Hai, I'm back with the next chapter. Thank you so much for the beautiful reviews and those ideas. Thank goodness I can come up with something since I was kind of busy with homework. Yes, homework. So, enjoy this chapter and please feel free to comment me. Hugs and kisses.

Chapter 4

Lirin took of her new pair of sweater and tossed it on the bed and pulled out another pair of sweater from the closet. Fixing her buttons, she stood into the full-length mirror and admired herself. Maybe I'll look better if I braid my hair, she thought, as her fingers fiddled with a ribbon. Suddenly the door slammed open.

"Geez! Where are you going with that kind of fashion?"

"Onichan!" she gasped. Quickly, she grabbed the remaining clothes and hid them behind her. "What are you doing here? And didn't anyone tell you to knock before entering?"

"Can't a brother visit his sister?" Kougaiji snorted and slumped himself comfortably on the small couch near the bed. He studied the blue room. "Stuffy, but comfortable," He commented. His eyes scrolled around the table, at the stacks of papers at the corner and supplies of food inside a box beside the closet. "You're having your finals next week, right?"

She nodded.

"Don't worry," He stood up and patted his sister's head and added, "It's a piece of cake. You'll pass easily, trust me."

"I'm not worried!" Lirin answered back, playfully hugging her only brother. For her, nothing is impossible when it comes to pleasing the only person she cared. She still remembered the day her mother, Gyokumen, wanted to sacrifice her just to revive Master Gyumao. If it wasn't for Kougaiji, who saved her, she wouldn't be there, enjoying school and have a life of her own. Some mother, she cursed silently.

"I love you, too," Kougaiji said, removing her arms gently from his waist. " Well, it's time for me to go now." Looking at his watch. He planted a kiss on her forehead and made his way to the exit.

"Now? But you just got here. Where are you going actually?" Lirin asked from behind, just before he closed the door.

He winked. "Some unfinished business at the East Gate, quite a distance away from the city. Maybe I'll be away for a while and you better hurry up or else you'll miss Sanzo's class."

Somehow, she didn't feel convinced. Unfortunately, she knew that when his brother says something, he meant it and there's no other way to stop him. "Take care…" She muttered under her breath, as she watched her brother disappeared into the crowd.

"I don't want to!" Goku screeched, shoving himself away from Gojyo's strong grip. "I don't want, don't want and don't want!"

"Seriously?" Gojyo gave him a pitiful look. They've been doing recital for the same play over and over again for the last three hours and still, it's imperfect. "Come on, you have to," He persuaded again.

"Maybe you should give him a break," Hakkai whispered into Gojyo's ear. Hakkai had been standing at the corner, watching them throughout the hours. Before he started working there, he had been roaming around town, figuring out what to do to waste his time. Unfortunately, he just can't stand a day lazing around. Sitting alone in the large sitting room made him feel uncomfortable as he only made way for himself to remember his past, which he truly wish to erase from his memory.

"Well, alright," Gojyo agreed after a while. He tossed the script aside and left the room. "Tomorrow, same time, Goku!" His voice echoed through the long hallway.

Goku shrugged. He was exhausted and hungry. He had to miss breakfast that morning. It's all the alarm clock's fault, he cursed. If it hadn't ran out of batteries, I wouldn't be late!

"Are you alright?" Hakkai asked from behind.

"Yeah," Goku replied. "I guess I'm still alive."

Hakkai smiled. He noticed the changes in the teenage boy in front of him. Somehow, Goku looked as if he loosed weight and seemed a little stressed. Maybe it's the tight schedule, he thought. He arranged his glasses, stacked his paper works and followed the boy out of the room. "You're not in my class, are you?" He asked from behind.

Goku just shook his head.

"Why not?" He continued asking.

Silence.

"Alright," Hakkai sighed. "Hey, how about some soda at the cafeteria?" Without waiting for an answer, he dragged the boy all the way down the stairs. Withdrawing from Goku's exhausted face, Hakkai busied himself preparing drinks, at the same time launching into an amusing description of the coming Valentine Party. But as he sat down, Goku was already snoring at the table. "Hello… anybody there?" Tapping softly on Goku's head.

"What…?" Goku voice was groggy. "Oh, it's you…"

"Wow, you really are drained out," He joked and handed him his drink. "My treat. Now, bring me up to date. What did I miss?"

"Nothing…" He replied warily.

"Okay, who did you invite to be your partner at the dance then?"

"No one."

Just then, the cafeteria door burst open as all everyone rushed in to get their lunch. Everyone seemed to busy minding their own business. Among the crowds, they suddenly spotted Lirin and a group of kids tagging along close to her from behind. "Hakkai-san, it's a surprise to see you here," She greeted as she passed their table.

"You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?" Hakkai replied, offering her a seat.

Soon, both of them engaged into a long conversation as she explained the exam course, extra activities, extreme endurance test and Sanzo's weird class. "All he seems to know is how to get revenge for everything. Don't you think that's kind of…unnatural? I mean, not to be the perfect thing to be taught to kids, like them, for example," She pointed to a group of people fighting at the corner. Suddenly, gun-shot was heard from another end that came together with what sounds like 'shut up and go die somewhere else'. "Okay… maybe a little weird and a whole lot of crap." She continued.

"I understand," Hakkai agreed and continued, "But, still, you have to forgive his bad temper. After all, he's not at all that, uh, mean."

"Really?" She chuckled.

So cute, Goku thought. He had been watching the both of them talking from under his long dark brown hair that covers his eyes and they didn't even realize, assuming that he was still asleep. Finally, it was the time he waited for came.

"Do you have anyone in mind to be your partner for the dance?" Hakkai asked just before Lirin left her seat.

"Partner?" She took a quick look at Goku. Partner for the dance? Who will be my partner, she wondered when suddenly a tall boy came up from behind her. Lirin quickly grabbed his wrist and pushed him beside her. "He. He will be my partner," She said immediately and grinned.

"What?!" Goku gasped silently, however still not moving.

"He will be my partner, for the dance, only," She repeated.

"Ah, good looking guy." Hakkai praised, looking at the surprised boy in front of him. "And do you mind telling me his name?"

"His name? Uh, his name is, uh…" Lirin babbled "What's your name?" She whispered to the boy next to her.

"I'm David Marshall," He replied back and shook Hakkai's hand. "Uh, nice to meet you," Still surprised, he politely excused himself and walked out of the room.

Lirin tucked her chair in and picked up her books. "Hakkai-san, whose your date? Would she be Yaone?" She asked just before she left.

Hakkai blushed. "Yaone? Maybe." He moved closer to Lirin. "That's if your brother doesn't mind."

"My brother? He won't be here next week."

"Eh? Why?"

Lirin sighed. "He said that he's busy somewhere near the East Gate."

East Gate? Isn't that the place where many soldiers rest in peace after the war seized years ago? What is that guy up to at a place like that, Hakkai wondered. Oh right, we are going to have a meeting later something about that also.

Back at the room, Goku tossed his bed on the floor and slumped himself on the small bed. What does he got that I don't, Goku grumbled and punched a pillow with his fists. What?

"Let me answer for you."

"Gojyo, leave me alone…" Goku pleaded.

Ignoring his plead, Gojyo made himself comfortable by the windows. "You lack of courage, boy."

"…What do you mean…" Goku asked from under the blanket.

"Hm," He tapped his chin. "Sure you're strong, but when it comes to girls, man, you're slow."

"So?"

"So, I can help you," Gojyo snapped.

"…Forget it…" Goku covered his face with the pillow. "Please close the door when you go out."

"Hah!" He spat. "That's okay. I'm always there when you need me."

"Good night…"

"Fine!"

End of chapter. ^0^ Is this going anywhere or I seemed to be forgetting something that I should put in the story to spice things up.