“Hm… snake, ocean, apple, sword, gun…” Muttering to herself, she was searching the index when suddenly, she looked away, face reddening. For some reason, I grasped the situation, even in the pitch-black park.

“Th-that’s enough Freud! Next, let’s do Jung!” Misaki yelled loudly.

“Hey! What are the results of my dream analysis? Misaki, tell me what the big snake could possibly symbolize.” I persisted, but she ignored my attempts at sexual harassment.

“Jung… This guy argued with Freud, and it seems he went in a different direction. Well then, let’s start a Jungian psychoanalysis.”

“Hey, don’t ignore me. Wait a second!”

“As far as I can see, you’re ‘introverted’, and ‘emotive’! You’re afraid of the ‘Great Mother’. Additionally, you also are fighting with the shadows. How terrible! To learn more, please read this book.” Misaki once again pulled out a book and handed it to me. This one was All About Jung, Explained by Manga!

My head was starting to hurt, yet Misaki’s lecture kept going. And going. From Jung to Adler to Lacan. “I don’t understand Lacan! I just can’t lock on!”

I was stunned that she could make this horrific pun, smiling all the while. I wanted to go back to my room. As if noticing my reaction, Misaki boldly changed direction. “Oh, I’m sorry for talking about all this difficult stuff. It seems that you really aren’t suited to these academic discussions, after all, Satou. That’s okay, though. We still have tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

“We’re people, so it’s painful.”

I didn’t say anything.

“I feel bad for you, experiencing such troubles. Let’s look up as we move forward, though. You’re fine the way you are. You have dreams, so you’ll be all right. You’re not alone. If you keep walking, you’ll find your path. Everyone is cheering for you. As you do your best, you shine. You’ll succeed if you keep moving ahead with positive thinking; so, let’s walk toward tomorrow together. The future is bright. We’re people, we’re people, we’re people…”

Pulling Misaki’s bag out of her hands, I upended it. A load of books avalanched onto the ground: Public Health Service paperbacks, Intelligent Living paperbacks. Quick Introduction to Psychoanalysis, Complete Mental Illness Manual, The Book to Read When You Are Stuck in Life, The Rules for Success in Life, Murphy’s Ghost, The Cerebral Revolution, Mitsuo, Mitsuru, etc., etc.

“Hey, Misaki, do you think I’m an idiot?”

Misaki gave me a look that said, “No, I don’t”, and she shook her head.