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Erina’s eyes were half-filled with tears when she met Joanna Joestar. When Erina needed a savior more than anything, there she was, jumping over a stone wall, skirts flying around her legs. The two ruffians who were teasing her mercilessly turned their attention to the girl when she appeared right under their noses. They only got out a few nasty words before Joanna swung her arm out in a jab to the gut. Should Erina have been so captivated by watching her fight? No, absolutely not. That wasn’t right. It wasn’t what young ladies did. But this girl was her knight fighting a dragon. It didn’t matter to Erina one bit that Joanna was left pummeled on the ground in the name of “teaching this rich girl her place.” She was nothing short of incredible.
“I didn’t attack them for your sake,” she shouted when Erina tried to lift Joanna to her feet. Erina took a step back at the volume, a little hurt at the words. Joanna’s brows raised when she saw how her words affected Erina. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and started rubbing at the dirt and blood on her face.
Her next words came out softer but no less intensely.
“My tutor has me read books on top of books that celebrate the values of gentlemen, true gentlemen. I see no reason why I shouldn’t strive for the same values just because I’m a girl. If boys like that refuse to act like men, then it’s my responsibility to be the gentlewoman that a damsel in distress deserves.
“And if I go into a fight that I know I’ll lose,” she continued as she walked away, “then I just need to become stronger until I can win.”
Later in life, Erina would understand the true effect those words had on her. But in her youth, all she knew was that she was completely fascinated with Miss Joanna Joestar.
The next she heard of Joanna, she was helping Father Mackenzie sweep up the leaves by the front of the church. The older man was a good friend of her father’s, so Erina often stopped by to lend a hand after her studies. She was focused on a particularly stubborn leaf that refused to join the others in the pile when a group of boys walked past gossiping at nearly the top of their lungs. Like before, should she have cared about gossip? No. Coming from a doctor’s family, privacy was an important part of her life. But when Joanna’s name passed their lips, Erina couldn’t help but eavesdrop.
The word was that Joanna had been disguising herself a boy and joined a local pugilist group. It wasn’t an official club by any means, just a group of boys who gathered together to punch the living daylights out of each other. It was a bit too brutal for Erina’s tastes, but perhaps she would’ve stopped by like the other girls around town who wanted to ogle the boys if she knew Joanna was there. Nothing she was participating in could’ve been even a little depraved! Though from the sounds of it, she wouldn’t be competing anymore. Not since the Joestar’s family ward entered the ring and not only beat her down, but also exposed Joanna’s identity to the rest of the group. Erina had heard of this ward in passing, though his name escaped her at the moment. Everything anyone said about the boy implied that he was a decent lad who shone like a diamond in the rough, especially as someone lifted from the streets to high society. Erina wasn’t quite sure what she thought. On one hand, he brutally beat down Joanna, knowing she was a girl, using underhanded moves that clearly impressed the gossiping boys. On the other, he insisted that he revealed Joanna’s identity in order to protect her from getting hurt from the boxing ring and begged the other boys to keep her identify secret in order to save her dignity.
Naturally, everyone their age knew before the week was over.
A few days later, Erina found Joanna sitting by the river with her Great Dane. This wasn’t a coincidence like before. Earlier, she talked to Ms. Rigby and Ms. Hawkins, a pair of unmarried roommates, as Ms. Rigby received treatment from her father. She confided in them about how Joanna protected her, and they suggested a way to properly thank the young lady. It took a little bit of talking around town to figure out Joanna’s usual haunts, but clearly, that effort was worth it. She approached the river, intending to leave behind a basket of grapes and walk away so she didn’t intrude. The large dog by Joanna’s side had other plans.
She barely registered sound of the dry stick she stepped on before the Great Dane bowled into her legs, happily barking all the while. Erina gasped as her legs were knocked out from under her, sending her falling. If she didn’t catch herself, she would surely continue rolling down the hill. However, she would never be able to throw her arms out to properly break her fall because the large dog was playfully bowing in front of her. The absolute worst-case scenario was that she broke her fall only because she landed on the dog and hurt him, which would be a complete nightmare.
But she needn’t worry about her or the dog’s safety. A pair of strong hands wrapped around her upper arms, and a shoulder and chest stopped her momentum entirely. She looked up to see a set of deep, concerned eyes staring back at her.
“Are you alright, miss?” Joanna asked as she pulled Erina upright. Erina couldn’t find the words and simply nodded. Joanna smiled and released Erina. “That’s good to hear!” She then turned to her dog and started to scold him. “Danny, what’s gotten into you? You’re usually much more well-behaved than that.”
Danny barked and ran in circles around the two. Joanna rolled her eyes, but picked up a large stick and lobbed it. He happily ran after it, doggy tongue flopping this way and that.
“I’m so sorry about him. Danny doesn’t understand how big he is sometimes.”
“He looks almost like a lapdog next to you,” Erina joked. Her eyes shot wide when she realized what she said, and she immediately started backtracking. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.”
Thankfully, Joanna burst into laughter. “Please, don’t worry. I am much larger than your average lass. No child of Georgina and Martin Joestar would be anything less than average height.”
Erina smiled, heart warming at the sight of Joanna looking carefree and jovial for once. In her excitement, she nearly forgot the purpose of her visit.
“Grapes!” Joanna looked confused at Erina’s sudden outburst. Erina scrambled to grab her basket and held it in front of her for Joanna to take. “For you. For helping me before. And now, I suppose. Please, take them.”
Joanna blinked in shock but took the basket. “Thank you.” She gestured to the riverbank. “Would you like to sit with me?”
Erina nodded and sat next to Joanna. She was reluctant to snack on the grapes with her—they were a gift after all—but Joanna insisted. They chatted about this and that and occasionally threw the stick for Danny when they were able to wrestle it away from him. Every time Joanna took a grape from the basket, Erina’s eyes were drawn to the rough skin around her knuckles. It was nearly invisible if someone didn’t know what to look for, but the flaws borne from strength enthralled Erina. They were like chips from a chisel, giving Joanna the appearance of a sculpture that was still in the carving process. Erina wasn’t certain if she wanted to see Joanna polished like a marble statue. The rough edges that showed the natural state of the material made a finished product more admirable in Erina’s eyes. However, time only smoothed and polished young ladies in the end, especially those of Joanna’s stature.
Even now, when Joanna noticed her stares, she self-consciously covered the rough skin with her other hand. “Sorry, I know they’re not the prettiest to look at.”
Erina had never shaken her head more aggressively. “No, I was just thinking that it was completely unfair that you aren’t allowed to do a sport that you clearly enjoyed.”
Joanna’s smile waned, turning more melancholic. “Thank you. My mother certainly had some words when she found out. She’s barely let me out of my tutor’s sight since then.”
“That’s awful!”
Joanna shrugged. “Luckily, Mrs. Blackheart is prone to going blind in one of her eyes.” Her smile grew again, and she sent Erina a coy little wink. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here to run into you!”
Erina giggled into her hand. “Well, I certainly hope to find you again during her terrible bouts of temporary blindness.”
“Oh, a sweet girl like you? I’m certain my mother would think you’re a great influence on me. Someone who could soften up my unladylike edges.” Joanna’s words were complimentary, but Erina could hear a hint of sadness she trailed off.
“Well,” Erina sat up stuck her nose in the air with a hint of haughtiness, “I think that I could learn more from a gentlewoman than you could from a lady. I know several ladies. But a gentlewoman like you? Those are rarer than diamonds.” Erina opened one eye to look at Joanna. “Don’t you think?”
Joanna stared at Erina, completely gobsmacked. She blinked rapidly, lightly rubbing at the corner of her eye before staring intensely at the river. “I suppose you would be right, Erina.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
The girls broke into giggles at Erina’s dramatic bravado. At that point, the basket of grapes was half-eaten, which Erina took as a sign that she needed to return home. She wished Joanna a quick farewell and started walking across the field. A shout in the distance made the corners of her mouth twist up.
“I’ll be here tomorrow, so come by again!”
Erina pressed her hands to her mouth to hold back her laughs. What a ridiculous girl. At this point, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
If the two remained good friends, her cheek muscles would need to get stronger. Erina couldn’t wait.