"Couldn't you respect my wishes to keep you guys out? Hm? I'm sure you noticed the fact that I didn't want Eyepatch saying anything, right? And this is exactly why," he hissed. "Leave it alone, Serpent Bat, Rabbit Bloodstone. You have no place in the ghoul world.."

"Tell us the truth," Amon ordered, "Are you Nagachika?"

"Amon-san, I already told you my answer to that."

"But you were vague. Say it straight out."

"...Fine. I am not Nagachika Hideyoshi."

"Why do I feel like you're lying?" Amon hissed.

"I don't know, maybe you have trust issues?"

"Hide!" I shot up myself, "Please, tell us the truth! We want to help you!"

He stared at me. "Serpent Bat, you're weak. Sensitive. Fragile. You clearly can't accept Nagachika Hideyoshi being a ghoul sympathizer. Even if I was Nagachika-san, why would I break your heart like this? If he really cared about you people - if he was really your friend - why would he ever tell you if he was a ghoul and a former ghoul sympathizer?

"You people don't understand. The feeling of your best friend turning into a ghoul and because of that, slowly distancing himself from you.. You know full well that he's a ghoul, but you would never admit that to him because you know he'd be devastated.. He may be a ghoul now, but he's still got that fragile, human heart.. He can't see past his own self-hatred.. He can't see that he is loved. And you would trade the world to make him understand how much you love him - even if he's a ghoul or a murderer or the world's f*cking terrorist.

"You people hate ghouls. So you could never understand loving someone despite all of those things.. You don't understand how hard it is to love someone who thinks he's worthless. You don't understand how it feels to be left behind because you're human. You don't understand how it feels to stare at his back, desperately trying to chase after him. And all because some big-a** sicko turned him into a ghoul. All because he tried to get a date, and his date ended up being some b*tchy ghoul. All because this world curses him to no end..

"You could.. never understand.. how it feels.. to love someone who's been told he's worthless by every single person except you.. The whole world tells him he's worthless," his voice cracked, "Why wouldn't he believe he is if the whole world tells him he's worthless? What is one person against the whole world? What is a best friend against his mother, his date, some crazy-a** doctor, his new friends that don't get him; what is a childhood friend against all of those people's words? It's no wonder he's like this now.. He no longer has anyone that tells him he's worth it, that he's the best thing.. in the entire world.. No one tells him he's their world anymore..

"So can you really blame Eyepatch? Can you really blame someone who's been hurt time and time again? Can you really blame him for being naive? Can you really blame him for getting hurt? Can you really blame him for breaking? Huh?!! Well, can you?!!

"Can you blame a little girl for killing people to protect her family, to protect an innocent little girl who did nothing wrong?!! Can you really blame a guy who's sister was killed because she trusted a human?!! Can you really blame someone who kicks you harder than an ox if the only person he ever cared for died before his very eyes?

"Can you really blame ghouls? Huh? Can you really hate ghouls when you know what they've gone through? I don't care if you think ghouls do wrong! I know the truth.. I know the reason they act like they do.. Eyepatch almost ate his own best friend because he starved himself.. If that's the case, can you really blame him for eating? For trying to survive?

"F*ck the CCG! They don't know sh*t! F*ck the CDs for never realizing the pain of those right beside them! F..F*ck this world for.. hurting people who.. have done nothing wrong.. F*ck this horrible, wretched world for putting those who do wrong in power.. I just.. I just want to sit with the person who matters most to me again.. I just want to tell him I love him.. I want for him to be happy, and that'll make me happy. Even if it means the world has to crash down on me instead."

"..." I pressed my lips into a thin line.

What is this.. person talking about..?

I don't trust my mouth right now.. I need to process what he's said before I can say anything..

Supposedly, Amon thinks differently.

"What are you talking about? Ghouls are monsters! They eat us-"

"Don't you dare f*cking call him a monster! Don't call ghouls monsters, f*ck you! Ka-Eyepatch hates himself enough! And you know why he hates himself even more now? Because this G*d forsaken world calls ghouls monsters, and he just happened to be turned into one! F*ck that!"

"Ghouls are murderers!"

"They have to be! And so are you, Amon-san! Your superior, Mado Kureo?" his voice broke, "Do you know what he did to get killed? Huh? He killed an innocent woman who happened to be a mother to an innocent little girl! You almost got killed for helping with that! Why can't you see? Eyepatch saved you that night; he spared you; you're only alive right now because of him! The Rabbit.. and Eyepatch.. were completely justified in what they did that night.. The Eyepatch didn't want you to hurt the Rabbit or Hinami; the Rabbit didn't want you and the three others who saw Hinami's face to hurt her either! She just wanted Hinami to live peacefully, happily!"

"Ghouls living peacefully?! Don't make me laugh!"

"You're the heartless one, Amon-san! That mother ghoul you killed never killed anybody!"

"She'd have to if she li-"

"SHE ATE SUICIDE VICTIMS!! AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN GET THEM HERSELF, AN- THE ORGANIZATION IN THE 20TH WARD HELPED WITH THAT! You don't.. You don't understand anything, Amon-san.. You have no idea..

"... Amon-san, I have a preposition for you. A request. I never had the resources to do good, but maybe.. maybe.." He chuckled harshly, "I know you're the last person who would ever.. try this, but.. but.. Please, for Eyepatch who spared your life, can you try, just a little, to come up with another pathway? A way for ghouls to live without eating human flesh? We already have ways to eat without killing - from suicide victims to eating only parts that won't kill our victims - but I want a way.. for ghouls to survive without eating human flesh. Whether that means a pill or injection to make a ghoul able to eat normal human food or a substitute, I don't care."

"And why would I try such a thing?" Amon scoffed.

"...You know as well as I do that Eyepatch saved your life that day. Think of it as a debt to be paid. Either that or just to prove me wrong. I think that ghouls and humans can live peacefully together; I think that most ghouls would stop killing people all together. The only two things that need to happen for that is a way to survive without eating human flesh and for the CCG to look at the ghoul before deciding whether it should be killed and or locked up or not."

"...Fine then. Perhaps then you won't babble about ghouls being innocent.."

"Hai. If I am proved wrong, I will accept your ideas, Amon-san. I will even turn myself in. Sound good?"

"Then it's a deal.. Don't you dare take back your word."

"I would never do that, Amon-san. I keep my promises."

"...If you take back your word, then I will make sure you never get to walk in public again."

"Oh, but Amon-san, I already told you I'm not Nagachika. So how would you do that?"

"I will post Nagachika's face everywhere," Amon hissed, "because I don't doubt for a second that you're him. You're clearly lying."

"I'm not."

"You are. Oh, and, I'll figure out who Nagachika's best friend, the Eyepatch is, and his face will sure to be posted everywhere, too.."

He twitched. "You couldn't. You have no idea who Nagachika's best friend is."

"I'll figure it out."

"..."

His composure.. For the first time since I've met this guy, his composure is nervous..

"W-Well.. I can't be wrong, so.." his voice was weak, squeaky, and cracked, "That.. That'll never happen anyway.. Most ghouls would.. stop eating if.. if they only got.. another way to survive.."

"It's on, new Aogiri Leader."

"H-Hai.." he backed up and ran out.

I looked at Amon, "And if he isn't Hide?"

"He clearly has a problem with me posting his best friend's face everywhere."

"..Auh.. you clearly got under his skin with that.. I don't think he really processed whether he thinks it's even possible or not.. And even if he does doubt whether or not his ideas are right, turning himself in means Eyepatch's true face won't be posted everywhere.."

"I suppose I'll have to keep up my half as well though.."

"Hai. Can I help?" Amon raised an eyebrow at me. "If Hide is indeed a ghoul.. he'd really like if there was another option.. and so I want to find it as soon as possible."

"So you still think he's not Nagachika.."

"Of course not. Hide would never.."

"..." Amon stared at me. "I suppose I can't convince you, can I?"

"...No. Hide is.. Hide hates ghouls just like us.."

Hide.. isn't a traitor.

He's an asset of the CDs.