Author's note : People who are following this story patiently must be more patient, I fear. Since I am going to have many exams in the future, I need to have some more time to continue this story. Don't worry, I will continue it. Promise!!
Summary : Gojyo and Goku bring Hakkai home, where he is acquainted with other sides of his two friends. And it is only a matter of time till he meets Sanzo...
Gojyo brings Hakkai to another part of the vast desert which looks much lively with tents as severe builded living places and people capering around the site. Hakkai throws a puzzled look at Gojyo, who just laughs artificially.
Hakkai turns again and takes a good look at the people doing their activities. Goku and Gojyo have shown up. He expects the last member of their ikkou to show up. But Sanzo is just not there. Hakkai feels a bit of disappointment run through his stomach. He is surprised by himself. Why has he expected that Sanzo appear in the present circumstances? If Sanzo did show up, he wouldn't know who Hakkai were, anyway. So, what is the point? And Gojyo just pretends to know him. Hakkai knows it from the way Gojyo has been looking at him along their way here. And now Gojyo tells him to wait as he and Goku whisper to each other about 3 meters away from Hakkai. It does worry Hakkai.
"What are you taking him back with us for?!!"
"Shaddup, boy, don't talk in this tone with me. I am nevertheless your senior!"
"Senior here, senior there, you don't even act like a senior!!"
Hakkai can't hear what they are talking about, but seeing them quarreling with each other has, for the first time in his life, a becalming effect.
"What should we do to him?"
"Forget it. Who is he actually? Why does he know me?"
"He knows me too!!!"
Gojyo ruffles up his hair. He steals a look at Hakkai.
"You know, maybe he is a spy."
"No, no!!!!" screams Goku loudly. "He can't be a spy!! Never in his life will he be a spy!!!"
"Can you yell loudlier, stupid mo.." Gojyo stops abruptly. His eyes turn blank.
"Gojyo, hey Gojyo!!" Goku waves with his hand in front of Gojyo's suddenly-turned-into-stone face.
Gojyo snaps back to reality as if he just woke up from a long dream.
"What's up? Why do you suddenly go in trance?"
Gojyo stares at Goku, then he say slowly, "Nothing."
Goku frowns.
"Gojyo?? There was definitely something with you. What happened to you?"
"Gojyoooo!!!!"
Gojyo doesn't know exactly what happened after he turns his face, but a second after that, he lays on his stomach and a fierce looking woman keeps hitting with a frypan on him. Then he suddenly understands.
"Ouch, aww, stop it, stop it you cruel hag!!"
"What did you say?!! I am not sure I hear it clearly, say it again!!!"
"I love you, my gracious, beautiful, kind-hearted, motherly, beloved wife!!" answers Gojyo quicklier than a thunder.
Hakkai is surprised. Gojyo is married?!!! That's what people call news.
"Onee-chan, you will kill him if you don't stop hitting him." Goku says, "Not that it disturbs me," he adds with a murmur.
"Gokuuuu.... I have been sooo worried of you!! Where have you been? Did this bad guy annoy you again?"
The woman suspected to be Gojyo's wife embraces Goku heartily.
Behind her back, Gojyo puts on a grimace.
Hakkai has never thought that Gojyo would ever marry, and that with this woman. He really doesn't know much about Gojyo's type.
He grins as the thought flies through his mind.
Gojyo looks at him sheepishly. He stratches his head, seemingly ashamed.
After having a nice I-miss-u-so-much short conversation with Goku, finally Gojyo's wife realizes that Hakkai's there. She smiles friendly and begins the conversation,
"Sorry that you have to see these embarrassing scenes... I am Shi Wei, unfortunately this useless man's wife (Gojyo's expression is undescribable). And... are you Gojyo's acquaintance?"
Hakkai wants to answer yes, but Gojyo doesn't know him. Not really. In this place and time, he is nothing, nobody for Gojyo. Who is he, then?
Just as he wants to say something, Goku steps before him and says, "No, Onee-chan, he is my friend."
Gojyo squints at Goku, who doesn't pay any attention to him at all.
"I invite him to us. May he stay with us, for... a few days?"
Shi Wei looks surprised, but she agrees.
"Thank you, Sister! Come, I will show you where we live." Goku reaches for Hakkai's hand and drags him out of the place.
Goku and, probably, his family live in a quite large tent made of a kind of strange leather a few meters apart from the other smaller tents.
"So, here we are. There were only three of us living here. Onee-chan, Gojyo and me. You will have to stay here for a while. You have nowhere to go, do you?"
Hakkai smiles hopelessly. That is exactly his problem.
"You can sit there, I will bring you some water." Goku points at an empty stool then he strolls to another side of the tent.
Hakkai sits on the stool, feeling so tired as if he had been working three days three nights without any rest. He is grateful that Goku stood up for him just now, but he needs to know why or how or what happened to him. Or maybe what will happen to him next.
"Here."
Goku crouches in front of him with a bowl of water in his hands. He looks at Hakkai with a bright smile on his face, cheerfully handing over the bowl to Hakkai. Hakkai drinks up the water thankfully.
Goku sits on the next chair to Hakkai, and watches him with a big interest.
"Tell me, what is your name?" he asks in a childish way.
"I ... My name is Hakkai." Hakkai answers slowly. It is a strange feeling every time he reminds himself over and over that this Goku doesn't know who he is.
"Hakkai, Hakkai, Hakkai, Hakkai, Hakkai,"
Hakkai's eyes grow bigger, taken aback by Goku's unusual response. Goku grins.
"I forget people's names easily," he says. "But I will remember your name. It's Hakkai, right?"
Don't change it again!
Hakkai smiles. That's the next, what Goku said as he told him his name.
"Yes, my name is Hakkai."
At this moment Gojyo appears at the door. He looks really tired.
"Goku... he can't just live here. Even if the whole family agree to host him."
"But why? He is not a bad guy. I know it!" Goku insists.
But Gojyo's expression shows that Goku's reply is not enough reason to keep Hakkai there. Hakkai is not a stray cat which Goku can pick up and take home easily.
"What are you going to do with him?" Goku asks.
A couple of men show up behind Goyjo. Hakkai can't see their faces, they look just like shadows bathing in sunlight.
"We are going to take him to Sanzo."
