Author's note : I'm feeling blue... blue... finally finished chapter 8, I am glad to present it to you. In a few chapters I will have to reveal the whole secret things and I am quite desperate... I enjoy it to torture people with secrets (grinning). No, no, not so bad. I am a kind-hearted person u know. Bla bla bla, here is the 8th chapter.


Summary : Hakkai gets well soon and continues his job as cook... (me sweatdrop). He is getting nearer to Sanzo, or is Sanzo getting nearer to Hakkai? One of them shall make the first step...


And in such a silence people fall asleep quickly. But Hakkai can't sleep peacefully. He can't sleep while Sanzo sits there, no matter why. And he is thirsty!
So he decides to break the silence, instead waiting for another conversational attempt from Sanzo.

"Is there anything particular you want to tell me?" Hakkai says slowly, putting one arm on his face, so that he doesn't have to see Sanzo's expression.

The latter doesn't answer that quickly.

So Hakkai waits… and waits… and waits….

Waiting sucks, doesn't it? So he opens his eyes and sits up on his bed. And he faces Sanzo directly. He is holding a bowl of water, just placed under Hakkai's chin.

"Oh… thank you…"

"It looks as if you need it." Sanzo says briefly, and then he goes out of the tent.

Hakkai is still holding the bowl, looking at the clear water inside the bowl.

It is only water, justplain water. But this water seems to be very precious... so precious that Hakkai doesn't want to drink it. But Sanzo brings the water to him so that he can drink it. He is not supposed to admire that water anyway.

Slowly he drinks up the water, feeling each drop flows through his dry throat. And it feels as if he will need no water anymore, at least for the rest of the day.

"Sister…"

What's that?

"Sister, he is awake!"

Who is that? Who is speaking?

A girl gasps sharply. That's the last what Hakkai hears before he, again, loses his consciousness.

His fever goes down in two days, faster than expected. And all people celebrate it with a feast—and Hakkai cooks.

He is quite relieved as he sees Goku, Gojyo and Sanzo act quite normally to each other. But he can't help to smile upon seeing them sitting side by side just like little children in kindergarten. There are quite many differences, though. One of them is the fact that kindergarten children don't smoke at all. Sometimes Hakkai wonders how Sanzo and Gojyo are able to finish up so many cigarettes in a day. Is it something people call habit, or is it just a runaway? But from what?

Sanzo notices Hakkai's looking at them as he looks up, and Hakkai decides to continue his work after throwing a slight smile-or grin- at Sanzo.

The feast lasts till late at night. Then there is a dance around bonfire, and Hakkai really wonders how the heck people in the desert know about bon odori, but he is already used to strange and impossible things now, so he doesn't ask.

He spots Gojyo being dragged by Shi Wei toward the dancing pairs. Gojyo shouts out a sentence with 'stupid' and 'honor', but it doesn't impress his wife anyway. So he dances with her the whole night long, looking bored and stressed compared with his cheerful wife.

Goku eats a bowl of soup. Then he takes 'some' rice. And then some soup. Then he eats the second bowl of soup, and rice, and so on.

He really enjoys the feast. Noone is going to disagree this statement.

Hakkai finishes cooking three hours after the feast begins. It is amazing to realize how much care and attention people have showed to him. He walks around and finds a nice place to sit at a quite remoted place from the feast and watches the people and their activities. It is one of these beautiful and clear nights, and Hakkai can see the stars clearly. He smiles to himself while thinking about his friends…. And about their journey. He is already two weeks here. Shall that mean that he is going to stay here forever? A light shudder goes through his back, and he, again, feels that something is just not right here. This place, this situation, something is wrong. But what? Everything just looks so real.

"Hakkai."

Hakkai jumps up in surprise. As he turns around, he sees Sanzo about 3 meter apart from him.

"Sorry, I am… I am just quite surprised to hear your voice." Hakkai wipes off the cold sweat on his forehead.
Sanzo is still standing there. He is looking at Hakkai with a strange look, as if…..

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am.. I am okay. Thanks."
Sanzo steps forward and walks past Hakkai.

"It is a beautiful night," he comments.

Hakkai smiles and replies,"Yes it is."

Silence…………

"Where are you from, actually?"
This question comes so suddenly. Hakkai has no idea for an answer. But just like last time, Sanzo continues before Hakkai answers.

"You have known us before," Sanzo continues. "And that very well. Too well for me. It won't surprise you if I still suspect you as a spy, will it?"

Hakkai looks deep into Sanzo's eyes.

"But it does surprise me that you let a spy stay among your volk. And how about you?"
Sanzo says nothing to Hakkai's words, he just keeps staring at him. But Hakkai wants him to speak up his mind so he encourages him even more…

"Does it surprise yourself?"

"I'll take the risk," Sanzo finally answers.

"Shall that mean that you trust me?"
"I don't trust anyone."
"Then it is not worth it, Sanzo."

Both of them keep silent, probably waiting for each other to continue. But Hakkai is finish. He has nothing more to say. He just wants to hear Sanzo's answer. Deep in his heart he knows he expects something from Sanzo. He just doesn't believe in hope for such things. Because maybe it is just a nonsense for Sanzo.

"It is worth it."

Hakkai looks at Sanzo in surprise.

"Because…. I feel like I have known you for a long time."

Sanzo walks nearer to him. He can now see him very clearly. He can see his eyes, eyes which show strength and confidence.

"….nearly as if….."
…his hand reaches toward him. Hakkai can step aside when he wants to, but he doesn't do it. Why?

"…. As if…"

Sanzo's words echo in his ears.