Author's notes at the end.

Disclaimer: Saiyuki is not mine. The story is fictional and all similarities to people and events in real life are coincidences.

Those Beautiful Green Eyes

Chapter Nine

"Alright, repeat after me," Karin tells her students. "Four multiplied by one is four."

"Four multiplied by one is four," comes the chorus of young voices.

It is a few weeks after I arrived in Father's home and things were beginning to settle down. Yaone woke up some time ago, and Father offered to help her work out her issues. He also asked that Yaone and Jien stay with us for a while. Father had said that with the growing number of patients, he needed more hands. I see that Father not just wants extra help; he also wants to keep an eye on Yaone and Jien.

I, on the other hand, feel like I shouldn't go anywhere.

I have been spending the past mornings watching Karin's classes. She is, indeed, a wonderful teacher, and the children—who are all youkai—are drawn to her radiance. Right after Jien came rushing in with Yaone, most of the children were, for a while, too afraid to attend classes, though they lived on the second floor of the building. Karin had decided to devote those days to story telling about how the world will become peaceful again, thanks to four unlikely heroes. Her story drew the children out of hiding.

And it also drew me to her.

"Ara," Karin needs only to glance at the students present to know that more than a few had chosen to be absent that day. Out of her twenty students, only three showed up. She looks thoughtful. "We can't proceed with class if there are so few of you. How would the others catch up?"

I watch her from the back door of the house.

Classes are usually held at the garden behind Father's house. The garden is large and well taken care of. It is carpeted by grass and filled with flowering plants. At the center of the garden is an ancient tree with a sizable canopy. I guess the tree was there before the garden and whoever built the place decided it was too noble to cut down. High wrought iron fences covered with thick vines surround the gardens preventing outsiders from seeing into the compound.

It is a small idyllic refuge for these children who deserve nothing less.

Back to Karin, she had just found a solution to her dilemma. She sits on the large knotted roots of the giant tree and motions for her few students to come to her. "I think I'll just tell you a story."

"What about, 'neesan?" a little girl in a light blue dress asked as she smoothed down her skirts. From the style of her clothes, I see that she is high born. Her bright blue eyes and soft caramel colored curls are highlighted by her dress. So, not even the rich had the power to stop or at least avoid the hatred.

I divert my attention to Karin's answer. "It is about things that happened not too long ago, a few years before I was born."

A young boy with purple eyes and black hair frowned, "But you were born a long time ago, Karin-oneesan."

Karin laughs softly, "Well, I guess so, Kano-kun." She then corrects herself and proceeds with her tale, "So, it should begin like this: a long time ago, things in this world were different. Humans and youkai got along very well and they lived together in peace..."

This will be boring. I decide to return to my room and take a nap, and maybe drop by Yaone's room to see how she and Jien are doing. One of the children asks Karin another question as I reach for the door knob.

"You better let me finish first," Karin says good-naturedly. She continues, "... But an unusual event happened and a lot of youkai became bad. This made the gods sadbecause youkai used to be very nice." She flicks the noses of her students affectionately. "Like you and your mommies and daddies."

The kids giggle and Karin goes on, "So they sent out a monk to find out what was going on."

A monk, huh? I let go of the door knob and turn back. I smirk at the thought of Kanzeon Bosatsu becoming sad. Hell, she probably found the whole thing entertaining. The minus wave had driven the people in Heaven crazy and the so-called Goddess of Mercy probably thought it was a wonderful break from the lull of every day life.

Karin becomes animated as she tells her story. She starts waving her arms and changing her voice. "But the world was so big and he knew he couldn't travel alone. So, he asked three friends to come with him."

Friends? The day Sanzo admits that Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku were he friends would be the day he dyes his pretty blond hair hot pink.

I move myself to the side of the tree facing away from Karin and her class. I get as comfortable as I can and take out a cigarette and begin smoking. Karin and the children are upwind from me so the smoke shouldn't bother them.

I lose myself in the memories of my past life, which I had remembered over the years of searching for Tenpou.

"Kenren-niisan, class is over!" Kano yells at me as he enthusiastically jumped onto my lap. "Come on! Play with us!"

A little girl named Reiko, with long black hair, gray eyes, and very pale skin followed Kano and placed herself beside me, smiling. "Yeah, we finished early so lunch shouldn't be ready yet!"

From behind them, Karin laughs, "Yes, they learned their multiplication tables quite quickly."

I pick Kano up and set him beside Reiko so I can stand up. "Is that so? Then I guess they do deserve some fun."

"Yeah," Kaoru, the blue-eyed girl with curly hair agrees with me happily. "Karin-oneesan has been working us hard."

I raise an eyebrow, "Oh really? I guess Karin-oneesan should be worked hard herself." I walk over to Karin until I'm so close she could probably hear me breathe and stare deep into her eyes.

She blushes deeply, "Kenren-san?"

I don't say anything. Instead, I reach out one hand and place it on her arm, as if to pull her close. Then I smile deviously. I release her arm and tap her lightly on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it."

At those words, the kids scream and scatter, getting as far away as possible from Karin. I run away, too, before Karin realizes what had just happened. When she realizes what had just happened, she glares at my retreating figure and comes after me. "Kenren-san! That was so unfair!" she yells after me, "You come back here this instant!" She is still a bit red. Whether her flush is out of exertion or an aftermath of what had just happened, I don't honestly know.

"What? And be tagged it?" I turn and start running backwards. "No way!" I stick my tongue out tauntingly.

"You are so childish!" Karin practically screams.

For vengeful purposes, Karin focuses on chasing me. Of course, being the gentleman that I am, and seeing that the children weren't having very much fun with Karin concentrating on me, I let Karin tag me.

And so, the game goes on until lunchtime.

"Ah, Kenren-san," Yaone greets me brightly as I walk in for lunch. She is looking much better than before. Well, last time I really looked at her, she was a bleeding mess. I push memories of that Yaone away because with Father's, Jien's, and Karin's help, she would never look like that again.

I am a bit disappointed, though, since she is wearing a rather modest lavender Cheongsam. It still suits her, but sometimes I wish she would show a little more skin.

I guess with all the families in the house, Father maintains a dress code that is horny teenage boy friendly.

Yaone is setting the table. Karin had stayed with the kids a bit longer, giving them their homework assignments. "Jien is outside picking spices from the garden, so I hope it wouldn't be too much trouble if I ask you to go ask Father to come down for lunch," the youkai woman requested, also filling me in on Jien's activities.

"Sure, I'll get to it," I make my way to the stairs, banishing from my head the ridiculous picture of Jien in a pink apron and straw hat bent over a garden of spices.

"And, Kenren?" Yaone pops her head from the dining hall. "Please be quiet. Father hasn't been feeling well lately."

Yeah, come to think of it, I haven't seen the old man all day. I hadn't noticed since Yaone had been waking me up for breakfast for the past few days. I guess that's why.

Alone, on my way to Father's room, I become lost in thought. Feelings of attachment towards Father's household had developed inside of me over the past few weeks. One reason is the children. I have always liked children and Karin's students are some of the most adorable kids I've ever come across. And these kids accept me as if I were family. The other reason is the kindness of Father. Somehow, I feel as if I should do more for the old man before I left. The third and fourth reasons are the most important. Jien and Karin. Jien, with all that has been happening, he seems like he needs a family. And, on some level, I am family. And while I stay to help Father and Jien, I also stay because I have come to need Karin. Karin, with her bright smile and fervent love for Father and her students, is like a breath of fresh air that I have come to crave. She is still uncomfortable with the older youkai, but with her students, she is like an older sister.

Maybe it's because she knows that the young youkai haven't killed any humans at all.

I reach Father's room and raise my hand to knock, but before I can, I notice that the door is ajar. I push it open slowly. "Father? It's Kenren. I'm coming in."

There is no answer.

"Father?" I let myself into the room. I can still feel that faded life force so I know that he isn't dead yet.

As I enter, I see that Father is still living and sitting by the window. His head is propped up by the high back of his chair and is turned up towards the sky. He has never looked older to me than now.

I see the white cloth that always covers Father's eyes on the dresser.

My footsteps on the wooden floor wake him from whatever dream world he had gone to and he rolls his head so he could face my general direction. I am met with a blank red-eyed stare of a blinded child of taboo.

"Kenren," Father snaps me out of my bewildered state. He has a small smile on his time-weathered face. "Did you come to call me?" More of a statement than a question.

I nod mutely, only to mentally kick myself. Father is blind, he cannot see you nod, Kenren no baka! "Yeah. Yaone is just finishing up in the kitchen."

Father picks up the white cloth blindfold and puts it on. "My eyes. I know, they're the eyes of a half breed. The taboo child of a youkai and a human."

"Yeah."

Father feels for his walking stick and stands up from his chair. "Well, being a half breed is not a fate I would wish on anyone else. Not at this time and in this world, anyway."

He heads for the door and I follow.

I know what he means. Half breeds are neither human nor youkai. The youkai part is not trusted by humans while the human part is looked down upon by youkai.

If I were given the choice, I wouldn't have minded living life as a half breed the way Gojyo did, as long as no one else had to suffer that fate. Not belonging anywhere is a fate worse than death. It is living a life that is geared towards being killed slowly and painfully from the inside.

I'll keep your secret, Father, I promise.

Author's Notes

I wonder if I've dropped enough hints as to who Tenpou really is. I really suck at developing love stories, though. I can't explicitly develop a relationship! I mean, in the story-writing sense.

narrizan-san, alas, the last few chapters have been hurried. Probably even more so than the ones before. Ten and eleven, though aren't as rushed. Thanks for the compliments again, and no, I won't let you wait two years because by then, I would have forgotten completely what I wanted to write in the first place.

ennui deMorte, ah, yes, the foolishness of the tragic hero. If I remember correctly Hakkai as Gonou was little different from Kougaiji and Yaone. Isn't that why one of his eyes is damaged? Well, I wouldn't say Jien was throwing his life away, I mean he is trying to take care of Yaone.

Oh well... Tragedy is fun. Thanks for the review.

ShadowKat-Shidobukatsu, thank you for the kind words.

VG Terra, thank you for reviewing. Yes, I am working on passing. Thanks for your concern. And congratulations on finishing high school. Heaven knows how difficult that can be!

Well, we're nearing the finish line here. To everyone, thanks for reading and reviewing! And, just a wild guess, does 58 mean Hakkai/Gojyo? I am such a dork.

- Paris