said in unison.
The woman broke into a wide smile and bowed back, leaving Toru's father looking very confused.
Still, he followed his wife's lead and bowed as well.
"Hahaha, even the silly things are exactly the same."
─── ◆ ───
Toru and her parents kindly gave us a ride back to our apartment.
Once we arrived, each of us took a quick shower and finally collapsed into bed.
I didn't sleep very well...
I kept thinking about what the practical exam would be like.
Supposedly, it should be simple since it was just a fight against robots.
Even so, the days before exams always gave me a certain amount of anxiety, no matter how prepared I was.
I also kept racking my brain trying to improve the Kagune suit...
Maybe if I—
"Sniff…"
A quiet whimper completely pulled me out of my half-awake state.
I opened my eyes, which immediately adjusted to the darkness.
Himiko was facing me, curled into a fetal position, trembling while tears streamed down her cheeks.
Her hands were tightly clutching my shirt, trying to pull me closer.
I slid my arms under her waist and pulled her against my chest, gently stroking her head.
The trembling stopped almost instantly, though Himiko continued sniffling softly.
"... Nightmare?" I asked gently as Himiko lifted her gaze to look at my face.
"..."
"Yes…"
She wrapped her arms around me, leaving us completely embraced in bed.
"It's okay... Let's go back to sleep…"
"Mhm..." she murmured against my chest.
I waited for her breathing to calm down until she finally fell asleep.
And then, still holding each other, we drifted off to sleep, ready for tomorrow's practical exam.
─── ◆ ───
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