Roma had a feeling that Byakuya was more than just a simple enemy.
So, she decided to strike up a conversation.
"Of course, though I didn't expect to see you here."
Byakuya replied expressionlessly.
Naturally, he had no intention of letting Roma know about his identity as the One-Eyed King.
This woman knew a lot of secrets; she had even met the true One-Eyed King hidden underground.
Yet, she had always preferred to stay on the sidelines, watching the chaos unfold like an amused spectator.
But in the end, she had played around too much and ended up getting killed by Kuki Urie.
"Aren't you going to take me in, scary Investigator-san?"
Roma asked, as if testing him.
"That's not my mission. But if you really want me to, I can make it happen."
Byakuya said indifferently.
The CCG had indeed issued an order to capture the SSS-rated ghoul known as the Dodgy Mother, but the task had not been assigned to his Zero Squad.
Right now, their only mission was to take down Aogiri Tree.
"In that case, I'll pass. I'd rather not walk into a death trap."
Roma's face immediately showed an exaggerated expression of fear.
"You know him too?"
At that moment, Yomo Renji couldn't help but ask Roma.
"Yeah, I was just a regular ghoul locked up in Cochlea before. When Cochlea fell, I tried to escape but nearly got killed by this handsome guy here."
Roma said, half-truthfully.
"Is that so..."
Renji didn't believe a word of her nonsense.
Very few "regular" ghouls were ever locked up in Cochlea. If they were there, it was usually because they held valuable intel or were deemed highly dangerous.
Still, she seemed to have a good relationship with Uta, so she probably wasn't too bad.
At that moment, Byakuya handed over the gift he had prepared for Roma.
Even though he had always found her unreliable, a gift was still a gift. It was an expensive women's wristwatch.
"Wow, thank you so much!"
Receiving the present, Roma was overjoyed. "I almost want to kiss you, handsome."
The moment those words left her mouth, she felt an icy gaze piercing through her.
"Ahaha, just kidding!"
Roma quickly laughed it off.
She had just been testing the waters; she was quite curious about Byakuya and Eto's relationship.
That chilling gaze confirmed it for her.
Roma had seen a lot in her time.
But a pairing between a ghoul and a ghoul investigator? This was a first for her.
Eto withdrew her gaze.
Of course, she could tell that Roma was testing her rather than outright provoking her.
But she didn't mind. There was no reason to hide her relationship with Byakuya; if anything, letting Roma know might even be a good thing.
"Eto..."
Yoshimura Kuzen wanted to say something to Eto.
But before he could, Eto spoke first:
"You don't need to say anything. At the very least, I'm doing fine right now."
"That's good..."
Yoshimura Kuzen swallowed back the words he had been about to say.
But after a moment, he still couldn't hold back a sentence that had been buried deep in his heart.
"No matter what… I'm sorry for all these years..."
"You don't need to apologize to me. I understand."
Yoshimura Eto said flatly, "Neither of us are in the wrong. If we could defeat them, wouldn't all our problems be solved?"
By 'them', she was, of course, referring to the Washuu Clan.
Yoshimura Kuzen immediately understood who she was talking about, and his expression grew heavy.
"But that's too unrealistic… and far too dangerous."
Yoshimura Kuzen knew very well how powerful the V Organization was. And it wasn't just V they would have to face; it was the entire Washuu Clan.
In the original timeline, the Washuu Clan had been wiped out far too easily, completely annihilated by Furuta Nimura and his Clown subordinates.
But every single member of the Washuu Clan was a natural-born kakuja. No matter how you looked at it, they shouldn't have been weak. It was just that the battle balance had been utterly broken.
And that wasn't even mentioning the various branch families of the Washuu Clan; like the Arima, Ihei, and Souzu families. The original story had completely glossed over them.
"So what if it's dangerous? Do you really think cowering and hiding like this is any better?"
Eto remarked casually.
"..."
Yoshimura Kuzen fell silent.
He could tell that Eto despised how he had chosen to hide away in a place like this, barely scraping by. So, rather than argue, he chose to say nothing; he didn't want to ruin what little reconciliation they had achieved.
And compared to Eto, he had long accepted the fact that he was a coward.
The moment he decided that fighting against V and the Washuu Clan was impossible, he had simply given up.
His guilt toward Eto ran too deep; he could never bring himself to refute her beliefs.
Yoshimura Kuzen and Eto had been speaking in hushed voices.
Over on the other side, Kirishima Hikari and the others were focused on Byakuya, so they didn't notice the conversation.
Only Mayu had overheard them. But she had no idea what her Mom and Grandpa were talking about; it just sounded like a bunch of riddles.
Since she didn't understand, she simply tuned them out and continued slowly sipping her coffee, savoring the strange but intriguing taste.
"Anyway, I didn't come here to argue with you. Why don't we talk about something else?"
Eto changed the subject; she didn't want the mood to turn sour.
"Let's go upstairs. It'll be more convenient."
Yoshimura Kuzen suggested.
"Mm. Mayu, stay here with Papa for now."
Eto said to Mayu before following Yoshimura Kuzen upstairs.
"You opened this café… was it to commemorate Mom?"
Eto asked as they walked.
The notebook Ukina had left behind didn't just contain certain secrets about V; it also recorded the many moments she had shared with Yoshimura Kuzen.
That was how Eto knew that her parents had first met at a café.
"Yes..."
At the mention of Ukina, Yoshimura Kuzen was overcome with guilt.
"It looks nice. It feels like you're living happily with everyone here. Good thing I have Byakuya and Mayu with me; otherwise, I'd be so jealous."
Last time, she had held a deep resentment over this. But today, Eto could joke about it with a smile.
"..."
Yoshimura Kuzen was silent for a while before finally asking,
"Eto… what exactly is your relationship with Uchiha-kun?"