Chapter Text
Sasaki Haise isn't sure how he got here.
The last thing he remembers is bidding his usual barista Kirishima goodnight and exiting :re with a chiming of the bells by the door. Instead of toward the Chateau that he and the rest of the Quinx squad call home, Haise's feet lead him to a small playground squashed between several houses. The park isn't familiar, and neither is the area, yet somehow Haise has walked the path as if it were burned into his muscle memory- a place his body was already used to taking him.
He's also not sure what compels him to climb the giant whale-shaped play structure protruding from the ground. It's spontaneous, childish even, but Haise perches himself atop the beast nonetheless.
The night sky is lovely from up here, he notices, thankful no one is around. I guess I can stay for a while.
Haise lays down on his back to look up at the stars, a melancholic feeling stirring around in his gut. He is trying to locate Orion's Belt amidst the pervasive Tokyo light pollution when a curious, slightly bewildered face emerges from the darkness and blocks his view.
A boy stares down at him.
"Er, hello there?" Haise quips.
The stranger nearly falls over right on top of him, eyes blown wide with shock. "Me?"
"Yes? You're sort of above me. Blocking my view..."
"I can't believe this," the boy mumbles to himself, shaking his head, "Of all people."
He clambers backwards, landing on his elbows while Haise cautiously sits up to examine him. He appears to be about Haise's own age, maybe a year or so younger. He's wearing some sort of uniform, but it's impossible to tell what kind because it's completely mangled. There are rips and gashes all over it, among some rather unsightly stains.
Did he just get out of a fight?
Haise also notices the boy's hair, which is shaggy with visible brown roots, but still glowing golden in the moonlight.
There's something off about him, why can't I smell his scent? Haise sniffs apprehensively, I couldn't hear him climb up here either. Are my ghoul senses dulling?
"Wait a minute, what exactly did you mean when you said of all people?" suspiciously, Haise narrows his eyes. "Do I know you?"
The stranger stares back at him intently. He squints and leans closer, furrowing his brows as if searching for some sort of recognition in the ghoul investigator's face.
"No, definitely not. I don't know you."
He seems to be trying to convince himself of that fact, rather than Haise. Then he nods his head as if he's come to some sort of conclusion, and unexpectedly, flashes Haise a bright, familiar smile.
But that can't be- we've only just met.
“Sorry, you remind me of someone I knew once.” the stranger says, and perhaps that's all it is- nothing more or less. But something about it unsettles Haise- the stirring in his gut from before returning with insistence.
“I'm Nagachika Hideyoshi by the way, but I usually just go by Hide. What's your name?"
"Sasaki." the ghoul investigator replies tentatively, "Sasaki Haise."
"Well it's nice to meet ya! Mind if I stargaze here too?"
This guy seems harmless enough.
"Alright, sure."
“Great!” the boy, Hide, exclaims, then makes himself comfortable atop the great whale.
They sit silently for but a moment, with only the creaking of the swing set and the low buzz of the city in the background. Staying quiet seems to be an impossibility for this Hide guy- Haise still hasn't located Orion's Belt by the time he's barraged with more questions,
“You're with the CCG, right? What's your department? Do you have a high rank?"
“Yes, I'm an Investigator." Haise responds, unsure of how much information about his job is appropriate to reveal to a stranger, "I guess you could say I have a high rank. How did you know I'm CCG?"
“Your uniform! I used to work there." Hide says excitedly, "I was just an errand boy, but sometimes my supervisor Mado let me tag along and help during investigations because I had a knack for playing detective. I’m surprised I’ve never seen you around before, I was out and about all over the place when I was there.” He rakes his eyes over Haise one last time, “Are you new?”
So many questions. Haise observes, but he claims to know Akira and he doesn't seem suspicious...
"Sort of, it's been almost two years for me. But most of my colleagues have been there for ages."
"Oh, I see! Maybe I just missed you then?” Hide proposes brightly.
Why have I never heard of this guy? Nagachika Hideyoshi, was it? I’m pretty sure nobody has ever mentioned that name to me, how odd.
"It's possible? But, err… Hide..." Haise shakes off his earlier train of thought. He feels like this entire night isn't even real at all, but instead some kind of strange fever dream. It'd explain how he ended up sitting in a children's playground playing 20 questions with a stranger. "Were you attacked? What happened to your clothes?"
"Long story." is the vague reply. Hide scratches his head sheepishly, not looking at his shredded ensemble. “I'd rather not talk about it.”
Haise doesn’t press him further. Instead, he decides to check his cell phone for the time. The display reads 22:41 and Haise nearly jumps out of his skin because shit, when did it get so late? Everyone is probably wondering where I am!
Sure enough, Haise has two missed calls from Mutsuki, and one from Shirazu, among about a dozen email notifications marked 'URGENT!'
"Sorry but I really need to get going.” Haise sticks his hand out in front of him, requesting a handshake. “It was nice chatting with you, Hide.”
He's a little quirky, but he seems okay. Haise decides.
Hide's face falls for a moment. It's like he's disappointed.
How strange.
But then he recovers immediately and chirps, "You too! It’s been awhile since I’ve talked like this with someone.”
Hide reaches outwards to accept Haise's handshake, however, instead of connecting like it should, his hand glides right through Haise's as if it were made of smoke.
Haise's dumbfounded expression clearly catches his companion's attention.
Am I imagining things?
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Hide shrugs casually. "I'm kind of a ghost? Surprise!"
A ghost?
"WHAT?!"
"I should've said something earlier, my bad."
"That's impossible!" Haise insists, "How can you be...?”
“Eh, I’m not sure either to be honest.”
Haise daringly tries to poke Hide’s shoulder just to prove himself wrong, because surely ghosts are fictitious myths. Superstitious fantasies. But once again his finger soars right through him as if he were not physically there but instead a projection, a trick of light and shadow. Haise tries poking him again, and again, and again, and remains unsatisfied with the same unearthly result each time.
So this is a fever dream after all.
“Having fun there?” Hide asks with amusement, “As you can see I’m sort of intangible. And invisible too. It's a great party trick! Not that I've tried it at any parties-”
Haise balks at the boy in front of him.
“But lucky thing nobody else is here because they’d think you’ve been talking to yourself.” he points out.
“Are all ghost as nonchalant as you are?”
Haise receives a shrug in response. “Dunno, haven't met any.”
Think about it! Ghouls exist, therefore, ghosts existing can’t be so impossible!
“But if you’re a ghost,” Haise mumbles, “Why can I see you?”
“That is one more thing I have no idea about.” Hide admits, “But hey, let’s not question it ‘cause you’re the most interesting thing that’s happened to me in a really long time! And I mean a reeeaaallllly long time. Being a ghost is actually kinda boring. 0/10 would not recommend.”
Are all ghosts alone like he is? Haise bites his quivering lip as an unexpected wave of sadness washes over him.
“I heard rabbits can die of loneliness." Hide says suddenly, "Didja' know that?”
“W-What?” Haise blinks in confusion. He'd only half-paid attention to the ghost's prattle. "Why is that-"
“I’m already dead though, so I guess it doesn’t apply to me.” Hide sighs.
“You’re...“ Haise trails off, "You’re not exactly a rabbit either.”
“True!” Hide agrees, then looks at Haise with pleading eyes, “You’re gonna come back to stargaze again, right? Please?”
I can’t just leave him by himself in this world, Haise realizes. I was like him once too… completely and utterly on my own.
“I will.” he promises, to Hide’s utmost delight. Not that they actually stargazed much, but Haise doesn't mind. “I should really be going now though.”
He gives the ghost a small smile, and proceeds to climb down from the whale structure with as much grace as he can muster.
“Come back tomorrow!” Hide calls out as Haise straightens up his trench coat.
“I'll try!”
“If you don’t I’ll haunt you!” Hide cries, and Haise waves at him before he heads home to the 1st Ward.
On his walk back to the Chateau, he decides it's in his best interest to learn more about ghosts if tonight was real at all.