Chapter 120: Give Me Back My First Time!

"Call in all our teammates? Have you lost your mind?" Mu Qing was bewildered by Si Kongxu's request. To summon the entire squad just because of a small cafe—did he intend to tear the place down?

"It's not calling them that would be crazy; it's the opposite!" Si Kongxu shot her a stern glare. The danger posed by Ghouls was immense.

"Then explain exactly what is going on," Mu Qing demanded.

"It’s not something I can explain in a few words..." Si Kongxu frowned. Perhaps his wariness had been noticed; he could feel several dangerous gazes fixed upon him. Even the young waitress from earlier had taken an eternity to bring the coffee he ordered. Had he already drawn their attention?

"Forget it, let's leave here first." Si Kongxu did not hesitate. He sensed that if they stayed a moment longer, he might never get the chance to leave at all.

Having never fought a Ghoul before, he had to rely on fragmented memories from his past life. Though he couldn't gauge their exact strength, he felt that every Ghoul inside the Anteiku Cafe was at least his equal, if not superior. He dared not act rashly.

"Here you go, your coffee." The waitress finally arrived with his order.

"Thank you." Despite the unsettling feeling of the surrounding gazes, Si Kongxu maintained his composure. He didn't need to guess whose eyes were on him—it was undoubtedly the powerful Ghouls within the cafe.

A short time later, seeing that Mu Qing had not summoned the team, Si Kongxu didn't press the issue. He finished his coffee and pulled her out of the shop.

...

Inside the cafe, the waitress with the pale lavender-blue hair stared at Si Kongxu's retreating figure for a long time, only beginning to clear the table once he was out of sight.

"Touka, is he gone?"

An elderly man with a benevolent face approached her. He stood tall and straight, his eyes slightly narrowed. Despite his shock of white hair and wrinkled face, he possessed a vitality that defied his age.

"Manager, he's gone," the girl, known as Touka, replied. "But I can't be sure if he discovered anything."

The girl’s full name was Kirishima Touka. Si Kongxu had recognized her the moment he saw her; after all, in his memories, she was the heroine of *Tokyo Ghoul*.

Had Si Kongxu seen the man Touka called "Manager," he would have recognized him as the formidable SSS-rated Ghoul from the original story: Yoshimura.

"We have just arrived, so we must be cautious. We absolutely cannot expose our identities," Yoshimura said, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "I have a premonition that in this world, Anteiku will truly become a sanctuary."

In truth, their arrival in this strange world had been an accident. But after spending a week settling in, the Ghouls of Anteiku discovered that in a world without the CCG, they could seemingly live in peace—provided their nature remained hidden.

...

Yoshimura was determined to keep their identities secret, unaware that the moment Si Kongxu entered the cafe, they had already been identified.

"Hey, are you done holding my hand yet?" Mu Qing stared at the large hand firmly gripping her small one, her face flushing bright red. The nerve of this guy—grabbing her hand without a word! She was furious.

"Ah... oh..." Si Kongxu looked at the hand he was holding. He gave it a gentle squeeze; it was soft and felt pleasant.

"Ah! You pervert! How could you!" Mu Qing quickly yanked her hand away. She had never had such intimate contact with a boy in her life. This was her first time holding hands! "You... you owe me for my first time!"

"Pfft—" Si Kongxu nearly choked. Why was this girl so blunt?

Mu Qing had shouted, drawing the attention of nearby pedestrians. Soon, people were whispering, pointing at Si Kongxu, and muttering words like "scumbag," "creep," or suggesting he should be punished.

"What a lovely girl, what a shame she’s been ruined by someone like that."

"Sigh, he looks decent enough, but who would have thought he was such a wolf in sheep's clothing?"

"Maybe they’re just a couple fighting. Let’s just watch and not interfere."

Even with his thick skin, Si Kongxu couldn't stand the public scrutiny. He glared at Mu Qing. Realizing she had spoken out of turn, Mu Qing glared right back. "What are you glaring at? It’s your fault!"

"My dear lady, please, just stop talking. Let’s go, we need to find your sister." Si Kongxu stepped forward, intending to lead her away, but paused for a moment before walking off.

"Hmph, wretched man. Why be so fierce?" Mu Qing looked at her hand. Subconsciously, she felt that being held by him hadn't been that bad. *No, no, no! Mu Qing, what are you thinking? He’s a jerk!*

Shaking off the thought, she hurried after him.

Eventually, they met up with Mu Ning. The three of them sat in the cold drink shop from earlier, tucked into a private booth suitable for their conversation.

"According to Xiao Qing, your investigation has yielded some results, right?" Mu Ning stared intently at Si Kongxu. Whether it was due to his guilt over holding her sister's hand, Si Kongxu felt as though Mu Ning’s gaze was one of stern scrutiny.

He had indeed uncovered the truth, but he didn't know how to explain it. He couldn't exactly say he was a transmigrator who had seen these Ghouls in an anime from his previous life. Ye Fei had warned him to keep his relationship with the "second dimension" a secret, and even if he told the truth, few would believe him.

"Ahem, I have indeed made some discoveries," Si Kongxu said.

"What kind of discoveries?" Mu Ning’s eyes lit up. The school had dispatched five teams to investigate the matter; if her team were the first to produce results, the mission rewards would be substantial.

"Biological entities have crossed over through a dimensional rift, and these creatures pose a grave threat to humanity."

"How did you find this? I need detailed information on these creatures..." In this situation, Mu Ning remained calm. The second-year senior was truly capable.