Bab 41: Welcome to the 20th Ward
Minami sat alone at her seat, waiting for her coffee.
Her demeanor remained calm. After all, she had seen her share of the world and wasn't the type to panic just because she found herself in an unfamiliar place.
The ghoul customers around her weren't particularly strong compared to her.
As an A+ rated ghoul, only S rated ghouls or higher could definitively claim to be stronger than Minami. However, ghouls in this rated were rare. In some regions, even the ghoul leaders, or managers were merely S rated, and in rare cases, not even that.
At Anteiku, the true powers were the manager and the staff—all at least SS rated ghouls. As for Touka Kirishima, in this timeline, she had yet to join Anteiku.
Before long, Yoshimura brought three cups of coffee, setting them down for three human students seated at different tables.
"Please enjoy" Yoshimura said with his signature kindly smile.
"Thanks" Byakuya replied, taking the coffee and handing one cup to Arima.
While sipping the coffee, Byakuya noticed that aside from the manager, there were only two employees on duty.
The man with light brown hair slicked back in a professional style and a prominent nose was Enji Koma. He looked to be in his twenties — much younger than in the original series.
Next to him stood Kaya Irimi, a tall woman with long black hair, also noticeably younger.
Enji Kom and Kaya Irimi.
Before Yoshimura arrived in the 20th Ward, these two had been the leaders of the ghoul groups "Apes" and "Black Dobers" respectively, and had been sworn enemies.
The CCG had nicknamed them "Devil Ape" and "Black Dog" both SS rated ghouls.
After being convinced by Yoshimura to abandon their violent ways, they became employees at Anteiku.
At this point in the timeline, Renji Yomo, Touka's uncle, had not yet arrived at Anteiku. It was likely he was still in the 4th Ward.
In the original story, Arima, after becoming a Special Class Investigator, had undertaken missions in the 4th Ward and easily defeated the ghoul leaders Renji Yomo and Uta. Yomo only joined Anteiku after being saved by Yoshimura.
After finishing his coffee, Byakuya prepared to leave, leaving Minami alone to seek help from Anteiku.
"The coffee is excellent" he remarked before departing.
Yoshimura smiled gently. He always appreciated when human customers enjoyed his coffee.
Arima, as usual, remained silent, finishing his drink quietly before leaving with Byakuya.
...
Once Byakuya and Arima had left, the only "human" customer remaining in the café was Minami.
Of course, the other ghouls mistakenly believed she was human.
Minami took a deep breath and broke the silence. "Excuse me for interrupting. I don't know who the 'Manager' of the 20th Ward is, but could you please help me?"
The surrounding ghoul customers froze for a moment. Ordinary human girls didn't know terms like 'Manager' a term exclusive to the ghoul world.
Koma and Irimi, busy with their tasks, turned their attention to Minami. Was this schoolgirl a ghoul too?
Yoshimura reacted the quickest, his kind smile becoming more serious as he addressed Minami. "Miss, please follow me upstairs to the second floor of the café"
"Okay" Minami replied obediently.
Though she felt uneasy in this unfamiliar place, she chose to trust Byakuya and Arima. If something went wrong, they wouldn't leave her to fend for herself.
She followed Yoshimura upstairs, where Anteiku's second floor served as a private space for ghouls to discuss their affairs. Human customers were never allowed up there.
Meanwhile, the ghoul customers downstairs began murmuring amongst themselves.
"She looks so innocent and sweet. Who would've thought she's one of us?"
"But she smells completely human. Maybe she's spent too much time among them?"
"She must be really well-integrated into human society. I envy her. I've never even been to a human school..."
"..."
Noticing the chatter growing louder, Koma reminded them, "Our doors are still open. Keep it down, or a human customer might walk in and overhear"
The ghouls fell silent.
"That was careless of us. I don't want this peaceful place disrupted by the CCG" Irimi commented as she cleaned some utensils.
"No need to worry. The 'Devil Ape' will handle it if it comes to that" Koma said, wiping his thumb across his nose with a proud smirk.
It sounded boastful, but as an SS rated ghoul, Koma had the strength to back it up.
Irimi chuckled. "Stop showing off. If it comes to that, you'll probably be the first to get taken down. CCG's weapons are getting deadlier by the day"
The two laughed it off. These former leaders no longer sought conflict. They had disbanded their groups long ago, encouraging their followers to integrate into human society. Many of their former members now frequented Anteiku as regulars.
...
Upstairs, Yoshimura led Minami into a private lounge and brewed another cup of coffee for her. This time, he added a small piece of something to it.
Minami noticed and immediately grew wary.
Sensing her concern, Yoshimura explained, "Don't worry. This little addition will help ease your hunger. The effect is only temporary, though."
After realizing she was a ghoul, Yoshimura had quickly noticed her hunger. Initially, he had mistaken her condition for something human-related and dismissed the idea of ghoul hunger.
"Thank you..." Minami accepted the coffee, knowing she had no other choice. She had come to Anteiku out of desperation.
She reassured herself that if something went wrong, Byakuya and Arima would intervene.
This thought made her realize how much she trusted the investigators—a surprising shift. Perhaps it was Arima's influence?
Taking a sip of the coffee, Minami felt a strange sense of relief. Her body seemed to relax.
Yoshimura smiled warmly.
"Welcome to Anteiku" he said.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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Status Power Mingguan
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Power 
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stone