Though it was technically a combat uniform, it still counted as formal attire.
That's just one of those old Japanese traditions — any official event requires formalwear, even when ghoul investigators go out on missions.
Wearing a suit into battle against ghouls might sound strange, but it was standard practice.
Some female investigators even wore outfits entirely unsuited for combat. In contrast, the gear worn by Arima—stylish yet practical—was already considered optimized for action.
Today was the entrance ceremony for Kamii University's undergraduate program—a proper, formal event. And in line with Japanese etiquette, that meant everyone was expected to show up in formal dress.
Byakuya followed the custom without complaint. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself—after all, being the only person not dressed for the occasion would be more conspicuous than just blending in.
He wore a black variant of the standard investigator's uniform, similar in style to Arima's white one. Eto matched Byakuya in the same black model, while Minami wore the white version like Arima.
The four of them—Byakuya, Eto, Minami, and Arima—had arranged to head to campus together. As they neared Kamii, they saw crowds of other new students streaming toward the gate, all dressed in near-identical outfits.
Girls in khaki trench coats, boys in black jackets — formality everywhere you looked.
The first official task as incoming students: attend the entrance ceremony.
But they had barely made it to the gate when a few sharp-eyed students started whispering.
"Hey, isn't that the guy from the Tokyo war? The one who led the TSC? Why would he be here?"
"And those people with him look really familiar too—wait, I remember now! That green-haired woman is Sen Takatsuki! She's also... the One-Eyed Owl!"
"Then that guy must be the chairman of the TSC! No way they're enrolling at Kamii with us, right?"
"..."
By now, both Byakuya and Eto were household names in Tokyo.
Byakuya barely needed an introduction — immensely powerful, politically influential, and a bestselling author. Many of his readers were students.
Eto had her own dual celebrity status: as the acclaimed novelist Sen Takatsuki and the once-feared SSS-rated ghoul, the One-Eyed Owl.
Her ghoul identity had long been public knowledge, but that hadn't stopped her fans from admiring her.
She had mostly targeted the now-defunct CCG, and hadn't harmed civilians. Now that the CCG had dissolved and merged into the new TSC, and after the war to defend Tokyo, public perception of the One-Eyed Owl had softened. Greatly.
Her violent past only added to her mystique — now that she was no longer a threat, the contrast between her monstrous history and her literary gentleness became a strange, even charming, appeal to many fans.
As whispers spread, more and more students began to notice them—resulting in a flood of autograph requests, photos, and fan chatter.
It was a bit of a hassle—but not enough to disrupt their registration.
"Some guy's real popular, huh?" Eto teased.
"You're not exactly low-key yourself" Byakuya replied with a faint sigh.
"Good thing Arima and I are a little less famous" Minami said with a smile.
A few students still approached her and Arima for signatures or selfies, but nothing close to the commotion surrounding Byakuya and Eto.
Guided by upperclassmen and security, the new students entered the building where the ceremony would be held.
It was a massive multipurpose auditorium, large enough to seat every freshman in Kamii's undergrad program.
Once the room had mostly filled, the university president and a few upperclassmen took the stage.
Then came the president's welcome speech—technically important, but for most students, just the start of the sleepy part of the ceremony.
When it finally ended, the students were dismissed in an orderly fashion.
Outside, the streets were jammed with student clubs recruiting new members and handing out flyers.
By the time Byakuya and Eto made their way to the cafeteria to rest, each of them had picked up more than twenty different pamphlets—from every kind of club imaginable.
Arima and Minami were with them.
"In college life, club activities are a pretty big deal" Byakuya said, flipping through his stack.
"You should consider joining a few—you can sign up for more than one."
The flyers included everything from anime and tokusatsu clubs to music, baseball, dance… even some ghoul-related clubs.
There were things like Ghoul Studies Society, TSC Enthusiasts Club, Ghoul Investigator Appreciation Group...
Clearly, fan-made groups run by students fascinated by that world.
Thanks to the collective effort of Byakuya and the TSC, ghouls were now able to receive relatively fair treatment in some academic settings. It was still in its early stages, limited to universities in the Tokyo area.
Elementary, middle, and high schools hadn't made the shift—children weren't as mature as college students, and still held onto prejudice and fear.
But here, at Kamii University, it was entirely possible that real ghouls were members of those clubs.
"True. Since we're here to experience student life, club activities are a must" Eto nodded.
"But I'll probably join just one or two—any more and I won't have time."
"Same here" Rize added. "I'm thinking of joining a ghoul-related club, and one that's literature-focused."
She turned to Arima. "What about you?"
"Pretty much the same" Arima replied calmly. "I like reading too."
"Looks like we all have similar interests" Byakuya said, smiling. "So we'll be narrowing it down to either ghoul-related or literature-based clubs first."