"Oh great & prosperous Master Sanzo! Can you tell me the meaning of life?"
The old monk asked with a look of undivided attention, greatly anticipating the answer.
Sanzo closed his eyes briefly, wondering how people could be so stupid.
'The next person who asks me that question is going to get shot,' Sanzo thought angrily.
Gruffly Sanzo shook his head & informed the man that "It's up to you to find your own meaning."
"But, Priest Sanzo! What do you mean by that?"
"What do you think I mean you old fart. Do you really think there's some concrete answer to that question? If you can't find your own reason to live, then I don't even know why you're still alive."
The monk had an astonished look on his face, & his mouth was hanging open.
"Pardon us; we'll be going to our rooms now." Sanzo said while standing up & motioning for his party to join him.
Goku looked at the dining table frantically while grabbing a few last meat buns & shoving them into his mouth. "Sanzo, hey Sanzo, wait for me!" He cried running after him.
Gojyo looked around at the monks thinking disappointedly about the lack of women.
"How they survive without tart I have no clue."
Hakkai smiled & rubbed the back of his head before politely thanking the monks for the nice meal & dearly apologizing for his comrade's rude behavior.
"The next time one of you suggests we stay at a temple, I'll kill you. And if anyone prevents me from getting sleep tonight…." there was an eerie silence as Sanzo held up his banishing gun for his 'companions' to see.
A warning of what was to come for any who deified his wishes. He stormed into his room & slammed the door.
"Well…..I don't wanna room with princess tonight." Gojyo said, his eyes on the door.
"Well I could room with Sanzo then," Hakkai suggested.
"And leave me with the monkey? Damn right you will. You know how long it's been since I've got a good night's sleep? This idiot keeps me up all night with his snoring. No, you're coming with me."
Gojyo demanded while taking Hakkai's arm & dragging him to the next room.
Hakkai looked back briefly & waved at Goku before allowing himself to be dragged into the room by Gojyo.
Goku sighed & flinched slightly as he opened the door to the room him & Sanzo would be sharing, thinking that it would be nice if Sanzo was in a better mood.
"Man I'm beat." Gojyo said while sitting down on his bed. "But I don't really think I can go to sleep yet."
"Hey you wanna…" Gojyo started as he turned around to see Hakkai already engrossing himself in a book.
'Dammit, lost to a book again.'
Hakkai looked up slowly, "Did you say something Gojyo?"
"Not at all." Gojyo confirmed sitting back down on the bed.
He sat in silence, looking out the window…to looking back at Hakkai….to looking out the window…to looking back at Hakkai.
Finally he got up & made his way over to Hakkai, sitting beside him on the bed.
"Is something wrong Gojyo?"
"I'm bored as hell."
"I see." Hakkai smiled slightly.
Gojyo peeked at the book that Hakkai was reading before letting out a sigh. "I don't see how that shit can keep your interest."
'Reading some psychiatric mumbo jumbo again.' Gojyo thought with distaste.
Suddenly a scream came from the next room. Gojyo was alert & ready to run out the door but Hakkai stopped him.
"You know how Sanzo is. Goku probably was just inquiring about food."
The signature sound of Sanzo's paper fan hitting skull & "AHHHH Okay okay okay fine, I won't mention it again" was enough to clear any remaining doubts.
"Speaking of Sanzo…what did you think of that little spectacle back there?"
"If you're referring to the meaning of life question, I also believe that there is no absolute answer to that. Scholars have tried for centuries to answer that question, & still no answer. And even if one believed they had found the answer, it would be of little use. Everyone has their own way of interpreting things, so everyone would probably think it meant something different anyway."
Gojyo laughed lightly, laying back & looking at the ceiling.
Smiling, Hakkai lay back next to him & asked him the same question.
"I don't have a damn clue what the meaning of life is…..& to be honest, I don't give a shit. I'm just living, so that one day I can die laughing."
Hakkai turned slightly & stared at Gojyo's face. His long crimson hair was covering part of his face & he looked rather content.
'That answer is so undeniably Gojyo,'Hakkai thought with a big grin on his face.
Gojyo was just staring at the ceiling, deep (or what Gojyo would consider deep) in thought when he heard the mumbling of laughter.
Looking beside him, Hakkai had indeed buried his face into the covers in an attempt to muffle his laughter.
Seeing Hakkai this amused was not normal. Gojyo couldn't help but start laughing hysterically even though he had no clue what his friend was laughing at.
He pushed himself to his knees & draped himself over Hakkai, trying to get a good look at his face.
In between large fits of laughter he managed to ask "What's so funny buddy?"
Smiling, Hakkai answered "That's a rather simplistic way of thinking Gojyo."
Gojyo stared in disbelief at his friend. "You got that much of a kick…out of my simplicity? ……Damn you really are a nutcase. A nutcase with a pretty face. But still a nutcase."
Tilting his head a bit, Gojyo's expression turned serious for a moment. "Have you ever thought that maybe, things aren't as complicated as you make them out to be?"
"What exactly do you mean by that? Lots of things could be considered complicated. Like Goku's eating habits, Sanzo's attitude, your womanizing," he paused slightly & then continued "….my past."
"Well…" Gojyo began, still hanging over Hakkai…. "For example, Goku. You could say that his eating habits are like they are because he didn't eat for five hundred years & his body's catching up. That's what Sanzo told me when we first met. But…it could also be that he just has an unquenchable hunger. The same could be said for me with the ladies." Gojyo stated with a wink.
"Sanzo…I'm not even trying to explain that Buddha thumper."
A shoot rang out & conveniently went straight through the wall separating the two rooms…..taking a small lock of Gojyo's hair with it.
"DAMN BASTARD, YOU DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN & YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET MY FOOT OUT OF YOUR ASS!"
"Gojyo, will you please settle down a little…you might disturb the monks."
Hakkai said while pulling Gojyo back in his spot to inspect the poor kappa's hair.
"I can cut it a little bit tomorrow & it will look fine."
At that moment a monk opened the door to Hakkai & Gojyo's room, meaning to ask what all the commotion was about. You see, sadly Hakkai was still looking at Gojyo's damaged hair &….well…..they didn't even bother to look at their visitor.
Thinking it was Sanzo they were just going to let him bitch a bit & then go back to his room. The monk I'm afraid, didn't see the situation for what it really was. To him it looked like….Gojyo & Hakkai were kissing.
"What the hell!" Gojyo muttered.
He managed to turn around & notice the monk standing there in absolute horror. He did a double take of his position & winked at Hakkai before turning back to the monk & yelling furiously "SPOIL THE MOMENT WON'T YOU DAMMIT, THIS IS PERSONAL!"
The scarred monk hurried out of the room with a bewildered look on his face, almost running into the wall on the way out.
Gojyo collapsed on his friend in fits of laugher, apparently very pleased with himself.
Hakkai shaked his head before asking, "Why didn't you clear that up? Instead of making it worse. I remember one time when a hostess at an inn thought you were ready to hump Sanzo you tried to clear it up rather quickly."
"Well…number one, I would never ever hump Sanzo. Number two, I'm not gay. And even if I was, & he was the last man on earth….still no. And thinking that I would is an insult. But you, I wouldn't take that as an insult…you're completely different from Sanzo. Your kind & your caring &…well your pretty too. Plus…I'm always up for scaring the shit out of monks."
"That's what you live for isn't it Gojyo? To do whatever you want to, without worrying if it's right or wrong, normal or not in the eyes of society. Without caring if anyone else understands it or feels the same way."
"What did I tell you, my life is simple. I like to keep things uncomplicated."
Hakkai heard the sound of a monk scurrying around in the hall. What came after were some rather…well rude comments from Sanzo & another gunshot.
Hakkai thought to himself 'I think…that as long as I have this…this uncomplicated bliss…I'll be just fine.'
He laid his head on Gojyo's chest with a grin. Life was most definitely an amusing circus.
And just when he felt like he was going to sleep, Goku burst into the room.
"We have to leave."
"What!"
"The monks are kicking us out."
"Damn bastards." Gojyo said with disgust.
"It was probably your fault Gojyo; I don't think the monks cared for the racy behavior you exerted earlier." Hakkai reminded him.
Goku said "I don't think that one monk cared for the bullet in his ass either."
Gojyo & Hakkai stared at Goku in confusion.
"Well…you see…Sanzo thought it was Gojyo, trying to mess with him to get back for earlier."
"That shithead tried to shoot me again!"
"You weren't even there Gojyo."
"That's not the point Hakkai."
"You would have dodged it anyway Gojyo, you always do." Hakkai explained rationally.
Gojyo huffed out of the room.
While Sanzo got billed for the damage to the temple, & the medical bills of the injured monk…Hakkai thought that indeed, maybe things weren't as complicated as he originally believed.