Kaneki Ken hesitated several times, but eventually only told the woman the fact that Nishio Nishiki was dead.
A period of peaceful days followed.
The Ghouls of Anteiku did not believe Akuto's words.
They were still very close with the Fueguchi family; Kaneki Ken and Touka were even as close to Hinami as real siblings.
Subsequently, Tsukiyama Shuu once again set his sights on Kaneki Ken.
In the original work, Tsukiyama Shuu should have kidnapped Nishio Nishiki's girlfriend to lure Kaneki Ken.
But the problem was that Nishio Nishiki was dead.
This led to a deviation in the plot.
Tsukiyama Shuu's target this time was aimed directly at Kaneki Ken's most cherished best friend, Hideyoshi Nagachika.
Learning that his dear friend had been abducted, Kaneki Ken and Touka immediately set off to rescue him, single-mindedly wanting to snatch Hide back from the clutches of that obsessive Ghoul.
At the scene of the confrontation.
A near-frenzied desire surged in the depths of Tsukiyama Shuu's eyes; he licked the corner of his lips and announced his twisted plan in a voice filled with morbid excitement. "I want to watch you with my own eyes, Kaneki Ken, eating your best friend. After you are swallowed by this despair and guilt, I will savor every bit of you, piece by piece."
But at this time, Kaneki Ken had almost no combat power, and his Kagune had not even awakened.
Facing Tsukiyama Shuu's relentless pressure, he could only barely protect Hide behind him, his counterattacks appearing pale and weak.
All the burden fell on Touka's shoulders.
She grit her teeth, fighting desperately based on her obsession with her companions, her fists and Kagune striking in turn, yet she still gradually fell into a disadvantage.
Tsukiyama Shuu's strength was already formidable, and now it was bolstered by his twisted desires.
Several wounds soon appeared on Touka's body, her breathing became increasingly rapid, and the battle was exceptionally difficult.
At this moment of being on the brink of despair, the "bonds" that ran through the entire anime finally played an irreplaceable role.
Looking at the wounded Touka, a flash of determination crossed Kaneki Ken's eyes.
He suddenly grabbed Touka's wrist and brought his shoulder to her mouth, his voice hoarse but firm:
"Touka, take a bite of me to recover your strength; we will definitely save Hide."
Touka was stunned, hesitation and pity flashing in her eyes.
But seeing Kaneki Ken's unquestionable gaze and catching sight of the still-unconscious Hide not far away, she eventually grit her teeth and bit down.
This scene completely ignited Tsukiyama Shuu's fury.
The ingredient he dreamed of had actually offered himself to someone else.
This desecrated obsession made him go mad instantly; his attacks became more chaotic but also full of openings.
Touka seized this fleeting opportunity.
Quickly recovering her strength with the energy obtained from Kaneki Ken, her Kagune suddenly surged, and she smashed into Tsukiyama Shuu with a full-force blow.
Accompanied by a heavy thud, Tsukiyama Shuu staggered and fell to the ground, temporarily losing his ability to resist.
However, just as the two breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to help Hide up.
A huge problem suddenly appeared before them.
Hideyoshi Nagachika had woken up at some point and was staring with wide eyes, looking blankly at the wounded Touka, whose Kagune had not yet fully retracted, and the unstable Kaneki Ken, whose shoulder still bore tooth marks.
Speaking of which, during the rescue process just now, Touka and Kaneki Ken had shouted about "friends" and "bonds" for a long time to encourage each other and strengthen their resolve; thinking about it now, it was actually somewhat ironic.
In fact, there was no need for words; as long as one wasn't a fool, seeing this scene would lead them to guess that they were by no means ordinary people.
But Touka's brain seemed to short-circuit instantly.
A sharp problem stabbed into her thoughts. "We came here to save him, but now he has seen our Ghoul forms... To avoid exposure and for everyone's safety, I have to kill him."
Her gaze gradually became complex, with struggle and pity, but also a hint of ruthlessness from being pushed to a dead end.
She slowly raised and deployed her Ukaku.
At that moment, Kaneki Ken blocked Hideyoshi Nagachika without hesitation, protecting his best friend with his back and looking at Touka with a firm gaze. "Touka! He is my best friend!"
"Get out of the way! Kaneki, I came to save someone, but if the price is the others in Anteiku, I can't sit idly by."
Kaneki Ken swallowed nervously. "Touka, it's not like there aren't humans who know our identities!"
"Nishio Nishiki's girlfriend knows his identity! Mr. Akuto is also human!"
"Touka, I beg you... I beg you to let him go..."
Kaneki Ken's words were like a bucket of cold water waking Touka from her obsession.
She looked at Kaneki Ken's figure protecting Hide.
Looking at Kaneki, who was crying like a baby, the ruthlessness in her eyes gradually faded, turning into annoyance.
"A grown man blubbering like that, it's really disgusting."
"Hey, you better remember this: if you tell anyone about any of us, I will kill you myself!"
The matter seemed to have reached a satisfactory resolution.
However, the bad news was already irreversible.
Hideyoshi Nagachika was not only awake, but he had also seen their forms and heard their conversation in its entirety.
He completely knew that his best friend Kaneki Ken had long ago turned into a Ghoul, something that had previously only existed in rumors.
"Finish up quickly!" Touka turned and left.
Kaneki Ken and Hideyoshi Nagachika exchanged a glance; the atmosphere was very heavy. "Hide..."
"No need to say anything, Ken." Hideyoshi Nagachika smiled weakly. "I know you must have had your reasons."
"We're still friends, aren't we?" Hide's reaction left Kaneki, who was prepared to explain, stunned for a moment, and then he nodded heavily!
Afterward, the two walked out of Tsukiyama Shuu's restaurant and went their separate ways.
Both of them knew in their hearts that their opportunities to meet in the future would be few and far between... and meanwhile.
Mado Kureo and Koutarou Amon followed the clues and found Hinami's father, and Hinami's father was killed by Jason.
The two had a brief exchange with Jason, but ultimately Jason escaped.
The CCG recovered Dr. Fueguchi's body.
At the same time, the two also obtained clues about Mrs. Fueguchi and Hinami Fueguchi.
A week after this incident, Akuto finally returned leisurely to the Ghoul world.
Opening his eyes again, Akuto was already lying on his own bed.
Yawning, Akuto opened the door and walked out.
In that instant, the seven or eight people outside were all stunned.
Including Akuto. "Wait, what are you all doing in my house?"
Akuto looked closely and found that the room was full of Inspectors, and Akira was here too!
Akira and the Inspectors' pupils also trembled.
"Wait, why did you come out from there?" Mado Akira was also dumbfounded.
They had checked the rooms just now, and even the windows were locked from the inside; how did this person appear from over there?
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
"Ahem..."
"He's been found; you guys head back first."
After Mado Akira sent the bewildered Inspectors away, she walked quickly to the room's window.
Confirming that the window was indeed locked, her brow furrowed even tighter as she turned around. "Who exactly are you? How can you do something like this? What were you doing during the month you disappeared?"
A series of questions blurted out, carrying the doubts and irritability she had accumulated for a month.
During this month, she had processed her work step-by-step on the surface, but privately she couldn't help but check for his traces, even using the power of the CCG and the Police Station.