Inside the Anteiku Coffee Shop, the lighting was warm and soft.
Kaneki Ken sat stiffly on a round stool, his hands unconsciously clasped on his knees, his body leaning slightly forward, waiting for the manager to arrive.
Dong Xiang rested her head on her hand, sitting on a bar stool not far away, her purple hair falling to cover most of her face. Her gaze was fixed on the deep night outside the window, her eyes somewhat vacant, as if lost in thought, a persistent low pressure lingering around her.
He Xi Qian Yu put down his phone, the screen light dimming on his face. He turned his head, his gaze falling on Dong Xiang, and tried to soften his voice: "Still angry?"
Hearing his voice, Dong Xiang merely turned her face slightly to glance at him, her purple eyes, not hidden by her hair, showed no emotion, then she slowly shook her head again, looking back out the window.
"...Saying one thing and meaning another..." Slaughter's whisper carried a hint of playfulness.
He Xi Qian Yu spread his hands helplessly.
It seemed that Kaneki Ken's blurted-out word "monster" had stimulated her much more deeply than imagined.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Fangcun Gongshan's gentle voice, like a warm current, quietly broke the slightly stagnant air in the shop. At the same time, a rich and mellow aroma of coffee diffused with his appearance, subtly dispelling the lingering scent of blood around the few people.
"Please drink." He gently placed a freshly brewed, steaming cup of coffee on the wooden tabletop in front of Kaneki Ken, the dark brown liquid gently swirling in the cup.
However, Kaneki Ken looked at the familiar drink before him, his eyes filled with struggle and fear. His hands on his knees quietly tightened, his fingertips slightly white, and he hesitated to touch the warm cup.
"Do you dislike coffee?" Fangcun Gongshan's tone remained calm and soothing.
"No, but…" Jin Mu's voice was low and hesitant. He was afraid this coffee would be like all other food, bringing a nauseating taste the moment it entered his mouth.
"Jin Mu," Fangcun Gongshan gently interrupted his slightly flustered thoughts. He pointed to the cup of coffee, "Look closely at this coffee, what do you think of it?"
Kaneki Ken obeyed, with confusion and hope, lowering his head to gaze at the coffee before him. The calm, mirror-like dark brown surface clearly reflected his pale face, his eyes intertwined with lingering pain and confusion.
"It looks…" His throat moved, his voice carrying a subtle tremor, "...very delicious."
"This is ordinary coffee." Fangcun Gongshan smiled, his tone calm yet reassuring, gently dispelling Kaneki Ken's last concerns.
Kaneki Ken's body trembled violently, then began to shake uncontrollably. He was silent for a moment. Finally, as if having made a decision, he reached out, picked up the warm coffee, and drank it all in one gulp.
Fangcun Gongshan stood quietly to the side, his hands clasped in front of him, his deep gaze fixed on Kaneki Ken, as if he had long foreseen this scene, smiling without speaking.
"Delicious… So delicious!" As the coffee slid down his throat, Kaneki Ken's face instantly bloomed with a relieved smile, as if he had glimpsed a ray of hope in the darkness.
"…This coffee… doesn't taste right…" Slaughter's sense of smell was exceptionally sharp.
"Hmm, there's some 'special' stuff mixed in the coffee…" He Xi Qian Yu calmly explained to Slaughter in his mind, his gaze knowingly fixed on Kaneki Ken, who was immersed in joy.
"However," Fangcun Gongshan's smile slightly receded, his tone suddenly becoming serious as he looked at Kaneki Ken, his gaze sharp, "this much is far from enough to fill your stomach."
He paused, slowly pulled out an oil-paper wrapped package from his apron pocket, and then gently placed it on the table in front of Kaneki Ken, pushing it towards his hand.
"This is…" Kaneki Ken looked at the package before him, his heart inexplicably tightening.
"If you need more… come back…" Fangcun Gongshan did not directly answer his question, only returning to his gentle and kind smile, "Don't be shy."
Kaneki Ken left quickly. Before leaving, he hesitated for a long time, but finally thanked them and took the oil-paper package.
Not long after he left, the Anteiku Coffee Shop also closed for the night.
"Manager…" Dong Xiang was tidying up the cups and saucers, her voice filled with confusion, "Why did you give that guy…"
"Dong Xiang, do you remember the news about the organ transplant a while ago?" The manager calmly wiped the table, "He's the boy from that incident… and the deceased… was Rize…"
"Could it be…" Dong Xiang's pupils suddenly constricted, as if she had heard unbelievable news, her movements instantly freezing.
She abruptly turned to He Xi Qian Yu, who was wiping glass cups: "You knew already?"
He Xi Qian Yu's hand did not stop wiping as he met Dong Xiang's gaze, only nodding slightly.
"I visited him in the hospital the day after it happened; he already couldn't eat anything then."
The lights of the Anteiku Coffee Shop gradually dimmed.
As He Xi Qian Yu was about to return to his room, his gaze swept over Dong Xiang nearby.
The girl was still resting her chin on her hand, her eyes vacant, lost in unspoken thoughts.
"What are you thinking about?" He waved his hand in front of Dong Xiang's eyes.
"You say," Dong Xiang raised her deep purple eyes, her voice as light as a sigh, yet with a hint of confusion, "What exactly is a Ghoul?"
Somehow, He Xi Qian Yu caught an indescribable sadness in her voice.
That sadness was like a stone dropped into a deep pool, creating silent ripples in the quiet night.
He Xi Qian Yu also looked out at the deep night outside the window.
"A type of life," he slowly began, "Ghouls are just like humans, only some of their ways of living are different."
"…Life… is that it?" Dong Xiang murmured to herself.
The two remained there quietly.
Dong Xiang was thinking, and He Xi Qian Yu was chatting with Slaughter in his mind.
He did want to leave, but he felt that leaving directly would ruin the atmosphere.
After an unknown amount of time, the bright moonlight streamed through the window, quietly spreading across the coffee shop floor. Dong Xiang slowly stood up.
"Get some rest early."
"Mm."
"…Why… aren't you leaving yet…?" Slaughter's voice was tinged with confusion.
"My legs are numb, help me out quickly," He Xi Qian Yu whispered through gritted teeth.
"…Oh…"
Back in his room, after washing up, He Xi Qian Yu lay down on the bed, sighing at the difficulties of life.
"…I think… you should… get some rest early…" Slaughter kindly reminded him.
"Thanks for the reminder, I'll just scroll through my phone for a bit and then sleep," He Xi Qian Yu casually replied to Slaughter, tapping his phone screen.
A message immediately appeared.
It was Nishio Nishiki.
"Tomorrow, 4 PM, clubroom."
He Xi Qian Yu understood.
It seemed his good brother was going to have a showdown with him.