The air within the shared apartment of Josefumi and Karera was tense. The air was so tense that one wouldn't be able to cut it even with the sharpest of knives. They weren't mad at one another, mind you, but the information that had been just dealt out to Josefumi was something he had not been expecting in the least.

There was always a part of him that made him question why he felt spiritually drawn to Kira. At first, he assumed it was Gravity guiding him to her because she was a Stand User. That was what he had assumed was the case. After all, it made sense for it to be that. That was how being a Stand User worked.

Stand Users attract Stand Users. Josefumi was a Stand User, and so was Kira. So, ergo, Fate and Gravity did exactly what they were supposed to do, and drew them together. If that had been all that it was, then he'd be content.

But now? Now that had suddenly changed. Today, he had learned that something else might have been at play. Something that he did not see coming. But if it was true… he'd have to have a serious talk with his father about this.

Though, at the same time, Josefumi didn't know whether or not it was true. He wanted to believe what Karera had said, but at the same time, it just didn't feel right.

And even now, as Josefumi sat on the loveseat, taking a sip out of his steaming hot cup of tea—orange pekoe, to be exact—he couldn't help but feel just a little bit skeptical about what Karera had told him. His eyes were narrowed in thought as the steam from the hot beverage whisked up his nose. His face was drawn into a stern expression, as he pondered the information.

"Are you sure that what you saw was the Birthmark?" The concerned and also very confused voice of Josefumi spoke, his eyebrow raised and his body language one of tense frustration and curiosity. All he got in response to his question was a determined nod from Karera, which only further increased the stress that was placed upon him. "And you're 100% sure that this wasn't a tattoo or anything like an oddly formed scar?" Josefumi pressed as Karera groaned.

"Fumi-kun, would I lie to you about something I saw, especially something as important as this?" Karera said with a dead seriousness in her tone, causing Josefumi to frown. "Think about it, really honestly think about it. I know it's difficult to believe but trust me. I know what I saw."

Josefumi sighed, taking another sip of his tea. "No… I suppose you wouldn't," he said, looking down at the carpeted floor of the living room. A part of him had always had a feeling that there was something more to Kira that she was letting on, but this? This was something else entirely.

This wasn't just a harmless secret. No. This blew a hole in everything he ever knew about his family. He was aware of the scandal that occurred with Joseph Joestar and the birth of Josuke Higashikata, his illegitimate son, in 2001. But now that begged the question… was this another bout of infidelity? If so, how far back did it go?

A scandalous thought plagued his mind. Did his father have an affair with another woman while his mom was pregnant with him? Or did this go further back? He didn't want to believe his father would do such a thing, but even so, if it wasn't his father, it would have to be someone further back in the Joestar bloodline that interacted with the Kira's.

"Someone in our family's history must have interacted with the Kira's in a more than friendly manner after the events of Morioh… which… could be possible. The Kira's mended their relationship with the Joestars through Grandpa Josuke, but that was 45 years ago. So what gives?" Josefumi thought, steepling his fingers together.

The revelation that Yoshihara was, in some way, distantly and or directly related to him only served to make things more complicated between the two. It also must've been the reason why he was drawn to her at Aldera. The Birthmark always had a way of joining Joestars together—it was how his great-great-grandfather Jotaro Kujo met Grandpa Josuke. And now, apparently, he and Kira Yoshihara.

"Do you know how you two might be related?" Karera asked, sitting back in the chair off to the left of the couch in their shared apartment as Josefumi shrugged, shaking his head.

"I wish I knew. But, now that I know this, I'm going to have to confront Yoshihara about it. Maybe she might know how we're related. If she doesn't, then this goes further back than what I even know. And if she is related to the Joestars, then that means her Killer Queen is like Soft & Wet and hasn't tapped into The Potential, or maybe it has, and Kira doesn't know about it yet," Josefumi explained as Karera nodded.

Josefumi reclined back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling, frowning. He had more stuff to worry about than before, and now, he had to contact his father. However, he had no idea if his father would even pick up. It wasn't like they had a strained relationship, it was just that his father was extremely busy. After all, running The Speedwagon Foundation was rather tiresome.

Getting up from the couch, he walked over to his landline and dialled the number he needed to reach to get into contact with the man in question. The phone rang for a few seconds, and after those seconds passed, the phone picked up on the other end.

"You have reached The Speedwagon Foundation's secret, familial line for Joestar's use only. Please state your name, or we will send agents after this IP address to check for the threat level."

Josefumi sighed. Because of course, that would be the case. His father always had a way with overprotective security. He was a paranoid man, especially after what happened to him all those years ago. Nobody in their right mind spoke of the China Incident around him. Too many people were killed, and far too many things were stolen from his father to not get paranoid over it.

Even though his paranoia had calmed down, he was still ready to jump at a moment's notice if someone so much as lifted a finger too fast. The personal family phone line was reserved for the Joestars and anyone who was even remotely related to the Joestars to use, and only for them to use, so if someone who wasn't related to the Joestars somehow got their hands on the phone line, it meant that something bad had happened.

Of course, that had not been the case this time around—thank god—so, Josefumi had decided that, despite the dramatic lengths that were being put on display, he'd play along with his father's nonsense.

"This is Kujo Josefumi. I would like to speak to my father…" Josefumi sighed, his eyes narrowing. He loved his father sometimes, but the dramatics tended to be too much. It only got worse when things escalated in Japan, and the discovery of the Stand Bullets came into the limelight. As a response, his father tripled security. So, with a tad bit of dramatics, just as his father would've wanted, he spoke, "His name is…"

[XXXX]

In a highrise located somewhere in Florida, on the southeastern side of America, a blond-haired man with vibrant green eyes sat at a desk, reading a book with the cover reading "Steel Ball Run" in all capitals. He was dressed in a white button-up shirt with horseshoe motifs scattered about, coupled with a pair of black pants and cowboy boots. His boots were kicked up on his desk, and he was reclined in his chair, relaxed as much as he possibly could be.

His hair was unkempt, but it was far from dirty, he simply liked his hair the way it was. The book in his hands, Steel Ball Run, was an old western tale about a cowboy learning how to walk again with the help of an Italian man, and both of them were racing to get a prize of 60 million dollars—the cowboy for an experimental surgery to return his ability to walk, and the Italian to save the life of a child from wrongful execution.

He found the story to be endearing, and there were even some parts where he nearly cried. However, by the point he was at in the story, it took a sharp turn to where the President of the United States of America deemed them wanted criminals and wanted their heads for some inexplicable reason other than 'because the story needed a major over-arching villain.'

Somewhere in there, the body of Jesus Christ was involved, and while at first, he thought it was a little exaggerated, when it got to the point where the main character was fusing with the corpse of Jesus, his suspension of disbelief flew right out the window. Coupled with the fact that the person who wrote the book clearly knew about Stands…

Bah, who was he kidding? He wrote the book. Of course, it was like that. It was based on his story! He just never published it because people would notice and connect the dots. That, and the FBI were still trying to find out who killed the Former President. They'd be able to link it to him instantly, and he'd be arrested.

Not that any place would be able to hold onto him long enough for him to be sentenced, but that was neither here nor there.

Jonathon Kujo, otherwise referred to as Johnny Kujo, would like to think he was a rather smart man, but then again, it took him well over 10 years to figure out that when you made a cup of tea, you boiled the water and didn't use regular hot water. Something about the chemical reaction or whatever.

All that he knew was that the person he was named after—not his father's dead twin brother, but the person who said dead twin brother was named after—would've probably strangled him for not being able to make a proper cup of tea. It was embarrassing, but nonetheless, even if he didn't like tea and much preferred coffee, he still had to at least do it properly. Respect your ancestors or something like that.

Johnny was 41 years old, and even though his wife had passed away after the birth of his son, he refused to marry or even look at a woman the same way he did with his wife—well, maybe except one, but that was only when he was drunk. Despite this, however, he never let it affect him or his relationship with his son.

Johnny cared about his son. In fact, he cared so much about his son that when he found out he was going to Musutafu to chase a lead about the disappearance of the stolen Stand Arrow from the attack on the Chinese Branch, Johnny outright denied him and told him to stay in Morioh with his Girlfriend.

The last thing Johnny wanted was to lose the last thing that reminded him of his deceased wife. Well, not the last thing, but he wanted nothing to do with her sister. Though, he was scheduled to go down there for the Sports Festival so that he could finally meet his Niece, Kyoka, and get to see both of them kick ass.

He knew that Kyoka wasn't a Stand User, but that didn't matter. If she was anything like the other women in her family—though moreso her mother's sister than her actual mother—then it wouldn't really matter. And while Josefumi had said that they had buttheads on the first and second day of school, they made up and were on better terms.

That point was, though, that originally, he had forbidden Josefumi from going anywhere near Musutafu until they found out what was going on there. But then, behind his back, Josefumi did the exact opposite and only told him that he was already there when the call to his house in Morioh went immediately to voice mail that detailed the fact that they had moved to Musutafu.

To say Johnny wasn't happy about it was an understatement. But, if Josefumi knew what he was doing, and if he was confident that he could handle it on his own, then so be it. Plus, he was getting an education at U.A., so it wasn't like it was a complete loss. Josefumi had always said that he wanted to go to U.A., even if it was just General Studies.

It wasn't like he was going to try and punish him. That would've made him a hypocrite. He remembered when he was a child when he was going to school just how much of a rebellious teen he was, that it only made sense for Josefumi to be the same way. Like father like son, as the saying went.

"I hope he's doing okay…."

He was worried. He was told about the attack on the USJ, and the only reason he hadn't hopped on a plane to get down there the moment he caught wind of it was because Josefumi had expressly told him not to. The pissed-off father in him wanted to ignore his son's wishes and go down there anyway, but after thinking it through, he decided to stay in America.

As much as he hated to admit it, he had a company to run, and as America's second-ranked Pro Hero, he had to be on standby at a moment's notice. There was a reason why he had to alert The President that he wasn't going to be in America for three days during The Sports Festival, much to The President's chagrin.

He found it funny. How he became the CEO of the Speedwagon Foundation, meanwhile his rival from another universe became President. That was still trippy to him, how that version of his rival who had been killed by being bisected by a train, was technically still alive. All because of Former President Valentine's mistake.

At first, Johnny was upset that he lost, and came in second place. Lucy wanted him dead because it was wrong that he was replacing a dead man, and what he wanted to also wrong, but Johnny had been able to convince Lucy to let him talk to him.

After working things out, he decided to leave the corpse of Jesus Christ alone and left it where it rightfully belonged, and instead had the Speedwagon Foundation endorse his presidential campaign when the time came for it. After all, he had to make a name for himself first, but when the time came, then The Speedwagon Foundation would back him and fund his race.

Ever since then, he and The President have been friends for the last three years. While Gyro might not have been all too keen on it, The President had more than made it clear that he had no beef with Johnny, and vice versa.

Johnny sighed, looking out the window that overlooked Miami. "I wonder when Josefumi's going to call. He said he was going to…" Johnny mumbled, scratching the stubble on his chin.

And as if the universe had heard him, the doors to his office opened, revealing a woman with blond hair, cerulean eyes, and a moderate stature. She was wearing a black suit and business skirt with black stockings and black high heels, and her hair had been left to go down to her hips. She had crow's feet around her eyes, a sign of stress and lack of sleep. In her left hand was a black cell phone, and in her right hand was a clipboard, probably from where she had last been.

Johnny turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, Yoshikawa, are you here to claim your vacation days?" Johnny asked, confusion in his tone of voice as Yoshikawa smiled.

"Oh, it's nothing like that," Yoshikawa said, brushing his confusion off. Which was typical, especially given how she had been, always been a constant and dedicated worker. It was in her character to be that way.

The two had known each other since college and at the time Johnny had been living in Morioh. The two had been close friends, but nothing more than that. When Johnny inherited the Speedwagon Foundation from the previous owner, his father, Jouta Kujo, he immediately offered a job to Yoshikawa, who had just had a child with Yoshimura, her now Ex-Husband.

Yoshimura had supposedly passed away during the attack that happened at the Chinese branch of the Speedwagon Foundation, and when she went on mental health leave, Johnny noticed that she had taken up the pastime of being a hooker.

Normally, employers, after seeing and hearing that would fire that person on the spot. But Johnny wasn't like that. He knew she had been struggling, so he did something else. Johnny paid for her to get a mental health check and paid for her therapy so she could get better. Not only that, but he also made sure to supply her with enough money to support her child, who she had been taking care of as a single mother for the last six years up to that point.

Not even a few months later, her child had died of health complications, or so she had said. Johnny could only imagine the pain that she had been in after losing a child so young. Yoshikawa confided in Johnny during that time and was often seen crying at work or trying not to cry at work when she came back to America after her child's death.

However, there was just something about it that seemed… forced. Johnny didn't know why, but there was something off about how she acted after the death of her child. But then again, who was he to judge someone, especially if he wasn't all that involved with the whole situation surrounding that incident?

People coped with death and tragedy in different ways. For Johnny, when his wife died, he… started drinking. A lot. Far too much. It got to the point where Gyro needed to stage an intervention, and it got nasty. It was why Josefumi was moved to Morioh to live with Josuke until he was old enough to take care of himself.

For that reason, he didn't dig into Yoshikawa's personal life after they stopped speaking after college, but even so, when she approached him after all those years of not seeing one another and applied for a job at the SWF, he decided that it would've been a good excuse to catch up with her—that, and her resume was extremely impressive.

Being able to work as a private accountant for the former Vice President and maintain it for a full term of the man's vice presidency was no joke. Ever since then, she had been working with The Speedwagon Foundation.

"So… then why are you here?" Johnny asked as Yoshikawa smiled.

"You have a call from your son," she said, passing him the phone as Johnny's eyes widened. Quickly snatching the phone and mouthing a 'thank you' Johnny cleared his throat and put the phone to his ear.

"Josefumi! It's been a while since we spoke, tell me, how are things?" Johnny asked, leaning back in his chair, and motioning for Yoshikawa to take a seat. As she sat down, crossing her legs, Johnny put the phone on speakerphone as Josefumi spoke. Yoshikawa had been something of an Aunt to Josefumi, even if only in passing. While they didn't talk too much, Yoshikawa thought the world of Josefumi, so it was only right for her to hear how he was doing.

"Hey, Dad. I have a few questions I need to ask you. But first, I wanted to tell you about a certain development that's going to make you happy."

"Oh?" Johnny asked, quirking an eyebrow as a soft chuckle left Josefumi's mouth over the phone.

"You remember that Steel Ball you gave me before I left? Well, guess what? I Spun it. I used The Spin earlier today. I even found out that Soft & Wet used it in the past and did it for I don't even know how long. It's how its 'Bubbles' worked."

Johnny was without words. He was… He was happy! His son had actually done it! He knew he could, but there was also the possibility that he potentially couldn't. And, on top of that, to find out that Soft & Wet was in some ways like Tusk… well, he was more than a little proud of Josefumi.

"That's wonderful!" Johnny said, wiping a small tear from his cheek, as pride filled his chest. He cleared his throat, ran a hand through his hair, and then cleared his throat for a second time before continuing. "Er… you said you had something else for me?"

"Yes… I wanted to ask you something, and it's about something I mentioned in one of my text messages. You know that girl I keep talking to you about. The Stand User that I met at Aldera, and the one who's currently helping me and Karera with The Stand Bullet fiasco?"

Johnny thought about it for a moment, before his eyes widened. "Oh, right! Yes, I remember. You never told me her name, though, so I kinda thought it was a one-and-done meeting. I didn't know you were getting her to help you." He paused again, only this time, he had a devious smirk on his face. "You're not doing what I think you're doing, Josefumi. Because—"

"What?! NO! Dad, Lord and Christ above no! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Johnny snickered at Josefumi's interruption. He always had a fun time teasing him. He was in many ways like his mother, and this was one of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could even see Yoshikawa snicker at Josefumi's frantic reply. Once he calmed down, Johnny spoke again. "Anyways, Jojo, you were saying?"

"Right…." Josefumi cleared his throat before continuing, clearly still trying to compose himself after that little outburst of his. "I suppose I should start with her name. Her name is Kira Yoshihara."

This time, it wasn't Johnny who reacted, but rather, it was Yoshikawa, whose eyes widened. She immediately got up from her chair, a frustrated expression on her face then ran out of the room. Johnny had been confused, and he was about to say something, only for Yoshikawa to slam the door shut, which prompted Johnny to narrow his eyes a little bit.

"What was that about…?" Johnny thought, confusion marring his thoughts. She had never acted like that before. It was also a little disrespectful. While that was bad enough, he still wanted to know why she acted that way.

Although, come to think of it, Yoshikawa's last name was Kira, and Yoshikawa never did say anything about what gender her child had been…. But, at the same time, Yoshikawa had a brother, Adachi Kira, so maybe this was his child. Yoshikawa had said that she wanted nothing to do with the rest of her family, so maybe that was why she was acting the way that she was.

But, unbeknownst to Johnny, that had not been the case.

In the hallway of the Speedwagon Foundation headquarters, Yoshikawa Kira was not having a good time. No, she wasn't just not having a good time, she was, in fact, pissed off—relieved—no! Pissed off! She had been living a relatively normal life after her 'child'—but Yoshihara was our child…—No! No, she was a leech—no, she wasn't, she was, no, is our daughter!—Yes she was, but she was a leech! That was why she had tried to kill her goddamnit!

She slammed her head against the wall. That damn, annoying, stupid fucking voice in the back of her head! She hated it. Hated it, hated it, hated it, hated it! The voice would never shut up! It was like a parasite and one she could live without! So why was it always there?!

She took a deep breath, and relaxed, her shoulders lowering as she let a wave of calm wash over her. She was calm… she was fine… she didn't need to freak out. She needed to keep up appearances, and she needed to look as if this didn't bother her nearly as much as it did.

Whatever… she had supposedly died, and, of course, she showed sadness and regret when she showed up at work, but in Morioh whenever she was off work or in the city, she was partying—we should have been mourning, and crying, why… why did you lie to me that our child had died—not that it mattered, it was garbage, so who cared—we did, we cared an awful lot… we needed to take our medication—NO! Besides, she was having the time of her life without it!

She was no longer held down by that mistake—even though our daughter wasn't a mistake—and so, she lived that way—we shouldn't have been—but she did anyway, because who gave a shit? She didn't, that was for sure. That, and with Yoshimura having been dead, she didn't have to worry about any upset or depressed husband—even though he was one of the only things that kept us stable—but he went and died so, who gave a fuck—We do. That's who. Stop ignoring me!—and now she was having the time of her life.

And therefore, she had nothing holding her back—that was a bad thing because now we are—better than ever! She became extremely wealthy, she even moved to America in a penthouse, and she even married a man named George, who was nice, polite, and kind—and hits us way too often—only because she deserved it. Not only that, but he always kept her company, far better than that mope Yoshimura—not when he hits us, though. He's abusive. Stop ignoring it—so, to that extent, her life had been perfect—it's in complete and total ruin!—The life she wanted to live for so long!—the life you don't deserve—YES SHE DID!

But now her boss's brat had just confirmed to her the exact opposite of what she knew to be true—which was a good thing! Our daughter is alive! We can apologize and try and make amends!—no! Because that would only make things worse! Her life, with just one fucking name, had been ruined in a singular second. All because that brat opened his mouth. All because that mistake's name had been uttered.

"No…! I thought that brat died! I thought she was gone, forever! I thought I could live a normal life without her coming back! HOW THE FUCK IS SHE ALIVE! I FUCKING POISONED HER FOOD!! EVEN IF THAT PIECE OF SHIT FIRE USER STOPPED ME FROM FINISHING THE JOB, SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT THAT FAR!"

Her expression turned cold, and then she frowned. "No matter. I'll just have to try and take her down for good. Then I can rid my conscience of her. But…. Do we really want to do that?" Yoshikawa thought before shaking her head. No. She had to do this—no we don't—YES SHE FUCKING DID! She needed to do this so that she could continue her new, and better life.

Steeling her expression before walking back into the office, Yoshikawa made sure that the voice in the back of her head stayed quiet, and then, she re-entered Mr. Kujo's office. When she did, Johnny had his arms crossed, and he looked a little peeved, to which she bowed, and spoke. "I apologize for my fit of anger. Please excuse me, but I was wondering if I could take that vacation to Japan early, please, Mr. Kujo?" Yoshikawa asked as Johnny stared at her for a second.

There was a moment when Yoshikawa believed that he was going to deny her, but then, with a sigh, and after pinching the bridge of his nose, he spoke. "Sure, I don't see why not. You have two weeks, okay?" Johnny stated as Yoshikawa left the room once again, but this time she didn't slam the door, rather, she calmly closed it.

Johnny huffed, putting his attention back on the phone. "My bad Josefumi. One of my employees was with me, and I guess they got angry for some reason. Carry on, what about this Kira Yoshihara? Is she perhaps related to Kira Yoshikawa?"

"I have no idea. She never talks about her parents. All I know is that she lived with Midnight, aka Kayama Nemuri, before meeting me, that is. I know nothing of her past, other than the fact that, according to one of her friends, it wasn't a good one, and even then, he doesn't know everything. She never told me or her other friend the details, but to him, it was concerning. However, that isn't why I called to talk about it."

A bad history? That didn't sound like Yoshikawa's child. Although, he wouldn't be shocked if things happened behind the scenes that Yoshikawa didn't tell him about up to her child's death. All he knew was that the child, before they died, were well-behaved and that it was the only reason she had to keep going. Or, something like that.

It was… troubling to hear that. But, it wasn't shocking. Yoshikawa had been born with schizophrenia that rapidly developed into paranoid schizophrenia due to her father. As she grew older, she also developed bipolar disorder on top of it. Her whole life as a teenager, she was heavily medicated.

Yoshimura, her ex-husband, helped her keep stable, but when he died during the attack on the Chinese Branch, Yoshikawa fell into a state of depression. That was when he had lost majority contact with her, only finding out she was still alive because he had noticed that someone was using her business email to operate an OnlyFans account, which got him back into contact with her to figure out what was going on.

She had confided in him that she had also developed Dissociative Identity Disorder, but that it wasn't much of an issue, and it had been a trauma response to losing her child. All and all, he had felt awful for her, but he couldn't help but shake that there was something… off about all of this.

He knew she wanted nothing to do with her extended family, but where were they? Why hadn't they said anything about her or to her? They must've cut contact for a reason, but for what? What was the reason?

Perhaps they weren't real? The more he thought about it, the more he was starting to believe that was the case. He'd have to have someone look into it. Just to see if this "Adachi Kira" individual existed, and if any of her other aforementioned "other family" that she spoke of on the regular.

But that was for later.

"Well, why is it that you called then? You know, outside of telling me about you being able to use The Spin," Johnny said, reaching for a black Steel Ball with the same carvings as the one that Josefumi's had. It began to spin slowly, all the while he took a sip out of his hot coffee.

"Exactly. You see… this Kira Yoshihara person… according to Karera… Has a Joestar Birthmark. A legitimate Joestar Birthmark. Not a Tattoo, but a real Joestar Birthmark."

Johnny's Steel Ball left his hand and banged around the room as he spat out the coffee in his mouth before he could swallow it. The Steel Ball was about to go out of the window when a purple-ish arm with golden stars and a blue glove reached out to grab it, ceasing its spinning and placing it on his desk, before then abruptly disappearing.

"WHAT?!" Johnny exclaimed, wiping off his shirt as much as possible, the words that Josefumi said sinking into his brain as he tried to process it. "And she was sure it was real? You know how publicied that "Curse" has become, right? Are you sure she didn't just—"

"Uh… Mr. Kujo? Hi! Karera here, and I can 100% confirm that it wasn't a fake. It wasn't a tattoo, nor was it a malformed scar or the casting of light. It was a 100% real, honest-to-God, Joestar Birthmark, down to the location, the points, and the angle. It was the same as the one Fumi-kun has, too!"

Karera's interruption had caused the man to stop talking, put down his cup of coffee, and recline back in his seat. "Oh dear god… this… this is not good…." Johnny thought to himself, biting his tongue, contemplating what his next move was going to be.

Josefumi had no idea about what his Grandfather had done. He had made it a point to hide that from him as much as possible. He didn't want Josefumi's image of his Grandfather to be ruined, but it was starting to look like that wasn't going to be possible.

It was starting to look as if it was going to be necessary to explain to him what his Grandfather had done. "Alright, I believe you. And I think I know the reason why this could've happened," Johnny said, looking over to a picture of his father, his mother, and a younger version of himself. Johnny sighed, brushing a hand through his hair before sitting up straight in his chair.

"Josefumi. I never think I told you the reason why I have the name I have, outside of it being an homage to our greatest descendant, Jonathon Joestar," Johnny began as the line remained silent, which permitted him to continue. "You see, your grandfather was supposed to have two siblings. You've met your Great Aunt Holly, but you never met his Twin Brother, Jonathon Kujo."

"Huh? But… isn't that your name?"

"It is. But's my name because, while I was named after our greatest ancestor, it was also the name of your grandfather's brother, who unfortunately died in childbirth, which drove his mother, your Great-Grandma, Jolyne Cujoh, to spiral into despair. She became mute, and it was up to your Great-Grandpa Narcasio to speak on her behalf.

"Jolyne coddled Jouta, so much so to the point that it negatively affected him. Not in a developmental way, but in a mental health sort of way. He found out that he was supposed to be a twin, and it messed him up. It messed him up so much that he gained an inferiority complex, and when Jouta grew old enough to move out, he made a vow to her that he could make it up to her for what happened to Jonathon," Johnny continued, grabbing his coffee and taking a sip, letting out a sigh.

"Jouta went around the world to every country and had sex with as many women as he could. He was able to get five women pregnant—One in Britain, two in Germany, and Two in Japan, one of those people being my mother. We found the one in Britain, Samual Laurance, who is running a school, and the two kids in Germany had died in a terrorist attack in Berlin. We were never able to track down the other Japanese woman that Jouta had relations with, but, I'm fairly certain that I've always known them, and just never put the pieces together, and that this Yoshihara Kira individual is their daughter.

"Whoever that child may have been or is, must be the father or mother of Yoshihara. Of course, Jouta's last target to increase the Joestar name was my mother, so there was no infidelity, but if I had to guess, he paid the women to not say a damn word about what had happened. And now that he's dead, he doesn't have to face the backlash, but I have had to on his behalf," Johnny said, scowling.

"That's… oh wow, I never would've thought… but why? Why not tell me before?"

"Because I didn't want your image of your Grandpa to be ruined because of his stupid mistakes," Johnny said, picking the phone up, taking it off speakerphone, and putting it to his ear. "When you and Kira get your internships after the Sports Festival, I will make a special request to U.A. to have you and her internship with us. I would like to meet my supposed niece. After all, if she really is a Joestar, that makes you her cousin."

"I understand father. I'll get on it right away. I love you."

"I love you too, son, be safe," Johnny said, before hanging up the phone. For how much he loved his family, there were times when he wished he wasn't a Joestar. Especially given all of the bullshit he had to deal with. But that was family for you. Even if some of the members of the family had done some… odd things, or just plain sucked.

He guessed he had two nieces now. Kyoka and this Yoshihara girl. He wasn't annoyed, per se, but it was definitely something he hadn't been expecting to find out. All because his father couldn't keep it in his pants.

"Well, congratulations, Dad. You've just made my life oh so much harder and stressful. Thanks, asshole…"

[XXXX]

Hitoshi Shinsou woke up in a hospital bed, his head pounding like a jackhammer as he slowly rose from his prone position. He hadn't known how long it had been since he had passed out after The Incident, but what he did know was that he had been attacked by some thug who had a gun because he stumbled upon some kind of exchange. After that, all he remembered was a ringing sound, his parents screaming, and then a warping sound before he passed out from what he had to assume was a seizure.

The day before his hospitalization, he had entered the U.A. Entrance exam and believed himself to have done pretty well in it, so his parents rewarded him by taking him to the movie theatre. Then they stumbled on whatever kind of deal they had come upon, he was attacked, and everything was a blur after that. A mixture of beeps and buzzes filled the room around him as his eyes slowly began to adjust to the light of the room.

He was able to get a good look at the time and saw that it was around midnight. "I was only out for a few hours, huh? Could've been worse…." Shinso thought, cracking his neck from side to side. That was odd. If he had only been out for a few hours, why did he feel so… stiff? He looked down to see he was dressed in a hospital gown, which should've been obvious seeing as he was in a hospital, but regardless of that fact, he still found it odd. He wondered where his clothes had been put. He'd have to find out later.

"Hito-chan!" A small voice cried to his left as he rubbed his eyes. He was still trying to process everything that was happening, but even in his stupor, he knew very well who that voice belonged to. He looked over to his left and saw a small child with faded purple hair, large purple eyes, and pale skin. She had a round face and was wearing a black overall dress with a white shirt underneath it.

Kana Shinsou, his baby sister, was looking up at him with a mixture of worry, happiness, and sorrow. But why? Why did she look so upset? Did something bad happen? Well, obviously something bad happened—he got shot for fucksake, but that wasn't what he meant. She looked like she hadn't been able to speak to him or even see him for weeks.

So if it had only been a few hours, why was she looking at him like that?

"Hey, Kana… uh… where's Mom and Dad?" Hitoshi questioned as Kana pouted, climbing onto his hospital bed and giving him a hug. She squeezed him as if her life depended on it, and in return, he hugged her back.

His little sister, Kana, was only 7 years old and had been registered as Quirkless, much to their family's despair. But it would take more than that to break the family apart. Because of that, he was her only real friend. It must've been awful thinking that something worse happened than what actually did.

"You don't want to see me?" Kana said as Hitoshi sat her down on the bed and ruffled her hair, a sly smirk on his face as he shook his head. A small chuckle left his smirking face before he huffed.

"C'mon, Kana, don't be like that. I just want to know where Mom and Dad are. I mean, it's not like they wouldn't want to see me after what happened," Hitoshi said, rubbing the back of his neck as he blinked. "Speaking of which, how long have I been out for?" Hitoshi asked as Kana rubbed underneath her eyes, a distant look in them as she spoke.

"…Two weeks. You've been in a… the doctors called it a "coma", for two weeks… A-And you missed your first day at school a few days ago, and the teachers asked where you were…. Momma said you were at the hospital recovering from an attack, and the school told her that you would be in the General Studies course, so there was no rush…." Kana said, looking down at the floor.

"B-But on the bright side! You don't have any homework, and they voided all of the work you missed so that you could recover in peace! But when you get back, you'll be put into a separate room and caught up on what you missed so you can join the regular classes!" Kana said, immediately changing the mood with a bright smile.

Although Hitoshi was not smiling, he simply stared straight ahead. He failed? He didn't pass the Hero Course exam? How!? He was able to get 20 points, so that should've been enough! How far had he been off from getting into the Hero Course? 1 point? 2 points? 10 points?!

He wanted to throw something in anger, but he swallowed his rage, and simply let out a soft sigh, followed by a hallowed chuckle. "Big bro?" Kana said cautiously as Hitoshi shook his head.

"No… it's okay, Kana. I'm just, surprised," he said, looking down at the gap between his legs and straight at the mattress. He had worked so hard to get that far, trained his Quirk, only to realize that his opponents were robots. He saw the switches, though, so he destroyed the robots that way. But even then, he didn't get enough points. He did okay on the written exam, so maybe that was how he got into the General Course and hadn't been rejected outright. But even then, that didn't change the fact that he was upset.

He had always wanted to be a hero. To prove those assholes at Somei that they were wrong about him. That he wasn't destined to be a villain, and that he could be a hero with his "villainous Quirk" as they had called it.

But now, because he had failed, all of his dreams had been shattered.

What did his parents think? Would they still be proud of him? Would they still accept a failure like him? He held back whatever self-pity he had and just stared at his bed until he heard the sound of footsteps around toward the door.

"Oh! The patient is awake!" A chipper voice spoke out as Hitoshi's head shot up to see a man standing in the doorway. The man's hair was bushy, very bushy, it almost looked like a hat in some regards. He had very pale skin, and his eyes were blue. He wore a white doctor's coat with blue surgical clothes underneath with a bear pin on the right lapel. In one hand was a clipboard, and in the other was a black pen.

"For a moment, I thought you had died! Then again, most of the people who were attacked similarly did, but you didn't, and that makes you special. My name is Dr. Tomioka, but you can call me Dr. Tooru if you want, and I'm the Head Doctor of this hospital."

The Head Doctor was talking to him? Hitoshi didn't know whether or not that was a good thing, but that must've meant something happened when he was in that coma his sister mentioned. Although, there was something… off about The Head Doctor. He didn't know what it was, but he gave off a kind of… negative energy.

Like, if he stared at him for too long, something bad would happen to him, or if he thought too much about doing something to or around him, it wouldn't end well. Not that he had any intention to, but still…. It unnerved Hitoshi, and it made him a little skittish.

"Uh… hi…" Hitoshi muttered sheepishly as Dr. Tomioka smiled. He looked at Kana and gestured for her to leave the room, which she did. Hopping off the bed, Kana ran toward the door, but before she left, she waved at him, and then fully disappeared down the hall. When she was gone, Dr. Tomioka chuckled to himself.

"You know, Shinso, your sister is such a delight to have around the place. She likes to cheer up the doctors, you know? Even if she lacks a Quirk, you'd swear she had some kind of positivity Quirk with how happy and joyful she is," Dr. Tomioka said, a small smile on his face as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Y-Yeah… Kana's always been like that. She wants to be a pop star when she grows up," Hitoshi mentioned as Dr. Tomioka nodded.

"Well, I think she can do it. All she has to do is put her mind to it, just like everyone else. And with how much of a positive person she is, well, I doubt she won't have to worry about drawing the attention of any negative people," Dr. Tomioka said, and then, his smile faded, and his expression became serious. "Although, we should really speed this up. I have a patient in the next room that needs to be looked at. She's in a similar situation as you were not but a few moments ago."

"O-Oh… Okay," Hitoshi said, shrinking into himself slightly. "Well, uh… can you tell me what's happened?"

"Would you like the good news, or the bad news first?"

"I'd like to hear the good news, please. I've already been told enough bad news for one day…." Hitoshi said as Dr. Tomioka nodded.

"Well, the good news is that you'll make a full recovery, and you'll be allowed to return to/show up for the first time at U.A. tomorrow morning. Also, I heard about your results from your parents, who happen to be good friends of mine, and I'm sorry about what happened. Sometimes things like that happen, no matter what it is that you and I want. Your parents aren't disappointed in you if that's what you're thinking, they're just glad you made it into U.A. at all," Dr. Tomioka said as Hitoshi scoffed.

"Then why aren't they here to tell me themselves?" Hitoshi grumbled as Tooru sighed, cracking his neck from side to side as he rolled his right shoulder.

"They happen to be back in Esuha, asleep at their house. Your sister stayed here and has been sleeping in the children's wing of the hospital free of charge. She was worried about you, and your parents had to let her stay here because she refused to budge until you woke up. Hence why your sister was here to greet you and not your parents, but rest assured they've been visiting you every day," Dr. Tomioka stated as Hitoshi bit his tongue, looking away from him, a little bit ashamed for thinking negatively about his parents like that.

"I see…" Hitoshi murmured, furrowing his eyebrows. He cleared his throat, then made eye contact with Dr. Tomioka again. "So, what's the bad news?" Hitoshi asked as Dr. Tomioka gained a serious gleam in his eyes.

"The bullet you were shot with wasn't a regular bullet. It's something the media's been calling "The Yellow Bullet" and as a result… you lost your Quirk. What made you unique is no longer a part of you," Dr. Tomioka stated, reclining in his chair as Hitoshi chuckled, shaking his head.

His Quirk was gone? What nonsense! But when he tried to feel it, tried to activate the thing that he felt in the back of his throat that would give his voice the hypnotic qualities it usually had when he spoke, it wasn't there. He couldn't feel it. He tried it again, and again, and again, muttering random words under his breath, but to no avail.

It was then that dread began to sink as he slowly began to realize what had happened. His worst nightmare came true, and it made his heart sink into his stomach.

He was Quirkless.

"W-W—"

"But…." The doctor drawled, erupting into a black aura as a figure showed up behind him, one that made Hitoshi jolt back in surprise when it showed up. It was a humanoid thing, and it even wore clothes like a human, such as a black bowler hat and coat, gloves, and a scarf. its coat featured buttons that resembled small suns, and it had a cane in its left hand.

And had that been all, he wouldn't have been bothered. But, there was just one thing that confused him, even if in the area of Quirks such a thing shouldn't have unnerved him, but yet it did.

Its head resembled a radio microphone or a machine of some kind, and its eyes were shaped like suns, similar to the buttons on its coat. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, and what made things even worse, it seemed to be mimicking the doctor's movements as, when he lifted his right hand, so too did the creature.

"W-What is that?!" Hitoshi exclaimed as Dr. Tomioka smirked.

"Judging by the look on your face, you can see my Stand, Wonder Of U," Dr. Tomioka said, Hitoshi looking at what Dr. Tomioka referred to as a Stand. It looked like a ghost, the more he stared at it.

"Am… am I not supposed to?" Hitoshi asked, nervousness clear in his tone as Dr. Tomioka snapped his fingers as Wonder Of U disappeared.

"Usually, no. But you're a special case," Dr. Tomioka began as he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees as clasped his hands together. "See, because you were shot by The Yellow Bullet and because you survived the attack—which 93% to 95% of people don't, by the way—while you may have lost your Quirk, you've gained something far more powerful, and only a few select people have these powers, something more powerful than Quirks."

As Dr. Tomioka said that, a small smile took up his expression. "As you've seen, I have one of those powers, which is called Wonder Of U. Though, to be more broad, these powers are referred to as Stands because they stand next to you in battle. Though, unlike you, I was born with my Stand but didn't awaken it until I was a teenager around your age."

Hitoshi could only stare at him. He wanted to call Dr. Tomioka a madman, but considering what he saw, after seeing Wonder Of U, he had no choice but to believe him. That, and to fake something like that… it would've taken a lot of holograms to make it look the way it did.

"So… I still have a power… just not a Quirk?" Hitoshi asked as, without warning, a teal aura burst around him, which made him freak out, scrambling around on the hospital bed thinking he had caught on fire when Dr. Tomioka put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Shinso-kun. Relax. Take a deep breath. You're fine," Dr. Tomioka said, his voice calm and reassuring as Hitoshi looked down at his arms, only to notice that he wasn't burning up. He looked… fine. Hitoshi did what he was told, and took a deep breath, relaxing as he did. Then, with a hint of confusion in his voice, he spoke.

"W-What is this?" Hitoshi muttered, looking at Dr. Tomioka, who simply smiled.

"That, Shinso-kun, is your Stand's Aura. It happens when your body tries to summon your Stand. But, because it's your first time, you're going to need to concentrate. Think of what you see your soul as, and then, manifest it. If you have to, say the words "Summon" and it should work until you give it a name," Dr. Tomioka instructed, taking his hand off Hitoshi's shoulder, and giving him some space.

Hitoshi looked straight ahead, staring at nothing in particular. He closed his eyes and focused. What did his soul look like? What did he imagine what his soul should look like? Was it warped, and twisted? Or was it whole, and pure? Hitoshi didn't know. It was all too confusing. He didn't want to fit into a mould. He wanted to be who he wished to be.

And it was in that where he felt something pull at his consciousness, and as soon as he felt it, his eyes shot open, the teal aura around his body flaring like a raging flame, as he uttered "Summon."

As soon as he did, a figure emerged from his body. It was missing its lower half with wires dangling from where its waist should've been. Its upper torso had a monitor in the center of it with the words 'Disconnected' in plain, white text. Its head was shaped like an oval, and it had several spirals and pits where things like eyes, a nose, or a mouth should've been. It had metallic cords connecting its head to its overall body, yet despite that, its head didn't look like it was going to fall off. It kind of just… hovered there, stiller than swamp water.

Then came its actual torso. It looked like a metal ribcage, with the metallic points keeping the monitor in the center of its torso in place. Connected to its skeletal torso were two large heart-shaped shoulder pads, and attached to those shoulder pads were thin, wirey arms with large, hand-sized fishing hooks wound up in golden reels.

Hitoshi looked at it and felt… familiarity. He didn't know why, but when he looked at it, it was like he was staring at an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time. Dr. Tomioka hummed to himself, which drew Hitoshi's attention, prompting him to speak. "That's quite the Stand you've got there, Shinso-kun. But, I have to ask, what's its name?"

"Its name?" Hitoshi thought, looking back at his Stand. It was then, when he stared into one of its many spirals, something in the back of his mind clicked. As if the Stand itself told him its name. "Its name is Everybody Loves Me."

Dr. Tomioka nodded, looking Everybody Loves Me up and down, before reclining back in his chair. "I see. A fitting name. For the time being, put it away. Some pointers for when you use it, pretend that it's a Quirk. If anybody asks how you're doing what you're doing, the best thing to do is to pretend that your Quirk simply evolved and that it no longer requires speech to use. When someone has a Quirk, and they gain a Stand, it's usually a super amped-up version of their original Quirk, or at the very least, something related to it. Only on rare occasions does the Stand deviate from the Quirk it comes from, so keep that in mind."

As Dr. Tomioka spoke, all Hitoshi could do was think about one thing in particular. Something that he had completely forgotten about, and something that, in hindsight, should've been obvious.

A smile stretched across his face, as a sinister gleam appeared in his eyes. "I have an advantage in The Sports Festival…" Hitoshi said, chuckling to himself. "If the rumours are true, then you can get into the Hero Course by winning in The Sports Festival. With Everybody Loves Me, I can do that with ease…!" Hitoshi continued, as the realization set in.

Maybe his dream wasn't shattered after all?

Before Dr. Tomioka could say anything, though, something on his collar beeped—a small one-way walkie-talkie—and a panicked female voice came out of the other end. "Head Doctor! Ms. Takeshi is having a seizure! We need your assistance, now!"

Without warning, Dr. Tomioka bolted up from his chair and raced for the door, but not before shouting "I'll be back!" and just like that, he was gone. Hitoshi dismissed Everybody Loves Me with a thought, looking over to the window next to his bed.

Even if he lost his Quirk, his new Everybody Loves Me was a good replacement, and if what Dr. Tomioka said was true about how Stands that originated from Quirks were just supped-up versions of what came before, then that meant that he was about to have an easy time. He didn't know what was in store for him at the Sports Festival, but one thing was clear.

He was going to give it his all to win.

-To Be Continued-