[Meeting The Joestars – Part 3]

Sea travel was by far one of the most forgotten ways of making it from one place to another, especially nowadays when jets are far more reliable. Even still, some people, especially from older generations, found sea travel to be far more enjoyable than being trapped in a metal box with wings. Besides, there was a higher chance of surviving a sinking ship than a crashing plane.

Of course, both have their pros and cons. But, when stacked together, plane travel was just more dangerous than sea travel. There was more assuredness when it came to travelling by sea than flying through the sky at 750 miles per hour in a crowded vessel and dodgy pilots.

And while some people found it relaxing, others found it terrifying. And while that was a perfectly good opinion to have, to some it felt like an insult. Most people nowadays fly to get where they want to be, often ignoring sea travel altogether as an option, and because of that, travelling the world by boat had become something of a lost art in the year 2118.

That being said, however, it was still a large part of The Speedwagon Foundation's infrastructure when it came to taking important personnel from one place to another. Due to that type of travel being seen as inferior, not many people—villain or otherwise—attacked boats. Not unless they were military ships, in which case diplomacy is attempted first and foremost.

After all, the UN wanted to try and keep world peace a thing. Well, as peaceful as things could get, what with the constant wars in the Middle East, the tensions increasing with China and Korea almost reaching their boiling point, and on top of China seeking to now "take back" Taiwan more than ever, to call what was going on now "World Peace" was an insult to the very notion.

But then again, this was the best thing anyone was ever going to get, so it was best to enjoy it while it lasted. World Peace in its entirety was impossible, especially when it came to politics. The only way World Peace could happen is if everyone was brainwashed and tuned into the same mindset. And at that point, that's just a hive mind, and there would be no free will.

"Is the V.I.P. happy?" One of the ship's guards asked another, who nodded.

"When is he not? For him being as old as he is, you'd think he'd be a bit more grouchy, right?"

"True… still, to think he's still kicking after all this time, and still living in Morioh while also being the police chief... You'd think he would've been going senile by now, right? Either that or retire from his position. Many people are beginning to wonder if he's got an immortality Quirk!"

"Pft! Yeah, I heard that one. To be fair though, his Hamon Training from his early years, coupled with his naturally easygoing nature and still being considered to be in his prime, he's got another 50 years to go before the term senile even begins to crop up! And that's not even considering the fact that he's a Hamon prodigy, much like his old man," The guard said, pausing as he looked over this co-worker, a large smirk on his face.

"Did ya know? He still practices it, even to this day! It's the only thing keeping him from having to use a cane or a walker! Yeah, it's a grim thought, but I'm pretty sure if he wanted to, he could stop at any moment. He doesn't use Hamon to fight, though. He mostly uses it to better his quality of life. But even still, I think that if Lisa Lisa were still alive, she'd be proud of her Grandson, you know?"

"Even if he was illegitimate?" Another guard perked up, only for the two guards conversing to shrug.

"Eh, maybe? Honestly, I think all she cared about was having grandkids. Especially after everything she had already been through. Yeesh…." The guard on the left stated with a downtrodden expression on his face. His demeanour shifted back to a neutral gaze, clearing his throat. "In other news, we're three hours away from landing. Let Mr. Higashikata know we're almost there."

A chuckle echoed throughout the boat as a door flung open. All the guards turned to see a man wearing a yellow and green Hawaii-styled shirt, black jeans, and a pair of sunglasses standing in the doorway. His hair was greying and old, mixed with the minimal wrinkles on his skin. Anyone who saw him would've thought that he was at least in his late 60s, maybe in his early 70s, but never in his mid to late 80s. The man wore his hair in a pompadour, as he always had since the 3rd grade, and his physical stature was still that of when he was a young teen, give or take a couple of inches.

"Three hours, huh?" The old man said his voice aged with time though still joyful and carefree as if he was still in the prime of his life. He smiled with a wide, toothy grin, the likes of which someone with no burdens would have. "Well, it's about damn time that rotten bastard invited me over for something. I can't wait to see my… however many greats there can be in a sentence Nephew! Ugh, what a mouthful…" The old man said, cracking his neck side to side, getting the kinks out of it.

"M-Mr. Higashikata! You're awake! I-I see you slept well?" One of the guards said as Higashikata's smile faltered for a moment before he then crossed his arms accompanied by a small frown.

"Hmm… well enough. Those beds are utterly uncomfortable for all the wrong reasons. No fault of your own, I suppose. Whoever installed those beds must've been a real cheapskate…." Higashikata replied. The two guards looked at one another, then back at the older man.

"Uh… sir…. You installed those beds yourself," the younger of the two said as Higashikata raised an eyebrow. And then, that was when he remembered.

"Oh…? I suppose you're right. Hmph, I guess no matter how much Hamon training I undergo, my brain still ages and makes me forget things easily. Hrm… oh well," Higashikata said with a shrug, overlooking the sea.

It had been over three years since he last visited Jonathon. They didn't leave it off on good terms, which was no fault of his own. How was he supposed to accept the notion that a Kira was working for the Speedwagon Foundation? It was a Kira who ruined the lives of so many people, and a Kira who had caused not only his family trouble but also nearly killed his best friend Okuyasu Nijimura!

How the hell was he supposed to believe that anyone from that bloodline could ever be a good person? Both Yoshikage Kira's father and Yoshikage himself were scums of the earth, rotten, nasty evil bastards—a trait that seemed to run in their family's blood, seeing as their oldest recorded ancestor worked in those awful, awful concentration camps that Japan had set up for World War 2, and apparently revelled in the idea of torturing the prisoners.

Even still… he wasn't wrong to think that the woman Johnny hired was evil. He had been investigating her for quite some time. Hell, she had been suspected of Child Abuse, but seeing as her child died from an unknown illness, it was hard to say it was her fault, though Josuke had his suspicions.

They never got a name for that child, both because when the police wanted to know more about the issue, she lawyered up and refused to answer, and because the child was never registered under any name with the police database, they had no other choice but to leave her as "Jane Doe." Not even the school she went to kept the child's records under a supposed threat by an unknown person, whom Josuke knew to be the woman whom Johnny had hired.

Try as he might, though, Johnny wouldn't listen to reason. Childhood friendships often meant that sometimes emotions clouded rationality. It led to a nasty argument and got to the point where Johnny hit him pretty hard in the head with Tusk, but only because he brought his dead wife into the argument. At that point, they were no longer on speaking terms. Josuke knew he had fucked up that time, and he had wanted to apologize to Johnny ever since. But, Johnny wasn't budging on his no-contact rule.

So, colour him surprised when he found out that he was invited to The Speedwagon Foundation's Florida Headquarters, the main Headquarters, and where Johnny lived, for a family visit. The moment he got the invite, he dropped everything to go see his family. He even left work early! That was something he never did! And as The Police Chief of Morioh, that was something unbecoming of him. But, family calls, which had been his excuse.

Besides Ichiban Nijimura, the late Okuyasu Nijimura's 26-year-old adopted son, who was also Police Deputy Chief, was put in charge of the facility while he was gone. Ichiban didn't seem to mind that all too much, though he could tell that the younger man wasn't too pleased about it. But hey? Josuke wanted to see his family, so was it really that bad of him to drop everything and run?

Well, maybe to some, but not to him! Obviously. Besides, he still needed to apologize. Josuke wasn't able to properly sleep for the last three years because he had the chance to, and if there was one thing you didn't do, it was that you were to never interrupt or disrupt Grandpa Higashikata's nap. His grandkids found that out the hard way.

"Three hours… Three hours and I can finally see my beloved great… how many ever greats after that nephew for the first time in three years…." Josuke thought, walking over to the edge of the boat and smiling. He could see the massive building in the distance, and in that building, he knew his family awaited him.

This was going to be the best week of his life.

xxXXxxXXxx

This was going to be the worst week of his life.

At least, that was what Joseph Kujo, aka Josefumi Kujo, thought as he lapped around the indoor racetrack for the 49th time this evening. His father was watching on the sidelines with Gyro, who was writing down something each time he passed the finish line. Probably times for each lap.

Right now he was wearing a blue tank top, a pair of black shorts, and running shoes, but that didn't stop him from dripping in sweat. He had originally wanted to wear his hero costume to do this so he could get used to it, but Gyro had said that would've been tantamount to suicide because it was airtight, and would have prevented him from sweating properly. So, he settled for the running attire.

This was endurance and stamina training, as well as Spin Training. The running was to distract his mind, the number of laps was meant to mentally and physically tire him out, and the Steel Balls in his hands that he was constantly spinning were meant to up his mental practice with the technique. The room they were in had been filled with rectangles that were all 16:9, and all had the proper requirements to not only be of The Golden Rectangle but also fit the diameter of The Golden Ratio.

He needed to focus on it at all times if he wanted to master The Spin, to memorize it, to be one with it, to use The Spin as a part of his Stand. The more he understood The Spin the stronger his Stand would get. Soft & Wet was a direct representation of his soul. The more his mind understood The Spin, the more his soul would too, therefore in turn making Soft & Wet stronger.

The reason why this was the case was because of Soft & Wet's bubbles. Well, to call them "bubbles" would be to deny what they were. The "bubbles" as he had known them to be, were nothing more than a fast-spinning string. This string spun fast enough to replicate the appearance, mass, and density of a bubble. When the "bubble" popped, the string simply stopped spinning and burrowed into the person, sapping away something from them, be it their senses, Quirks, friction, or even their memories if the situation was drastic enough.

Soft & Wet could only take one thing away at a time, which therefore didn't make it too overpowered. However, he wanted to see just how much more powerful Soft & Wet became if he decided to partake in becoming stronger with The Spin.

Soft & Wet wasn't an act Stand, that much was obvious. Even so, there was always room for growth, and if Soft & Wet could grow stronger, then why not see if it could? Yoshihara's Killer Queen was able to awaken a new ability due to a near-death situation, meaning it got stronger. Soft & Wet hadn't gained any new abilities at all over the last decade of him having a Stand, so he believed it to be impossible for Soft & Wet to get stronger.

That was until he finally unlocked the hidden potential he had for using The Spin, and realized that Soft & Wet was a Spin-Related Stand. Meaning that, if given enough time, his Stand could potentially get stronger!

He was convinced that his Stand would get stronger, so training The Spin seemed like a damn good idea. Of course, that wasn't the only reason he was training The Spin. He also just wanted to get better at it. His concentration would slip from time to time, so by doing this as well as a basic workout regimen, he could get extremely experienced with The Spin in a matter of months.

Joseph's breathing became hoarse and far more rapid as he made his way across the track for the 50th time, coming to a halt at the blow of a whistle. "STOP!" Johnny's voice boomed as Joseph bent forward. He wanted to vomit so badly, it wasn't even funny. Even so, he powered through. After all, what kind of hero would he be if he couldn't stomach running a marathon?

Johnny walked up to Joseph and passed him a water bottle, which he greedily took and gulped down without a second thought. Johnny smiled, patting his son on the back. "You did a good job, son. Gyro, what were his best and worst times?"

"His best time was Lap 24 with a time of 2 minutes and 25 seconds, and his worst time was Lap 42 with a time of 5 minutes flat. The average time for most laps was 3 minutes 15 seconds. Nice job, Jojo, you're getting better at this," Gyro complimented. "Now, take an hour's break. Can't let your muscles cramp on you. You still have to work out your upper body after this, remember that."

Joseph gave the bottle back to Johnny, groaning loudly as he dropped to the floor. Johnny pursed his lips before shaking his head. "Perhaps we should have dinner first. The kid's exhausted. Remember, Gyro. He's not like me, so he needs to break longer," Johnny responded as Gyro sighed.

"Yeah, I remember. Forgive me, but you two are so much alike that it's hard to tell the difference sometimes. Especially with his lack of a pompadour now," Gyro commented as Johnny smirked.

"Fair enough. Although I have blond hair and he has purple. That, and I don't shave my head," Johnny quipped, earning another, louder groan from his son, as he smirked. "Alright, Joseph, let's go have some dinner. I'm making burgers tonight." When Johnny said that, Joseph smiled. Whenever his dad made burgers, they were also grilled, and they were always cooked to perfection each time, without fail. "Should I wake up Kira, or…?" Johnny asked as Joseph hummed.

They started training about 2 hours ago, so a two-hour nap wasn't so bad. Plus, getting Kira up and going would be a good idea. She needed the sleep, granted, but even still she also needed to train. This was an internship, not a familial visit.

"I mean, that's up to you. I'd assume it'd be a good idea, though," Joseph said as Johnny nodded.

"Got it. Have a shower, get changed, and meet in the foyer. Sound good?" Johnny asked as Joseph stuck a thumbs up. He desperately needed that shower, and he needed it now. Besides, he didn't particularly want to smell like a heap of sweat and nastiness, now did he? Especially since supper was coming up, and smelling like a rotten bag of garbage wouldn't be pleasant to the nostrils, not at all.

And so, Joseph walked over to the showers within the training center, while Johnny went to go wake up his niece.

xxXXxxXXxx

A knock reverberated throughout her room, making Yoshihara groan. Ignoring it, the blonde turned over to the left side of her bed, hunching her back over as she tried to get comfortable. Another knock came, which made the blonde frown. Slowly opening her eyes, she sat up, clasping her forehead as a pulsing headache distracted her thoughts.

"Kira, get up. I want Dr. Zeppelli to get a look at you after supper. Principal Nedzu said you were feeling ill, so I want to see what it is. This is not optional," the voice of one Jonathon Kujo called out past the door, making the blonde Stand User groan.

"Alright…" Kira mumbled, yawning. The door opened as Johnny walked in, closing the door behind him. Yoshihara raised an eyebrow at this as he took the chair from the desk, and sat down. "Uh… Kujo-Sensei, is there something you need?"

"I also wanted to warn you of something. You're not in trouble for any reason, but… I have a guest coming over. A guest that, well, to put it bluntly, hates your family. The Kira's, I mean," Johnny said, his tone of voice hushed as Yoshihara raised an eyebrow.

"Hates my family… why?"

Johnny sighed. "Well, it's because—'

"I can answer that," a hauntingly calm voice came into existence, as the ghost showed up again, this time leaning against the wall. Johnny jumped backward, narrowing his eyes as the ghost stretched his arms out above his head, groaning. "Finally… I was able to establish a connection—a proper one. Do you have any idea how hard that is? I'll tell you what, It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world." The ghost said, before looking over to Jonathon, sighing. "Calm yourself, Jonathon Kujo. I mean no harm. I am merely here to explain to Yoshihara over here why I am hated by who I can only assume is Josuke Higashikata, yes? I can feel his presence approaching this building as we speak. After all, I've been watching not only her but this family as well. That would be because of the bond our family's created due to one's asinine choice to have a child with my slowly dying out family."

"Yeah… but my question is…. How are you here, Yoshikage? Wasn't your soul torn apart?" Johnny asked, his expression serious as his eyes narrowed toward the ghostly apparition, as Yoshikage's ghost huffed.

"It wasn't "torn apart" it was put into purgatory for about… I'd say a second or two, before being spat back out into the slums of heaven. But that's for another time. Right now, I'm not here to talk about my predicament. I'm here to discuss a certain pompadour having geezer, so if you would be so kind, I'd suggest you keep yourself quiet so that I may explain. After all, as his enemy, I happen to know a lot more about him than you do. Family or not, you're not exactly the brightest when it comes to reading people, now are you, Jonathon Kujo?" Yoshikage's ghost said, crossing his arms.

"Now, as I was saying. The man by the name of Josuke Higashikata is a Stand User, whose name is Crazy Diamond, an annoying counterpart to Killer Queen in a metaphorical sense. Whereas Killer Queen destroys, Crazy Diamond repairs. While your version of My Stand is different in how it uses its abilities, it still looks the same. The only real differences I've spotted thus far were the lack of the crotch amulet and the piercing red eyes. It is also slimmer than my Stand, though it probably has something to do with you being a woman. Either way, that doesn't matter," Yoshikage paused as he collected his thoughts, something Yoshihara knew he was doing, as he was chewing on one of his ghostly fingernails. When he was able to collect himself, he continued.

"Though I doubt you knew this, and while I am ashamed of my past, I should not hold it back from you. You are family after all. That being said, I was a serial killer," Yoshikage stated bluntly, making Yoshihara recoil with disgust. Yoshikage rolled his eyes. "Come now, did you really think I was an upstanding citizen? Well, as far as I was concerned, I was; but that is subjective. I was twisted beyond repair, and my mind was fractured. Like most Kira's, I had a mental problem. As a pure soul, I don't have that now. I can see now that my "hobby" wasn't a hobby, but a foul crime. And for that, I've atoned. Or, well, I am atoning, and to do that, I was assigned as a Guardian Angel for my family. Meaning, I was allowed to have an insight on the day-to-day events of the remainder of the Kira Family."

"What does this have to do with Josuke Higashikata, Kira? We don't need your backstory, bastard," Johnny hissed as Yoshikage shrugged, putting his hands behind his back. While his demeanour was calm, the aura he gave off was oppressive. It caused Johnny to sweat, swallowing back a hint of fear.

"Is that any way to talk to a higher being, Kujo? You seem to forget, that I am a Guardian Angel. I am not a soul, but an Angel. There is a key difference. My soul is no longer a mortal one. And if I wanted to, I could reincarnate myself at any time once my trials and tribulations are over and done with. But even then, in this state, if I felt like it, I could tear you apart. So… do not test me, mortal."

The way he spoke made the oldest Kujo shiver, causing his aura to flare, but other than that, nothing came of it. Yoshikage smirked, before sighing. The oppressive aura in the air vanished, as Yoshikage cleared his throat. "My apologies, I got ahead of myself there. As I was saying, this is important, because I have insider information that you otherwise would not have. Because I am the Guardian Angel to my family, I was able to see everything that happened involving Josuke Higashikata, and Yoshihara Kira's father, Yoshimura Kira. Funnily enough, while they are both Joestars, they are also both illegitimate. Funny, don't you think?"

"Anyway," Yoshikage continued, crossing his arms. "Despite having married into the Kira family, and despite not being an actual Kira, that didn't stop him from meeting the same derision that Josuke Higashikata would harken my family with. Constant checks, constant assumptions of what he was up to, and constant pestering and attempting to arrest him for the smallest of things. Truly, Josuke was nothing if not a nuisance to Yoshimura. But, it all came to a head about a month before Yoshimura moved to China, and two weeks before Yoshihara was born."

"What are you on about?" Johnny spat, glaring at Yoshikage's ghost. "Josuke would never do anything like that! Sure, he had his issues with the Kira family, and for good reason, too. But he would never harp on someone just for being tied to him! You filthy liar!"

"I am unable to lie while I am in the mortal plain, Kujo," Yoshikage replied, narrowing his eyes. Yoshihara could tell that was the truth, as the gleam in his eyes was more than enough to prove that.

"He's not lying. If he was, I'd know. Everyone has their tell when lying about something, and for most people, it's how they move their eyes. The entire time, Yoshikage's eyes have not shifted even once. Not only that, but his body language hasn't changed either, aside from crossing his arms. I'd count that as suspicious, but I also know better. Angels, no matter what form they take, and immutable beings. They are perfect to their very core, therefore lying is impossible for them. So yeah, he's telling the truth, as much as I don't want to believe it, he is," Yoshihara explained, as Jonathon's eyes widened.

"What…" Jonathon muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I… Whatever, continue. What else is there that I don't know about? I shouldn't trust you as far as I can throw you, but… at the same time, if you truly can't lie, then what else is there."

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying. A month before he was scheduled to move to China, Josuke confronted Yoshimura. Now, to be fair to Josuke, I was not fully paying attention, so I might have misheard a thing or two. But, from what I did hear, and from how Yoshimura reacted, I think it's safe to say that Josuke threatened Yoshimura. The last thing I heard before I was dragged back to heaven due to my time limit being up was this: "Don't ever come back to my town, or you'll be in more trouble than you're worth, got it?"

"That's…" Johnny shook his head, clenching his hand into a fist. "That can't be… and besides, you said it yourself, you might've misheard something. There has to be something else to that. Josuke would never outright threaten someone, especially like that. That's not the Josuke I know. He might be a bit of a jerkass from time to time, but he's not that much of an asshole!" Johnny said as Yoshikage shrugged.

"As I said, I don't know the full context behind it. But, as I've already said, I cannot lie. And as you said, there is most likely more to it than that. For as much as I despise Josuke Higashikata, I know he is not like that. That being said, there is still more. Yoshihara might be in danger because she looks eerily similar to me. If he thinks, for even a moment, that Yoshihara is a bad person, I don't doubt for a second he will want to fight."

Just as Yoshikage's ghost said that he began to fizzle out of existence. The ghost sighed, putting his hands to the side of his body. "It would seem as if my time is up for today. I hope that what I said could be of some use. And Yoshihara? Be careful. The last thing I want to have happen to you is for you to get hurt. You are my family, after all. I wish you the best of luck. It might be a while before I can show myself again. Although, you might meet another ghost. She will be of more help to you than I ever will be. Good luck."

And with that, Yoshikage's ghost disappeared, as Yoshihara looked over to Johnny, crossing her arms. "So, now what? If this Higashikata Josuke is going to come after me the moment he walks into this building, what should I do?" Yoshihara asked the older Joestar, although the name Higashikata did sound familiar to her. She knew it, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

As for Johnny, he had a thoughtful look on his face. "Well… the most I can think of doing is making sure he doesn't get the chance to actually hurt you if he would. I doubt he will because I know Josuke more personally than Yoshikage did. Just know that if he does, I will defend you. Okay?" Johnny said as Yoshihara nodded. Then, at that moment, a rumble came from Johnny's left pant pocket.

Johnny grabbed the phone out of his pocket, put it to his ear, then spoke. "This is Jonathon. What is it?" He paused, before sucking his lower lip into his mouth, sighing. He sighed, his facial expression relaxing before nodding to himself. "Alright then, send him in. We'll be there in a moment."

Johnny took his phone away from his ear, hanging up the call before sliding his phone back into his pocket. He looked back at Yoshihara, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "He's here. Let's get going. I don't want to waste any time." As he said that, he opened the door to her bedroom, and the pair walked out.

When they got into the hallway, Yoshihara saw Joseph coming in their direction, a towel wrapped around the back of his neck, wearing a fresh pair of clothing, that being a white tank top and a pair of brown cargo shorts. He was barefoot, and he looked at them with a smirk on his face.

"Ah, you're awake. How was the nap?" Joseph asked as Yoshihara blinked, slowly.

"Not long enough," Yoshihara complained as the now group of three walked down the hall, and toward the elevator. The elevator opened, and they all got inside, Johnny being the last one to do so.

When they got in, Johnny pressed the 1st-floor button, the doors closed immediately after as the dial above the door moved over to the left, landing on the number 1. The doors opened, greeting them with a hallway with a few doors on each end. Johnny stepped out first, followed by Joseph and Yoshihara, after which the doors closed.

Johnny turned around to face the two, though primarily Yoshihara. "Alright, when he comes in the door, I want you to be honest with who you are. Don't lie because of what Yoshikage told you. If Josuke does try something like that, I'll jump to your defence if I need to. Although, considering you were able to keep up with that Midoriya kid, and seeing how fast he was, I'd wager a guess that if it came down to it you could probably fight back."

Yoshihara narrowed her eyes. "You want me to fight against this Higashikata Josuke person, a veteran Stand User with plenty of tricks up his sleeve, in your living room? Doesn't that sound counter-productive?"

Johnny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "If it gets to be too much, I'll step in. I doubt Josuke would actually try to harm you. But if he does… Well, you're still my niece, and technically Yoshimura was my brother, which makes you an honourary Kujo if that means anything to you. Nobody, whether they be family or not, messes with my family. Believe me, plenty of people have learnt that lesson. If I have to make it a point to Josuke, I will. End of the discussion. I won't let his bullshit affect your future or life."

The look of determination in Johnny's eyes made Yoshihara think over his words. The man was passionate about his family, and caring for that matter. They had only just met, and he was showing genuine concern for her. It was a strange feeling, to have someone you barely know care about you. She assumed it was because he was family.

"Family… cares for family…." Yoshihara thought, her hand hovering over her stomach. She paused in thought, her teeth clenching together as another wave of drowsiness hit her like a train. The idea of family had always been something that unnerved Yoshihara. All of her life, the only person who she had ever considered family had tried to kill her. Nemuri was no replacement for family as much as she would've wanted that to be the case. Yes, she was Yoshihara's adoptive mother, but it wasn't the same. Her birth mother had tried to kill her, which had stained Yoshihara's opinion of family.

And now, her uncle was in her life. An uncle that cared for her more than her birth mother had. An uncle who was looking out for her, offering her a chance to train with him as a veteran Stand User, as well as a Hero-in-Training. That… was what true family was, not whatever Yoshikawa had been.

And at that thought of family… one thought had cropped up in her mind. A small, invasive little voice that hadn't gone away. Not ever since that happened.

"Stop denying the truth. You know what happened, so why are you lying to yourself?" It was her conscience. Biting the inside of her lip, she cleared her thoughts.

"No. No, it didn't. That's not what happened. I'm fine. Besides, if I was… my career would be over…. My one chance at a normal life would be gone…. I—"

"Oi, Yoshihara? You in there, kiddo?" Johnny's voice broke her out of her stupor, a worried expression on his face as Yoshihara blinked, adopting an apologetic expression, bringing her arms to her sides and bowing her head.

"Oh, my apologies, Kujo-sensei. Or, er… Oji… I was thinking about something…" Yoshihara said, rubbing the back of her neck, and looking down at the ground with a distant gleam in her eyes. Johnny raised an eyebrow, looking over to Joseph with a puzzled expression.

"Uh… Joseph, translate. What does "Oji" mean?" Johnny asked as Joseph smirked.

"It means uncle. It's fine," Joseph replied as Johnny smiled.

"Ah, I see," Joseph's father said, putting a hand on Yoshihara's shoulder, making her tense as she looked at him. "Ah, c'mon now, no need to look so glum. You know… I'm making burgers tonight, my country-wide famous Joe-Kid burgers, patent pending. They sell like hotcakes on store shelves, but they're even better handmade, and taste a million times more authentic than that store-bought mass-produced crap they weaselled me into making. I know you might not like American food, considering what Joseph told me, but… I can't hurt to at least try'em, right?"

Yoshihara hummed. She needed something to distract her mind with, so…. "It cannot hurt to try, so I'll do so."

Johnny smiled, putting a hand on his right hip and his other in his left pocket. "Good! Now—"

A doorbell rang throughout the room, stopping the conversation. Johnny adopted a serious expression as he put both of his hands in his pockets. "He's here. Remember, Yoshihara, tell him who you are. Just keep in mind what I said earlier, got it?"

The blonde nodded, keeping her hands to her side as they walked down the hall and into the main room. Gyro had been waiting for them and had already opened the door. Who Yoshihara saw was not what she had expected. Because she recognized him. Barely, but she knew that hairdo from anywhere.

He was tall, at a bare minimum of 5 foot 11, to maybe even 6 foot. He was wearing a yellow and green-styled Hawaiian shirt, a pair of black jeans, and a set of flip-flops. Adjusted on his forehead was a pair of sunglasses, bringing to light his light purple eyes. He was a bit muscular, but due to his rather old age, he looked a bit thinner around the arms and legs. And, of course, his hair was done in the style of a pompadour.

She recognized that pompadour because it was the only one that she had ever seen in this day and age, discounting Josefumi, of course. Back then, he looked slightly younger than he was here, which was a given, but she could never, ever forget that face.

He was the police officer that visited that place when the school had called for a wellness check. He was the officer that responded to that call. He saw her, saw the look in her eyes, saw the pain, saw the abuse, but did nothing of it. Instead, he sent a hero to look over her. That hero decreed that everything had been alright, no thanks to Yoshikawa putting on an act.

And now, 10 years later, here he was, standing in the doorway.

There was a reason why she recognized that name when Yoshikage had mentioned it. There was a reason why Josefumi's pompadour reminded her of something. And now, she finally put two and two together.

A sneer made its way on Yoshihara's face as she balled up her left hand. "You…" Yoshihara hissed, glaring at the man in the doorway. Everything that Yoshikage had told her about Josuke Higashikata left her mind, substituting with something that she deemed far more important. This had gone from someone who hated her family for, admittedly, a good reason, to something far more personal in a matter of moments.

Upon hearing her speak in that angered, snarling tone of voice, everyone stopped to look at her. Beforehand they had been exchanging greetings before she spoke up, but that had stopped in favour of looking at the angered Yoshihara, sending a wave of confusion across the room. "Uh… do I know you?" The man asked, a perplexed expression dressing his face as Yoshihara scoffed, her fist tightening as her knuckles turned white.

"Of course, you wouldn't remember me. Why would you? After all, you dismissed me completely back then, so I must've just been an afterthought, right? Another person who you could forget so you could return to your fancy little house on the outskirts of Morioh, right?" Yoshihara spat, causing Johnny to recoil.

"Hey, uh… K—"

"But out, this isn't your conversation, Oji. " Kira snapped, glaring at Johnny, who backed away with his hands up.

"Oi, don't talk to my grand nephew like that, brat. Youth these days, no manners at all, and by the way you talked to him, that means you're at least familiar with him, but I've never seen you before, so either you're a close family friend, which there aren't many of, but I digress. If that is the case, your parents didn't teach you proper manners," the man said, shaking his head as Yoshihara glared at him.

"Cut the shit, Police Chief Higashikata. If you don't remember who I am, how about I remind you, huh?" Yoshihara growled as Higashikata blinked, gaining his full attention.

"You're… from Morioh? Only people who are from there know me as the Police Chief. I'm not famous outside of there, so that means you have to have lived there at some point…" Josuke said, adorning a puzzled expression. "But… I've never seen you in my town before. So, I gotta ask, just who are you?"

The blonde wanted to laugh but kept it to herself. "Tell me, Chief, do you remember July 17th, 2113?" Yoshihara asked as Joseph's eyes widened. Yoshihara glared at him, practically making him shut up. Higashikata had a thinking expression on his face, so, Yoshihara continued. "How about I jog your memory a little: Morioh Elementary School called you about a complaint about a suspected abuse case. The address was 5214, Shujin Street, Northeast in Morioh, where the Villas had been. Does that ring any bells?"

Officer Higashikata's eyes widened slightly at the mention of that address, making him cross his arms. "The Kira residence… I remember that yes, how could I not? I was called to check on that suspected case of abuse. When I went there I saw nothing out of the usual…. At least, according to what the call had described. There were no signs of physical abuse going on in the household. To be sure, I sent a hero to do another wellness check the next day. They reported to me saying that everything was alright and that there was nothing wrong going on in the house, and that the family seemed to be living a rather happy life…."

Higashikata trailed off, frowning. "A couple of days later, we got a call saying that the child had died of an illness…. I found it suspect, but I couldn't do much about it. Let me guess…. You're that child? The Jane Doe that had been missing for over a decade, right?"

Higashikata's expression became serious as he put his hands into his pockets. This had caught Yoshihara completely off guard, not expecting a borderline sympathetic response from the man. Higashikata sighed, shaking his head. "I know what I'm about to request is selfish, but… if you would, please listen to what I have to say?"

Yoshihara glowered at the man, pursing her lips, before then finally sighing. "Fine. But don't expect me to just let you off the hook because of some stupid sob story. As far as I'm concerned, you failed me when you could've protected me, or at the very least didn't make a conceded effort to try more than what the law would let you do. But, whatever, speak," Yoshihara spat as Higashikata nodded.

"Alright then… let's start with a few days ago. When I watched The Sports Festival, I nearly jumped from my chair when I saw you. A million different things rang off in my head when I saw your face, a few of which I will admit was that of recognition of someone else that I once knew. Someone who was my sworn enemy. I'll admit, when I saw your Stand, my first reaction was to find and beat the snot out of you. But when it was drawn to my attention that you looked an awful lot like the Jane Doe that had gone missing all those years ago, my blood ran cold."

"The amount of guilt I felt for not being able to find you for so long weighed on me. I knew something awful had been happening in that household. However, I was responding to a different case entirely. You were malnourished when I saw you back then. I assumed it was because your family was poor. When I saw your mother, though… I realized that something fishy was going on. But, because of certain laws getting in the way, I couldn't do much about it. After all, it was a physical abuse case I was looking into, not a neglect charge, or whatever else might've been going on. It's why I sent that Hero in the first place, to see what was really going on. When the hero didn't find anything, I was in the process of getting a search warrant when you were reported dead and or missing, after which your mother lawyered up before we could ask her any questions. And seeing as your mother didn't register your name with the police, and because your school destroyed all your records under a villain attack threat, you were known as Jane Doe; a term we use for girls and women who don't have names attached to them. I waited for 3 years until we decided to confirm you as dead. And ever since then I had a guilty conscience."

"So, imagine my shock when I found out that the DNA sample U.A. had been willing to give us matched the DNA sample we had of this supposed Jane Doe. I wanted to get in contact with you, but U.A. wasn't legally allowed to give away a student's contact info, and seeing as my jurisdiction ends at the borders of Morioh, I couldn't do a damn thing. It was also with that DNA scan that I learned that this Jane Doe, aka you, was of Joestar Blood, which made me even more self-conscious about it."

It was then that Higashikata got on his hands and knees, bowing his head to the ground in what could only be described as a pathetic pleading bow. This took Yoshihara completely off guard, along with Johnny and Joseph.

"Josuke?! What the hell are you doing?!" Johnny blurted out as Josuke spoke louder than he had before. And not only did what he say make everyone in the room fill with confusion, but deep down in Yoshihara's heart, she felt moved by it, not because of what he said mind you, but because of the conviction and passion, his voice carried when he said it.

"I know that what I am going to ask of you is once again extremely selfish, but please, forgive me for not being able to help you when I should have. I failed you not only as an officer of the law but also as a family member who should've done everything in their power to help you when I couldn't. A part of me hates to utter that cursed last name with any form of sympathy, but… can you please forgive me, Kira Yoshihara?!"

-To Be Continued-