Well if you think about it, it all comes down to how one describes pain. From what I understood from last chapter, whenever Kaneki wanted to be loved by someone, he would end up getting hurt: his mother that abused him, his best friend that thinks he ate, his friends at Anteiku and how he didn't manage to save everyone he loved. If we take the above into account, then it may mean that he won't be hurt anymore because he won't care for anyone anymore other than himself.Maybe by no awakening means no more pain for him?
I think he has decided that he has had enough with both his current and his past self and wants to move forward.