Balancing planks of wood on his shoulder, Josuke shifted to reach down with one hand and adjust the top of his jumpsuit from slipping off its tied position around his waist.
Josuke let the stacks of wood clatter to the ground in their respected pile.
Letting out a deep sigh of exhaustion as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, Josuke turned to look back at the construction site.
"Hey, Okuyasu, do you think it's about time to call it a day?"
"Hm?" Okuyasu's head popped up from behind a large stack of planks, a hammer raised in one hand as he swiveled around to find Josuke. "Ah, yeah, I think it's about time!"
Okuyasu let the hammer clatter to the floor and stood up, stretching his arms over his head and popping his back.
"I think we're getting too old for this, Josuke. My arms feel like they're gonna fall off." Okuyasu rolled his arm pointedly, gripping his sore shoulder, as he ambled over to Josuke.
"Really? I feel like that's all the more reason to be doing this!" He reached out and tapped Okuyasu's ribs with his knuckles, the other man groaning and bending out of reach, clutching his torso protectively.
Josuke laughed at the glare thrown his way and they both wandered off to find the construction leader.
"Hey, boss-man!"
The man in question's hackles rose visibly as he turned away from watching a couple of workers lift a metal beam with a crane. He sighed unhappily as the two men strolled over.
"We finished for today!" Josuke gave a sunny smile as he wrapped one of his arms around Okuyasu's neck. "What's our pay looking like now?"
"You'll get your money the same time as everyone else, Mr. Higashikata, Mr. Nijimura." The older man tapped his pen against his clipboard as he looked at the two thoughtfully. "Don't you think that you're getting too old to be working construction? It's not like you two don't have regular jobs and this is more a gig for twenty-something year olds."
Josuke frowned, his lips pursing and brow creasing.
"We are twenty-something year olds."
The other man sighed.
"Twenty-nine is pushing it don't you think?"
Josuke and Okuyasu looked at each other before bursting out laughing.
"He's got you there, Josuke!"
"He really does!"
The two continued guffawing as they turned away, waving over their shoulder.
"We'll come an pick up the money next Wednesday, yeah? See you then!"
They walked down the street back to their apartment pushing each other playfully as they started an impromptu game of tag-and-noogie.
Josuke laughed at an impression of the gruff combini worker that Okuyasu gave as he unlocked the door to their apartment. The key slipped against the lock and Josuke's laugh trailed off. He held the key against the handle but made no attempt to fit it back in as he rubbed at his chest.
There had been a sudden stab on the left side and a cold, empty feeling swarmed languidly in the hole left behind.
Josuke turned suddenly to look behind him, worried about an enemy stand attack.
No one was behind him, however, and there wasn't any pain in his back, just the strange pooling in the center of himself that was slowly dimming in strength.
"Josuke?" Okuyasu put his hand worriedly on Josuke's shoulder as he, too, scanned around them. "Did something happen?"
Josuke hummed uncertainly in reply before distractedly unlocking the door.
"It's nothing, I think I..." Josuke trailed off. "I just...'unno. It's nothing."
Both walked into their apartment and kicked off their work boots, the dust and dirt falling off and giving the floor a thin layer of grey blur.
"You wanna...?" Okuyasu gestured towards the bathroom instead of finishing his sentence, and Josuke shook his head in reply.
"Naw, you go first."
Okuyasu nodded and headed towards their bathroom, peeling off his shirt before he made it inside.
Josuke sighed, frowning, as he continued to rub at his chest. The feeling subsided for the most part, but left a cold burn behind. He flopped down on the living room couch, ignoring the grime covering his clothes from work as he settled in.
He stared blankly at the ceiling while listening to the faint sound of water splattering, the room seeming dark and chilly without his roommate. Josuke tilted his head, glancing at the T.V. from the corner of his eye and trying to decide if he wanted to turn on the system to play a game by himself or just wait for Okuyasu to get out of the shower so he could take his place.
Josuke still hadn't decided when his cell went off, the muffled chiming noise chirping along with the vibrations buzzing in his pocket.
He wiggled his hand underneath himself to get to his phone, struggling in his sitting position and cursing tight pockets even if they kept his belongings securely where they should be when he was on the move.
When the cellphone was finally free, Josuke was quick to flip it open, not bothering to check who it was.
"Yeah?"
"Josuke? Is that you?"
Josuke was taken aback at the older women's voice, having expected Koichi or even Yukako.
"Holly?"
"Oh thank goodness!" The sudden language shift to English reminded Josuke of their father and he frowned worriedly as he wondered why his sister was calling, hoping it wasn't bad news.
"Did something happen to the old man?" He winced as the words left his mouth, knowing that if there was something wrong with their father, he would just be making the 70-year old woman further distressed.
"Oh, um, I don't think so?" The question seemed to take Holly off-guard and Josuke could hear her shuffling through the speaker. "Oh dear, do you think that was what that was?"
"What what was?"
Holly stayed quiet for a while, the silence drawing out long enough to make Josuke fidget.
"Didn't you feel it?" She finally began. "I thought something had happened to you because you're the closest, but I'm not entirely sure how distance affects it...I wonder if I should call father...?"
Josuke's brow furrowed in confusion and he pulled the phone away from his ear to look at it as if doing so would explain what the old woman was talking about.
"Hey, old lady, you're not making any sense at all."
"Oh!" Josuke could hear her shuffling again as if she was carrying something in her hands. "I thought you would have known? Didn't you meet both father and Jotaro because of something concerning Dio and Stands? - Oh, I already had a carton of milk - I had assumed you knew."
Josuke frowned at the nonsense words, wondering if the woman was suffering from the same dementia their father had.
"What are you doing?"
"Hm? I'm putting away the groceries - are you eating well? I was thinking I should come visit. Are still living with that Nijimura boy?"
"Hold on, Holly, go back." Josuke waved his hand in front of his face as if clearing the air of the unnecessary conversation. "What about Dio and Stands?"
Holly hummed lowly and the sounds of her moving came slower.
"Did you feel a pain in your chest?"
Josuke was taken aback again. He shifted agitatedly on the couch and pressed the phone harder against his ear.
"I mean, yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"
The sounds on the other end stopped entirely and Holly let out a tired sigh.
"I guess I shouldn't have expected them to try and explain anything - neither of them are ones to take time and ensure other people are on the same page they are."
Josuke kicked his heel against the ground in annoyance but held his tongue, hoping the old lady would continue explaining quickly.
"What you felt wasn't really pain, it was you noticing that a connection was lost."
"Okay, so I'm not following." Josuke chewed on the side of his tongue, eyeing the ceiling as his brows furrowed. "Did a satellite go out?"
Holly made an amused humming sound, the phone rattling as she sat down.
"No, someone in our family died."
"What-"
"You know, I really should have checked on father first, but I wanted to make sure my baby brother was okay! I love Dad, but it'd be worse if someone so young died. Plus, I got to help explain a little!" Holly let out a resounding laugh. "I'll call again later, but I need to do the rounds to find out who we're missing."
The flat dial tone stabbed at Josuke's ear.