I'm also giving the chapters titles. Ooh, so awesome and improved.
Lupin tapped his fingers along the wall as he contemplated the situation. Luigi had a clear accent. Did that mean Jigen was from Rome or Ukraine or wherever? Lupin had always assumed Jigen to be from New York or Chicago or somewhere else that might explain those skills he had. The fancy wines of France, the fashionable men of Rome; were they all just a covet for depravity? And if so, why hadn't he been able to find any good action while he was there? Why hadn't Jigen said anything?
Lupin decided that it couldn't be true. Jigen was a friend, and friends didn't keep exciting secrets from friends. The only reason after that was something that Lupin could not explain, nor even imagine. If only Jigen would open his mouth. Luigi hadn't left the next day as planned, saying there was something he needed to do, and Jigen hadn't said a word. Lupin found that his detective skills had gotten rusty. Rather than finding any clues, he'd nearly made a game of avoiding himself, a dreaded realization that hadn't come since his early teenage years in which he'd been obsessed with throwing away his childhood so he could become more mature and win over ladies.
He'd achieved one of those, at least.
In getting distracted thinking about his conquests with women, Lupin missed the dark suit that passed by his eyes. By the time he snapped out of it, remembering that he'd gotten off track, Jigen was already making his way down the front steps, hands stuffed moodily into his pockets. Lupin ran to catch up. "Hey, Jigen, buddy, where ya goin'?" Lupin said with a smile that tried to say he wasn't trying not to look suspicious.
"Nowhere special."
"You don't say." It was going nowhere fast. Lupin grabbed Jigen's shoulder to stop him from going any further. "Is there something wrong?"
"No. Why?"
Lupin inched out enough to stare blatantly at Jigen's face with concern. He could see Jigen had been crying. He tightened his grip. "You're not leaving, are you?"
Jigen turned to him with a feeble smile. "Of course not. I'm just going out for a walk." He pulled away and continued walking.
Once Jigen was out of sight, Lupin dragged himself back inside.
Jigen took random paths, hoping a good dose of that 'ousiana air could clear his mind, and his heart. They were still tarnished by the memory of her helpless cries, the hideous laughter of the enemy. The things he had seen, the things they had heard, they all haunted him. He had failed, and for eight years, he had tried to pretend it had never happened. Ya threw a flower on pig excrement and it was still pig excrement, so throwing a tarp on failure didn't make it anything less.
Lupin was determined to sit and wait for Jigen's return. With one leg thrown over the other, he stared at the wall.
Eventually, Luigi arrived, stretching with a huff. "Ah, buongiorno, Signor Lupin."
Lupin abandoned his post, hopping out of his seat and approaching Luigi with a glare. Upon seeing Luigi's confusion, Lupin grabbed him by the overall straps and pulled. "What did you do to Jigen!"
Wincing, Luigi tried to push Lupin away to no avail. "Y-you hurt-ah Luigi, Signor Lupin."
"Well?" Lupin growled, throwing him to the floor.
Luigi frowned, picking himself up. "I... I jus want to know why only brather nota talka to mi for the eight year."
"You think I'm going to buy that? What else did you want, huh?" He moved forward, but was held back.
"You are going too far, Lupin," came the voice of Goemon, who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Who's side are you on?" Lupin screamed into his ear.
The frantic knock at the door brought a temporary end to the feud.
Lupin stood to the side, opening the door quickly enough to hide his arm as the door crept open.
Jigen fell onto the floor.
Lupin gathered the man into his arm, giving him a gentle shake. "Hey, are you okay?" He could smell moonshine, the local delicacy, on Jigen's breath.
Goemon helped him carry Jigen up the stairs. They laid him onto his bed, Goemon holding his breath to the stench of alcohol and cigarettes.
Having calmed down from his outburst, Lupin went back to sit across from Luigi, Goemon standing behind him. Leaning in, Lupin asked, "So, what exactly did happen?"
