Senko-san: In this chapter, I wrote a bit on the ikkou's memories. I'm not
very sure whether I got it right, demo ne, I tried my best! Hope you guys
enjoy it just the same! ^_^ Well, here it goes!!!!
CHAPTER 3
As the night came, they managed to settle in an inn. Goku was already eating his fill happily in the restaurant downstairs, while the other three were doing their own activities, not paying attention to Goku at all...for a while...
Hakkai had already finished his meal, Sanzo was reading a newspaper, as for Gojyo, now he was picking a fight with Goku over a piece of egg roll... Rio watched them as she slowly finished her food. Looks like this'll take sometime getting use to...
"Rio-san? Tomorrow I'm to do some shopping...would you like to come?" Hakkai asked.
"Ah? Um...okay..." she placed her chopsticks down on her now empty rice bowl.
"Yukatta ne...Goku will come too...right, Goku?" Hakkai looked at the two.
Both of them paused from their fight of pulling at each others' faces. They looked at Hakkai, who was smiling back at them.
"Ah! Hai!" Goku let go of Gojyo's cheeks.
Gojyo took the chance of snatching the last roll from the plate and immediately stuffed it into his mouth.
"AAAH!!! GOJYO!!! THAT WAS MINE!!!"
"Well, you were off guard, bakasaru!"
"TEME!!! YOU ERO KAPPA!!!"
"BAKASARU!!!"
"ERO KAPPA!!!!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU BAKASARU!!!"
"DON'T CALL ME "SARU" YOU ERO KAPPA!!!"
"URUSAI!!! SARU!!!"
"BAKA!!! KONO ERO KAPPA!!!"
"You guys..." a threatening voice suddenly voiced out, but wasn't heard by those two. More veins started to appear on the blonde's head...and...
"URUSEI NA!!! OMAE WO KOROSU ZOU!!!" Sanzo shot aimlessly at them, sending the two running for their lives.
The other people in the restaurant were getting frightened now. They immediately paid their bills and left as fast as they can...
"Yare yare desu ne..." Hakkai sighed again.
"That's one way of clearing a place up..." she voiced out, as if trying to mock the hot-tempered monk.
"Urusei...I'm going to sleep...if anyone disturbs me...I'll kill them..." Sanzo got up and headed upstairs.
"Hai, hai...oyasumi nasai desu, Sanzo..." Hakkai got up too, and headed for his room. "You should get some sleep too, minna san..."
"...Wakatta ne..." she stood up and headed for her room as well.
"Ah! Chotto matte, Sanzo! Hakkai!!!" Goku ran after them.
"Well, if you ever get lonely...I'm always available..." Gojyo winked at her.
"Shine..." she replied as she slammed the door at his face.
Ch! Well! Can't blame me for trying! He shrugged and entered his room.
She looked around her room. It wasn't that fancy, but she didn't really care. How long has it been...since I slept on a bed...a roof above my head...a proper place to spend the night...comfortably...
She sank her head on the pillow. I've even forgotten how soft a pillow is... She slowly untied her headscarf.
She suddenly flashed back the time when she was about six years old. She remembered staying in bed because she had a fever, her okasan by her side, taking care of her. She remembered her father returning home later that night, checking on her, with a worried expression on his face. She smiled weakly and told him she will be fine. He smiled and kissed her forehead, telling her that the kiss will heal her...His smile...and her okasan's kind, gentle voice... She missed them...
Suddenly, her cheeks felt cold and wet. Then she realized, she was crying. It was the first time for many years since she cried...She didn't stop herself, though. I guess...crying isn't so bad... She closed her eyes and continued to cry soundly to herself until she fell asleep...
In the morning, Hakkai headed towards her room. He knocked at the door and called out.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Rio-san. Annou...are you already awake?" He twisted the doorknob and discovered it was unlocked.
"Annou...sumimasen..." he peered inside.
"HAKKAI!!! C-CHOTTO MATTE!!!"
"A-ARRA??? AH!!! SUMIMASEN!!!!!" Hakkai immediately slammed the door.
Hakkai tried to calm down. S-Shimata...will she be mad at me? Yare na...looks like I'm in trouble... He smiled to himself nervously. Demo...she looked pretty without those rugged T-shirt on... He flashed back of what he accidentally saw before... She wore a pair of rugged jeans and a sleeveless, turtle-necked dark blue shirt, revealing her body structure. She was about to wear her T- shirt when Hakkai peered in.
Hakkai chuckled to himself. But his heart sank a little as he heard the door flung open. He bravely faced her.
"Ha...ha...Rio-dono..." he began nervously.
She wasn't looking at him and remained quite.
"Sumimasen...I didn't mean to..."
"...Iya...daijobu..." she finally replied.
She slowly looked up at him. He noticed her face was blushing, though not clearly. He began to feel very guilty.
"Hontouni...sumimasen..." Hakkai apologized again.
"I told you before...it's okay! It was an accident!!!"
He realized she felt angrier than embarrassed. Is she really okay??? I think I should make it up to her...
"Err...if you are really mad at me, I don't mind if you let it all out..." Hakkai smiled at her, guiltily.
She noticed it and calmed down. It's not his fault...it was an accident...he's not that type of person...calm down...besides...it my fault for unlocking the door too early... She kept reminding herself.
"...You're going to do some shopping, aren't you? Let's go and get Goku, then..." she walked pass him, towards Goku's room.
"Um...hai..." Hakkai followed. Phew...yukatta ne...
After they got Goku to wash his face, they decided to have breakfast first because Goku kept complaining how hungry he was...
They went downstairs and were surprised to see Gojyo and Sanzo already sitting at a table. Gojyo smirked and waved at them to call them over.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, minna san..." Hakkai greeted them, as he sat down beside his bestfriend.
"Ohayo..." she casually greeted, sitting one seat away from Sanzo and Gojyo.
"Mo...harahetta...Sanzo..." Goku grumbled, sitting beside Sanzo.
"Ch! You bakasaru..." Sanzo mumbled.
"Ohayo, pretty lady! How was your beauty sleep?" Gojyo winked at her.
"None of your business..." She replied, as a waitress came to take their order.
"Ch! Fine! I'll try and flirt somewhere else..." as Gojyo said so, he gave a charming smile and winked at the waitress, making her blush.
"How could she fall for such a cheap trick..." she said under her breath, watching the waitress leave with their orders.
"What did you say, Rio-san?" Gojyo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Iya..."
Sanzo heard it, though. Hmph...she read my mind...
"Hey, Rio-san..." Gojyo began.
"Nani?"
"How about I buy you a drink, eh? We can get drunk together..." he continued.
"...Baka...koroshite aru..." she threatened, cracking her knuckles.
"Okay...I'll take that as a 'no'" Gojyo backed off nervously.
After they finished breakfast, they continued to do their own activities. Hakkai, Goku and Rio went to the shops to get supplies they needed, Gojyo went for a stroll, of course, to flirt...and Sanzo decided to stay in his room.
After a few hours, the three had done the shopping they needed. After the placed all the goods in the inn, Hakkai said it was okay for them to walk around town. She decided to do just that.
As she slowly wandered around, rain began to pour down. She immediately tried looking for shelter. Shimata! Why did it rain now???
Finally, she noticed an old abandoned shack at the end of the village. She immediately entered it and shut the door behind her. Though there were holes here and there, but at least it will do for the time being. She sighed with relief.
"Oh...so you decided to take shelter here too, eh?"
A voice startled her. She slowly looked behind her to see who it was.
"Gojyo???" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"Heh...don't sound so surprised...now we're in the same boat..." he smirked. "Darn the rain! I was just about to get some pretty chicks, and suddenly it poured down..." He grumbled.
She was a bit annoyed when she heard his grumbles, but she noticed he was dripping wet too.
"...Let's at least build a fire first...there're some wood here..." she said, pilling up some wood she saw scattered around.
"Aw...and I thought we could warm each other up..."
"If you say that again, I won't hesitate to kill you and throw your corpse in the rain..." she glared at him.
"Okay! Okay! Can't you take a joke???" Gojyo tried to calm her down.
"You call that a JOKE???"
"Okay! I'll shut up!!!"
"GOOD!!!"
Silence.
Gojyo watched her as she tried to make a fire.
"Here...let me help..." he finally approached her.
He took out his lighter and burned a crumpled newspaper and buried it into the pile of wood. Soon, there was a bonfire between them. They remained quite as the wood crackled in the fire.
"...Looks like the rain's still pouring down..." he finally tried to start a conversation.
"Em...sou ne..." she replied.
"I hope Hakkai's okay... He's doesn't like rain much..." Gojyo continued.
"...Doshite?" She asked.
He paused for a while. Should I tell her of Hakkai's past? He took out a cigarette and lit it. Well...he never said not to tell anyone... He puffed a chain of smoke before he continued.
"Hakkai lost his lover on a rainy day like this..." He began.
"Oh...sumimasen..." she felt a bit guilty for asking.
"Iya...that's okay..." Gojyo replied. It was the same day that we met as well...
He continued to tell her about Hakkai's past. That was three years ago, when Hakkai was known as Cho Gono. He worked in a small school as a teacher, and lived with his girlfriend, Kana.
One day, when he returned home, all he found was an empty house. Kana was nowhere to be found. The house was a wreck... He felt as if he could go crazy. From the villagers he knew she was kidnapped by a youkai. This youkai had a bad reputation of kidnapping the young girls in the village, making them his playthings...for his own pleasure...
No one dared to confront him. But Hakkai was determined to get Kana back. Everyone thought he was crazy when he told them he was going to retrieve Kana back. No one dared to go with him. So, he went on his own.
It took him only one night to kill any youkai that came across his way. When he finally found her, she was locked in a cell. He was glad to see her safe...but she had other intentions...
As he knelt in front of her, the cell between them, he didn't notice her taking the dagger from his belt...until it was too late... She was ready to kill herself...and the child inside of her...and did...
As he left the youkai's mansion, with a terrible abdomen wound, he walked aimlessly through the storming night. Finally, he fell down, unable to move and was ready to die. He was a criminal. A murderer...
Meanwhile, Sanzo was ordered to find him and to be brought to justice. Annoyed, Sanzo did as he was told. He and Goku began to search for the criminal named Cho Gono...
Gono was found by a redheaded gambler on his way home. For two months, Gono stayed with this redheaded man. That was also when Sanzo found him. After some difficulties of catching him, he finally surrendered and was brought to face the three Gods for justice.
Gojyo was furious when Sanzo told him Gono was dead. But that changed him a bit as well. One day, as he walked in town, he noticed a fruit stall. He was about to pick an apple when someone beside him picked it first.
"Red is a beautiful color, ne, Gojyo?" he said, smiling at Gojyo.
Gojyo looked a bit surprised at this person. His right eye wore a monocle now but his emerald eyes were still familiar to him. Gojyo smirked.
"Ch! In that case, I'll take four apples, please..." he told the salesman.
In an inn, were Sanzo and Goku waiting for them. Gojyo handed the bag of apples to Goku who, happily ate it all.
"You corrupt monk! You said he was dead!" Gojyo spoke angrily at Sanzo.
"You're the idiot. It is true of what I said. Buddha prohibits killing... so now he will start anew...with a new name..." Sanzo replied casually.
"Hai, soo desu ne..." Hakkai smiled.
"Oh? And what is your name now?" Gojyo smirked.
"Hakkai. Cho Hakkai desu."
"Hakkai? Em! I like that name!" Goku beamed.
"Sooka? Ha! Ha! Ha! Arigato ne!" Hakkai chuckled.
Three years after that, they were told to go to the west. In order to stop Gyumao's revival...
"So that's how we met...and ended up with this annoying mission..." he finished.
"I see..." She said softly. That's why Hakkai always has that sad expression under that smile of his...
She leaned herself by the wall. She began to feel a bit sleepy. It has been raining the whole day, and it hasn't stopped at all.
"Demo...rain doesn't bother me much, though..." He smirked, looking out of the window.
"...Doshite?" she looked at him.
"Hmm...I don't know...but there was once when I was little, I stayed under the rain...because..." he paused. Should I tell her?
"Because?" she asked, making him snap out from his thoughts.
"Because..." he slowly tried to continue.
She was still looking at him. Even though she felt sleepier, she saw he had difficulties in answering her.
"...Is it because you thought the rain could wash away the color of your hair and eyes?" she questioned.
He was startled. N-nani? He looked at her in surprise.
"How did you-?" he wanted to ask.
"I know the feeling...being a taboo...being rejected...despised...I did the same too..." she answered sleepily. "You're...a half-youkai...aren't you? Because...your red eyes...and hair..." she finally drifted of to sleep.
Ch! So, she knew whom I was from the beginning...He kept his eyes on her; leaning by the wall, fast asleep. He looked out of the window again. Looks like it'll only stop in the morning... He gazed at her again. He noticed she was shivering.
He sighed and smiled. He slowly approached her, trying not to wake her. He took off his jacket and placed it on her. It's nothing much...demo...at least she'll be alright till the morning...
He returned to his corner and sat down. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He haven't felt that good for a long time. He felt...released...free... Ch! Looks like I owe her one...
"They're not back yet, Sanzo..." Hakkai peered out of the window worriedly.
"Aah. They'll be back soon..." Sanzo exhaled a chain of smoke.
Goku was already asleep hours ago.
"I hope they're alright..." Hakkai sighed.
"After the rain stops..."
Hakkai looked at Sanzo in surprise. Sanzo gazed out of the window, watching the rain pour heavily.
"If they're not back in the morning, I'm gonna kill them..."
Hakkai smiled. Sanzo, you do care, don't you?
"Hai'...wakari mashita..."
As the sun began to rise, the rain stopped. The ray sneaked in the holes in the wall and shone at her face, causing her to wake up. She blinked and stretched.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, ojyosan..." Gojyo grinned.
"Gojyo...how many times do I have to remind you not to call me that..." she yawned.
Then, she noticed the jacket on her in surprise. Isn't this...?
"I don't think you need that thing anymore..." Gojyo got up.
"Um...hai...arigato..." She handed it back to him.
She slowly got up. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She immediately grabbed Gojyo by the collar.
"O-oi!!! Nani sundaiyo???" He exclaimed in surprise.
"TEME!!! YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING LAST NIGHT, DID YOU???"
"N-NO! WHY'D YOU SAY THAT???"
"CAUSE YOU'RE THAT KINDA GUY!!!"
"HEY!!! I LIKE CHICKS BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T RESPECT THEM!!! HANASE!!! YOU'RE RUINING MY SHIRT!!!"
"Ch! Fine!" She let him go.
"What? No apology???" He asked, straightening his shirt.
"Why? Should I?"
"Ch!"
"Let's go. Those three are still waiting...and I think Sanzo'll kill us if we keep them waiting any longer..." She opened the door.
"Yeah...whatever..." he followed. He watched her from the back, and grinned to himself. Ch! She really is hotheaded...like someone I know...
Meanwhile, as Hakkai, Goku and Sanzo headed out of the inn, Sanzo sneezed. Hakkai looked at him in surprise.
"What's wrong, Sanzo?"
"Iya..." Sanzo answered simply. Who the hell's talking about me??? If I found who that person is, I'll kill him!
"Ah! There they are! Minna san!" Hakkai called out to them.
"Oi! Hakkai!" Gojyo waved back.
"Where have you two been? We were worried!" Goku grumbled.
"Eh? I never knew there were other things in your head besides food, you bakasaru!" Gojyo patted Goku's head teasingly.
"NANDATO? YOUERO KAPPA!!! HANASE!!!" Goku slapped his hand away.
"Ch! What's wrong with you??? At first you said you were worried, then, now you're picking a fight, you bakasaru???"
"Don't call me 'saru'!!! You ero kappa!!!"
"What did you say??? Are you really picking a fight???"
"Bring it on!!!" "Yare yare desu ne..." Hakkai sighed.
"...They're at it again..." she exclaimed solemnly.
"T-teme..." Sanzo began to lose his patience.
With that, he took out his 'harisen' and hit them both on the head.
"Ikuzou..." He ordered.
"Teme...Sanzo..." Gojyo rubbed his head.
"Iteii na...Sanzo..." Goku grumbled.
"Urusei...that's not my problem..." Sanzo replied, stepping into the jeep.
Hakkai and Rio were already seated. Hakkai started the engine as the other two scrambled to get into the jeep. Once again, they were off...
After hours on the road, the two got bored again.
"It's very peaceful today, ne?" Hakkai smiled.
"Ch!" Sanzo lit his cigarette.
"Mo...harahetta..." Goku grumbled.
"Is that all in your brain, you bakasaru???" Gojyo asked, annoyed.
"I can't help it if I'm hungry!!!"
"Then go eat the weeds!!!" Sanzo answered without thinking.
"Are??? Doko? Doko ne?" Goku asked, looking around the ground, eyes sparkling.
"...You can't be serious..." Gojyo mumbled, watching the youth.
"Bakasaru..." Sanzo held his forehead. I feel a headache coming...
Just as they said so, they saw a few youkais waiting for them right in front of the road they're using.
"Are? Looks like they've been sent to greet us...ne, Sanzo." Hakkai's smile remained plastered on his face.
"Ch! This is annoying..." Sanzo loaded his 'Shoureiju'. "At least it'll be fun!" Goku grinned.
"Yeah, we'll get rusty if we don't exercise, you know?" Gojyo smiled, taking out his 'Shakujou'.
With that, all of them got down from the jeep, and it turned into a white dragon. It flew onto Hakkai's shoulder, ready to help.
"Annou...Rio-san?" Hakkai suddenly asked.
"Nani?" She asked coldly.
"Um...do you have weapons to defend yourself?"
"Hai...I do..." She took a parcel out of her knapsack and unwrap it.
It is a small crossbow; a size of a revolver, with silver arrows. Everyone looked at it with amazement.
"This was my mother's. She used this when she went to war..." She explained. "This is the only treasure I have left..."
"Heh! Really? Good! Now show us how good it is!" Gojyo grinned.
After Gojyo said so, the youkais began to attack. Then, the battle began... Hakkai used his 'ki' attacks, and destroyed five or six youkais at a time. Goku and Gojyo fought them as if it was a game, killing about ten or eleven each, Sanzo shot almost eighteen of them, while Rio shot about ten...
Sanzo glanced around to see how the others were doing, while killing those youkais himself. That woman...seems not bad with that weapon of hers...she's quite skilled...
Suddenly, she aimed her crossbow at Sanzo. That startled him a bit but he avoided her shot. The arrow killed the youkai behind him. He looked at her, with annoyance printed on his face.
"Teme...watch where you aim that thing!" Sanzo told her, shooting at attacking youkais.
"Heh! If you didn't manage to avoid that, then you're just another idiot..." She simply replied, killing another youkai.
"Ch! Fine!"
After fifteen minutes or so, the battle ended. They won without any trouble at all.
Senko-san: Phew! Okay! That's kinda' long for this chapter...hope you guys didn't get bored reading it... Hmm...in the next chapter, I'm gonna add in some new characters! Okay! Till then, arigato gozaimasu!!!
Oh, by the way! I forgot to add in the glossary about the Japanese words in the last two chapters. So, here, I'd like to add it in. (From chapter 1 – 3)(...Gome ne, I'm not so sure of how to translate it, but I'll give it a try! Besides, I learnt them just by watching anime on television...so...Oh heck! As long as others understand it, I guess it's okay, ne? ^_^;)
Chapter one
Urusei!!! - Shut up!!!, Demo – But, Nani??? – What???, Teme – Damn/Darn it, Hai – Yes/ Okay, Wakari mashita – I understand, Yameru!!! – Stop it!!!, Annou – Excuse me, Daijobu desuka? – Are you all right?, Baka – Idiot/ stupid, Sumimasen – Very sorry, Shine – Die, Wakatta ne – Another way of saying "I understand", Yare yare desu ne... - Oh, dear... (Hakkai's favourite phrase ^_^), Bakasaru – Stupid monkey, Daijobu desu – It's okay, never mind/ I'm okay, Iya – no, Nandayo? – What is it?, Okasan/ Haharue – Mother, Ojyosan – Miss (A way of addressing to a lady), -san – Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. (Actually, '-chan' is normally used on women or cute animals...etc...*coz it's cuter*...but I prefer '-san' because I don't do 'cute'...), Watashi wa – Addressing to oneself, Watashi wa no namae... - My name is..., Gomen/ Gome ne/ Gome nasai – Another way of apologizing, Hajime mashite – Pleased to meet you, Oyasumi/ oyasumi nasai – Good night, Minna san – Everyone
Chapter 2
Betsuni – Never mind/ nothing, Nani sunteii??? – What are you doing???, Doshite? – Why?, Ero kappa – Perverted water monster/ sprite, Omae wo korosu – I'll kill you, Itirashai desu – take care, Jya/ jya ne – Bye, Iteii – Ouch, Arigato gozaimasu – Thank you very much, Sooka? – Is that so?/ Really?, Harahetta – I'm hungry
Chapter 3
Yukatta ne – That's good (feeling glad), Urusei na!!! Omae wo korosu zou!!! – Shut up!!! I'll kill you both!!!, Chotto matte! – Wait up!, Ara? – A kind of expression, -dono – a polite way of addressing a woman, Hontou/ Hontouni – Really, Ohayo gozaimasu! – Good morning, Koroshite aru – I'm gonna kill you, Shimata! – Oh no!, Sou ne/ soo desu ne – Yeah, it is/ really, Youkai – Demon, Aah – Yeah/ Yes, Nani sundaiyo??? – What are you doing???, Hanase! – Let go!, Nandato? – What did you say?, Ikuzou – Let's go, Doko/ doko ne? – Where?
Senko – san: O_o;;; Whoa...I didn't know writing a glossary would be THIS long! I hoped it helped! Okay, jya ne!!!
CHAPTER 3
As the night came, they managed to settle in an inn. Goku was already eating his fill happily in the restaurant downstairs, while the other three were doing their own activities, not paying attention to Goku at all...for a while...
Hakkai had already finished his meal, Sanzo was reading a newspaper, as for Gojyo, now he was picking a fight with Goku over a piece of egg roll... Rio watched them as she slowly finished her food. Looks like this'll take sometime getting use to...
"Rio-san? Tomorrow I'm to do some shopping...would you like to come?" Hakkai asked.
"Ah? Um...okay..." she placed her chopsticks down on her now empty rice bowl.
"Yukatta ne...Goku will come too...right, Goku?" Hakkai looked at the two.
Both of them paused from their fight of pulling at each others' faces. They looked at Hakkai, who was smiling back at them.
"Ah! Hai!" Goku let go of Gojyo's cheeks.
Gojyo took the chance of snatching the last roll from the plate and immediately stuffed it into his mouth.
"AAAH!!! GOJYO!!! THAT WAS MINE!!!"
"Well, you were off guard, bakasaru!"
"TEME!!! YOU ERO KAPPA!!!"
"BAKASARU!!!"
"ERO KAPPA!!!!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU BAKASARU!!!"
"DON'T CALL ME "SARU" YOU ERO KAPPA!!!"
"URUSAI!!! SARU!!!"
"BAKA!!! KONO ERO KAPPA!!!"
"You guys..." a threatening voice suddenly voiced out, but wasn't heard by those two. More veins started to appear on the blonde's head...and...
"URUSEI NA!!! OMAE WO KOROSU ZOU!!!" Sanzo shot aimlessly at them, sending the two running for their lives.
The other people in the restaurant were getting frightened now. They immediately paid their bills and left as fast as they can...
"Yare yare desu ne..." Hakkai sighed again.
"That's one way of clearing a place up..." she voiced out, as if trying to mock the hot-tempered monk.
"Urusei...I'm going to sleep...if anyone disturbs me...I'll kill them..." Sanzo got up and headed upstairs.
"Hai, hai...oyasumi nasai desu, Sanzo..." Hakkai got up too, and headed for his room. "You should get some sleep too, minna san..."
"...Wakatta ne..." she stood up and headed for her room as well.
"Ah! Chotto matte, Sanzo! Hakkai!!!" Goku ran after them.
"Well, if you ever get lonely...I'm always available..." Gojyo winked at her.
"Shine..." she replied as she slammed the door at his face.
Ch! Well! Can't blame me for trying! He shrugged and entered his room.
She looked around her room. It wasn't that fancy, but she didn't really care. How long has it been...since I slept on a bed...a roof above my head...a proper place to spend the night...comfortably...
She sank her head on the pillow. I've even forgotten how soft a pillow is... She slowly untied her headscarf.
She suddenly flashed back the time when she was about six years old. She remembered staying in bed because she had a fever, her okasan by her side, taking care of her. She remembered her father returning home later that night, checking on her, with a worried expression on his face. She smiled weakly and told him she will be fine. He smiled and kissed her forehead, telling her that the kiss will heal her...His smile...and her okasan's kind, gentle voice... She missed them...
Suddenly, her cheeks felt cold and wet. Then she realized, she was crying. It was the first time for many years since she cried...She didn't stop herself, though. I guess...crying isn't so bad... She closed her eyes and continued to cry soundly to herself until she fell asleep...
In the morning, Hakkai headed towards her room. He knocked at the door and called out.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Rio-san. Annou...are you already awake?" He twisted the doorknob and discovered it was unlocked.
"Annou...sumimasen..." he peered inside.
"HAKKAI!!! C-CHOTTO MATTE!!!"
"A-ARRA??? AH!!! SUMIMASEN!!!!!" Hakkai immediately slammed the door.
Hakkai tried to calm down. S-Shimata...will she be mad at me? Yare na...looks like I'm in trouble... He smiled to himself nervously. Demo...she looked pretty without those rugged T-shirt on... He flashed back of what he accidentally saw before... She wore a pair of rugged jeans and a sleeveless, turtle-necked dark blue shirt, revealing her body structure. She was about to wear her T- shirt when Hakkai peered in.
Hakkai chuckled to himself. But his heart sank a little as he heard the door flung open. He bravely faced her.
"Ha...ha...Rio-dono..." he began nervously.
She wasn't looking at him and remained quite.
"Sumimasen...I didn't mean to..."
"...Iya...daijobu..." she finally replied.
She slowly looked up at him. He noticed her face was blushing, though not clearly. He began to feel very guilty.
"Hontouni...sumimasen..." Hakkai apologized again.
"I told you before...it's okay! It was an accident!!!"
He realized she felt angrier than embarrassed. Is she really okay??? I think I should make it up to her...
"Err...if you are really mad at me, I don't mind if you let it all out..." Hakkai smiled at her, guiltily.
She noticed it and calmed down. It's not his fault...it was an accident...he's not that type of person...calm down...besides...it my fault for unlocking the door too early... She kept reminding herself.
"...You're going to do some shopping, aren't you? Let's go and get Goku, then..." she walked pass him, towards Goku's room.
"Um...hai..." Hakkai followed. Phew...yukatta ne...
After they got Goku to wash his face, they decided to have breakfast first because Goku kept complaining how hungry he was...
They went downstairs and were surprised to see Gojyo and Sanzo already sitting at a table. Gojyo smirked and waved at them to call them over.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, minna san..." Hakkai greeted them, as he sat down beside his bestfriend.
"Ohayo..." she casually greeted, sitting one seat away from Sanzo and Gojyo.
"Mo...harahetta...Sanzo..." Goku grumbled, sitting beside Sanzo.
"Ch! You bakasaru..." Sanzo mumbled.
"Ohayo, pretty lady! How was your beauty sleep?" Gojyo winked at her.
"None of your business..." She replied, as a waitress came to take their order.
"Ch! Fine! I'll try and flirt somewhere else..." as Gojyo said so, he gave a charming smile and winked at the waitress, making her blush.
"How could she fall for such a cheap trick..." she said under her breath, watching the waitress leave with their orders.
"What did you say, Rio-san?" Gojyo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Iya..."
Sanzo heard it, though. Hmph...she read my mind...
"Hey, Rio-san..." Gojyo began.
"Nani?"
"How about I buy you a drink, eh? We can get drunk together..." he continued.
"...Baka...koroshite aru..." she threatened, cracking her knuckles.
"Okay...I'll take that as a 'no'" Gojyo backed off nervously.
After they finished breakfast, they continued to do their own activities. Hakkai, Goku and Rio went to the shops to get supplies they needed, Gojyo went for a stroll, of course, to flirt...and Sanzo decided to stay in his room.
After a few hours, the three had done the shopping they needed. After the placed all the goods in the inn, Hakkai said it was okay for them to walk around town. She decided to do just that.
As she slowly wandered around, rain began to pour down. She immediately tried looking for shelter. Shimata! Why did it rain now???
Finally, she noticed an old abandoned shack at the end of the village. She immediately entered it and shut the door behind her. Though there were holes here and there, but at least it will do for the time being. She sighed with relief.
"Oh...so you decided to take shelter here too, eh?"
A voice startled her. She slowly looked behind her to see who it was.
"Gojyo???" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"Heh...don't sound so surprised...now we're in the same boat..." he smirked. "Darn the rain! I was just about to get some pretty chicks, and suddenly it poured down..." He grumbled.
She was a bit annoyed when she heard his grumbles, but she noticed he was dripping wet too.
"...Let's at least build a fire first...there're some wood here..." she said, pilling up some wood she saw scattered around.
"Aw...and I thought we could warm each other up..."
"If you say that again, I won't hesitate to kill you and throw your corpse in the rain..." she glared at him.
"Okay! Okay! Can't you take a joke???" Gojyo tried to calm her down.
"You call that a JOKE???"
"Okay! I'll shut up!!!"
"GOOD!!!"
Silence.
Gojyo watched her as she tried to make a fire.
"Here...let me help..." he finally approached her.
He took out his lighter and burned a crumpled newspaper and buried it into the pile of wood. Soon, there was a bonfire between them. They remained quite as the wood crackled in the fire.
"...Looks like the rain's still pouring down..." he finally tried to start a conversation.
"Em...sou ne..." she replied.
"I hope Hakkai's okay... He's doesn't like rain much..." Gojyo continued.
"...Doshite?" She asked.
He paused for a while. Should I tell her of Hakkai's past? He took out a cigarette and lit it. Well...he never said not to tell anyone... He puffed a chain of smoke before he continued.
"Hakkai lost his lover on a rainy day like this..." He began.
"Oh...sumimasen..." she felt a bit guilty for asking.
"Iya...that's okay..." Gojyo replied. It was the same day that we met as well...
He continued to tell her about Hakkai's past. That was three years ago, when Hakkai was known as Cho Gono. He worked in a small school as a teacher, and lived with his girlfriend, Kana.
One day, when he returned home, all he found was an empty house. Kana was nowhere to be found. The house was a wreck... He felt as if he could go crazy. From the villagers he knew she was kidnapped by a youkai. This youkai had a bad reputation of kidnapping the young girls in the village, making them his playthings...for his own pleasure...
No one dared to confront him. But Hakkai was determined to get Kana back. Everyone thought he was crazy when he told them he was going to retrieve Kana back. No one dared to go with him. So, he went on his own.
It took him only one night to kill any youkai that came across his way. When he finally found her, she was locked in a cell. He was glad to see her safe...but she had other intentions...
As he knelt in front of her, the cell between them, he didn't notice her taking the dagger from his belt...until it was too late... She was ready to kill herself...and the child inside of her...and did...
As he left the youkai's mansion, with a terrible abdomen wound, he walked aimlessly through the storming night. Finally, he fell down, unable to move and was ready to die. He was a criminal. A murderer...
Meanwhile, Sanzo was ordered to find him and to be brought to justice. Annoyed, Sanzo did as he was told. He and Goku began to search for the criminal named Cho Gono...
Gono was found by a redheaded gambler on his way home. For two months, Gono stayed with this redheaded man. That was also when Sanzo found him. After some difficulties of catching him, he finally surrendered and was brought to face the three Gods for justice.
Gojyo was furious when Sanzo told him Gono was dead. But that changed him a bit as well. One day, as he walked in town, he noticed a fruit stall. He was about to pick an apple when someone beside him picked it first.
"Red is a beautiful color, ne, Gojyo?" he said, smiling at Gojyo.
Gojyo looked a bit surprised at this person. His right eye wore a monocle now but his emerald eyes were still familiar to him. Gojyo smirked.
"Ch! In that case, I'll take four apples, please..." he told the salesman.
In an inn, were Sanzo and Goku waiting for them. Gojyo handed the bag of apples to Goku who, happily ate it all.
"You corrupt monk! You said he was dead!" Gojyo spoke angrily at Sanzo.
"You're the idiot. It is true of what I said. Buddha prohibits killing... so now he will start anew...with a new name..." Sanzo replied casually.
"Hai, soo desu ne..." Hakkai smiled.
"Oh? And what is your name now?" Gojyo smirked.
"Hakkai. Cho Hakkai desu."
"Hakkai? Em! I like that name!" Goku beamed.
"Sooka? Ha! Ha! Ha! Arigato ne!" Hakkai chuckled.
Three years after that, they were told to go to the west. In order to stop Gyumao's revival...
"So that's how we met...and ended up with this annoying mission..." he finished.
"I see..." She said softly. That's why Hakkai always has that sad expression under that smile of his...
She leaned herself by the wall. She began to feel a bit sleepy. It has been raining the whole day, and it hasn't stopped at all.
"Demo...rain doesn't bother me much, though..." He smirked, looking out of the window.
"...Doshite?" she looked at him.
"Hmm...I don't know...but there was once when I was little, I stayed under the rain...because..." he paused. Should I tell her?
"Because?" she asked, making him snap out from his thoughts.
"Because..." he slowly tried to continue.
She was still looking at him. Even though she felt sleepier, she saw he had difficulties in answering her.
"...Is it because you thought the rain could wash away the color of your hair and eyes?" she questioned.
He was startled. N-nani? He looked at her in surprise.
"How did you-?" he wanted to ask.
"I know the feeling...being a taboo...being rejected...despised...I did the same too..." she answered sleepily. "You're...a half-youkai...aren't you? Because...your red eyes...and hair..." she finally drifted of to sleep.
Ch! So, she knew whom I was from the beginning...He kept his eyes on her; leaning by the wall, fast asleep. He looked out of the window again. Looks like it'll only stop in the morning... He gazed at her again. He noticed she was shivering.
He sighed and smiled. He slowly approached her, trying not to wake her. He took off his jacket and placed it on her. It's nothing much...demo...at least she'll be alright till the morning...
He returned to his corner and sat down. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He haven't felt that good for a long time. He felt...released...free... Ch! Looks like I owe her one...
"They're not back yet, Sanzo..." Hakkai peered out of the window worriedly.
"Aah. They'll be back soon..." Sanzo exhaled a chain of smoke.
Goku was already asleep hours ago.
"I hope they're alright..." Hakkai sighed.
"After the rain stops..."
Hakkai looked at Sanzo in surprise. Sanzo gazed out of the window, watching the rain pour heavily.
"If they're not back in the morning, I'm gonna kill them..."
Hakkai smiled. Sanzo, you do care, don't you?
"Hai'...wakari mashita..."
As the sun began to rise, the rain stopped. The ray sneaked in the holes in the wall and shone at her face, causing her to wake up. She blinked and stretched.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, ojyosan..." Gojyo grinned.
"Gojyo...how many times do I have to remind you not to call me that..." she yawned.
Then, she noticed the jacket on her in surprise. Isn't this...?
"I don't think you need that thing anymore..." Gojyo got up.
"Um...hai...arigato..." She handed it back to him.
She slowly got up. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She immediately grabbed Gojyo by the collar.
"O-oi!!! Nani sundaiyo???" He exclaimed in surprise.
"TEME!!! YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING LAST NIGHT, DID YOU???"
"N-NO! WHY'D YOU SAY THAT???"
"CAUSE YOU'RE THAT KINDA GUY!!!"
"HEY!!! I LIKE CHICKS BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T RESPECT THEM!!! HANASE!!! YOU'RE RUINING MY SHIRT!!!"
"Ch! Fine!" She let him go.
"What? No apology???" He asked, straightening his shirt.
"Why? Should I?"
"Ch!"
"Let's go. Those three are still waiting...and I think Sanzo'll kill us if we keep them waiting any longer..." She opened the door.
"Yeah...whatever..." he followed. He watched her from the back, and grinned to himself. Ch! She really is hotheaded...like someone I know...
Meanwhile, as Hakkai, Goku and Sanzo headed out of the inn, Sanzo sneezed. Hakkai looked at him in surprise.
"What's wrong, Sanzo?"
"Iya..." Sanzo answered simply. Who the hell's talking about me??? If I found who that person is, I'll kill him!
"Ah! There they are! Minna san!" Hakkai called out to them.
"Oi! Hakkai!" Gojyo waved back.
"Where have you two been? We were worried!" Goku grumbled.
"Eh? I never knew there were other things in your head besides food, you bakasaru!" Gojyo patted Goku's head teasingly.
"NANDATO? YOUERO KAPPA!!! HANASE!!!" Goku slapped his hand away.
"Ch! What's wrong with you??? At first you said you were worried, then, now you're picking a fight, you bakasaru???"
"Don't call me 'saru'!!! You ero kappa!!!"
"What did you say??? Are you really picking a fight???"
"Bring it on!!!" "Yare yare desu ne..." Hakkai sighed.
"...They're at it again..." she exclaimed solemnly.
"T-teme..." Sanzo began to lose his patience.
With that, he took out his 'harisen' and hit them both on the head.
"Ikuzou..." He ordered.
"Teme...Sanzo..." Gojyo rubbed his head.
"Iteii na...Sanzo..." Goku grumbled.
"Urusei...that's not my problem..." Sanzo replied, stepping into the jeep.
Hakkai and Rio were already seated. Hakkai started the engine as the other two scrambled to get into the jeep. Once again, they were off...
After hours on the road, the two got bored again.
"It's very peaceful today, ne?" Hakkai smiled.
"Ch!" Sanzo lit his cigarette.
"Mo...harahetta..." Goku grumbled.
"Is that all in your brain, you bakasaru???" Gojyo asked, annoyed.
"I can't help it if I'm hungry!!!"
"Then go eat the weeds!!!" Sanzo answered without thinking.
"Are??? Doko? Doko ne?" Goku asked, looking around the ground, eyes sparkling.
"...You can't be serious..." Gojyo mumbled, watching the youth.
"Bakasaru..." Sanzo held his forehead. I feel a headache coming...
Just as they said so, they saw a few youkais waiting for them right in front of the road they're using.
"Are? Looks like they've been sent to greet us...ne, Sanzo." Hakkai's smile remained plastered on his face.
"Ch! This is annoying..." Sanzo loaded his 'Shoureiju'. "At least it'll be fun!" Goku grinned.
"Yeah, we'll get rusty if we don't exercise, you know?" Gojyo smiled, taking out his 'Shakujou'.
With that, all of them got down from the jeep, and it turned into a white dragon. It flew onto Hakkai's shoulder, ready to help.
"Annou...Rio-san?" Hakkai suddenly asked.
"Nani?" She asked coldly.
"Um...do you have weapons to defend yourself?"
"Hai...I do..." She took a parcel out of her knapsack and unwrap it.
It is a small crossbow; a size of a revolver, with silver arrows. Everyone looked at it with amazement.
"This was my mother's. She used this when she went to war..." She explained. "This is the only treasure I have left..."
"Heh! Really? Good! Now show us how good it is!" Gojyo grinned.
After Gojyo said so, the youkais began to attack. Then, the battle began... Hakkai used his 'ki' attacks, and destroyed five or six youkais at a time. Goku and Gojyo fought them as if it was a game, killing about ten or eleven each, Sanzo shot almost eighteen of them, while Rio shot about ten...
Sanzo glanced around to see how the others were doing, while killing those youkais himself. That woman...seems not bad with that weapon of hers...she's quite skilled...
Suddenly, she aimed her crossbow at Sanzo. That startled him a bit but he avoided her shot. The arrow killed the youkai behind him. He looked at her, with annoyance printed on his face.
"Teme...watch where you aim that thing!" Sanzo told her, shooting at attacking youkais.
"Heh! If you didn't manage to avoid that, then you're just another idiot..." She simply replied, killing another youkai.
"Ch! Fine!"
After fifteen minutes or so, the battle ended. They won without any trouble at all.
Senko-san: Phew! Okay! That's kinda' long for this chapter...hope you guys didn't get bored reading it... Hmm...in the next chapter, I'm gonna add in some new characters! Okay! Till then, arigato gozaimasu!!!
Oh, by the way! I forgot to add in the glossary about the Japanese words in the last two chapters. So, here, I'd like to add it in. (From chapter 1 – 3)(...Gome ne, I'm not so sure of how to translate it, but I'll give it a try! Besides, I learnt them just by watching anime on television...so...Oh heck! As long as others understand it, I guess it's okay, ne? ^_^;)
Chapter one
Urusei!!! - Shut up!!!, Demo – But, Nani??? – What???, Teme – Damn/Darn it, Hai – Yes/ Okay, Wakari mashita – I understand, Yameru!!! – Stop it!!!, Annou – Excuse me, Daijobu desuka? – Are you all right?, Baka – Idiot/ stupid, Sumimasen – Very sorry, Shine – Die, Wakatta ne – Another way of saying "I understand", Yare yare desu ne... - Oh, dear... (Hakkai's favourite phrase ^_^), Bakasaru – Stupid monkey, Daijobu desu – It's okay, never mind/ I'm okay, Iya – no, Nandayo? – What is it?, Okasan/ Haharue – Mother, Ojyosan – Miss (A way of addressing to a lady), -san – Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. (Actually, '-chan' is normally used on women or cute animals...etc...*coz it's cuter*...but I prefer '-san' because I don't do 'cute'...), Watashi wa – Addressing to oneself, Watashi wa no namae... - My name is..., Gomen/ Gome ne/ Gome nasai – Another way of apologizing, Hajime mashite – Pleased to meet you, Oyasumi/ oyasumi nasai – Good night, Minna san – Everyone
Chapter 2
Betsuni – Never mind/ nothing, Nani sunteii??? – What are you doing???, Doshite? – Why?, Ero kappa – Perverted water monster/ sprite, Omae wo korosu – I'll kill you, Itirashai desu – take care, Jya/ jya ne – Bye, Iteii – Ouch, Arigato gozaimasu – Thank you very much, Sooka? – Is that so?/ Really?, Harahetta – I'm hungry
Chapter 3
Yukatta ne – That's good (feeling glad), Urusei na!!! Omae wo korosu zou!!! – Shut up!!! I'll kill you both!!!, Chotto matte! – Wait up!, Ara? – A kind of expression, -dono – a polite way of addressing a woman, Hontou/ Hontouni – Really, Ohayo gozaimasu! – Good morning, Koroshite aru – I'm gonna kill you, Shimata! – Oh no!, Sou ne/ soo desu ne – Yeah, it is/ really, Youkai – Demon, Aah – Yeah/ Yes, Nani sundaiyo??? – What are you doing???, Hanase! – Let go!, Nandato? – What did you say?, Ikuzou – Let's go, Doko/ doko ne? – Where?
Senko – san: O_o;;; Whoa...I didn't know writing a glossary would be THIS long! I hoped it helped! Okay, jya ne!!!