Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Laundromat Nap ❯ Chapter 1

Disclosure: Saiyuki is owned by Minekura Kazuya

 

Laundromat Nap

 

“See? There! Slumped down at the table. That's him, right?”

“It looks like him. Yes, I'd say it is. But I don't see the others.” Three pairs of demon eyes searched the Laundromat and the streets outside nervously as they crouched by the window looking into the facility.

“No, it looks like it's only him.”

“I don't see their jeep, either.” The demons studied the streets again closely, fearfully, but there was no green jeep anywhere in sight.

The three squatted down together in a huddle.

“What should we do?” The one demon grabbed handfuls of his black mullet and pulled, anxiety pouring off him in waves. “This is bad, this is bad!”

“We should run, before they discover we're here!” Green bangs swung back and forth as one of the other demons twisted his head about, watching the streets for any of the other members of the ikkou. The mark under his right eye appeared to change shape from a diamond to a triangle to a half moon, contorted by the varying facial expressions crossing his large, round face.

“Wait!” Their leader, his chocolate colored hair held in place by a pair of square sunglasses nestled on top of his head, leaned in so close to his companions their long, pointed ears almost touched. “I have an idea. Look, he's sleeping, right?”

Three heads popped up just enough to see in through the window to study the slumbering man inside. The deceptively delicate body of Hakkai was slumped down in a chair, his upper body slightly supported by the wooden table next to him, his arms folded together and one foot lay just under the chair, the other stretched out. His head was lowered to where his chin nearly rested on his chest and an open book lay face down on his breast, balanced on the crossed arms. The three heads dropped back down out of sight.

“He's sound asleep!”

“Sleeping like a baby!”

“Right! He's sitting there, dead asleep, and all alone. This is our chance to get revenge for what was done to us when we were henchmen for Lirin-sama!” His eyes glittering over the black crescent moon under his left eye, he gripped his companion's shoulders.

“Revenge.” Dry-washing his pudgy hands together, the portly one nodded his head, agreeing as the green strands of his bangs bobbed with the motion.

“Yes, he's vulnerable in there. We could easily get our revenge.” The demon Lirin named Fluffy smiled an eager, cruel smile. The ends of the black bar over the bridge of his nose crinkled with the grin.

“Right! Now, we have to be very quiet so's not to wake him up. We'll just sneak in, very sly-like, and without waking him, steal their clothesI” their leader, Spot, declared.

“What?!” the other two cried in unison.

“Yes! Look at us! We've spent months on the road, constantly moving so that Lirin-sama wouldn't find us. Our clothes are all in tatters!” He pointed to Fluffy's aqua colored tank that was now only able to hang on one shoulder and to the frayed hole in his light orange pants, showing the black and orange striped boxers underneath. He turned to Porky and grabbed his lavender hoody, rips and tears all along the sleeves and hood, the drawstring long gone. Then himself; huge holes in the knees and the once white tunic now a dingy gray/brown.

He then pointed back to the window of the Laundromat, “Inside are fresh, clean clothes for the taking. I bet he's doing laundry for the whole group. We can take their clothes, leaving them with just what's on their backs and we could have new stuff! Let's steal their clothes!” their leader declared.

“Yeah!” the other two cried in unison.

As one, the three youkai eased open the door to the Laundromat and slunk inside, quietly moving along the washers and dryers, the tables for folding and the vending machines selling refreshments, snacks, and laundry soap. The place was empty except for Hakkai, sleeping peacefully, and the only sounds came from the three dryers tumbling away a short distance from the slumbering demon.

Each one grabbing a handle, they slowly pulled the dryer doors open, releasing the catches with barely any noise as the tumbling sounds came to a stop. Grinning triumphantly, they reached in and scooped up the hot damp clothing inside.

Unnoticed, a pair of green eyes cracked open, awakened by the sudden quiet of the dryers stopping, and Hakkai lifted his head, surprised at what he was seeing - three youkai thieves attempting to steal. He stood, carefully placing his book on the table.

“Excuse me, but that clothing does not belong to you. Please, put them back where they were and I won't have to inflict punishment on you.” Hakkai's voice was stern yet quite polite.

The three youkai froze, then slowly turned their heads to look at him. As one, three voices screamed, “Ahhhh! He's awake! Run for it!”

Partly blinded, and their coordination made awkward by trying to hold onto large bundles of damp clothes, two of the three immediately ran headlong right into each other, sending jeans and capes and shirts flying through the air. The third thief, his filthy no-longer-white tunic growing wet from his burden of wet robes, vaulted over his comrades and made for the door, yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Get up! Follow me! This way!”

“I don't think so!” Hakkai's voice preceded his blast of chi by mere mille-seconds, ending the third thief's escape. He turned his glare to the other thieves.

They scrambled to untangle themselves from the damp clothes and each other, “We'resorrywe'resorrywe'resorry!” and clambered to their charred and toasted friend, scooping him up on their flight out the door. Whimpers and cries of “Itai…” could be heard from the fallen youkai as the three disappeared.

Hakkai walked over to the pile of Sanzo's robes and, picking one up and beholding the charred and burned fabric, he shook and bowed his head.

Sanzo's going to kill me. This is the second time this month his robes have been ruined in the Laundromat. I've really got to try harder at staying awake when I wash clothes.

 

-end