"That's possible," Noriaki – the man who had lost his first son; it would make a good plot for Pink Dark Boy, once the story was finished and he could read it as a complete work – said, eyes narrowed in thought as he sat back on the chair he'd taken for himself. "According to Koichi, she was your old babysitter, and her name is Reimi Sugimoto?"

"That's correct," he said, fingers itching momentarily for a pad and paper; Jotaro probably would have tried to punch him if he did, though, since he wasn't the type to understand an artist's needs. "Did you want me to take you to her?"

"Yes, I think it would be best if we spoke to her," Noriaki said, the worried look on his face something else that Rohan found himself wishing that he could have captured on paper for use in Pink Dark Boy. "She might have some insight into where Kira might have gone."

"I suppose I could show you where she's staying," Rohan said, rising from his chair so that he could gather his supplies; he might not have had the time to fully write or draw what it was that he'd been wanting to for so long, but he could at least sketch and take notes while he was away.

=DiU=

Humming softly to himself, carefully brushing out the few tangles in Yoshiko-chan's long, soft hair, Yoshikage carefully tucked her back into the bed he'd set up for her in the attic of the house he'd been driven to when those troublesome intruders had come into his home. He didn't know just how they had managed to track him to the Kira residence, but this place was at least safe from them. The child was still trouble, though.

However, having both that woman and Yoshiko-chan under the same roof went some way toward making up for that, at least.

Kosaku Kawajiri had at least lived the kind of life that Yoshikage could appreciate, if not admire, considering how quiet he seemed to have kept things in his own life. Yoshikage could easily have done without the woman and her troublesome child, of course, but at least the woman was simple enough to tolerate. Still, the child seemed to be growing less troublesome ever since he'd met up with Yoshiko-chan, so perhaps she was having a good influence on the boy.

Perhaps he would introduce the pair of them properly, as opposed to such an impromptu meeting as they'd previously had.

However, he could consider such a thing once morning had properly come; he still had work, and the boy still had school to attend. Settling Yoshiko-chan back down in her bed, he smoothed down her soft hair, smiling as he gathered up her tiny, perfect hands for a gentle kiss. After he finishes school, Yoshiko-chan, I'll bring that boy up to meet you; I think you'll get along well.

And perhaps having a gentle girl like Yoshiko-chan in his life would give the boy the same stability that Yoshikage had found with all of his girlfriends.

=DiU=

That Man seemed to be planning something, and Hayato didn't know just how worried he should be. That day he'd seen Kakyoin-san in the bath was still stuck in his mind; the cold, dead eyes of That Man following him even when he was at school, and he really didn't want to spend any more time with That Man than he had to. On the other hand, That Man had never specifically been interested in him before, and for all that Hayato had learned to be wary of him, he was also curious.

Mom would have gone along with That Man without a second thought, of course, which was really just one more reason for Hayato to worry about what he might be planning.

Once he got back from school, Hayato tensed as he realized that That Man was waiting for him in the living room. Mom seemed to be happy to see him, as usual, but Hayato found himself all the more worried at the thought of what That Man might have had in mind.

"Hayato-chan, your father wants to show you something special! Isn't that great?" Mom asked, the wide, oblivious smile that never seemed to leave her face these days firmly back in place once again.

"Once we finish dinner, come with me," That Man said, cold eyes pinning him in place for a long moment, before turning back to the meal that Mom had fixed for all of them.

Hayato shuddered, wondering again just what That Man wanted with him, of all people.

Once they'd all finished with dinner, Mom took his dishes and pushed him off to go with That Man, and Hayato bit his lower lip as he stuck his hands in his pockets and followed in That Man's wake. Mom wouldn't have understood his objections, and she probably wouldn't have listened to him anyway, so Hayato didn't say anything as he followed in That Man's wake. Finding himself lead into the room that That Man shared with Mom, Hayato bit his lip as he followed That Man into the closet.

Hiding his clenched fists in his pockets, if only so That Man wouldn't know how tense he really was, Hayato followed him… up into the attic.

That Man glanced back at him, and Hayato chewed his lower lip as he found himself following him over to the side of a small bed that had been set up. Kakyoin-san had been laid out on the bed, and while Hayato was happy to know that she was at least as comfortable as anyone could be when they'd been separated from their families for however long Kakyoin-san had been, he still didn't know what That Man could be thinking.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to know anymore, either, given the way That Man was looking at him.

"This is Yoshiko-chan," That Man said, leaning down over Kakyoin-san in a way that Hayato didn't think she'd enjoy if she'd been conscious to see it.

"Why are you showing me this?" he asked, deciding to take a chance; if That Man was actually willing to introduce him to Kakyoin-san – even if he didn't seem to know her name, or even care, given the name he was actually calling her – Hayato thought that he should at least take advantage of the meeting.

"I think the two of you will get along," That Man said, narrowing his cold, dead eyes. "However, I expect you to keep her a secret from your mother, otherwise I'll have to kill both of you."

Forcing himself not to flinch at the sheer coldness in That Man's voice, Hayato couldn't quite manage to keep himself from shuddering, even as he made his way over to where Kakyoin-san had been laid out. He didn't know just how he was going to help her, or if she was even conscious for him to let her know that he was going to help her, but at least he knew where she was, now. That would have to be enough.

=DiU=

Having Kishibe lead them to the alleyway where that ghost girl Sugimoto was waiting for them ended up being only half the problem, since that left them with the difficulty of getting back out of the alleyway she was haunting. An alleyway where no one who came in could look back, once they'd gotten what they needed and were trying to make their way out. It was annoying, but learning more about how long that kidnapping bastard had been operating, as well as the fact that he'd been killing people for nearly as long as he'd lived in Morioh was at least something.

It wasn't anything good, but Jotaro had hardly gone into the shitshow they were all currently in expecting good news.

"Well, at least we know he's been operating in the same place for a long time," Kakyoin said, as the pair of them finally made their way out of the alleyway. "Not that that's a good thing."

"The cops here might just be a bunch of useless idiots," he muttered, as the pair of them kept walking.

"That's a possibility," Kakyoin said, sighing softly. "Still, if that doesn't end up being the case, it means that Yoshikage Kira has been able to live quietly in Morioh for his entire life, even though he's been killing people for what sounds like a great deal of that life."

"Yare yare daze," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "I'm starting to wish things could actually be simple, for once."

"You're not the only one," Kakyoin muttered, rubbing his arms in that way people did when they were either cold, uncomfortable, or both.

Given that it was the middle of summer, Jotaro could easily tell which it was. Wrapping his right arm around Kakyoin's shoulders, Jotaro tried to think of anything else that the pair of them could do on their own. Even with Pucci around, essentially meaning that Uncle Dio had eyes in the area, he still had no desire to bring his capricious uncle in on all of this. The peaceful nature of Morioh was clearly why that bastard Kira had stayed in the area to begin with, and if something as basic as that changed, he was likely to run.

They'd be forced to hunt him down again, and that would just be a pain in the ass; not to mention how dangerous it would be for Tenmei-chan.

When the pair of them came back to Josuke-kun's house, Jotaro raised an eyebrow as he found that rocker guy who seemed to have taken some kind of a friendly liking to his only daughter hanging out with her in the living room of the house again. She had his guitar in her lap, making her look even smaller than she usually did.

"Ah, is he your music teacher now?" Kakyoin said, smiling as he crouched down beside Jolyne.

The way Kakyoin always seemed to brighten up in their presence was really the only reason that he hadn't told Otoishi to piss off, already. That, and Jolyne seemed to enjoy learning music; she seemed to take more after his father, Sadao Kujo, at least as far as music was concerned. He guessed it wouldn't be too bad, having another musician in the family.

Putting up with Otoishi's near-constant fanboying was still a pain in the ass, though.

=DiU=

The sound of something tapping at his window drew Hayato's attention, breaking him out of the helpless melancholy he'd been feeling ever since That Man had introduced him to Kakyoin-san; who he'd kept calling Yoshiko-chan. Hayato didn't know why that was, but as he made his way over to the window to open it up, Hayato felt something brush against his right shoulder.

"Kakyoin-san?" he called, whispering so that even if That Man was listening right outside his door, he wouldn't hear him talking to Kakyoin-san; or at least Kakyoin-san's Stand, since that was really the only way that the pair of them could actually talk, considering where Kakyoin-san actually was.

The feel of that same, invisible hand resting on his right shoulder brought a small smile to his face, and Hayato made his way over to his desk to get more paper so that he and Kakyoin-san could continue their conversation.

All right, we should have at least a bit more time to talk this time, he wrote, then bit his lip. I don't think we'll have enough time to talk about Stands, though.

That's all right, it's a pretty involved subject, anyway, Kakyoin-san wrote back, the pen in her Stand's hand tapping on the paper for a long moment, before she started writing again. Anyway, that's not a pressing issue right now, anyway.

Hayato had to agree with her, but he only had a moment to wonder just what she had come out here to talk to him about, before another piece of paper fluttered over – clearly grabbed by her Stand – and slapped itself down on another, clear patch of his desk, while another pen lifted itself out of his holder. And then, as Hayato watched in startled surprise, he found himself looking at a picture that actually seemed to be drawing itself right in front of him. Sure after meeting Kakyoin-san and learning about her Stand, he knew that she was the one drawing the picture he was looking at, but it was still a strange thing to watch, all the same.

The two men in the picture looked about the same age as That Man, sure, but given how much clear love and care Kakyoin-san was putting into the two portraits on the page, he knew that the both of them were nothing like him. Leaning in closer as Kakyoin-san labeled the portraits, Hayato found that the name "Noriaki Kakyoin" stood out immediately.

Is that your father?

Yes. And the other one is my uncle, Kakyoin-san wrote, and Hayato had the feeling that she was probably smiling while she did it; at least, if That Man wasn't in the attic with her to see it. Have you seen either of them?

No, but I'll make sure to keep an eye out for either of them, from now on, he wrote back, feeling a new sense of resolve, since at least he and Kakyoin-san weren't truly alone, as long as Kakyoin-san's father was out there waiting for her.

Thank you. Do you mind if I have my Stand stay with you? Kakyoin-san asked, and Hayato found himself briefly surprised, before realizing that he would have wanted to get as far away from That Man as he possibly could; especially if he'd been trapped in one place, the way she had.

No, that's all right, he wrote. Just, be careful, he added, after a moment spent thinking about just what That Man might do to either of them if he managed to find out what they were doing.

I will be. Thank you, Hayato-kun, Kakyoin-chan wrote back, and Hayato could almost see her smiling at him.

It was a nice feeling.

=DiU=

Humming softly in thought as he spread out the map that he and Avdol were looking at, Joseph wrapped a strand of Hermit Purple around the pendulum and sighed.

"Are you really sure this dowsing thing is going to work?" he asked, wanting more than anything to have their sweet little Tenmei back, but not quite sure about the setup that Avdol had proposed.

"Yes," the fortune teller said, nodding and folding his wide-sleeved arms. "We already know the character of the man we're seeking, and as none of us wish to risk Tenmei's life in the event that he could become aware of Hermit Purple's ability if it were used directly upon him, this remains the best option open to us."

"I guess you're right," Joseph grumbled, looking down at the pendulum in his hand. "I'll just have to get used to this."

Starting the pendulum swinging, Joseph began methodically moving it over the map Avdol had spread out for the pair of them to use while they were searching for some sign of where that bastard kidnapper had hidden himself this time. The feel of the string, wrapped in Hermit Purple as it was, was kind of weird, but Joseph forced himself to think beyond it. He just needed to concentrate; he just needed to find the place where that bastard kidnapper had taken Tenmei, that second time he'd gotten away from Jotaro and Kakyoin.

Blinking in surprise as he found himself staring down at an intersection as the pendulum started spinning in a tight circle around it, Joseph wondered just what could have been so important about that place in particular.

=DiU=

I think this might be the best place for us to meet up with anyone who might still be looking for me, Kakyoin-san wrote, tapping another pen from the cup on Hayato's desk against an intersection a couple streets down from the house where he and his mom were still trapped with That Man. It's far enough away from your house that he probably wouldn't think to try looking for us there, but it's at least close enough that you wouldn't spend all day walking there.

Yeah, that sounds good, he wrote back, stroking his chin as he looked down at the map, picking out the route he was going to have to take to get to the intersection without being spotted by Mom, or especially That Man while he was leaving the house. We should probably get going now, he continued, blinking as a thought came to him. How are you going to keep That Man from seeing you? You told me that Stand users can see Stands, like you.

That's not going to be too much of a problem, as long as you have a coat for my Stand to hide in, Kakyoin-san wrote back, and for a moment Hayato found himself wondering what kind of look Kakyoin-san had on her face while she was writing to him.

All right, if you're sure,he wrote back; the both of them had agreed that they would try to avoid using the others' name when they didn't strictly need to, so that if one of them did end up forgetting to destroy any one message, That Man wouldn't know quite who was writing to who. I think we should get going quickly.

Making his way over to his closet, Hayato sighed in relief as he heard the sound of Kakyoin-san's Stand destroying the messages the pair of them had been exchanging during this particular conversation. There would be no reason for That Man to look for them, since Kakyoin-san had been careful to keep That Man from seeing her Stand while the both of them were talking. It wasn't great, the way that That Man knew she had a Stand to begin with – he and Kakyoin-san had agreed on that, at least – but it was at least not as bad as it could be.

Putting on his coat, Hayato paused for a moment as he felt something sliding into his coat, Hayato sighed softly as he felt a hand press gently into the center of his back. Hayato wished, even as he checked to make sure that neither That Man nor Mom were watching him as he made his way out, that he had a Stand of his own. He'd be able to talk to Kakyoin-san without the risk of leaving messages behind, and he also might be able to actually do something about That Man before he hurt Mom.

Still, the fact that he didn't know much about Stands other than the fact that Kakyoin-san had one and That Man did too, made him a bit uneasy about the idea; it was a strange thing to think about, but under the circumstances that was how he felt.

=DiU=

When he and Avdol had made their way to the intersection that the pendulum he'd been using in conjunction with Hermit Purple had pointed them to, Joseph had found himself wondering just what it was that the pair of them were waiting for. Avdol had told him to be patient, but Joseph still found himself pacing as the pair of them stood waiting at the intersection. The sound of light, running footsteps making their way toward where he and Avdol were standing drew his attention, and Joseph turned.

"Finally," he muttered, sighing with more than a bit of annoyance.

"Didn't I tell you that waiting here would provide us more information, Mr. Joestar?" Avdol asked, his usual, calm smile firmly in place.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, folding his arms. "I'm just not fond of waiting, for things like this."

When a kid, little and with just-short-of-shoulder-length hair, came around the corner, Joseph was just about to say something when Echoing Green burst out of the kid's coat to throw itself at him.

"Uncle Joseph! I'm so happy to see you!" the Stand said, in little Tenmei's voice.

"It's good to know you're doing all right," he said, knowing that Tenmei wouldn't have risked sending his Stand this far away if he wasn't sure he'd be safe without it. "Who's your new friend?"

"My name is Hayato Kawajiri," the kid said, making his way over to where he and Avdol were standing. "Are you friends with Kakyoin-san, too?"

"Tenmei's the son of one of my grandson's best friends," he said, smiling as he wrapped his left arm around Echoing Green's shoulders. "He's one of the family, really."

Hayato looked confused for a moment, and Joseph found himself wondering just what the little boy was thinking about.

"Okay, okay," Hayato said, shaking his head as though he was trying to shake off some kind of unhelpful thought or other. "My mom and I have been trapped in our house with the same man who kidnapped Kakyoin-san," little Hayato stopped, panting and looking back toward what was presumably the house where he and his mother lived.

"So, that's where that bastard Yoshikage Kira is trying to take shelter," Joseph growled, glaring even as he felt Echoing Green holding onto him more tightly; he wasn't surprised that little Tenmei needed the comfort, considering what they were all talking about.

"It's rather surprising that we haven't been able to find him, considering how close he seems to be living," Avdol said, stepping closer and gently taking Echoing Green's left hand.

"I think that Kira guy must have stolen my father's face," little Hayato said, then bit his lip, as though he expected the pair of them would laugh at him for saying something like that.

"That would explain why we haven't been able to track him down since we lost him at the Kira household," Avdol said, stroking his chin.

"What, you mean you believe me?" little Hayato demanded, not seeming to know quite how to react to something like that.

"There's a lady with a Stand that could swap peoples' faces, and according to Josuke their fates," he said, narrowing his eyes as he considered just how that bastard had managed to escape from the net they'd been spreading around to capture him. "She died not long ago, and I think I know why, now."

"Yes, Kira likely murdered her in an effort to cover his tracks," Avdol said, hand on his chin as he came to the only real conclusion that anyone in possession of the full facts would have.

"Is there anything more you can tell us, kid? Have you seen Kira's Stand in action?" he asked, wanting all the information he could possibly get, even if he did kind of have to interrogate a little kid to get at it.

"Sorry, but I didn't even know what a Stand was until I met Kakyoin-san," little Hayato said, looking more than a little insecure about what he was saying.

"Wait, how did you manage to get here with Echoing Green if you don't even know what Stands are?" he asked, confused.

"Kakyoin-san wrote about them," little Hayato said, biting his lower lip for a long moment. "Then, I guess he helped me find my way to you guys."

"Well, I guess that's one way to talk to someone who has a Stand if you don't have one of your own," he said, chuckling softly, then becoming serious again. "Still, we don't know what Kira's Stand is capable of, so there's still the problem of just what we're going to be able to do once we move to confront the bastard."

"Yes, this is a rather troublesome situation," Avdol said, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes.

"Are you guys going to help save my mom and me from that man?" little Hayato asked, starting to look worried about what might be happening; or not happening.

"It'd help if we knew what we were facing, but if you and your mother are in danger right now, I'll let my grandson know, and we'll come to rescue you."