TITLE: With Eyes that Cannot See
PART: 00.5 - Prologue
PAIRING: Cho Hakkai x Genjo Sanzo
GENRE: Yaoi (Alternate Universe/Angst/Drama/Light Humour)
DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to does not belong to me… only this weird story does.
NOTE#1: Blah or Blah is for emphasis. /Blah/ is for conversations over the phone or flashbacks (if any). /Blah/ is for the conscience or whatever inner voice there is talking. Blah is for thoughts or random Japanese words. Some of these words are footnoted at the end of every page (I'm beginning to understand the need for footnotes in fiction. Thank you dear friend, you know who you are. XD).
NOTE #2: The characters' ages in this fic aren't that much the same as the series.
Genjo Sanzo – 24 : Cho Hakkai – 22 : Sha Gojyo – 22 : Son Goku – 18 :
Lilin – 17 : Kougaiji – 21 : Shien – 24 : Sha Jien – 27 : Homura – 27 : Yaone – 20 : Zeon – 26
PROLOGUE: COLLECTING STRAYS
There was much noise outside... and yet the alleys were deserted. The ceaseless pitter-patter of the heavy downpour seemed to take its toll on everyone. Flashes of lightning answered by roaring thunder produced a song that was so frightening, it virtually gave every person under the rebellious heaven the impression that it was the end of the world.
Then, footsteps rang on the hard pavement, rivalling the noise of the sky's quarrel... and a darkly clad figure broke through the deluge's mist. Gloved hands held a black umbrella of the finest quality familiarly, fingers gripping the handle so tightly that anyone who could have seen it would testify that it would probably break under the pressure.
The darkness of the city streets was a safety haven; a way to prevent others from seeing the forbidding air the said person seemed to be projecting...
"Damn... why did it have to rain?" The figure muttered with much vehemence a deep male voice could muster. He ran his other hand on the surface of his leather trench coat as if to wipe off the watery rivers that seemed to be dripping down from his collar. "I should've just done what that idiotic monkey said I should do... get the plastic raincoat off the hook and put the damn thing on... Hn, maybe he isn't such an idiot after all."
The man shook his head and chuckled almost imperceptively at a random memory of what had probably happened weeks ago. He looked up to the heavens and smiled lightly; confident that no one would see him do so.
His eyes glassed over as tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. "The sky seems so dark... so sad... like it's crying over a lover far away..." Then another chuckle issued out from his lips as he focused once more on the uneven ground that made up the narrow ally facing him. He sighed. "Heh, I'm being sentimental again... Kami-sama, I hate it when it rains..."
And, with purposeful steps, he went on his way, swallowed again by the looming darkness of the night.
OxxxOxxxO
"Kyu?"
A trembling hand patted the small head raised almost pitifully in front of him.
"Ah... it's raining again... Na, Hakuryu?"
The creature blinked wistful eyes at the young man almost prettily. The master sighed, a deep shuddering breath that reminded one of stress and fatigue... and utter hopelessness. Hakuryu, a white male dragon with a rare mutated gene, buried his head deeper into the area of living flesh he was leaning against, trying to somehow cheer up his human.
"Kyu!" He intoned, lips parted as if in a rueful smile. He nuzzled his master's neck, seemingly saying yes to the question asked of it.
Slight laughter.
"Ah, Hakuryu... stop doing that... you know your touch tickles..."
Even with that momentary burst of glee, he knew that his master was not feeling well. The pale column he was nuzzling was almost as scorching as the flame he breathed. His human's voice was shaking with what he believed as exhaustion... or... probably hunger because it had been three days since their last meal – which was not anywhere near decent, just a few table scraps from the restaurant near the mouth of what was supposed to be their prosperous city.
His master's oversized and somewhat dirty clothes were drenched with the steady stream of water leaking from the hole in the rusty metal roof... that was probably why he knew it was raining – apart from the thundering noise outside their makeshift walls.
Hakuryu was almost afraid that he would lose him... the one who found him buried underneath the mound of heavy wooden crates in the local dumpster. He remembered that he was calling out in fright then, and miraculously, said saviour acted upon something that was revealed later as 'saving instinct'. It was somehow surprising that the man found him even if he was... optically impaired.
Yes, the dragon knew that his master was blind from the way he seemed to find his way through touching anything... everything within reach. How he did it, Hakuryu had no idea, and he was very much amazed at the way his human seemed to know the way home.
For two years, they both endured so much... and now... now, it seemed as if his master was ready to give up on living...
He couldn't! He just couldn't!
His head drooped in sadness.
Suddenly, Hakuryu heard a sharp familiar gasp, which he easily translated as 'having forgotten something'. He was still pondering, and he admitted – worrying, when without anything akin to a warning, his master stood up and bounded for where he knew the door was. He watched with unease as his master pushed the makeshift wooden covering aside, and stepped out into the night. Surprised, anxious and every bit curious, he followed; even with the knowledge that his discovery would lead to his own demise...
But he couldn't bear to leave his beloved master alone in the dark! What if something happened to his gentle saviour?
Hakuryu peered through the darkness, his youthful eyes searching for a willowy form... searching... peering through the cloying darkness as hard as he could... it took him a long time, but at last, and he found what he was looking for.
Like some fallen god, his human was fast approaching, carrying a small... banana. "Ah, sorry for that Hakuryu... I heard your stomach growling... and I remembered that I hid this out back yesterday from the others... I almost forgot about it!" Its human gave a shaky smile. "Something to eat, ne? I heard your stomach growling, and then I remembered... it had been three days after all... gomen nasai(1), Hakuryu... Really..."
"Kyu?" Hakuryu, if it knew how to shed tears, would have right then. He was repeating himself... something he didn't usually do... so it was obvious that he wasn't feeling fine... and yet, here his master was, offering some insignificant animal like him something to eat, when it was more obvious that he was the one in need of nourishment the most...
Suddenly, his eyes widened to the point of popping as the banana slipped out of the pale, seemingly numb fingers. His master dropped down on his knees, and then slumped lifeless on the huge puddle of rainwater.
"KYU!" Hakuryu screeched, batting his wings and settling on licking the dear face, desperate to revive him... desperate to bring him back to the world of the living...
Seconds became minutes...
Minutes became hours...
And still...
The painfully thin body remained prone on the slowly flooding alley.
OxxxOxxxO
"There's gonna be an addition to our family, I think, ne, aniki(2)?" Came a playful voice.
"HONTOU(3)?" The almost childish squeal of a pubescent boy echoed in the hallways. "YEAH! I'M GONNA HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND!"
"Yeah... you're right, little brother." Came the deep-voiced reply. "I do hope he'll settle in fine with us though..."
"I'm sure he will, Jien-niichan(4)."
"I do hope so, Yaone-chan." Jien grinned, playfully ruffling the painstakingly done hairstyle of his younger sister. "My, my, you're so positive today... could it be that you finally saw yourself falling in love with the horrible brat always meddling with you in the university...?"
Yaone stuck out her tongue at Jien, crossing her slender arms across her somewhat... heavy (as the others put it...) chest. Her darkened azure hair was now rumpled beyond repair, her beautiful gem-like eyes glaring murderously under the fall of fluffy bangs.
"Jien-niichan... mou... hidoi(5)!" She glowered. "I'm never falling in love with that EVIL GUY!" She sniffed condescendingly, then, at a sudden almost infinitesimal sound she heard on her blind side, she whirled around and shifted her glare at the bouncy brown-haired boy unsuccessfully trying to stifle his giggles with a shaking hand. "Oi, oi, Goku... what are you laughing about?"
Another bout of laughter (louder this time, much to Yaone's annoyance) erupted as Goku finally had enough stifling and guffawed, tears dripping from closed eyes, joined by the hysterically amused Gojyo, the second oldest of the group. "Oi... why are you two laughing? What did I say?" She her glare lightened a bit... her expression becoming more confused than angry.
"Ah... Yaone-chan..." Gojyo snorted. "You don't need to lie... we saw you yesterday..."
Oh no... Dread shivered up her spine. "You... you saw... what...?"
Goku tried to talk amid his mirth. "We saw you doodling all over your Chemistry notebook... you're writing HIS name together with lotsa stars and... HEARTS! Bwahahahaha!"
Yaone instantly paled. Stammering, she tried to defend herself... all to no avail. Of course, no one believed her! She tried yammering it out with them just to sidetrack their attention... however, with the two teaming up with Jien... it was impossible. HMPH! Men! She groused inwardly.
"What's all the laughter about?"
At the all too familiar voice, they turned in unison towards hallway door.
"Ah! Otouchan(6)!" Goku exclaimed, running across the expensive Persian carpet and pouncing, effectively smothering the newcomer with a huge bear hug.
"Goku... Stop... I can't... breathe..."
With a sheepish grin, the boy let go, eyes glittering happily. "Ne, ne, what happened? Is he going to make it?"
The corners of a thin, yet shapely mouth lifted, and the head of the house nodded, much to everybody's relief.
"Yay!" Yaone squealed happily, clapping her hands in delight.
Goku and Gojyo were doing the boogie, dazed with happiness.
Jien lifted his eyes and met with the compassionate orbs of the lone person who gave him – them back their lives. He grinned, his usually serious features softening as the other's younger features mirrored the emotions on his own.
Even if he's not too showy, we can see his warmth from the way he looks at everything surrounding him, even those beyond... from his wise eyes... Jien thought with pride and honour. I'm glad that we've all met him... he's a good man... and we owe him our lives...
OxxxOxxxO
He woke up to the sound of a piano solo.
Panicked, he sat up, wincing as damaged muscles protested painfully.
The music stopped, and a sudden disappointment enveloped him. He somehow wished the it did not stop... the melodious tinkling was so beautiful...
"You're awake." Came a deep, and somehow comforting voice. The gentle tone was not lost on him, and he felt like he could just listen to it every single day of his life... it was soothing...
Sighing, he turned to where he assumed the voice came from. He wasn't actually sure, since the voice echoed, as if they were inside a VERY spacious room...
Room?
He did not have a spacious room... or a bed... His eyes widened, fingers gripping the soft luxurious blanket covering him.
Since when did I have a piano?
Panic overtook him, his body immediately tensing. Where was he? Why was he here? What happened? Where was his beloved pet?
"Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you..."
That soothing voice again... He thought. It was certainly doing its job in easing his fears.
"Ah, don't get mad at me, but you're facing the wrong direction."
Crimson splotches stained his cheeks in extreme mortification. He wanted to kick himself. He wasn't as adept as he thought he was after all. With care, he shifted his body and faced the other side of the bed. "Ah, I'm sorry..."
Then, as if the man could read his mind, assurance came.
"Your pet's playing with the saru(7) in the living room. I've fed him and took care of him for a job well done. He saved you, you know."
He uttered a silent thanks to Hakuryu. He was quiet for a long while before he decided to speak again. The silence was deafening, and his curiosity was nagging him to ask whatever it was that was needed to be asked. "Uh... If you don't mind me asking... where am I? Why am I here? I..."
He stiffened even more as he heard a rustle from a sudden movement. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face, his eyes widening further as he realised he couldn't decipher the location of said noise. He knew that the one he was speaking to was directly across him, but the filigrees of sound seemed to point in various directions. He couldn't understand why... and when he couldn't understand, he panicked.
The indication of his host's position came when; the side of the bed he was sitting on sank. He quelched the sudden impulse to scoot away and took a deep calming breath instead.
"You're in my home. As I've said before, your pet saved you... actually, he's technically mine, since he was the same one who I helped – who escaped years ago... the one I looked for, for so long, the one I thought I wouldn't see again..."
"Hakuryu's yours?"
His host nodded.
"Ah, I cannot... see you if you... um..."
"Ah, sorry, I forgot." The response was warm and every bit apologetic. "Yes, sort of, but now he's yours. Just share him with his long-lost sibling though... However... I don't doubt that he would choose you over me – he seems taken with you for a good reason..."
His embarrassment coloured his cheeks a brighter shade of red. That was a compliment... I think... And he was very uncomfortable with it. After all, it had been too long since he last received one. "Ah..." He uttered, not sure what to say.
Silence.
The man stood up and, by the sound of his footsteps (That he noted, seemed to come from everywhere...), and the length of his walk before he finally settled, he knew that he was by the piano again.
He wanted to hear the music...
"By the way..." The voice was warmer now, if it was possible. Suddenly, he wanted to know how the man looked like.
A wish...
Another wish.
He shook the lonely feeling away and gave the man a confused smile. "Ah... what is it... sir?"
A chuckle.
"I wanted to say that you're going to stay here from now on..."
"No!" He protested. "I cannot stay here... I'll be abusing your goodwill, sir... I... I wouldn't want to live here because this is not my..."
"From now on, this will be your home." Came the confident response... one that brooked no refusal. The strength of the declaration shut him up. There was no choice for him. It usually made him angry when people took his choices away. However, this time, he did not know why the declaration left him unruffled. Instead of the usual ire, he felt...
Strangely contented.
"You will stay here and learn the rules from the others."
"The others?"
"Yes. There are others... four of them, excluding the house helps." The man continued. "You will meet them soon, and try to get along. They aren't necessarily bad – but they aren't that good either." The man said with obvious amusement.
The light tone made him smile a bit. The remark was a bit impersonal, but he could sense an underlying contentment for the fact that the man had them, whoever they were, around. He nodded once and bowed his head in gratitude.
"Thank you very much sir..."
"I have a name." The man retorted wryly. "And I'm not an old geezer."
"Ah, sorry... I won't call you that again, promise! But I don't have anything to call you. I don't even know your name... si –" He suddenly stopped as a throw pillow caught him on the chest. He laughed softly, ignoring the tired protests of his innards.
"I slipped." He smiled apologetically as his laughter subsided. "I'm..."
"Cho Hakkai, twenty-two years old, single in more ways than one. I know."
"Oh." Hakkai shrugged, trying to process the new bit of information. Somehow, his host knew about him from records somewhere. He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard the low rumble of amusement from the other's direction.
"Pleased to meet you then, Hakkai."
He leant forward to catch his words.
"My name is Genjo Sanzo."
At that, Hakkai's green eyes widened.
It was Genjo Sanzo! The infamous Genjo Sanzo of Changan Corporation!
The person who they said virtually owned three-fourths of Japan and a quarter of the whole wide world –
What had he gotten himself into?
TSUZUKU
1. Roughly means "I'm sorry"
2. An informal alternative to the word 'older brother'. It also shows familiarity.
3. Roughly translates to "REALLY?"
4. Shortened version of "Oniisan", which means "Older brother". As with the word "Aniki", it shows familiarity. The ones who normally call their older brothers this way are children – and those very much young at heart. XD
5. An adjective. It roughly translates to "Terrible"
6. An endearing and quite informal way of saying "Father"... then, again, it's usually being used by children. XD
7. Monkey