Normally I’m the guy who’s completely indifferent to pairings and romantic subplots in manga, the Kaneki/Touka pairing is the only exception, the only pairing in manga/anime that I’ve ever ‘shipped’ – mainly because, aside from their interactions in the original making that manga as others have said, they are the quintessential yin and yang archetype, from their main character themes of loneliness and abandonment, down to their basic personalities (Kaneki’s subtlety verses Touka’s forthrightness in this chapter is a good example).
This was perfectly executed. It was not an open confession on the part of Touka, though I suspect we will indeed get an open confession at some point too, likely when she is in mortal danger in the upcoming subplot she has been foreshadowed to be involved in.
And it flows well – the last time the two had an open heart to heart conversation was all the way back in the original in the bridge chapter when Touka basically told Kaneki “f*ck you,” something she would deeply regret, and this talk serves as a clarification of her original and current intentions to Kaneki, which were and are the opposite of what he had interpreted it to be.
That the conversation was also put to an end was also a good development as, since Kaneki had no clue up to this point how Touka felt about him at all, it is realistic that he is given some time to mull things over the nature of their relationship, which is clearly mutual love.
Kaneki and Touka in the original Tokyo Ghoul were probably my favourite manga hero and heroine main character archetype, and the making of Touka into a side-character in re is one of the few grips I have with the sequel. I can only hope that Ishida keeps Touka and Kaneki together from here on to the end, and that if either have to die, it’s after their respective character arcs have been wholly developed at the conclusion.
Edit: I just remembered that Touka opened :re for Kaneki's return and that its closure has symbolic significance if it ties to Kaneki finally asking Touka to come with him (i.e. Kaneki has indeed returned to Touka). Man this pairing is a literary gem, I couldn't touch all of the surface even if I tried.
