Marianne Bonneuil and Jotaro Kujo never seemed like a likely match, much less friends. So, when the two met, neither realized that their meeting would change their lives forever. They had met months before when he had tossed a candy bar at her withering self. She had been suffering from an eating disorder, but that moment encouraged her to try to get healthy again.
After that, the two had spoken but not much. Not until that one fateful day. It started like any other, a few months before Jotaro's trip to Egypt. He was walking to school, a day like any other. Jotaro was walking to school, followed by the usual posse of giggling girls. Marianne was being teased for her larger-than-normal weight.
Now, Jotaro was not one to usually get involved with things like this, but an unfair beating was just cruel to him. He took notice of many things around him, including her. Watching her waste away by starving herself, then regaining the weight and some. Still, her weight was never really a bother to him, and never followed him around like a lost puppy. She was normal.
Jotaro Kujo was never bothered by normalcy. If anything, normal was good to him. He was a normal kid. So, when he saw Marianne being pushed around like some ragdoll, he felt he had to take action. He owed that much to her after she let him cheat off her during a test.
He sighed and let out his usual phrase, "yare yare daze". To anyone else, he would have just walked away, but Jotaro Kujo didn't like to have outstanding debt to anyone, much less her.
Jotaro stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked over to the poor girl crouched in fear against the lockers. Students snickered around her as she cowered. He shoved a few students out of the way, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her onto her feet. She gazed up at him with confusion and relief mixed on her face.
"What's your deal?" He huffed, staring down at the other students with a harsh glare. His eyes darted around as the aggressors backed down. Letting out an annoyed sigh, he dragged her along by her wrist, making her trip as she struggled to keep up with him.
Still, Marianne was able to stutter out a response. "W-why? Why did you aid me?" She spoke with broken English and a deep French accent, something unusual for a student in Japan. Jotaro found himself to be slightly amused by her funny way of speaking. It was kind of pleasant on the ears.
Despite this, he didn't show how he felt, simply grunting and responding to her. "I owed you and I hate having debt. Consider us even." He didn't want to admit that he pitied her situation. That didn't suit him. He always wanted to appear as a stronger person than he was. And despite the flaws that may have presented, Marianne admired him for that reason.
Jotaro let go of her wrist and watched it fall to her side. He watched a blush creep up her face, but not in the "in love" way, rather, in the "I'm embarrassed that happened and you had to get involved" way. He let out another annoyed sigh.
"Yare yare daze. It wasn't a big deal. No one should be picked on like it." He shifted his weight and shoved his hands back into his pockets. "I'll allow you to walk beside me for now, but don't make a big deal out of it." He pitied her current situation.
She nodded in response, feeling a bubbling sense of relief fill her stomach. "Merci beaucoup." Her soft voice responded in her native language, making Jotaro crease his brow in confusion. "Whatever." Was his response before he turned his back to her and started walking to class. Marianne let out a hum and skipped behind him, her energetic personality radiating from her in droves. It was like the sun's rays.
Still, despite her childish nature, she respected his personal boundaries and kept her distance from him, which gave him a sense of comfort. He sighed and stepped into their shared class. Despite their age difference, though only a year, they shared two classes, math and science. Marianne excelled in those classes and was bumped up to his level. However, both her Japanese and English were very poor, so she often needed things repeated or translated for her, which teachers happily obliged to do for her.
Jotaro recognized her intelligence, trying her hardest despite the language barrier. It increased his respect for her. The two had a relationship that could be considered friendship. She was one of the only people he tolerated, so she called him her friend and he never corrected her, only letting out a soft grunt at the label.
Marianne had asked him for help with English and Japanese a few times, and while at first, he would make it out like it was a pain to help her, now he only sighed and offered help.
As the days dragged on, the two began to spend time together. It started out small. She met up with him at his house and walked with him to school. He never seemed to complain about it, so she continued. Then the two began to eat lunch together, sitting and eating while having Jotaro teach her more words in English and Japanese.
This closeness increased to meeting outside of school. It started with a school project, but it soon fell into a routine. They'd meet up every day after school to talk about their day, though it was mostly Marianne rambling on about whatever, while Jotaro listened with a stoic look on his face.
By now, Marianne had fallen in love with Jotaro and he had similar feelings, however, he mistook these feelings for platonic, shoving them away. He wouldn't admit it, but he was scared to get closer to her. He tried to keep his distance and act aloof, but Marianne never noticed the way he gently tried to push her away.
Now, their small moments had an added layer of affection. Marianne often leaned against him when she got tired or held his wrist when she was happy. He often put a hand on her shoulder or back and felt more protective of her overall.
Their time together began to feel more like dates. People at school sometimes mistook them for dating, which left Marianne to deal with Jotaro's angry fangirls. Now, though, Marianne knew how to get around them. She often played off their time together or acted oblivious. Jotaro knew she was lying through her teeth, and it amused him.
He didn't want to admit how fond he had grown of the French woman. She had stolen his heart and he didn't know how to deal with it. He had never fallen in love before but it made him happy to be around her. He needed to tell her how he felt, but he refused to show any signs of weakness.
So, he asked her out in the most Jotaro way possible. One day, while they were walking, he grabbed her wrist and spun her around. She looked at him with an anxious look, curious as to why he had done that. He took a deep breath and tried to hold back the pink dusting his face. "I'm taking you out. On a date." He spoke bluntly, catching her off guard. "Jotaro… A date?" She sputtered out. "Yeah, idiot, let's go." He pushed his hat down in embarrassment.
Dragging the poor girl by her arm, she felt a sudden bubbling excitement in her stomach that pushed its way into her throat. It suddenly clicked in her mind that she was going on a date with her crush, Jotaro Kujo. She stared up at him in shock. "Jotaro… you… like me too?" Her voice was shy, with nothing teasing about it. "Shut up, bitch." That was the only response she got.
He took her to a quiet cafe and offered to pay for everything. Well, it was less of an offer and more of him glaring at her when she went to pull out her wallet, which gave her the hint that he wanted to pay for their meal. As intimidating as he looked, she found the gesture quite endearing and realized that these little things were the reasons she had grown feelings for him.
Getting their drinks, he told her to find them a table and she jumped up, giving him an affirmative sound in response. The date started out awkward, the two struggling to conversate and relax. But soon, something settled for them and the two seemed to click. The date went perfectly and soon, the two went on dates almost every other day, spending time together doing whatever and just enjoying each other's company. Jotaro and Marianne were deeply in love, though they still struggled to come to terms with it.
Time passed quicker than they realized. One… two… three months passed of them dating. Suddenly, though, Jotaro was gone. He stopped showing up to school, he didn't come to pick her up for dates or walk her to school. And Marianne worried a lot about him. So, she showed up at his house unannounced. His mom, Holly Kujo, greeted her with frantic actions. "My sweet boy, Jotaro! He's been arrested!" Her words were laced with anxiety and Marianne was scared.
The two rushed and made their way to the local police station to go check in on the man the two loved so much. Marianne waited for Holly to get through the paperwork while she rocked back and forth in her seat with worry creased into her face. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for Holly to finish. The cops lead the two back and explained that he had hospitalized a group of gangsters.
They were told he could be released and Holly ran to greet her son, Marianne had to speed walk behind her, but recognized his voice as he called out "Shut up you bitch!" Though the two knew that he didn't mean it. Holly let out her soft "okay!" as Marianne arrived beside her along with the cops. Jotaro's eyes flickered to her, a look of surprise and care flushing in his eyes for a moment before returning to their stoic nature. The cops tried to get him to leave and go home, but he wouldn't budge, claiming he couldn't because of some evil spirit.
Marianne's breath hitched in her throat as she saw a slightly translucent arm move around him. She wondered… Did he have a stand? As she glanced back over at her boyfriend who now had a gun in his hand, pointed at his head. She felt her blood run cold, but before she could say anything, he fired. The bullet didn't make its mark. She saw the hand that held the bullet but said nothing. Holly took her home soon after, both women feeling shaken up by what had happened. There was a thick air over everything. Marianne pretended she had known and saw nothing, wishing Holly well as the two went their separate ways.
Marianne couldn't sleep. Holly had told her that she had everything under control. Still, Marianne felt worry bubbling up in the back of her throat. She would wait until the next day to check on Jotaro and Holly, she promised herself, finally being able to fall asleep.
She rose with the sun, feeling hurried to get ready so she could check on the two. Arriving at the Kujo household, Marianne was perplexed to hear an unfamiliar voice ring out from inside the house. Two unfamiliar voices. Jotaro had never mentioned any family other than his mother and rarely commented on his father, who had practically abandoned the family. So, who were the two men that she heard in the house? She took a breath and confidently walked forward.
Before she could do anything, Jotaro appeared before her. "Marianne." His gruff voice greeted her. "C'mon. We have school." He grabbed her wrist and led her along with him. The move looked forceful, but in reality, this was how he showed that he cared. She decided she would ask questions later.
Walking to school in silence with him, she heard the high-pitched voices of the other women interested in him. Many Jojo's rang out through the air out of excitement. Marianne sighed and gently moved away from her boyfriend. The two really didn't mention they were dating to others, so she just let Jotaro deal with it.
She watched another woman grab onto him and a fight between two girls began. Oh boy… she thought, this wasn't going to end well. And as she predicted, Jotaro yelled at the girls to shut up. That was why they didn't mention their relationship to others, it could cause unnecessary drama and Jotaro hated that kind of attention.
As the girls squealed with delight, she caught up to him. "Jotaro? You are okay?" Her broken English came out in a caring tone. "Yeah, I'm fine." He huffed though clearly annoyed. Marianne nodded, no need to push him further.
Suddenly, a cut appeared on his leg, causing them both to jump in surprise. She gasped and watched him fall, preparing to summon her stand to catch him
But as it turned out, there was no need for that. Jotaro could rely on himself. There was no need for her to do anything. He saved himself with his stand. She saw it again. No, she couldn't tell him yet. She hurried down the steps to his aid but kept her distance so the other women wouldn't notice her. He stood up just fine, he would be okay. Still… What had happened? She didn't see another stand attack him. They were both confused by the situation.
A figure approached them. Dressed in a deep green uniform, the man had fluffy red hair, a white wrapping around his figure, and bright red cherry earrings. There was this tense feeling between the two women as they spoke. The tension was so thick that it could be cut by a knife.
After giving Jotaro a handkerchief, the man began to walk off. But tensions were still high. "Hold it," Jotaro called out. Her heart rate sped up. No no. Don't start a fight. Marianne begged in her mind. The other man stopped and glanced back, making her heart stop. "Thanks. I don't recognize you, do you go to this school?" Her shoulders relaxed.
"Noriaki Kakyoin. I just transferred here yesterday. Nice to meet you." Then he turned and left. The tension felt a little lessened. Something… Something felt off about this Kakyoin boy. Both Jotaro and Marianne could sense it, but there wasn't much either of them could do in this situation.
Marianne led her boyfriend to the nurse's office and left him on his own, despite the worry that built in her throat. He kept saying it would be fine, and she had to believe him. Through her first class, the feeling only grew worse and worse. She couldn't pay attention. Couldn't work. The feeling overwhelmed her until she couldn't take it anymore. She asked to be excused and was let out, running to the nurse's office. She opened the door to… quite the scene.
Two students are on cots, one bleeding from his eye. The nurse was on the floor, her shirt mostly off. Jotaro… and Kakyoin from earlier. Both stands were visible. She hadn't revealed herself yet, hiding in the shadows.
"I already told you, Jojo… You will regret this. Get ready for my stand, Hierophant Green's…" "Enough foul play!" "Emerald Splash!" The two were fighting. "Jotaro!" Her voice escaped her parted lips as she watched him get attacked. His head jerked toward her and his eyes opened in surprise, which left an opening. The attack hit and sent him flying back through the wall. She froze in fear. Kakyoin ignored her. He would probably leave her alone if he didn't know she had a stand.
The nurse… Blood spurted from new wounds on her body. That would probably be her fate too… Kakyoin's eyes darted over to Marianne, who watched in horror. No…Jotaro wouldn't let her be put in danger because of him. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she got hurt.
Jotaro stood up, a new fire burning in his eyes. "It's true. I, Jotaro Kujo, have been called a delinquent. And it's true that I tend to beat the crap out of my opponents. Some are still in the hospital. I've also put cocky teachers in their places. So much so that some never come back. And I make it a policy to stiff restaurants that serve crappy, overpriced food. But… even a guy like me… can spot evil when he sees it!" He walked and stood in front of Marianne protectively. "Evil is when you use the weak for your own gain and then stomp on them when it's over and that's what you've done. To a young lady, even!"
As Jotaro continued his monologue, it reminded Marianne of how he protected her. He hated when people picked on her. It boiled his blood. Despite the situation, Marianne felt safe at this moment.
Their fight continued. Marianne let him take charge. No. She couldn't get involved. She trusted him. She watched him fight, standing perfectly still as her eyes followed Jotaro's movements. And finally, Jotaro had his chance to attack.
He took the chance to beat up Kakyoin's stand, yelling out "ora ora ora" over and over again. And Kakyoin's wounds spilled blood, making him fall into the rubble that formed from the fight.
"Caught me off guard back there. I'm glad my stand's strong, but I get the sense it's growing more and more savage by the day. That was close." Jotaro sighed. Marianne ran to his side as the smoke cleared from the battle.
She glanced worriedly at the nurse, but Jotaro assured her the nurse would be fine. Then, a bell rang. People would be here soon. This would be hard to explain.
"They can take over from here. We're taking the day off." Jotaro helped her up and grabbed both of them, lifting her and Kakyoin up. "This guy has some explaining to do about Dio." He mumbled the last part. He snuck out with the two others. "I owe you an explanation too." He sighed, though Marianne thought that was kind.