75

Chapter 75: The Battle That's About To Take Place

Kirishima Touka, who was working, noticed that Kanzaki Ryoma had gone to sit with Hinami Fueguchi, and surprisingly, he was teaching her how to read.

This scene caught her off guard.

Although she knew Ryoma had been kind to Ryoko and Hinami before, this was still unexpected. She knew most investigators despised ghouls regardless of their behavior, yet here he was, patiently helping a young ghoul girl learn to read.

Fueguchi Ryoko, who was also working in the café, caught sight of this as well. Seeing Hinami interacting so well with the investigator brought a relieved smile to her face.

[Ding! The host taught Fueguchi Hinami to recognize 100 words. Reward: 10 fusion points.]

Ryoma had been teaching for a while before Hinami managed to memorize 100 words. Since he had to ensure she fully understood the words, the process was slow and careful.

As he continued, Kamishiro Rize walked into the café.

She glanced around and quickly spotted Ryoma and Hinami sitting together. Her lips curled into a faint smile as she silently walked over and sat down at the same table, resting her chin on her hand while watching them.

Ryoma noticed her presence but, seeing she was just observing quietly, he chose to focus on teaching Hinami.

"Lolicon?" Rize suddenly teased.

"...What?" Ryoma blinked.

"I didn't know you were into little girls," Rize smirked.

Ryoma sighed. "What are you even talking about?"

"You're the one spending all this time with a cute little girl. It's not hard to see where this is going."

"I'm teaching her how to read," Ryoma replied, sounding exasperated.

"Sure you are."

Ignoring her teasing, Ryoma turned back to the book and continued reading with Hinami.

Rize eventually got bored of teasing him and returned to minding her own business.

---

By lunchtime, Ryoma checked the time and decided to stop.

"Alright, it's time for me to grab some lunch. While I'm gone, review the words we went over so you don't forget them," he said.

"Okay!" Hinami replied cheerfully.

Just as Ryoma stood up to leave, she spoke again.

"Um... Brother?" Her voice was soft and hesitant. "My name is Hinami... Fueguchi Hinami..."

Her tone carried a hint of shyness, as if she had mustered the courage to tell him.

Ryoma smiled. "Yeah, I know, Hinami."

From across the room, Rize overheard their conversation.

"Oh? You called her Hinami so sweetly?" she teased as they walked outside.

"Don't start," Ryoma muttered.

---

Over the next few days, Ryoma continued teaching Hinami to read. With his help, she gradually became comfortable with most of the words in her books.

Along the way, she also became a fan of Takatsuki Sen's works.

"Takatsuki-sensei is amazing! She writes such beautiful stories... I wonder what kind of person she is?" Hinami said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"I've met her before... And believe it or not but she looks just like your age," Ryoma replied casually.

"Wait, really?" Hinami's eyes widened. "Does that mean she's about my age?"

Ryoma chuckled. "Not quite. She's older than you, but she does look about the same height."

Hinami's jaw dropped. "So she's short like me?"

"Yeah," Ryoma smiled. "She published Dear Kafka nearly ten years ago, so she was probably around your age back then."

"That's amazing... I still have trouble reading some words," Hinami sighed.

"You're learning fast," Ryoma reassured her. "I'm sure you'll get there soon."

"Thanks, brother!" Hinami beamed.

A short while later, Touka approached with two cups of coffee and placed one in front of Ryoma.

Ryoma glanced at her. "I don't remember ordering a second cup."

"I brought it for you," Touka said coolly. "My treat. No charge."

Seeing how happy Hinami was, she felt Ryoma deserved some gratitude.

"Thanks," Ryoma said with a small smile.

Touka didn't linger. She turned and returned to her duties.

"Brother, you said you met Takatsuki-sensei before," Hinami spoke up again. "Where did you meet her?"

"There was a fan event once," Ryoma said. "There should be another one soon. When it happens, I'll take you so you can meet her."

"Really?!" Hinami's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, count on it."

---

Meanwhile, the situation in the 11th Ward was escalating rapidly.

The ghouls of Aogiri Tree had completely taken over the ward, wiping out rival ghoul groups or forcing them to submit. The ward had become a war zone, and even CCG's branch offices were under attack.

Reports of fallen investigators kept piling up, and tensions within the CCG headquarters were rising fast.

In response, the CCG had mobilized large forces to prepare for an all-out assault on Aogiri Tree. Three Special-Class Investigators had already been deployed to oversee the counteroffensive.

The battle for the 11th Ward was about to begin...