six

                                    

                                          
I strolled through the 20th Ward.
                          
It was winter in Tokyo. The snow that was too stubborn to stick to the ground melted on the slippery concrete pavements and a light frost dusted the morning air. Hundreds of people walked by me, wrapped up with layers of coats, hats and scarves, on their way to school and work, interviews and meetings, getting on with their everyday lives.
                          
Today was the day Kaneki had instructed me to meet him at the mask shop. The shop was in the 4th Ward, but it was still early so I had decided to get out and enjoy the cold weather, as I had always loved snow, ever since I was a child. 
                          
I'm not sure why I adored it so much, maybe it was because it snowed a lot when I was a kid? My parents and I always used to play outside in the winter. Maybe I took after them.

                          
Or maybe I loved snow because it was innocent and pure and beautiful. I didn't encounter innocent, pure, beautiful things very often.
                          
So I walked through the city, the cold air numbed my cheeks and made my throat dry up, my shoes crunched against the slushy substance that was a mixture of melted snow, grit and dirty water. 
                          
I stopped in my tracks when I noticed a coffee shop that almost lit up the street. It wasn't a bright light, but more of a soft, welcoming one. The aroma of the coffee found it's way to my nostrils. 
                          
I took a deep breath.
                          
I thought about going in, but then I thought maybe it was best not to. My people skills definitely weren't polished to a good standard and I had somewhere to be anyway. Although, something about that place really stuck out to me, I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly.
                          
As I walked past, I looked through the large glass window, there were a few people inside but not many, more staff than customers. 
                          
My eyes wandered over to a girl who was cleaning a table next to the window, she was pretty, with short purple hair. I felt something inside me shift as she looked up as if she could feel my eyes on her, and then she was gone, and the coffee shop was behind me.
                          
That girl...was there something familiar about her?
                          
I took a few more steps, before stopping in my tracks. I'm not sure why I did, but I glanced back towards the shop and looked at the sign outside.
                          
"Anteiku" 
                          
...
                          
"You made it" Kaneki smiled as I strolled up to the mask shop. "I was afraid you hadn't found it"
                          
"I'm not an idiot, Kaneki" I nudged him.
                          
The mask shop was almost camouflaged into its surroundings, I don't think I'd have even noticed it if I didn't know what I was looking for, but maybe that was the point.
                          
"Shall we head inside?"
                          
The interior of the shop was much more eye-catching than it's exterior. The floor was checkered, black and white, and it was so shiny I could see my reflection. The walls were plastered with masks, paintings, and an exquisitely textured wallpaper. But despite the incredible design of the room, it was the masks that were the star of the show. They stood proudly on mannequins dotted frequently across the floor, and each one was so detailed. I began to wonder if we had accidentally stumbled into an art museum.
                          
"Kaneki" a soft, almost creepy voice whisked through the air.
                          
I looked around to find a face to match the voice, but I saw no one.
                          
"What a pleasant surprise" the creepy voice spoke again.
                          
A tall, slender figure emerged from behind a mannequin, almost making me jump.