Please yes.
Tsukiyama paces the cheap tiled floors of Kaneki’s designated safe house. Touka texted that they were successful. Kaneki is joining them on their way back from Cochlea, with a freed Hinami.
He’s scared to see Kaneki. Scared his friend will reject him, after throwing him off a roof, after – Karren.
The door finally opens, and Tsukiyama whirls around with the bouquet of flowers he bought for little Hinami. “Welcome home!”
Hinami breaks into a smile, and even Ayato grins. A heavily injured Yomo staggers in, leaning by a former CCG investigator – Hirako, if Tsukiyama recalls. Three children in CCG uniforms follow, and finally an unconscious Kaneki cried by Touka.
And then another lanky figure steps inside, locking the door behind them.
Tsukiyama cries out.
Karren stares at him. Thin, her maroon hair a mess. Her lips part.
“Karren?” he whispers her name, her real name.
“M – master Shuu.” Karren swallows as tears fill her eyes.
“Let’s leave them.” Touka beckons everyone to follow her into the kitchen.
“You’re alive.” Tsukiyama doesn’t move. For once, the gourmet’s response is silence and stillness. He’s not sure why he’s responding so differently to Karren.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Tsukiyama blurts out. He lunges across the room to sweep her in his arms and kiss her, seizing the chance he has always regretted missing.
“M -”
“Don’t call me Master anymore,” he pleads. “Just Shuu.”
“Shuu,” Karren says, a tender smile on her face. After all, she knows a thing or two about calling people by their chosen names.
Tsukiyama tightens his embrace. There’s so much to talk about. “I – do I deserve to be this happy?”
“Yes,” Karren says firmly.
“Can I kiss you again, then?”