You know what, f it. I can't be clever with the titles of these chapters.... But I'm too lazy to change the last one.

Eventually, we reached my favorite bookstore. It always had peaceful, classical music on, and the smell was of old books.

"You know the way by heart?" Nagachika-san inquired as we walked in.

"Yes, I go here often," I replied, "But I normally go in the tragedy or horror section. I rarely go to the children's or sports section." I stood there, but his footsteps didn't move, so I continued, "So I don't know where it is."

"Oh. Oh!" his footsteps hurried over, "Sorry, it's over here. Uhm... are there a lot of people who are blind?"

"Perhaps, why?" I strolled behind him.

"Well... like... I can totally not read any of the covers in here, and these books are f*cking huge."

"Huh?"

"Like... All I see are a bunch of indented dots. I think... that this must be like a... a Braille bookstore... Kaneki-san."

"... So... you wouldn't be able to read a single book in here?"

"No. Let's just go to the local library, okay...?"

"Um... alright."

I don't know the way.... I didn't even know we had a local library.

Nagachika-san led us both to our destination this time.

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

I wonder if I should take out my stick.... I've been following Nagachika-san, but I've bumped into a few things.... I don't think Nagachika-san has noticed yet. I probably need to-

I bumped into something soft.

"Hey, watch where you're going," someone scoffed, and footsteps went around me.

"How about you watch where you're going, *sshole?!! Don't bump into a blind boy!" Nagachika-san defended.

"Oh my G*d, it's fine, Nagachika-san," I replied, "I just didn't look where I was going. I should probably take out my stick."

"Oh my G*d, violence is not needed here, Kaneki-san!!"

"What?! Oh my G*d, Nagachika-san, no, I mean my walking stick!"

"Oh. Ohhh."

"Yeah."

"... Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm not familiar with this area though, so I don't really know where I'm going. I've been following your footsteps, but it's a little hard to hear with other people chattering and walking. I should probably take out my sti-huh?" I felt my cheeks flush slightly when I felt a hand embrace my own.

"Why didn't you say so, bud? I'll hold your hand and steer you!" he proceeded to walk. The person I bumped into apparently walked away earlier, I guess.

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

"And here we are! The Kamii library."

"Huh? I thought you said the local library."

"Oh, I meant the college library, which is local to us Kamii students."

"... I don't understand your logic; a local library is-"

"Dude, calm down; I don't need your definition of a local library. It's fine, seriously. So... you suggested sports section?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, that is... over here," his footsteps resumed, and I followed. "The sports section!"

"What kind of sports do you like?"

"Huh? Sports are boring to watch. I'd rather play."

"... Nagachika-san, why didn't you say that before?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, let's see if there's anything in the romance section."

"But that's all boy on girl."

"... Theeen, if you're going to be so picky," I hissed, "Let's try fantasy or supernatural or something."

"Okay," he led me to a different section, "Here's the supernatural section."

"Pick up a book and read its summary," I instructed, and I heard a book being taken off the shelf.

"... Where's the summary?"

"On the back of the book."

"... This one doesn't have a summary?"

"Then look on the flap of the inside of the cover."

A few seconds passed. "I think it's talking about the author."

"G*dd*mn it, are you serious? Give it here," I snatched the book, running my hand against the page. "..."

"It's not in Braille, Kaneki-san."

"I.. realize that now." I handed the book back, "Pick out another one. Oh, and, read the summary aloud."

"Okay. Umm... "Aki Tomaru is constantly haunted by ghosts. Since he can see ghosts, he's constantly caught up in ghosts' problems! He comes across two ghosts that want to marry but have no one to wed them, and another ghost threatens to make him a husband! A gang of ghosts even try to holdup a bank! How will Tomaru-kun deal with all these ghosts and more?!" it says."

"Does that sound interesting to you?"

"Yea."

"Let's get it then. How many books can you take from here?"

"Uhhh... I have no idea."

"Then let's go to the front desk. Take the book with you."

So Nagachika-san led me to the front desk, and we found out that the books you could take depended on how much you had taken books and given them back on time. Since this was Nagachika-san's first time, and they didn't know if he was reliable, he could only take one.

So, we were back on our way home.

"I normally read manga and stuff since they're easier to digest."

"So what, you eat books? Are you really that hungry?"

"Pfft no. So... uh, are you going to go to my house, or...?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't know. I could read the book with you if you want. That sometimes makes it... a better experience somehow. I could also make sure you actually read it."

"A better experience, huh...?" he mused, "I guess so...."

"Have you ever been read to, Nagachika-san?"

"Yea, when I was younger. My mom would read me to sleep. I... tried to read to my little sister when mom died...."

"Oh... I'm so sorry to hear that."

"No, no, it... wasn't too big a... deal. Nothing really changed, and I-"

I gripped his hand. "Nagachika-san... nothing changing... is what hurts."

He kept silent for a long while.

"... Yea, I guess that's... true. ... No one seemed to care... that mom died, and I... I was just swept away by life.... I don't... feel like I was able to mourn properly.... I don't feel like I... honored her."

"All we can do is to keep living.... I think that... remembering her is enough. And to learn from her. So don't... beat yourself up that you didn't have the time to... think for hours about her."

"... Yea. Thanks, man. I... I needed that. I... didn't really talk much about... her death. I thought that I had to keep strong and bright for my little sister...."

"Yea, I get it. No one ever really tells you what you want to hear. No one ever consoles you properly.... They just regurgitate social customs.... It's disgusting."

"Yea, well... I hear it's worse in other countries.... We have a little shrine to honor mom; not every country does that. Stuff like that... Maybe we should be grateful?"

"But we don't do enough."

"... Yea... Certainly feels like we don't, at least..."

"We never properly look at the wound, and therefore... it's always a fresh wound, and sometimes it gets infected.... It's like a cut that needs stitches...."

"Yea... that's exactly... how it is."

"Yea. Plainly put, it sucks."

"Yep..."

"... Well, uh, depressing moods aside, we were... going to your house...?"

"Oh, so are we friends now?"

"I-I... I'm new to this whole... friend thing...."

"That's alright! I can show you the works!"

"Right... I'll definitely see the works."

"...Sorry."

"No, no, I'll definitely see how friendship works."

"... You are so sarcastic."

"Am I?"

He snorted, "Yes."