Chapter Text
In July, the sky was clear for miles. Hot air constantly wafted out from the cracked wheat fields, and the tree shadows along the highway were particularly distinct because of the intense sun.
The sound of cicadas was faint, and sparrows were resting in their cool nests. In the lifeless summer, Jolyne Kujo was the only magical creature who could maintain a lively interest.
Haruno, panting with every step, was trailing behind Jolyne, dragging a butterfly net longer than the others.
"Brother! Hurry up! The little butterfly flew onto the apple tree!" Jolyne jumped and bounced, waving to him anxiously.
Haruno couldn't hear her at all.
Due to long-term malnutrition, his body was far less sturdy than hers. If running alongside Jolyne in the scorching heat was like taking a cable car up and down a mountain, then for him, it was like being tied to a high-temperature oven, rolling and flipping in circles. In less than forty minutes, he would be sunburned, his head buzzing and his feet weak.
Two options lay before him: to use his brain and find a way to escape this torture, or to continue to spend energy with her until heatstroke or shock.
"Jolyne, did you know?" Haruno licked his dry lips and swallowed his saliva. "Little butterflies are afraid of heat, so they hide in the apple tree. If we patiently wait until evening, they will come out to play when the temperature cools down."
"Really?" Jolyne's eyes became bright. "Then all we have to do is hide under the tree!"
"That's right. The little butterflies will willingly fall into our trap."
Seeing Jolyne believe him without a doubt, Haruno breathed a slight sigh of relief. He thought guiltlessly that as long as he could deceive her, it was a victory, whether or not he was speaking seriously.
The two of them arrived under the tree and found a flat grassy spot in the cool shade. After leaning the net against the trunk, Haruno took out bottled water from his backpack and drank a few sips quickly.
"Do you want some?" He handed the water over and received a faint shake of Jolyne's head.
Haruno withdrew his hand and re-screwed the cap. Although still thirsty, he needed to leave the rest of the water for Jolyne.
He closed his eyes tiredly and leaned his head against a tree to take a deep breath. The breeze swept through his forehead's wet bangs, and the leaves above his head rattled softly. He had never found it so wonderful to sit in silence.
Unfortunately, this peace was soon broken by his sister.
"Let's play a game of ghost catcher, shall we? Rock-paper-scissors, the loser will be the ghost first."
Jolyne shook his arm as if she wouldn't stop until he said yes.
"Jolyne, I think we need to conserve some more energy." Haruno reluctantly opened his eyes and looked at his sister as he continued to explain. "If we keep running around, we'll be too tired to catch up with the butterflies by then."
"Well... but it's so boring to sit here." Jolyne pouted and slowed down the action of shaking his hand.
Haruno thought about it and said, "How about hide-and-seek? Whether it's finding someone or being found, you just have to walk slowly and you won't get tired easily."
"But there's only flat wheat field here. Isn't there nowhere to hide?"
"Yes." Haruno shrugged. "The wheat grows very high. It's difficult to be found if you crouch down. Want to try? You count from 1 to 100 under the tree, and I'll go hide."
"Yes!" Jolyne stood up with her two little arms on the trunk of the tree and looked at him with her sly eyes. "You're losing, brother. I'm sure I'll find you soon!"
"Then let's give it a try, Jolyne." He stood up as well, patting the dirt on his butt and admonishing her. "But no foul peeking while you're counting."
"I won't! Fouls are for puppies!" Jolyne made a face then buried her head in her little arms and started counting.
"1, 2, 3, 4..."
Haruno approached her cautiously, bending down and waving his hand around her armpit. Normally, Jolyne was very ticklish, and if someone invaded her personal space, she would reflexively jump up. But seeing no reaction from Jolyne, he was certain that she couldn't see anything now.
Haruno carefully moved behind the apple tree and began to climb it stealthily like a cat. No way was he going to stand there foolishly and get roasted by the scorching sun like wheat. He had a foolproof plan.
The most dangerous place was also the safest place. After Jolyne searched the fields and while away the time until evening, he would appear before her with the captured butterflies, using the excuse that it was time for dinner to urge her to go home.
"36, 37, 38..."
The surface of the tree trunk and branches was slightly uneven, allowing him to grip the bark with his fingers. He carefully observed the movement on the ground, remaining alert for Jolyne. When his footing was unsteady or the branches were slippery, his body would sway lightly, but he was always able to quickly readjust his balance and maintain stability.
After continuous climbing, he finally reached the top of the apple tree and found a concealed branch to sit quietly.
"...98, 99, 100!"
Haruno watched as Jolyne lifted her head like a famished person finally being served a meal. She looked excitedly towards the wheat field, seemingly searching for any trace he had left behind. Before long, she plunged into the field, officially beginning her hunting plan.
Haruno swung his legs, leisurely leaning against the tree trunk like an eagle overlooking its territory, constantly confirming the whereabouts of his little rabbit. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was now 3 o'clock in the afternoon. There were still six hours until sunset. He decided to help Jolyne catch butterflies at 4:30 and take her home by 5 o'clock.
He stretched lazily, resting his hands behind his head, enjoying the afternoon without being disturbed by his little sister. Speckled sunlight bathed him, the surrounding air was fresh and pleasant, and the distant lake shimmered with waves, truly beautiful. He closed his eyes, intending to take a short nap.
Perhaps he was just too tired, but slowly, he fell asleep without even realizing it.
He dreamt that Jolyne somehow spotted him from the field; maybe she used the explorer's telescope hanging from her chest. In any case, she suddenly ran to the bottom of the tree, pointed at him angrily and accused him of deceiving her.
"You're a lying scoundrel! You left me all alone in the field while you slept here."
"N-No! I'm sorry, Jolyne!" Haruno explained anxiously, almost falling off the tree. "I'm sorry! I was just too tired. I didn't mean to leave you behind!"
But no matter how much he apologized, Jolyne's anger couldn't be appeased. She didn't want to listen to him at all.
"I don't want you to be my big brother anymore! I'll ask Mom and Dad to kick you out and never let you come to our house again!" After saying these words, Jolyne ran away without looking back.
"No! Please!" Haruno quickly jumped down from the tree, ignoring the pain from his fall, immediately getting up to chase after her. "Wait! Please don't do this! I'm sorry, Jolyne! I was wrong!"
He exerted all his strength to chase after her, but she was still getting farther and farther away from him...
Jolyne!" He suddenly woke up, realizing that he was still sitting comfortably on the tree.
By that time, the sky had darkened, but it wasn't completely black yet. The sun had set halfway down the mountain, and the crimson glow of the setting sun mixed the evening sky into a chaotic mess, while noisy bird chirps echoed from all around. He checked his watch and realized it was already six o'clock.
Haruno looked around anxiously towards the wheat field, but the dim light made it impossible to make out the exact contours of the field. He could only see a hazy golden hue. He tried to suppress his panic and kept scanning the area, hoping to find Jolyne. As time passed, his heart grew colder.
Damn, how could he have fallen asleep!
He couldn't sit idle any longer and decided to immediately go into the wheat field to search for her. As he slid down from the tree, he carried a strong hope that Jolyne, feeling bored from not finding him for so long, had decided to go home by herself. But when he saw her backpack and butterfly net under the tree, that possibility shattered completely.
He ran through the wheat field, pushing forward, keeping his focus and not letting even the slightest movement around him go unnoticed. The dense and dry wheat scratched his skin, but he couldn't feel any pain.
Not knowing how far he had run, just when despair was about to engulf him, he finally spotted his girl in the distance at the end of the wheat field, near the road.
"Waaa... waaa..."
Jolyne was kneeling on the ground, crying loudly. The usually clean and tidy girl was now covered in dirty mud, with weeds and wheat spikes clinging to her clothes.
She suddenly stopped sobbing, wiping away her tears with her hand. She got up from the ground, supporting herself, and continued calling out to him. "Brother! Brother! Where are you? Come out quickly! Jolyne can't find you!"
Seeing this scene twisted Haruno's heart into a knot. Because of his terrible prank, she had been searching for him all that time, even running that far.
He shook his head, pushing aside further thoughts, and ran towards Jolyne as fast as he could. But just as he was about to call out her name, he saw a tall stranger standing in front of Jolyne.
His intuition forced him to stop in his track. His throat became dry, unable to make a sound. He looked in the opposite direction of the man and saw a bright white van parked several meters away on the road.
Thump, thump. A sense of unease lingered in his heart.
The man squatted down in front of Jolyne, tugging out a smile. "It's so late, little girl. What are you doing all alone here? Can't find your way back home?"
Haruno stared nervously at them. The man wore a black fitted shirt, and his muscular arms contracted tightly as he squatted. Jolyne seemed like a small bird next to an elephant's foot, easily crushed at any moment.
"I was playing hide and seek with my brother... but now I can't find him, waaa..." Jolyne answered, crying again.
"Oh, I see." The man supported his chin with his hand and his gaze wandered over Jolyne for a moment. "How about this? Uncle will take you home first and then call Mr. Policeman to help you find your brother. Is that okay?"
He wanted to take Jolyne away! No! Don't listen to him! Get away, Jolyne!
Alarm bells rang in Haruno's mind, and he clenched his fist tightly. He tried to calm himself down and make his thoughts a little clearer.
Maybe now he should loudly warn Jolyne to run away, but what then? He knew that with just their strength alone, they couldn't possibly resist this giant of a man. An adult man's running speed was much faster than theirs, already exhausted. Perhaps within 50 meters, he and Jolyne would be caught together.
What if he left this place first? The distance from the wheat field to home wasn't far, and he could go get Jotaro for help. Although it was a cowardly and selfish thought, it was the most sensible one for him. If the man discovered him and took him as well, Jotaro wouldn't even have a chance to come and rescue them.
Yes, that's it. He started to convince himself. He had only known Jolyne for three weeks, and even if she truly disappeared, the worst outcome awaiting him was being sent away by Jotaro Kujo. So, he had no reason to risk his life for Jolyne!
What did it matter if he was considered weak? Baseness was the passport of the base, nobility was the epitaph of the noble. Life had always put him on a tightrope, and only by assessing the situation could he secure his survival, giving him a slight chance to steady himself every time he was about to slip. If that was called weakness, then he would give it a more appealing name: reason.
Haruno gritted his teeth, engaged in a fierce struggle within himself, his gaze shifting between the man and Jolyne. If he had already decided to escape and inform others, every second of hesitation would only make Jolyne's situation more dangerous.
"No, no! Waaa... I don't want to!" Jolyne shook her head, rejecting the man, crying even louder. "I want my brother! I won't go home without him!"
Upon hearing Jolyne's words, Haruno's face turned pale instantly; whether from shame or fear, he didn't know.
No, he couldn't risk leaving Jolyne alone there! If that man was truly a criminal, then his license plate must be fake too! And this vast field had no electronic surveillance. If Jolyne were taken by him, those incompetent police officers wouldn't even know which way the car went...
But! But, but...
He thought for a long time, unsure of what he wanted to say after "but." He could no longer find any excuses to hide his cowardice.
"I don't even know you. I don't want to go with you!" Jolyne spat at the man and turned to run away.
"Hey? Wait, kid, don't run!" The man half stood up, took a half step forward, and effortlessly grabbed Jolyne's tender arm with his strong hand. Jolyne struggled hard, but it was futile.
"Let her go!"
When Haruno snapped back to his senses, he realized that he had fiercely bitten the man's wrist.
"Haruno, big brother!" Jolyne called out to him, both surprised and aggrieved.
The man cried out in pain and let go of Jolyne's hand. But Haruno didn't release his bite. He looked at Jolyne, who had fallen to the ground, using his sternest gaze to signal her to escape.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Stop biting, you little brat!" the man screamed in pain.
Haruno held onto the man's arm tightly, but he suddenly felt an additional force holding his waist. That force pulled him backward, and he looked incredulously as he found himself suspended in the air. But soon, he was placed back on the ground.
Haruno didn't have time to think about what that strange force was. He immediately ran to Jolyne's side, using all his strength to try and pull her up and escape. But as soon as he pulled her a little, she cried out in pain, making Haruno realize that she might have twisted her foot when she fell.
They couldn't escape. Haruno realized that.
He squatted down and patted Jolyne's back, leaning close to her ear and quickly whispering, "Don't be afraid. Don't say anything."
Haruno turned his body, standing between the man and Jolyne. He looked at the man who was two heads taller than his first stepfather and trembled involuntarily out of fear.
"I come from a wealthy family," Haruno said, trying to reduce the trembling in his voice, pretending to speak calmly to the man.
"What did you say?" The man's gaze shifted from his bleeding wrist to Haruno.
"I'm from a rich family. If you kidnap me, you can gain more benefits." He pronounced the words without any emotional color, as if he had entered a performance mode, playing the role of an ignorant and pretentious rich boy.
It was his fault that Jolyne wasted the entire afternoon looking for him in the fields, causing her to cry in sadness, and now putting her in such a dangerous situation. If he had just spent the afternoon with her, catching butterflies without any ill intentions, none of this would have happened.
If he were God, if he had to choose someone to leave this world, he would unhesitatingly choose his cowardly and hypocritical self rather than Jolyne, who was loved by her parents, who still believed in him even after being deceived, and who said she wanted to find him and go home.
It was him who flapped his wings ever so slightly, dragging innocent people into the tornado that was created because of him. He was the wicked butterfly that should be caught in the net.
Seeing the man's astonished gaze, Haruno smiled brightly.
The ending was predetermined, so he had nothing to fear. He was filled with determination and decided to deliver his final lines properly. "Don't you need someone to give you a heads-up? Unfortunately, I can't remember my home phone number. But the good news is, this girl is my neighbor. If you give her your contact information, she can inform my parents on my behalf."
"Huh? Wait, kid, are you..." The man looked at him in shock.
"If you want money, act quickly! Otherwise, my parents will come looking for me soon!" He interrupted the man's words, trying to urge him to give up thinking. He declared without leaving any room for negotiation, "But you must let her go, or I won't let you succeed, even if I have to commit suicide!"
The man seemed completely stunned by his words, his mouth agape, staring at him blankly. Haruno couldn't tell what he was thinking, so he tried to consider as many possibilities as he could while waiting for the man to speak.
Was his judgment wrong? Was this man not a kidnapper but a member of the black market involved in child organ trafficking? Was he considering refusing Haruno's proposal to avoid exposing the underground transaction? No, if that were the case, the man wouldn't have bothered speaking to them; he would have simply taken them away. Perhaps his provocation had backfired and made the man believe that Jolyne was a more valuable hostage?
Just as they were deadlocked, a familiar male voice interrupted.
"Yare yare, what kind of role-playing game are you kids playing?"
"Daddy!!!" Jolyne popped her head out from behind Haruno, crying and shouting.
Seeing Jotaro frown as he walked toward them, Haruno's nerves suddenly relaxed. Before sitting down on the ground, he loudly exclaimed to Jotaro, "Uncle! He's a kidnapper! He wanted to take Jolyne away!"
"What?" Jotaro looked surprised at the rich expressions on the faces of the two children then turned his head to glance at the tall man they referred to as the "kidnapper," his former comrade, Polnareff.
"Jolyne? You're Jolyne? Then you must be Haruno?" Polnareff covered his mouth with both hands, astonished at the two little ones in front of him. He turned his head and noticed Jotaro staring at him with a stern expression, seemingly about to question how he managed to scare the two children like that.
"No, that's not true! It's not!" Polnareff quickly shook his head at Jotaro. "I was actually almost at your house just before! But when I was driving past the wheat field, I saw that child—Jolyne, sitting on the ground, crying and calling for her brother."
"You said you were taking Jolyne home! And you grabbed her arm!" Haruno shouted at Polnareff.
"Ah, no! It's not like that! Jotaro, please listen to my explanation!! I just thought it was getting late and wanted to take Jolyne home. But she didn't trust me and ran off. How could I leave such a young child wandering around at night? So, I grabbed her."
Polnareff finished his explanation without taking a breath, looking earnestly at Jotaro, only to find the guy pressing his hat down, stifling a laugh. He realized that Jotaro had pretended to be angry and was just scaring him.
"Jolyne, Haruno." Jotaro coughed twice, regaining his calmness. "This is Polnareff, the uncle I mentioned to you before. I've known him for 13 years, and he's definitely not a scary kidnapper."
"Yeah, that's right." Polnareff nodded in agreement, craning his neck to look at Jolyne hiding behind Haruno. "Jolyne, I held you when you were just a month old! I didn't expect you to grow up this big. I didn't recognize you at all."
Seeing that Haruno still looked wary, Polnareff sighed and extended his wrist, which had been bitten, to Jotaro. He complained with a pitiful expression, "Jotaro, look at how hard your son bit me. If I hadn't used the Silver... the Silver Chariot's shining willpower to fend him off, he would've bitten off my precious sword-hand."
"You brought it upon yourself," Jotaro said nonchalantly. "Who told you to scare him?"
"Oh come on... I scared him? You didn't see how he threatened me just now. He said that even if he had to commit suicide, he wouldn't let me get any ransom money if I didn't release Jolyne. Is this kid really only seven years old? It's just incredible."
"Is that so?" Jotaro looked at Haruno in astonishment.
"Yeah, Dad! Big bro is so brave! With him protecting me, I'm not afraid of any bad guys at all!" Jolyne tightly clung to Haruno's leg, only poking out her messy pigtails to answer her father.
"No, no, Jolyne, I really am not a bad guy... w-waaah..." Polnareff despaired and choked on his words.
Under Jotaro's unwavering gaze, Haruno blushed and felt his face growing hotter and hotter.
Now he completely believed that it was all just a misunderstanding. The thought of his courageous self-sacrifice turning into a joke made him want to dig a hole to bury himself in.
Haruno prepared to apologize, but Jotaro suddenly approached. He squatted down in front of Haruno, using his large palm to gently stroke his head, his eyes filled with gratitude and tenderness.
"Thank you for protecting Jolyne for me. Your bravery is truly remarkable."
"It… It's nothing. Besides, I was just pretending not to be scared." Haruno's face grew even redder. Deep down, he knew he didn't deserve any thanks or praise from Jotaro.
"No, Haruno. That's not something to be modest about." Jotaro looked into Haruno's eyes and spoke earnestly. "Bravery is not the absence of fear but rather the choice to act despite being afraid. It's not a natural trait but a decision you make when faced with fear. You knew there was a high chance of failure, yet you were willing to give up the chance to stay alive just to protect Jolyne. That kind of courage is something many people aren't able to possess in their entire lives. I want you to know that I am proud of you."
Haruno was stunned, unable to believe it. Uncle Jotaro was proud of his bravery? He wasn't a selfish and cowardly scaredy-cat? Of course, Jotaro couldn't answer the questions in his heart. The answers could only be found by Haruno himself through introspection.
"Alright, I think you must be hungry." Jotaro smiled gently at Haruno. He reached out his hands and lifted Haruno and Jolyne, who was behind him, letting them sit on his sturdy arms.
He lowered his head and said to the two children, "As an apology for scaring you, let's have Polnareff drive us home in his van. Will that be enough to forgive him?"
"I'm sorry, kids!" Polnareff interjected. "Please forgive me! Otherwise, your dad will pummel me to a pulp with his fists!"
"Would that hurt more than when big brother bit you?" Jolyne looked at Polnareff curiously.
Jotaro laughed, his chest shaking, and replied to Jolyne, "Compared to your big brother, it might be a little less painful."
Haruno knew that Jotaro was teasing Jolyne, but he couldn't help feeling shy.
Jolyne laughed too. She leaned her head against her dad's chest and reached out to grab Haruno's fingertips. "Big brother is really amazing!"
Looking at her sparkling eyes, Haruno felt a pang of guilt. He averted his gaze slightly and used his free hand, the one Jolyne didn't grab, to wipe away the tears on her face.
"I'm sorry, Jolyne. I couldn't catch the butterfly for you today."
'I'm sorry for letting you out of my sight alone; I'm sorry for putting you in danger; I'm sorry I didn't choose to protect you immediately.'
"No! Big brother, it's totally fine. Those things don't matter at all!" Jolyne quickly shook her head, rejecting his apology.
"I looked for you for a long, long time. There was a moment when I thought I would never find you again..." She seemed to remember the sadness from earlier, as she hung her head and her eyes became moist.
"Jolyne, actually..." Haruno felt his stomach churn, wanting to confess to her.
"But when I was caught, terrified to death, you suddenly appeared and protected me like a true superhero!" Jolyne smiled again, her eyes regained their brightness. She held his hand and devoutly placed a kiss on his fingertips.
Jolyne looked up, her eyes reflecting the beauty of the starry sky, and said, "Big brother, you're my one and only, my most precious, the most, most, most important little butterfly!"
...
The sun had completely set beneath the valley, and in the pitch-black and serene night, the wheat swayed gently, making a rustling sound. The morning star rose from the east, emitting a dazzling radiance unlike any other.
END