Chapter Text
When Jotaro boarded the plane to Japan, he was happy. When he and his old man returned home to his mother and grandma, a table was set for the four of them to dine as family. Of course his father wasn’t around, but nonetheless, his mother was safe, he succeeded in his mission, he was at home. He was happy.
‘They knew what they got themselves into.’
The teen was reserved while he ate his dinner, hotpot, not the best with the coming summer, but he was glad to eat it, his mother’s cooking is the best after all. The adults chatted merrily, mindful of his space and for that he was thankful. Between talking and laughing, Joseph seemed so happy, and an ugly, bitter feeling settled at the pit of his stomach and he chugged down a beer to forget about it.
Something the old man did angered grandma Suzy and she snapped at him.
“Jotaro really is your grandson!” He barked a laughter, muffling any complain coming from his wife. Holly admonished her father, but couldn't contain her own giggles. The table looked like it showed two different realities, their voices but indistinguishable mumbles as Jotaro looked below his cap, his gaze sharp as he turned all his focus to his mom: He knows she noticed Kakyoin and Avdol aren’t around, he knows she isn’t talking to not sour their moods. Jotaro gritted his teeth then excused himself, maybe a bath can help him.
After a much needed cleanse he got into the tub. Jotaro submerged into the water, watching the roof through the rippling veil. If only he could float and wash away, aimlessly till he vanished, so the horrors of his life couldn't sink in and pull his frail conscience with them. The teen breached the surface and gasped for air, brushing the excess water from his eyes, then looking at his hands, analyzing every scar, every dent in his broken body. Jotaro chuckled bitterly, he really thought they were invincible didn’t he? One second they had outsmarted and defeated T. Darby, the other Avdol and Iggy where nowhere to be found, then Polnareff delivers the harsh blow. ‘They didn’t make it.’
‘He should have been prepared for that outcome.’
Then Joseph dies in front of him, his body frozen, helpless, as he watched that vampire bastard throw a knife aimed at his grandpa’s throat. He didn’t even know that Kakyoin had died then, he had to know from DIO of all people.
He got out of the tub, he was tired, but he doubted he could sleep. Jotaro dragged his feet to his room, sliding the door, setting the futon, all in automatic motion. The moment he plopped on the thin bedding his thoughts began to swim violently like a whirlpool, too quick to grasp any of them, but painful all the same, and in the midst of all that, as his eyes remained glued on the closed shoji doors, the teen couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.
Perhaps the most bizarre of it all was the lack of a threat, this gaze he could feel through his blood lulled him, putting his heart at ease, alleviating the scorching invisible scars in his body at the sound of a music box. Lifting his turbulent thoughts and soothing his pains, it was soon that the teen felt ghostly, mellow touches caressing his body, his vision warped to clouds dotted in pastel pinks.
Despite his initial assumption, Jotaro slept calmly for once in weeks.
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The next day he had to go to school, ‘return to a normal life’, his mind elsewhere as his body carried him to the building complex, he didn’t even notice the usual group of fangirls flocking around him, didn’t even notice their worried exchange of glances as he didn’t yell at them. The closer his feet dragged him towards the school the more he could hear a clock tickling at the back of his head, like a countdown to doom.
They knew of the dangers, at least he tries to convince himself they did.
School assembly happened the moment school term started. Groups of students gathered at the school gym, a cacophony of voices morphing into white noise, their silhouettes just a blur as time seemed to slow down to an unbearable degree. Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck as the principal approached the podium, invisible hands clawing at skin.
The arms of the clock moved methodically in his mind. Deep breathes, he needs to breath.
The principal got up, cleared his throat, then checked the microphone.
He wonders if anyone will notice if he goes away.
“I summoned all of you here today to share unfortunate news.”
‘Kakyoin’s funeral will be held this Sunday.’ Joseph told him after he got out of his bath.
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Kakyoin would have been a classmate, just now he had discovered this, Jotaro didn't let his mind wander to what-ifs, they were pointless and just made him delve into even more self-hatred. So it was with indifference that he watched as Kakyoin’s death became the talk of the week, the whole school was shrouded by a heavy blanket, with no one knowing how to react or how to feel. Nobody knew Kakyoin Noriaki, and even Jotaro still has a hard time believing he’s simply gone.
He knew most teachers had prayed he had given up school altogether. The days went by fast and Jotaro busied his mind with homework and extra activities, skipping classes when the subject itself wasn't demanding enough and he caught himself slipping into his thoughts and getting overwhelmed. The after school brawls continued, specially after some assholes thoughts his lack of interest in anything meant he thought of himself above others, but the wanton indulgence in his vices had diminished, not feeling as thrilling as they were before.
By Saturday he had a good portion of homework completed, his sudden shift in behavior replacing his friend's death in the school's halls in no time.
Sunday was just in the corner.
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Sometimes Jotaro wondered if he was in the same plane as everybody else, his perception was skewed, he often times felt like he wasn't in his body, and if it wasn't for Star Platinum, he'd think he was dead.
At this point, he wished he was.
The delinquent let his gaze wander beyond the window in school, he wasn't interest in today's lecture and no matter what he did the teacher's words didn't enter his head. Instead the pained, accusatory glare of Kakyoin's mom played in his head nonstop. Guilt washed over him anew and he ran a hand over his face, as if doing so prevented the teen to crumble against the raging waves.
"Tomorrow you'll change into you summer uniforms." His home room teacher said before his class was over.
Summer. A week till summer. Which meant summer break and nothing to busy his mind with. Jotaro clicked his tongue, fished for a cigarette box in his jacket's inner pocket and brought the rolled paper to his lips, lit the cig, and let the poison infiltrate his lungs. The teen expelled the smoke in practiced ease, the action calmed him down and he relaxed his posture, propping his jaw on his palm as he watched the smoke dance in front of him.
Then he heard a buzz ring faintly behind him, that same feeling of being watched returned. For once he considered the idea that an ally of DIO went after him, Jotaro took a drag then exhaled, getting worked up won't help him in this situation if that's the case. He ground the butt of the cigarette against the windowsill and his eyes widened, why was the sky yellow? He covered his eyes and let a shaky exhale. Good grief what is happening to him?
"Jojo?" One of his female classmates called out, she and some friends were worried. Jotaro’s attention went immediately to the only girl in the group that didn’t have her eyes on him, he followed her gaze and found a first aid kit on his desk, as if on cue Star Platinum materialized, his expression stoic as always but he understood the stand's message.
"I'm going to return this to the nurse's office." He walked to the door after telling a teacher off (just now he notice a teacher had already arrive in class), a classmate offered to help, but Jotaro was too lightheaded to yell at him. He slammed the door shut, unaware of the air of uneasiness he left the class in, Star Platinum helped him walk down to the office.
And as he did, the faint sound of city pop played in his head.
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"Ah, Kujo-kun." The new teacher exclaimed when the sliding door was opened, her eyes scanned the tall teen, settling on the kit in his hands. "So that's where it was! Did you get it behind my back?" She joked but he just tensed, where was the other teacher? This one approached him to get the kit back then glanced up, her brows knitted up. "You're so pale. Come inside, I'll check your temperature."
She stepped aside and Jotaro sat on the bed, dazed. After she closed the door and set the kit aside the teacher got a thermometer from the drawer, the teen had to check closely that it was, indeed, a thermometer before looking elsewhere, the screams from those delinquents already invading his mind.
"Temperature is ok…" She trailed off, eyes wandering to blossoming bags under his eyes. "Have you been sleeping well?” No. “Eating?” He forces himself to not worry his mother. “How many cigarettes you smoke a day?" None of your business.
"Although with everything that's happened and all the work you're doing to catch up, it can be stress. I'll let you rest for the day."
Jotaro wanted to protest, to say he was fine. His body had other plans, and he yawned the second he voiced his complaint. With a tsk, Jotaro rolled his jacket off his shoulders and laid it on the headboard, laying on his side on the flat infirmary bed, he closed his eyes. He should go sleep.
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Summer started with a downpour, Jotaro had forgone his gakuran coat and changed his undershirt to a plum one instead. He carried with him a black umbrella who did nothing to shield him from the raging wind and cold biting his skin, nor it did much to protect his favorite pants and shoes. Jotaro tsked, today is gonna be a bitch of a day.
Some students rushed by, a girl shrieked when her umbrella turned over but she didn’t stop on her tracks. Then a thunder boomed behind them, both Jotaro and students nearby flinched, but only the delinquent froze for a specific motive.
In the one second flash that preceded the thunder a familiar silhouette stretched through the stone pavement leading to the stairs he fell from in his first day of school: wires and long, flat helmet. The raindrops suddenly stopping in midair made adrenaline pump in his veins, the next second Star Platinum was summoned.
He expected a deep voice accompanied by boisterous laughter or self-centered nonsense. What he wasn’t expecting was a high-pitched mew clear and melodious like a metal wind chime, in seconds a small pink stand floated up the stairs, catching some still raindrops that, when it touched it's palm, looked like tiny diamonds.
A glimmer in the corner of his eyes caught his attention and the teen's eyes widened when every single raindrop twinkled like they were diamonds, he touched them out of curiosity and to his shock the small drops weren't liquid anymore. Was it work of this stand?
“Wait for me!” Another high-pitched squeak came from the stairs from who he suspects is it’s owner. The student's focused all his attention on the stairs, clenching his fists in anticipation for the possible threat.
By his order, Star Platinum hovered close to the pink stand, upon close inspection, it had a lot of heart-shaped plates in a light blue color. The student walked towards the chibi stand in time for it’s owner – a kid wearing a preschool uniform – to reach the top, Star Platinum relaxed by his side, and Jotaro’s fists unclenched after the boy revealed himself fully. When their eyes met a massive sense of devaju settled on him, big purple eyes widened as it analyzed every detail of his face and Jotaro could swear he saw hints of baby blue in those expressive eyes.
“Ah! There you are!” The kid ran towards him. Instinct put him on the defensive but it quickly melted away when this child tugged his hand, and as if to prove a point, his stand did the same to Star Platinum. "You're invited to my birthday! Come with me."
He began to pull Jotaro the opposite direction of the stairs and the student had half a mind to pull away, having to bend to accompany this child would take a toll on his back in no time, add to that the hurried pace he's taking and you get a frustrated Jotaro tugging the brim of his hat.
"Give me a break. Oi boya you're hurting me, and who are you anyway?" The boy stopped when he voiced his discomfort, big eyes staring at glaring ones, not even an ounce of fear.
The boy tilted his head, resembling a puppy. "You don't remember me?" He pouted. "It's me Josuke! I'm turning five today!" Josuke? He never heard of the name, but this feeling, relaxing his muscles like a hot shower after a work out session, he knew it well.
"Ah!" Jotaro almost jumped, his sense kicking into overdrive as he got aware of his surroundings. His priority was to check on Josuke, the boy looked up with a gaped mouth, he'd find the kid cute if he wasn't so high strung. "The party! If we get late I won't blow the candles. I won't age!" The boy ruffled his hair in panic, unsure of where to look. Jotaro refrained from telling him why that thought is completely wrong, instead the teen crouched down to be at Josuke's eye level.
"Where is the party being held?" He pointed forward, past a tori gate about a kilometer away. Without much thought the student grabbed Josuke by his sides and placed him over his shoulder. Jotaro sprinted towards the gate and Josuke threw his head back and laughed, it made him feel younger and so alive. The boy's giggling was sweet like cotton candy, dripped with innocence and warmth.
The scenario shifted to a whimsical city that couldn’t be more different from Tokyo: yellow skies and purple trees, colonial-style buildings in different contrasting colors. It was all so bizarre and yet it fit the eccentric kid on his shoulders.
The teen stopped on a hill to observe the city with wonder in his eyes, Josuke leaned on the rails, supporting himself as he accompanied the taller boy. Above them, crows flied by, their faint cawing rising in frequency.
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Caws in the background spurred him to wake up, bathed by the orange hues of sunset, Jotaro sat up in the infirmary bed, hand coming to comb the disheveled side of his hair as he recollected his most recent dream. That kid looked an awful lot like him at that age, sans height, Jotaro was always a tall kid.
But if it wasn't him, albeit with a different name for some reason, then who could it be? He also acted like they knew each other and this gave him other options: a childhood friend he forgot about, a child actor or a fictional character he recently heard of.
This mystery was bothering him and he needed to dig deeper into it.
"Oh, Kujo-kun you're awake." The school nurse turned on her chair to take a better look at him, arms draped on top of the other, she leaned into his direction. "So, do you feel better?" She's too fucking close. Jotaro clicked his tongue and moved to exit the bed before catching his coat. She pressed for an answer and he gave a curt and impatient 'yeah' as response, Jotaro bit back the urge to snarl. So damn nosy.
He needed to return to his classroom asap, praying to whoever God would listen that no one messed with his things.
By the time he collected his stuff club activities had ended. As Jotaro walked home his mind kept returning to his most recent dream and the biggest mystery in it.
Who is Josuke?