Eva looked around the room she was now staying in. She really did appreciate what Jigen was doing for her, and she would have had to come back to shore soon anyway, she and Glock hadn't had enough money to rent the houseboat for long. But she looked around the four walls and the way the floor didn't shift drunkenly under her feet, and she felt the old feeling of suffocation come back.
Has anything really changed? Will anything really change, coming back now? Did they even miss me? If they didn't, why would they care if I was back? She thought to herself. But Jigen had said that Lupin had missed her, though obviously not enough to come find her, just sink further into depression. She had wondered why she couldn't just stay in Glock's room, but Jigen said that he had enough to worry about already. Not that it really mattered, Glock was now close enough that she could have him come comfort her anytime she needed to be. Which might be right now, Eva thought again. She just needed someone to snuggle with, and she felt odd doing it in front of Jigen. But Jigen had left, saying he had important business across town. So Eva left her new room and went to go find a movie that she and Glock could watch together. And food for Glock. Lots of food.
Jigen's "business" wasn't actually across town. But he didn't want anyone thinking he could be at Goemon's for any reason whatsoever. After averting the crisis with Eva and Glock, Jigen found he couldn't stand being around them. Glock would look at Eva with such an expression of love in his eyes, the innocent, stupid kind of love that looks like a sick puppy, and Eva would look right back at him in the same way. And that would start Jigen to thinking that he was the real "sick puppy", since he had let something even worse happen between himself and Baffi. And he just couldn't live with himself any longer.
He knocked on Goemon's door, and hoped that Goemon would open the door for him and show a kindness Jigen hadn't able to extend the last time. Hero opened the door.
"Hey, Hero. Is Goemon home?" Jigen's attempt to sound completely normal backfired when he realized that asking normal things made him sound crazy. Of course Goemon was home. Luckily, Hero didn't seem to notice Jigen's faux pas, or the fact that he was sweating bullets.
"He's in his room."
Jigen took off his shoes in Goemon's Japanese entrance way and went upstairs. Goemon, upon hearing who was knocking on his door, informed Jigen he could come in. Goemon was sitting on the floor in front of a small table. Jigen thought it a pain to sit down on the floor, but it was something he had to do.
"Goemon…I've been meaning to talk to you." He started out. Jigen had wanted to somehow tactfully just bring the subject up, but he thought it would end up sounding weirder than everything already was, and that then his apology would sound insincere. Who nonchalantly brings up the fact, "I drunkenly slept with your daughter"? He knew Goemon had been wanting to talk to him since Lupin's accident, but that situation had left no time for confrontations.
"I've been meaning to speak to you as well, Jigen." Goemon said. Jigen jumped in.
"I know it's about that night with Baffi, I'm sorry for bringing her home that morning without telling you—"
Goemon smiled. "Jigen, you don't have to be sorry. She told me all about that night."
Jigen's heart sank. Goemon's smile and that statement could only mean impending doom for himself.
"She said you were very kind to her. And from what she told me, it was exactly what she needed at that point. And I agree. My kids don't really talk to me much anymore…" Goemon trailed off here. "But she still does, and I'm glad that I have such a good friend helping her grow up."
Jigen could only stare at Goemon.
"Anytime you feel the need, Jigen, feel free. You can't imagine what a load off my mind it is to know she's in your company."
Jigen left that day thinking that Goemon needed help more desperately than he had previously thought.
********
Berretta didn't know what came over her that night. Why she had kissed Frolic of all people. Even now, days later, she looked back upon that incident with horror. Did she think Frolic was attractive? No. She didn't like his lifestyle, his personality, or anything else about him. She told herself this, but she knew it couldn't be all true. She didn't think she was as bad a Sakura, thank goodness, but she must have found something appealing, or she wouldn't have kissed him. Or maybe she was just so starved for human contact anyone would do? She needed advice, and she couldn't talk to Sakura about this. Amazingly, she happened to pass by the only psychiatrist's office in the world that had a "Walk-Ins Welcome" sign.
I can go in, rant about my problems, some old guy will tell me to come back again and I won't! He won't even know me, so I can just get it off my chest. Perfect!
Berretta went into the small waiting room and was almost immediately ushered into a dark, cozy room with chairs and a desk and that couch-thing that everyone thinks of when they think about psychiatry. She chose to lie down on the couch, it was covered in more shadow so as to hide her identity.
The guy came in and coughed in an, "I'm ready, go ahead." Kind of way. The way only real psychiatrists do.
"…so I just kissed him! I dunno why. Is it because I need to get out more?"
"Maybe you secretly harbor feelings for this man?"
Berretta laughed. "Um, no. I've known him all his life. He's a hopeless loser."
"Then you had no reason to kiss him, and yet you did? It if meant nothing, you wouldn't have come here. So it must mean something."
She groaned frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with me! Out of all of them, he's the worst! Maybe in some way he's attractive…Maybe I've been listening to Sakura too much. I guess he has good points, but, but—Okay, I'd do it again. And I'd want to do it when he's not surprised. So he could join in. But I still think he's a loser. Oh, why did he have to be a crazy hippie? He has so much talent! He wastes it all. He can do anything he puts his mind to, he's creative…I really have spent too much time around Sakura. What am I going to tell her? This is even worse than I thought. Stupid flower talking freak!"
"I don't think talking to flowers is all that crazy."
Berretta slowly turned around and looked at the 'doctor', who looked awfully young and familiar…and screamed. "WHY??? Why is it Frolic??"
And she ran away. It actually wasn't Frolic, just a very youthful looking man who talked to his flower garden to help it grow, but Berretta's problems ran deeper than anyone could guess. Frolic was now stuck in her mind.
In the shop, oblivious to the confusion he was causing, Frolic was still experimenting with that feeling that had been brought about by that girl. He had tried talking about it to the flowers, but they lacked even the parts necessary to understand. He had tried to explain it to them, but they were very rude. They thought that any feeling they couldn't feel was inferior to them. Frolic had decided to punish them by not speaking to them. Though they begged his forgiveness, he wasn't quite ready to play nice.
"Cecil, have you ever wanted something that you couldn't get?"
Cecil had no idea what Frolic was talking about and was scared to ask, so he just nodded, trying to not think about Susanne.
"How do you deal with that?"
"Thomtimeth, you jutht have to live with it."
Frolic didn't like that answer. "No, no, no. Living with things never solved anything. You think I got to know about flowers by just living with what I knew? I had to go out and experience them! Ask, probe, seek!"
Cecil didn't really know what Frolic was talking about, but he was almost inspired to go out and do something. Something manly.
"You'll never find out what your feelings are unless you try them! And it takes two to tango! That's it!"
Frolic hurriedly started leaving the flower shop, not bothering to explain to Cecil anything that was going on. Not that Cecil wanted to know. As Frolic left, Sakura happened to be coming inside. Frolic, passing her, realized she was also a girl like that last one, and kissed her. Sakura stared at him with wide eyes, and he winked at her. "Nice flower shirt."
Sakura fainted, but Frolic was already out the door. Hmm, he thought. Almost, but not quite. But, he'll know what I should do….Maxi knows everything!
And so saying, Frolic left the can of worms he didn't know he opened lying in a heap in his store.
