the_brightest_sun | 007th Meatbun ☼ Action / Voice

[It has been already a month, hasn't it? Goku isn't really sure, he remembers that a month is supposed to have around thirty days and though he hasn't been counting he has the impression that such a length of time has passed. At first he hadn't minded it too much, even if he had asked Hakkai to promise to leave a note next time he left before the kid woke up Goku was aware that there were times in which it wasn't possible. And seeing that there was nothing left that belonged to Hakkai in the apartment the kid had assumed it had been one of those times rather than Hakkai merely leaving on his own.

So he had waited. He had kept going to play around the village and helping Ukyo at the okonomiyaki restaurant. He ate at the restaurants before returning to the apartment to wait for Hakkai. And he kept waiting. Eventually the days turned into weeks and he got tired of waiting. He wanted his friend back already, it was lonely without him, the apartment was big and cold and the drawings hanging on the walls didn't make him smile proudly anymore, happy that the older man appreciated his work, instead they made him want to cry and hurt inside. It wasn't the first time that being alone hurt, but the pain this time felt worse. Why wasn't Hakkai coming back? Had he done something bad? Had he got the other man angry? Had he been a burden? An annoyance?

Sitting and crying wouldn't help, so he had grabbed a bag, left a note at Ukyo's restaurant and gone to search for Hakkai. Everyone said they were trapped inside that barrier, they only went outside during those draft-things, so, of course, wherever Hakkai was it had to be somewhere inside, he just had to search for the man. He knew Hakkai's scent so he could track him, he was sure of it. Wherever Hakkai was hiding or trapped, he would find him and bring him back home with him, even if Hakkai was angry with him, it wasn't a reason to hide from everyone else too.

More weeks passed and Goku is finally back at the village. Alone. Hakkai was nowhere to be found. He isn't in Luceti. How had he left? Why? Had he gone back to search for Kenren and Konzen and bring them to Luceti? The two men were taking a really long time to get there after all... But why hadn't he left a note. Why leave without a word? And what if he hadn't found them? What if the army had got them instead and hurt them as Nataku got hurt? Goku has no idea, he can't understand and he is tired, exhausted and hungry.]

[There's a kid walking slowly around the streets, he wobbles and trips at times, but he keeps moving. His appearance is a real mess, he's dirty, full of mud and looking very much as if he had been out and without an umbrella during yesterday's rainfall. He isn't paying much attention to where he's going, or what or who he bumps into, mumbling a soft sorry before he continues his way.

It feels strange inside. It has stopped hurting as the days went by with him unable to find Hakkai, but he doesn't feel well either. It feels as when he's hungry, but he isn't sure how to fill that gap. Sure, he is also hungry now, if the growling stomach is any indication -no, people of Luceti, that's not a lion trotting around the village and roaring, it's just a hungry monkey-, but he knows it's not only that. He feels hungry in the chest too, where it hurt before.

He probably end at Seventh Heaven, he should go with Ukyo but he's worried about seeing her now looking like this. She probably won't like it, maybe she's angry that he left to begin with. So he just sits there, dirty and hungry, waiting for someone to ask him what he wants to eat before he starts munching the table.

Eventually he will open the journal and ask a question he didn't want to ask.]

How long does it take for someone who leaves Luceti to return here? Anyone knows?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That would probably be the best. Some people miss their homes though.

[Silence.]

So they don't consider their homes are here?

Not everyone does. Some have important things or people that aren't here.

Some of my friends aren't here but I know they will come. And I've a lot of people who are here like you and Ucchan, and Ryoga-nii and Terra-neesan and Giles and Sheik-nii and Nataku... Nothing is more important than that.

Not even food!

[Knowing him that's a big declaration.]

[Yeah, she has to laugh a bit at that.]

That's true. Some people don't have many friends here though.

I'll be their friend, where are they?

[That fixes the problem, right?]

I don't think it's that easy.

Why not?

Some people just don't like having friends.

But then they won't have friends back at the other world where they were either.

[That doesn't make sense for him.]

They might have something important there though.

More important than friends?

To them, yes.

What can be more important?

[He doesn't understand it at all.]

I...don't really know...

[She just knows since she's met more than a handful of people that just hate everyone.]

[That's not a very good answer.]

Maybe they think something is more important because they have never really had friends. I thought food was more important before I met Konzen and Nataku and everyone else.

[Yeah, she knows. and would you stop comparing everything to food Goku? She knows nothing about food.]

I know of one person that just doesn't like people though.

Then he should make friends with animals.

[Those aren't people. And why don't you know about food,Kohaku, food is awesome. Specially meat.]

But those aren't people..

[Okay, so animals are important too, but..they're not the same. And because she faints whenever she sees a dead animal.]

Then it's not a problem, since he doesn't like people and animals aren't people he can be friends with them. Plus they talk here!

[Not a lot but...]

It wouldn't really be the same as wanting to stay here for a person though.

[She doesn't think...she's not too sure anymore...]

Eh? Why not?

[She doesn't knoow.]

That's hard to explain.

[Goku makes a sound, obviously not satisfied in his curiosity but if it's hard to explain for an adult it must be really complicated.]

Are you okay, Kohaku-nee?