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Koichi’s feet are frozen against the plush carpet, his grip tight on the couple of briefing documents that he had received almost 2 weeks ago. Why he'd waited so long to voice his concerns about this upcoming venture, he did not know.
Perhaps it was due to the fact that Jotaro had shown so much confidence in Koichi’s abilities at first. Koichi trusted the man's better judgement, and he rarely ever felt the need to doubt any of his decisions. So why should he start now? The plan seemed simple enough.
Go to Italy. Pursue and confirm the target's identity, and assess their potential threat level. Don't get into trouble. End of discussion.
Jotaro had been concise in his explanation, as always, and quick to pass the files into the boy's hands. Koichi had been just as eager to take on the task, for he was always looking to receive Jotaro's approval, and the fact that he had turned to Koichi first was truly flattering.
However, he now almost entirely regretted the speedy manner in which things had been set into motion. It left little room for questions on Koichi’s part, and his anxieties about the subject had been left to build since their last discussion.
What should he do if he were caught? Or if he encountered a previously unknown stand user? All alone in such a foreign place, Koichi now doubted his own ability to adapt and ultimately survive. What if he were injured or even killed? Without Josuke and his Crazy Diamond close by, these were now some very real possibilities. The thought of being so far from Morioh is what really got Koichi squirming. If something did go awry on this trip, he wondered how his friends and family back home might find out.
Swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, Koichi struggles to subdue such negative and unpleasant thoughts. Everything would turn out okay, wouldn't it? If Jotaro thought so, then...
Finally working up his courage, Koichi deems it appropriate to place one of his balled fists upon the wood of the hotel door, knocking once, then twice, before taking a careful step back.
Silence.
After a few tense moments of nothing happening, Koichi knocks once more. When he again receives no answer, the boy begins second guessing himself.
The hour was late, of this he was painfully aware, and yet he'd raced over here in the middle of the night without a second thought. It certainly wouldn't please Jotaro, he now realizes, to be disturbed so late in the night.
Why did he think it was a good idea to come here again?
Before he's even realized it, Koichi's tight grip begins wrinkling the papers in his shaky hands, and he can't help his mind from wandering to the negative again. Just as he is resigning himself to turn and leave, a distinct “click” falls upon his ears, and the blonde all but freezes as he catches sight of the doorknob slowly starting to turn. In another instant, he finds himself faced with the giant of a man.
Donned in a plush evening robe with a tousled head of hair, Jotaro looms over him effortlessly. He stares down at Koichi through narrowed eyes, still evidently heavy from sleep. (Or maybe from a lack thereof, Koichi couldn't tell.)
"G-Good evening, Mr. Jotaro..." They stand there staring dumbly at one another for a tense moment, before Koichi remembers why he’d shown up here in the first place. "I'm sorry, I know it's pretty late...I would've called, but I misplaced the number Josuke gave me." Koichi laughs nervously. When Jotaro doesn’t immediately respond, instead nodding at the visibly anxious boy now standing in his doorway, Koichi tries again.
"I actually came to return the files you lent me the other week. I've also got a few questions about the trip tomorrow, i-if you wouldn't mind humoring me for a bit, of course... ” Koichi’s voice is sheepish, as he tries to hide behind the stack of documents in his hands.
After a brief moment of consideration, Koichi guesses that it must be a good enough excuse for Jotaro. The man shrugs, accepts the thick stack of documents, and ushers him inside.
"The trip is two weeks in Italy, all expenses paid." He begins reciting what he'd already explained to Koichi during his first mission briefing, his tone as monotone as ever, “Take a seat.”
Koichi is then directed to a plush couch, seating himself promptly, as Jotaro tosses the labeled documents onto a low coffee table between them. Jotaro nearly sits, too, before he fleetingly realizes that he actually has a guest for once.
His first instinct is to offer the boy coffee, but he again realizes that it's already late and probably way past curfew. The young blonde looks almost like a deer caught in headlights, Jotaro briefly thinks, sizing him up as he sits ramrod straight on the sofa cushion.
"Tea?" Jotaro offers as a next resort. Hopefully it would help the kid relax a bit.
"Y-Yes, thank you! If it's not too much to ask." Koichi smiles tiredly, at first startled by the civility of the offer, but still grateful for the effort on Jotaro’s part, "I’m sure that’ll help my nerves." He can’t help the anxious laughter that tumbles past his lips, as he tries once again to settle into his seat.
Jotaro doesn’t comment on the odd behavior, instead nodding and setting to work as he crosses into the kitchenette and places a kettle on the electric stove.
“So,” he finally begins, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stands above the stove, “what’s so important that you had to come break down my door this late?”
In spite of such words, there is still a hint of playfulness to his tone, so faint and subtle that Koichi almost doesn’t catch it at first. It’s somewhat rare for Jotaro to poke fun at other people like that, and this fact alone helps Koichi to relax a bit more in his company.
“I’m sorry,” he apologizes yet again out of habit, turning to look at Jotaro over the back of the couch with a shy grin still playing at his lips, “I just...really wanted to hear the plan one more time. If I’m being honest...I have some concerns.” He hopes that Jotaro won’t think any less of him for needing the extra reassurance, or even worse than that; that he won’t take Koichi off of this mission entirely.
“Concerns?” Jotaro begins with a raised brow, his eyes scanning Koichi carefully. “About?”
It was the question that Koichi had been simultaneously hoping for and dreading, as a new wave of anxiety began to bubble up within his chest. He desperately needed to talk to someone about this, yet the desire not to disappoint Jotaro was just as strong.
“You see, I uh...I’ve never been outside of Morioh before, Mr. Jotaro...let alone outside of Japan.” He begins more sheepishly than before, starting to worry his bottom lip between his teeth. He quickly averts his gaze from Jotaro’s piercing blue eyes.
“I guess I just don’t really know what to expect, being alone in a foreign country and all...” His words begin to trail off, the silence from the other man getting to him more than usual. Koichi fears that maybe he’s upset Jotaro by telling him this, and he doesn’t give the man a chance to respond.
“I-I mean, I’m very grateful for the chance to go, and I don’t want to sound like I’m chickening out last minute or anything! I just—“ before Koichi even realizes it, he’s rambling, all of the muddled feelings and anxiety that had been building up over the past weeks finally boiling over, “I don’t know what to expect!”
It’s all Jotaro can do just to watch as Koichi’s excitement quickly consumes him, the boy evidently struggling to find the proper words. Jotaro is briefly reminded of just how complicated teenagers could be.
“Koichi, just take a breath—“
“But what if I’m attacked by an enemy stand user, Mr. Jotaro? By someone really bad—someone like Kira? I-I don't think I can handle that on my own…”
Jotaro is somewhat taken aback to hear the dead man’s name mentioned so openly again, and his eyes visibly widen a bit. It seemed that Koichi was still shaken up after their encounter with that lunatic, but of course Jotaro couldn’t even blame the kid. They had both taken considerable damage in the fight, and may have very well died if Josuke hadn’t arrived in the nick of time to heal them. It made sense for Koichi to be so apprehensive about this, and Jotaro mentally slapped himself for overlooking such a possibility.
No matter how grown they may try to act, or how developed their stands may be, Koichi and the rest of the gang were still young—still only teenagers. A fact which was apparent to Jotaro perhaps now more than ever.
Koichi finally seems to catch his breath a bit, not noticing as Jotaro exits the kitchenette and makes his way over towards him again.
“Koichi,” he begins, the usual bluntness to his voice suddenly gone, “just stop and think about this for a moment. Why would I ask you to do this if I didn’t think you were capable?” The gentle words as well as the feeling of a large hand against his shoulder is what finally snaps Koichi out of his stupor, and he turns back to look up at Jotaro. He suddenly felt very small and very silly in the shadow of such a giant.
“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Jotaro...I must sound pretty lame right now, huh?” He lets out an embarrassed bit of laughter, struggling to wipe the sudden wetness from his eyes. Jotaro on the other hand doesn’t seem put off by his behavior in the slightest.
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Koichi.” His voice is as even and reassuring as ever, and Koichi gradually begins to feel the tension leave his shoulders from the sound of it alone. “Fear is a normal human reaction, so don’t ever be ashamed of it.”
Koichi can’t help the rosy tint that begins flooding his cheeks, feeling simultaneously ashamed yet grateful for the comfort all the same. Jotaro takes the boy's silence as his cue to continue.
“I asked you to take on this task because I believed in your abilities, Koichi.” Jotaro gives the blonde’s shoulder another gentle squeeze, hoping that it might somehow be enough. He wasn’t exactly known for his people skills, and was never very good at comforting others. But dammit, he was trying.
”You and your Echoes are perfect for a mission like this, so don’t ever doubt yourselves. I certainly don’t.” Seemingly satisfied with his own words, Jotaro soon lapses back into his usual quietness, slowly pulling away from Koichi.
The boy in question was now entirely beet-red, a whole mess of words jumbled up in his head. Just how was he supposed to respond to such praise without sounding like a complete and utter dolt?
Luckily, Koichi doesn’t have to think very long about a response, before a piercing wail cuts through the silence of the room. Koichi nearly jumps out of his skin, finally turning back again to cast an accusatory look at the source of the unpleasant noise—the forgotten kettle still sitting on the stove top.
“Oh.” Jotaro comments a bit dumbly, the lack of sleep having left him uncharacteristically forgetful. Despite the unpleasantness of such a sound, it served to cut the awkward silence between them from growing too long, so Koichi doesn't mind it as much.
Jotaro promptly heads into the kitchenette and silences the aforementioned wailing, before ushering Koichi over to him with a terse nod of his head. He pulls a set of teacups from the cupboards above the stove, before offering one to the despondent boy.
With tired eyes, Koichi watches as the man carefully pours the steaming tea for them both, exhibiting a surprising amount of poise as he does so. Once their cups were full, Jotaro decides to speak up again, voice sounding low and calming once more.
“I really don’t mind going over the plans with you like this,” he offers Koichi more soft reassurance, pausing to stifle a low yawn inbetween his words, “Whatever I can do to help put your mind at ease.”
If Koichi thought he felt like crying before, then he most certainly did now, as a sudden and calming wave of relief began to wash over him. He was glad he decided to come here after all.
“Thank you, Mr. Jotaro,” Koichi blinks through his blurred vision, a tired smile beginning to tug at his lips despite the tears still in his eyes, “I-I really appreciate that...”
Jotaro, too, allows a small smile to pass. They were both no doubt going to be exhausted in the morning, but he reasons that it can’t be helped right now.
Besides, Koichi was worth it.