It was clear from Eto's tone that there was a hint of complaint in her voice.
Apparently, she had been waiting at his door in 2nd Ward for quite a while.
"Ahem..."
Byakuya coughed lightly. "I forgot to tell you earlier — I've been reassigned to a temporary mission. I'm currently in 4th Ward"
"You could've mentioned that earlier. I wasted a trip and had to wait around for nothing"
Her tone carried even more annoyance now.
"My apologies... It was my oversight..."
Byakuya replied, slightly embarrassed.
"So, where exactly are you now? I'll come to meet you."
Eto wasn't the type to stay upset for long. After a couple of complaints, she dropped the matter.
Byakuya quickly shared his exact location, figuring he'd likely be working in 4th Ward for the foreseeable future.
"I'll meet you at the subway station later"
"Alright. Just don't keep me waiting again"
Shortly after, Byakuya headed to the subway station to wait for Eto.
Eto was quick, she didn't keep him waiting for long.
With a light green shoulder bag slung over her back, she emerged from the subway station.
"So... What brings you all the way to 4th Ward?"
"Let's talk somewhere else. This place isn't exactly private..."
The bustling crowd at the subway station wasn't the best setting for a sensitive discussion.
...
Once they reached a quieter street,
"A group called 'Clowns' You've heard of them, right?" Byakuya asked in a moderate tone.
"Of course. The first leader of the 'Clowns' is still locked up in Cochlea" Eto replied.
Naturally, Eto knew about them. She'd once attacked the ghoul detention center in 23rd Ward, aiming to recruit powerful ghouls, including the first leader of the Clowns, the "Dodgy Mother" Roma Hoito.
However, the raid wasn't entirely successful—they didn't breach the level where Roma was held.
(Author Note: Correction to earlier context — Roma was still imprisoned at this point.)
"The Clowns have become one of the V's biggest nuisances" Byakuya explained. "And there's a ghoul group in District 4 called the 'Clown Mask' that's connected to them. Their activity has been growing increasingly rampant, and I'm investigating them now."
"The 'Clown Mask'? I know a bit about them. Need my help?" Eto offered.
"The 'Clown Mask' aren't my main concern. I'm just following orders on the surface. My real target isn't them."
Byakuya shook his head slightly.
The group was of little importance—at most, their leader might be useful. Defeating him would earn attribute points.
Though Yomo was close to their leader, he wasn't a member of the group. He was a lone wolf.
"So, who are you after? Another girl?" Eto asked almost instinctively.
"Not exactly. There are several people I'm looking for — ghouls, to be precise" Byakuya answered honestly. "The Kirishima family and the Yomo family."
"Can't help you there—I don't know much about them" Eto admitted.
As informed as she was, Eto wasn't omniscient.
Hikari Kirishima and Arata Kirishima, parents of Touka, weren't particularly powerful ghouls at this point in the timeline. In fact, they likely hadn't even been officially named by the CCG yet.
In the future, Hikari's desperation to protect her children would lead her to extensive predation and cannibalism eventually drawing the attention of the CCG — or possibly the V organization — and resulting in her defeat at the hands of Arima.
In the original story, Arima's S+ rated quinque, 'Narukami' was crafted from Hikari's kagune and kakuhou. Its destructive power was unparalleled.
"There's no rush on that. Let's buy a laptop first. Otherwise, I won't be able to edit manuscripts while I'm in 4th Ward"
With that, Byakuya set off toward the mall.
"Must be nice to have money—buying whatever you want..."
Eto glanced down at her outfit—a dress she'd worn for ages. It was old and worn.
Though she identified more as a ghoul, she was still a girl. It was natural to want to look beautiful.
Even pure-blooded ghoul girls liked to dress up. For example, Mayu "Nutcracker" had once desperately wanted to be beautiful but couldn't afford it as a child, leading to her eventual descent into madness.
For Eto, lack of money was always an issue. Even if she had funds, they prioritized her organization, Aogiri Tree, over personal expenses.
Recently, she'd managed to buy a relatively cheap bag, but that was a rare luxury.
With his sharp observational skills, Byakuya quickly noticed Eto's subtle gaze. He had a pretty good idea of what was going through her mind.
He tactfully suggested, "After we buy the laptop, let's check out some clothing stores. It seems like you've been wearing that outfit for quite a while."
"..."
Eto was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected him to bring up the topic.
It felt as though he'd completely read her mind.
But "mind reading" was something that only existed in fiction — novels or manga. It couldn't possibly be real.
So, Eto dismissed the thought as a coincidence.
"In that case, I won't hold back. I'll definitely pick out a couple of pretty new outfits"
She smiled.
"As many as you like. It's not a problem" Byakuya said casually.
Compared to the operational costs of Aogiri Tree, a few new outfits were a trivial expense.
"Oh? You said it!"
Surprised by his generosity, Eto felt a twinge of joy.
If he hadn't brought it up, she wouldn't have spent his funds on clothes. Now, she finally had the chance to pick out some beautiful, stylish outfits.
...
When buying the laptop, Byakuya wasn't picky.
He grabbed a mid-range model — good enough for writing and editing. There was no need for anything high-end.
Next, it was time to hit the clothing stores.
They found a well-decorated boutique that specialized in women's clothing. As they walked in together, a staff member at the entrance stopped them.
At the entrance, a female clerk stopped them. "I'm sorry, sir. Are you a couple? If not, men aren't allowed inside, as this is a woman's-only store."
Byakuya was about to suggest going elsewhere when Eto turned to him with a teasing smile.
"So... are we a couple~?"