Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki blah, blah, blah…
A.N. Did I ever mention that I love you guys very much? Well, I DO!!!!! Oh Kami-sama! I love you guys very much for supporting this story! And I dedicate this to all Hakkai/Gojyo supporters!
Oh yeah, just so you guys know, I'm still not sure who I'm going to pair Gojyo with. ^_^' I'm still experimenting with each character and seeing what each would be like in a relationship with Gojyo.
Also, this is probably the first chapter that's going to be a little too romantic. (Is "sappy" the right word?) No action, but with a little humor (I think).
Hey! I'm obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh now! Maybe I'll write a fic! YAMI/YUGI 4ever!
P.S. I'm sorry that it took me a long time to update. ^_^'… O_o I just got a lot of dreaded groundwork research projects (homework) and (gasp) major exams.
Read: I just want to clear this: the tavern that Sanzo and Tetsuyo are in isn't the same as the inn where the Saiyuki gang stayed in. Okay, on to the fic! ( I know… I talk a lot.)
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*~*Gojyo ½*~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Five – Open Up Your Mind in the Rain
"Tetsuyo."
Gojyo sighed as she shifted on her seat. The redhead didn't know how she ended up here in this tavern. It was probably since Shan was acting like she was in the brink of crying when Gojyo agreed to go with them. Of course she asked Sanzo to come as well. When that didn't work, she just settled for begging. The half-breed reverted her thoughts as she watched Tetsuyo and Shan play like brother and sister on the other side of the table.
Sanzo was brooding beside her. He hadn't erased that look of murder on his face just yet. He eyed Shan suspiciously, thinking that she must be a part of Tetsuyo's plan to get Gojyo. Wait, he cared? Now, he knew that he was infected by unknown disease that only Goku, Hakkai and Gojyo can have.
Shan giggled as Tetsuyo ticked her. Eyeing Gojyo, she smiled brightly and laughed some more. She turned to her brother, though still giggling; she noticed that her big brother was stealing glances to Gojyo. Shan beamed a bigger smile.
"Humph." Sanzo caught a sight of that smile. Obviously, he didn't like the look of it. It didn't suit the way she looked at Gojyo and then Tetsuyo. He scowled silently.
Gojyo reflected that if she stayed here for longer she would die in the awkwardness. Not mention the fact that Sanzo's not dropping the I-will-kill-you mask. That's rather strange. He, for all people, will at least be stoic about the whole situation. She glanced at Sanzo and saw a certain glint in his eye; she was sure that it was the same glint that he has when guarding Goku.
She looked back at Tetsuyo and Shan. Gojyo didn't let them know that she knew that they were watching her. Especially Tetsuyo. She was sure that he had glanced a lot of times already. But what she didn't understand is why the sudden change? Tetsuyo, from the way he acted before, would have been all over her by now, right?
Nonetheless, she was thankful that he wasn't all over her like before. Must be the effect of love at first sight.
She looked back at Sanzo who still had the same expression on his face. The half-breed mentally sighed. There must be a way for her to get out of that tavern alone. She'd rather risk getting stuck in that rush again. But she was betting that that "afternoon rush" is over. It was past noon and dark clouds were already forming.
Gojyo suddenly stood up against her will. She had it with all their eyes staring at her and she wanted to go for a walk. As she did so, Tetsuyo, Shan and Sanzo's eyes were automatically on her. She grinned nervously. "I just need to—" She paused to think of something. But she just wanted to honestly say what she really wanted to do. Damn, the effects on being a woman. "—find Hakkai."
"Hakkai?" Tetsuyo blinked and frowned a little at the question.
Gojyo swallowed a little lump in her throat. "My, uh… b—" She stopped herself. She almost said, 'boyfriend'. Now, why would that come out of her mouth. Actually, Hakkai is her boy friend. He's a boy and her friend but somehow using that word in this situation would be most inappropriate. "—best friend."
"Then I'll go with you." Tetsuyo said, quickly standing up.
"I want to come too!" Shan's voice was evidently very excited.
"Hn." Was the priest's usual reply but there was a look that said: I'm not letting you out of my sight.
"Well—" Gojyo didn't want them to come. She wanted to go alone even though being unaccompanied means getting into trouble again. Not that she needed help with those guys. She wasn't that helpless, for the their information. It only appeared as though she was because they kept on saving her. She mentally cringed.
"Shan, I'm sorry but I can't let you go." Tetsuyo said before Gojyo could say anything.
"Why not!" Shan pouted.
"I lost you a while ago remember?" Tetsuyo reasoned. "I can't take that chance. You must stay here."
"But I don't want to stay alone!"
"I'll go with Gojyo and Sanzo-kun will look after you, okay?" Gojyo almost laughed at that suggestion.
"No." Sanzo declared. "She's your sister. You stay with her and I'll go with the half-breed."
"Half-breed?" Both Shan and Tetsuyo asked at the same time.
"Er, I can go alone." Gojyo suggested. "Really, I'll be fine alone."
"But—" Tetsuyo intervened.
"No," The redhead sternly said. "You can't go because no one will be with Shan. And I remember you saying before that you didn't want Shan to come along. And Sanzo," she said turning to the priest, "You can't go because it will rain soon… and you don't go well with rain. You get sick easily–"
"Ch." Sanzo understood what she meant but he didn't make any comment on that. Instead he retorted, "Fine. You get yourself lost again. Don't expect me to come and save you the next time you get yourself into trouble." He shifted his head away from the half-breed but Gojyo still saw that he was still able to gaze at her in the corner of his eye. She could have giggled but decided against it.
"But—" Tetsuyo tried to reason again.
"I won't be gone long." She cut him off but Sanzo raised a brow and Tetsuyo showed a worried face. "Okay, so maybe I could be gone long but please," she mordantly said, "you act as though I can't take care of my beautiful self."
"You can't."
Gojyo narrowed her eyes dangerously to the priest.
"As I can remember," Sanzo said, "You were attacked by that demon."
"He saved me, for your information."
"He saved you? Even worse, you allowed yourself to be saved by him."
"Damn it, Sanzo. I'm not as useless as you think I am!" With that, she turned her back at them. Walking stormily to the door, she didn't look whether they followed her or not. She just kept going.
~~~
Still stunned inside the tavern, Tetsuyo finally frowned. "Don't you think that was a little harsh?" He asked the priest.
"Hn." Sanzo answered as he lighted the cigarette that had been waiting to be lit since a while back.
"That's bad for you, you know," said Shan pointing to the cigarette. Sanzo blew a small amount of smoke and then looked out the window without acknowledging the young girl's comment. Indeed, there were dark clouds forming rapidly outside.
"Do you think we should go after her?"
Sanzo stayed silent for a while and seemed to be in deep thought. His eyes never looked away from the window. His breathing was steady, almost as if he was asleep. "Sanzo?"
"Half an hour." He said suddenly. Tetsuyo was about to ask him what he meant but Sanzo beat him to it. "I'll give her half an hour and then I'll go and look for her."
Tetsuyo nodded as he finally understood what the priest meant. Unnoticeably, his eyes wandered to the entrance where Gojyo stormed off, silently wishing for her safety.
~~~
"That damnable priest!" she almost shouted. "Ch. I hate him and every nerve in his body."
She walked mindlessly in the streets, not looking where she was going or remembering what her purpose for going out is. Fuming silently, she walked slower and slower until she finally stopped. After taking a deep breath, she sighed unconsciously while looking at her feet.
"Damn," Gojyo silently whispered. Letting out a slight groan, she slowly gazed up in the sky and stared at the darkening clouds. It was not long, she guessed, until the rain was to fall. She already heard thunder as she scanned the clouds.
Then she remembered. "I have to find Hakkai and Goku."
"Looking for someone Miss Gojyo?" A voice suddenly asked her.
Gojyo turned sharply and was met with a pleasant face and a welcoming smile. "Ran!" Her smile was already formed before she walked briskly towards the aged man. She didn't notice that she had been walking quite a while and that she ended up where she first got lost.
"Lost again?" He said with a smirk, motioning her to come at his stand.
"Of course not," she replied amusingly. "I never make the same mistake twice!" She was glad to have been greeted by a wholesome person at last.
Ran smiled in reply and watched Gojyo pick up another apple. He remembered that she hadn't been able to eat the last apple because she accidentally spat it out of shock. He grinned wider after his retrospect. "Want another? I can't help but recall that you weren't able to eat more than one bite of the last apple I gave you."
Gojyo smirked in return and eyed the red apples that were arranged neatly across the box on the table. They were at their brightest and deepest shade of red yet she was sure that it was not their season. She reached for one.
"No, I think I'll pay this time." She said as she took a bit of the apple. Searching for her wallet, she just realized something. She doesn't have pockets. "Oh man…" Her groan reached the ears of Ran. "It's okay, business has been high today in any case.
Gojyo knew that he was making that up. There were still a lot of apples in the stand that were untouched. She tried apologizing but the words didn't seem to come out of her mouth. Her mouth was half often when a sound of a swift hand moving was heard.
Then the sound of coins ringing was perceived in the air as Ran caught a couple that went straight at him. Blinking, he looked at a man that was smiling at him.
"Such a beautiful shade of red... Gojyo."
She almost ran over and kissed the man when she turned and saw his face. Of course, she just ran over and hugged him. "Hakkai!"
"I'm glad I found you—" He smiled. "Safe."
She pulled back a bit from the embrace and raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean… I'm glad that you weren't hurt or anything." Hakkai's plastered smile seemed to show nervousness.
"Are you saying that I'm not capable of protecting myself?" She narrowed her eyes.
"No, not at all, Gojyo. Why would you think that?"
"Humph."
"Come on, give the boy another chance!" It was Ran that had spoken and who was, also, snickering at the two bickering friends. Gojyo didn't see the amusement that Ran saw in hers and Hakkai's predicament and uttered a 'humph' at the old man. Hakkai just grinned.
"My name is Hakkai, sir." He introduced as he walked up to him and offered his hand over the fruit stand. "You seem to be a friend of my friend Gojyo."
"Ah, yes," Ran answered, "we met at such a peculiar time of coincidence." He glanced at Gojyo and offered her his ever-familiar jolly old smile. "My name's Ran, my good man."
"Always nice to meet a new friend, sir." Hakkai returned with his own smiles. Hakkai walked a little a way from the stand and turned his attention to Gojyo who sighed in defeat. Who could get mad at Hakkai anyway? Only Sanzo can make her head hurt beyond repair.
"So," he said when he finally regained his calm nature. "Is this your –" he stopped for a chuckle. "— boyfriend?"
"WHAT?" Gojyo blurted. "No, no, no way— I mean. Why would you think— How… What gave you the idea—?"
"She's my best friend, sir." Hakkai explained for her. Not that she couldn't explain it herself, of course she could explain it… just not coherently at the moment.
"Oh, really now?" He asked in a teasing tone.
"Yes, really, Oji-sama." While having said the 'Oji-sama' with emphasis.
"Ah, beating the old man at his own game, ne?" Ran said as thunder roared louder than the last time. Light drops of rain already fell on them and the wind was beginning to pick up its speed.
"Oi!" Gojyo yelped. "Man, it's raining—" the rain was already forming larger amounts when it fell and was clearly evident that this was going to be a downpour.
"I think you two best be off to where you are supposed to go." Ran suggested, looking up from the sheltered fruit stand.
"Yes. I think that's a very good suggestion." Hakkai said as he felt himself being pulled.
"Hurry up, Hakkai!" Gojyo said as she pulled her best friend away from the stand. "I don't trust these ungodly showers." Taking on last look at Ran, she shouted, "See you again!" And waved a hand at him but he was already gone. They were walking briskly towards the tavern that was slightly farther than she ended to be out of range to.
Then the most feared happened.
"Kami-sama! That was hardly a warning!" Gojyo cried over the torrential rain. She tried shielding herself with her arms but it was no use; the rain was too heavy and she was getting drenched by the second. They won't make it to the tavern where Sanzo was in.
"Come on, Gojyo!" Hakkai also tried shielding her with an arm while he dragged her through the streets. He could barely see the road in that kind of weather but something caught his attention. It would have to do even if it meant barging in soaking wet.
Knocking at the door, Hakkai and Gojyo huddled close trying to produce heat. Then the door finally opened.
"Good gracious!" the old lady from the inn they stayed uttered in shock. "Get in before you two get a cold." She dragged them inside into a room with a fireplace and a bed. They sat near the fire and the nice lady gave them each a blanket.
"You two stay here and I'll get you something hot to drink."
"Thank you, Miss… Ah—"
"Kaede." She responded politely. "Now, don't you two move; Just stay there and I'll be right back." Hakkai nodded in anticipation. Kaede, then, walked out the door briskly and left Hakkai and Gojyo near the fire. Or at least, she left Hakkai there.
When Hakkai turned she saw that Gojyo was on the bed, looking sadly outside the window. It was a familiar setup for him: a small but comfortable bed whose one side was next to the window. Rain was spraying inside but Gojyo, Hakkai perceived, hardly even noticed.
She must have remembered some hard time including when they first met. Gojyo never acting this way in a downpour. It must be the effects of being a woman. (A.N. O_o')
Gojyo was still looking out, remembering what happen a while back, at how she stormed out of the tavern because Sanzo got her furious. Sighing, her gaze concentrated on the rain. It was raining hard and she wondered if Goku was alright. 'That bakasaru better be,' she thought.
A couple strands of hair fell down to her face and she was about to wipe them off when another hand did it for her. She turned and her gaze fell upon emerald eyes, and a smile that never seemed to falter. Gojyo snuggled closer to Hakkai and looked out again.
Hakkai was in shock, oblivious to the fact that his hand was slipping its way around Gojyo waist.
"Do you think I'll be normal again?" Gojyo asked unexpectedly.
Her green-eyed companion diverted his eyes from Gojyo to the window and answered, "I really don't know…"
Silence, then, followed. Gojyo didn't really notice that Hakkai had started humming a little after their conversation, if you call it that. Gojyo liked the way it sounded.
She yawned as she heard Hakkai hum the melodious tune. She was beginning to feel drowsy like a young child listening to her mother sing. Slowly, she was starting to shift her weight to her companion while her eyes can no longer stay up. Hakkai just continued the song by singing while Gojyo drifted to slumber.
"In this world when life could be so tough
You must be strong
Just believe in yourself and don't you fear
So open up your mind and close your eyes
Take another look from the other side…"
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To be continued…
Author's Notes:
JuniperMoon: So what'd you think now that I've pulled Hakkai/Gojyo into this chapter? ^_^!!! I hope you liked it just like the other chapters!! And thank you; thank you so much for supporting this story! You have no idea what I'd do without people like you. I'd go crazy! ^_-!
Mag Magenta: Let's just see with the other chapters what I'm going to do! (Even I don't know) hehehe! Kiddin'! Will Gojyo turn to a man again? Hmm… Maybe… (*Hint, hint*)
MoMo-kun: Yum, brownies! Hehehe! Thanks! Yup, Gojyo does flirt a lot, especially with Hakkai!
Ashura Akuma: Hakkai to the rescue!!! YEAH! I'm just wondering what'll Tetsuyo and Hakkai do since they both like *ahem* and they're both the gentleman type. (Mwahahaha… *ching* I have an idea… ^_^)
XkiyoX: Kou/Gojyo? I'm still counting the votes. So far, the most votes is… Hey! It's 5x8. It's ahead of 3x5 by 5 points, which is ahead of 5xKou by 4 points and is ahead of 5x8x3 by 1 point.
Sky Rat: Uh-huh (nods). He'll be all calm and stuff. And we're all going to see Hakkai jealous soon. (Hint, hint)
fye chan: Thanks! I'm glad people like my plot. And, as you can see, I'm still experimenting with their relationships. I haven't really decided the actual pairing.
dalphin crage: I have a hint for you: Tetsuyo is not what he seems. Now you go figure that out! ^_^ I have a secret!
Miyahara Yuuki: According to the votes, well, it looks like it's going to be Hakkai/Gojyo. ^_^
Kairi-chan: Complications, yes, I love that word. ^_^
Kiyomisa: Thanks! I'm really glad that you like this story! ^_^
Genj0-Sanz0: Everybody's going to fight over Gojyo. But the question still remains: Who will still like Gojyo after she transforms into her true self again? (hint, hint)
sLL: No one likes Tetsuyo but hey, like I said before: Tetsuyo is not what he seems.
The 13th Muse: So true, fall colors. My favorite time of the year: Fall (Autumn).
shourin: Hello~o! I'm sorry that I took so long to update! You know already… exams. There's no escaping it. Well, I wrote as fast as I could and I hope it still turned out okay. ^_^
Shinigami-chan: Thank you! ^_^ Glad you liked it.
Oh yeah, before you review, I've asked a question in my bio page (somewhere at the bottom) and I guess nobody saw yet. Could you guys please vote! It's a list of new ideas for stories I'm going to put up after this story is done.