NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39: Hunger
"Minami, are you feeling unwell?"
On their way to school, Arima noticed that Minami's complexion seemed off.
"It's nothing, just… that thing that happens every month" Reika replied casually.
Ghouls and humans have very similar biological structures, including... that. Female ghouls also experience monthly cycles.
In truth, however, Minami's discomfort wasn't due to that, but because she hadn't fed in several days.
The last time she had an opportunity to feed—when she attacked Taishi and his delinquent gang—she intended to use them as backup "food". However, Byakuya and Arima stopped her, leaving her starving for days.
Without consuming human flesh, she couldn't maintain her RC cell activity. Losing her strength was a minor inconvenience, the real danger was hunger itself.
Hunger is a terrifying ordeal for both humans and ghouls. As the saying goes, "In times of great famine, people consume one another" If hunger drives humans to such extremes, what about ghouls?
If ghouls go too long without feeding, they become uncontrollable, succumbing to madness.
In the original, Kaneki, after being transformed into an artificial one-eyed ghoul, resisted eating human flesh. But in a state of extreme hunger, he ultimately lost all self-control.
"I see, so it's that. I understand" Arima nodded slightly.
He assumed Minami was referring to her monthly cycle and didn't press further.
"Sorry for worrying you, Arima" She said apologetically.
She wasn't yet at the point of unbearable hunger, just increasingly uncomfortable. To avoid suspicion, she didn't tell Arima the truth.
More importantly, she feared that if Arima — a CCG investigator — realized she was nearing her limit, he might not wait until after the upcoming exams to send her to the ghoul detention center in the 23rd Ward, Cochlea.
Still, Minami felt a tinge of happiness at being the subject of Arima's concern, even if briefly.
Unfortunately for her, Arima had already begun suspecting something.
While he acknowledged the possibility of her monthly cycle causing the issue, he couldn't rule out hunger either.
Since it was just a suspicion, Arima decided not to confront her directly.
...
By midday, Byakuya and Arima were eating lunch together on the rooftop.
"Byakuya, there's something off about Minami today" Arima reported.
"Minami?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "You're finally calling her by her name instead of 'Lantern'?"
"No, she specifically asked me to" Arima clarified.
"Arima, you're way too serious" Byakuya quipped before shifting back to the topic.
"I noticed it too when she arrived in class this morning—she doesn't seem well" Byakuya remarked.
"She said it was that time of the month, but I believe there's another possibility" Arima continued.
"Hunger, right?" Byakuya guessed.
"Exactly. If that's the case, we can't just ignore it" Arima said seriously.
If Minami lost control of her hunger, the other students in class would be at risk.
Byakuya, however, remained calm. "If it's hunger, then she's likely holding out until after the exams. In that case, helping her wouldn't hurt"
"And how do you propose we help her?" Arima asked.
"Arima, are you familiar with the 20th Ward?"
"Yes, it's known for its lack of ghoul-related incidents" Arima confirmed.
"My suggestion is to take Minami to the 20th Ward. She could receive support from the ghouls there to address her hunger. Additionally, we could grant her an observation period. If she behaves during this time, she won't need to be sent to Cochlea" Byakuya proposed.
"Hmm…" Arima didn't object, knowing Byakuya's rank gave him the authority to make such decisions.
"Let's do it after school today. Otherwise, I doubt she'll last until the exams" Byakuya concluded.
...
After school, Byakuya approached Minami.
"Minami, could you come with Arima and me for a moment?"
"Sure..." Minami replied nervously. Had they figured her out?
In a secluded area, Byakuya got straight to the point.
"Minami, you don't look well today. Is it because of that monthly issue… or is it because you haven't fed in too long?"
His question was direct and left no room for evasion. Arima stood quietly beside him.
"It's obviously the first one! I already explained that to Arima" Minami replied with a forced smile.
The bluntness of Byakuya's question nearly made her lose control of her expression.
"Minami, you might as well be honest. Your face has already given you away" Byakuya said calmly. "We're not here to harm you. If hunger is the issue, we can help."
His eyes could easily detect subtle changes in her expression.
"...Fine" Minami admitted. "I haven't fed in a long time, and it's affecting me"
She wasn't easily convinced that Byakuya truly wanted to help but knew she couldn't hide it any longer.
"Then we'll go to the 20th Ward" Byakuya suggested. "Arima and I will take you there. You should know what kind of place it is"
"The 20th Ward...?" Minami blinked in surprise.
Of course, she knew it. The 20th Ward was the only region where ghouls actively advocated for coexistence with humans.