Hakkai opened his eyes as he awoke and saw Gojyo sitting across from him smoking a cigarette. "Pay attention." He spoke harshly.
"Yes, Gojyo?" Hakkai spoke quietly, starting the jeep.
"About last night…"
Hakkai looked at him and smiled. "What about last night?"
"Just… forget about it, okay? It didn't mean anything."
"Gojyo, that's a boldfaced lie. It meant just about everything to you and you know it did. You've told me numerous times that you hate the way people treat you, so don't go and say it didn't mean anything." Hakkai spoke harshly, but calmly at the same time. He put no real venom in his words, but Gojyo got the point.
Even though Gojyo knew than Hakkai wasn't mad at him, his words still agitated him to no end. He turned away from him and crossed his arms in front of him, putting his feet up on the dash once more. "Just forget about it, okay?"
"Gojyo…"
"Look, it would be best for the both of us if you just shut up, okay?!" Gojyo screamed.
"Don't yell at me…" Hakkai whispered. Gojyo never yelled at him, he knew how fragile Hakkai was.
"Ugh! Hakkai, you know I don't mean to yell at you but all I'm saying is that it's a touchy subject for me, okay? And when you start calling me a liar when I'm just trying to hint to you that I don't ever want to talk about last night again, it pisses me off, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Gojyo but all I was saying was that what you said was a lie. I never said I was going to talk to you about it later, I just want you to be truthful and not cover what you're really trying to say with a lie…" Hakkai spoke, beginning to drive.
"Just shut the fuck up, okay!?" Gojyo accidentally dropped his cigarette out the window while flicking off his ashes. "Fuck!" He screamed. "That was my last one! Fuckin' a…"
Hakkai remained silent for a moment. "Sanzo…"
"What?"
"Do you have a cigarette Gojyo cou--?"
"Hakkai, I don't want to take one of his. You should know by now that that's why we buy separate packs. If we liked the same kind we'd just but cartons." Gojyo snapped.
"I was just asking…"
"What did I tell you?!"
"About what?"
"Just shut up already!"
"Switch me seats, Gojyo." Sanzo spoke the demand.
"Why should I?"
"Because you're going to break him sooner or later and then he won't be able to see and I don't feel like dying today!" Sanzo screamed, pointing the gun at the kappa's left temple.
"Whatever." Gojyo mumbled, jumping into the back.
"By the way…" Sanzo muttered, getting into the passenger seat. "You still have a pack from last night, it's about half-empty, but it should last you awhile."
Gojyo just grunted and grabbed the pack from the pouch in the back of the seat. He lit a cigarette and looked away from Goku's staring eyes. A few minutes passed and Gojyo glanced back at the boy. "What the hell do you want?"
Goku said nothing, just looked away.
"Don't do that, it's creepy."
"Do what?"
"Look at someone and when they ask what you want just look away. It makes people think you're planning something."
"No… I just want to know why you were treating Hakkai like that."
"Ah! Will you all just shut up about that? I don't like yelling at him, but he just got on my last nerve, that's it! You act like I meant to hurt him…" He looked away again.
"Sometimes I believe you do, kappa." The priest said from in front of him.
"Shut up!" Gojyo snapped.
"No. I want to get to the bottom of this nonsense. Why do you do this to him?"
"Do what?"
"Hurt him at every chance you get?!"
"I don't!"
"Bullshit!" Sanzo pulled out his gun. "Tell me why you do it! Is it because that's how people treat you? Are you trying to get some of the pain off of yourself? Is that it?!"
Gojyo looked away. "What does it matter to you?"
Sanzo shot at either side of Gojyo's head. "That isn't important, now just tell me why. Next time I won't miss." And he aimed the gun at the very center of Gojyo's forehead.
"Yes. There, you're right, okay? That's why. But don't go off and say that I have no place putting it on someone else because you don't know what it's like, dammit…"
"You don't think people say shit about me, kappa?"
"No! I never said they don't say shit! Hell, I know they do for a fact! I've heard it! Hell, I'm sure there's someone out there right now saying that you probably rape Goku into following every order you give him, just because you're a priest! But you don't get what I'm saying! I'm not saying people accuse me of things like that. I'm saying that people hate me and are scared of me just because of the color of my hair and eyes. That's all they see and suddenly I'm a terrible thing. Not a person. A thing, dammit. Tell me, do people call you a thing? An object? No. They identify you as a person. Hell, even the women that find me attractive don't classify me as a human, I'm just an object they think they can use just to satisfy them and then leave in the dust! Do you get it now?!" Gojyo had tears streaming down his face. "Shoot me if you want because it isn't going to matter to anyone whether I live or die! I'm not supposed to be here anyway! I belong in Hell, where people and things don't care what you are! Just kill me!"
Hakkai abruptly stopped the car. "Gojyo…" He turned around and looked at him, tears running down his face as well.
Gojyo just shook his head and jumped out of the jeep. "I'm going home."
"Gojyo…" Hakkai got out of the vehicle as well and ran after him, but Gojyo was faster. He fell to the ground and watched Gojyo sprint into the woods. "Damn…" He watched his tears form a puddle in the dirt and ran his hands through his hair. A firm hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up to see Sanzo.
"I will never know what you see in him…"
"Everything, Sanzo…" His eyes fell, but quickly shot back up at the priest. "We'll find him, right?"
"I don't see why wee should, with how he hurt you and all…"
"That's the difference. I understand what he's talking about, Sanzo. I wasn't hurt until you two started fighting and he spilled everything out like that…"
There was a slight pause and Sanzo sighed. "We'll find him. Come on, Goku!"
Hakkai stood and gave a slight smile toward Sanzo. "Thank you."
"Feh." The three of them walked into the woods, Hakkai feeling very heartbroken and nervous. Something wasn't right anymore and he had no idea what.