As Kaneki sat in his hospital bed he hated life.
Something wasn't right. Everytime he tried to eat food, even his favorites, it tasted disgusting and felt wrong and unfamiliar in his mouth.
"Kaneki-san!," his nurse called.
Right before she came in, Kaneki pulled the covers over his head.
After the trauma he had just been through he had no intentions of having social interaction with anybody. Except for one person.
"Is that all you're going to eat," Kaneki heard her say.
Kaneki prayed that she would go away.
"Oh, right! Your friend visited here again today," she informed him with an annoying cheerful tone.
Kaneki's feelings brightened a little.
"Ah, Doctor Kano!"
"How are we feeling today, Kaneki-kun?," a deeper man's voice asked.
Kaneki had no idea that Hide was just outside the hospital he was laying in. But then he turned around, put on his headphones, and walked away.
Later, Kaneki sat on his bed silently as he felt Doctor Kano press the cold metal of a stethoscope against his chest.
"I heard you haven't been eating much ever since your admission, but there doesn't seem to be anything particularly wrong," the Doctor said.
Kaneki did not trust his body anymore. And after what he had just experienced he did not trust anybody.
But he wanted a solution to his predicament.
"Um… my taste buds don't quite seem right," Kaneki said in a weak voice that he was no longer used to using.
"Tastebuds?"
"Everything just tastes like ash."
"Kaneki, this might just be a psychological problem in itself. A result of your trauma. It was a serious accident after all."
Kaneki's Doctor smiled warmly, but Kaneki kept his gaze trained on his lap.
"There's no rush," he said. "Take all the time you need to recover."
Doctor Kano rose from his seat. "I'll stop by later," he said and with that final statement he left the room.
Nothing particularly wrong?, thought Kaneki.
After a few more days, Kaneki was able to leave the hospital.
The sunshine that shone through the branches of the leafless trees felt unfamiliar. Somehow cold and warm at the same time.
It almost feels like the time I spent with Rize-san was nothing but a whimsical dream, thought Kaneki.
But if there's one thing I'm certain of… Ever since then something has been…
Something has been eating away at me.
As Kaneki made his way through an alley, he noticed a bag with a piece of paper sticking out of the side.
A humorous inaccurate sketch of who could only be Kaneki was on the front of the piece of paper.
Kaneki carelessly picked it up and took it home.
When he settled down in the darkness and comfort of his own home he opened up the bag that contained food and read the note.
Kaneki, the paper read. Congratulations on your discharge! I present you with the finest leftovers my house has to offer, along with your favorite Hamburger. You better be grateful!
P.S. When you're feeling up to it, come back to school! It's rough here on my own.
Kaneki said the last word on the paper as he read it.
"Hide."
"Arigatou… but I'm sorry…"
Kaneki laid his body down on his bed and faded into the smooth darkness of a dreamless sleep.
Kaneki sat on his bed wide awake that night, half-listening to the Television in the corner of his room, unable to sleep.
He stared at his clasped hands connected to his elbows that he rested on his knees.
The TV filled the room with bright white light.
"Well in the first place, a ghoul has no need for an appetite this large within such a short period of time," an interviewee said.
"Just a single dead body would ensure their survival for a month or two."
"But Ogura-san, would the normal food that we eat suffice for ghouls as well?," the interviewer asked.
Now the TV had captured Kaneki's attention.
"Absolutely not," Ogura replied. "Ghouls are only able to derive their nutrients from human organs. Not to mention their tongues work differently from ours as well. Should they attempt to consume human food' they'd be left with just an incredible aftertaste."
Kaneki's eyes widened at this statement. He broke into a cold sweat.
No no no no no no no no…
Kaneki shot out of his bed and snatched open the bag of food Hide had left him.
No no no no no…
Hesitating, Kaneki swallowed hard before taking a small bite out of a snack that he held with shaking hands.
It tasted horrible. Kaneki vomited, his stomach muscles clenching.
No way, Kaneki thought.
Milk. Salad. A Sandwich. Mustard. Wasabi.
Vomit.
Iya na, iya na, iya na.
IYA NA!
Soda. Chicken. Ramen.
Vomit.
THIS CAN'T BE REAL!
Kaneki sobbed. So much misfortune. His elbows were wetted with the disgusting mixture of liquid and food that smeared and contaminated his tiled kitchen floor.
He heard the rustle of the bag as it fell onto the floor in front of him.
But it hadn't floated its way to its destination. It dropped.
It was Kaneki's favorite burger. Was there hope after all?
As he boiled the burger Kaneki silently thought to himself, Hide. Did you go out and buy this for me?
When the food finished boiling (to prevent any other factors that would kill Kaneki's taste buds) Kaneki cut it up into small pieces.
He hesitantly impaled a piece of meat and raised it to his lips.
He chewed.
A tear ran down Kaneki's face.
This can't be happening, Kaneki thought as he slowly let himself fall to the floor.
Kaneki was unaware of Hide calling his phone that was in his room, a piece of technology temporarily forgotten as he curled into a ball and sobbed.