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Chapter 13
"Is that not allowed?"
Minato watched from a short distance behind Takatsuki Sen as the girl went from happily skipping along to suddenly freezing in place.
Hmm... Mr. Minato, that might not be a good idea.
His answer had completely caught Takatsuki Sen off guard.
Had this idiot editor finally been stimulated into opening his mind?
No, that wasn't right.
Minato had always been sharp.
Why?
Well...
They weren't exactly in that kind of relationship, right?
Takatsuki Sen unconsciously turned the last sentence into a question.
Even she had started wondering what kind of relationship she actually had with Minato.
There was definitely affection between them.
But they had never officially confirmed anything.
Still, judging by the way they normally interacted, nobody would believe they weren't a couple.
"Hmph."
Minato snorted coldly.
Then he suddenly rushed behind Takatsuki Sen and clamped a large hand onto her head.
Takatsuki Sen's body instantly stiffened.
She was all too familiar with this feeling.
This was the exact aura Minato released whenever she missed a manuscript deadline.
"Takatsuki Sen..."
"Weren't you supposed to be in the bathroom?"
Minato's voice sounded like a demon escaping from hell itself.
Slowly, he turned her around.
Takatsuki Sen's expression froze.
Forcing a smile, she greeted him awkwardly.
"G-Good evening."
"How's work going?"
"Guess."
Minato revealed an exceptionally bright smile.
Then he lifted Takatsuki Sen up like a kitten.
Their faces were only inches apart.
Takatsuki Sen lowered her head and muttered quietly:
"Sorry..."
Minato sighed helplessly and put her back down.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Takatsuki Sen pouted.
"Mr. Minato is so mean."
"You already knew I came out, yet you still played with me."
Minato rubbed his forehead.
"Didn't I tell you to stay at the hotel?"
"It's dangerous outside."
"Dangerous?"
Takatsuki Sen looked left and right.
"Where?"
Minato suddenly found himself unable to explain.
The plot would begin soon.
He needed to find a way to send this girl back.
If something really happened to her...
He wouldn't forgive himself.
"Just listen to me next time."
"Got it?"
"Or not?"
Smack.
Minato lightly slapped the top of her head again.
Takatsuki Sen immediately squatted down like a frightened gopher.
"Got it, got it, got it, got it!"
She covered her head defensively.
Seeing her like this, Minato couldn't stay angry.
"Have you eaten yet?"
Takatsuki Sen poked her head out and shook it.
"No."
"Come on."
"I'll take you to get something to eat."
After saying goodbye to the driver, Minato brought Takatsuki Sen toward the nearest restaurant.
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Chapter 16
After dinner, Minato and Takatsuki Sen didn't take a taxi.
Instead, they decided to walk.
Partly to digest their food.
And partly because...
Someone didn't want to spend money.
"Heartbroken?"
Takatsuki Sen suddenly leaned in front of Minato while walking.
Moments earlier, they had eaten at an extremely high-end restaurant.
The total bill had been 450,000 yen.
Minato looked utterly defeated.
"Why does Totsuki have a restaurant branch here?!"
Unlike Tokyo Ghoul, he had actually watched quite a few cooking anime.
The most important issue was that the food there was ridiculously expensive.
Spending that much money on a single meal made his heart bleed.
After all, the 20th Ward was relatively peaceful.
A culinary paradise like Totsuki opening a branch here wasn't surprising.
Takatsuki Sen laughed cheerfully.
"When Mr. Minato first brought me there, I thought you'd suddenly become generous."
"Turns out you just didn't know what kind of place it was."
A smug smile appeared on her face.
Originally, she had thought Minato was treating her to a luxurious meal out of kindness.
Instead, he'd simply walked into a trap unknowingly.
"Hehehe..."
Seeing Minato's depressed expression made her extremely happy.
Watching him suffer occasional setbacks was entertaining.
Minato sighed.
For someone who rode free buses whenever possible and rarely drove his own car...
Spending money like that hurt more than losing his life.
Why had he agreed so easily?
"Mr. Minato."
"You looked incredibly cool when you paid the bill."
Takatsuki Sen grabbed his arm and gave him a thumbs-up.
Looking at her expression, Minato suddenly felt like he was staring at some overly enthusiastic fan.
"Sigh..."
Right now, he didn't even have the energy to pay attention to the soft sensation of her arm against his.
Money...
"Stop sighing."
"How about we split the profits from the new book sixty-forty?"
Takatsuki Sen raised both hands, showing six fingers on one side and four on the other.
Minato rolled his eyes.
"No thanks."
"Do you really think I'm that greedy?"
He wasn't shameless enough to take Takatsuki Sen's money.
While much of his current income was connected to her success, that was completely different.
"Then you're not heartbroken?"
"I'm heartbroken."
"Then why refuse?"
Takatsuki Sen smirked.
"Wouldn't it be nice if I supported you financially, Editor Minato?"
"Not at all."
Flick.
Minato tapped her forehead.
"What kind of man do you think I am?"
"A stupid editor, obviously."
"..."
Minato stared at her with dead-fish eyes.
"Are you asking for trouble?"
"Mhm."
Takatsuki Sen turned around and skipped ahead with her hands behind her back.
Minato was just about to chase after her—
When both of them suddenly stopped.
Why?
Because a hunched-over figure with glowing red eyes was standing in the road ahead.
A Ghoul.
And one reckless enough to appear in a busy district like this clearly wasn't interested in staying alive.
This was a downtown area.
The CCG would arrive within minutes.
"Looks like you were right, Mr. Minato."
Takatsuki Sen looked at the Ghoul thoughtfully.
"It really is a little unstable here."
Behind the smile on her face, however, her eyes had already turned frighteningly cold.
Even after repeated warnings, trash still kept appearing.
"That's why I told you not to wander around."
Minato stepped forward and pulled Takatsuki Sen behind him.
"Wouldn't it have been safer staying at the hotel?"
"Eh?"
Takatsuki Sen blinked.
"We're not running?"
Minato clenched his fists.
"I feel like punching something today."
Thinking about it carefully—
He had waited outside Anteiku all morning and found nothing.
Then he had spent hours dealing with unreasonable investors.
Then he had discovered Takatsuki Sen secretly sneaking out.
And finally...
He'd lost a fortune at dinner.
Minato was in a very bad mood.
"Uh..."
Takatsuki Sen looked at him strangely.
He couldn't possibly be planning to vent all the frustration she'd caused onto this Ghoul, right?
"Is that okay?"
She tugged on his sleeve.
"Don't worry."
Minato cracked his knuckles.
"A guy like this isn't a problem."
He could already judge the Ghoul's condition.
The creature clearly hadn't eaten properly in a long time.
Its face was pale.
Its eyes were unfocused.
It could barely stand upright.
The amount of RC cells in its body was likely pitiful.
Besides—
Minato had already fought Kamishiro Rize.
Compared to her, this Ghoul was nothing.
"Human..."
"Human!"
The starving Ghoul suddenly lunged toward them.
It didn't even bother checking who its targets were.
Its hunger had already driven it mad.