Chapter 19: OCEAN'S THREE.

A month before Doctor Chigyou arrived in Japan.

On a particular day in the month of March, there was a shower of rain and school closed early. A young high school student with orange spiky hair appeared to be in a hurry as he was running through an empty road. He ran past a tall older boy with a face mask on and the visage of a model but paid no heed to him.

"Huh? The road ahead is blocked due to construction? But it looks fine to me. Anyway, I'll follow this shortcut in that alleyway." The orange-haired boy said out loud and ran into a narrow path.

'I better hurry up and visit Kaneki-kun, he called in sick today of all days when we had a pizza party! He's going to be so mad!' he thought to himself with a smile on his face.

But that smile suddenly vanished from his face and was replaced with a cautious one as he saw a familiar figure he just run past a few minutes ago. It is not wrong to assume that this person in front of him could be a ghoul since ghouls live in hiding amongst humans, that being said, the twentieth ward is a relatively safe ward and there are few reports of humans being attacked by ghouls. The orange-haired boy on the other hand has a fairly high IQ and a knack for being a detective, he assumed the person in front of him is definitely a ghoul and thought of ways he could get out of this alive as he stopped in his tracks.

"I must say, I envy your demeanor and attitude even in this situation… Hideyoshi Nagachika." The taller boy in a face mask said breaking the silence in the rain.

"I am your master and benefactor from this moment on. I am Tsukiyama Shuu." Shuu said as he raised his unopened umbrella and opened it to stop the raindrops and to create a sort of sound barrier for both parties.

"Eh? Excuse me, sir, I think it's too early to be drinking sake." Hide laughed as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly without removing eye contact.

Shuu simply raised his eyebrows in surprise and turned his head.

"Ah, it will be a shame now to eat poor Kaneki while he is sick…" Shuu said pretending to care and looked away.

'He is a ghoul after all! He knows my name and he knows about Kaneki. This ghoul came here prepared with a goal in mind, I don't think he wants to kill me yet. I will do anything for Kaneki, he's the closest thing to family ever since my dad passed and I am living with a foster dad.' Hide thought as it was getting harder to maintain his calm expression.

"What do you want?" Hide asked with a stern expression.

"Ho ho, I like that look better. First of all let me make one thing clear, if any word of our meeting and such is leaked to anyone, I will not hesitate to kill Kaneki and send something to remind you of him to you, am I understood?" Shuu asked but this time the noise of the raindrops seemed to vanish as Hide felt like puking under Shuu's presence. Hide struggled to look up and saw two red pupils highlighting Shuu's face which was darkened by the poor illumination in the alleyway.

Hide limited himself to a nod, but suddenly felt the atmosphere lighten around him and raindrops fall on him again as the taller figure turned to leave.

"Come to that location, this Saturday. You are free right?" Shuu asked with his back towards him and threw a card at him.

"I will be there." Hide said and saw the figure vanish before him.

'What could that ghoul possibly want with me? What did I do?' Hide thought as he fell to his knees shaking and wiping the tears from his eyes.

Meanwhile, Matsumae was in a staff room at an institution called Kamii University. She was referred to by the director of the high school Shuu attended to the dean of the faculty of medical and pharmaceutical studies.

"…So, that's why our chairman is looking to invest in this faculty in such a notable University." Matsumae concluded sitting across a stocky man with a mustache wearing a shirt with a waistcoat and black pants, he also had spectacle glasses on.

"Why that's lovely and intriguing indeed! I welcome such philanthropists who want to foster and elevate medical care to its peak without even asking for anything or special admission! Are you sure your chairman isn't interested in sending his ward here to study medicine and surgery?" The dean asked merrily.

"No thank you, sir, the Chairman will appreciate the gesture though. But there is one thing, can I make a request to see one of your students?" Matsumae asked with a smile.

Twenty minutes later a female student walked into the dean's office and greeted the dean and the female visitor.

"Alright, I'll leave you two ladies to it for now." The dean said with a kick in his step as he happily left the office.

'She is a beautiful lady indeed. Don't tell me that she is trying to go through another route of asking for admission through that old pervert. I better advise her properly then and lend her some of my past questions that helped me when I took the entry exams.' The student thought as concern was written on her face.

"Greetings I am Kimi Nishino." The student addressed Matsumae before she took a seat.

"Greetings, I am Matsumae." Matsumae answered.

"I will go straight to the point, you have been offered a paid internship at a hospital my chairman currently owns. He is interested in bright and promising talents, hence why I am here and looking for promising students." Matsumae continued.

"Uh, I…" Kimi was beside herself she thought the lady in front of her was about to do something shameful to the dean or ask admission-related questions since she normally gets called to host revision classes for freshmen or aspiring medical and pharmaceutical students.

"This is a contract entailing the details, requirements, and obligations. I will take my leave now and will expect an answer in a week at most, there aren't many spots after all." Matsumae said and got up to leave.

'In truth, there is only one spot. I don't know why Shuu insisted on getting this girl by all means. Does he like redheads?' Matsumae thought as she made for the door.

'This is a rare opportunity for me to get some experience and practice before I reach the year where we go to teaching hospitals to learn more. I can't simply pass this up. But this line in the contract reads; I shouldn't reveal the 'true' nature of the surgeries or…' Kimi thought as she read through the contract.

"Excuse me but what does the nature of-" Kimi said while standing up as well.

"That for you to know and others not to. That's all." Matsumae said and left the office.

'What does she mean? Are the surgeries unethical or what? What should I do, I am so confused.' Kimi pouted and left the office soon after.

In another part of the twentieth ward in an underground gambling den where all the big shots of the country come for leisure and business, was a man in a suit and dark shades. He was on a winning streak in a game of poker. He quickly gained a nickname that night as the 'black devil'. The man in question was of course Mairo.

Mairo quickly got the attention of his target who was also on a winning streak in another game and came to Mairo's table to challenge him. Mairo came to the den with a burrowed sum from Shuu's entire savings of about three hundred thousand dollars and currently held a profit of seven million dollars. Of course, he would attract anyone's attention.

Shuu apparently hired the best underground poker player in the United States to teach Mairo his work for a whopping sum of a hundred thousand dollars. The player taught Mairo all he knew for a whole month, normally this would have taken longer. But Mairo being a ghoul with heightened senses can learn faster than normal and notice slight of hands as easily as breathing. Shuu just kept on exploiting the physiological advantages of ghoul while he could.

His target was a short stocky man with balding hair that smelled of expensive wine and perfume. Despite this man drinking he was a formidable opponent to any who came across him. Even some people from the Washuu clan could be seen there. His opponent would normally offer him the best wine money could buy in order to put him off his game but it never worked once, everyone there knows this and the man also knows this but accepts the wine as a gift and takes some home since some of they usually cost about the price of a house.

The man in question is a medical director and owner of a famous hospital in Japan that is located in the twentieth ward. He approached Mairo and challenged him.

"I will only accept your challenge in a game of poker." Mairo said with a sly expression. Even Mairo's demeanor and mannerisms had changed after spending a month with the American who trained him.

"Alright, I will still beat you at your game. When I win I want all of your winnings obviously and your rights to freedom will be taken from you by me, in other words, you will serve me until I say otherwise." The director replied trying to get a rise out of Mairo. But the stakes and conditions in the underground den are taken as oath and can never be looked down on.

"No problem, what I want is the papers and rights to your hospital." Mairo asked. The moment those words were uttered from his mouth the place went silent as if he spoke blasphemy.

"Ha ha, this cheeky little bastard thinks he's hot stuff now, alright I agree. I could use your earnings to add a new wing to my manor." The director laughed out loud to break the silence and commence the game.

-------------------------To be Continued-------------------