Clearly, Mutsuki hadn't expected Byakuya to help cover for her.
"I see. Go ahead then."
Akira nodded slightly.
Afterward, Byakuya headed out toward the Ward 20 Branch.
Mutsuki followed closely behind, her eyepatch secured firmly in place.
Even now, she still couldn't control her single kakugan.
Ever since the Qs surgery, her right eye had remained permanently transformed into a kakugan that wouldn't revert. She had to keep it covered with an eyepatch at all times.
"About earlier... thank you."
Mutsuki expressed her gratitude to Byakuya.
"Don't mention it."
Byakuya replied.
"Why... is Associate Special Class Amaha willing to help me this much...?"
Mutsuki couldn't help but ask.
"Why, you ask... It's simple, really. You're part of the Quinx Squad too. If this matter can be resolved privately, that's obviously for the best."
Byakuya explained calmly. "I'm sure you don't want Urie and the others to find out what you did before, right?"
"Mm..."
Mutsuki nodded, deeply grateful.
...
Ward 20, CCG Branch.
Suzuya was sitting in the office.
He'd been fitted with a prosthetic right leg upon discharge and no longer needed a wheelchair.
After a period of rehabilitation training, he could now move normally and even fight ghouls.
Since Shinohara remained in a vegetative state, CCG hadn't yet assigned Suzuya a new partner. For now, he operated alone.
Barring any surprises, Suzuya would soon be promoted from First Class to Associate Special Class.
CCG headquarters likely didn't see an urgent need to assign Suzuya a superior. Once he made Associate Special Class, they could directly assign him a subordinate instead.
"Juuzou."
Arriving at the office, Byakuya called out.
"Byakuya!"
Seeing Byakuya, Suzuya's face lit up with joy. He immediately left his seat and came running over with his arms spread wide like airplane wings—that childlike gesture of his.
Notably, Suzuya's hair had changed from white to black.
Moreover, his facial expressions now conveyed far more emotion than before.
This transformation stemmed from Shinohara's selfless care, along with the attention Byakuya and others had shown him.
In cases where hair changed from black to white—like Kaneki and Mutsuki—it was due to "darkening." Arima's case was simply normal aging and didn't count.
Suzuya had actually been black-haired originally. It was the abuse and twisted affection from the SS-rated ghoul Big Madam during his childhood that had turned his hair white.
As was well known, people like Kaneki, Mutsuki, and Suzuya all had more than one personality. Suzuya's hair returning to black could be seen as the opposite of "darkening"—a "lightening," or perhaps a return to his original self.
Compared to his white-haired persona, the black-haired Suzuya was emotionless, cruel, and devoid of moral boundaries.
"Looks like you've fully adapted to your prosthetic."
Seeing Suzuya so energetic, Byakuya felt genuinely happy.
"Mm-hmm, I've been working hard on rehabilitation every day~"
Suzuya nodded.
As he spoke, he extended both hands toward Byakuya, clearly expecting something.
Byakuya knew Suzuya wanted praise and candy.
"Good job, good job."
Byakuya pulled some candy from his pocket and placed it in Suzuya's hands while offering praise.
"Thanks~"
Suzuya beamed with delight.
Perhaps because his black-haired personality dated back to before Big Madam's abuse, he was even more childlike than his previous white-haired self.
Fortunately, his intelligence, abilities, and combat instincts hadn't regressed at all. If anything, he was becoming stronger.
At that moment, Suzuya noticed Mutsuki standing beside Byakuya.
While sucking on a lollipop, he looked at Mutsuki with mild curiosity. "Is this person also an investigator from our Ward 20 Branch? I don't think I've seen them before..."
During his time at the Academy, Suzuya had always kept to himself, rarely interacting with anyone. It was perfectly normal for him not to remember Mutsuki.
And since Mutsuki had been working from home ever since the Qs surgery and wasn't assigned to any branch, Suzuya would never have encountered her.
"No, not from our branch. This is a member of the Quinx Squad."
Byakuya introduced her.
Since Mutsuki had always presented as male with deliberately short hair, virtually everyone—including Urie and the others—saw her as a boy. Naturally, Byakuya referred to her with male pronouns.
He also gave Mutsuki a meaningful look.
Mutsuki understood she had to seize this opportunity. Summoning her courage, she spoke. "I... I'm Tooru Mutsuki. I'm the one who actually abused that cat back at the Academy..."
Though she'd prepared herself mentally, facing this moment still made her involuntarily nervous and afraid.
She kept her head lowered, unable to look Suzuya in the eye.
What she didn't realize was that Suzuya's expression remained perfectly calm.
"I remember it was a combat instructor named Tokage who pointed the finger at me, right? I don't know why he did it. Maybe the old me was just too unlikeable?"
Suzuya said with a smile.
Not only did he refrain from condemning Mutsuki, he even shared one of his candies with her. "Here, have a candy. Don't be sad."
Mutsuki looked up in shock, only to find Suzuya's face holding nothing but a pure, innocent smile.
"Take it."
Byakuya prompted her.
He too recognized how dramatically Suzuya had changed. This transformation had been bought with the painful experiences of the Owl Suppression Operation...
Mutsuki came to her senses, quickly accepted the candy, and thanked Suzuya.
Afterward, Suzuya pulled Byakuya to the break room to chat and snack, inviting Mutsuki along as well.
In the break room, Suzuya's attitude toward Mutsuki remained friendly throughout—as if there had never been any conflict between them.
Even as Mutsuki relaxed, she found it hard to believe.
If she'd been in his position back then, she would have felt wronged and furious...
She couldn't fathom how someone could not only let go of everything completely but even chat and laugh with her like they were good friends.
...
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