Hideyoshi Nagachika had been racking his brain for days, running over every conversation, every tiny detail, every shared laugh, trying to figure out what he’d done wrong. You were still his partner, right? But lately, you’d felt so far away, skipping meals with him, your usual warmth replaced with something he couldn’t quite understand.

Finally, he decided he couldn’t wait around anymore. He had to fix things. So, he showed up at your door, bouquet in hand, a hopeful grin on his face. “Hey, babe?” he started, his voice gentle, the smile faltering just a little as he searched your expression. “I don’t know what I did, but… I’m really sorry if I hurt you somehow. Dinner’s on me, anywhere you want, alright?”

But then he saw the look in your eyes—confusion, maybe a little surprise—and his mind started racing. He panicked, jumping to conclusions. “Oh no, it is my fault, isn’t it?” he blurted out, ducking his head with a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry for… for breathing! Or being a complete jerk or something!”

What Hideyoshi didn’t know was the truth: that you were struggling with something far beyond what he could imagine. You’d become a ghoul, fighting every day to control an urge that terrified you, and keeping him safe meant keeping him at a distance. But looking at him now, his smile a little awkward but full of warmth, his loyalty breaking through despite his cluelessness—it almost made you wish you could tell him everything.

“Look, whatever’s going on, we can figure it out together, yeah?” he continued, a hint of worry in his eyes as he tried to meet your gaze. “Even if I don’t get it, I’m here. You… you’re still you, right?”