Chapter Text
After the trip to Egypt ended, and DIO was defeated, Jotaro, Joseph, and Polnareff met up at the airport for one last goodbye. He started the trip with six people but came back with three. Polnareff had left for France, Joesph went back to New York after a few weeks, and Jotaro stayed in Japan.
But Jotaro changed, Holly saw it in him. She would try prying, but Jotaro would avoid the question completely. And why wouldn't he? She wouldn't understand the pain in his heart.
Kakyoin was dead. And Jotaro didn't even see him in his last moments. Every time he thought about Egypt, he thought about Kakyoin. Joseph had described the scene to him, how in his last moment, he figured out DIO's stand, how DIO had punched a hole in his stomach and sent him flying.
He missed Kakyoin. He missed Avdol and Iggy, but not in the same way. When he thought of Kakyoin, instead of the melancholy emptiness filling his stomach, he felt something else. He felt pain, anger, and... an unknown feeling in his heart. It hurt thinking about Kakyoin. And Jotaro couldn't stand it.
But, even with the events he suffered, life moved on. He had to return to school and go on with his daily routine.
One day, when he came back home from school, Holly came up to him, phone in hand.
"Honey, it's your grandfather! He wants to talk to you."
"Not now," he said dismissively. He hadn't spoken to Joseph or Polnareff since they separated. He ignored all of their calls. He felt a little guilty doing so. He didn't want to erase the trip they all had, Jotaro just... couldn't handle talking to them. He knew that the conversation would just go to Avdol, Iggy, and Kakyoin. He didn't want to talk about them.
He didn't want to talk about Kakyoin.
"Hello? Papa? He said he didn't want to talk!" Holly told Joesph. She paused, listening to what he said. "Oh?... Oh really?"
"Jotaro! It's about your friend, Kakyoin. He says he wants to talk to you about him!"
Jotaro froze, the pain he's now used to coming back. Did the old man think that bringing up Kakyoin would make him want to talk? How dare he? How dare he try and use Kakyoin to try and talk to him!
"Tell him to screw off!" Jotaro snapped, turning his back and heading towards his room. He took off his coat, tossing it on the floor. He lied down on his futon, thinking over what his mother told him.
A few minutes later, Holly came in, giddy and excited.
"Jotaro! I have some great news!" she said, leaning against the doorframe. It was great news, indeed. She, like any good mother, hated seeing her child hurt in any way. Even though Jotaro tried, he couldn't hide his feelings from Holly. She knew exactly how he felt about Kakyoin, but she was sure the depressed look that was stuck on his face would disappear once she told him.
"Go away, I'm not in the mood," Jotaro said, trying to shoo her out. Holly stayed put.
"Wait! Kakyoin! He's in the hospital!" she blurted out. Jotaro instantly sat up stared at her, shock overtaking his mind.
"What?" he managed to say after a few seconds of silence. Kakyoin... he's in the hospital? But how? How come nobody told him?
His mind flashed to all of the times Joesph and Polnareff tried calling. People probably were trying to tell him.
"Isn't that great? He's in London right now, but he's being discharged next week!" Holly smiled. Jotaro stayed silent, looking down at the floor. Kakyoin...
"Papa was telling me that he wanted to take you there to visit him! But... you already have way too many absences from last time, I'm not sure the school would allow it."
Jotaro balled up his fist. He... can't see Kakyoin? After months of sleepless nights and guilt, he found out he's alive, and he can't see him?!
He wants to see Kakyoin.
"I'm going to London."
He has to see Kakyoin.
"But if you do, you could be expelled! It took so much convincing the school to excuse 50 days. He'll be back once testing has started!"
He needs to see Kakyoin.
"Shut up, bitch! I don't care what happens! I'm going!" Jotaro yelled, Star Platinum appearing next to him. And with that ended the conversation. Holly stood there and sighed. If she could, she'd allow Jotaro to go. She'd even go with him. She cared for Kakyoin, too.
"H-How about you call him? It's around 7 AM there, so you should wait for a few more hours." Holly said, trying to calm Jotaro down. This seemingly worked, because Star disappeared and his fists relaxed. Holly sighed in relief and left his room, leaving Jotaro to sit and mull over his thoughts.
Kakyoin Noriaki...
Is alive...