When the group of 4 men stepped outside the inn, ever street and alleyway was filled with decorations. It was a beautiful sight, like watching the sun go down behind the mountains. Everyone seemed so happy but Goku was the happiest, seeing that there were many food stalls.

"Sanzo! Can I get a meat bun?" Goku asked stopping at a stall. "No." Sanzo replied very cool-like. Hakkai smiled and suddenly looked around. "Huh? Where's Gojyo?" Then Hakkai spotted Gojyo surrounded by 3 or 4 beautiful girls. Goku made a face when he saw Gojyo. Sanzo pulled out a cigarette and lit it, paying no attention to Gojyo and his new "friends". Sanzo started to walk off and Goku noticed.

"Hakkai, come on! Sanzo's leaving without us." Goku said tugging at Hakkai's shirt. Hakkai nodded and while following Goku and Sanzo, looked back at Gojyo. The sun was starting to set when Goku finally got full and Gojyo appeared, without any female friends. "Gojyo, where's all your friends?" Goku asked with a smirk. "Shut up you devil." Gojyo said as he hit Goku on the head. "OW! Why'd you do that, Gojyo?" Goku yelled. "Because you ask too many questions!" Then the whole bickering started.

This ticked Sanzo off and he pulled out his paper fan and hit them. "Shut up!" He seemed to be thinking about the youkai, Ayane, and how risky it was to be sharing a room with her. His concentration was shattered when Goku's whining voice was heard. A girl in a red and white kimono had bumped into Goku and they both fell over on the ground. Goku had "ow"-ed and that ruined Sanzo's concentration.

"Hey! Watch where you're-It's you!" Goku said as he stopped and looked at her face. It was Ayane. She got up and looked at past Goku at Sanzo, making direct eye contact. She then said, "Can't I even go to a festival without being bothered by you guys?" and while she said this she put her hands on her hips, seeming irritated. "Well sorry~" Goku said in his whining tone. "Are you picking a fight?" Ayane replied at Goku's childish remark. Suddenly Hakkai butted in to stop the two from fighting.

"Now now. There's no need for fighting. Would you like to come with us around the festival um.What's your name?" Hakkai asked as he stood in- between the two. Ayane smiled and nodded. "My name's Ayane. And this reminds me, we haven't properly met. What are your names?" She asked in a hyper/curious tone of voice. Hakkai smiled back and nodded. I am Hakkai, the little boy you've been arguing with a lot is Goku, the red haired man is Gojyo and the priest is Sanzo."

"And I just said my name. So what have you enjoyed the festival? Uh." She stared at Goku, who was stuffing his face with meat buns and fried noodles. "So, you're coming with us around the festival then?" Hakkai asked. "Yup! I mean.If you want me to hang around you guys. If you don't that's fine with me." She said as she folded her arms behind her. "No, I think it's alright. Isn't Sanzo?" Hakkai asked as he turned to look at Sanzo, who only shrugged. He turned around and nodded back to Ayane.

Ayane smiled when a growl was heard and she looked pathetically to Goku. Goku said, "I'm starving." and made a hungry face. "Hey, Goku, I know a place where you can go to eat. They're having an eating contest not too far from here. I saw people handing out flyers about it. I think I have one. Aha!" Ayane said as she pulled a flyer out of her kimono.

"Wow! A real contest that will be fun and it'll bring out my appetite." Goku said as he read the flyer. Gojyo made a face seeming like he didn't care as they group started leaving. Sanzo noticed this and asked, "Gojyo, aren't you coming?" Gojyo shrugged. "Why should I go? I mean all I'm gonna do is watch the ape eat fried noodles." Ayane popped in-between the two and smiled at Gojyo. "Gojyo, rumors have it that the waitresses passing out the fried noodles are single and looking for a lil' action at night." Ayane said in a sly voice and then giggled. This suddenly caught Gojyo's attention.

"Fine, fine. I'll go then but only to grab a good girl for when thing's get boring." He said as he followed them. When they got there, the smell of fried noodles filled the air and Goku could barely contain himself. There was an old man sitting at a table with some papers to sign up with. Goku and Ayane ran over and asked the man what the rules were. The man smirked as he looked at Ayane, making her turn her head.

"Simple really. It's just a contest to see which couple can eat the most. There's also-huh?" The man was distracted with the twitching of Ayane and Goku's dropped jaw. "COUPLE?!" They yelled loud enough to raise the dead. The man stared in astonishment, "Um.Yes. I said couple since today's Valentine's day. Only couples may enter this contest." Gojyo had overheard and started laughing.

"Dammit! I didn't think you'd have to be a couple to sign up." Ayane said as she left the sign up area. Hakkai stepped in and suggested, "Why don't you and Goku sign up as a couple? I mean you two seem to be friends so can't a couple of friends sign up?" Ayane and Goku stared at Hakkai so a while then looked at each other. "Wanna do it?" Goku asked Ayane and she nodded in reply and they ran to the sign up sheet.

When the contest started, each couple were handed a plate of fried noodles. Goku smiled and smelled the delicious scent of the fried noodles. Suddenly he got a bad feeling and looked at his plate. 'What's that smell? It's not the -It's poison!' Goku thought as he suddenly looked up at Ayane. "Ayane.Ayane." Ayane got annoyed when Goku kept saying her name and yelled in a loud whisper, "WHAT?"

Goku pointed to the fried noodles. "Don't eat them!" Ayane's eyes widened and looked at her noodles then back at Goku. "Why not? They're just noodles." "They're poisoned!" Goku whispered as the announcer was almost done speaking. Ayane bit her bottom lip and grabbed the plates and threw them on the ground. The announcer and the audience seemed confused. "What are you doing, wench?" The announcer said as Ayane got up followed by Goku.

"How dare you poison our food? Is this anyway to treat your customers?" Goku said as he stepped on the noodles. "Seriously! I mean if you're youkai then just show your ugly face!" Ayane said as she punched the announcer. The announcer's lip started to bleed and he turned in a demon with a horn and so did the waitresses and waiters. The audience screamed and started to run away and Gojyo pulled out his crescent blade.

"Heh, so you found out did you? Well it was Ayane's job to kill you and when we saw you, alive, with her, we knew she had betrayed us. And whose side are you on anyway, Ayane?" the announcer said as he stood up. Goku looked at Ayane, who seemed to be hesitating. "Ay..Ayane.You're youkai?" Goku asked, his eyes wide and staring. Ayane turned her head and spoke in a low voice. "That's right. I.I was hired to kill you but." Ayane slowly pulled a dagger out of her kimono and dropped it.

Her hair covered her face as Goku noticed she was crying. "I can't kill anyone, who's been this nice to me. Even if one of you knew I was a demon. So that's why.That's why, I'm going to kill these idiots and leave this town." She looked at Goku and smiled. "I'm sorry."