Part 2/4 for the mini series. Co-written with Gyuumajo.
Yup, yup… second one, folks! Thanks for the reviews! This is written by me, Kuroi Neko-kun!! So read and review, ne, minna-san?
Saiyuki gaiden no gaiden—sono ni!!!
By Kuroi Neko-kun
'This is so boring…' Konzen thought as he arranged his papers in order. Often, he wondered why his dear aunt placed him behind the desk.
'Darn that old hag…' he thought as he placed the papers down, leaned back and sighed, blowing his golden bangs in disarray. He wished something could spice things up a little.
"TASUKETE!!!" Kenren burst into his office and quickly ran under his desk. Konzen glared at the red haired god. This wasn't the spicing up that he wanted. Brings up the line of 'be careful what you wish for'.
"Get out from under my desk…" he muttered. He felt awkward with a man under there… if his aunt found out…
"Let me stay here… please?" Kenren begged. Konzen creased his eyebrows. Kenren never begged for anything from him before.
"Why?" His answer came when a young girl burst through his door.
"Konzen-san~!!"
"Get out of my office, Nemuri," he muttered. The young girl, Nemuri, shook her head, making her golden brown hair bounce.
"Konzen-san, have you seen Ken-chan? I heard that he came through this way…" she asked, her huge hazel eyes shining at him. Konzen tried not to laugh. 'Ken-chan?! What kinda name is that?!' Kenren, from under the desk, saw the twinkle in Konzen's eyes and glared at him.
"Ne, ne… Konzen-san? Have you seen him?" As she talked, she looked around his office. Looking under his shelves and in between the books. Konzen felt curious. He barely felt this way.
"Why are you so interested in finding him?" He asked looking expressionless.
"He's my boyfriend," the girl answered back, smiling at him. Konzen blinked twice before looking at Kenren. An idea formed in his head.
"He's under my desk," he went. Kenren mouthed 'traitor' at him. Nemuri just stared at him before laughing.
"Konzen no baka… Ken-chan's too big to fit under that small desk!" She exclaimed, giggling," but I have to find him anyway. Jya ne…" At that, she left. Kenren climbed from under the desk when it was safe.
"Yaro! Why did you tell her that I was hiding under your desk?!" he ranted. Konzen sighed.
"Urusai… she didn't believe me," Konzen went, clearing his papers.
"That's not the point…" Kenren sighed. It was hard talking to Konzen when he's… well, Konzen. Kenren scratched his head. "But still… she's kinda annoying! She's been bouncing around, jumping on me… clinging onto my neck and choking the life out of me! I know gods can't die but it's annoying!!"
"Like you…" Konzen muttered, replacing the cap to his inkbottle.
"Nanda to?!" A pop vein appeared on Kenren's head," just because your girlfriend suddenly disappeared doesn't mean you can bitch on me!" The inkbottle nearly missed his head. Konzen sighed.
"Do you know who she is?" Konzen asked, leaning back and looked at Kenren who was still pissed at him.
"All she told me she's Nemuri… then, she just started to go all 'Ken-chan' at me…" Kenren went," who does she think she is, anyway?"
"Our Superior God's favorite daughter," Konzen answered and watched the shock creep onto Kenren's face.
"USO!" He pointed an accusing finger at Konzen. He pushed it away from his face.
"If you don't believe me just asked the old hag," Konzen deadpanned.
"Fine… I'll ask her," Kenren turned to leave when Konzen stopped him by gripping his shoulder.
"You're not leaving without payment," he went causing Kenren to grin.
"What do you want?" Konzen inched closer, his hands going down… to the sake bottle strapped on Kenren's belt.
"This will be fine." Konzen placed it on his table.
"Take it, then…" Kenren shrugged and left. Slightly surprised, Konzen opened the bottle.
"I knew it…Yaro," he cursed under his breath. He knew Kenren wouldn't give his sake up for anyone unless it's empty.
"Okay… so who or what is Nemuri?" Kenren asked for the fifth time. He was getting pissed with Konzen's aunt.
"I don't know any Nemuri…" she went nonchalantly, flipping through her paper.
"Okay… she's got golden brown hair, hazel eyes… About this height," Kenren measured the tip of Nemuri's height," wears a black top showing mid-riff and a short beige skirt with red lining at the hem…"
"Wow… even an irritating girl, you remember details…" she turned to him, impressed by Kenren's memory. Kenren felt his face becoming hot.
"So do you know her?" he muttered.
"Hmm… Nemuri?" she thought for a while, "As in Nemuri Feiren…? Oh, Feiren-san ka? Feiren-san's that hentai oji-san's favorite daughter," Kanzeon Bosatsu answered Kenren's question. Kenren gawked, his jaw actually dropping onto the floor.
"Uso yo! There's no way that annoying girl is…" Kenren let everything suck in, realizing the facts but not accepting it at all.
"Sometimes I wish I was her…" she went, yawning. The news was boring to her.
"Why? Because she's prettier than you?" came in another voice. They looked up to see Konzen holding the sake bottle. He threw it at Kenren who caught it and grinned.
"Baka, because she practically gets what she wants… and she gets to do everything," Kanzeon complained.
"And you don't… I think you might if you flash your boobs at him." That comment got Kenren a pummeling.
"Why would he want to look at those sags?" Konzen muttered. His aunt glared at him.
"Konzen Douji, do you want to end up like you're friend?" She pointed at a rather beaten up Kenren. Konzen just placed his hands in his pockets and walked away.
"I don't see it as a problem," Tenpou went, looking at his notes. He lit another cigarette. They were in Tenpou's room, talking about Kenren's current situation. The whole time, Tenpou had found it amusing.
"What do you mean by that?! It IS a problem to me!!" Kenren exclaimed. Tenpou sighed and smiled at his friend.
"Well, it's not… she's just, from what you described her, a girl who has a crush on you."
"But it's annoying!!"
"You're just not used to that sort of attention that's all," Tenpou answered back, unrolling a parchment.
"She's just a little girl!"
"Actually, she's only three years younger than you… according to her record," Tenpou showed him the parchment he had unrolled.
"WHY THE HELL DO YOU KEEP HER RECORD FOR?!?!" Kenren shouted at him.
"My own research??" Tenpou defended himself, sweatdropping. Kenren felt his head form its own sweatdrop.
"Yare, yare…" he answered back.
"Ken-chan~!" Nemuri burst through the door, causing the two to jump. The girl latched onto Kenren. "Ne, ne… where have you been running?" Kenren felt his head create multiple sweatdrops and across his face had a red line that formed unconsciously.
'Away from you…' he thought. He could see Tenpou's smiling face. He begged him to help with his eyes.
"Nemuri-san, gomen nasai, but Kenren's helping me with some research," Tenpou stepped in.
"I wanna help too!" Nemuri exclaimed.
"But… but…" Kenren looked at Tenpou for a reason.
"But we're researching on something that is very top secret. Your father personal assigned me to it, Nemuri-san," Tenpou explained to her. She flared her nostrils, angrily but gently and pouted.
"Mou… everyone treats me like a little kid! If you don't want me around just say so," she turned away, feeling hurt. Tenpou turned to Kenren, his eyes gave him the 'your turn' look.
"Gomen ne… maybe later we can have dinner together," Kenren went. That lightened the girl's mood.
"Hai! I'll make something for the both of you!"
"That'll be nice," Tenpou went as the girl went out the door, smiling at them.
"Nemuri-nee-chan!" Goku hollered, watching the girl skip out of Tenpou's room. She stopped to see Goku and Nataku running up to her.
"Nani yo?" she asked, smiling at them.
"Let's play! Let's play!" They tugged her arm. She pulled away lightly.
"Gomen but I have a lot of work to do," Nemuri went, smiling at them.
"What work?" Goku asked. She just giggled and skipped away. The two boys shrugged and returned to playing.
It had been two weeks of pure torture for Kenren. It wasn't much of that Nemuri going around him looking for him and latching on him and everything. He had gotten used to it. Those tortures came with a free and nutritious meal.
"Kenren, where's your girlfriend?" mocked one guy as he walked down the hallways. He sighed, subduing his anger. He hadn't got used to the jokes and mockery of his current situation. 'Don't listen to them, don't listen to them…' he drummed in his head. He made it outside, surviving another day. Or so he thought…
"Ne, Ken-nii-chan!" Goku ran up to him," where's Nemuri-nee-chan? Ne, ne…" he tugged at Kenren's jacket. A pop vein appeared on his head.
"WHY DO YOU GUYS KEEP ON ASKING ME THAT?! SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!! I DON'T EVEN LIKE HER!! IN FACT I HATE HER!! HEAR ME?? I HATE HER!!!!!" he shouted at Goku, stressing the last line. Then he heard something drop from behind him. He turned to see Nemuri's shocked face. His dark eyes met with her upset hazel ones. She turned away, running the opposite direction.
"Nemuri! Matte!" he shouted. He wanted to run to her and explain everything but what could he say? He looked down on the ground to see a spilled obento, the lunch that she had made for him that day.
'Shit… what have I done?' he thought.
'He hates me… he hates me!' Nemuri ran, the tears streaming down her face. She wiped it off, still keeping her pace.
'Doushite? Why didn't he tell me? Just because I look like a kid doesn't mean I won't understand…' She felt her heart crash down to the floor as she did too. She didn't realize she had tripped and was falling until she slammed her shoulder to the floor. She rubbed it and leaned against the wall, her vision fuzzy from her tears.
"Daijobou ka?" she looked up and saw the golden bangs that belonged to Konzen. She shook her head slowly, one hand wiping her tears. He had bent down to look at her shoulder.
"It's okay, just a scratch… everything alright?" he looked at her reddened eyes.
"Heiki…" she answered standing up before stumbling clumsily. Konzen caught her in time. "Gomen ne…" she laughed nervously, straightening herself. The last thing she needed was pity.
"Daijobou… Why don't I take you back?" Konzen offered, thinking, 'something's wrong with her…'
The two walked in silence. Something Konzen found very odd. Usually, she would ask him about Kenren consistently.
"Ne, Konzen-san… am I too irritating to you?" Nemuri suddenly asked, her eyes looking down. Konzen sighed.
"Sometimes…" he answered.
"Do you hate me for it?" Konzen paused for a thought. 'How do I say it to her? That I don't? That'll be lying… honestly, I don't want to lie.'
"It's your nature… I'll just have to deal with it," he answered, placing his hands in his pockets.
"Should I change my nature then?" she asked, a tint of hope in her voice. They stopped at the big palace-like doors of her house.
"You shouldn't change for other people… you should only change for yourself," Konzen turned and left, leaving Nemuri to access his words.
"What should I do?" Kenren asked, turning to Tenpou who had lit a cigarette.
"You screwed big time, Kenren," he went, smiling at him. Kenren sighed.
"Thanks for pointing that out. I came here for help not to be lectured for what I've done…" Tenpou took a few puffs from his cigarette.
"Do you hate her then?" he asked. Kenren shook his head. "How do you feel about her?" Kenren thought while lighting his own cigarette.
"I just find her irritating, that's all. I know she's being nice and everything but she's making…"
"Things way too obvious… she has a widdle crush on you!" Tenpou pinched his friend's cheek. Kenren swatted it away, blushing slightly.
"Aah… but that's not the whole story isn't it?" Tenpou grinned at him. 'The plot thickens…' he thought, finding it fun.
"Yeah… I think she's cute and well… she's good a great body… and her…" Tenpou sighed. 'Can't blame the fact that HE'S a perv…'
"You like her, don't you?" Tenpou pointed an accusing finger at him.
"I… I…" Kenren stammered, caught off guard, his cheeks turning red.
"Then TELL her… you're not gonna go anyway if you don't…"
"But she's… the big guy's daughter… kinda makes me nervous at that fact alone…" Tenpou took note of Kenren's voice becoming smaller at every word.
"I can't help you then…" Tenpou shrugged. He pushed Kenren out of his room.
"Demo… hora!! Why are you shoving me out?!"
"Because I've got a lot of work to do! Jya'!" He went nicely, smiling at him. At that, Tenpou slammed the door at his face.
"Che…" he muttered, turning around.
"Kenren-sama!" his head turned to see one of the random messengers.
"Nani?" he went.
"You've been called for an emergency meeting…"
The meeting was about an assignment as usual.
"Three months in the human world, huh?" Konzen went, flipping through the file. The both of them were sitting at a bench under a tree in the park.
"Yeah… to scour it for rebelling demons… a field assignment. That should be Tenpou's assignment but he's very busy with a lot of researching. So they asked me to go down and do it," Kenren explained. Konzen slammed the file shut.
"What about Nemuri then? You told her you're leaving?" Kenren shook his head.
"I can't… see her again…" He went, finding the right words to say. 'Not after what I did…' he added mentally, feeling a twang of guilt.
"She's needs to know," Konzen stressed. Kenren shrugged.
"I know… but it's not like she won't. Her father gave me this assignment…" Kenren went, sighing. 'She was the one who tried to stop me…' He recalled the meeting that he had earlier.
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"So that's all you want me to do for three months?" Kenren went, taking the file," okay then." He grinned at the old man sitting on the large throne.
"If you can, leave by the day after tomorrow…" he went. Kenren nodded.
"IYA!" Came a shout that sounded familiar. They turned to see Nemuri, out from her hiding place.
"Nemuri-chan…" her father went.
"Ken-ch…" she shook her head, correcting herself, "Kenren-san! You can't go!" she shouted, walking towards them," papa! You can't make him go!"
"But I want to…" Kenren mumbled. Nemuri glared at him for that.
"Nemuri-chan… this is an adult business," her father went.
"I'm not a little kid! I'm just three years younger than Ken-chan!" She pointed to Kenren, her tears forming at eyes. Kenren blushed at the 'Ken-chan' she just blurted out. Realizing what she said, she blushed. Embarrassed and angry, Nemuri turned away and ran off.
"Nemuri-chan…"
"Papa no baka!" she shouted as she disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Baka onna…' he thought as he walked to his own room. Konzen had left earlier because he's got some unfinished work left.
"So you're really going, huh?" he looked up to find Nemuri at his door.
"Nemuri…" he mumbled.
"Fine then… I'll just leave you alone…" Nemuri turned to run when she felt a hand on her own stopping her. She knew it belonged to Kenren. Her heart pounded at the thought of his hand on hers alone.
"Gomen… I didn't mean it when I said I hate you… I was just pissed that day…" he explained," it's been awhile I've gotten an assignment anyway… so, if you wait for me, I'll make it up to you." He let her arm go. She turned and faced him. She smiled at him. He smiled back blushing slightly.
"Hai, I'll wait… Ken-chan," she nodded before running off. Kenren watched her fleeing figure, his smile growing broader.
'Two months since Kenren left…'Konzen thought, walking towards Nemuri's house, which was the huge palace-like home, 'what am I doing here anyway?' He knew he was worried about Nemuri's feelings and stuff. 'Because if anything happens to her, I'm in for it too…' [A/N: so he was worried about himself more…]
As he entered the palace, he heard the grunts and shouts of people fighting. Then, a scream…
"Nemuri!" He ran to the direction of the sound. And saw…
"Shiun-san! That hurt!" Nemuri whined at the green haired tennyo, who just shouldered her halberd.
"Nemuri, you'll never learn how to use that thing if you don't experience real fights," she pointed at Nemuri's weapon on Nemuri's left arm with her halberd. From where Konzen was standing, Nemuri's weapon looked like a silver wrist guard with three diamond retractable claws.
"Hai…" she went, sighing. Nemuri stood up and got to a stance. Shiun dropped to her own stance. With a battle cry, Nemuri charged, her weapon forward.
"Too open!" Shiun shouted, jumping up and attacked from the air, her halberd high. Shocked, Nemuri could only block the blade with the arm of the claw. It created an invisible shield that sparked when the weapon strucked. Shiun focused her strength to the blade, forcing Nemuri to her knees. Using this as an advantage, Nemuri used her body to push Shiun. The both slid across the floor, their shoes kicking dust. Konzen clapped. The both of them turned to him.
"Konzen-san!" Nemuri exclaimed, waving at him. Konzen gave her a small wave before he turned to Shiun.
"So this is where you've been?" he went. Shiun rolled her eyes, dusting her black pants.
"Her dad wanted me to train her a bit… he's worried that she can't protect herself," she explained nonchalantly.
"Sou ka? Well… he would ask a girl like you…" he muttered. Shiun tapped the halberd on his head.
"A girl like who, Konzen?" she dangerously whispered. Konzen sweat dropped and blushed. Danger and pleasure had such a thin line.
"Betsuni…" he muttered. Nemuri, who had been watching the two, giggled. They turned to her.
"What's so funny?!" they shouted in unison.
"Kawaii ne… the both of you!" She exclaimed, causing the two to blush even more.
"Goku!!!" Konzen shouted as he entered his office. He forgot that the wild monkey would come in to thrash his office. Currently, he was making cave paintings on the walls with a brush and his black ink.
"Ah… Konzen! Ne… isn't this nice??" A pop vein throbbed on Konzen's head. He whipped out a paper fan and hit Goku with it.
"BAKA ZARU!!" He shouted and continued whacking the boy.
"Ite yo!" At that, Nemuri appeared at his door. Seeing Goku hurt, she hugged him.
"Konzen-san!!" she shouted at him," what are you doing to him?!" Konzen gritted his teeth and watched Nemuri spoil the little monkey.
"Goku… go outside… I'll join you later and we can play, okay?" she smiled at him. Goku nodded and left.
"Mattaku… Do I have to deal with this everyday now?" he muttered as Goku left the room.
"Konzen no baka~! He's still a kid… so you have to forgive him for the things he does… besides," she smiled at him," it's his nature… you have to bear with it." Nemuri continued, winking at him before turning her attention to the walls," let's get this cleaned up before it dries."
"She's getting used to us…" Tenpou went, watching her play 'Blind Man's Bluff' with Nataku and Goku. She had ended up as the blindfolded one.
"Hai… that could be a good thing," Shiun went, sighing," or a bad thing. Konzen's worried that her dad might not like it."
"Ah… I see the both of you getting along very well now," Tenpou smiled at her. The tennyo blushed.
"N-nani yo? I got that from his face…" she mumbled.
"You can?" Tenpou blinked at her," sugoi no tennyo…"
"Ahou!" she muttered and turned to the kids playing, her face still red. Tenpou chuckled.
"Kochi!" She heard Goku's shout. She turned to the direction of the voice, her hands up front hoping to catch something.
"Iya! Kochi! Kochi!" Nataku shouted. She turned and followed.
"Ne… don't lead me to a ravine guys!" she went.
"Nemuri-nee-chan, hayaku! Hayaku! Usoi yo!" She turned again, letting her pace up. It was a big mistake for her as she tripped and nearly fell when someone caught her in time.
"Gotcha…" he huffed, bringing her down onto his lap. She took off the blindfold and saw the familiar face. He smiled," tada ima…"
"Ken-chan!" she exclaimed, hugging him," Okairi nasai… You're back early…"
"Yeah… took me less time to actually do everything… even the reports…" he went, his arms still around her.
"I suppose you don't plan to get off him anytime soon." The two of them looked up to see Konzen smirking at them. They blushed as Nemuri jumped off Kenren.
"You didn't tell us when you were coming back, Kenren… that's a bad thing to do," Tenpou lectured him, lighting a cigarette.
"Gomen ne… I didn't know I was coming back," Kenren went, standing up, scratching the back of his head," not like I didn't want to… Now if you would excuse me…" he smiled at them before grabbing Nemuri's arm," there's something I need to settle in private…" The rest of them watched the two go, with smiles on their faces.
The both of them walked a bench under a tree. Nemuri sat down while Kenren leaned against the back of the bench. He lit a cigarette.
"Ne, Ken-chan… are you mad at me for trying to stop you from going?" she went, playing with her fingers.
"What makes you think that?" He asked.
"I dunno… papa was angry at me for doing that…" she chuckled, remembering the incident.
"Sou ka? But I don't think he stayed angry for long…" he went, smiling. She giggled. He liked the sound of that. "Nemuri…" Kenren turned to face her.
"Nani?" She went, a puzzled look plastered at her face. He sighed. 'No, not here… not now… too fast… too risky…'
"If you feel like talking… I'll be here for you, okay?" he pecked her on the cheek. She blushed as so did he.
"H-hai…" she stammered, holding the cheek that he had kissed. Kenren stretched his arms.
"I'm hungry… it's been a while that I ate properly cooked food…" he went, sighing.
"I'll cook… I was planning to cook anyway!" She exclaimed, grabbing Kenren's arm," you can help me!" He smiled.
"Hai, hai… looks like I have to…"
Okay, that sucked dude… big time…
R&R… IF you feel like it! ^______________^
