Tokyo Ghoul Commission - Chance Encounter (Patreon)

*Ching-a-ling*

The bell attached to the entrance of a small café rang as a cute girl walked inside. She had pale blue eyes, matching the colour of her chin-length hair with a bang covering her right eye.

The young woman was wearing short black boots, a pair of dark shorts and a dark blue sweater with a white blouse underneath.

"Good morning Touka!" A man in his mid-thirties with short brown hair with grey streaks at the temples greeted the young bluenette who had just walked through the door. "You're just in time to help set the tables."

"Good morning boss!" The slender young woman replied. "I'll get changed right away and come help you!"

"Atta girl!"

Kirishima Touka had been working in a new café since a few weeks. After the end of the hectic battles in Tokyo that had raged from the 11th ward all the way over to the 20th ward, the blue haired young woman had seen a chance to try and take up her human life again.

However, Touka wasn't a human. She was a Ghoul.

Ghouls are a humanoid species that can only feed on humans. These carnivorous instincts are so strong they could drive a Ghoul out of control when they haven't eaten for a while.

However, despite their superhuman qualities, Ghouls are still extremely close to humans in appearance. They tend to have the same physical appearance and intelligence as humans, with the obvious exception of their exclusive diet of human flesh.

Even though a ghoul can only survive on the flesh of humans, they are still able to eat 'normal food'. But this comes at a grave price. Not only are their bodies unable to properly digest the food, their taste buds are so thoroughly rearranged it makes anything other than human flesh taste disgusting to the point of making them ill after eating it.

A Ghoul's inability to consume ordinary meals was particularly inconvenient for Touka. As one of the rare Ghouls that tried to blend into society by leading a double life, in her case as a high-school girl, she naturally came into contact with social occasions that involved food. Even more so because she used to have a very dear human friend who also was a talented cook. That girl went by the name of Yoriko Kosaka, and the bluenette hadn't seen her for months.

After the turbulent events in the middle of Tokyo, which Touka had barely escaped with her life, another massive raid had been performed by the Commission of Counter Ghoul, the CCG. Their target of that time had been Anteiku.

Touka had tried to join that battle, but had been stopped by Renji Yomo. It had kept her safe and out of harm’s way. But ever since she evaded the CCG on that black day, the blue haired girl had not seen her dear friend again.

Every now and then, Touka still recalled the fun and cheerful times she’d spent with Yoriko.

The young blonde had gone to school with her, and even supported Touka in her studies back when she still had plans to enter Kamii University. A caring and gentle person, Yoriko had often provided her slender school friend with home cooked meals because Touka tended not to bring any food of her own accord -for obvious reasons-.

Despite her 'odd' dieting habits, Yoriko and Touka had always been fast friends. The bluenette still missed her schoolmate sometimes, especially now that she was back working in a busy café surrounded by cheerful young men and women. The atmosphere reminded her of school, and part of her regretted having missed out on graduating together with Yoriko.

The slender girl headed into the café's backroom to get changed for her shift. She took off everything she was wearing but her underwear and a white undershirt in order to switch into her waitress uniform:

Black stockings, a black skirt and similar sleeveless vest. Over that she tied a small white apron that only covered her waist and thighs. The black boots she'd come in with suited the outfit just fine, so the owner allowed her own footwear.

The blue haired girl emerged from the changing rooms and helped setting all of the tables and checking the inventory in preparation for the customers.

When the café opened, people gradually began pouring in. By 10 o' clock, the place was packed as always and remained that way until after lunch.

Touka served everyone with a smile, playfully responding to the regulars’ quips about her great looks.

This is nice. I never really thought about how I’d missed these days, but taking up my cover job has made it clear to me: Living a double life is worth it.

However, after 2 hours of working at her energetic pace Touka was starting to feel the strain from the past few days. She was still adjusting to taking up her double life, especially since the Ghoul part wasn’t exactly allowing her to live a relaxed life.

She briefly had to retreat behind the bar to have a glass of water and catch her breath.

“You okay Touka?” The manager asked. “You look a bit weary.”

“It’s fine, I just didn’t get much sleep last night.” The bluenette lied quickly.

“Well it’s rather calm right now, why don’t you retreat behind the café for a moment and get refreshed.”

“Thank you, I think I’ll do that.”

The slender young woman headed back to the changing room and sat down on a bench.

“Tsk. It’s still not healed?” She said through gritted teeth as she felt her shoulder throb. “Maybe I did overreach myself the past week, working overtime during the days and heading out during the nights… Stupid investigators!”

For the past several weeks, Touka had spent most of her time at night outside trying to find Ken Kaneki. Touka just couldn’t accept the fact he had passed away like the rumours insisted. However, her intense search for her dear friend had meant she’d been pushing herself harder than even a Ghoul should do.

The massive confrontation in the 11th ward had still left its marks on the slender bluenette as well. Not to mention one or two small skirmishes she'd been involved in since then. Less than a week ago, she had accidentally run into a pair of particularly nasty Ghouls who’d accused her of trespassing on their feeding grounds. Touka had tried to ignore the two burly men, saying she didn’t care for their cattle but instead needed clues about ‘Eyepatch’.

The voracious men had ignored her story and simply engaged the slender young woman, forcing her to retreat rather than fight back because she did not want to risk drawing the attention of any nearby CCG-agents.

By yesterday, the injuries she'd sustained during the last few fights had almost fully healed again, which meant she had once again headed out to look for clues.

That had been the final straw in pushing her limits. Not only had she failed to find any trace of Ken, but the attractive bluenette had actually crossed paths with a pair of Ghoul investigators instead!

Her shoulder was still feeling a little bit sore from her risky acrobatics to evade capture. It had been past midnight when she barely escaped from her run-in. The cautious young woman had made sure she wasn't followed back to her home, which had taken even more time. The resulting fight for her escape had left her a bit weary, plus her far too short night’s rest had meant she hadn’t felt fully recovered come the morning. But because she didn’t want to let down her boss, she had come in for work anyways.

Just bear it, Touka. Tomorrow you'll have a day off and it's the weekend after that. If you can just keep going for today, you'll have recovered by the time you step in here again.

After splashing some more water in her face to cool down, Touka came back out and started cleaning glasses behind the bar.

"So, still thinking about opening up your own place?" One of her fellow waitresses asked as she arrived with a tray of empty glassware. The girl had long black hair and was half a foot taller than Touka. She'd been working in the café for half a year, and had been a great support for the bluenette.

"Definitely. I can't wait until I've saved up the money I need. I already spotted a great location near Shibuya!" Touka said excitedly.

Her colleague giggled. "Well, be sure to invite us when you've got it up and running."

"You bet!" Touka replied, smiling brightly as she got back to work. “You and the boss can be my first customers, Miko.”

I've missed this. Casually chatting with other people. Takes me back to my days in school…

At around 2 in the afternoon, a young girl with shoulder length blonde hair walked into the café. She was wearing a pink dress with white stockings underneath and matching high heels.

"Welcome miss," The tall waitress with long black opened up with the standard greeting and a friendly bow. "Would you like me to show you a seat?"

“Yes please.” The blonde said.

*splash!*

Touka dropped the glass she was drying off back into the sink as her eyes grew wide in shock.

Impossible! That’s-!

Kosaka Yoriko had just walked into the café.

The bluenette quickly glanced down at the sink to avoid making eye-contact with her friend. Her hands were trembling as she began to dry off the glass again.

Luckily, Yoriko hadn’t noticed the sound of Touka’s slip up and calmly headed for the seat the other waitress had guided her too.

How come Yoriko is in this café? It’s completely out of her way! Could it be she found out I’ve started working here?

The bluenette quickly glanced over to her friend, who was checking something on her phone.

I threw my phone out after the raid to avoid being tracked. Touka thought to herself. Maybe she became worried and started asking around?

“Touka, can you serve that girl please?” Miko asked, making the young Ghoul flinch out of her thoughts.

“Huh?! Why?”

“Because she asked for it. Don’t you know her?” The raven-haired girl asked surprised.

“W-well, I do actually.”

“You’re not arguing, are you? She seemed eager to speak to you.”

“It’s not like that. We just… haven’t been in touch for a while.”

“All the more reason to head over there then!” Miko teased, tapping Touka’s butt.

“Ah!” The slender girl yelped, bouncing forward.

She turned her back to Yoriko again and pretended to look for a notepad and pen.

What do I do? What do I say to her? What is she going to say to me?! She won’t be mad at me, will she?”

Poor Touka’s heart felt like it had begun beating in her throat.

Calm down Touka. You’re a waitress now, be professional. Even if she’s angry with you, you’ll just have to deal with it…

After taking a deep breath, the blue haired waitress headed over to Yoriko’s table.

“H-hello.” She stammered. “Can I take your order?”

"Hello, Touka." Yoriko said with a bright smile.

Before her friend could even respond, the cute blonde giggled and jumped up from her seat to hug her friend. "It's been sooooo long!"

“Y-yoriko?!” Touka stammered flustered. “What are you doing?”

“Greeting you, what else? It’s great to see you.”

“I-I feel the same.” Touka replied, feeling genuinely relieved her friend was being so cheerful after the bluenette neglected her for so long. “You seem energetic.”

“Aren’t I always?” The blonde teased.

“True.” The bluenette admitted. “But how did you find me here?"

"Purely by chance. I walked down this street a few days ago when I noticed you going into this place.” Yoriko told her high school friend as she sat back down. “At first I thought I’d imagined things, but when I snuck closer I noticed you setting the tables. So, I figured you'd taken up another part time job as a waitress."

"It's not part-time." Touka replied.

“It’s not?”

“No.” The slender girl said. She felt her lips curl into a smile she just couldn’t dispel. Yoriko was the same as ever: Kind, caring, cheerful. Her friend had come back to her!

"I'm earning money and learning as much as I can in preparation of opening up my own business." Touka said proudly.

"You're going to start your own café?" Yoriko said surprised. "What about your plans for Kamii university?"

Now the bluenette's cheerful smile did dissipate. "I've had to… put those on hold."

"What?! How come?"

“T-that’s a long story.” Touka replied evasively. “A lot has happened over the past few months. But I’m doing fine!” She added hurriedly when she saw the worried look on her friend’s face.

“I can see that.” Yoriko replied, returning to her cheerful demeanour. “You always were great at this stuff after all.”

“Hey, do you have some free time today? I'll ask the manager if I can take a few minutes to sit with you." Touka suggested. “That way we can catch up.”

"I'd love that! It's been ages since we got to chat!"

"You can say that again." The blue haired girl smiled.

After confirming with the owner, Touka returned with two cups of coffee and a piece of cake for Yoriko.

"It's on the house." The slender girl said with a bright smile.

"Oh, I couldn't accept!" The blonde replied embarrassed.

"Call it a thank you for tracking me down." Touka grinned.

The two then spent some time catching up, going back and forth about what they’d been up to the past few months and their plans for the future.

Touka gradually felt more at ease as her friend’s comforting smile made a warm glow bubble up inside her.

To think I was worried about Yoriko being angry with me! She’s so nice, I never should have doubted her.

Naturally, Yoriko inquired about why Touka abandoned her university plans. But the bluenette refused to provide a clear answer. Instead, she settled for some vague responses, and changing the subject.

After all, she had to keep the real reason -her increasing involvement in the Ghoul battles- a secret to her human friend, no matter the cost.

I can’t let Yoriko be involved in Ghoul affairs. It’s not about covering up my secret. Touka told herself. Although deep down she didn’t know for sure she wasn’t just scared to open up to her friend.

“Hey, how are things with you and that cute guy I saw in your apartment once?”

The bluenette began blushing. “N-nothing.” She stammered. “Nothing’s going on between us, we’re just friends.”

“Really? I thought for sure the two of you were more than friends by now. Maybe even indulging in a bit of… special stuff?”

“W-w-what?!” Touka yelped, her face beet red. “What are you talking about?!”

What was that remark for? Does she know something?!

Yoriko giggled girlishly. “Never mind me, I’m just teasing you a little.”

“Jeeez, you could use a different subject.” The slender girl muttered, taking a sip from her black coffee.

“Sorry. I’ll change the subject. What else have you been up to? I thought your part-time job during school was just to get make some more spending money. But if you’re taking on another waitress job then there must be more, right?”

“There is, actually.” Touka replied happily. “You remember the plans for my own business I just mentioned? It’s a café. I’m hoping to open my own café in a few months’ time.”

“Really?! That’s amazing!”

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to send you an invite to the opening.”

“You’d better!” Yoriko grinned. “And I promise to support you in any way I can.”

“Thanks, that means a lot.”

“Don’t mention it. For example, if you ever decide to serve pastries, I’ll be your chef!” She joked. “I’ve started helping out in a bakery to learn the trade.”

Touka chuckled. “I couldn’t imagine anyone better suited for a job like that. Your skills in the kitchen are top notch.”

“Hihi, thanks.”

After their convivial chat, Touka left her blonde friend to enjoy the cake and coffee whilst she got back to work. Soon after that, Yoriko got up and greeted Touka again before leaving the café. And Touka spent the rest of her working day with a smile on her face.

Around closing time, when the bluenette was busy cleaning up and putting everything away together with the owner, Yoriko dropped back in.

“Oh, did you forget something miss?” The café’s owner asked kindly.

“In a manner of speaking.” The cute young woman replied. “I came to pick up Touka.”

“Me?” The slender bluenette said surprised.

“Yes. I figured you probably wouldn’t anything prepared for dinner at your place so I came to invite you to mine.”

The blue haired girl flinched. Being a Ghoul, she couldn't eat normal food. However, that had never stopped her from accepting and eating anything Yoriko ever offered her. The cute blonde was simply that important to her.

This time was no different.

"Thank you so much! I've missed your cooking!" She lied, putting on a cheerful smile. “I’d love to come over to your place. We could chat some more.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Yoriko replied. “Are you ready to go?”

“Almost. I just need to wrap up here and get changed. Give me a few minutes.”

“Sure.” The blonde girl replied, taking a seat.

Touka hurried to get dressed in her black shorts and blue sweater again, then fixing her hair and freshening up a little before joining her friend again.

“Ready?” Yoriko asked.

“Yep. Let’s go. See you next week boss!”

“Have a nice weekend Touka!” The manager replied, waving at the two girls.

Touka and Yoriko walked back to the blonde’s place, something they’d done several times in the past when both of them were still in high school.

“This feels sort of nostalgic.” Yoriko mused.

“I know what you mean. Seeing you again after so long really makes me think back of our days in school.”

“We had lots of fun back then, didn’t we?”

“Uhuh.” Touka nodded. “But not just fun, you were a great friend too. Always supporting me in my studies, providing me with bentos.”

“Nothing much has changed then.” The blonde joked. “I’m still cooking for you.”

“Only because you love it so much.” Touka teased her back, making her friend giggle.

Soon after, the two arrived at Yoriko’s apartment.

“We still have some time before dinner, how about a cup of coffee for starters?”

“I’d love one actually.” Touka replied relieved.

Water and coffee were pretty much the only ‘normal’ substances a Ghoul could consume without side effects.

Yoriko briefly headed into her kitchen and returned with two cups of coffee.

“Here, drink up.” She said as she offered Touka a cup.

“Thank you.”

“So, any preferences for dinner?”

The bluenette smiled faintly. “None, you can decide. Anything you make will be delicious anyways.”

“Hihi, thanks.” The blonde replied, taking a sip of her cup. “I’ll start preparing the ingredient then.”

“Want me to help?”

“Oh no, you’re a guest! Just settle into the sofa and wait for me to call you.”

“But I’d feel guilty, letting you do all the work.” The slender young woman replied, getting to her feet.

But Yoriko pushed her back down. “Am I going to have to tie you down?” She grinned. “Because I will if I have to… Then again, maybe that’s the whole reason you’re being so stubborn?”

Touka frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Her friend shook her head dismissively. “It was just a figure of speech, don’t mind me.” The blonde replied smoothly. “I’m just giddy after seeing you again I guess. Just let me take care of the pampering. You know how I love working in the kitchen.”

“Alright then, if you insist.” Touka replied, reclining into the soft cushion of Yoriko’s deep red couch.

The blonde got busy inside the kitchen, leaving her friend alone in the living room.

Touka relaxed as she finished her coffee, wondering what kind of meal Yoriko would cook up. Not that she’d enjoy it, but it was the least she could do after avoiding her friend for so long.

However, after about 5 minutes, the bluenette started to feel… odd.

What’s wrong with me? My body is feeling heavy, and my head is starting to hurt a little.

The bluenette tried to get up from the couch, but immediately dropped back down with her head spinning.

What’s going on? I feel sick…

Yoriko walked back into her living room. “I brought a little snack to whet your appetite.” She chimed.

But when she saw her friend looking pale and shivering in her couch, her smile disappeared. “Touka? What’s wrong?”

“I… don’t know.” She replied. “I feel a bit weird.”

“Do you think it’s because you haven’t eaten in a while?”

“No, that can’t be it.”

I ate quite a bit two days ago after all…

“Well, it’s a good thing you came to my place. You shouldn’t be alone right now.” The blonde said worried. “I’ll put the meal in the fridge after it’s cooked. For now, just lie down on the couch. I’ll keep you company.”

“T-thanks.” Touka replied, her mind going a bit fuzzy. “I guess I’ll do that.”

Yoriko took off her friend’s boots and lifted her feet up to lie her flat on the couch.

“I’ll be right back, I just need to turn down the stove for a minute.”

Touka didn’t reply anymore. Her eyelids were starting to feel heavy.

Guess I pushed myself even harder than I thought. I’m not going to grow… hungry am I?!

A feeling of dread overcame the slender bluenette. What if her voracious instincts took over and drove her to kill and eat Yoriko?!

No! I’d never do that to her! Besides, this doesn’t feel like hunger at all. I’ve probably just been pushing my body too much despite not having recovered fully. I need rest, that’s all.

After convincing herself some shuteye would mend the situation, the bluenette passed out on Yoriko’s couch.

When Touka woke up again, the numbness in her body hadn’t faded away yet. Her mind was clearing up however, which allowed her to deduce she was no longer lying on Yoriko’s couch. In fact, the slender young woman didn’t know where she was anymore.

The new room only had a single window, which had been blacked out to keep her from looking outside.

A small lightbulb was dangling from the ceiling, providing faint light so Touka could inspect her situation. It wasn't a comforting sight though.

Whoever had brought her there had also removed her clothes and left her in just her black panties and bra!

What’s going on? Where am I? She thought confused as she tried to get up. However:

*crrr*

Rather pushing herself upright with her hands, a soft creaking could be heard, followed by pressure on her arms. She couldn’t move them. She couldn’t move anything for that matter.

The young bluenette was lying on a bed with nothing but a plain mattress, no sheets or pillows. And she had been tied up, rather thoroughly too.

Her wrists had been crossed behind her back and tightly cinched up, the knots hidden inside the ropework.

There were more ropes wrapped around her upper body, running above below and in between her modest chest for a simple but effective chest harness. That harness had been pulled so tightly any form of struggling served to hug and grip her cute bosom, like a pair of strong hands manhandling her in her helpless state.

Her legs weren’t any better off. Her ankles had been crossed with more of those coarse hemp ropes, and two more lengths cinched up her knees and thighs as well.

There was also a piece of rope tied around her waist, which trapped her arms beneath it to keep them pinned against her back.

For some odd reason, whoever had tied her up had then fed the remainder of that rope in between her legs, back and forth until no less than three lengths of the coarse hemp were nudging her pussy. Or rather, digging into her panties and labia alike, because that’s how tightly the crotchrope had been done up. The very last few inches of that long rope had then been tethered to her wrists, meaning that every time Touka so much as twitched them pressure formed on her womanhood!

“Ash ohin ohh (what’s going on)?” the bluenette mewled confused as she tried to roll around, only to discover the ropes resisted her every move. Even more unsettling was hearing the garbled and muffled sound coming out of her mouth, which she now realized had been forced wide by means of a sturdy rubber ring gag buckled firmly into place.

What the hell?! I’m gagged as well? Who did this?! Where am I?

"Hmrgg!!" Touka groaned as she began flopped about on the bed, failing to even right herself. Nevertheless, the brave bluenette began struggling to untie herself.

But whoever had restrained her knew what they were doing. The more she fought her ropes, the tighter they seemed to feel. There wasn't any slack to be found, no wriggle room to slip her arms or legs free. Everything had been pulled so tightly she could barely get any strength up, despite her considerable force.

I can't get out?! How?! These ropes are strong, but I should be able to tear through them. Why is my body feeling so weak?

Her eyes grew wide as she realized:

It can’t be?! RC suppressants?!

"Hmnrrr!!" She growled angrily as she began squirming more wildly.

I’ve been drugged?! But how? I was with Yoriko! None of this makes any sense!!

A cold shiver ran down her spine. The CCG didn’t follow us, did they? What if they harmed Yoriko to capture me?! Damn it I’ve got to get out of here and find out what’s going on.

“Hmnfff!!” The blue haired damsel groaned as she strained herself as best she could, rubbing the ropes into her fair skin. By now she was starting to drool from the rubber ring forcing her lips to part. That annoying gag was making her salivate uncontrollably. But no matter how hard she bit down on it, it wouldn’t budge. Even after rubbing her cheek on the mattress to try and dislodge it or trying to push it out with her tongue, that stubborn gag had held its ground.

“HMNGRRR!” The helpless young woman shrieked in frustration after tiring herself out. Those fiendish ropes hugging her slender body had sapped her strength, not to mention the suppressants keeping her just as meek as an ordinary girl.

This isn’t good. She realized, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

Shortly after giving up on her escape, the door opened.

Touka braced herself, expecting an investigator or even one of the ghouls she’d crossed paths with in her search for Ken.

But it was neither, the sight to greet her was far more alarming.

"Hello Touka." Yoriko said.

The bluenette blinked a couple of times, and not just because the light coming from the other room was somewhat blinding.

"Ohi-oh (Yoriko)?!"

The blonde calmly gazed upon her bound and gagged friend. She noticed Touka had rolled all the way to the end of the mattress, and the stream of drool betrayed she hadn’t made it there in a calm and orderly fashion.

"I see you've been trying to escape.” She remarked. “I wouldn't bother. Hemp rope is a lot stronger than people give it credit for. Plus, you’ve probably figured out that your system has been pumped full of RC suppressants.”

Touka gasped. So, I HAVE been drugged!

"Ah ahr ooh ohin (what are you doing)?" She asked confused.

"What does it look like? I'm questioning a ghoul."

The bluenette's eyes widened. She knows? How?!

“Ah ar hoo ha-hin ahow (what are you talking about)?” She tried to bluff her way out.

“Don’t insult me, Touka.” The blonde said sternly. “Your body is clearly affected by the RC suppressants I injected. That alone is proof you are a Ghoul.”

So, she has realized I’m a Ghoul. Is that why she tied me up, because she’s scared of me? But I’d never hurt her!

However, the sting of betrayal was nothing compared to the feeling of dread that overcame her.

The young woman had realized during her earlier struggles: Yoriko’s ropework was rock solid. Without her extraordinary strength, she probably stood no chance at escaping it.

“I take it you’re wondering how I found out, and for how long I’ve known?” The young cook asked, walking over to sit herself down on the bed beside her bound and gagged friend.

Touka nodded slowly, stealthily fidgeting around with the knots pinning her wrists in place to see if she could find a knot.

“You might be relieved to hear I only found out quite recently. Just two weeks ago, in fact.”

The bluenette felt her eyes grow wide. Two weeks ago?! That was when-

“I see you’re getting where I’m going with this.” Yoriko said calmly. “Yes Touka, I was one of the civilians that got caught up in the latest territorial brawl, which was quite near here...”

I was heading home after a late shift at the bakery I started helping out in, it had already begun getting dark. My usual route took me through a rather narrow alleyway, so to play it safe I made a detour through a park. Who could have expected I walked right into two Ghouls trying to tear each other limb from limb!

By the time I realized the carnage I’d walked into, it was too late to make a run for it. So instead I took cover with some other people inside an abandoned shop.

We feared that if we turned our backs, they’d turn their attention to us instead. None of us dared exit the building, leaving us forced to watch those two Ghouls fight it out.

But even in hiding, we were at risk. Their battle grew more and more violent, and before we knew it out hideout was being struck by large chunks of flying debris.

I truly thought I was going to die, until a third Ghoul arrived to alter the course of the fight.

This one was wearing a weird looking rabbit mask, and her hair was bright pink. She was clearly a woman, judging by the shape of her body.

She landed so close to us it startled most of the group. One girl even let out a yelp, causing the Ghoul to turn our way. For about 15 seconds, she just silently stared at each and every one of us. And just when I thought she was going to pounce, taking advantage of her rivals being caught up in their own fight, she rushed to join them instead!

I don’t know why, but that woman drew the others’ attention for some reason. Both of them took her on, and she moved the fight away far enough me and the other civilians to make a break for it.

The blonde looked straight into Touka’s eyes. “During her fight, that female Ghoul lost her mask and got her wig torn, exposing her real face.” She said as she produced Touka’s rabbit mask. “This thing landed quite close so I took it with me, I honestly don’t know why.” The blonde confessed as she played with it.

“I didn’t get all that good a look at this third Ghoul. I barely got a glimpse of her face, but it had been enough to realize she was surprisingly young, about our age. The only thing I had been able to spot clearly was her hair, it was blue.”

She now leaned forwards and tried to fit the mask onto her bound and gagged friend’s face. Not surprisingly, it was a perfect fit.

“Well what do you know, it fits you like a glove.” The blonde said accusingly.

A shiver ran down Touka’s spine as she tried to knock the mask away with her head. She flailed her body, which still wouldn’t respond properly because it was trapped in the ropes.

I can’t believe she spotted me even in all that mayhem! Guess I was careless after all, trying to take on two Ghouls at once…

“It was a mistake of you to barge into that fight.” Yoriko concluded. “The fighting was going on way to close to us, so of course we’d get a good glimpse of the monsters tearing each other apart. I assume the only reason you joined in was because you never imagined one of the civilians to actually recognise you-”

“Ai hih (I did).” Touka interrupted.

Her captor blinked a few times. “Sorry?”

“Ai hew ooh hur air (I knew you were there).” The bluenette elaborated.

“What do you mean?” Yoriko asked confused.

The bluenette turned her head, indicating she wanted the ring gag removed so she could tell her side of the story.

Naturally, Yoriko hesitated.

Her captive groaned in frustration. “Ai ahn oof (I can’t move).” She assured her.

By now Touka had conceded she wouldn’t be worming her way out of the situation without a proper explanation. But she really didn’t want to go through all that with that rubber ring parting her lips, spreading drool all over the place!

“That is true I guess.” The cute blonde admitted, removing Touka’s gag. She was too curious to hear what she had to say.

After taking a deep breath, Touka began telling what had truly happened that night:

“I was outside looking for… a friend, when I heard the noise of a small skirmish nearby. I planned to ignore it, since it had nothing to do with me. But the terrified yelp of a girl drew me closer.”

The bluenette looked Yoriko in the eye, but turned away her gaze soon enough. She didn’t want to tell her the girl’s voice had reminded her of the blonde, and that that had been the reason for her to rush to the scene. She feared it might have sounded hollow, given the situation.

“When I landed on a nearby rooftop to oversee the fight, I spotted you. Even from that great distance, I still recognised you right away as you took cover inside that abandoned shop.”

Yoriko raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You knew I was inside that building?”

Her captive nodded.

I had to stop myself from rushing out there to help you, but barging in on a territorial struggle would no doubt have thrown oil on the fire. I didn’t want to risk escalating things and draw the attention of the CCG… But because you were there I somehow couldn’t turn my back on the fight either.

I remained out of sight, witnessing how the battle got more out of control until finally large chunks of debris started flying your way.

My body moved before I full well realized. Within moments I had landed in front of the building you were hiding, blocking some of the larger pieces of metal and concrete with my kagune. It was a good thing I had taken my disguise with me, since it meant I could fight without worrying about anyone from recognising me, including you.

It didn’t take much effort to draw the Ghouls’ attention. However, the moment I did I realized I was in trouble.

The tall and thin one used a ukaku kagune, which is the same as mine. I felt confident I could handle him. But largest of those two men had manifested his kagune as a large shield that almost covered his entire torso. Judging by its size and strength, it was obvious he was a koukaku kagune wielder.

The bluenette turned to Yoriko again to elaborate.

“In case you don’t know: A koukaku kagune consists out of extremely condensed RC cells. That makes them slow and heavy, but also extremely robust. They are a bad matchup for me and my speed-oriented ukaku kagune, which lack the power to pierce their defences.”

“So what you mean to tell me is, you were at a disadvantage stepping into that fight?”

Touka nodded.

“Then why did you engage them rather than run away?”

“Because this was a territorial fight. If I had dropped in and immediately rushed off again, chances of them giving chase would have been slim to none. And then I wouldn’t have helped you at all.”

“So you engaged two Ghouls at the same time, just to help me and the others escape?” The blonde said surprised.

Her slender captive blushed slightly. “Well I couldn’t just leave you there.” She muttered.

For just a moment, Yoriko’s eyes seemed to soften and return to that cheery outlook Touka knew her friend to have.

But as quickly as it had appeared, the lift in her mood was gone again.

“We’re getting off topic here. I was going to question you.”

“About what?”

“What else? I need to know what your reasons for infiltrating a human school were.”

“That’s why you captured me?”

The blonde crossed her arms. “Well, that and payback.”

“Payback?!”

“Of course.” Yoriko said sternly. “You can’t be surprised I’m feeling a little scorned for you lying to my face all this time.”

Truth be told, when Yoriko discovered Touka’s true nature the poor blonde had been devastated for days! She had felt betrayed about the bluenette’s lack of trust, angry for her deceit, and terrified when she started to imagine the horrors Touka could have brought to the school should she ever get… hungry.

“Since I had no idea how to handle this, I turned to the only authority available: The CCG.”

And they had welcomed her with open arms, since the blonde provided them with a real chance at capturing a Ghoul with minimal risk, thanks to Touka and her habit of actually consuming Yoriko's food.

Sadly, the bluenette had completely fallen off the radar before Yoriko could ever use her plan.

"Imagine how lucky I felt at bumping into you a few days ago."

Touka’s eyes widened.

THEY put her up to this?! There are investigators involved?! Then my situation is even worse than I thought.

Instinctively, the bluenette began pulling against her ropes again. But other than creaking softly, there was no response.

“Please Yoriko! we’re friends, aren’t we?” The bluenette said desperately, squirming on the bed as she tried but failed to right herself. “We can talk this out. Just let me go and I promise to explain everything to you. Anything you want to know.”

But the blonde wasn’t having it.

"Explain first, then I MAY let you out."

Touka took another deep breath.

“As you probably know by now, Ghouls are born. We don’t transform by being bitten or something like that.”

“Well of course you don’t. That’s common knowledge.” Yoriko replied impatiently.

“You’d think that. But there is still a lot of ignorance circulating about Ghouls. More people than you’d expect make the link to fictional undead creatures like zombies or vampires, thinking we must share the same traits. So I thought I’d start my explanation by clearing that up.”

The young baker nodded calmly. “Fair point.”

“So like I said: We are born Ghouls, but normally we can look exactly like humans if we want to, making it possible to blend into the masses. I did so, because it was the best way for me to survive. Given my age, high school just felt like the logical choice.”

“So, you’re telling me we were nothing but a hiding place for you? An elaborate disguise?” The blonde said dejectedly.

“No!” The bluenette replied quickly. “I’ll admit that at first I tried to blend in to keep the CCG off my back. I avoided getting close to anyone because I feared my cover would be at risk. But over time I grew fonder of my human life. I started to care about my friends and part-time job very much.” The slender captive now forced herself to look Yoriko in the eye.

“You most of all, Yoriko. You’ve been such a great friend, supporting me for everything and preparing meals for me all the time. I honestly care about you very much.”

The blonde snorted at that last confession. “That sounds an awful lot like you telling me things you assume I want to hear, in the hopes of it getting you out this mess.”

Touka began squirming angrily. “It’s not!” She yelled. “I meant everything I said!”

The young baker grinned slyly. “If that’s the case, then surely you won't mind answering another question?"

Touka hesitated, but nodded quietly.

The blonde grinned at her. "Where is the Ghoul known as 'Eyepatch'?"

"W-what?!" Touka mouthed shocked.

She wants to find Ken?! No!

"I- I don't know." She stammered.

That wasn’t even a lie. Touka truly didn’t know where Ken Kaneki was hanging out, or if he even was alive at all.

Yoriko wasn’t pleased with that answer though.

"Oh please! You're telling me you don't know where your boyfriend is? There has been plenty of evidence showing you and he are quite close."

Touka began blushing heavily. “N-no we’re not!” She lied. “I’ve only seen him once or twice, and that was only in disguise. I have no idea where he is right now, and there definitely isn’t anything between us!” She said heatedly.

All of that was true of course. Although if it had been up to Touka, it might not have been.

Ken, where the hell are you? She couldn’t help but wonder, even at this dire situation she found herself in. In fact, the slender bluenette couldn’t stop herself from fantasizing her crush bursting into the room in order to rescue her.

That vision made her feel very… excited.

“Is that your final answer?” The blonde said sternly.

Her damsel forced herself to focus again, and looked Yoriko straight in the eye. “Yes.”

“Haah. I should’ve known how stubborn you’d be.” Her captor sighed as she picked up the ring gag again.

“No!” Touka yelped. “Yoriko please don- Hmnnnhh!!” She tried to plead, only to be cut off by that nefarious ring propping her jaw open again and reducing her words to meaningless gibberish.

The moment it was buckled into place, Touka began shaking her head to try and dislodge the ring again, pushing it with her tongue and working the sturdy rubber with her teeth. But just like before, it wouldn’t budge.

Damn it. I can’t believe how easily she gagged me again! Haven’t the suppressants worn off yet? I can’t do anything like this! Touka thought frustrated.

“I suppose if you’re not willing to talk, there is no point in me keeping you hidden from the CCG anymore.”

“HAHW (WHAT)?!” Touka shrieked.

The cute baker ignored her startled friend and pulled some more rope from beneath the bed. “But first I’ll need to make sure you won’t be able to make a fuss. At all.”

“HOOOHHH (NOOOO)!” The slender young woman wailed, rolling away from Yoriko.

But the blonde simply rolled her back in place, forcing her to lie still in the middle of the bed.

“You’ve always been a bit stubborn, haven’t you?” She teased her former friend as she looped the rope around her ankle bonds. She then brought the other end up and anchored it around her chest harness.

“Brace yourself.” She warned moments before she began reigning in the slack, slowly but surely drawing in Touka’s legs until the soled of her feet were resting on her butt!

“HMNNNN!” The bluenette groaned in pain as her back was forced to bend, just to accommodate the position her legs were contorted in. When Yoriko had knotted off the rope, the hogtie she’d constructed was so strict poor Touka’s chest was actually lifted off the bed slightly.

And that had only been the start.

Yoriko brought out yet more ropes and anchored one to each corner of the bed. The other ends she attached to the ropework already imprisoning her captive. Thanks to those four lengths of rope, she effectively pinned Touka in place smack in the middle of the bed.

The moment the last rope was secure, the slender bluenette realized she couldn’t even roll about anymore. She was utterly immobile, and not a single knot felt like it was in reach.

A fact that was made painfully clear to her when Yoriko produced a pair of nipple clamps and pulled down the cups of her bra. Touka had moaned and struggled to try and prevent her friend, but the blonde had managed to pinch the clamps in place with insulting ease.

“AAH!”

What is she doing?! These things are ridiculous! They hurt!

But that’s not all they were doing to poor Touka. The intense, brilliant pain was being amplified by her breasts already being sensitive from the chest harness. After the initial sting began to die down, a dull pull was all that remained. A pull that felt… pleasant on some level?!

“There. I think even a Ghoul would find difficulty in escaping this.” Yoriko stated confidently. “This should make it easy to use you as bait for that ‘Eyepatch’ guy.”

“Hah (what)?!” Touka yelped.

They’re going to use me in order to try and draw out Ken?! NO! They can’t do that! I won’t let them!

“Hmnrgg!” Touka grunted as she started struggling more frantically and nervously than she had ever felt before.

This whole situation felt like a nightmare to the poor blue haired girl. Her dear friend turned out to be an enemy!

Yoriko, the one human she’d always trusted completely and cared so much for, was now going to turn her into a liability to the single most important Ghoul in her life…

I have to escape, no matter the cost!

Touka started struggling with all her might, desperate to escape her restraints before Yoriko go into contact with the CCG investigators!

The blonde refrained from reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone for now. She planned on enjoying the show her friend was putting on.

It didn’t take long for Yoriko to realize that Touka was fighting a losing battle though. And she was losing fast.

The way those tight ropes continued to dig into the blue haired damsel’s skin was terribly distracting, arousing even.

Because part of her relished the strict and unforgiving feel of these coarse hemp ropes writhing around her body.

The slender girl had always had a thing for bondage, she'd just never acted on it because she thought it odd, and her risky double life simply hadn't allowed for it.

Even so, that weird gnawing feeling never went away.

Naturally, Touka had fantasized about scenarios where she’d been restrained. The cute bluenette had even looked up clips on websites from time to time. But with her hectic and confusing lives, she never really got close enough to confess her fetish to anyone. Not even Yoriko or Ken.

To think her trusted friend was now getting a full-on glimpse of her second biggest secret felt only more frustrating to the nervous Ghoul.

I can’t imagine her opinion of me can sink even lower, but showing her this still feels extremely embarrassing. Touka thought as she buried her face into the mattress as she tried to recover some stamina.

But I can’t stop it!

The shapely Ghoul’s heart and mind were racing. This had been her first time being tied up, and the rush had turned out to be greater than she’d ever imagined. The dull pain and pressure everywhere the rope caressed her skin, the thrilling rush she felt every time she tried to pull on her restraints but failed to make them give way… All of it had been exactly how she’d imagined.

But given her circumstances, that only confused her more.

On the one hand, she was terrified of what would happen should she fail to escape. But at the same time she felt her body grow hotter and the shiver down her spine grow stronger with each failed attempt to free herself.

Until finally, she ran out of options.

This is impossible. I'm never getting out. She realized. Her strength had left her completely, and with not a single knot having slipped into Touka’s feverishly wriggling fingers, the poor damsel had never even found a starting point for her escape.

But to her despair, part of her body did not seem to mind that. Even though she knew what was at stake here, she couldn't help but feel… aroused?!

What rotten timing for me to find out about this! I never expected for all of this to feel so powerful!

"Hmnrggg!!"

“It’s useless.” Yoriko taunted her captive. “The suppressants are keeping your Ghoul abilities in check. Right now, you’re nothing more than the normal young woman you fooled me into seeing all this time. And an ordinary girl doesn’t stand a chance at escaping this.

Touka began panting as she glared at her former friend. The cold look in Yoriko’s eyes sent another shiver down her spine.

But an even worse feeling was that of the pit that had begun developing in her stomach. Because it was starting to look like Yoriko was right.

The bound and gagged Ghoul spent several more minutes struggling futile, but in the end she'd only managed to make the rope wedged into her crotch dig in deeper and the chest harness grope her firm breasts tighter. Every single length of rope wrapped around her body seemed intent on sapping more of the little strength she had left thanks to the drugs Yoriko gave her.

The longer she squirmed and failed, the more nervous she became. Not just for herself, but for Ken as well.

However, thinking of him made her mind drift to a whole new range of fantasies: Being bound and gagged, not captured, but in Ken's care!

“Hmn?!” Touka yelped as she noticed something: Thanks to those clamps Yoriko had pinched in place, the tingling in her breasts had intensified, to the point of her nipples hardening!

Sadly, when she tried to cover up her shameful body, the ropes creaked softly but didn’t budge.

This can’t be! I can’t even roll around like this?!

“Hmnf!” She grunted softly.

“Having trouble?” The blonde mocked. “All you have to do to be released is tell me what I want to know.”

“Hmrnn!” Touka growled, shaking her head.

“Very well, I guess I need to turn up the heat a little.”

*hmmnnnnn*

“HMMNRRRR!!” Touka shrieked in horror. Out of nowhere, her nipple clamps started vibrating!

Poor Touka started squirming and moaning helplessly, her body propelling from excited to downright horny and needy. Desperate to retain control, the cute Ghoul bit down on the soaking wet gag as her body’s arousal mixed with mind flashes of Ken taking charge of her helpless body.

Keep it together Touka! You’ve got to focus! Find a way out of here!

But it was hopeless. The more she wriggled to free herself, the more effective the nipple vibrators became!

If this continues, I might have even bigger problems than the ropes. She’s pushed me so far I’m even afraid to struggle now.

Touka bit down hard on her gag to keep in her tears from frustration.

I’m completely at her mercy…

"Enjoying yourself?" Yoriko suddenly giggled teasingly. It wasn't a malicious giggle either, it sounded more like the cheerful Yoriko Touka cared so much about.

And that threw her off completely.

"Hmrn?!" The bluenette groaned confused.

"Don't understand? I guess I can't blame you. I tried really hard to make it all look real."

"HMRNN?!"

What is she saying? Make WHAT look real?!

“I’m not working for the CCG.”

“HAHN?!”

Touka looked at her brightly smiling friend with wide eyes. None of this was making sense anymore!

“My 'interrogation' had purely been a front for me to find out more about you, the real you.”

“Aih (Why)?”

“Why? Because we’re friends! I wanted to know because I care. But since Ghoul’s are still hunted I figured you’d never open up to me if I just brought it up in normal conversation. You’d lie to me or worse: disappear completely.”

The bluenette averted her gaze. Deep down, she had to agree with her friend.

I probably would have done exactly that….

“Don’t get me wrong: I understand. I get why you kept being a Ghoul a secret. But I want you to understand something else.”

Touka listened quietly, she had no choice after all, bound and gagged on that bed.

“I don’t care.”

“Huh?”

“It doesn’t matter to me what you are. To me you’re just Touka: A sweet young girl who has been a great friend. The fact you always graciously accepted my cooking despite it making you ill only proves that.”

“Ghoul or otherwise, you’re my friend.” The young baker said softly with a kind smile adorning her cute face.

"Ehn hai ish sha-hahe (then why this charade)?" Touka asked confused.

Yoriko blinked a couple of times. “What do you mean, why? Because you like it of course."

"AHUH (WHAT)?!"

"You're not going to deny that, are you? I mean I can see from the wet patch beneath your panties how much fun you're having.” Yoriko replied as she took out the ring gag for a moment to let Touka catch her breath properly.

Touka's cheeks flushed bright red. Yoriko was right, there was no point trying to deny anything, to her friend or herself. But that didn’t make it any less embarrassing!

“H-how did you find out about this?” She asked flustered.

The blonde shifted uncomfortably. “Promise you won’t get mad for this.”

“Mad for what?”

“I sorta… discovered it by accident when I tried to use your laptop to look something up we’d been reading in class earlier that day. I used your history to find it, but then I spotted a few oddly named websites…”

Touka’s eyes widened. “You went through my history?!”

The blonde clasped her hands together and bowed her head in apology. “I’m sorry! I never planned to snoop, it was purely by accident!”

“But why didn’t you ever tell me about this?”

“Because I figured you’d be embarrassed. It also helped explain why you acted so withdrawn and distant to everyone. I just figured you were still struggling with your identity. I never expected you to have an even bigger secret!”

Touka couldn’t help but smile. “Guess your snooping helped me keep my real cover then.”

“You could say it like that.” The blonde giggled, pinching her friend’s butt.

“Ow! Hey! Stop that!”

“Make me!” Yoriko taunted, tickling her friend for a few minutes.

“Aahahaa! H-hey! S-stop it please!” The bluenette began pleading through her gasps and laughs.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You looked too cute.” The cute cook apologised.

Touka began fidgeting with her ropes again. All of her squirming and thrashing just now had made them dig in even more.

“Haah, haah, haah… If you’re not planning to turn me over to the CCG, could you please untie me? These ropes are really uncomfortable.”

To her relief, Yoriko began untying the ropes anchoring her to the four corners of the bed. However when all of those had been removed, she stopped and left poor Touka in her inescapable hogtie.

“Uhm, Yoriko? Aren’t you going to take of the rest?”

“Hmm, no. Not yet at least.”

“But why nooot?” Touka whined.

“Because I had a game in mind, to make up for scaring you.”

“And I have to be tied up for your game?” The bluenette moaned annoyed.

“Yes, otherwise this won’t work.” The blonde replied as she retrieved a hitachi wand from beneath the bed.

Touka felt her mouth fall open. “You’re not seriously going to use that thing on me?!”

“Of course I am. But don’t worry, the game's really simple: If you can hold on for 5 minutes, I'll let you out." She giggled.

“What’s the point of that?!” The bound Ghoul shrieked.

“Because it’ll be exciting! Isn’t it this kind of stuff you’ve been fantasizing about for so long?”

“M-maybe.” The bluenette admitted grudgingly, blushing again.

“Granted, you might prefer that cute guy to be the one holding the reins, but you’ll have to settle for me this time.” Yoriko teased.

“T-that’s got nothing to do with it!” Touka yelped. “I’m just embarrassed!”

“Then it’s a good thing my ropes are so secure, since it means you can’t stop me from doing this.” The young baker replied as she rolled Touka onto her side and tied the large white vibrating toy in between her slender captive’s legs so the bulbous end nudged her pussy and crotchrope.

“You ready?”

“Not at all.”

“Hihi, then you should’ve tried harder to escape.” Yoriko lectured as buckled the ring gag back into place -much to Touka’s dismay- and flicked the switch on the hitachi.

The hitachi burst to life with a vivid trembling, dozens of times stronger than those nipple clamps had done.

“AAAHHHH!” Touka screamed, rolling around on the bed as her body was propelled toward an orgasm in a matter of seconds.

No way! It’s too powerful!

“Mmrrg!” She grunted through gritted teeth as she desperately tried to keep her climax down.

Yoriko flinched back when she saw her friend’s wild thrashing.

Did I turn that hitachi on too high? She almost looks like she’s in pain.

“Oohhh!” Touka howled, her legs and hips grinding hungrily for the release bubbling beneath the surface.

But the stubborn young woman refused to give in so quickly.

5 minutes. I just have to hang in there for 5 minutes and Yoriko will untie me. She promised… 5 minutes… Just 5 minutes.

But to the slender captive, every second felt like an hour!

“Hmnn!”

Her clit began throbbing and her panties grew warm with love juice already making its way past her clenched thighs.

“One minute.” Yoriko announced.

“AH?!” Touka yelped.

That’s all it’s been?! NO!

The helpless Ghoul began bucking up and down on the bed like possessed.

I can’t… hold it!

“HHMNAAAAAHH!!!” The bound and gagged girl screamed as her orgasm erupted, despite her best efforts to keep it down.

Her eyes went jet black, the iris blood red. This was a typical characteristic for Ghouls when they got excited. Seeing it up close startled Yoriko a little, but she forced herself to remain calm.

Well, I guess that proves it. She really is into this. Not only that, I believe she just came at record speed!

“Wow, I expected you to get excited after a while. But this is astonishing.” Yoriko remarked softly as she turned off the hitachi. “Did you really come this quickly, just because you were tied up?”

Touka groaned loudly, out of embarrassment and frustration. She shook her head angrily, wanting the gag removed again.

So Yoriko did.

“It wasn’t just the ropes! Your hitachi was insane!” She protested.

The poor bluenette had never experienced a rush that direct, that powerful before!

In fact even now she was gasping and squirming around thanks to the afterglow and ropes keeping her whole body on edge.

“Get those clamps off my nipples!” She demanded with what little breath she could catch. Her pale blue eyes glaring at her captor. “And let me out!”

“I believe the deal was you would be released if you could keep yourself from climaxing.”

“B-but you didn’t play fair!” Touka retorted.

“Hmm, maybe I did make things a little too hard.”

“A LITTLE?!”

The blonde pondered for a few moments.

“Yoriko!” Touka moaned impatiently, rolling on her side since that position caused the least pressure on her groin. The fact it exposed her lewd, sweaty and obviously aroused body didn’t matter anymore. Yoriko had already seen every hidden side she possessed, and she was still sitting right next to her.

Touka’s heart was racing like mad, but it gradually started to calm down. She was no longer worried about her friend’s plans… Whatever they were.

"How about this then: I'll let you out even though you lost... But in return, you have to agree to a rematch."

The bluenette looked at her friend with wide eyes. “A rematch? You mean… t-this stuff?”

“Of course. Don’t tell me you don’t want to.”

Touka remained silent. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to experience this kind of rush!

“Touka?” The blonde asked timidly. “You’re not… mad at me for all of this, are you? I might have come on a little strong, but that was because everything I read about this stuff advised on making things seem as realistic as possible.”

The slender Ghoul sighed. “Well, you definitely succeeded there. Over the past few hours I’ve been terrified, furious, desperate, aroused, happy and confused. Sometimes all of it at once.”

“I-is that good or bad?” The cute cook asked nervously.

Happily, Touka grinned widely. “It’s amazing. You did a great job with all of this.”

“So, then we’re still friends?”

“Yes. And you can have your rematch.”

“Yay! In that case I’ll let you out.” Yoriko said as she started by removing the nipple clamps.

“Ooohh!” The slender young woman groaned. “That feels soooo good!”

The blonde then moved to untie all of the knots, but stalled for a moment.

“Hang on. You’re not going to jump me and return the favour the moment I let you out, am I?”

“Of course not. For one I don’t think I have the energy left to wrestle you to the ground. The RC suppressants haven’t worn of yet either. Plus, I would never do anything to harm you.” Touka promised.

Yoriko smiled brightly. “Thank you.”

A good 10 minutes later, Touka was fully released from her bonds and lying on the mattress with her arms and legs sprawled out.

“You okay?”

“S-sure. Just give me a minute. My whole body is tingling from the blood flowing properly again.”

When the bluenette had recuperated enough to get up, she exited her 'interrogation cell'. She had to blink a couple of times to process what she’d walked into: Yoriko’s living room.

“We’re still in your apartment?!”

“Of course we are. Where else did you think we were?”

It turned out Touka’s prison had simply been Yoriko's bedroom, stripped of all furniture and decoration.

“I couldn’t very well drag you halfway across town to an abandoned warehouse, now could I?” Yoriko giggled.

Touka began blushing slightly. “Right. I guess I just figured you had transported me to some kind of CCG holding. Guess my mind hadn’t completely caught up to your act yet.”

“Hihihi, I’ll take that as a compliment.” The blonde said cheerfully.

"So, now what?"

"Now we both pick up our lives, like normal girls trying to get ahead in life." Yoriko said casually.

"That's it?"

"It's what we are, aren't we?" The blonde said with a casual wink. "Albeit it one of us has a rather kinky hobby." She giggled teasingly.

That was all Touka needed to see to know: Her secret was safe with Yoriko. Or rather, her secrets.

"If you ask me, both of us share that hobby now." She grinned widely.