The negotiation ended.
Tsukiyama Mirumo departed quickly with Shuu Tsukiyama.
Only the family butler remained.
Ren looked at him curiously.
"You're not leaving?"
The butler bowed respectfully.
With both hands, he presented a sleek black card made from cold metallic material.
"Mr. Ren."
"This is a small token of appreciation from our master."
"Please accept it."
Ren examined the card briefly.
Then accepted it calmly.
Seeing this—
The butler bowed again.
Then quietly left the café.
…
Only after the door closed did Ren finally exhale.
"Ugh…"
He collapsed heavily onto the sofa.
The leather cushions sank slightly beneath his weight.
Despite possessing the monstrous power of Carnage—
At the end of the day—
He was still just a college student.
Negotiating with someone like Tsukiyama Mirumo—
A veteran businessman who had navigated ghoul society for decades—
Was exhausting.
Throughout the negotiation—
He had been led almost completely by the other man's rhythm.
Momentum.
Timing.
Leverage.
Every aspect had favored Mirumo.
The only moment he had managed to disrupt that balance—
Was when he mentioned the Washuu family.
Even then—
Mirumo had recovered instantly.
That feeling of being manipulated left a deep frustration behind.
"Kiryu-nii…"
A cautious voice spoke.
Ken Kaneki stood nearby.
His face showed obvious concern.
"Are you… alright?"
Ren buried his face in the sofa.
"Not really."
His voice sounded tired.
"Kaneki…"
"Today's shift…"
"…you might need to handle most of it."
He simply didn't have the energy.
Kaneki nodded immediately.
"Leave it to me."
His expression was serious.
He understood very well.
All of this trouble had started because of him.
Inside Ren's mind—
Carnage sneered.
[…Pathetic…]
[…You barely said anything…]
Ren rolled his eyes.
"You try negotiating with that old fox."
"See how easy it is."
Carnage answered bluntly.
[…Stop talking…]
[…Eat him…]
"…Then what?"
He snorted.
"What do we gain besides trouble?"
Carnage's reply was simple.
[…A delicious meal…]
At that moment—
Touka Kirishima walked quietly over.
She looked down at him.
Her usually cold purple eyes now carried genuine gratitude.
"…Thank you."
Her voice was soft.
Much gentler than usual.
Ren raised his head slightly.
Then waved lazily.
"No need."
"It wasn't a big deal."
Touka hesitated.
"…Why?"
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Helping me like this…"
"It's dangerous."
Ren sat up slowly.
Actually—
It wasn't dangerous.
Not for him.
He leaned back against the sofa.
His gaze swept across the café.
Anyone in Anteiku—
If they possessed the strength—
Would probably do the same.
The only difference was—
He happened to have the power.
"It's simple."
He smiled faintly.
"If anyone else here had my strength…"
"They'd help you too."
He shrugged lightly.
"They're just not strong enough yet."
The power of Carnage removed many limitations.
Even the legendary Kishou Arima, known as the White Reaper, no longer felt unreachable.
This power allowed him to resolve regrets.
In this unfamiliar world—
He had no family.
No past.
But the quiet days inside Anteiku—
And the strange yet warm people here—
Had gradually created something new.
A place that felt like home.
He looked at Touka.
His smile softened.
"After all…"
"…we're friends, right?"
If his memory of future events was correct—
The organization Aogiri Tree would eventually launch a large-scale assault on the ghoul prison Cochlea.
That chaos—
Combined with Tsukiyama Mirumo's intelligence—
Would create the perfect chance to rescue Kirishima Arata.
And for Carnage—
It would also mean another battlefield.
…
Touka stared at him silently.
His honest smile made her chest tighten slightly.
Her lips moved.
But no words came out.
In the end—
She simply nodded.
"…Mm."
Then turned away quickly.
She walked back behind the counter.
Pretending to clean glasses.
But her fingers trembled slightly.
…
Meanwhile—
Ren lay back down on the sofa.
His fingers spun the black card absentmindedly.
The cold surface reminded him of the weight behind that "gift."
At that moment—
Ding.
The café door opened.
"We're back."
The gentle voice of Yoshimura echoed inside.
Behind him walked Enji Koma and Kaya Irimi.
They had gone out earlier to handle supply matters.
"Manager."
Touka looked up.
"Did you find a new supplier?"
"Yes."
Yoshimura nodded.
"The new supplier is quite cooperative."
"I still have a few matters to deal with."
He walked toward the stairs.
Heading to the second floor.
Irimi paused briefly.
Her eyes lingered on Ren.
A faint smile crossed her lips.
Then she followed Yoshimura upstairs.
Koma, however—
Walked directly over.
He slapped Ren's shoulder.
"Not bad, kid!"
His tone was teasing.
"Kidnapping Tsukiyama Shuu and demanding ransom from his father…"
"That's exactly the kind of thing I would've done in my youth!"
"…Wait."
Ren froze.
"What?"
"You knew?"
Koma blinked.
"Of course."
"Stop pretending."
Then he suddenly smacked his forehead.
"Oh right."
"You weren't here when we installed it."
He pointed upward.
"See that camera?"
"…What?"
Ren slowly looked up.
A dark camera lens stared down from the ceiling.
Pointed directly at him.
"Relax."
Koma laughed.
"The manager noticed it from the start."
"I thought he'd call and stop you."
He shrugged.
"But it seems…"
"…the manager tacitly approved."
Ren stood there.
Stunned.
In his mind—
The image of Yoshimura's gentle smile appeared.
He had to admit.
Yoshimura truly was—
A man whose kindness could sometimes feel contradictory.
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