Disclaimer: I would like to say that Gensoumaden Saiyuki does not belong to me at all. All characters honorably belong to Kazuya Minekura-san Sensei except for the storyline and the original characters that rightfully belong to me. The title "Love Potion No.9" is not mine too. I'm just borrowing it from a Hollywood movie.
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Ayie: Okay! Thanks GS-chan, Sk8er boi, Arista Niara and Vex for your encouragements. I write this sequel especially for you guys. I believed I've said that I'm not going to be good girl anymore like I did in the fic "Surviving Life"… I'm going to play naughty, more nasty scenes on Hakkai and Aiko ^__~…but please…expect no yaoi or extreme lime. Gomen in whispering tone I don't have the guts to write yaoi and lime fic, my brother'll kill me if I did! Not to mention that blondie monk too…:p
Sanzo: you write yaoi and lime and I'll blast you head off. Hairi: Shi—ne!
Ayie: Ch! Baka bouzu and baka o-nii-chan… er…anyway…for new readers who are interested to read this fic… I strongly suggest that you read the OCs' backgrounds and how the storyline started in the first fic "Surviving Life"…this is a sequel ne ^___^. Oh ya! This is a Hakkai/OC… romance fic of course. The title tells it all. Hakkai needs a little romance sometimes…hihi..
Hakkai: Yare….yare desune slaps head
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Love Potion No.9
Chapter 1
It just another typical day in Genkai and another typical day of Sanzo-ikkou's journey west, except that today they're heading to another new town in search of another kyuomou that was rumored to be hidden somewhere in the town. They got the rumor from their last stop at a town back in yesterday. It was said that a Sanzo was last seen walking to the town they're heading, he entered the gate to the town, went in and never was seen coming out again. And the ikkou, other than obliging the Sanbutusin's order to embark on a mission to the West to subdue the evil doer, Gyumao, swore to find the last remaining four among the five sutras including Komyou Sanzo's, the seiten kyuomou. So, they decided to go to the town and take a look at it.
"Ma…ma…what a peaceful day is today?" Hakkai chirped out his merry line, which make a day incomplete without it. His arousing voice caused the other passengers boarding the jeep turned their heads toward him at instant. They stared at him without even blinking. Hakkai sensed the pressure around him and chuckled nervously. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked innocently.
Gojyo sighed out a deep breath and leaned lazily against the jeep. He stared upon the clear blue sky. The day is bright, yet his mind wasn't. His was rather dull. Even the saru didn't make any effort to start a fight and even if the kid did, he was sure he was in no mood for a bickering.
Sanzo frowned at Hakkai's last remark. He turned his gaze back to where it last cast. He hung his head low and looked down to his laps. There's nothing interesting about it but he's been staring at it all day long. From somewhere down his throat, Sanzo let out a heavy sigh. The wind blew softly, making the strands of hair as gold as the sun swayed freely over his face. He closed his eyes and tried to convince himself to sleep.
The youngest member of their ikkou however seemed to be in deep thoughts. He didn't mumbled about being hungry or complaining to Hakkai about the journey being too far. Goku just sat silently at the back without any attempt to blow the steam off the red haired man's head or the guardian of his at the front seat.
"Daijoubu desuka minna-san?" Hakkai asked, rather worried of his comrades' unusual behaviors. He glanced up to the rear-view mirror and studied the faces of the two passengers at the back before turning his emerald eyes to the man next to him. After a moment of total silence, Hakkai rolled his eyes over the road again. He smiled knowingly. He got the answer for his question.
"You guys missed them don't you?" Hakkai asked in glee.
The reply came out just as he expected.
"Who would miss that stupid boy and his sister?" that one came out from Gojyo's mouth.
"Ch!" was the reply from the blonde next to him.
"I want to meet them again!!!" the cry belonged to Goku.
"Yare…yare desune" was all that he could say.
"Hakkai?" Goku called out softly, the voice of an innocent child rang along with his words. Hakkai raised his brows, waiting for the next phrase. "Don't you miss them?" the kid asked, more of curiosity.
"The question is…" Gojyo added in. "Do you miss her?" he continued then.
Hakkai giggled. What to answer? It's being month since Aiko and Kazo left and they heard nothing from them anymore. And did he miss her? To hell he didn't. He even feared that they might not meet the pair again. There's no single day passed without him thinking and praying for her. There were no empty spaces on his mind without images of her delicate face. Every moment was passed with him admiring her gracefulness, her smile, her laughter, her words and her loving heart. His skin never forgets the feeling of tenderness from her touch, so soft and warm. Hakkai's smile faded away for a moment but came back later.
"We'll meet them again for sure" said Hakkai, assuring the thing he was not even sure of the confirmation. "They promised right?" he reminded, smiling widely. 'We have to meet… she promised and I promised'. A slight curl appeared on his lips.
Goku felt a sharp feeling of enlightenment when his mind reflected the promise made by Aiko. He yelped in joy at remembering that. "Yukata! We'll meet them again… after all Hakkai had made a promise to Aiko and she would definitely comes back and demand for you to keep your promise" what he had said was the first to make sense to the kappa and the monk.
Gojyo turned around to Hakkai. He stared to the back of the driver. "By the way Hakkai… what is the promise you made to Aiko?" Gojyo asked, quite annoyed at the fact that Hakkai refused to tell him. "You never tell us about your promise?" he added. He had tried convincing Hakkai to reveal the promise but no, Hakkai resisted.
"And just what make you think I will tell you when I kept it to myself since a month ago?" Hakkai asked in a merry tone.
"Ch!" Gojyo pouted. "Hakkai, you can be mean sometime" he mumbled.
Hakkai grinned. He looked up, the sight of the new town had appeared at the horizon and the sun just happened to set away. "We're almost there minna-san…" he declared, a usual task he imposed to himself every time their destination was in view.
"Hakkai… hayaku!" urged Goku, no doubt due to his appetite and hunger. There's a deep grumbled came out from his churned stomach.
"Hai hai!" Hakkai chuckled edgily as he stepped on the gas pedal and sped the jeep away into the direction of the town in view. They got closer and closer, less aware of the danger that awaited them in the town.
The jeep, transformation of a little white dragon almost entered the town's gate when an unknown figure dashed side by side with them in a lightning fast speed and halted right before them. Hakkai stepped on the brake at instant, trying to prevent hard collision of the jeep with the unidentified vehicle. The tires screeched furiously and the screeches sent the dust from the dry land beneath them soaring in their sight, blurring the image of the unknown vehicle. Jippu halted just in time, right before he collided with the vehicle.
"Nanda?!" Goku let out an alarming yelp as he summoned his nyibou, getting ready for any assault. He stood and held his staff in parry. Gojyo on the other hand summoned his shaku jou. Both of the kappa and the itan jumped off the jeep and stood in a fighting mode.
Sanzo slammed a new barrel of bullets in his Smith and Wesson and cocked it expertly. He pointed the deadly spirit-ascending gun to the direction of the vehicle, which was hidden beyond the arousing dust.
Hakkai gripped the steering wheel. 'I knew this feeling'. His heart raced and his palms turned sweaty. He narrowed his eyes as the dust slowly descended back to the ground, revealing the vehicle and the figure sitting on it.
Both nyibou and shaku jou disappeared in a blink, leaving the owners gawking at the figure stood before them. Even shoureijuu was lowered down. Emerald, amethyst, golden and crimson met sapphire.
A thin smile was drawn on Hakkai's lips as he uttered a silent word. The promise will be kept.
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"Aiko!!!" Goku shouted in joy as he leapt and darted toward the girl on the bike.
The girl opened her arms wide for the boy to rush in. Goku rushed into Aiko's arms and wrapped the girl's waist with his skinny arms. He laughed heartily and almost cried out of happiness.
"Goku… you had kept your promise I see…" Aiko whispered softly, almost sounded like a mother putting her baby to sleep. She glanced at the three men and the jeep and looked down to the spiky haired boy in her embrace. Aiko put one hand on the boy's head and ruffled the brown hair lovingly. The boy giggled in glee. "You took care of the men for me"
Goku looked up to Aiko and grinned. "I missed you so much ne…" he sobbed, wiping the first pearly drop trickling down from his eyelid and struggled to prevent another.
Aiko smiled. "Yare…yare… I promised that we'd meet again don't we?" Aiko let go off her embrace upon the boy's shoulders and wiped Goku's tears. She took off her goggles and her helmet, revealing the long black hair that seemed to shine glamorously under the ray of violet and orange emerged from the horizon and stretched out to the farthest skyline.
"Kyu…?" the soft coo came from somewhere under the engine of the Harley Davidson and was replied by another loving and soothing coo from under the hud of the jeep. Hakkai and Sanzo disembark the jeep.
Hakkai smiled. Harkuryuu never have forgotten Nimmiku.
Aiko looked up to Sanzo. "Yukata! Seems like my Sanzo-nii-chan was all safe and sound" she teased the blond monk, making the latter produced a harsh humph as numerous veins popped out on his forehead. He took out his harisen and was about to whack the girl's head when the latter surprisingly presented him a soft peck on the cheek. The harisen sled away from his grip and fell to the ground.
Aiko bent down and picked up the harisen. She waved it frantically in front of Sanzo and the latter grabbed it hastily. He shoved the harisen back in his sleeve and cursed annoyingly.
Aiko smiled, then she turned to look at the driver. "Hakkai?" she called out, soft but lovingly. There's a blush on her cheeks. How could she stay calm at remembering Hakkai's last word to her? Aiko turned the other way around as she lost out the word she wanted to say to the dark haired man.
Suddenly, the man reached out a hand and grabbed her slender shoulder. With a deft movement of his palm, Hakkai forced the girl to turn to him again. He enclosed the girl into his arms, gathered her to his torso and pressed his lips on her cheek. "Remember the promise?" he whispered to her ear as she blanked off completely, drinking away the ecstasy in the warmth of his body. The girl nodded without she herself aware of what she just did.
Aiko snapped her eyes opened as her soul awakened from the feeling of total blankness as she sank into Hakkai's hug. She set herself free from Hakkai's arms and looked at the man right at his face. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked in a high tone, almost sounded angry. Her face flushed red, and Hakkai could not differentiate if it's out of embarrassment or anger. She shoved herself off Hakkai's hold and stepped out from the man's reach.
Hakkai was perplexed. Even Goku, Sanzo and Gojyo stood dumbfounded.
"I… I….I just…" Hakkai stammered. 'What he did wrong that caused her to react that way?'
Aiko shook her head and crossed her arms before her chest. "What do you think you're doing going into that town without proper protection?" she flung one arm and pointed into the direction of the town at the horizon.
Hakkai sweat dropped. 'And I thought it was me she was mad of'
"What do you mean?" Gojyo asked, quite astounded at the girl's words.
Aiko leaned against Jippu and shook her head in disbelief. "You don't know huh?" she asked, making the men and the kid wondered even more. "Why are you going there anyway?" she demanded an explanation, looking at the ikkou with sharp, piercing glare.
"We heard a rumor that a Sanzo had entered the town and never came out… so we thought that his kyuomou might still be there" Hakkai was the one doing the explaining task. He always did.
"I've heard of that… and it was true that he never came out… any man wouldn't, and I doubted that the kyuomou was still there" she said, glancing to the town, which view was fading away into darkness. The earth seemed to muffle in silence.
"We still have to make sure that the sutra didn't remained in there" Sanzo said, then he flicked his cigarette lighter and lit his cigarette which stuck out of his mouth.
"And what do you mean that any men wouldn't came out of the town once they entered it?" asked Goku, naively.
Aiko sighed. "I'll tell you later… now you come with me to my uncle's house" she ordered. "If you still want to enter the town then you better come with me" Aiko hopped onto her bike and put on her helmet. She looked down to Goku.
"Goku, would you like to ride with me?"
The offer made Gojyo's head turned abruptly to the bike and the girl. Now he realized what was missing. The sight of Goku riding at Aiko's back on the bike made his heart pumped viciously.
"Aiko?" he called out.
Aiko looked at Gojyo as she helped Goku to fasten his helmet.
"Where's Kazo?" Gojyo asked, making Aiko's lips clamped shut. The reaction from the girl made Gojyo got even more worried. "Is he all right?" Gojyo's voice contained a slight tremble.
"Aiko? Had something happened to Kazo?" Goku tugged at Aiko's sleeve. His eyes turned dreary.
Aiko sighed. "Come with me and I'll show you" she said as she switched on the ignition and swirled the handle, producing a loud vroom as she did so. Aiko stepped on the accelerator pedal and the bike was turned the other way around before sledding smoothly to the direction of a hill on the south. The green jeep followed closely behind.
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Hakkai switched off the ignition and altogether they disembarked the jeep. Hakkai glanced over the building stood before their eyes. A moment ago they entered a gate that surrounded a huge orchard and farm and now they halted just right in front of a huge wooden bungalow with beautiful garden and serene pond as the backdrop. Far away, a magnificent lake and a lush forest fell over the valley down the hill.
"Sugoi!!!" Goku exclaimed as soon as he hoped down the bike. Aiko reached out a hand under his chin and undo the safety belt on his helmet. The girl took off the helmet on his head and his spiky brown hair poked out of it at instant. Aiko gave him a ruffle on his hair with a smile on her face.
Gojyo rolled his eyes over the bungalow and whistled. He was amazed by the look of it. Suddenly, out of nowhere a group of little children popped out from the entrance and rushed toward them. Gojyo's eyes widened at seeing the kids swarming upon them like bees on their hive.
"Rei-nee-chan!!!" the kids, young girls and boys around one to five years old, youkai, hanyou and human darted toward Aiko. They opened their arms wide and wrapped Aiko in their embrace.
Aiko laughed in glee. She accepted each of the hugs and returned it with a kiss on each kids' cheeks. Some of the kids stared at Hakkai, Sanzo, Gojyo and Goku and each of the men gave out different reactions.
Hakkai happily ruffled the kids' hair and introduced himself to them. Goku on the other hand shook hand merrily with every of the kids. Sanzo, who always find kids annoying tried hard to shove a pair of kids off his robe. The kids' lips trembled and their eyes turned dreary at sudden, making Sanzo grunted. He searched for something from inside his robe and took out two meat buns that he had been saving for Goku in case that saru fell off due to hunger. He handed the portions to the little boys and ceased their attempts of crying.
"Kono gakis…let go off my hair!" Gojyo strove hard to get rid a bunch of kids who tugged at his red fringes.
Aiko looked up to the men and laughed. At that precise moment, a bell rang out of nowhere. Aiko turned her gaze toward the bungalow and then looked back at the kids. "Kids… it's lunch time!" she announced as she clapped her hands.
The kids stammered and looked back to the bungalow. The bell gave out another ring. They shouted happily and dashed toward the bungalow. Tiny feet made a soft stomping sound as they skipped and hopped on the ground and then on the wooden verandah.
Aiko smiled as she watched the kids entered the bungalow. Then, she turned back to the ikkou and addressed them with even a wider smile. "Gomen nasai…" she bowed her head slightly. "The kids barely meet any strangers before" Aiko explained.
"Who are they?" Gojyo asked as he combed his hair to the back, straightening the strands to its place.
"They are orphans who had being abandoned by their family… my uncle took them off the streets and kept them here" Aiko watched as Nimmiku transformed to its dragon's form and so did Harkuryuu. The dragons flew to a bench and perched on it. They snuggled each other lovingly and cooed softly. Aiko lips curled. "He took care of them… feed them, educate them, love them…" she added.
"Sou ka…" Hakkai nodded. "So…this place is most likely an orphanage?"
"Hai!" Aiko shook her head back and forth. "Ikkuzo…" she said as she started walking into the bungalow. The men followed closely behind her.
Aiko was the first to enter the house and each of the men tailed her. "Ojisan!" the girl called out as soon as she stepped in the house.
The ikkou glanced around the inside of the bungalow. Everything was arranged neatly. On their side, they could hear a humming sound that filled the air with harmonious tone. Gojyo stretched his neck and peeked into the room next to the entrance.
The kids that they met outside sat around a long table, clasping their hands together and reciting their prayers before their meal. The kids looked innocent and sweet as their tiny lips murmured the prayers softly. Their eyes were clamped shut and they prayed heartily. Some boys, being naughty as they were supposed to be, opened one eyes and peeked at their meals. When a maid, probably their keeper gave out an alarming cough, they closed their eyes again.
Gojyo smiled. What a peaceful sight… He could have sworn that the sight he's seeing was the most serene sight he ever witnessed since they started their journey west. The kids almost looked like little angels, so innocent and so pure. They were mixed up with youkais, hanyous, and humans, but yet there were no hatred flashed before their multi-colored eyes. His eyes widened even more at seeing some of the girls, youkais, hanyous and humans prayed together hand in hand.
The little youkais, he just realized, didn't wear any yoryouku limiter. "Aiko… the youkai kids… don't they have to wear a limiter?" Gojyo asked.
"Nain… the minus wave didn't affect this place since it was protected by a large energy barrier cast by my uncle" Aiko explained as she pointed one hand out of the door. Now only they realized that they had entered a huge blue energy barrier that almost matched the color of the nature around them.
"Then… your uncle, he's a…" Goku didn't finish his words as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A tall broad figure advanced into their sights, appearing clearer and clearer as he descended all the way down the stairs.
"Reika…?" the husky voice of the figure's popped out from his mouth as he stood before them.
"Kei-jisan" Aiko addressed him and walked to his side. The girl wrapped her arms around the man's waist and smiled merrily. She almost looked like a little girl clinging to her father's waist. Aiko looked at the men. "Minna-san… let me introduce you to my ojisan" she said.
"This is Kei-jisan, Kazo's mother's elder brother" she introduced them to the broad shouldered man. "And Kei-jisan… these are the men I've told you before" Aiko said as she held out a hand, pointing toward the ikkou.
Kei was a tall and broad shouldered youkai. He's bold for a man at his age. His cooper colored hair was lined with several strands of white. Yet he was neat and sturdy. His hazel eyes gleamed with courage and strength and his complexion was tanned, symbolizing masculinity of his inner self.
"Nice to meet you Kei-san" Hakkai reached out a hand with a smile flickered upon his fair face.
"Let me guess… this is Hakkai" Kei exclaimed as he shook the hand of the dark haired man. He looked at Aiko from the corner of his eyes and smiled knowingly. The young man stood before him resembled a lot to Aiko's fiancé, Leon. "Reika told me a lot about you"
"Yare…yare…" Hakkai chuckled nervously, a hand at the back of his head. He looked at Aiko and the girl just smiled sweetly.
"And this one must be Son Goku?" Kei looked down to Goku and ruffled the boy's hair. Now he knew why Aiko adored the kid so much. The kid looked as genki as Kazo and the other kids in the house. The innocence was clearly shown upon the golden orbs on the boy's face.
"Hai!" Goku chirped merrily. He bowed and grinned widely. "Kei-ji-chan… do you have any food? Hata harahetta ne" he whined, clutching to his stomach as he did so. His face was distorted and he bent down in a curl, preventing the grumbling noise in his tummy.
The ikkou's eyes bewildered. Hakkai sweat dropped and muttered his 'yare-yare-desune', followed by Gojyo who slapped his head in disbelief and the end was a whack on Goku's head from Sanzo's harisen.
"Ittai…" Goku clutched his head as soon as the harisen was lifted off.
Kei burst out laughing. Now, the scene that Aiko had told him happened everyday during her journey with the ikkou occurred before his very eyes.
"And you must be Genjo Sanzo…or Reika's Koryuu" Kei looked at Sanzo.
Sanzo bowed his head slightly. He sent a deadly glare to Aiko and the latter gulped nervously. She knew she had forgotten something about warning Kei not to mention the name Koryuu in front of the owner himself.
"And you are Sha Gojyo" Kei shook hands with the red headed man and the latter nodded affirmatively.
"How are the kids?" Aiko asked Kei.
"They are getting worst by each minutes… have you got the plant that I asked you to get from Okadia?" he asked, his face changed abruptly, from a plain look to a worried expression.
Aiko shook her head in some sort of disappointment. "I was on my way when I met these guys halfway ahead… they were on their way to Okadia without any protection that I was forced to stop them" she answered as she glanced over the ikkou. "I could not let them enter Okadia with this appearance" she added, looking back at Kei with pleading look.
The ikkou was astounded with that remark. 'What was in that town Okadia that caused her to cancel her mission and brought them here?'
Kei observed the young men. His eyes rolled over them and suddenly he nodded in agreement. He rubbed his chin and looked at Sanzo.
"Why are you going there anyway?" he asked.
"We're in search of the four missing sutras and we heard a rumor that one of them was hidden somewhere in the town" Sanzo explained. It was unusual of him to do the explaining but then he could not ignore an older man's inquiry.
"Have you got any idea about the condition in the town?" Kei asked again and now his question was pointed randomly.
"We're afraid not" Hakkai was the one to answer.
Kei shook his head in disbelief. "You're lucky enough that Reika had stopped you before you enter the town" he said. He turned his attention at Aiko. "Never mind my dear… You are ought to try again tomorrow… now take these men and explain to them" he patted her shoulder and pointed her chin upstairs.
"And now will you please excuse me for I got something to do… We'll meet again at lunch and until that please make yourself at home" Kei asked to leave.
The ikkou bowed their heads slightly and the bold youkai left them.
Aiko clasped her hands and sighed. She looked at the ikkou and made a hand gesture, signaling them to follow her up the stairs. They mounted the stairs and headed for the second floor.
"Aiko… what did your Kei-san means when he said we're lucky that you'd stopped us before we could enter the town?" Hakkai asked as he hastened his pace until he was walking side by side with Aiko.
"I'll explain to you at lunch" Aiko said. At hearing the word 'lunch', Goku yelped and almost tripped over the stairs. Lucky for him, Aiko had turned around and caught him by his collar. She pulled him upright then.
They were now at the head of the stairs. Aiko walked straight and then halted before a closed door.
"Where's Kazo? I don't see him around?" Gojyo couldn't keep it any longer. He was worried all over that he could not stop himself from asking.
Aiko gulped. She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. The raven black haired girl pushed the door softly, lessening the creaking sound as she did so. Aiko entered the room, followed by the ikkou.
As soon as they stepped in, the odor of herbs and medicine struck to their nose. It was the same smell as the one you would usually found in a medicine man's office. They followed the girl as she walked across the room toward a bed, which curtains were loosely dropped.
The girl stood before the bed. The ikkou halted right behind her. They waited patiently as the girl unveiled the bed and tied the curtains around it. Someone crouched on the bed, curling with his knees hugged before his chest. He almost looked like a baby in a mother's womb.
Gojyo's heart pounded hastily as he recognized the red crimson head that popped out off the blanket. He sweated all over when the boy opened his eyelids and revealed a pair of gloomy yet fiery red eyes.
"Kazo?" he swallowed the word painfully.
To be continue….
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Ayie: Yare…yare… I don't know if this sequel will turn out to be as long as the first one… Hope not. I intended to make this one shorter than "Surviving Life". After all, I don't have much time to upload it since I don't have my own connection to the Internet… lucky that still have my own computer… if not it's possible for me to even type this fic… -___-+…
Sanzo: I wish you won't even have any time to type it then I don't have to waste my time helping you write the fic.
Ayie: Nani?! strangled Sanzo as the latter fought back… and they descended to the floor, fighting teeth and nails
Hakkai: Will someone help me with cleaning the room? sweeping cobwebs in Ayie's new room at the hostel
Aiko: I will…took out a damp cloth and swept the window
Goku: coughed as he dusted Ayie's study table Hata harahetta ne… Kazo: We've got less to eat since the canteen was far away from this house…I'm going to die soon.
Gojyo: But I loved this place… there's a lot of chicks around…leered at a passing girl student and whistled