After Kamishiro Rize left, Kanzaki Ryoma remained in the coffee shop, taking his time before heading out.
After all, several key figures from the original story were still present—Yoshimura Kuzen, Kirishima Touka, and Yomo Renji. He figured there was always a chance the system's reward mechanism might trigger again.
That said, Ryoma had no intention of deliberately drawing attention to himself or striking up unnecessary conversations.
Instead, he turned his attention to the bookshelves lining the café. With a fresh cup of coffee still in hand, he figured he might as well pick something to read.
His eyes landed on a collection of novels by Takatsuki Sen.
In this timeline—slightly earlier than the main events of Tokyo Ghoul—Takatsuki Sen was already a highly renowned author.
But Ryoma knew her true identity.
Behind the mask of the beautiful and famous writer lay the SSS-rated ghoul "One-Eyed Owl" of Aogiri Tree—her real name, Eto Yoshimura.
That alone made him all the more interested in her work.
He reached for her debut novel, The Black Goat's Egg. Since the original series never detailed the contents of her books, this was something entirely new for him.
As he immersed himself in the story, hushed whispers filled the café. Even as he read, Ryoma could sense the subtle gazes from nearby ghouls, quietly discussing him.
[Ding! Host has read The Black Goat's Egg and received: 1 Fusion Point!]
Midway through the book, the system notification flashed in his mind.
Though it was only a single fusion point, what intrigued him was the system's broad reward trigger—apparently, even reading could earn him points.
Was it because this was Takatsuki Sen's work?
If that was the case, perhaps he should go through all of her novels.
With renewed interest, Ryoma returned his focus to The Black Goat's Egg. Even having read only half, he could already feel the unique imprint of Takatsuki Sen's writing.
A heavy atmosphere of despair.
A deep distrust of the world.
A grim pessimism woven into every sentence.
These were themes only someone like Eto Yoshimura—who had grown up in the merciless 24th Ward—could truly express.
Despite its bleakness, the story was compelling. In fact, it was precisely because of its distinctive style that it stood out.
Generic stories were forgettable. This, however, was something memorable.
Before he realized it, the sky outside had turned dark.
His stomach growled slightly.
Time for dinner.
Sliding a bookmark between the pages, Ryoma rose from his seat and made his way toward the front counter.
"Excuse me, could I borrow this book for the night? I'll return it tomorrow morning," he asked.
Behind the counter stood a girl with short blue-purple hair, dressed in a work uniform.
Her bangs fell over her right eye, giving her a quiet, somewhat shy appearance.
There was no mistaking her identity.
Kirishima Touka.
Without looking up from her work, she responded coldly, "We don't do book rentals."
Then, after a pause, she added, "But if you really want to borrow it, you'll need to leave a deposit. As long as you return it on time, you'll get it back."
Her reasoning was simple—there was a good chance this human wouldn't be alive tomorrow to return the book.
Especially since Kamishiro Rize had already marked him as prey.
"Fair enough," Ryoma replied, reaching into his pocket.
The system had already filled him in on his background.
Apparently, he was now a legal resident of Tokyo, a student at Kamii University, and financially well-off. His parents were deceased, but he owned both a house and a car.
All fabricated by the system, like an author rewriting a character's backstory.
Kamii University…
If he remembered correctly, it was one of Tokyo's top universities in this world—comparable to a prestigious national school.
The system had definitely gone out of its way to set him up with a solid background, though none of it mattered compared to the power of Madara's fusion. Everything else was just a bonus.
Without hesitation, he handed over the deposit to Kirishima Touka.
Taking the book with him, he left Antique.
---
As the door shut behind him, Touka watched his back for a moment.
"You seem interested in that guy," a teasing voice came from behind her.
It was Irimi Kaya, another waitress at Antique.
Touka frowned. "No. I just don't like watching a human being treated as prey."
Kaya chuckled. "There's nothing we can do. Rize is a force of nature. Everywhere she goes, she leaves chaos behind. Even the leader of the 6th Ward was taken down because of her."
"I know," Touka muttered. "That's why I don't plan on interfering."
Despite her words, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.
Why did the manager even allow someone like Rize to stay here?
She and the others could never understand Yoshimura's reasoning.
But from an omniscient perspective, it was obvious—Rize's real identity was that of a "breeding tool" for the Washuu Clan. The very same Washuu Clan that Yoshimura feared the most.
Interfering with her would only draw unnecessary attention, threatening the fragile peace Antique had built.
None of the café staff knew the full picture. They only saw Yoshimura tolerating Rize's reckless actions without understanding why.
---
Meanwhile, Ryoma walked through the dimly lit streets of Tokyo.
He held the book in one hand, flipping through its pages as he walked. Every now and then, he would glance up to avoid bumping into someone.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar figure.
A petite girl stood nearby.
Something about her presence made him pause.
Looking up, he saw her clearly—
Takatsuki Sen.
The very author of The Black Goat's Egg.
Or rather…
Eto Yoshimura.
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