"Mamman's been unhappy lately.." I mumbled to Shirazu. Mamman had locked himself in his room, and he was probably reading a book, but he was still clearly unhappy.

"I don't know what happened.." Shirazu rubbed the back of his neck.

"Auh.. maybe.. we could investigate?"

"Investigate how? Clearly the moment's already passed, and he's probably avoiding the problem just like he's avoiding us. And it's not like we know- uh, Saiko?" Shirazu paused when he saw my face.

"Ah, but Shirazu, haven't you noticed how Mamman goes out in the middle of the night?"

"Um.. you're the only one out of us that stays up all night, Saiko.."

"We just have to find who he's been going out at night with! I bet that'll tell us what upset Mamman!"

Uh-huh! We'll figure out what's troubling Mamman.. even at the costs of our own lives!

"Uh, Saiko, I think you're getting a little too pumped about this.."

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

Knock, knock.

I paused my game and looked at the door.

Who on earth could be knocking at this hour..? Everyone else is at work..

Knock, knock.

"Hai, hai.." I lazily got up and slumped over to the door.

Well, it clearly isn't just mail..

I creaked the door open, peeking out. A man stood there. He had orange hair with brown roots, and he had orange headphones around his neck.

"Ah. Uh, hey, you must be Saiko-chan, right? Saiko Yonebayashi?"

I furrowed my eyes suspiciously, "Who are you? How do you know my name, you suspicious individual?"

"Uh, can we talk inside? I'm.. not okay with staying out here.."

"..."

Well, he seems harmless.. and if anything goes bad, I have my kagune and quinque!

I let him in, and we sat on the couch.

"So? How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"Haise told me. I know you're the only one who'd be here at this hour, and Haise has described you to me before. Plus, you're the only female, so.."

"Mamman told you?" I blinked.

"That goes in with who I am. I, uh.. I've been spending time with Haise lately.. at my place. But.. we kind of got into a spat.. I guess I said something I shouldn't have.." he rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess that's why I'm here.. to apologize.. and everything."

"But, Mamman's not here."

"Y-Yeah, I know, but.. Haise probably.. wouldn't let me in.. And then I would've risked going out for nothing. Besides, I've always wanted to meet you and the others.. and I was wanting to talk to you privately. Mutsuki Tooru and Shirazu-kun as well."

"What about Urie?"

He laughed nervously, "Uh, I don't think talking to him would do much good, honestly.."

"?"

'Do much good'..? Is he going to try and convince me or something?

"Then, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well.. I know from how Haise talks about you guys.. that you guys care for him a great deal."

Ah. So that's where Urie-kun is left out.

"And I just thought you should know the truth, I guess.."

The truth?!! This man is so suspicious!!

"...Haise.. probably won't.. be with you.. much longer."

I felt my body run cold.

"Wh-What?"

"...He's a ghoul, you know.. and.. the CCG.. kills ghouls.. Once he's served his purpose – once all of the other ghouls are wiped out – then he'll be.. next.. This is what we got.. into a spat over.. I'm worried for him, see. I don't want him to leave me. I don't want him to die. Haise is.. so important to me.. more than he'll ever know.. I can't begin to express how I feel about him.. and the bit I am able to express, only a tiny amount of that.. gets through to him.. He's always been like this.. unable to see his own worth..

"So, I don't.. doubt for a second that he would take that fate of death. As it is now, he thinks his past self was a monster. And he thinks of himself as a monster. He is solely devoted to the CCG.. If he thought him dying was for the best.. – and he would, because he's been raised by the CCG, so to speak – then he would gladly lay down his life.. He might know that what I was saying the other night was the truth.. but that doesn't matter to him.. not if it can save you, and the other Qs, and Mado-san."

"..."

"... The CCG.. is a vulgar organization.. It kills ghouls without judging them. It doesn't care if it's lived its entire life eating suicide victims. It doesn't care if it used to be human. Ghouls deserve to die. That's what every investigator is trained to think. I know not all investigators are bad. heck, some of them are just like the ghouls that were led astray. They.. all think they're doing the right thing.. I understand that.

"But that doesn't change the fact that investigators are murderers. Just like police are murderers. Investigators sometimes kill innocent people without even knowing it.. That's the difference between police and investigators. Investigators are.. heartless when it comes to ghouls.. Police, however, always try to arrest someone rather than killing them.

"I'm not justifying what some ghouls do, but.. I won't sugarcoat the CCG's actions either. The CCG brainwashes their people into thinking all ghouls are bad. But let me ask you, Saiko-chan, is Haise bad? Haise is a ghoul, isn't he? He may have amnesia, but he's still a ghoul. And is he bad? Or is he loving? Is he a good mentor? A caring person that would give up his life for even a stranger? Is Haise bad, Saiko-chan, or is he the best person that was put on this earth?"

"...w-well.." {Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, Hide, especially when compared to you, but...}

"There's no excuse, Saiko-chan, if you're trying to come up with one. Haise is a ghoul. But he isn't bad. Simple as that. Do you understand what I'm saying, Saiko-chan? Not all ghouls are bad. Most are led astray. Few need to be killed on sight.. Even ghouls like the Rabbit, or the Serpent, have hearts, you know.. And it hurts like h*ll when family is hurt.. which is why some of them are led astray. Because we investigators killed their family! Their mother, their father, their sister! You can only take so much before you break!"

What.. he is saying is.. it makes complete sense.. I really.. don't have any.. excuse.

"Um.. is.. Are they really going to kill Mamman?"

He looked into my eyes seriously and nodded, "Eventually. Unless Haise doesn't live to see the day that ghouls are exterminated. I don't think that time is coming soon, but that might just be me hoping.."

"...who are you?"

"...My name is Hide."

Hide..

But he didn't bother to tell me the rest of his name.

I gulped. "Well, Hide-san.. thank you for.. for informing me of this.. I.. I want time.. to think it over.."

"Of course. But uh, can I.. can I stay here until he arrives..?"

"Sure. Then, excuse me," I stood up and walked to my room.

Ghouls aren't as bad.. huh?

"Oh, and, Saiko-chan?!"

"Yeah?!!" I called, peeking my head out of the room. I'd just entered.

"I've got more proof of what I'm saying, if you ever want it.."

"..Oh."

"Yeah. And um, if you ever.. Books by the Sunflower are pretty good too. They prove my points as well. And The Sunflower is the only book by him that isn't completely true."

"I.. see..." I murmured before closing the door behind me. I didn't plan on reading the books. After all, books weren't really my thing.

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

Just as he'd said, Hide stayed the whole day. I came out after a few hours to find him messing with something at the table. The news was on. I couldn't keep a small smile from sneaking onto my face.

"You've made yourself right at home, huh?"

He jolted upwards with a yelp. I thought it only happened in anime, but... I guess not. He jumped a whole foot!

"O--Oh--Saiko-chan..." he chuckled wryly, setting the object down, "My bad. I'm just not used to hearing people so suddenly...."

"?" I decided to let the comment go and instead pointed at his object, "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" he held it up, "I found it in one of the rooms."

You were going through our stuff...? -u-"

"It was pretty dull, so I decided to go ahead and sharpen it," he continued, squinting at the blade, "It's almost good as new now!"

"...?" I walked over to take a closer look. In his hand was one of Mu-chan's quinque knives....

"Oh! I hope you don't mind that I was wandering around the house!" he hastily added.

"Well, it's not my stuff," I shrugged. He grinned and chuckled a little, and I smiled back.

This guy... really isn't a bad guy, is he?

"So? Have you processed what I told you?" he blew on the knife, making dust fly.

"Well... yeah," I nodded, "I'm... not entirely sure what I... what I want to do with any of what you told me, but... I'm open to what you said."

"Of course; I wouldn't expect you to act on this stuff," he resumed sharpening the knife, "In my opinion, it's easier on you if you don't know, but... well, you gotta start somewhere, am I right?"

"... I do want to see your evidence though...."

"Mm," he nodded, "I expected that as well. You're a kind soul, Saiko-chan," he smiled at me, and I blushed because I swear, he looked like an angel. But just as quickly, his gaze was trained back onto the knife, and I frowned. "But, I... I'm not going to give it to you just yet," he decided with a nod, "Try a day's work with this knowledge. It's difficult to work if you don't believe in what you're doing, and then you'll be found out." I frowned, mulling it over.

"When will I see you again after this?"

"Eh?" he looked at me, a little caught off guard, "Ah, uh..." he looked up at the ceiling, "Well, I'm not entirely sure.... It might be a while before I can get my evidence to you.... It depends on what happens with Haise, as well.... He might not want me going anywhere near you...."

"..."

I watched him for a few more seconds before he declared, holding up the knife with a grin of triumph, "It's done!"

"Oh.." I blinked. The knife was, indeed, very sharp and shiny.... I flushed, "C--Can you do that... for mine, too?"

"Mm?" he looked at me with a smile, "Sure, bring it here."

I hurried to get my quinque and put it on the table.

"Whoa-hoh!" he exclaimed, "You got a big ol' hammer, huh?"

"Yes," I replied.

"I normally work with knives, but..." he inspected the hammer, "I guess I can give it a shot!" he grinned back at me, and I flushed before smiling smally.

"Please do...!!"

"So what'd'ya want me to do with it, huh? A sharp edge on one side?" he ran his hand along one side, "Maybe a point at the bottom?" he caressed the bottom of my hammer but then frowned. He turned the hammer upside down so that he could take a closer look at it, "Whoo, that's heavy, huh?" he thumbed the edge.

"?" I wasn't sure what he was doing.

"This isn't quinque steel, is it?" he looked up at me. {We're just gonna pretend it's not, okay?}

"!! Ah, uh... no..." I nodded.

"Strange, most investigators get a standard weapon of full quinque..." he murmured, running a hand down the handle. He looked back up at me, "Why'd you get a hammer?"

"?"

"Wait, no, never mind," he held his chin in thought, "More importantly, is there a reason you didn't get a quinque handle? Quinque is usually stronger than other materials. A ghoul's kagune could cut this in half! Were they running out of materials? Or was it--"

"? ?" I was so confused and lost on what he was talking about, and the door chose that moment to open.

"Ah."

"Oh!" {Saiko}

"Mm?" Hide-san looked back at the door before his eyes widened.

Mamman...