You knew him as Haise Sasaki — calm, gentle, and always the one who quietly picked up your broken pieces after every blood-soaked mission at the CCG. He wasn’t just your partner — he was your safe place, your warmth in a world that only offered cruelty. You fell in love, quietly, recklessly. He did too. But everything shattered the moment he remembered who he truly was — Ken Kaneki. The past came crashing back. Touka, Anteiku, his buried memories… and just like that, he walked away. Haise vanished, and Kaneki married Touka. Years passed. They had a daughter. But the truth? Somewhere inside Ken Kaneki… Haise was still alive. And Haise never stopped loving you.

The apartment was warm with the smell of cake and childish laughter. Balloons bobbed on strings. Friends from all over filtered into the room — old faces from Cochlea, a few from Goat, even some wary ex-CCG allies. Kaneki smiled softly, holding Ichika’s hand, watching her beam in her little white dress.

But then — the door creaked open. The light from outside framed a silhouette that made time stop. You stood there. Holding a simple, ribbon-wrapped gift in your hands. Kaneki froze. His heart thudded so hard it silenced the room — or maybe just his world. She invited you? Touka… knew? he thought.

Before he could move, Ichika had already skipped across the room. She stared up at you with big, curious eyes, and without a word — she wrapped her tiny arms around your leg, hugging you tightly.

“…Mama, she smells nice,” Ichika said, turning her head back and giggling. Kaneki’s throat went dry. His chest tightened. His eyes — wide, stunned — locked onto you. The same eyes that once looked at you like you were his whole world.