Chapter Text
"Kineko-san! Hey, Kineko-san!"
Having salt thrown in your eyes first thing in the morning was hardly what you wished for, and yet that was exactly what happened.
“Oh gosh! I’m so sorry, Kineko-san! I didn’t think it would get into your eyes when you’ve got those big round glasses covering them!”
The JoJo fangirls giggled as you took your glasses off and gripped them in your hand, your other wiping at your burning, tearing eyes. It stung a lot… The pain searing across your retinas like coalfire. You gritted your teeth.
“We only meant to help you, Kineko-san. You understand, don’t you? Since you’ve been haunted by a lot of demon spirits lately, I thought the salt would help!”
The audacious giggling continued. You felt your temper rising. Your mother’s words echoed to the forefront of your mind: Don’t cause trouble for others. You had to hold back...
"It's JoJo!!"
"JoJo!!"
"JOJO!!!"
The flock of fangirls left suddenly to swarm around a tall guy in a black coat, grey shirt and black trousers. An unnecessarily clunky chain clanged from the left side of his bulky collar. Around his waistline trailed two gaudily-striped belts, one tacked through his belt loops, the other draping loosely underneath. His feet invaded long black shoes without any sign of socks. Worst of all, his head sprouted a dark cap which disturbingly seemed to be made up of his own hair at the back. This student with his own modified attire was the delinquent named Jotaro Kujo, or JoJo by his cult followers and enemies alike, the latter of which he had sent to the hospital with multiple broken bones.
Your mother had warned you about guys like him.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
“KYAAAAAA~ He shouted at me!”
“No, me!-”
There it was, his trademark outburst, followed by the incomprehensible fawnings of the fangirls. Your brow twitched. You couldn’t understand how they could still cling to him when he shouted at them like that. It only made you want to grate his throat out with the highest grade of sandpaper. To you, his barbarous attitude served no useful purpose other than to strain his fangirls ever closer towards him. You couldn’t help but scoff. They deserved each other, him and his fangirls. You couldn’t wait until he graduated next year and you would finally be relieved of his overbearing presence. The JoJo fangirls would have to disband too. Two birds with one stone.
At least, that was what should have happened.
"Kineko-san, thank you for coming to see me. Sorry for pulling you away from your Student Council duties."
"Not at all," you replied easily, approaching Teacher Sato at his desk. "I was just finishing up the last things with Midori-san.”
“That’s good to hear. You are indeed working very hard,” your homeroom teacher smiled.
Partway through the second semester of last year, Jotaro got called away for some 'important' family business. He was gone for fifty days. It was a mystery to your peers what he had been up to and they gossiped amongst themselves with theories. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have bothered you except for the fact that he had to be held back a year as a result.
Now he was in your class. Or was supposed to be. His chair had been empty for a month since the new school year started. Which led to the reason your homeroom teacher had called you in.
“Now, I have a favour… A big favour to ask of you, if you’d like.” Teacher Sato adjusted his glasses. “Your marks have been impeccable since the first year. No doubt everyone has expectations for you to become the valedictorian of the year. We are all very proud of you.”
You blushed, bowing your head courteously with a smile, “Thank you, Teacher Sato. I’m- I’m flattered. That means a great deal to me.”
“Your praise is well deserved. Now, about the favour. I was wondering if you might help out the worst performing student of the year.”
“Who?”
“Jotaro Kujo.”
Teacher Sato was one of your favourite teachers in the school. You greatly respected the soft-spoken man. He was patient, he was compassionate and he was wise. You looked up to him as one of your role models.
Which was why the name which fell from his mouth made you feel very conflicted, indeed. The blood in your veins ran ice cold. You tried not to let it show on your face. “Oh. He’s been missing a lot of school, hasn’t he?” you replied flatly.
Teacher Sato nodded. The wrinkles on his forehead creased. “As I understand it, he has been facing some family issues as of late. The Principal, Vice Principal and myself have been to visit him a few times but he refuses to see any teachers. That’s where, I hope, you come in.” Teacher Sato looked up at you.
Your lips pursed slightly. You had always done any favours the kindly teacher asked of you, which weren’t anything you couldn’t handle. But this one... You didn’t like it. As much as you respected Teacher Sato and his requests, you didn’t much want to take on this one. “Teacher Sato, does it... Does it have to be me who visits him? With all due respect, sir, maybe he has friends who could go instead? He has a lot of fangir- I mean, there are probably others who would be more enthusiastic to pay him a visit. People who would be better choices than I.”
Teacher Sato shook his head. “Sadly, anyone who knew him has graduated. And as for his fangirls,” his eyes twinkled in amusement, “they may be enthusiastic but I don’t quite believe they have his best interests at heart.”
Seeing as you still seemed unconvinced, the bespectacled man said, “In this difficult time for him, I think he would really appreciate a visit from his classmate. Someone around his age, someone to feel more familiar with. Kineko-san, I believe you would have a lot to offer him.”
Teacher Sato looked at you in earnest. Again, you felt conflicted. The hopeful twinkle in his eye gave you very little reason to refuse his request. You finally gave in with a little hesitance. “What should I do then?” you asked, holding back a sigh.
“I think it would be good if you could help him catch up with his studies. But even a simple chat would suffice.” Teacher Sato smiled and handed you Jotaro’s address on a piece of paper with directions from the school. He wished you luck and for a report on how it went tomorrow. You left the teacher’s office.
“Shiiiizuuuukaaaa!”
You staggered to the side as your friends, Ruka and Momo, piled onto you in an all-out affectionate attack. You yelped, trying to push them both off you but they only clung on harder.
“Guys, get off me this instant."
“But we loooove you, Shizuka-chaaaaaan!”
“Let us shower you with our undying love.”
“Urgh...”
Eventually, they relieved you of their cuddle confinement. You straightened your uniform with the patter of your hands.
“One day, you will get used to our hugs,” Ruka gave a smug smile, as if she was so sure of her own prediction.
Momo matched her smile with a graceful one of her own. “It’s guaranteed. The stars have informed me so.”
“I’m sure,” you sighed in resignation, adjusting your glasses. “So why are you guys still here? Were you waiting for me?”
“Yeah! I got Momo to help me with my math homework.”
“You were fiddling with your pens the entire time,” berated Momo with a pointed look.
“I can’t dooo iiiiit. You know I suck at math! Anyway, we weren’t about to let you go out of school by yourself, not with those stupid- those fangirls causing you trouble…”
“They’re just bored because their favourite delinquent isn’t coming in,” Momo tutted. Then she asked, “By the way, how did it go at the teacher’s office? What did Teacher Sato want?”
“Um, well. Funny you should mention that delinquent because…”
You told them what had transpired in the teacher’s office, with you reluctantly accepting to pay a visit to the Kujo residence.
Ruka and Momo stared at you, their mouths dropping open. “Eeeeeeeehhhh??” they cried in unison.
You sighed again, your shoulders dropping like weights. “What can I do about it? The teachers have tried their best already. I’m not saying that I would make any difference, but because they asked me to do it, I feel an obligation.”
“Are you gonna go now?” asked Ruka, looking concerned. “Do you want us to come with you?”
You held up your hand. “No, it’s alright. I wouldn’t want to trouble you guys. Teacher Sato told me he lives with his mother so I think it should be okay…”
You walked with your friends out of the school gates before going your separate ways. You promised them before you parted that you would call the police if the delinquent tried to murder you. Granted, that was if you weren’t already lying in a puddle of your own blood first...
You decided you would go straight to the Kujo residence instead of going home first. You had your notes in your bag already. You hadn’t known what else you should bring either. You knew nothing about the delinquent other than his less-than-stellar reputation. You wondered what kind of accommodation he lived in. You tried not to imagine some barbed wire fencing around a dilapidated dungeon down some seedy alleyway...
Twenty minutes later, you found yourself in front of a traditional-looking condo, one of four in the area, with pristine tiled roofing and smooth, exquisite wooden beams running along the walls. It was entirely not what you expected, and you had to double check the sign to make sure you had the right residence. The whole place was big, with the land spanning thousands of square feet. There was a large pond by the gate entrance lined with rocks, stones and small manicured shrubbery. It gave a pleasingly tranquil aesthetic. On the other side you spotted what looked to be an outdoor onsen with stylistic crane-printed screens for privacy. You knocked on what you presumed might be the front door to the complex.
The lattice door opened to reveal a fair caucasian woman with a neat bob of blonde hair. “Oh,” you said, being caught off guard by her appearance. “Pardon me, is this the Kujo residence?” you asked, wondering if you had the wrong place after all.
“Yes, this is the Kujo residence,” the woman nodded. She looked down at your uniform. “Are you from Jotaro’s school?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” you confirmed with a bow of your head. “My name is Shizuka Kineko. I am a classmate of Jotaro Kujo. The school sent me to see him.”
“Oh, I see! Kineko-san, was it? It’s so nice to meet you! My name is Holly Kujo. I’m Jotaro’s mother.” Mrs Kujo grabbed your hand and shook it delicately, smiling a beautiful smile. “Thank you for coming all this way, Kineko-san. I’m sure Jotaro would be happy to know his classmate came to visit him. Please, follow me!”
You and Mrs Kujo spent a few minutes getting to know each other. You were impressed with how fluent her Japanese was. You found out that she was American and had moved to Japan after marrying Jotaro’s father. She was already so different from the reputation that preceded her delinquent son with her welcoming and mellow manners. Speaking with her felt like a breath of fresh air.
The two of you stood outside the next building in the complex. Mrs Kujo opened the door and invited you into the living room. “Jotaro,” Mrs Kujo called jubilantly, “your classmate, Kineko-san, has come to visit you! Isn’t that lovely?”
The room was very spacious and clean. There was little in the way of furniture, save for some zen cushions, an imperial low table and neatly aligned tatami mats lining the floor. You looked over to the far side of the low table where you could make out a large body lying down. You figured, with that unmistakable hairy hat on his head, that it was Jotaro. He had his black trousers and grey shirt on but no dark coat. He was lying on his side on multiple cushions with his back turned to you. He showed no sign of reaction. You made your pleasantries, introducing yourself with a courteous nod of the head.
Mrs Kujo gestured over at the low table, “Make yourself at home, Kineko-san. I’ll bring some tea and snacks over.” She hummed to herself, leaving you alone with her son.
An awkward silence fell upon the room. You gripped the handle of your school bag. You wondered if Teacher Sato shouldn’t have picked someone who was naturally good at making conversation instead, because you had no idea what to talk about. From what you knew of the delinquent, you had nothing in common with him so you couldn’t think of anything to say.
The delinquent was still lying on his little cushions that looked too tiny for his large body. He acted like you weren’t even there. The ironic truth was that you didn’t even want to be there and yet here you were. You took a deep breath to steady your uneasiness. You figured you would start by explaining yourself.
“Kujo-san,” you addressed him clearly to be sure he might listen, “I’ve been sent by the school to visit you. Since you haven’t been coming in for a month, it was the hope of the teachers that I would tutor you to bring you up to speed. I was the top student last year - an honour which I hope to achieve this year as well - so I have complete faith in my abilities.”
Silence.
“I’ve brought all my notes with me. It is my understanding that you’ve been absent for the latter half of last year so you may not remember what was covered up until then. We can go over the material from the start.”
Not even a sound.
You wondered if he was asleep, but you saw he had his head propped up on his elbow. You tiptoed your way over cautiously, feeling like an unwelcome intruder in the room. You made it to the low table. You peered over at what he was doing.
He was reading manga.
“U-um,” you stuttered out loud in surprise. This was rather unexpected. “... What kind of manga are you reading?” you asked politely.
No answer.
You peered at the panels. You recognised the characters from one of Momo’s volumes. If you recalled correctly, it was a fantasy manga. You had no idea that Jotaro would be into that kind of thing. Your eyes flickered ahead and you took in the rows and columns of all the manga volumes stacked up by the book cabinet at the back. There was a distinct gap between the larger pile on the left and the smaller one on the right. You figured they must indicate between the read and the not-yet-read piles. And the delinquent seemed to be consuming them at an alarming rate.
You pursed your lips. You didn’t come here to watch him read manga. “I’m going to move some things on this table so we can begin some work.”
You missed the way Jotaro’s shoulders tensed.
You picked up the magazines, stacking them neatly on the floor. As you were doing so, a picture slipped out from the bottom of one and floated to the floor. You glanced down at it. It showed a group of five people smiling in some desert. You bent down to pick it up-
A china cup flew past the side of your head and crashed into the wall behind. You whipped your head round at the smashed contents of the cup dripping down the wall, the exploded pieces of porcelain lying shattered all over the floor.
You turned your head back round and froze. Jotaro’s eyes were glaring at you.
“Don’t touch that,” he hissed.
You looked into Jotaro’s scathing eyes, projecting the gaping mouth of a giant python, looming towards you, its fangs dripping with menace and foreboding. Your breath hitched, catching in your throat where it stuck and trembled, threatening to burst.
"Kineko-san??" Mrs Kujo called after you as you ran straight past her out of the front gates without stopping. You didn’t look back.
You only stopped once you had sprinted at least two minutes down the road, clutching onto a stone wall for breath. You panted heavily, taking your glasses off to wipe the sweat off your forehead. “M-... Monster…” you wheezed shudderingly. What kind of person would throw a cup at someone for wanting to pick something up off the floor?? That delinquent was crazier than you thought. He was a monster. An oversized, hairy-capped monster with a horrendous temper. You weren't going back there.
"Give him another chance."
"What?"
You came to report to Teacher Sato the next day. You did not think he would still be so lenient towards the delinquent.
"Give the boy another chance. He probably needs some more time to adjust."
Adjust to what, you thought to yourself. For all you knew, the delinquent seemed quite content to lie on his cushions and read manga all day long. You wondered what it was your homeroom teacher could possibly still see in him.
The doubt must have shown on your face because Teacher Sato addressed you. He faced you fully on his chair, holding you with his steady gaze. "You are a remarkable student, Kineko-san. You always do your work on time and deliver it to the highest standard. Your grades are more than satisfactory and I’ve no doubt you will go far in life. But life isn't just about making the grades and fulfilling duties. I believe Kineko-san is someone who has so much to offer outside of all that. The fact that you have made friendships is proof of that. What is it that you hope to become in the future?” He put his hand on top of the pile of career forms for the second year students.
You remembered filling in the box for your top choice last year. There was no question about it. “I want to become a teacher,” you answered succinctly.
Teacher Sato nodded with a smile. “Think about the bonds you have made during your time in school. Being a teacher means building bonds with all your students. Especially with the difficult ones. You can’t dismiss them simply on that basis. They’re human too, just like us. I imagine Kujo-san must be feeling very lonely these days. Everyone he knew from last year has graduated and moved on. He could use a new friend. I really think you could be that new friend for him.”
You could only nod and smile before Teacher Sato sent you on your way. Coming out of the teacher's office, you felt like you had seen a ghost. You might even become one at this rate. The thought of becoming friends with someone who could have killed you with one china cup to the face. You felt a chill run up your spine. It seemed an unreasonable request for an unreasonable person.
“Drive over there in a tank and kick his butt!” said Ruka during lunchtime after you relayed all that had happened to your friends. She shook her fist in the air in anger and growled, “How dare he!”
“It is pretty shocking,” conferred Momo with a surprised look. She asked, “Are you planning to go back?”
You made a grimace. “I don’t particularly wish to, but Teacher Sato thinks that I should. I don't know what to do.”
“Hey, I know! What if the three of us busted in there and took him on?” Ruka suggested, her eyes blazing with battle thirst. “It’d be three against one. He’d have no chance!”
“Didn’t he send four people to the hospital once?” pointed out Momo with a finger on her chin.
Ruka went back to pondering hard for a solution, scrunching her face up tightly.
“What is this I am hearing about going over to visit JoJo??”
A girl with long sandy-coloured hair came up to you, folding her arms with a pinched nosed expression. It was Kotori-san, the new leader of the JoJo fangirls after last year’s leader had graduated. She stood surrounded by her fellow fangirls flanked on either side. “You better not desecrate his home with your meager presences!”
You had to stop yourself from scoffing over the fact that you had already done as the fangirls feared. “Too late,” you muttered under your breath.
“What was that?? You better speak up when I’m talking to you! You, Kineko-san, especially don’t deserve to go near JoJo with your cursed existence! Who knows what kind of demons would haunt him if you did!”
“Oi you,” Ruka shot them with a warning stare. “Are you quite done yet? We have studies to be doing, food to be eating. Y’know? We ain’t got time for your arty-farty airs.”
The leader squinted her eyes. She pointed a thin finger at the three of you. “I’m only going to be letting you off this time with this light warning! Stay away if you know what’s good for you! Otherwise heads shall roll!” She and the other fangirls turned on the spot, their skirts spinning in haughty fashion, sticking their noses up in the air, and left.
Momo raised an eyebrow at Ruka, “Since when did you do your studies?”
“Well, I obviously meant you two with that bit. The eating food bit was about me,” Ruka stuck out her tongue playfully.
After school you went to the library to browse books. You wanted something new to read, having finished your most recent loans. You mostly liked to read documentaries, biographies and autobiographies. They offered a fresh new perspective through the eyes of other people. It seemed a shame to be living only one life when there were so many millions and billions out there. You loved to read what others have found out and discovered on their journey of life. There was so much to learn and absorb from their experiences, so much to immerse yourself in.
You were scanning the blurb of one such biography when you came across something that caught your attention. This book was about the life of a martial arts master. As you began to read through it, an idea started to form in your head. You started browsing other books about the art form and other related disciplines...
The next day you sought out various classmates to procure favours of them. You gathered all that you needed and got ready after school.
You walked back to your house, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. You were rewarded for it with all the stares of the world as dubious eyes followed you down the road like you had grown a second head on your shoulders. You carried on walking, acting like nothing was out of place. You reached your house and let yourself inside. You went to the kitchen. You were glad your mother wasn’t home yet otherwise you'd have to face an armada of questions. You took what you needed and came back out. Mrs Kimura, your elderly neighbour, greeted you, making you jump. You turned round and begged her to turn a blind eye to what she saw. She asked for a bag of dried plums with a glint in her eye. You made the deal with her to seal her lips.
“K- Kineko-san??”
You were back at the Kujo residence. Mrs Kujo jumped at the sight of you. She placed a hand over her chest, “Why, you startled me!... I’m glad it’s only you, but, why are you dressed like that?”
“For protection,” you said.
Mrs Kujo’s expression fell. “Really, I’m… so sorry about what happened yesterday. I had a little talk with Jotaro about it. He’s not normally like that, I promise. But,” she perked up slightly, giving a little smile, “I’m really happy that you came back to see him. It means a lot to me. I’m sure it would mean a lot to him as well.”
Mrs Kujo led you over to the door of the living room and slid it back once more. “Jotaro,” she called, “Kineko-san is back to talk to you again! Isn’t that great? Shall I prepare tea and snacks?” she smiled brightly.
You took a step in.
“Jotaro Kujo.”
You brandished your frying pan in the direction of the low table. “Your carefree days of manga reading ends here. You will begin your studies now!”
"Eh??" Mrs Kujo became startled once more.
Jotaro turned round on his cushions. His eyes twitched ever so slightly under his cap.
You were standing in the doorway, looking like some misshapen polygonal game figure. Your body was engulfed by a clunky ice hockey armour, padded out underneath by a baseball one for double the protection. Your arms and legs too were swathed in safeguards like wonky walnut shells. On your head was a bulky helmet which was slightly too large for your small head that it clackered against your skull if you moved too suddenly. Everything on you was comically far too big despite being the smallest sizes the sports clubs could offer, but it was the best you could come up with. The self defence books from the library had given you the inspiration for wearing protection. It had also given you the idea of wielding the makeshift weapon in your hand when facing off against a formidable enemy.
“Um. Is that necessary, Kineko-san?” Mrs Kujo looked uncertainly at your frying pan.
Jotaro got up.
He sauntered slowly over towards you, placing one large foot in front of another, until he was right in front of you. You froze on the spot. You knew he was big but this was ridiculous. Your eye level barely even reached his chest. Your eyes drifted all the way up his mountainous torso, reaching an altitude of several thousand feet, until you reached his icy eyes at the top of the shadowy precipice. You felt a cold wind billowing down onto your face, like the precursor to a bad omen.
“Go home.”
Jotaro turned round to go back to his cushions.
“Jotaro, you know... Kineko-san just got here... I think it would be nice if she stayed a little while?” suggested Mrs Kujo hopefully.
“No.”
Jotaro's feet stopped in their tracks. It was your small voice that had spoken out in answer to him. Slowly, he turned his head back at you.
“You heard me,” you breathed, shakily putting both hands onto your frying pan. You took a deep breath and drew yourself up taller. Granted it wasn’t much but it would do. You had been sent to tutor one delinquent, and one delinquent you shall tutor. “I’m… I’m not going home before I teach you a lesson!”
Somewhere in the distance you heard your father’s laughter ring out over your pun.
The delinquent stormed back in front of you with all the humour of an apocalyptic thundercloud. He drew himself up to his full height looking down at you menacingly.
“Go. Home.”
“No.”
“Go home!”
“No!”
“I said-”
“YOU go home!”
“I AM home!”
You stared wildly at Jotaro. You had no idea why you just said what you said. Maybe you were going mad. Maybe he was going mad too, as he stared right back at you looking like his eyes would pop out of their sockets. He clenched his fist.
“Go home before I-”
“Before you what? Punch me? Beat me to death? You think you can intimidate me?! Think again because I have come prepared! I’ll have you know I have left a note for my mother to call the police if I’m not back by nightfall! Not only that, but I’ve read up on all there is to know about exacting body pain through self defence, and I won’t hesitate to put this knowledge to practical and deadly use with this frying pan! So go ahead and try it! Either way, I am prepared for a fight to the death!”
“U-um! Maybe we can talk this through with some tea and snacks??” Mrs Kujo became alarmed over this escalating turn of events.
Jotaro slammed a fist into the wall beside the door frame, causing a shudder in the wooden beams above.
“You’re pissing me off,” he growled.
“Good! The feeling is mutual,” you spat back.
“Go home!”
“No!”
“Go home!!”
“No!!”
“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!”
“NO! WHY DON'T YOU GET OUT OF THE HOUSE?!”
“THIS IS MY HOUSE!”
“AND I’M TELLING YOU TO GET OUT OF IT!”
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!”
“YOU THINK A LITTLE SHOUTING IS GONNA SCARE ME?”
“GET THE FUCK-”
“THIS IS NOTHING-”
“-OUT OF MY HOUSE!”
“-COMPARED TO MY MOTHER!”
“GET!!! OUT!!! OF!!! MY!!! HOUSE!!!”
“MAKE ME!!!”
Jotaro lunged forward, raising his arm. You brought your frying pan up to defend yourself–
You accidentally slipped on the tatami mats and it flung out of your hands, flying in an arc five metres away from both you and Jotaro, landing with a thud and bouncing over by Mrs Kujo’s feet, where it sat spinning for a few revolutions before coming to a standstill.
The motion seemed to have called for a halt to you and the delinquent, both of you frozen on the spot. You huffed and puffed inside of your clunky protective gear as, opposite you, Jotaro remained still. You were shaking inside. For a very cold moment, you thought you would meet your maker at the end of the delinquent’s giant fist.
To the side, Mrs Kujo looked uncertainly between you and Jotaro, frequently switching from one to the other. She was at a loss for what to do, clutching and wringing at her own hands. You knew how she felt since you had no idea what to do yourself. Surely, this would be a moment where anyone well versed in socialising would suggest reposing with a game of sport, or whatever it was that guys chose to do to reconcile.
You being you, however, could only think of one thing to do. You took a few deep breaths to steady yourself before saying, “So, are you ready to study now?” You braced yourself in case you had to go for round two of the screaming deathmatch, swallowing in silence.
Jotaro was still. He dropped his hand by his side and stood back up straight. He had an unreadable expression about him, his gaze stagnant and his jaw static. He took a deep breath in.
On the out-breath he said, “Fine.”
“What?” you stared at him. You were caught completely off guard by his answer.
Jotaro threw a defeated sigh for good measure. He brought a hand up to his forehead. He covered his eyes. “You want me to study, right?” He lifted his finger and pointed out of the door. “There’s a table out in the garden we can go to.”
Your eyes widened in surprise. Was he… Was he giving in? Was the delinquent really giving in to study? You examined him more closely. You noticed how his body slouched, how his hand dragged down his face. How his eyes looked downcast with a heaviness lining underneath. He looked bedraggled, like a poor soggy animal wet from the rain.
You started to regard him with a little pity then. You nodded, “We don’t have to study that long for today.” You went to pick up your frying pan and headed for the door. You stepped out of the doorway. You asked, “What subject would you like to start–”
The door slammed shut behind you.
You stared at it in shock.
“Jotaro? Why did you shut the door?” You heard Mrs Kujo say on the other side.
There was no answer from her son.
“Jotaro,” Mrs Kujo called again, “did you… did you mean to shut Kineko-san out on purpose?
It was at that point your mouth fell open.
You couldn’t believe it. You had been duped.
“Jotaro, please!” you could hear Mrs Kujo pleading to her son, “Kineko-san just got here. You should at least hear what she has to say. Jotaro, don’t be like this–”
“SHUT UP ALREADY! Damned woman, so freaking noisy...”
Something inside of you snapped. Everything in your line of vision began to take on a red overtone. Fists clenched at your side, knuckles turning white hot. Lungs filled to maximum capacity with fiery heat.
You opened your mouth and screamed,
“FINE! BE LIKE THAT! JUST STAY IN THERE AND ROT WITH ALL YOUR STUPID MANGA! I DON’T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED IN THE FIRST PLACE! I CAN’T BELIEVE I EVER TRIED FOR THE LIKES OF YOU! IT’S ONE THING TO SHUT THE DOOR IN MY FACE, IT’S ANOTHER TO TREAT OTHERS AROUND YOU WITH SUCH APPALLING GRACE! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! YOU UNGRATEFUL, SELF-CENTRED, INSUFFERABLE, INSOLENT, DISRESPECTFUL, LOUTISH, NO-GOOD, MONSTER OF A DELINQUENT! WHAT ANYONE SEES IN YOU IS COMPLETELY BEYOND ME! YOU AND YOUR STUPID EYESORE OF A HAIRY HAT! I REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR YOUR MOTHER! IF I WERE HER I'D HAVE THROWN YOU OUT ON THE STREETS! MAYBE THAT’S WHERE YOU BELONG! THE LIKES OF YOU ARE GOING TO AMOUNT TO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN YOUR SAD, SORRY LIFE, AND YOU WILL HAVE NOBODY TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF! I’M NEVER COMING BACK HERE AGAIN! GOODBYE!!!
You stormed off. You did not want to be anywhere near that detestable delinquent! In your blind fury, you ended up down some arbitrary pathway. The thought of his dumb, indifferent face filled you with inexplicable rage. "DESPICABLE!" you spluttered angrily. You swung your foot at a particularly offensive lamp post in your way. Not a second later and you regretted it as a hot, searing pain shot up your leg. “AAAAARGHH, FFFFF-” Clutching at your now throbbing foot, you hobbled over to a wire mesh fencing nearby. "Stupid! Kujo!” you took it out on the mesh with your fist, “And his! Stupid! Ugly! Hat! I! Hate! Him!" You thought of all the ways the delinquent could cease to live - choking on his tea, the ceiling light coming down and crashing onto his head, the manga pile avalanching into him and burying him six feet under, the cushions underneath him coming alive and chomping away at his flesh -
You were so consumed in your rage-filled mesh beating that you didn't notice someone approaching you from behind. "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die-"
“Kineko-san?”
You jumped ten feet into the air. You turned round to find Mrs Kujo. “O-oh! Hi! Hello, Mrs Kujo,” you stuttered. “I was, erm, I was just making my way home, haha.” You swallowed, sweat beading on your face. You hoped she hadn’t heard you cussing out her own son just now, though the chances of that were, admittedly, not very likely… Not to mention all those other insults you had hurled back at the door too…
But Mrs Kujo was not here to admonish you. She clutched at her side to catch her breath. Evidently, she had hurried all the way to catch up to you. “I came to talk to you,” she panted, looking at you with remorseful eyes. “Kineko-san, I’m so sorry about what just happened. I understand if you’re angry. If you don’t mind, would you spare me some of your time right now? There are some things I would like to tell you...”
You took in Mrs Kujo’s appearance. A few strands of her usually tidy hair fell loose in front of her worried face. Her dainty eyebrows curved down in a somber frown. The light wrinkles on her forehead furrowed under the weight of whatever was burdening her mind.
You couldn’t help but feel bad for her. You nodded your head and the two of you went to sit on a nearby bench.
Mrs Kujo placed her hands delicately on her lap. Her brow furrowed as she collected her words together. She began with care, “I would like to start by saying that Jotaro is a good boy. I know that mustn’t sound very believable after what just happened... And I may be biased because I am his mother... But he really has a good heart.”
She took a moment to gather her thoughts. You were silent in your seat as you took in the words she began to speak.
“Six months ago, I came down with a sudden illness. It’s hard to explain what that illness was but the prognosis was severe enough that I could lose my life in fifty days. That was the reason Jotaro was absent during that time last year. It was all for my sake. He went with his grandfather to Egypt in order to save my life. The two of them went over there to… to find a cure.
“In the end they managed to and I was able to recover straight away. They did what they had set out to do. But everything came at great cost.”
Mrs Kujo looked down at her hands and grasped them. Her expression became tense. Her lips wobbled as she struggled to let the words out. “Jotaro and his grandfather had travelled with two other friends. It had been a long and difficult journey for them all. I thought they would have been exhausted so I had prepared the spare rooms, expecting their return. But only Jotaro and his grandfather returned here. The other two did not. I couldn't help but wonder why. One of them even lived in Japan. I kept wondering to myself, why didn’t he return also? I tried asking Jotaro but he wouldn’t tell me anything. My father, Jotaro’s grandfather, also tried to hide it from me. But still, I could sense something was wrong. I could feel that something was not right.
"My answer came when I got a call from the family of the friend. They had asked for Jotaro and my father’s attendance at their son’s funeral. That was when I knew… I knew… During their trip, they must have been… Jotaro must have been… Jotaro… He…”
Mrs Kujo’s voice wavered as tears ran down her cheeks. She tried to continue speaking but the hiccups of her sobs prevented her. You looked away to give her a moment to herself, remaining silent. She wept a little more, sniffling here and there. Eventually, she continued,
“When I see Jotaro lying idly in the living room every day… my heart breaks. He hasn’t said anything about what happened. He won’t say anything but, as his mother, I know that he must be hurting deeply inside. I can feel it. He must be going through so, so much. Things must have happened during his trip that he needs time to himself… to come to terms with… to grieve...”
Mrs Kujo’s voice trailed off and she wept again. You stared off into the distance, processing yourself all that Mrs Kujo had said. You wondered what kind of illness she had that this trip had to be made to save her. You wondered what kind of a trip it was for Jotaro and his friends. You wondered what kind of friends he had. You started to think about if either Ruka or Momo died and you would have to attend their funerals. Your heart clenched painfully tight and you swallowed a tight lump in your throat.
“Kineko-san, you know,” Mrs Kujo wiped her tears with her hands, “I was really happy that you came back. It showed to me that you care. I think it shows to Jotaro too. I think it might even mean something to him, even just a little. He hasn’t said that many words to anyone since he came back. If I may… I feel a little hopeful for him to have a classmate around. It may be a little selfish of me to request but, I would be happy if you came back to talk to him. You don’t have to turn up every day, just whenever you can and feel like it. I think it would really help him. I think it’s what he needs right now. Just some new company to be with him. It’s all your own choice, of course. I would completely understand if you wouldn’t want to come by anymore.”
The sky above was getting darker. It looked like it might rain soon. Hearing Mrs Kujo talk about her son’s pain brought up memories of the past. You closed your eyes, your brow furrowing. You swallowed down your own pain a second time. The image of your father came to your mind. You thought about what he would do. You could hear his words encouraging you. You knew what he would have wanted.
“I,” you began hesitantly, “can’t promise that I’ll be of any actual help, but… I guess I can come by again tomorrow.”
Mrs Kujo’s mouth stretched into a teary smile. She grabbed your hands and clasped them tight in her own. “Thank you, Kineko-san,” she said.
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