Chapter 134: Playing "Unravel" Right in Front of Kaneki Ken!
Jingle—!
The restaurant's door was pushed open, and the bell above it rang out clearly.
Irimi Kaya placed her folded black umbrella into the stand by the door and smiled at Ryohei Tanaka, who was by the window. "Good afternoon, Chef Tanaka."
She then nodded politely to Lucoa, who was beside him.
"Good afternoon," Ryohei replied courteously. "Please, have a seat. The Steamed Rice-flour Noodles aren't quite ready yet."
This was the second week he had been supplying them, and she was here for the pickup. Ryohei's gaze then shifted to the eyepatch-wearing young man beside her, who looked somewhat shy and anxious.
"This is Kaneki Ken. He's a new member at our shop," Irimi said, noticing his gaze and introducing the boy.
"Hello, Chef!" Kaneki Ken placed his hands stiffly at his sides and bowed deeply. He was clearly nervous, and his voice was a bit unnatural, coming out slightly higher than normal.
"Hello," Ryohei replied in a gentle tone.
The moment he saw him, he'd already guessed who it was: Kaneki Ken.
And immediately, a familiar melody began to echo in his mind.
'Should I play it?'
A malicious spark of interest lit up in Ryohei. "Unravel" was one of his favorite Japanese songs. When he had first watched Tokyo Ghoul, he had been completely blown away by it. Especially in that last episode of the first season, with that song playing... it was just an unrivaled high.
"Minos," Ryohei called out, turning to look at her in the main dining area. "Could you go to the break room and get my guitar?"
"Sure," Minos replied, her ruby-red eyes glancing at him. She turned and headed upstairs.
A moment later, she returned with the guitar Ryohei had bought that morning—a YAMAHA LL-TA, which had cost him 175,500 yen.
Ryohei opened the black guitar case, took out the instrument, and sat down at the counter. He crossed one leg, held the guitar, and took a moment to recall the chords. Then he began to play and sing.
"Oshiete, oshiete yo, sono shikumi wo..."
(Tell me, oh tell me, what is this?)
"Boku no naka ni, dare ga iru no?"
(Just who is it that's inside of me?)
Just those two lines. Kaneki, who had been sitting obediently at the counter next to Irimi, began to tremble.
His visible eye widened uncontrollably, his mouth falling slightly open. He instinctively turned to stare at Ryohei Tanaka at the counter.
Who is inside of me?
At first, he had no idea. But now, he knew.
"Kowareta, kowareta yo, kono sekai de."
(I'm broken, I'm broken, in this world.)
He had broken! More than once!
"Kimi ga warau, nani mo miezu ni."
(You're smiling, but I see nothing.)
"Kowareta boku nante sa, iki wo tomete."
(Please, just let me stop breathing, broken as I am.)
For a split second, Kaneki's breath truly did stop.
His mind had shattered. There was another "him" inside his body, smiling. He could hear it, he could feel it, but he couldn't see it!
"Hodokenai, hodokenai yo, shinjitsu sae... freeze."
(I can't unravel, I can't unravel, not even the truth... Freeze.)
The emotion built, and the tempo quickened.
"Kowaseru, kowasenai; kurueru, kuruenai!"
(Breakable; unbreakable. Psychotic; immovable!)
"Anata wo mitsukete... yureta!"
(I'm shaken as I find you!)
At that moment, the voice and tone became impassioned:
"Yuganda sekai ni dandan boku wa sukitootte mienaku natte..."
(In this twisted, distorted world, I'm gradually becoming transparent, fading away...)
"Mitsukenaide, boku no koto wo... mitsumenaide."
(Don't come looking for me... don't stare at me.)
"Dareka ga egaita sekai no naka de, anata wo kizutsuketaku wa nai yo."
(In a world that someone else imagined, I don't want to hurt you.)
"Oboetete, boku no koto wo... azayaka na mama."
(Please just remember me... as vivid as I was.)
"Mugen ni hirogaru kodoku ga karamaru..."
(The endless solitude entwines around me...)
"Mujaki ni waratta kioku ga sasatte..."
(The memory of you smiling innocently pierces me...)
...
Kaneki truly couldn't take it anymore. He fit the song perfectly. It was, quite simply, singing about him.
It never mentioned his name, but every single line was him.
That feeling of losing his place in the world, of being abandoned by everyone—that agonizing sense that he was still himself, but also no longer himself—it all came flooding back like a tidal wave.
It hurt. It hurt too much.
A stream of tears rolled down Kaneki's cheek, soaking the white eyepatch. He stood up, as if in a trance, and unconsciously walked toward the counter.
Irimi had been surprised at first to see Chef Tanaka playing the guitar, not realizing he had such a talent. But as she listened, she felt something was wrong.
'Is this... is he singing about Kaneki?'
'Does Chef Tanaka know something?'
Irimi was astonished. She turned and looked at Kaneki's retreating back, deeply moved.
Minos and Lucoa were leaning on the counter like two lazy, giant cats, their long arms resting on the bar top. They were watching Ryohei, completely absorbed in his performance.
When Kaneki walked over, Minos turned her head, and her eyes widened in shock.
'He's... he's actually crying!'
Minos had to admit, the song Ryohei was playing was beautiful and full of feeling, but it wasn't sad enough to make someone cry!
And yet, influenced by Kaneki's reaction, Minos suddenly felt the song was even more beautiful than before. Her gaze returned to Ryohei, her ruby-red eyes sparkling.
...
"Chef Tanaka... what is this song called?"
Seeing Ryohei finish the song and stop, Kaneki, who had taken off his eyepatch to wipe his tears, summoned his courage and asked.
"Unravel," Ryohei replied, turning to look at Kaneki with a gentle expression, his malicious prank complete.
"Unravel?"
Kaneki was stunned, unconsciously mulling the word over. As a verb, it meant "to undo, to solve, to clarify... or to collapse, to fail." It fit the theme perfectly.
He instinctively pulled out his phone and searched for it.
A moment later, he looked up, baffled. "I... I can't find it."
"That's because it's not a song from this world," Ryohei replied, his face a mask of perfect honesty.
Minos and Lucoa understood, but Kaneki was just confused. 'What does that mean? There's another world?'
"If you like it, I can play it again so you can record it," Ryohei offered, feeling a little sympathy for Kaneki. It was also, in a way, an apology. His prank had made the guy cry, and he felt a little bad about it.
"Could you really?!" Kaneki's face lit up with surprise.
He loved this song. It cut him to the core... but it resonated with him completely.
"Sure." Ryohei smiled and took out his own phone, also preparing to record.
He planned to send it to Yurine later and brag—'My singing was so good today, I made a guy cry!'
"Arigatou!"
Kaneki, completely unaware that he had just become bragging material for Ryohei's girlfriend, thanked him profusely and opened his phone's recorder.
Ryohei began to play "Unravel" once more.
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