"He doesn't know?!" I exclaimed in disbelief. I was with Kaneki in his apartment and we were waiting for Hide later that same day to meet with us to leave for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants, F/RN (Favourite restaurant name).

Kaneki sighed. "I'm afraid so. Even if I know Hide longer than I've known you, I can't tell him. I'm not supposed to tell anybody, and when you found out, it was an accident... Sorta. Promise me you won't say anything, Y/N, I swear to god." He then glares sharply and I lightly giggle to myself at his face.

I crossed my heart. "I promise to not tell Hide that you're a ghoul."

Kaneki smiled, and thundering pounding came from outside of the apartment's door. Being closer to the door, Kaneki swung it open and Hide gushes and embraces his best friend, making a BIG scene. I quietly laughed to myself in the background, and when Kaneki finally was free from Hide's grasps, he grabs his keys and locks up. The three of us marched towards the elevator and wait outside for the public bus to take us to the nearest stop of central Tokyo.

Tokyo's streets were full and bright by the bustling of people and advertisement screens everywhere, even if it was in the evening! We cross the street with another crowd of people, and after many sore moments later, we arrive at F/RN.

We are greeted by the host, ask for a table of 3, and are then seated in the table by the window.

"Y/N! What are you gonna order?" asked Hide excitedly. I place down the menu. I already had the menu memorized since I come here so often with Grandma. Even some of the waitors and waitresses recognized me as a regular.

"I'm craving for the [Insert F/D (favourite dish) from F/RN]. Their F/D is the best by far!!"

"Is it really?" wondered Hide, flipping to the page where F/D was listed. "Mkay, well if it's good, then I'll try it! I mean, I don't really come here often, so I'll try anything that's good. Y/N, it's even their specialty!" he gestured to the italic white font under F/D's title.

"I know!" I laughed when Hide does.

Hide turned to Kaneki, beaming, "What are you gonna order, Kaneki?"

Kaneki flinched when I do and he side-glances the menu again. "Um.... Let's see. The [Insert the cheapest and low-calorie dish from F/RN]."

"Whaaaaaaatttt?!" exclaimed Hide. "That's boring! You're not gonna get some of the dishes Y/N and I are getting?"

"No, it's okay, Hide. I already ate some snacks earlier and sadly spoiled my appetite," Kaneki said casually, and I silently think to myself about the package he ate earlier before we left for dinner, and how good of a liar he is... Wait. That can't be good, can it?! *laughs*

"Aw, okay. Whatever you say..." Hide dismissed the thought and turns to me again. Hide and I talk some more as Kaneki quietly laughs to himself and watches from the sidelines. I start to tell Hide about my background and Grandma, about Mom and the stars, about work, and about James and Bree. The food arrived and it was AMAZING like always!! Kaneki and I take turns telling an excited Hide about how we met, our current relationship, and I told Hide about my previous relationship with Ben, and then about Janine.

"Janine, huh..." I caught Hide muttering to himself when we were close to finishing (the) F/D. "Janine Himura, right?"

"Um... yes...?" I questioned. Ben didn't actually tell me her last name so I ended up finding Janine's Instagram right then and there and figured out she was a Himura. I asked Hide how does he know about Janine.

"She was a mid-year transfer back in my English class from high school," he said. "Kaneki wasn't in my class that one year, but I remember a bit about my classmates. She was always loud and brassy with some of the girls, but by herself she's an entire different person."

"Like?" I asked.

"Like...." Hide thought for a moment. "She'd take deep breaths and sigh pretty often, and she kept to herself or was silent when working on schoolwork."

"Okay," was all I say, and the host gives us the bill and the three of us all chipped in cash to pay for the dinner.

We walk towards the F/RN's exit and Kaneki interrupts telling us he'll be in the Men's washroom for a minute. Hide and I agreed and waited for Kaneki outside the restaurant with a few passerbyers nearby. I still couldn't get over the fact that Kaneki literally threatened Hide in making ANY move on me that I laugh to myself from Kaneki's soft spot for me.

Hide and I talked a little until it got awkward. I take in the frozen atmosphere, playing with my charm bracelet. That's when the idea came to me.

"Hide?"

He turned to me curious and our eyes met. Holy. I did not notice how bright his eyes were. They were incredible... I smile.
"What's up, Y/N?"

"Can I give you something?" I asked.

Hide beamed again and exclaims, "What?! You didn't need to get me anything—Oh my god?! What did you get me?!"

I laughed out loud. "I didn't really get you anything, well, sorta... Here." I took a minute to remove my charm bracelet and unclip a small charm as a tiny offering. It was the scarecrow charm; my least favourite being the most random charm I had, but still beautiful on its own.

"What is it?" Hide asked.

"A charm. It's a scarecrow," I replied. "Just a little gift for being such a great person and friend to me today, and to Kaneki all these years. (Hide smiled brightly and accepts the charm in his palm) And, the scarecrow was... I guess, could represent that you kinda scared Kaneki and me earlier this morning—"

"Yeah, sorry about that," he muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"No worries!" I laughed. "It was my fault for being absent-minded again... about the pants, I mean. It's pretty silly to think about."

Hide laughed out loud and embraces me into a big hug. "It's okay! Thanks, Y/N! You're the BEEEESSSSSSTTT!!" I hug him back, grinning to myself.

"Ahem."

I removed myself from Hide and see Kaneki standing there with his arms crossed, an irritated look across his face. Hide and I laughed out loud and I playfully pinch Kaneki's cheek, walking closer to him.

"What's wrong? Someone jealous?" I teased, looking up at my boyfriend.

"Y/N," he uttered harshly.

"Kaneki," I mocked, smiling. Kaneki glared at me but as my smile grew wider, he smiles back too.

"Lookie Kaneki! Look at what your girlfriend gave me! Isn't it pretty?!" exclaimed Hide, shoving his scarecrow charm in Kaneki's face and Kaneki jumped in surprise. I couldn't stop laughing. The look on Kaneki's face: priceless!!

On the way back, Hide and I took turns telling Kaneki about the charm offering, and Kaneki managed to keep a low-profile whilst holding my hand the entire night.

~***~

I wave back at Hide as he casually walks opposite the street to both me and Kaneki's apartments, heading home. Kaneki's hand hasn't left mine the entire time, and he kisses it a few ever so gently and that I giggle a response.

At one point, he leaned in to kiss me and once I kissed him back, he couldn't stop.

"Mm. Kaneki!" I laughed between his warm kisses. "We're in public!!"

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I couldn't help myself. You're too..." A long pause.

"I'm too, what...?" I giggled, but that's when I noticed his white hair. "...Kaneki? Kaneki, what's wrong? Are you okay?" I was concerned.

"Don't move," he said. I obeyed and we stayed immobile for a few minutes.

"Are they gone?" I finally whispered. "I mean, if there was a ghoul or Ben around—"

"It was Ben—"

"It was?!"

"Shh! Don't make a sound. I can smell him. I can smell blood."

I sniffed the air a bit but couldn't make out most of the blood like Kaneki described. I guess humans really don't have that great sense of smell like ghouls do.

It was quiet again until we heard footsteps plummenting against the silent crosswalk. It was coming our direction. I assumed it was another stranger/passerbyer going about their night to walk their dog or such, but I thought other wise when Kaneki flipped his hood to conceal his white hair, and hovered his body over to hide my small body.

The footsteps become louder and Kaneki tense when the dark figure ran past us in the nighttime air. I even caught a glimpse of the mysterious person: Ben. He was carrying a black backpack and the way he ran, whatever was inside that backpack seemed to jiggle and dance around in some sort of plastic bag. Up close that time he passed, I finally smelled the blood.

It was surprising for Kaneki and I since Ben didn't approach us like a dickhead last time. From the way he ran, I'd say he was either late for something or had an emergency.

As soon as he was gone from plain sight, Kaneki jumped upright and pulls me along, sprinting towards where Ben was heading. Confused and annoyed from Kaneki's last-minute reaction to the situation, I ended up following him, pondering question after question. Kaneki managed to answer all of them and I didn't say anything after that.

We were at the end of the street and were a block away from Grandma's building. And Ben. We watched him scurry into the entrance of Grandma's building and continued following him inside.

Ben rushed into the elevator which closes on us as soon as he hopped on. We were too late.

"Dammit," muttered Kaneki annoyed. "We were this close to see what that ghoul was up to."

"Oh, well. Better luck next time, I guess," I sighed disappointed with him. "Was it just blood you smelled from him? I smelled the blood too when he ran past us. It was bad!"

"Yeah, I smelled it too, but it was a more familiar smell. Blood and..."

"What?"

"Y/N, he brought human flesh into the building."

My stomach hurled at the thought and my mind creates a small imagery. I don't look at the package Kaneki eats, well, because he was a bit embarrassed and scared for me. But, knowing Ben, he'll take advantage of anything. Like me from our previous relationship. And when he does take advantage of things, he wants more of it, and more of it means more human flesh.

"Kaneki, I don't feel so good," I said, holding my stomach.

Kaneki immediately reacted and took me upstairs to Grandma's apartment. We greeted Grandma who was watching her favourite show on T.V, Kaneki gave me a glass of water, and we both fell into my closed bedroom.

We held each other again under the covers after taking off our jackets and pants and I finally said, "Something doesn't feel right."

"Hm? Do you want me to move over?"

"No," I shake my head. "I mean, Ben bringing human meat to our building. I mean, the only reason he would be in this building anyway is to see..." My heart stopped.

I leaped out of bed and began pacing the room. Kaneki sat up alarmed at my distressing state. "What? What's going on?!" he exclaimed.

I faced Kaneki. "Do you think Janine knows Ben's a ghoul?"

"Probably. They're dating aren't they?"

"But a ghoul is not supposed to tell a human they're a ghoul, right? And no way would a ghoul show raw human meat to another human, would they?"

"I mean, they wouldn't, Y/N, but that's just me," said Kaneki, and I sit at my bedside. "I respect the food that I'm eating, and you, at least. Maybe Ben's the kind of ghoul who wouldn't mind sharing his identity to Janine."

"I don't know," I paused. "Should I ask Janine tommorow? If she knows if Ben's a ghoul."

Kaneki sighed and rests against the back wall behind my bed. "Do what you think it's best, Y/N. Just be careful. I'm always here if anything happens to you."

I nodded. I didn't know exactly how I'm going to deliver the news to Janine, but I was excited to meet her again nevertheless.

Even if I wasn't the most prepared for was about to come the very next day...