Disclaimer: I don't own them. No, Sir.

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MAJOR SPOILER FOR TOKYO GHOUL S2

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Before that Mikaela scary-as-fuck Shindo stared at me like I owed him money, I was having a beautiful day with no fear of being kicked in the face repeatedly.

This was one of those rare days where I woke up to the smell of my adopted dad made greentea flavored pancakes, my another adopted dad told me that he had ordered the Scouting Legion's uniform that I've been wanted since forever, and—miracluously enough—I got myself an 'A' on History pop quiz. You see, today was a good day, but then that Mikaela decided to ruin it by acting like I just insulted his mother or as if I pissed on his boots. I didn't know what did I do to him, but judging by how Shinoa and Yoichi cowered and asked me for the umptenth time if I had wronged His Majesty Shindo in anyway, I kind of started to feel... uneasy. Because this was Mikaela... and whoever masochist enough to get on his nerve wouldn't get away with no maim. That dude looked like a Barbie, but he could kick box like mad.

"I swear to God, Yuu," Shinoa's voice trembled a little. "You should just call your dad now, make an excuse about how you have a stomachache, and go home already."

"True that!" Yoichi fidgeted with his unopened can of soda, said he was too worried for me to drink it, and kept on glancing toward where Mikaela and his self proclaimed rulers-of-the-school squad seated. "I once heard a story about how Mikaela broke one of the guys from lacrosse team's hand just because the poor guy bumped into him on the corridor, or a story about how Mikaela once almost make a freshman lost his sight, and oh oh do you know that he once had a fight with—"

"Total shit," Kimizuki said indifferently, he was the only one who could still stuff his mouth with food and didn't even look worried for me. The asshole. "Mikaela will never hurt someone if it's not for something serious," he looked at me and shrugged. "Know him since we were in mid school, don't worry, as long as you don't say bad shit or hurt his dearest sister Krul, I can say that you won't have a broken nose."

"Yeah? What about a broken leg?" I said in hysterical whisper. "That dude murdering me with his eyes, you fuck. Do you see his eyes? Those blue eyes are cold enough to freeze the entire Africa." I emphasized that by hugging myself as if I was freezing, despite the fact that I had my long sleeved stripped shirt and fur vest.

Kimizuki let out a sigh and turned toward Mikaela's direction where the Barbie rested his head on his palm—eyes still very much on me—then waved. Fucking waved. That damn Kimizuki fucking waved at Mikaela Shindo like it was normal.

The latter blinked two times due to realizing that he was being waved at, then waved back at my... friend? who sat before me. Both of them exchanged a smile before then Kimizuki turned back and looked at me like, 'See? I'm still alive here. No injury.'

I scowled at him and looked down at my unfinished curry, tried so hard not to sneak a glance at Mikaela for the three hundredth time in the last ten minutes. But after I drank my cranberry juice, I couldn't help but looked up and glanced at him again.

I was hoping he'd still staring at me, but he didn't. In fact, he was listening to Ferid Whatshisname—a senior, like Krul—talking and munched on a pear. It was funny how I felt unreasonably happy just because someone stopped staring at me.

I shook my head and mumbled a "Thank God."

(**)

There was a small garden at the back of my school that I rather liked.

The garden itself was unruly and messy, so you had to be a really deep and thoughtful person to find a beauty in it. But thanks to Daddy Shinya who had introduced me to his garden at the front of our old house ever since I was seven; it was only normal that I knew most of the flowers in this small, unruly, messy garden; there were some stripped canna beauty, azalea, peperomia, ardisia, and calathea.

I especially liked to look at the stripped canna beauty for my adopted dad once told me that those who could grow that flower were only people with kind and pure heart. With that in mind I couldn't help but felt strong fondness toward him.

Daddy Shinya was the man of kindness and beauty, he was all about loving our little family and made sure that all of us were taken care of. All of us being me and Daddy Guren of course—because even though he had a four as a lead number in his age, he was still a baby. However, once in a while he could be real mature too, because when I was little, many of the children teased me about how I had two fathers and no mother, most parents refused to let their children made friends with me because who my parents were. I remembered how when I was eleven I finally snapped and blamed my fathers because they were the cause why I didn't have friend at all. Daddy Shinya freaked out and turned into a sobbing mess by the time that I finished throwing my books all over the floor and said that I didn't want to go to school anymore. But then Daddy Guren dragged me to his car, buckled my safety belt, and drove us to McDonald's for it was my favorite thing in the entire world. He ordered me a double cheese burgers, chocolate pudding, and fries enough to feed the whole two families. That was the first 'Grown Men Talk' I've ever had and the first time I heard Daddy Guren truly, properly apologized to me. Well, sure he said 'sorry' or 'whoops my bad' or some shits like that all the time, but that was the first time he said something like, "I'm sorry, Yuu." with a tone that I never knew he was capable to make. He sounded dead serious and there was not even trace of smirk on his face.

Ever since then I stopped complaining about my parents, I didn't care that I had no friend at all, because I had wonderful parents who loved me so much. The rest of the world can shove their dicks to their own holes. I started to read manga and watched anime to make up for my loneliness, sure I still felt empty and stupid sometimes when I had to work in a group project and the rest of my group would treat me like I was a fucking alien, or how I would get bumped at alot at the school corridor.

But at last my suffering could end because when I was fifteen, we moved to the nicest place in the entire world. Shinjuku. This was a great place because here I had friend for the first time. My first friend was a petitte girl that might looked cute and harmless at the first stare, but when you knew her well you would realize that you're dealing with devil herself. Shinoa Hiiragi was the first person that made me feel like I belonged and I thanked her endlessly for it—though just deep down in my heart, I would never talk to her about that. When I was a sophomore, I had another friend, a cinnamon roll named Yoichi Saotome; for some unknown reason he had attached himself to me and Shinoa from the first week he became the freshman here. It was weird to have someone followed you around like puppy and looked up to you like you had a single working brain cell in your head. Not long after Yoichi joined us, Shinoa's friend from cram school moved to our school, her name was Mitsuba Sanguu and she was another devil. There had to be something so damn wrong with the air in Shinoa and Mitsuba's cram school if their insanity was any indication. And then there was Kimizuki Shihou. He was... a special case, it'll took one chapter to tell how he could join us, but I didn't have time nor I cared enough to retell that.

Let's just say that Kimizuki and I got into a fight about some shit that I didn't even remember anymore, Yoichi accidentaly got punched by Kimizuki when the poor kid tried to separate us, Shinoa got into her Mama mode due to seeing little Yoichi got hurt then she joined me to beat up Kimizuki, and Mitsuba, being the idiot that she was, couldn't help herself but giggling and cheering as she held Yoichi so that the kid wouldn't get into our fight again, and of course... because Mitsuba cheered like a bitch, it attracted Watanabe-sensei's attention and the man called us to the counseling teacher's office. Then all four of us—minus Yoichi—got the detention to scrub off the toilets for two weeks. And I didn't even know how, but apparently that detention could bring us together, because by the time that our detention ended, Kimizuki had joined our table and none of us complained whatsoever about it.

"Is it hurt when you got a bunch of shots?" someone said from behind me and I cranned my head to see who interrupted my train of thoughts, only to find Mikaela Shindo looked down at me with a weird smile—okay, maybe not weird—on his face.

Before I could even react, he crossed his arms over his chest and continued, "You're the only one I know who is, ah, bold enough to do a cosplay at school," he titled his head aside. "Good thing you don't wear the red wig and the goggles."

I looked up at him then looked down at my clothes, looked up at him, then looked down at my clothes again before I finally decided to just looked up at him because I didn't want this boy to think I was retarded and answered, "You know Matt?"

Mikaela looked at me like I was insane. "Are you honestly asking me that? Just because this is an International school doesn't mean that we native Japanese forget one of the best manganime ever made," he walked toward me with that damn graceful move of his. "I think it's cool, though, heard some of the kids from Animanga Club talked about 'That Yuuichiro dude cosplaying as Matt'. Funny how none of them hasn't take your pics and interview you for their wall magazine."

I stared at Mikaela, he had a gray jeans and black long sleeved shirt that looked so dramatic against his pale skin, and a pair of black metallic boots that he wore in daily basis. This dude looked like he was going to a heavy metal concert or like he was about to stomp on some people who have enough courage to breath near to him.

Anyway, this was Friday, in our school, uniform only applied from Sunday to Thursday, we were all free to wear whatever our reckless hearts pleased at Friday. And today was my cousin Akane's birthday, she asked me to wear the fur vest that she bought me for the last year's christmas because she thought I looked cute in it.

I always thought the vest resembled Matt's, so I wore a stripped long sleeved shirt to complete it, because I had no self-restraint. When I sent Akane the picture of me today, stood in front of my locker with Shinoa beside me, she said it was the nicest present I could give her and that she was looking forward to see me and my fathers.

"Yeah," I managed to say. "Um, wearing it as some kind of celebration."

"Celebration?"

"My cousin's birthday," I answered before I remembered that I didn't have to tell him anything. "Said she liked to see me in this vest, because she was the one who bought it, and since today is her birthday, I'm fulfilling her request to wear it to school."

Mikaela nodded like what I said was important, then asked, "Can I sit down here?"

To say that his question didn't shock me was a lie, because hell, it was. It was shocking. Mikaela wanted to sit next to me. What kind of sick joke was that? Mikaela Shindo, the leader of the Capoeira Club and one of the most popular kids in the school asked my permission, a Clubless mess to sit down next to me? What in the name of actual fuck? Was he going to blind me or... SHIT, Mikaela was staring at me AGAIN. I probably should answer him before he show me his true monster form.

"Eh... sure."

He smiled that smile again and took a spot next to me. None of us said anything for a while; he was staring at the flowers and I fidgeted with my vest's fake fur as I tried to make myself forget who I was sitting with. I didn't know why but I felt like I wasn't the only one who felt awkward by this whole situation—which was ridiculous, because Mikaela was the one who approached me and asked to sit with me.

"Um, Mikaela, do you even know my name?" I asked him out of the blue, because I didn't know what else to say. At least he was kind—or scarce—enough to greeted me and said that I looked cool in today's outfit, so I might just speak to him too.

To my surprise, the Barbie laughed. "Of course, Yuuichiro Ichinose," he said between the laugh. "How could I know that them kids from Animanga Club were talking about you if I don't know your name? Did you not really listening to me?"

My eyes widened at his last question, because, oh fuck, fuck, if he thought I didn't listen to him properly, was he going to cut my ear? With that I frantically shook my head and say, "NO! NO! NO! Of course I listened to you, I just, uh sorry, sometimes I don't really pay attention to what someone is saying, it's not just with you, though, with everyone else as well. It's one of the bad things about me, I guess. I'm sorry."

He took a glance at me and nodded faintly. "It's okay, no one ever truly pay attention to what someone else is saying anyway. You don't need to freak about that."

Well, okay, I was starting to doubt the scary stories about Mikaela Shindo. Could a sadist who broke someone's hand over tiny mistake said thing like that, anyway?

"Yuuichiro," he said again. "Why are you not joining Animanga Club?"

I blinked at his question and he looked at me, waiting for an answer like he truly wanted to know why I wasn't in that club. I had answered this question over and over again that for once I didn't sputter or felt like an idiot when I told him that a club wasn't really my thing. Well, sometimes I'd talk to some kids from Animanga Club whenever there were new things came out or if we happened to meet in the corridor, but to actually join them; held a discussion about Animanga Club's wall magazine every Wednesday, gathered at some place every weekend, and visit the club everyday after school wasn't what I liked to do. I much preferred to watch and read alone in my room, bullied Daddy Shinya or my friends into coming with me to some festival, and wrote what I thought about what I watched or read on my blog. Then again, some guys from Animanga Club were freak; there was this American dude, pretty sure his name was Donald, he once asked me if I enjoyed the Live Action version of Detroit Metal City, when I said that I did—"It was good enough." I told him—he started to list the reason why the DMC's Live Action was sucked and cornered me until he finished the list. I didn't want to waste my time with that trash.

Mikaela looked very amused when I told him that. "God, that's morbid," he commented. "Yeah, I actually wanted to join them but my sister talked me into joining the Capoeira Club instead when I was a freshman. And when the Animanga Club wore the Naruto head-band that day," he looked at me as if asking me if I remembered that, I nodded to him. "I kind of feel grateful because I didn't join them."

"They're cool actually," I said. "But it's much cooler if they can keep their weirdness to themselves. I mean, isn't it enough to just sit down and talk about Noragami's newest chapter, make a list of ten animes you should watch before you die and fight over whether or no Fullmetal Alchemist really have to be in the number one position, or being jerks together by chatting about how shitty Death Note's TV Series was..."

"Fuck, yes!" Mikaela interrupted me and suddenly clapped his hands. "Or hyperventilating together because we finally get season two of Attack On Titan's release date. I mean, shit, I ran around my house when I know that they're almost here... almost. Like, I just want to die, and please wake me up at April, 16th 2016."

I smirked at him. "No one can wake you up if you die."

"Blasphemy!" he pointed at me. "I died eleven times during Tokyo Ghoul marathon, but here I am, sitting in front of you, talking to you, SCREAMING AT YOU!"

"Yeah, um, well, do you know who else died with you during that Tokyo Ghoul marathon of yours?" I would be damned for this, but I couldn't stop myself.

"Who?"

"Hide."

"FUUUUUCK!" Mikaela hit my left arm, and somehow I was still smirking like crazy, not even caring that the Barbie finally hit me. FINALLY. And boy, did it hurt.

"...but too bad, he couldn't wake up. Guess not everyone's as lucky as you."

"Stop!" he was tore between irritation and amusement. "Stop mocking my pain!"

"Your pain is mine too." I told him solemnly.

Mikaela didn't say anything more, he just grinned at me and I grinned back. I should feel weird, I really should, because this was the first time I talked to him or any popular kid on that matter, but I didn't. There was something about Mikaela that made me think that maybe he wasn't like what other people said about him, that maybe Kimizuki was right after all. Maybe he appeared intimidating just because he was ridiculously attractive, brilliant, and that he was in the Self-Proclaimed Ruler Of The School Squad—well shit, let's just call it SPROTSS—and of course, for he was the leader of Capoeira Club even though he was only a sophomore like me.

We talked some more after he asked me if I would lend him my vest sometime (I said 'okay', no surprise there) until my cell rang to let me know that Daddy Guren was waiting for me at the front gate. And that was for the first time since the last time Shinoa, Yoichi, and I hung out together, told each others stories that we never told the others before, shared our dark secrets as we ate Jelly Beans in an empty class last year, I felt annoyed because Daddy Guren picked me up. I reluctantly told Mikaela that I had to go home already and he said that he was going home as well.

As both of us walked to the front gate, Mikaela told me that he thought Matt was one of the coolest characters a human ever created, and that the only reason why Matt didn't appear much and died oh-so-fast was because Matt would take the entire show for himself, that no one would give a damn anymore about Light Yagami, and the show would be titled 'Matt's Note' instead of 'Death Note' if he appeared a little longer there. I chuckled at that and said, "Man, that's exactly what I thought too."

We said 'see you at Monday' and 'have a nice weekend' to each other after Mikaela told me that he had to get his car at the parking lot first. I waved at the blonde, then walked toward my dad who stood beside his Honda Prelude with arms crossed over his chest. He wiped his hand on my face as a greeting and I almost bite his fingers.

"Who's that?" he asked me.

"Mikaela Shindo."

"Never seen him before."

"Yeah, well," I scratched my nose. "Never talk to him before."

"Ah," he nodded. "Is your friend—ah—Mitsu? Back from Fukuoka already?"

This was one of the things that I liked about Daddy Guren. He might appeared like he didn't give a damn, but he actually cared; even to the fact that Mitsuba hadn't go to school since the last four days because her grandmother had a heart attack.

"Nah, but Shinoa said she'll be back tomorrow. Why?"

"Darling want to try out his new cake recipe," he answered. "Said he want your friends to come over to see if the new cake's edible. Sunday's good, then?"

I chewed my lips and nodded a little. "I guess so, but if Daddy Shinya is asking Shinoa and Mitsuba to come over too, he better prepare a lotta lot."

"Consider it has been taken care of," he shrugged and looked toward where Mikaela had left minutes ago. "How about this Mikaela fellow? Is he coming too?"

"God, no." I said with a laugh, imagining how weird would that be to just ask him to come over my house. Because, it wasn't like we suddenly became friend, right?