Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

"Hey, Kaneki?"

"Hm?" said boy looked up at his best friend.

Scratch. Scratch.

"Is something wrong? You keep on scratching your ear.."

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm not scratching anything."

Scratch. Scratch.

".. Kaneki.."

Hide thought about how he could possibly make Kaneki understand.

It had been a few weeks since Kaneki had reappeared. Ever since, he'd been scratching at his ear often. And he wasn't aware. Sometimes, he'd even say random numbers.

Hide had been trying to get Kaneki aware of it, but he just didn't think it was true.

Then Hide finally got the idea. If he did this, Kaneki wouldn't be able to not think it was true..

Hide flipped out his phone and went on the camera.

"?" Kaneki began scratching a little more rapidly. Hide took a short video and showed it to his best friend.

"See? You're scratching."

"Wha..? But.." Kaneki blinked. "But I'm not.. Is this video messed with or something.?" Hide shook his head. "But.."

"Now do you believe me? You've been scratching at yourself since you came back!"

".. I was.. I came back?"

"! Wait.. Kaneki, do you.."

"Was I missing or something?"

".. U-Uh, never mind, Kaneki."

Somehow.. Hide feels like he'd rather be kept in the dark.. for now.

"Did I go missing or something?" Kaneki inquired, worried.

"Uh, n-no.. I'm sorry. It's just you hadn't been talking to me for a while, you know, after your surgery! I meant you coming back to college! Hehe.."

"Really..? Huh.. I'm sorry for worrying you with scratching myself, Hide.."

"N-No, it's fine!" Hide grinned.

------------

Kaneki walked into his room and crawled into his bed. He stared at the ceiling.

Even though ghouls supposedly needed to eat once a month.. he wasn't at all hungry. How long had it been since he last ate..?

Well, obviously, it hadn't been too long.

Kaneki's consciousness faded away.

--------

Screams erupted once more.

"993.. 986.."

Crack!

"Who should I eat..? Heeheehee.. 979.. 972.. Oo, he looks TAAASTY~!!"

The ghoul cackled as he lunged forward.

---------

Many had died that night. Like always. The Centipede, an SSS-rated ghoul, had eaten many.

But then he got a glimse of orange hair and felt a longing.

"AH!! F--FOOD! FOOD!!!!!" Centipede lunged after the human. "SMELLS GOOD!! I WANT HIM!! I WANT IT!!!"

Centipede chased after the human for a while, but he kept escaping. He was so evasive that the sun began rising before Centipede could catch him.

"Ahh.. I wanted.. I wanted that meal.." Centipede pouted. "What am I to do now..? I'm hungry, but it's almost morning.."

Centipede snarled lowly in his throat.

He would not go back on a hungry stomach..

Centipede searched for a meat that was fitting to his tastes.

-----------

"Mnngh.." Kaneki's eyes fluttered open.

He was tired.. exhausted even.

Did he not get a good night's sleep..?

-----------

Hide panted.

That was pretty problematic..

At least he finally stopped..

Hide leaned against a wall.

The sun's coming up.. Is that why he stopped chasing..?

"Maybe he's this way!!"

Shouts could be heard from the distance. Hide groggily turned his head just as someone rounded the corner.

"? Have you seen the SSS-rated ghoul, Centipede?"

"?" Hide blinked.

He was so tired..

"This is him," Amon raised a piece of paper. Hide stared.

White hair.. and that mask..

Hide hadn't had much of a chance to see who had been chasing him, but..

"I think so."

"Really?!! Where?!!"

"I don't know. When I noticed him chasing me, I began to run. I don't know where he went after he stopped."

Hide felt uncomfortable.. Talking about how that ghoul had chased him and how he escaped..

"Look, I haven't slept all night, and I'm really tired.. I have to go to my college classes in the morning.."

"You evaded the Centipede?!! How?!!"

"? I just kept running.. Look, I'm really exhausted.. Please?"

"No, if you were being chased by the Centipede, we have to make sure you're alright! And if you evaded him so successfully..!"

Hide groaned.

What luck..

He was only taking a walk because he was too worried to sleep..

---------------------------------

{I put the names just for convenience to the reader.}

Hide: Hey man, sorry I'm not at school today.

Kaneki: It's no problem- I wasn't at school either. I called in sick.

Hide: Do you want to hear why I wasn't able to go to school?

Kaneki: Why?

Hide: Because the CCG kept bothering me. I had gone out on a walk last night, and was being chased by someone. It turns out that he might've been the Centipede.

Somehow, Kaneki felt uncomfortable at that codename. He didn't respond, and Hide texted back.

Hide: So why were you out?

Kaneki: I don't think I slept well last night. I was too exhausted. I couldn't even get out of bed.

Hide: Haha! Same. Once I finally sat down, I wasn't able to get up.

Kaneki stared at the screen. It lit up once more.

Hide: Wanna have an Exhausted Day?

Kaneki: Alright.

Hide: Whoa, you can move your legs already? Man, my run from that ghoul must've been tiring.. But what were you doing? Flailing your legs in your sleep?

Kaneki: Maybe..

Hide: Well then, I look forward to seeing you, Kaneki. Let's spend our day lazing around!

Kaneki: Alright.

Kaneki put the phone to the side and stood up. He was still exhausted, but he thinks he can get to Hide's house. He dragged himself over to the shower.

For Hide to have been bothered by the CCG.. after being chased by a ghoul.. it angered Kaneki.

He was sure to lecture Hide about it. They barely got out after Nishiki tried to eat them!!

Kaneki got out of the shower and got dressed, brushing his teeth and hair.

He stared at himself. His kakugan was showing. He went back to his bed, put on his eyepatch, and got his phone. He then left his apartment.

---------------

Knock. Knock.

"Come on in!!" a sluggish voice came from inside. Kaneki tried the knob, and it was open.

Okay, there's another thing Kaneki has to warn him about..

Kaneki walked into Hide's bedroom. He was laying straight on the bed, his head sluggishly lifted.

"Yo, Kaneki," he smiled.

"Hi, Hide.." Kaneki stepped in but stopped when he sensed something.

He hadn't felt hungry in so long. And yet.. he was feeling STARVED, staring at Hide DEFENSELESS like this..

"Kaneki? Is something wrong?" Hide blinked.

Kaneki's head began to swirl. He felt something unbearable- something crawling in his ears. A voice asked him what 1000 minus seven was.

"Kaneki? Kaneki!!" Hide's shouts came on deaf ears. Kaneki was clawing at his ears like never before, enough to draw blood. He screamed in agony, bending backwards to a point that shouldn't have been possible. Hide cringed. "Kaneki?!! Kaneki, are you okay?!! What's wrong?!! What happened?!!"

"993.. 986.. got.. to.. keeeeeep.. con..control.. nine hundred.. nine hundred.. s--seventy.. n--nine.."

"Kaneki, calm down! Kaneki?!!" Hide watched helplessly as Kaneki's sanity diminished before his very eyes.

"Won't.. Hide not.. Hide.. Hide.. Hide his name? I want.. No.. No, Hide not.. He smell so.. no.. I.. I can't.. why? Why are you.. doing this?" Kaneki's kakuja mask began to create itself.

"!!" Hide recognized it instantly. The mask that the CCG detective had showed him last night! But.. Kaneki couldn't possibly be the SSS-rated ghoul Centipede.. right? Kaneki would never eat so many people each night!! Plus, his codename is Eyepatch!! The kakuja began to sprout from Kanekis back, and it fought both Kaneki and his frantic kagune. Kaneki screamed as both he and his kagune were cut. He fell to his knees, and Hide watched warily as Kaneki slowly looked up.

".. Hehehe.. you avoided me last night, PrEy..!!!" he cackled loudly, lunging for Hide. Hide saw tears erupting from the mask.

Hide couldn't do anything. He knew that. His legs had been worn out from last night. There was no chance of him surviving.

So he took his fate.

It gave him a little comfort that Kaneki was the one eating him.

But it saddened him more, for he knew Kaneki would blame himself, and have no best friend to lean on anymore.

Hide felt tears stream his own cheeks.