"Welcome—"
The cool voice of Touka Kirishima rang through the quiet café.
Her amethyst-colored eyes briefly lingered on Ren's face before lowering again as she continued wiping the coffee cup in her hands.
Inside Anteiku, the air carried the comforting aroma of freshly roasted beans. Gentle music played softly in the background.
Compared to the tense atmosphere of the Commission of Counter Ghoul branch earlier that morning, the café felt almost peaceful.
Surprisingly—
He was the only customer.
Ren walked naturally toward his usual seat in the corner.
Touka did not look up again.
But as he passed the counter, her movements paused for the briefest instant.
For just a moment—
Something strange lingered in the air.
An indescribable aura, faint yet unsettling, seemed to mix with the fragrance of coffee before disappearing.
[…Tsk…]
Carnage whispered inside his mind.
Its tone carried a hint of excitement.
[…That girl… smells… delicious…]
[…Far more fragrant than those… rusted scraps from the CCG…]
"Quiet."
Ren suppressed the voice immediately.
His fingers tightened slightly as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
He turned his gaze toward the street outside the window, attempting to calm the tension still lingering from the massacre and the CCG interrogation.
"The usual?"
Touka's voice suddenly sounded beside him.
She had already approached without him noticing, placing a glass of water on the table with light, feline movements.
He looked up.
"Yes, please."
"A cappuccino, Miss Touka."
Touka nodded.
However, her gaze lingered on his face for a moment longer.
She noticed it immediately—
The faint exhaustion hidden deep in his eyes.
But more importantly—
There was something else.
A chaotic aura.
Extremely faint.
Yet it caused the RC cells in her body to instinctively react with a subtle sense of alertness.
The sensation was strange.
It resembled the presence of a ghoul—
But not entirely.
Without saying anything further, she turned toward the coffee machine.
Ren lifted the water glass and took a sip.
The cool liquid slid down his throat, bringing a moment of clarity.
Behind the counter, Touka operated the machine with practiced ease.
Her movements were smooth and efficient.
From the outside, she appeared completely focused on making coffee.
But in reality—
Her attention remained entirely on him.
That faint aura had not completely disappeared.
It lingered around him like a thin veil.
Even more troubling—
She could smell a faint trace of blood on his cuffs.
Not fresh blood.
But the lingering scent carried a brutal intensity.
It reminded her of battlefields where ghouls had fought.
Moments later, Touka returned.
A steaming cappuccino rested on the tray.
Soft milk foam floated on top, carrying the sweet aroma of caramel.
"Please enjoy."
She placed the cup in front of him.
"Thank you."
Ren reached out to take it.
Just as his fingers touched the saucer—
Touka's wrist moved.
Almost imperceptibly.
"Ah!"
The cup tipped.
Hot coffee spilled outward.
The dark liquid surged toward him.
But in the same instant—
He moved.
His body slid sideways with a speed far beyond what an ordinary human could manage.
The cup's contents splashed harmlessly past him.
Only a few drops landed on the back of his hand.
The pain barely registered.
His body—enhanced by the symbiote—hardly felt the burn.
[…A crude test…]
Carnage chuckled inside his mind.
[…She did it on purpose…]
"I know."
Ren remained calm.
With Touka's physical abilities as an A-rated ghoul, there was no way she could accidentally spill a cup of coffee.
This had been deliberate.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Touka immediately grabbed a cloth.
Her tone sounded apologetic.
But her movements were extremely fast.
She pressed the damp cloth firmly against the back of his hand.
The cold moisture seeped through the fabric.
Her fingers pressed down firmly.
Testing.
"I'm fine, Kirishima-san."
A few seconds passed.
Seeing she still hadn't released him, he spoke calmly.
"Has the coffee dried yet?"
He gently pressed the cloth with his other hand.
"It was only a small accident. I can handle it."
He slowly withdrew his hand.
Touka released her grip.
The brief contact had already told her everything she needed to know.
Or rather—
Everything Carnage wanted her to sense.
Touka raised her head.
Her violet eyes locked onto him.
Her gaze now carried multiple emotions.
Apology.
Suspicion.
And a quiet seriousness that came after confirming something important.
During that short moment of contact—
She had clearly felt it.
Beneath his skin was a powerful presence.
Even though it was suppressed—
Its violent nature and inhuman aura could not be hidden from her ghoul senses.
There was no doubt.
The boy sitting in front of her was not an ordinary human.
And his strength…
Was far beyond what she could estimate.
Those two ghouls had definitely died by his hands.
"I'm sorry."
Touka apologized again.
Her voice was quieter now.
"It's alright."
Ren answered calmly.
…
"You can really imitate a ghoul's aura?"
He lifted the cappuccino and took a small sip.
The sweet foam gave way to the bitter depth of the coffee beneath.
The flavor was grounding.
Sobering.
[…Of course…]
Carnage responded proudly.
[…If I wish… no one can detect the difference…]
"Does it have something to do with the ghouls we killed yesterday?"
He asked silently.
[…Correct…]
Carnage confirmed.
Ren fell silent.
The power of the symbiote continued to surprise him.
…
Soft music continued playing in the café.
Sunlight filtered through the windows, scattering warm patterns across the tables.
Yet the air around their corner remained strangely tense.
Touka avoided looking at him again.
Instead she focused on wiping the coffee-stained tabletop again and again.
Meanwhile—
Ren quietly stared out the window.
After finishing the cleaning, Touka gave him a long, serious look.
Then she turned and walked upstairs without saying another word.
Her footsteps echoed clearly through the quiet café.
Ren watched until her figure disappeared around the staircase corner.
[…Do you… like her…?]
Carnage's teasing voice suddenly appeared in his mind.
He blinked.
"Hmm?"
"Why would you think that?"
[…She's already gone… yet you're still staring…]
Carnage sounded amused.
"No."
He sighed quietly.
"I'm just feeling a little… sentimental."
[…Sentimental… about what…?]
"It's only been a few days…"
"My life has completely changed."
"And you…"
He never imagined he would one day transmigrate.
Let alone merge with a symbiote like Carnage.
"How's life now…?"
Carnage asked.
He thought about it for a moment.
Then looked at the reflection shimmering in his coffee.
"…Much more interesting than before."
Carnage suddenly sounded excited.
[…We can make this world… even more lively…]
[…That would be even more interesting…]
Ren took another sip of coffee.
Then quietly looked out the window again.
"Then forget it."
"…Boring…"