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Koichi doesn't flinch when the alcohol is applied to his wound. The stinging is only temporary, he tells himself, for Josuke will have a chance to properly heal him later. For now, though, Jotaro's paltry treatment will have to suffice.
"Thank you," he says meekly, offering a small smile to the man currently wrapping cloth about his bloodied wrist. Pain flares from the open cuts, but Jotaro strives to be gentle.
"I think you should really treat yourself first, though, Mr. Jotaro... I mean, I'm not as hurt as you are..." Koichi sheepishly raises his head to eye the battered figure before him. Jotaro does little more than clear his throat and spit blood to the floor.
There is a deep gash just above his left eye, Koichi notes, dripping with blood and marring the man's vision. He doesn't seem to mind it, though, as he continues treating the boy's wounds in place of his own.
Even his nose is bruised and bloody, so much so that Koichi silently wonders if it might be broken. Again, Jotaro doesn't seem to care.
"Koichi. You'll bleed to death before Josuke arrives," he mumbles through lips split wide open, and Koichi can tell that a tooth is missing before he eventually spits that out as well.
Jotaro turns a blind eye to the cracked molar as it falls to rest in a small pool of blood. He doesn't appear nearly as perturbed by the display as Koichi.
"I'm… grateful, really, but your bleeding is a lot worse," Koichi frets, as he so often does, and he tries to think of a viable reason to divert Jotaro's attention back unto himself.
An inarticulate grunt is the only response he receives, however, as Jotaro shifts focus to Koichi's own bloody nose.
"Raise your head." He's more blunt than he needs to be, but Koichi is used to it and so he listens. He tilts his head back to reveal a dark necklace of bruises, and Jotaro stares listlessly.
Koichi tenses under his unreadable gaze and quickly laughs to fill the suddenly unpleasant silence.
"I guess I am pretty banged up... but it doesn't hurt too much anymore, so-"
"Lucky Kira didn't break your neck," Jotaro comments dryly, pressing a torn cloth to Koichi's nose with unexpected care. "Be more careful next time." His voice is as calm and even as ever, almost as if he's reading something from a mundane newspaper article.
Koichi is careful to listen.
"Still, your recklessness seems to have saved my life," Jotaro goes on to say, his gaze shifting upwards to meet Koichi's eyes, now hopelessly wide.
"Thanks, kid."
In an instant, the boy's face lights up, embarrassment blossoming across his features in a pink wave. He suddenly has more trouble than usual in finding his words.
"O-oh! I don't think I really deserve any praise, I mean, I just did what any guy would do... I think," He begins to stammer, thoughtlessly worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, "It's no big deal, really..." His volume tapers off gradually, and Koichi finds himself stumped much sooner than he would've liked.
It was almost surreal to hear such approval from Jotaro's lips. He was a silent man by nature, and Koichi had never considered him to be very fond of the youth that surrounded him as of late. Koichi figured himself to be no different, in such demanding eyes.
As if aware of Koichi's underlying puzzlement, Jotaro sighs softly and decides to speak up once more.
"You did well on your own," He continues, disrupting Koichi’s thoughts to take his hand and draw it up to the cloth still pressed against his nose. He instructs him to hold it in place shortly, before moving on to tear more cloth for whatever else injury he felt needed to be dressed.
“You've also improved quite a bit," Jotaro says in a hushed tone, the subtle upturn of his lips gentle. "Nice work."
The praise is enough to return Koichi back to his senses, and his eyes go marvelously wide. For a short moment, he seems to gain some minor respite from the pain wracking his body, and he grins despite the metallic taste.
"T-thank you, Mr. Jotaro!"