Even investigators fall in love.
In the 13th Ward, under the command of Special Class Investigator Iwao Kuroiwa, a meeting had just adjourned, the assembled Ghoul investigators looked on in astonishment at what they’d been presented with.
In the center was the 13rd Ward’s sole female Ghoul investigator, Misato Gori, with her slender frame and mole set between her eyebrows. She had a slightly disagreeable look in her eyes, but that was par for the course with her. She was currently a rank 2 investigator, and had just recently taken part in the Aogiri conflict, providing successful long-range fire support with her ukaku Quinque, Emelio.
“I brought you all a little something,” Misato said, somehow bashful, as she reached into her bag and set the plate of black, lumpy, burnt-smelling somethings on the table. The others were unable to take their eyes off them.
“Misato, what are these?”
“They’re doughnuts!”
Right. Sure they were.
With the exception of Kuroiwa, the investigators screamed internally. Try though they might, it was hard to see the offerings as anything more burnt lumps of dough that had been reduced nearly to cinders.
Kuroiwa, however, reached out, took one in hand, and tossed it into his mouth.
“S-sir?!”
“Mr. Kuroiwa!”
Despite the panicked shouts of the onlooking investigators filling the room, the crunching, crumbling sounds coming from within Kuroiwa’s mouth were still clearly audible, suggesting something that, to say nothing of qualifying as a doughnut, didn’t even qualify as food.
But Kuroiwa chewed thoroughly, swallowed it down, and nodded. “Yep. They’re doughnuts.”
The other assembled investigators, inwardly feeling that Kuroiwa ought to apologize to doughnuts everywhere for that assessment, then heard Misato’s merciless voice chime in, “Dig in, everybody!”
Later, after all her colleagues save Kuroiwa had fallen ill with a mysterious stomach illness, Misato stared at a photo of her handmade treats. Sure, they didn’t look so great, but they’d been prepared with a real homemade touch and lots of love. She thought they’d turned out rather well compared to when she’d first started making treat likes these. Maybe she’d be ready to give some to him soon.
Yes, Misato secretly had feelings for someone: up-and-coming Ghoul Investigator Kotaro Amon. He was strong, brave, resolute—the very image of what a Ghoul investigator should be.
Several months earlier, Amon and Misato had fought alongside one another in the Aogiri cleanup operation. She was too nervous to bring herself to speak to him, even though they weren’t strangers or anything. She hadn’t run into him since then, and now she wanted to take action in order to take their relationship to the next level.
She’d made her treats with that in mind. She’d heard that Amon liked sweet things, and so she’d come up with a plan to give him some homemade doughnuts as a gift.
Her other coworkers had been so happy they’d been moved to tears, so Amon was sure to be happy with them as well. And so, Misato decided to take a break from her professional duties and go see him.
“Investigator Amon? He’s not here right now.”
Misato had snuck down to the 20th Ward branch office with her doughnuts wrapped up in a cute little bag. Wanting to first find out what Amon was doing, she’d happened upon one of the 20th Ward’s more eccentric investigators, Juzo Suzuya, and asked him.
His response, however, was not what Misato had been expecting to hear. “He’s not here?”
“No. Mr. Shinohara wanted him for something, I guess? He’s out in the 8th Ward now,” Juzo said, speaking in his rather unique cadence.
“Oh , I . . . I see. When will he be coming back?”
“When? Hmm . . . I’m not really sure.” Juzo rubbed a finger against his forehead and craned his neck. Either he didn’t know, or he’d been told and had just forgotten.
How could Amon not be in the 20th Ward? Misato couldn’t help but be disappointed. She’d wanted Amon to try her freshly made doughnuts, and she didn’t have enough time left today to go to the 8th Ward.
“I see. Well, I guess I don’t have much choice,” Misato said, taking out the doughnuts and handing them to Juzo. “Here’s a little something from the 13th Ward, Juzo Suzuya. I hope you’ll all enjoy them.” She didn’t want anyone to know she’d made the doughnuts for Amon, so she invented a quick little lie.
Juzo took the doughnuts, his nose sniffing audibly before he smiled and said, “Maybe I’ll go give these to Seidou or something.”
Several days later, Misato heard that Seido Takizawa, a rank 2 investigator from the 20th Ward, was out sick due to some health issues, but she couldn’t be concerned about that right now.
She’d come to the station near the 8th Ward branch office, where Amon was working temporarily in order to help with a shortage of personnel. Misato checked her map as she headed to the office, taking side streets in order to get there as quickly as possible. Today she’d be sure to give her doughnuts to Amon. Her emotions were running high.
She wasn’t prepared for what she ran into en route, however. She gasped. “Th-that’s . . .”
It was a man, 191 centimeters tall, with a broad, well-honed frame. There was no mistaking it: there, just up ahead, was Kotaro Amon. Did this chance meeting perhaps mean that fate had bound them together? All at once, Misato’s daydreaming went into overdrive, but she came back to reality when she heard Amon speaking to someone.
Looking more closely, she saw a man next to Amon looking back at her curiously, and a woman who appeared to hand something to Amon. Misato’s eyes naturally fixed on the woman. Now just who is that?!
She pressed herself flat against the wall as if hiding were even an option at this point. The man was still looking right at her, his expression increasingly more perplexed.
The woman was young, fair-skinned, and gorgeous, the kind men went crazy over. And she was talking to Amon.
“You said that you wished the cake I gave you before was sweeter so … here.”
Wham. The shock hit Misato like a kokaku Quinque blow to the head. This woman had just given Amon one of her homemade cakes. And this wasn’t even the first time, apparently. She couldn’t get a good look at Amon’s face, but she did see him accept the cake, so clearly the prospect didn’t bother him much.
Misato’s legs began to wobble on the spot. Just what kind of relationship did these two have?
Listening closer, she heard the woman call Amon “Kotaro.” Misato’s vision went dark.
She could only assume that these two were courting one another before marriage.
“Ngh . . .” Misato turned and ran from the cruel reality before her. She’d just seen their relationship end before it even had a chance to begin. Covering her face to hold back her tears, she bolted through the side streets at a speed befitting a track star.
However, someone came walking around the corner from the station, and Misato plowed right into them, hard enough to bowl the average person clean over.
Apparently they were able to take it, however. “Oof! Whew, you hit me like a shot from a gun right there!” they said, looking down at Misato in astonishment.
It was Taishi Fura, the Ghoul investigator in charge of the 7th Ward. Misato was pretty sure he was currently on the Ghoul restaurant case.
He wasn’t alone, however.
“Hey, aren’t you that girl who works for Investigator Kuroiwa? Miss Gori, right?”
“Yeah, that’s her. What’s she doing in a place like this?” It was the ever-itinerant Yanagi and his junior partner, Toujou.
What were these guys doing here? Misato was understandably curious, but she was in no emotional state to have a conversation now. She was certain she’d burst into tears before she got even a single word out.
Still, knowing that she owed them an apology, she took the doughnuts out of the bag. “I’m so sorry!” she said as she pressed them into Fura’s hands.
These doughnuts were a gift that could never be given to their intended recipient now. Better that they should eaten by someone than go unappreciated.
Misato bowed her head to the other three investigators, and then ran off again.