Knock. Knock.

I smiled softly to myself.

I knew he was real.. It couldn't have been just a figment of my imagination.

Creak..

"?" a boy with orange hair peeked out. He looked at me, and his eyes widened, "Ka--Kaneki?"

"! .." I sweat dropped, "Um.. Actually.. I'm Haise.. Haise Sasaki.."

"! O--Oh, right.. Of course.. Sorry.. Um, did you.. need something..?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, I guess," he let me in. We walked over to a bed. Although, he couldn't walk-he was in a wheelchair. "So? What do you need with me? Isn't that a CCG uniform?"

Oh? He's familiar?

I wonder if that's why his legs are bandaged up.. He only has half-legs.

"Yes, it is, but that's not why I'm here. It's personal."

"Oh.."

He seems.. relieved but depressed.. at my answer..

"Um.. so.. do you know what a.. wet dream is?"

".. And why are you talking to ME about this and not someone close to you?"

"Well.. the people close to me.. don't quite understand.. Centipede here told me that you're good with this stuff, so.."

"Centipede?"

"Uh, yeah.. You can't.. see him either, can you.?"

"..? So what, is he a ghost?"

"It's complicated.."

"How does he know me?"

"Because Kaneki."

".. Do you guys.. know where Kaneki is right now.?"

He seemed so desperate.. He was really worried about Kaneki..

I looked at Centipede who was looking away shamefully.

".. Um, no.." I lied.

"O-Oh.. .. I.. Kaneki never mentioned.. a Centipede.."

"? Kaneki might not have just told you about Centipede."

"I know the people Kaneki's around."

Are you ki-

Centipede put his hand on my shoulder, looking into my eyes seriously.

"Hide's smart and has a good instinct. He knows Kaneki well.. Way better than I do. There's no way he wouldn't know someone Kaneki knew."

".."

He nodded, "Tell him the truth."

".. Um.. The truth is.. Centipede is, uh.. It's.. It's complicated.."

"I can explain, if you need me to."

"? But.."

"I can take over the body. Can I do that?" I nodded, and I felt weird instantly. I was all of the sudden outside of my body.

Hide's P.O.V.

"Hi, Hide.."

"!!"

This voice..

"K- er.."

"I'm Centipede."

".."

He sounds so much.. like Kaneki..

"In this body used to be multiple personalities, you could say. One was Kaneki. Over time, he changed, as you saw. But at one point, Kaneki started to split, you could say. And I was created. I don't really have a name. You could call me Kaneki, but.. I don't think it fits. Kaneki.. was.. so innocent and kind. Human. I'm not like him.. Then when Kaneki got amnesia.."

"KANEKI GOT AMNESIA?!!!" I sat up, fear and despair in my eyes. "I--Is tha-"

"Kaneki gotamnesia.. so he didn't remember anything - or anyone - from before.. He hasn'tbeen anywhere that used to be important to him. His home, to you, Anteiku, noneof it. That's why Haise was born. He's a lot like Kaneki, but.. er, actually,it'd be more accurate to say.. that he's a warped Kaneki. Take everythingKaneki was and twist it a little, and you'll have Haise.

"While that washappening.. While Haise was living his new life.. I'm ashamed to say.. that I..I ate Kaneki.. I already had some of Kaneki's memories, but when I did that, Igot more of them. Another change was that I became stable. Now that Haiseaccepted me.. I'm fully stable. I ate Kaneki.. and regretted it instantly.Because if I had handled my hunger better.. I wouldn't be starving, and Kanekiwould still be alive.. Heh.. I've always been so out-of-control. It was likechaos followed where I was."

He looked up for the first time since he mentioned eating Kaneki.

".. So Kaneki is.."

I felt cold. Like I was outside, being covered in snow.

Kaneki was..

DEAD.