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It had become a quiet ritual over the last couple of days for Koichi to visit Jotaro at his hotel room.
Having failed to convince him to take up his own offer, (as well as Josuke's) of staying at his home, even in light of recent events, the compassionate stand user resolved to making regular trips to see him instead.
He understood that when they weren't investigating, Jotaro liked to be left alone. He had other work to do, and that was fine, but what Koichi wouldn't stand for was watching the stoic man wearing himself so thin.
After losing sight of Yoshihiro Kira, Jotaro had resigned himself to his room again.
Koichi, as well as Josuke and Okuyasu, had met him only twice more since that time, and in each instance, Jotaro looked worse and worse.
In his typical nature, of course, Koichi thought more of it than his friends did. But then, he was simply the type who could afford to worry so enormously about others, since he could also expend the appropriate sense of sympathy.
Jotaro didn't exactly protest like he thought he might though, and so the high schooler had made it part of his routine to stop by, if not before, then always after class. Sometimes twice in the evening or supplementing a visit with a phone call depending on how Jotaro reacted.
He wondered if maybe he was just too tired to refuse his help. Though it wasn't impossible that he was grateful for it, either.
Jotaro certainly didn't come across as the kind of person that willingly asked for company or assistance, but hopefully he could at least acknowledge when he needed it, and that was why he didn't object to Koichi doing the odd few chores for him, or handling any taxing communication.
Things like laundry, house-keeping, and essentials were obviously handled courtesy of the hotel, since they were under direct instruction of the Speedwagon Foundation.
But other things like time management and daily routines, things like eating and washing and not sitting with a cold cup of tea until the sunrise, were all factors that Koichi charged himself with monitoring.
It was actually a little jarring to see a man so seemingly capable when they were under attack or unwinding evidence to be so listless and apathetic on his own.
A bit like a robot, in fact; when confronted with an immediate situation, and the duty to protect others, Jotaro was most adept. But in a state of solitude where some element of autonomy was required, he seemed to just shut down and cease functioning.
Not that he'd ever voice such an observation; he had more tact than that, but Koichi wondered a lot about Jotaro's past, and if perhaps being alone was something Jotaro couldn't handle consciously.
Koichi was most discreet about the very personal discoveries he came across though. No one else needed to know how Jotaro lived, not even he needed to know that really. For now, all that mattered was that he set the man up for the day, so that he could handle his own affairs.
"Jotaro-san," he called, knocking on the door and waiting patiently for a response.
He gave him a good moment to answer, and not too long after, he heard the tumblers clicking in the lock before the giant of a man appeared, drying his hair with a towel.
"Good morning," Koichi smiled, earning only a grunt as a reply before Jotaro stepped aside to invite him in wordlessly.
It was good to see him already up and washed, though in truth, mornings weren't ever too bad. The only real reason Koichi came by was to give himself peace of mind.
He liked to be sure that Jotaro was, well, dare he say it... safe.
"I won't get in your way," the blond said cordially, reaching into his school bag to retrieve the lunch he had prepared, "I just came to give you this before school, so don't forget about eating."
"Mm, thanks," Jotaro finally spoke, throwing the wet towel down on the bed as he reached for his hat.
The small boy smiled and nodded. His morning visits were usually no longer than five minutes anyway, and so he bowed respectfully before announcing his departure.
"I'll be off then. Is there anything you'd like me to bring for you after school?" He made certain.
Jotaro shook his head, and with that, Koichi set off briskly to catch the bus.
After school, Josuke usually walked with Koichi as far as the street the hotel was on, but he wasn't overly interested in spending more time with Jotaro than he needed to.
That wasn't to say he disliked him, but frankly, he didn't really know if he wanted to get too close to that side of his family, just in case it made him yearn to see them often, even after his father and his nephew left Morioh.
There'd be nothing good to come of that, and so he kept his relations cordial but distant.
Koichi, however, was deeply invested in his growing friendship with Jotaro, and he made sure that the second box he had brought was still sitting upright in his school bag as he took the elevator.
"Jotaro-san," he announced himself, knocking again and waiting.
Clearly having come to expect the time of his visits, Jotaro was much quicker to answer the door, but he didn't offer any formalities; he simply let Koichi in and then reseated himself on the sofa with his cup of tea as he went back to reviewing his papers.
"Oh m— this place is a mess!" The younger stand user cried. "How could your room have gone from pristine to this?! Was there an enemy stand?!" He assumed, looking sharply around the room as if any such threat would actually still be here.
"No. I was looking for something," the giant of a man shrugged. He didn't seem to think it too unreasonable that in the process of searching for his belongings, he just so happened to turn the room upside down and then continue amidst the mess.
Koichi thought otherwise though, and, as tireless as ever, he began tidying up the things he deemed appropriate to handle.
In doing so, he happened to notice the bento that was still on the coffee table where he had left it; completely untouched since.
"Jotaro-san!" He berated, "I told you, you need to eat the food I bring! What's the matter? Do you not like karaage? Yukako-san said she'll teach me to make soboro, would you prefer that?"
"I like it just fine," the sage stand user replied without giving an inch.
Koichi despaired. He had to wonder what kind of a woman Jotaro's wife was to manage bonding with him enough to even consider marriage, but he thought better of such an impertinent curios, and set the lunchbox down in front of the man.
"If you eat this, I'll leave you be for today. I even brought you red bean taiyaki, which you can have if you eat that lunch," the mothering high schooler bargained.
Koichi learned early on that despite his manly demeanour and tendency never to divulge any personal tastes, Jotaro was a bit of a sucker for the fish-shaped pastry, and at hearing it was on offer to him, he sighed and relented.
Pleased with that victory, Koichi nodded and emboldened his stance with his arms folded.
"Is that everything you need? I'll leave the sweets here," he informed, taking the box from his satchel and setting it down on the dresser so that Jotaro couldn't go straight for them until he'd finished a proper meal.
The steely man nodded, and Koichi bowed respectfully once more before leaving Jotaro in peace.
It was a quiet night for the young stand user. After eating his own dinner he immediately dedicated himself to his homework, and then took Police for a walk that needn't have taken so long, though thanks to his lazy hound, it was nearly dark by the time he returned.
He'd hoped Jotaro was taking care, but when Koichi himself settled down to bed, he wasn't overly surprised to be woken a few hours later by the phone in his room.
He answered it quickly, hoping it hadn't alerted his mother or sister even after just one ring.
"Hello? Jotaro-san?" He assumed correctly, rubbing his eyes and stretching to drag himself back from the brink of his brief sleep.
"Koichi, did I wake you?"
He asked this without sounding like he was actually sorry; as normally people would ask such a thing if they were fearful of disturbing someone, but in Jotaro's case, it seemed like he was just going through the motions of polite speech.
"No, it's fine," the boy lied, gathering his senses as he sat and prepared to listen.
His clock read 2am; not the latest time he'd had a phone call from Jotaro.
"Did you need something? Did you eat all your lunch and the taiyaki?" The blond went on, alleviating Jotaro's apparent difficultly in starting a conversation.
Sometimes he would call without anything of real value to say, and though Koichi thought it was certainly an out of character trait for someone so usually quick to the point, he pieced together his own assumptions, and decided that it was due to either loneliness, sleeplessness, or maybe even a nightmare.
"Mm," Jotaro replied.
He didn't make it easy for poor Koichi, but perhaps he knew that the boy would always go that extra mile to accommodate him by talking enough for them both, and that was why he chose to lean on him at times like this.
Outside, Police started to howl in his sleep.
Jotaro was quick to pick up on it.
"Don't worry, he does it all the time," Koichi reassured when the man commented. "It's just my dog."
"Ah."
"Do you have a dog, Jotaro-san?" The echoes wielder conversed.
"No. I have some fish, though," he mentioned.
Koichi laughed in an understanding tone. "Ah! I should have guessed!"
"Mm," Jotaro responded in the same way as before.
"Do you name them? What kind of fish are they?" The other prompted.
He barely understood a word of it, but he did note that talking about his tropical pets put a slightly more animated inflection in the man's voice, so he was sure to respond in ways that encouraged him to keep talking.
It was clear when Jotaro had run out of steam though, and he went silent for a little while.
"Sorry," he said then; a soft murmur if anything.
"Don't be sorry! I think your fish are great!" Koichi naively responded.
"No," the elder clarified, his voice turning solemn again, "it's a school night, I shouldn't have called."
"Eh?" Koichi remarked, making an unseen expression of confusion.
"You should go to sleep... I'm ready for bed myself."
Admittedly, he was tired, and they'd been on the phone for nearly forty minutes already, but the younger boy was understandably sceptical, if only for a moment.
"Alright, if that's all you needed then," Koichi chirped conclusively. "I'll come by in the morning with lunch, but if you don't eat it this time I won't bring you any more taiyaki from St. Gentleman," he threatened emptily.
Jotaro just grunted, but it had a humorous note. He agreed to the bargain nevertheless, and Koichi stayed on the line even after they said their goodbyes, just as he always did, right until the line cleared.
Setting down the receiver, Koichi got comfortable in bed again. He didn't know what it was exactly, but he just felt that it was better for him to be the last to hang up.
Jotaro sometimes lingered for a second too long before he hung up himself, and it only took the one time to prompt Koichi into making it part of his conduct.
He just liked to be sure that Jotaro was safe.