Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki blah, blah, blah…

A.N. Sooo… Who do you think Kanzeon Bosatsu want Gojyo to be paired with? (Grins) Be advised that I will refer Gojyo to she and her as of now. And by the way, you don't like Gojyo as a girl, DON'T READ. Don't give me crap that it's eewww or it's sick. -_-

And incidentally, I might not be able to notice but if the characters are way OOC, tell me, okay? And also, if I accidentally refer to Gojyo as a 'he'.

Thank you for all those who reviewed! ^__________^

Oh yeah, Spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*~*Gojyo ½*~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Two

"Yare yare. I could just imagine what trouble we'll get ourselves into with an attractive Gojyo out there in the market." Hakkai thought as he began to move towards the stairs. He can't help but feel the pain of letting Gojyo out of his sight, especially what will happen to him when Gojyo gets back and gets his head for letting the old woman drag her away. He sweat-dropped.

"Areeehh!!! Sanzooooooooooooooooooooo!" A loud howl was heard in the down stairs that made him his former sweat-drop bigger. "Sanzoooooo! I'm HUNGRY!"

"Bakasaru! You're always hungry!"

"But I haven't eaten for a long time!"

"Baka! You just ate yesterday."

"But I just ate 15 pork buns!"

"Bakasaru!"

"Sanzoooooooooooo!"

"Urusai!"

"Pork Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuns!"

"Urusai, bakasaru!"

Hakkai reached the last step of the stairs and had no trouble where to find Sanzo and Goku. Besides the fact that Sanzo already told him where he was going to be, he could hear the loud howling "conversation" the two were having.

"Ah, I'm sorry to keep you waiting------" Hakkai started but before he could explain, someone cut him off.

"Where's Gojyo?" It was Goku.

"Ano… "

"Where is she, Hakkai? I thought we left her with you?" inquired Sanzo, who was sitting on a chair beside a window of the tavern. It was a very peaceful day outside, not one kind of noise was heard and the sun was smiling brightly at them. It was a kind of day you would like to take walk on… or not expect to get in trouble.

"Well," Hakkai began before he stopped to take a short breath, "she was dragged off by the cleaning lady."

"Eehhh???" Goku said while he blinked. One the other hand, Sanzo raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"You let her be dragged off by a cleaning lady?" asked a bewildered Goku.

"Well… She did say that she was going to lend Gojyo some clothes…"

Goku began to imagine what an old lady would have in the closet. And imagining Gojyo in a loose gray old suit that easily covered every inch of her body was not a pretty sight. Goku shook his head and blinked again at Hakkai. "Ano… She's going to have your head for that."

Hakkai formed an even bigger sweat-drop than before. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Hn."

"Will she be long?" Goku asked.

"She will probably only take minute or so. Why?"

"I'm HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"You're always hungry." An accusing girl's voice came through the hallway. Goku was about to retort something but stopped suddenly in mid-air. Sanzo and Hakkai also turned their head to face a very (*ahem*) attractive redhead.

"What?" She put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow, looking at them. "Do I look that bad?"

"Gojyo?"  Hakkai asked, not even sure if that young woman was his best friend. If she was Gojyo, then the Chinese sleeveless outfit was stunning on her. It was crimson in color with decoration of sakura blossoms on the right chest of the dress with some petals going down to the dress. The length of the garb was until beneath her knees and the slits, both left and right, were until her waist. This was an outfit easily resembling Ranphan Franboise's in Galaxy Angels apart excluding the opening in the stomach region. "You look fine…"

"Fine?" Gojyo asked, mocking a surprised look. "Not even a 'you look beautiful' complement?" She ended with a giggle, obviously seeing their shocked faces. After all, the dress pretty much enhances her beauty. She was able to look at herself and pretty much was astounded herself. Not only did the old lady have a superior taste, being the one who picked the clothing for her, she also immediately got that very dress and made her wear it, almost quite sure that it was going to suit her.

"Humph. If you're through, half-breed, I would like to go out." Sanzo stood up and began to walk towards the entrance, disappearing a few seconds later outside the door.

"Sanzoooo!!!" Goku shouted after the stoic man. "Hey, Hakkai! Gojyo! Hurry!" Goku merrily skipped towards the entrance. "SANZO! BUY ME A PORK BUN!!!"

Hakkai smiled at their youngest companion while Gojyo pouted. "Geez, are you sure he's a monk?" She asked before following Goku out of the door. Hakkai watched his best friend walk. If he didn't know better, Sanzo was also staring at Gojyo… really transfixed. And Goku, just stopped in mid-air when she entered. He just realized that Goku did not retort anything to Gojyo, either.

"Hey, Hakkai?"

Hakkai snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Ano… nothing important."

"Well, let's go before those two disappears on us."

"Hai."

Both travelers walked side by side only to find out that Sanzo and Goku were actually waiting for them. Sanzo, being him, didn't really show that he wanted to stay. And Goku, well, he was already trying to take off to get a pork bun. Trying to anyway, Sanzo was holding him by his tunic.

"PORK BUN!!!"

"Bakasaru."

Sanzo turned as he heard a slight giggle and saw the two; Hakkai was smiling while Gojyo was pretty much obviously giggling. "Ch. About time."

"Awww. You waited for me?" Gojyo mocked seductively, "How sweet of you!"

"Ch."

Sanzo heard a laugh from her again as he turned his head towards the market and began walking, releasing his hold on Goku's tunic. Gojyo looked at Hakkai and shrugged her shoulders and began following the monk.

People, emphasizing on the men, were looking at them. And most the ladies were whispering gossips.

"A pretty young lady like her with three strong good-looking men?"

"Maybe, she's a princess being protected."

"I doubt it. She seems like a normal child to me."

"Say, isn't that a monk?"

"Yes, I would say that he is. A cute one too."

"Vices are hard to avoid."

"Yeah, even that monk has to agree that she is beautiful."

Of course, the men had conversation of their own as well.

"I envy those guys."

"Yeah, being around her that much."

"Do you think she's single?"

"With three men? I doubt it."

"But one's a monk. Does that mean the other two are also monks?"

"They don't look like it."

And so the conversations continued the whole time they were at the market. They heard, of course, but Hakkai just plastered his smile, Goku was too hungry to care, Sanzo, well, he's self-explainable and Gojyo was walking like her normal self, with both of her hands raised in the air and was behind her head.

"Uhh… Gojyo?" Hakkai called his best friend's attention.

"Hmm?"

"Maybe you should put your hands down."

"Eh?" She looked down on herself and realized her position. It was quite embarrassing for a lady to walk that way. But she wasn't a girl, damn it! She heaved a sigh, feeling that she lost to herself. Gojyo did have a lot of respect towards other women. Beaten, she put her hands down and crossed it on her chest.

They walked silently the rest of the way. They passed shops with interesting and uninteresting things being sold. Gojyo didn't really see anything that she liked to wear so she would just inspect the clothes and would then kindly smile to the shopkeeper before leaving. She heaved a sigh.

"So… You're going to buy clothes?" Gojyo snapped her head up to face the orator of the voice. "Yeah, Goku."

"But the one you have on looks good already."

Grinning, she said, "Complementing me, are you? Our little Goku's growing up!"

"Baka. I mean; look at all the men that are looking at you. That's a good sign, right?"

"Of course it is!" She said, eyes twinkling.

"Maybe not so, Gojyo…" Gojyo crooked her head towards her green-eyed companion. "Why is that so?"

"Let us say that I just don't trust the way they are looking at you…" Hakkai nervously responded.

Giggling, Gojyo hooked her arm with Hakkai's arm. Hakkai blinked at her, obviously surprised and confused while men, whom where looking, heaved a sad sigh. "There, see? They'll leave me alone just as long as I stick with my strong, handsome and single best friend."

Hakkai felt a blush threatening to show on his cheeks until he felt Gojyo pulling him forward. "Come on, Hakkai!" Gojyo said. "I bet that monk is trying to lose us!"

Indeed, Sanzo was way ahead of them, walking briskly like dangerous men were following him. (Okay, so dangerous men were following him, namely: Hakkai, Goku… Err… maybe Gojyo's an exception. But you get the idea.) But of course, if dangerous men were following him, then he would just stop and shoot them, right? So what's going on with Sanzo?

Suddenly, she felt someone rush in between her and Hakkai. They broke contact for a second and realized that crowds of people were already hording around the market. Afternoon rush…

"Hakkai!" She shouted over the noise. In her lithe form, she can barely keep up with the movements of the people and she easily lost Hakkai and the others. "Sanzo! Goku!"

It was no use; she already lost them.

"K'so…" She cursed under her breath, "Stupid afternoon rush…"

She tried to push her way through some citizens before she got carried away with them or worse, get trampled. She ended up near a fruit vendor. She looked at the shopkeeper and grinned. "That's one hell of an afternoon rush."

The merchant, a man who was about the same age as the woman she saw inside of the inn, nodded. "Happens everyday." He answered.

"How do you guys survive?" She said with humor in her voice.

Smiling, the old man said, "It's just matter of skill, Miss."

Realizing that her mood was better and that the old man was trying to make a conversation, she willingly gave her name. "My name's Gojyo." She extended her hand.

The old man took it. "Nice to meet you, Miss. My name's Ran." They shook hands and Gojyo noticed what Ran was selling.

Gojyo looked at the fruits in front of her. Red apples… Green apples… Big… small… She picked one up and stared at it. It reminded her of the time she saw Hakkai again. A smile formed on her face. And then after that, she and Hakkai delivered some to Goku and Sanzo. 'Damn that monk! Told me that my best friend was dead.' She mentally giggled. She remembered Goku was devouring the apples like he hasn't eaten for days. Sanzo, well, she didn't see him touch one, but she was sure he would have liked them.

"You like apples, Miss?" A gentle smile crossed the old man's rough features.

For the first time in his life, Gojyo smiled whole-heartedly without regret. "Yes."

"Take one then."

Surprised, Gojyo blinked. "I can't just take one without paying."

"No, go ahead, Miss. It's not everyday that you get to talk to a beautiful lady like yourself, especially with an old man like me." He laughed in a low tenor as Gojyo took a bite of the apple. "Particularly when you see that beautiful lady in your wife's wedding dress."

Gojyo almost choked. "Your wife's? Wedding dress?" She thought for a moment. "Does your wife work in an inn near here?"

"No." The shopkeeper answered courteously.

"But I got this dress from her… I thought…"

"She's my sister, Miss." He paused for a while, "My wife's… let's say, she's in a better place than this."

"Oh… I'm very sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about."

"Ummm… If you don't mind me asking" Gojyo shyly asked, "Have you ever thought of----"

"Marrying someone else?" The kind old man finished for her.

"I know that it is personal and you don't have to answer it if you don't want to…"

The old man smiled. "Yes, I have but I always said to myself that I would only be looking for someone who is like my wife to be a replacement. I don't want to hurt anyone."

These words struck Gojyo. "Much like Hakkai…"

"ARGH!!!"

Gojyo snapped her head to the livid voice. "NO! THIS IS NOT TRUE BEAUTY!"

Turning to Ran, she asked, "Who's that?"

"That's Tetsuyo. He traveled here, as I was told, to search for true beauty for his paintings."

(A.N. I'm sorry, I can't help it ^_^. I wanna put someone like the guy in Rurouni Kenshin who loves to paint and falls in love with Kaoru.)

Gojyo looked over and saw his paintings, "He's pretty good."

She saw the young man standing up and was going to throw his work. Gojyo sprang and got a hold of the man's arm, "What are you doing?! You're wasting a perfectly good painting that you worked hard for!"

"You don't understand," Tetsuyo said wearily as he faced Gojyo, "this is not true…" He stopped and looked at Gojyo.

"… beauty…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To be continued…

Author's Notes

DragoraGirl: Thank you very much. -_^! Sanzo/Goku? Perhaps ^________^. Let's see if it fits in the story. But most probably I will put Sanzo/Goku! ^_^ But I'm also thinking about making Sanzo attracted to Gojyo first.

shourin: *grins* Thanks ^__________^!!! I will continue faster next time.

Ashura Akuma: Of course I made Gojyo beautiful! ^_____________^ She has 3 hot guys with her. Don't want to disappoint them, do we?

hi: Competition for Gojyo's attention? Ohhh… I'm SO tempted to put that! ^____^

MoMo-kun: I pretty much was thinking of the same thing! I kinda think that Gojyo might look like Ranma when he turns to a girl. (Only prettier :P)

As for the others, thank you very much! I really appreciate it! I kinda feel embarrassed to answer your reviews 'cause I might say something dreadful or offensive. Maybe if you guys give me a go signal, I'll answer more of your reviews!!! ^_____^