Later that same day, I walked with James and Bree after-school to Anteiku again. When we arrived by the ring of the bell and the greeting from Touka. But that's when I discovered someone was missing.

"Hey, where's Kaneki?" I questioned in curiosity, and the three of us took our seats at our favourite table.

Touka's face fell.

"Don't know. He hasn't shown up at work today."

She tucked the tray she was holding under her arm and gave us a slight smile.

"Will it be the usual?"

"The usual, please," I answered, and Touka scurried off.

I gave my friends a concerned glance and they shrugged in response.

"So, the guy's absent today," muttered James. "What's with the look, Y/N?"

"Nothing." I looked away. "I don't know... Maybe it's from the fact that he, um... confessed to me last night and--"

"NO. FREAKIN'. WAY!!!!" gasped James, and he turned towards Bree where an irritated frown sat upon her face. She groaned in annoyance as she handed James a twenty-dollar bill.

(Quick A/N: K. I know the story takes place in Tokyo but, I find it easier to keep the currency in dollars rather in Japanese yen. Sorry about that.)

My eyes widened in terror from the shocking scene that I shrieked,

"YOU GUYS BET ON OUR CONFESSION????!!!!"

"Well, duh. Of course we had to." James rolled his eyes.

"It was his idea, not mine," muttered Bree, and she smacked his head. "You only made the bet because you knew you'd win!!!"

"Aw. C'mon. Twenty dollars~"

"Yeah!! My twenty dollars!!!!"

"It wasn't my fault you lost your money!! Blame it on Y/N!!"

"Alright!" Bree turned to me, a nasty frown on her face. "Y/N it's all your fault!! You could've confessed your feelings way before you guys got together!!!"

My mouth partly opened. I was stunned.

"What?! No!! Don't you dare blame everything on me!! Kaneki already knew I liked him so, I didn't get a chance to say it since he interrupted me with a kiss-- Geez!! Can't you guys chillax for once? You're embarrassing me!!" I glanced at some of the wondering costumers, humiliated as they watched our idiotic scene.

James and Bree immediately exchanged small smirks.

"So, you admit you and Kaneki are together, huh?" said Bree.

I raised an eyebrow. "What--"

"--and you said you two had your lip-to-lip contact moment, hm?" said James.

"I didn't--"

"Y/N." Bree muttered, her smirk widening. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

I froze in place watching my friends' eyes bore into mine suspiciously.

I didn't want to tell them too much about what happened last night. I didn't want to tell them Kaneki's aggressive side when his hair turns white. I chewed my bottom lip back and shook my head, a sudden wave of heat rising to my face.

"We--"

The buzzing sound of my phone interrupted my sentence that I sighed in relief and picked up the random number.

"Hello," I breathed.

"Hey."

My eyes enlarged in surprise. "Oh, hey. Where are you right now?"

"Is that Kaneki?!" cried James, where I ignored his constant complaining to pass him the phone. "Y/N!! C'mon!!"

"Shut-up!!"

"Um. Y/N? Is this a bad time to call you?" questioned a worried Kaneki.

"N-No!! It's fine! I'm listening--Would you quite that!!" I shoved James's face away from my ear as he was listening to my conversation over the phone. Bree slapped James in annoyance and he shuts up, quietly laughing to himself.

"I'm standing outside your Grandma's apartment."

I furrowed my brows in curiousity. It was not like Kaneki to hang around our apartment like that.
"What?"

"Listen to me, Y/N. If you really do love me then you'll understand that there's been a ghoul in the building."

My heart sunk to the floor that my device slipped from my fingers and onto the tabletop with a startling thud. My only instinct at that moment was that I needed to see my Grandma as soon as possible.

I stood up from my seat, a horrified look illustrated upon my face.

"Y/N? Y/N!!" gasped Bree as I carelessly grabbed my things and shoved my chair aside as it fell to the floor with a loud crash. "What's going on?!"

"An emergency. I can't talk now." My voice was low and concerning that it traveled with me as I scurried out the door. I could feel the presence of my best friends rushing behind.

"Wait!!" warned James. "Car!!!"

My feet quickly skidded across the pavement that I managed to gain balance and halt before I were to crash into that white van running a red light.

There was no time to waste. I knew I had to keep moving forward.
Without another thought, I ran across the street making it to the other side, then all the way down the sidewalk where I caught a glimspe of Grandma's street.

"Y/N!! Wait for us!!" James and Bree continued to call from behind.

I sprinted all the way from there, meeting at the very front entrance.
Through the glass I could perceive a tall figure leaning against the wall inside the main foyer. He seemed to have noticed me and rushed towards my side when I flew into his arms for a hug.

"Kaneki!!!" I exclaimed, squeezing the eye patched boy tightly.

"Hey, what's the rush?" he questioned, alarmed. "And why did you hang up on me like tha--"

"--Is Grandma okay?" I interrupted trying to catch my breath, and my best friends from behind instantly came to a halt, catching their breaths as well.

Kaneki's eyes widened in disbelief.
"S-She's fine!! If you didn't hang up on me so quickly I could've told you I already checked her apartment. Everything's good."

"Then why'd you say there was a ghoul somewhere in the building?"

"Hold on," Bree said, fixing her coat. "You mean to tell me you found a ghoul here?"

"Momentary, yes." Kaneki gave me another hug from my side, and faced James and Bree.

"How did you know it was an actual ghoul? Did you see them? What did they look like?" Bree continued to ask questions as she enjoyed learning about the new and mysterious case of this ghoul sighting. I understood her deep interest in this conversation.

"Oh no. The monstrous Bree is awakening, again!" commented James, rolling his eyes.

"I am not!!" she exclaimed holding a fist to James face.

"And that's why you are monstrous," he said, pushing Bree's hand away from his cheek.

Kaneki couldn't help but smile from their foolishness. "It was just my sense. And no, I did not see them in action, if that's what you're looking for. It's just..."

"Just what?" I asked.

"... His scent. He reeked of fresh blood but didn't show any on his clothes as we waited inside the elevator."

"What did he look like?" Bree repeated, typing information down in her notes on her phone.

As soon as Kaneki spilled the details, I could feel my body freeze tight in place. My mouth opened agape, wondering if it was all a mistake.

"Dark hair. Black clothes. And grey eyes," Kaneki explained. "Good-looking guy too."

"No... It can't be," I breathed, my body quaking. "Ben couldn't possibly be a ghoul!! I've known him forever!! That can't be right!

"Who's Ben?" asked Kaneki, his voice serious and his face hardened with suspicion.

"Y/N's ex," answered James. "Don't worry, Kaneki. We've already kicked his ass long time ago."

"I thought he said he'll be staying in Kyoto with his family, Y/N," thought Bree out loud. "Why is he here?"

"If James hasn't told you already, it's his new girlfriend," I answered. "I believe she lives in one of the renovated apartments here."

"Have you seen her?"

"Not yet. If we ever see each other again, I told him to bring his girlfriend. It'd be nice to see who the girl is."

That's when Kaneki pulled my head close to his chest as he protected me from under his arm.
"Well, ghoul or not, Ben is not going to see anyone for that matter. I think it's best if we should all go home." His voice was severe as he spoke, causing a chill to send up my bestfriends spines and with mine.

"Kaneki!" I blinked, pushing myself away from his tight grasps. "Why the sudden mood change?! You should be glad that I never even wanted to even see Ben again--"

"--But you said you wanted to see his girlfriend," he interrupted.

"I know. Only his girlfriend. But--"

"--So that means if his girlfriend is there, then he'll be there too."

I stared at him in disbelief. I would never have imagined Kaneki's behaviour to be so disrespectful and insolent like that before. It really embarrassed and hurt me in a way that I shrieked,
"KANEKI KEN!!! Ben and I are not together anymore!! I don't love him!! I love you!!"

Kaneki didn't respond and turned away, a strike of angered red on his cheeks.

A small squeal escaped from James that Bree slapped a hand over his mouth from fangirling any further.
I turned to them and mouthed the words with a slight smile, gesturing to Kaneki from behind.

He's jealous. You guys can go home now.

Thankfully they obeyed, and Bree dragged a whining James, wanting to see what happens next, away from the scene.

I waved them a farewell and once they disappeared from plain sight, I turned to discover white-haired Kaneki once again. I tapped his shoulder and he flinched from his daze.

He gave me a glare as if bothering him was something I shouldn't have done and picked me up from my waist, heaving my body over his one shoulder.

"Kaneki!!" I screamed, pounding my fists against his back. "Kaneki, put me down!!!!"

He ignored my constant complaining, and begins walking forwards away from Grandma's building which was my original destination, and towards his apartment.
He carried me all the way inside, up the elevator, and locks the door behind us as we make it to his dimly-lit bedroom.

He abruptly threw me on top of his bed and laid his body on top of mine.

"Kaneki?!"
He began aggressively kissing my body and touching me in places that I furiously slapped his cheek hard.
He paused.

"What the hell, Kaneki?!" I shrieked at his face. "This is not like you!! You need to breath and tell me what's going on. Please."

I watched as his dark eyes gradually moved towards mine making my bottom lip quiver from how cold and depressed they were. His head collasped on my chest and a small snivel escape.

My eyes widened.

"Sorry..." he mumbled. "I... I'm sorry."

I sighed and ran my fingers through his white hair. "Kaneki... Please tell me what's bothering you. Like you said, I'm always here for you and I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

He took a deep breath and turned his head.

"Is it because you're jealous of me and Ben's relationship?" I asked, and the boy stiffened.

"No..."

I hugged his head close, nestling my nose in his sweet hair. "I told you, Ben and I are over. You don't need to be--

"--I'm not jealous, Y/N," he interrupted. "I get it that you two are over. It's just..."

"Just, what?"

Kaneki lifted his head and our eyes met. "Ben is a ghoul. If he ever lays a hand on you, you are done for and I can't let that happen. I can't lose you."

I gaped at him in disbelief. Kaneki really believed Ben's a ghoul, and I couldn't seem to do anything at that moment. Ben had always told me everything even if it was a dark secret. I would've already knew he was a ghoul long ago.

Should I believe Kaneki? After all my experiences with Ben, did I really miss that one hint of him as a ghoul?

"Kaneki..." I muttered. "If what you say is true then..." I bit my lip and sighed in defeat. "I believe you."

Kaneki's eyes relaxed, and he pecked my lips softly. "I knew you'd understand," he said. "and I promise I'll protect you from him. You're mine."

I couldn't help it but smile. "And you're mine."

I grabbed his face and kissed him, again, where he gladly accepted the favor, deepening the kisses. I could feel him biting my bottom lip asking for entrance that I allowed it, and he growled wanting more as his tongue explored my mouth.
It felt so good feeling his warmth inside me. I couldn't get enough of it.

We slowly made-out in silence, without giving a thought of anything else around us. Nothing matter in the world than the one person we really cared about in our arms.
He is my creator of my stars and I wasn't planning on letting go. I'll treasure him until the end of time. I'll treasure those events we made together. Just like Mom wanted me to do. I wasn't going to let her down, again. I've got a second chance, and I'm not going to spoil it.

Kaneki. Is. Mine.