by clueless_psycho

PART 4 - LIVING WITH SANZOISM : UNDERSTAND WHAT'S UNDERNEATH IT ALL

How did you die ?!

I don't know. I don't remember.

But I remember why I am scared of rivers.

I was told to go to the river bank. I was standing at the river bank when someone pushed me and kept my head under the water so I cannot breath, nor scream.

I wanted to scream.

I really wanted to scream.

Whose name was it I wanted to scream out ?!

Konzen.

Konzen Douji.

My one and only love.

I wish he knew.

I wish I told him.

But it was too late now and I cannot even scream his name out because my throat was full of water.

Then everything turned black.

Konzen. First Kanzeon Bosatsu called me Konzen Douji. Then Homura Taishi also called me Konzen. Now this girl screamed Konzen's name.

Who was Konzen Douji ?!

Government Hospital, Meifu.

Ming Na opened her eyes, and found herself in a white room. There were some people in front of him, smiling to see her open her eyes.

She didn't know what to say.

Who are these people ?!

"Where am I ?!" she finally asked.

"Meifu's hospital," answered Tatsumi Seiichiro.

"Meifu ?!" Ming Na looked confused, then continued, slowly. "What is … Meifu ?! Who … are … you ?!"

Celestial Heaven, The Garden of Lotus.

“Kanzeon Bosatsu sama ! Kanzeon Bosatsu sama !” Jiroushin shouted from the end of the corridor.

“Urusai, Jiroushin. Can you not shout everytime you want to talk to me ?!” snapped Kanzeon Bosatsu.

“Kanzeon Bosatsu sama, I have just got a report. One of the shinigami Hakushaku sent to help Genjo Sanzo is actually Kei Ran !”

Kei Ran … Kanzeon Bosatsu took a really deep breath.

Shangri-La Temple, Togenkyou.

"So …," Tsuzuki Asato swallowed a slice of strawberry cheese cake before continuing. "Ming Na is not actually dead. She is immortal. Her name is not Ming Na, but Kei Ran. Someone tried to kill her by drowning her in the river, but she can't die because she is a goddess. However, she was unconcious for several hundred years, before finally woke up in Meifu's hospital. Even DaiOh sama didn't know that she is immortal, let alone Konoe Kacho and Tatsumi Seiichiro."

Well, Hakushaku sama knows, but he wants to trade in that information with my body and I passed the offer, Tsuzuki added.

"Somehow Muraki knew about this. Muraki always seeks a way to immortality. Last time he tried to cut me up but failed. However, looks like Muraki's spell when he hypnotized Ming Na, I mean : Kei Ran, released her lost old memories, but now she doesn't remember what happened when she lost her memories. She doesn't remember working as a shinigami, she doesn't remember anybody in Meifu, she doesn't remember any of you," Tsuzuki continued.

"Neeh, does she still remember how to create food ?!" asked Goku sadly.

"No. But Wakaba chan can make cakes as delicious as she does," answered Tsuzuki, all smile.

"Did you ask her about Konzen ?!" asked Hakkai.

"Yes, but she didn't answer. She only said things like Konzen liked the smell of a thousand roses when she smell her perfume (which was : Elizabeth Arden's True Love) that Bai Ling brought to her to help her remember, stuff like that. I think she's in love with this Konzen Douji guy. You know, you can tell just by looking at her face when she said 'Konzen'."

"So, she didn't actually called Sanzo 'Konzen' ?!" asked Hakkai again.

Tsuzuki lifted his shoulders.

"Why would she call him Konzen ?!" he said. "When I described Sanzo, she said Sanzo didn't look a bit like Konzen."

Sanzo took a really deep breath, feeling weird.

Meifu Hospital. Kei Ran was alone, sitting on her bed. A flash of light came and went, leaving a figure of one beautiful woman.

“Kanzeon Bosatsu sama !” Kei Ran whispered.

“Kei Ran,” Kanzeon Bosatsu smiled. “Long time no see. Nice to see you again. Nice to see you healthy and fine.”

“Arigato gozaimasu, Kanzeon sama,” Kei Ran replied.

“How do you feel now ?!”

“I … I feel confused …”

“Of course. You lost your memory for more than 500 years, nobody expect you to understand right away.”

“What am I supposed to do, Kanzeon sama ?!”

“Well, you can stay here and continue your work as a shinigami, or you can go back to Celestial Heaven with me.”

Kei Ran smiled softly.

“I’ll go back with you,” she said.

Kanzeon Bosatsu smiled too.

Celestial Heaven.

Kei Ran took one deep breath, filling her lungs with the air she missed so much. The fresh air of Celestial Heaven, the smell of a thousand roses.

She walked quickly inside the Palace, along one corridor to another corridor. There was one thing she had to do right away. She had wasted 500 years, now she didn't want to waste another second.

In front of one room, she stopped. Took another deep breath. Her heart beat so fast, she felt like it was going to explode. But she smiled happily.

Konzen Douji. My one and only love. This time, I’ll tell you.

She pushed the door open. The room was empty. It was neat, tidy and clean, but empty, as if nobody ever entered the room for hundreds of years except the cleaning maids. No papers which were usually scattered everywhere when Konzen was working there.

No smell of Konzen Douji.

Kei Ran ran to the Garden of Lotus.

“Kanzeon Bosatsu sama !” she yelled.

“Nani ?!” asked Kanzeon Bosatsu. She found out.

“Where is Konzen Douji ?!” asked Kei Ran.

“Have you looked into his bedroom ?!”

“No, no, I cannot feel his presence. His study room had not been occupied for hundreds of years. Where is he ?!”

“Well, he disappeared one day and never came back.”

Kei Ran felt like her heart was stabbed by a very sharp knife.

“Disappeared ?! What do you mean by he disappeared ?!”

“He’s gone. Puff. Like that.”

“No,” Kei Ran felt her eyes burned. And soon tears wet her eyes. “How … how come ?!”

“That’s I want to know myself. But he’s gone one day.”

“Did he die ?!”

Kanzeon Bosatsu didn’t answer.

Kei Ran knelt and sat on the floor. She cannot stop tears flowing from her eyes anymore. I don’t want to live here anymore. I don’t want to live in a place where there is no Konzen Douji.

“What am I supposed to do now ?!” Kei Ran whispered.

Love makes people silly, Kanzeon Bosatsu sighed. Love makes this girl silly, love makes Homura Taishi silly, love makes me silly too. I never tought it's going to be so difficult, being the goddess of Salvation and Mercy, but I still have to perform my duty.

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” Kanzeon Bosatsu sat back. “During your time as Ming Na, you spent one month living in a temple, lead by a bozu named Genjo Sanzo. Genjo Sanzo was reincarnation of Konzen Douji.”

Kei Ran’s eyes widened. “Does that mean Konzen died ?!”

Kanzeon Bosatsu didn’t answer.

“How would you like to stay with him again ?! You can choose whether you want to stay there as Ming Na, which means I have to surpress your memory, or as yourself.”

“How can I live with a bozu ?!”

“He is a bozu, you’re a goddess and he’s usually on a trip all year long anyway. So I guess there will be no harm.”

But he is not Konzen Douji.

But I don’t want to stay here either.

Temple of Setting Sun.

Genjo Sanzo was kneeling in front of the shrine of Three Aspects.

“So, Genjo Sanzo, you shall postpone your journey until further notice. Looks like Muraki’s experiment went chaos and we shall not worry about the resurrection of Gyumao for sometime.”

“Yes, I understand,” Sanzo felt relieved. He didn’t wish to meet his four companions for some time either.

“And …”

“Yes.”

“Kei Ran, a.k.a. Ming Na, will stay at your place from now on. She is having problem in adapting herself back in Celestial Heaven so we decided that it’s best for her to stay in Togenkyou, under your care.”

What am I now ?! A shrink ?!

“What happened to Meifu ?!” asked Sanzo.

“She chooses Togenkyou.”

I’ll kill her, swore Sanzo as he walked out of the temple. But first, I'll kill those three gods.

Shangri-la Temple, Togenkyou.

“Sanzo Houshi sama ! Sanzo Houshi sama !” a disciple shouted while running as fast as he can to Genjo Sanzo’s study room.

“URUSAI !” Sanzo shouted back. There is no calmness anymore in this temple, I should’ve just continued my journey to the West.

"Sumimasen, Ming Na san is outside, saying that she was sent by Kanzeon Bosatsu sama to see you," said the disciple.

Sanzo's heart sank. So she finally came.

Sanzo stood up and walked out of his study room, to the front door, the disciple followed him from behind.

Ming Na, I mean, Kei Ran, was standing at the terrace, smiling when she saw Genjo Sanzo.

"Komban wa, Sanzo Houshi sama. Sorry to disturb you with my presence," Kei Ran bowed. This man doesn't look a bit like Konzen. He smell of tobacco and beer. Konzen didn't drink nor smoke. And I have no feeling that I've been here before.

"Hmmph," was Sanzo's reply. Just don't run around in your see-through nighty anymore. "Just come in."

Sanzo walked inside the temple, followed by Kei Ran, his disciple already disappeared.

Sanzo pushed open the door of the bedroom at the end of the corridor. Goku was sleeping soundly in one of the three beds. Sanzo kicked him.

"Sanzo, what are you doing that for ???!!!!" screamed Goku.

"Move ! Go to my bedroom," replied Sanzo.

"Why … Ming Na nee-chan ?!" Goku's eyes opened wide when he saw Kei Ran. "Ha ha … sugoi !!!"

Kei Ran smiled.

"She is not Ming Na, she is Kei Ran," said Sanzo. "And if you don't move now, I'll blow your fucking head off."

"Onee-chan, can you create food too ?!" asked Goku, naively.

"URUSAI !" Sanzo kicked Goku once again and Goku fled away.

"This is your bedroom," said Sanzo. The room still smell a mix of Elizabeth Arden's True Love and Kenzo's Flower. "If you need the other two beds to be removed, just tell the disciples. Make sure you lock the door when you're inside, especially at nights. Make sure you dressed up properly outside the bedroom. You are not required to do any duties here, but if you want to, go see Shu Han and he'll give you an assignment."

"Hai, Sanzo Houshi sama."

"And never ever try to steal my credit card anymore," added Sanzo.

Credit card ?! What is that ?!

The following morning. Genjo Sanzo lead the morning praying. Unconciously, he lifted his eyes several times while chanting sutra, only to find that Kei Ran was not among the disciples.

She doesn't need to. She is a goddess.

Later on, in the Dining Room, Kei Ran was not there either. Why would she ?! She doesn't need to follow the temple's schedule. She just lives here.

Sanzo found her later in the backyard of the temple, washing linen with her hands.

"You don't need to do that," said Sanzo.

"But I want to. I want to do something, while I can live here for free," replied Kei Ran. Working takes my mind off of Konzen.

"You didn't have breakfast," said Sanzo again.

"I'm not hungry, I'm sorry," said Kei Ran.

"What do you like ?!" asked Sanzo.

"What ?!"

"What do you like to eat ?!"

Kei Ran stopped her work. Rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand. Now Sanzo noticed a chakra in the centre of her forehead.

"Ummm … I don't know. I never think too much about food," said Kei Ran.

"Do you like fish ?!"

"Fish ?!"

"There is a river nearby and sometimes I catch fish."

"You are not supposed to eat fish, are you ?!"

Sanzo slipped one cigarette between his lips and lighted it.

"Sanzo Houshi sama, I'm sorry. But I can't go to the river. I'm scared of rivers," Kei Ran said, then continued her work.

Gojyo's apartment, several weeks later.

"Sanzo !" Hakkai greeted in surprise. "Are we going again ?!"

"Nope," Sanzo went inside and sat on one of the dining chair. Lighting his cigarette, blowing smoke.

"What happened ?!" asked Hakkai. "It doesn't look like you. Is there anything bothering you ?!"

"Where is Gojyo ?!"

"Gojyo might not be back for the night. How's Goku ?!"

"Last time I saw him, he's on the holy peach tree again. I guess Kanzeon Bosatsu should be happy with some apples."

"Are you allright, Sanzo ?!"

Sanzo looked at Hakkai.

"Ming Na, I mean, Kei Ran, came back to the temple. It's been several weeks now. Also under Kanzeon Bosatsu's order, but this time she may stay as long as she wish. She is sort of bothering me."

"Mah, mah, very unlike Genjo Sanzo who feels bothered by the presence of others."

"Honestly, I feel bothered by the presence of the three of you too."

Hakkai smiled.

"Why does she bother you ?! Does she still see you as Konzen ?!"

"No, I don't think so."

"So what's the problem ?!"

Sanzo took a deep inhale of his cigarette and blew the smoke. Trying to decide.

"I started to feel like Konzen."

As if I should've known something but I don't.

Shangri-la Temple, one bright morning.

After breakfast, Sanzo went to the backyard of the temple. That had become his habit eversince Kei Ran lived there. He knew that Kei Ran would be there, washing linens.

But this morning, Kei Ran was not there. Some disciples were washing linens.

Where is she ?!

As if I care.

"Kei Ran san went to the river," said Shu Han, as if he can read Sanzo's mind.

"Hmmphh."

However, unconciously, Sanzo went to the river.

Kei Ran was standing at the river bank. Looking at the shiny water, lost in deep thought. But she turned her head when she heard the sound of dry leaves crushed under someone's steps.

"Sanzo Houshi sama," Kei Ran smiled, seeing Sanzo.

"What are you doing here ?!" asked Sanzo. "You are scared of river, aren't you ?!

"Yes," Kei Ran nodded. "But I've decided that I have to overcome this."

I also hate rivers. Koumyou Sanzo found me drifting in the river. That's why they called me "River Drifter" when I was very young.

"I didn't die. Life goes on and there are rivers everywhere," Kei Ran continued. And Konzen Douji will never come back, for all eternity.

"I fell in love once and missed the opportunity to tell him how much I love him," Kei Ran went on. "That's one thing I regret most. Now he's gone and I'm still alive. I don't want to ask why would he's gone and I'm alive while I was the one someone tried to kill. But I shall not live in the old memories anymore and go on with my life."

Sanzo looked away, to the horizon.

Kei Ran turned her body, now facing Sanzo, looked him in the eyes.

"I came here because Kanzeon said that you are reincarnation of Konzen Douji. But you are not like Konzen Douji at all. You are not Konzen. There is no use of me staying here, in this temple, disturbing all of you, burdening you, while in Celestial Heaven, I can do other things. Like helping Kanzeon Bosatsu sama doing paperworks."

Sanzo didn't wish to listen to any more of Kei Ran's words. He knew already.

"So, Sanzo Houshi sama, I'm going back to Celestial Heaven. Thank you very much for all your help, for all your time, for all the hospitalities. May you be blessed forever."

Kei Ran put her hands together. A cloud formed under her feet, and lifted her. Just when she flew higher, Sanzo grabbed the hem of her long skirt.

"Stay, please," were his only spoken words.

Whether or not I'm Konzen.

NO, NO, NO, DON'T READ THIS … !!!!

Kanzeon : I hate happy ending love stories.

Hakushaku : Kei Ran can have all the Konzens in the world but not my Tsuzuki.

Hakkai : There are lucky guys and there are not so lucky guys.

Gojyo : Why does he always get the best part ?!

Goku : I'm hungry.

Tsuzuki : Goku, let's try the new Chinese restaurant. I heard their fish are the best in town.

Hisoka : Baka.

Kougaiji : Looks like I shall not worry about those Paradise Raiders for the time being.

Muraki : Why didn't I realise this before ?! Kougaiji is also immortal. If I've known that earlier, I shouldn't have gone all the trouble and get my casino exploded by that stupid sutra.

Yaone : Ogenki desu, minna san.