Fushimi Kyo wasn't interested in Takatsuki Sen's novels.
What intrigued him was her.
The leader of Aogiri Tree.
The terrifying One-Eyed Owl.
No matter which identity it was, it filled Kyo with curiosity.
But most importantly he wanted to verify something.
When facing a half-ghoul like her, would he experience that same bone-deep, soul-rending hunger?
Time passed quickly.
Accompanied by the crisp ringing of the school bell, the final class of the morning finally came to an end.
"Class is over, Kyo-kun!"
"Quick, quick! If we're late, we'll miss the signing!"
The moment the bell rang, Yoriko urged impatiently.
"Alright," Kyo replied with a smile.
Then Yoriko turned toward Touka.
"Come with us too, Touka. It's lunchtime anyway, nothing else to do."
Touka hesitated briefly.
"…Fine. Let's go take a look."
When the three of them arrived at the bookstore, a long line had already formed outside.
Kyo swept his gaze over it.
At least five hundred people.
And more were still pouring in.
"That's insane…"
"I didn't expect Takatsuki Sen's popularity to be this crazy," Kyo said in genuine surprise.
Having seen the original story, he knew how influential she was but even so, he'd underestimated her.
"Of course!" Yoriko said proudly.
"You might not know who D-City's mayor is, but you definitely know who Takatsuki Sen is."
"I'll believe that," Kyo laughed.
The three of them lined up at the very end.
Touka looked irritated the entire time.
She was the only one who felt this whole thing was a complete waste of time boring beyond belief.
"Touka, how about you head back?" Kyo suggested thoughtfully.
"Yoriko's lunch is still in her desk drawer. You could go back and eat some more."
"Yeah!" Yoriko chimed in.
"I didn't expect this many people either. If you're hungry, you should go back first."
"I'm not hungry!"
Joking aside, Yoriko's cooking was practically lethal to her.
Touka would rather stand in line all day than go back and eat that.
More than two hours later, they finally entered the bookstore.
And finally
they saw Takatsuki Sen in person.
Her long blue-green hair hung loosely down her back, slightly messy, as if she hadn't bothered to tidy it.
Her eyes were striking like emerald gemstones, clear and pure to an almost unreal degree.
At the moment, Takatsuki Sen was busy signing books for fans, her attitude gentle and patient.
She was clearly someone who doted on her readers.
A rich, overwhelming scent drifted from the front.
It was different from the scent ghouls usually emitted.
More refined.
More fatal.
Suddenly
Grrrrr
Kyo's stomach growled violently.
At the same time, that familiar hunger surged back
only this time, it was far more intense.
In an instant, it felt as though he'd been starving for more than ten days.
An uncontrollable urge to feed exploded within him.
"Gulp."
He swallowed with difficulty.
When he looked at Takatsuki Sen again, his eyes were nearly glowing green.
"Kyo-kun, are you hungry?" Yoriko asked.
"Did you skip breakfast?"
She was standing right in front of him; there was no way she could miss that sound.
"A little," Kyo admitted.
"But we're almost up. I can hold on a bit longer."
Behind them, Touka frowned slightly.
"…That's not normal."
"He just ate over a hundred ghoul kagune yesterday. The energy in those things is terrifying."
"He already digested all of that?"
The thought made her uneasy.
If that were really the case…
Then this guy was nothing short of a natural predator of ghouls.
Not far away, Takatsuki Sen suddenly paused mid-signature.
She felt it.
Someone was looking at her.
Of course, as the center of attention, being stared at was nothing unusual but that gaze was different.
Sharp.
Intense.
And carrying a sensation she couldn't quite describe.
She abruptly lifted her head, looking straight toward Kyo.
"What kind of look is that…?"
She knew fans adored her. Many gazes were feverish, obsessive.
But that boy's eyes
Her body jolted slightly.
"…Isn't that the look a ghoul wears when hunting?"
"He's treating me as prey?"
"Well now… that's bold."
A faint smile curved Takatsuki Sen's lips.
How long had it been since she'd encountered something like this?
Someone daring enough to set their sights on her.
It was… interesting.
Then, she smiled sweetly at Kyo, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons, impossibly cute.
"Kyo, Kyo! She smiled at me!"
"She smiled at me!" Yoriko squealed excitedly.
"I can't believe she's so young she's adorable!"
Kyo didn't respond.
He stared deeply at Takatsuki Sen, then lowered his voice.
"Yoriko, my stomach suddenly feels awful."
"Later, help me buy a copy too, okay?"
Before Yoriko could reply, he turned and hurried out of the store.
"That guy…" Touka was utterly confused.
As a ghoul, her senses far surpassed those of ordinary humans.
She was certain of one thing
Takatsuki Sen had been looking at Kyo.
"Why would he leave just because she glanced at him once?"
Touka didn't believe for a second that Kyo ran away out of shyness.
There had to be something he wasn't telling her.
Seeing Kyo flee, Takatsuki Sen blinked in surprise.
"He ran away?"
"What an interesting little boy."
Only after running several hundred meters away from the bookstore did the hunger finally begin to subside.
"…Damn it."
"That was close."
Kyo muttered softly under his breath.
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