As he tried to deliver the drinks to a window table, he stumbled; the cups lurched, and the coffee nearly sloshed out.
Touka wasn't watching his clumsiness so much as confirming what he was.
Human.
A flash of crimson kakugan flickered in her eyes and she forced it down. Her sense of smell told her plainly: the scent rolling off this boy was pure, concentrated human.
In a caf run by ghoulsand frequented by plenty of ghoulsthat smell was a firefly in the dark: impossible to miss.
Her brows drew tight; her eyes sharpened, wary.
Why is a human here?
Wearing a server's apron?
What on earth is the manager thinking?
"Back already, Touka?"
A slightly husky, lazily lilted woman's voice drifted over. Kaya Irimi came out from the back with a freshly dried cup in hand. Same cool, simple look as alwaysbut more helplessness than usual in her eyes.
Touka cut her a look that asked the question without words, frown deepening toward the awkward human boy.
Irimi followed her gaze and caught Kaneki Ken nearly dumping the coffee. She sighed, dropped her voice. "OhKaneki? New part-timer. Name's Kaneki Ken."
She paused, stepped a little closer, and lowered her voice further.
"Couldn't really help it, Touka. You've got school. Day shifts get shorthanded."
"This kid happened to apply yesterday. Seemed honest enough. Clumsy, yeah, but the manager thought it over and hired him."
She shrugged, very much a "push the duck onto the perch" gesture. "It's just carrying trays and washing dishes. Shouldn't cause any big problems, right?"
"But he's"
Touka's voice carried a faint edge of cold. She didn't say the word "human," but the meaning was obvious.
Of course Irimi got it. The helpless look on her face deepened into a wry smile.
"I know. I know."
"But the manager said Anteiku's creed is to welcome anyone seeking a bit of peaceno matter the species."
"And with things how they are right now, having a human around isn't the worst idea."
She glanced meaningfully out the windowat the tension hanging over the 20th Ward.
Touka fell silent. She couldn't gainsay the manager's decision. She agreed with Anteiku's philosophy, too.
But letting a completely oblivious, fragile human drift among ghouls all day?
It was like tossing a defenseless rabbit into a pack of wolves.
Even if the wolves promised not to eat it, that innate predator-prey tension was a risk in itself.
What if some ghoul lost control?
What if the kid stumbled onto something he shouldn't?
You didn't want to imagine the fallout.
She watched the boyKaneki Kenfinally set the coffee down safely and exhale in relief. He pushed up his glasses, a shy, slightly dopey smile tugging at his mouth.
To Touka, that smile screamed navet.
A thin thread of unease pulled tight in her chest.
She didn't press the point. She just nodded to Irimi to say she understood. But her brow stayed knotted, her gaze still weighing and worried.
More than this suddenly appearing part-timer who made her feel like a thorn was lodged between her shoulder blades, she had something more urgent to deal with. The thought that had haunted her last night was now clearerand more pressing.
She tore her eyes off Kaneki, turned, and headed quickly for the stairs to the staff lounge upstairs.
Right now, she needed a quiet place to dig into that mysterious trading chat group.
Maybethe answers to the 20th Ward's looming crisis, and to the human "risk" setting her on edge were in there.
Chapter 871: Everyone is excited about the Nine Schools Tournament!
In the trade chat group.
Shiba Miyuki: "@Rei Ao, are you there?"
Rei Ao: "Mhm? What made you message me at this hour?"
Rei Ao had just come back from Mafuyu Kirisu's place when he saw Miyuki's ping.
Shiba Miyuki: "Hehe, I actually wanted to discuss something with you, Rei Ao."
Rei Ao: "Oh? What is it? I'm listening."
Frieren: "Here I amyour resident popcorn-eater has arrived. Please begin the show."
Akame: "Popcorn?"
Saeko Busujima: "Frieren means she's here to watch the gossip."
Ayame Yomogawa: "Looks like Akame still isn't picking up all these trendy terms that easily."
Enju Aihara: "Akame-nee is serious every day."
Akame: "My apologies."
Enju Aihara: "Eh? II didn't mean that in a bad way! You being serious makes me feel safe!"
Rei Ao: "Heh, Akame's just straightforward by nature. Alright, let's hear what Miyuki wants to say."
Shiba Miyuki: "Mhm. Here's the thingthree days from now we're hosting the Nine Schools Tournament, and I'll be competing for my school. I wanted to ask if you have time to come watch my matches?"
Shiba Miyuki: "Of course, it's totally fine if you don't."
That one linecool as ice crystals yet carrying a barely noticeable hint of nervessent ripples through the chat after a brief, quiet pause.
Frieren: "Nine Schools Tournament? Sounds like some kind of competition."
Ayame Yomogawa: "A magic tourney? Like a samurai duel ceremony?"
Mai Sakurajima: "I'm getting dj vu. @Stella."
Stella: "Emmm, yeahit feels like our academy's internal ranking battles, but bigger and more formal. Kinda like the Seven Star Sword Art Festival."
Shinoa Hiiragi: "With Miyuki's power now, she should be able to take the title easily. Is there another reason?"
Fubuki: "Tsk, tskobviously to show her strongest self to the most important person. I get it! @Rei Ao What do you think?"
Shiba Miyuki: "Uu"
Seeing everyone guess her motive, Miyuki grew a little embarrassed.
Sui: "Fighting's not really my thingbut go, Miyuki."
Miko Yotsuya: "A live magic fight? Sounds really fun!"
Shinoa Hiiragi: "Ara ara~ Miyuki-chan took the initiative to invite him~ Rei Ao-sama mustn't let a girl's feelings go unanswered~ hehe"
Mikoto Misaka: "Magic competition? Hah. Different system, but it does sound interesting."
At the same time, Mikoto suddenly remembered Academy City's Daihasei Festival. "Maybe I should invite Rei Ao over then?" The thought tempted her.
Inori Yuzuriha: "Miyuki, you've got this."
Fubuki: "If it's a showdown between top dogs, I'm watching."
Enju Aihara: "Wow! A tournament! I wanna see! And good luck, Miyuki!"
Marcille: "Magic! Real magic fights from another world? I sooo want to watch! (sparkly-eyes emoji)"
Mio Akiyama: "M-Magic battles? For real life?!"
Mitsuha Miyamizu: "II'm curious too."
Touka Kirishima: "Magic, huh"
Ai Hayasaka: "By the way, if it's schools facing off, the Nine Schools Tournament must carry a lot of weight, right?"
The newer members were all curious.
In an instant, the chat was filled with exclamations, questions, and cheers.
Miyuki watched the messages race by, a faint ripple crossing her cool gaze. Her fingertips moved, typing out a clear explanation line by line.
Shiba Miyuki: "That's rightthe Nine Schools Tournament affects resource allocation and the cultivation of future talent. It has major strategic significance."
Shiba Miyuki: "It's the highest-tier event jointly hosted by nine top magic high schools."
Shiba Miyuki: "It tests magical technique, strategic thinking, and combat readiness: personal magic computation speed trials, CAD operation precision contests, tactical exercises in simulated battlefields and a final single-elimination phase."
Shiba Miyuki: "In essence, it's a comprehensive contest of magic and intellect."
Marcille: "Simulated battlefields! Elimination rounds! Whoaway more thrilling than Adventurers' Guild exams!"
Mio Akiyama: "E-Elimination? W-Will people get hurt?"
Mitsuha Miyamizu: "There should be rules to prevent injuries, right?"
Touka Kirishima: "But with something like magic, there's always uncertainty."
Mikoto Misaka: "Even sports meets see injuries sometimesnever mind magic duels."
Frieren: "Alright, alrightthe key is Rei Ao's answer. @Rei Ao Miyuki is really looking forward to it~"
Rei Ao: "Okay. Three days from now, I'll be there."
Just a few simple words, but they dropped like an anchor, instantly easing Miyuki's heart.
Shinoa Hiiragi: "Told youRei Ao wouldn't turn Miyuki-chan down."
Enju Aihara: "I wanna go too! Rei Ao-oniichan, can you take me?"
Marcille: "Me too! Please please?"
Mio Akiyama: "Um I I'm kind of curious too (tiny voice)"
Mitsuha Miyamizu: "Another world's scenery and magic I kind of yearn for it."
Touka Kirishima: "I'm in"
Seeing everyone's interest, Rei Ao smiled.
Rei Ao: "@Mio Akiyama @Mitsuha Miyamizu @Touka Kirishima @Marcille @Enju Aihara and anyone else who wants to gothree days from now, I can take you all to watch."
Shiba Miyuki: "You're all very welcome. I won't let you all down."
Beneath the Snow Queen's cool text, there was a warmth so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
The chat buzzed for a while longer, swapping notes on what to expect from an interworld outing and what to look forward to.
Miyuki quietly closed the chat window.
Her dorm room fell silent.
She stood by the window, looking out at the greenery beyond the glass. Deep under that permafrost layer in her eyes, a flame named "anticipation" burned bright and clear.
Rei Ao will come.
He'll watch with his own eyes as she stands on a stage that draws the gaze of this entire world and shines with brilliance forged from wisdom across the realmssurpassing the limits of this one.
She will windecisively, undeniablyand make everyone remember her name.
All for that faint glimmer of recognition, maybe even approval, that might appear in his eyes.
Just imagining it sent a fierce fighting spirit and an unprecedented drive surging through her from head to toe.
She had to be at her absolute best.
These three daysevery minute, every secondmust not be wasted.
She would tune herself to peak condition.
Her clenched fist slowly relaxed; a faint, visible glow of magicrimmed with an absolute-zero chillcoiled around her fingertips.
The dorm room's temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees.
~~~
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Chapter 872: Light Music Club will go?
Another world.
After school, in the Light Music Club's room.
The sunset tinted the small room a warm orange. The air held a faint mix of black tea and instrument oil.
Yui Hirasawa hugged her trademark "Guitar," lazily plucking an off-key melody, her tea-brown ahoge bobbing with each motion. Tsumugi Kotobuki sipped her tea with elegant little tastes, dainty pastries lined up before her. Ritsu Tainaka practiced rhythms in the air with her drumsticksthough her eyes kept drifting toward the quiet figure by the window: Mio Akiyama.
Mio sat alone in the chair by the window, her mint-green bass in her arms. She wasn't practicing.
Head lowered, long black bangs covering most of her face, she stared blankly at the space in front of heror rather, at the group chat there.
She'd signed up.
In three days, she would go to another world to watch a real magic tournament. Now that she'd cooled down and thought about it, Mio could only feel waves of palpitations and after-the-fact fear.
Magic? Another world? Oh no!
What came over me back then? How did "I want to go too" just slip out?
This was even scarier than singing in front of an audience. What if that world was dangerous? What if some strange magical creature fixed on her? What if she couldn't come back?
Her slender fingers unconsciously tightened on the bass strap, her knuckles whitening. A huge unease surged in like a tide, threatening to drown her.
But amid the panic, another thoughtclearer, more stubbornrose and steadied her like an anchor, quickly pressing the fear down.
It wasn't only curiosity about magic.
She wanted to go for a more important reason because of him.
Mio's gaze, carrying a dependence she herself couldn't explain, lifted to the top name in her chat listRei Ao. The name seemed to have its own magic, calming her restless heart in a strange way.
She missed him.
Yesshe missed Rei Ao. That last "deal" had been chaotic and embarrassing. He always carried a dangerous aura that scared her yet drew her in. His very presence stirred a brand-new turmoil in herflustering, yet threaded with a faint, undeniable pull.
Thinking of that reckless dayof his strong arms and heatMio's cheeks flushed scarlet like a ripe apple. Almost without realizing, she placed a small hand over her flat stomach, the faintest motion no one would notice. Through the thin school blouse, her fingertips seemed to hold a lingering warmth, a trace of his touch. She remembered his low, steady reassurance in her earfirm, impossible to doubtthat there would be no "consequences."
Boomshame rushed to her head like molten rock. Mio ducked sharply, wishing she could bury her entire face in her bass case. The cool metal hardware against her burning skin brought the slightest comfort.
"Mio-chan?" Yui stopped strumming and tilted her head, chestnut eyes full of confusion as she watched her bandmate daydream by the window, cheeks growing redder and redder. "Mio's been spacing out like this a lot lately. Is it because of the group chat?"
Ritsu set down her sticks, brows knitting hard. The look she shot Mio was full of worryand the faintest touch of irritation. She jabbed a stick into the practice pad with a dull thump and said, voice a mix of helplessness and protectiveness:
"It's gotta be that guy, Rei Ao! If it weren't for him Mio wouldn't be like this, out of it all day!"
Her tone carried obvious resentment toward the group owner, Rei Ao.
"Ritsu." Tsumugi gently set down her fine bone-china teacup with a clear little clink. Calm but firm, she called her agitated friend to a halt and gave a small shake of her head. The purple eyes that usually smiled were clear and resigned instead.
Stopped by Mugi's look, Ritsu opened her mouth, then swallowed the sharper words. She raked a hand through her orange short hair and let out a defeated sigh. She understood Mugi: when you care, you get rash. More than anyone, she ached over Mio's changeand more than anyone, she wanted Rei Ao to come see Mio.
But
Tsumugi had already mobilized her family's resources to investigate this "Rei Ao." The result? No records. No trace. He didn't exist in this worldjust like how no one else knew about their chat group. The impossible things were real.
The three friends shared complicated looks toward the straight-haired girl by the window, lost in her own thoughts. They thought she was still pining after Rei Ao.
But what actually circled in Mio's head was a far more practicaland far more headache-inducingproblem.
