Yellow Experience
It's both impressive and sad that this is, to date, the longest I took to publish a new chapter. I can however promise that it isn't because of fading interest, but due to my personal rule of writing my fanfics in turns. The latest chapter of my other ongoing fanfic took a ton of time, but that won't apply to this story at any point. My enthusiasm for this story is still going strong, and I'll do everything in my power to not disappoint my readers.
By the way, there's a little part of this fanfic's future that YOU can potentially decide. I'm going to assign a main girlfriend to Giorno, and it'll be you in the comments who can influence my decision. Just pick one of the girls that walked with him in the horror cave in chapter 17, and write said girl's name in the comments.
My decision will work like this: Let's say there's girl A and girl B. I have my own vote for girl A. If there are 2 or more votes that pick girl B, then girl B will become Giorno's primary girlfriend.
This doesn't have to be settled until the next chapter, but I would like to ask you to cast your vote as early as you can. And don't be shy, every single vote counts. With that said, I hope you participate, as it'd make me really happy to have an interactive reader base.
I do not own JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Assassination Classroom.
Chapter 21: Encounter of Fate
Asano Gakushuu didn't sleep well this night. The night after his humiliating defeat against Class 3-E and the horrific lecture he received from his father afterwards deeply touched his soul, but not in a good way.
That's why for the coming 2 weeks, he'd go on a quest to find power.
Walking into the dining room, he sat down across from his dad. Without saying good morning or even looking at him, the orange-haired grabbed the cereal box and poured it into his bowl.
Gakuhou wasn't surprised about Gakushuu's attitude considering the day before, so he let that slide, but decided to comment on something else he saw an issue with.
"Gakushuu, why aren't you wearing your school uniform?"
With this, the younger Asano had broken his routine of appearing to breakfast already neatly dressed up. For Papa Asano, this was of great concern, because it looked to him as if his son was becoming neglectful of his orderliness. Suffering defeat was bad enough, but he couldn't overlook neglecting etiquette.
"Hey, you aren't losing focus because of your loss, are you?" the elder Asano questioned, accusing the orange-haired of becoming sloppy and forgetting class. Coupled with Gakuhou's perception that Gakushuu was ignoring him, he assumed a stern tone, not going to condone this lack of his idealized elite mannerisms.
"On the contrary." the younger Asano suddenly retorted in a low tone, raising his head to stare his old man in the eyes in an effort to show strength.
Seeing that his son was showing fierce determination with those eyes, the chairman was taken aback a little in surprise.
"I am extremely focused, monster, I HAVE TO BE, since I'll be going on a serious quest to find TRUE power, RECLAIM my pride, and extract REVENGE from you monsters." the orange-haired defiantly declared, naming his goals and enemies.
"…"
This little speech reminded Gakuhou of the time he swore to get better at and dominate Karate when he was repeatedly defeated by that blackbelt. To see that Gakushuu was undergoing the same mental state, and in his eyes (key), ACTUALLY learning from loss, partly put him at ease.
"I see you have the right mindset." the father smirked, willing to praise this much. "But the real question is, if you can follow through with it. Because right now, you're merely talking the talk."
"Oh, you'll see…" There was true fire in the orange-haired's eyes, and his voice was calm but dangerous. He wouldn't be intimidated by this father of his anymore while having strong goals set for him to chase.
Gakuhou was actually conflicted about whether he should support his son, now that he became aware of this respectable amount of willpower, or whether he should choke out that potential future threat to his absolute dominance in the family AND school relationship.
"I'm eager to see you back up those big words of yours with fitting action, but what about school? Going on that 'quest' you're talking about, you'll be missing school, no? You might fall behind on your studies, you know. Can't have that, Gakushuu."
"If you're thinking that I won't be able to overcome this, then you'll be proven very wrong." the younger Asano proclaimed, as his revenge included academical revenge on Shiobana by regaining his place as Kunugigaoka's best student. He was no stranger to working hard, and he wouldn't mind working extra hard if that was needed to come achieve his goal and come out on top. "Whatever exam you'll have me write, I'll become number one!"
Gakushuu wouldn't accept anything else after yesterday's happenings, as he strongly desired to make getting dominated by certain 2 people a thing of the past.
"And if you don't?"
Papa Asano was testing him, and he was having fun with it. While not knowing whether to do it for the sake of further steeling his son's resolve, or for the sake of leveraging a pricy concession from his son in case of failure.
Though for the orange-haired, failure was not an option. He'd do whatever it takes, by any means necessary.
"For the sake of making a case, I'll let you have full control over my life. I'll follow every order you give me, even if it'd make me your slave." Gakushuu answered with a very straight face, truly intriguing Gakuhou. "Not that this'll happen, since I'm that confident in making my desire come true."
Some seconds passed as this pair of parent and child remained frozen in their places. One with a tough, vigorous face, the other with a smiling face.
Then, after some more seconds passed, the elder Asano started clapping slowly.
*Clap*
*Clap*
*Clap*
Even with his overly determined current self, the younger Asano was a little confused.
"Congratulations, you've passed the test." the chairman commended, grinning widely. "You passed my little test of acknowledgement, so please don't end up disappointing me."
"…"
Such a 'test' was utterly worthless to the orange-haired, he didn't care in the slightest. Finishing his remaining breakfast quickly, he stood up and walked towards the door, showing his father nothing more than his back.
"Now who's disappointing who?" He merely said before getting ready to go out, expressing how little that 'test' meant for him.
His father didn't reply, still sitting at the table with his arms crossed.
'Who's disappointing who?'
That mental quote's answer was to be answered by the results of Gakushuu's quest. As such, Gakuhou saw no need to comment any further. He'd be patient and let his son do what he had to do.
'Gakushuu, you might be growing up greatly.'
XXXXXXXXXX
The first stage of Asano's quest involved going undercover, so tried to avoid being seen by anyone who knew him. He took trains and buses with detours, carefully reaching the exit station when all the students of Kunugigaoka were already in their classrooms.
From that station, he walked towards his true destination, the building for Class 3-E. The root of all his woes.
"There it is, the worst place on Earth…"
As dismissive of that class as he was, up first on his agenda was getting close for a specific purpose.
"Guess I'll step into this shithole." he shrugged, slowly stepping forward.
Mounting the hill as stealthily as possible, always considering the possibility that someone could be outside, the orange-haired carefully closed in on the classroom building.
Quite soon he found himself hiding in the forest, sitting on top of a rock with a taller portion in front of him that he could use to hide his head. From there, Gakushuu's view of the building was excellent.
"What a damn dump… Can't someone just call an airstrike?"
His view only got better as he took out binoculars from his backpack, closely inspecting the windows.
"Hmm, the classroom must be on the other side…"
Unluckily for him, he'd have to wait until recess to see someone coming outside.
"How long could it possibly take." Asano mumbled, looking at his watch. Observation was his job, pretty boring for his taste, but he if he wanted to advance his plans, he had to stay vigilant and endure that boredom. "Hope he comes outside soon."
With that, the orange-haired waited like a guard dog, diligently watching until his target made an appearance.
XXXXXXXXXX
"…What the hell?"
Despite waiting for hours upon hours, his target hadn't come out. At this point, even lots of students were going home, the time being past lesson hours.
"Will I end up wasting so many hours for nothing?" Gakushuu grumbled, huffing out in frustration. He'd eaten some snacks to endure his boring mission for himself, but ever since they ran out, he'd been getting more impatient.
The next thing Asano ended up seeing was his hated rival Shiobana Haruno come out of the building, typing something on his smartphone before putting it back into his pocket.
'Shiobana you turd with legs…' The blond was the last person the orange-haired wished to see, so his presence sparked the opposite of joy. 'Can't wait till I put you back in your place.'
What Gakushuu witnessed next, was the delinquent suddenly yelling out something, aimed at somebody inside the building.
"OOOOI! Korosenseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeei! Come Ooooooooooooooooout!"
'…The heck?' Asano was really weirded out, grimacing in cringe.
"Come Out if you don't wanna get broke!"
'…Holy shit, Shiobana's an actual weirdo!' the orange-haired cringed, appalled by the way his currently superior rival was acting. 'How… devoid of class!'
Following Haruno's provocative shout, someone exited the building in response, making a grand appearance.
"Haruno-kun, would you please keep your voice down? I'm in the middle of extra tutoring lessons."
Upon seeing him, Gakushuu's eyes bulged out like balloons. His heart also started pumping rapidly.
'No fucking way… No fucking way at all…' He'd heard rumors about some yellow octopus connected to Class 3-E, with even his father the chairman doing his best to conceal this matter. He came here to check with his own eyes if those rumors were true or not, and those eyes didn't disappoint him. Rather, they shocked him like nothing else ever did. 'He's… real!'
Observing a mysterious creature like that put his nerves on edge, he still could barely believe it. Asano came there in order to obtain some proof of this mystery's existence and use it as leverage against his father, as well as a possible lead to find and achieve higher power. And he was damn close to it all, but in spite of this, everything felt much greater and more serious than he ever imagined.
'Is… is he an alien?'
"Those lessons are over." the blond chuckled to the yellow octopus, calmly and casually.
"What are you talking about, Haruno-kun?", said octopus inquired in a totally normal way, calmly interacting with the delinquent.
They were so calm, but the orange-haired wasn't. He wasn't too scared, but the pressure was too high. Gakushuu was shaking like a flag in the wind, especially his hand reaching for the camera in his backpack.
'F- F- Fuck, I… I can't m- mess up now, not here…' He shakily took out the camera, grasping it firmly to not drop it. 'J- Just one shot… one shot!'
"Those tutoring lessons, I'm saying, were only a distraction to keep you here." Haruno let the mysterious being know, using casual body language. "To keep you here until this very moment."
"A distraction?" the unknown lifeform repeated. "Why'd you do that?"
'F- follow through…' Asano was nervously adjusting the settings to not make a sound. Of course, flashlight turned off. 'Any second now…'
"Remember my promise to prank you back for the Test of Courage? I'm about to ruin your day." the blond then declared.
Just as the orange-haired was about to press the shot button, something else truly blew his mind. Out of seemingly nowhere, animals popped into existence. Boars, falcons, squirrels, crows, moles, frogs… something of everything.
'…D- Did I just see Shiobana do…'
The next wave of shock hit him like a dump truck, so much that he was on the verge of losing track of reality. His heart was beating thrice as fast.
"M- My money!" the yellow entity panicked as those animals started fleeing from the location.
"Uh-uh!" the delinquent stopped the big land octopus from leaving, stretching out his right arm and showing him his flat palm. "Before you go retrieving your precious money, we're going to have our talk, just like I promised on the same day."
"But… My money! How am I going to-"
"Ugh…" behind his hiding rock, Gakushuu's head was starting to hurt. 'Am I even awake? Am I certain this isn't a dream?'
"About that, I have given those creatures the order to stay within the city limits." Haruno informed, not budging. "You can pick up your money back later."
"You… didn't have to go that far." the octopus man let out a grumble.
'What even is this conversation supposed the mean?! There's no way I can dream up this… this… bizarre madness!' Asano desperately rationalized, believing he was going crazy.
"What a coincidence, that's exactly what I was going to say to you about your perverted games in that cave." the blond countered, crossing his arms. "And I'm not alone in this."
Behind the 2, a group of Class 3-E girls all gathered together, forming half a circle.
"Really fancy of you, these perverted, suggestive games and themes you've picked for us, interfering into our personal relationships." The delinquent emphasized the key word.
'Wait wait wait… What perverted games, what cave?!' Everything was so out of context for the orange-haired, so he was left with more questions than his brain could handle.
"Also picking up and moving us like pawns on a board, just as you please."
"That did more bad than good, Korosensei."
"Did it really? It ticked us off enough to decide pulling this prank on him, which worked pretty well."
"I admit, that's a very sound point."
"Make that two."
'…' Gakushuu gave up on trying to understand the plot, merely sitting with confused eyes.
"So cruel~~" the yellow man complained.
"Playing around with personal relationships for your own amusement, isn't that more cruel than having to go collect your money back in Mach 20?"
'He can go Mach 20?!' Asano reacted in total disbelief, his mouth gaping at the ridiculousness.
"Hnnn…" Sweat of shame built up on that yellow orb of a head.
"You reap what you sow."
"Did this give you the idea not to do such a thing again?"
"Yes…" the being answered, letting his head hanging. "I won't do it again, I promise…"
'WHY DO THEY KNOW EACH OTHER?!' The orange-haired couldn't wrap his head around the idea of something that could be assumed an alien monster, having a familiar relationship to some random Japanese school kids. 'AND WHY ARE THEY SPEAKING TO HIM LIKE THAT?!'
"By the way, Korosensei…" Haruno addressed the lifeform bearing this name, which Gakushuu would also use to refer to him.
"…What?"
"From here on, it's actually the real talk I mentioned earlier." the delinquent revealed, greatly shocking Korosensei.
"Excuse me?!"
"That little chat just now, was only to make you think about why we pranked you. It's not the actual talk."
Korosensei started emitting more sweat than before, and changed into his 'frightened' color.
'He can also change colors?!' Asano learned more on more about this entity, which didn't stop shocking him.
"Well then, I'm gonna start." the blond announced. "First of all, isn't it strange how you suddenly come into our lives, get to know us, involve yourself in our personal relationships, but won't tell us about yourself? You know us so well you're pushing certain matters, but we can't do it vice-versa."
'…Interesting' the orange-haired thought, wanting to learn more about their circumstances. He watched with suspense, weirdly captivated even, still not having taken a photo.
"…I see, this is what you want to talk about." Korosensei said. "But why would you change the topic? Weren't we going to talk about… my transgressions?"
"Yes, the talk we're going to have this instant is different than the talk I spoke of when I first swore to you in the cave that we'd have a serious talk." Haruno explained, trying to make himself understandable. "The content has changed quite a bit, with the emphasis shifting from you having no right toying with my friends and their relationship to me, to our knowledge of each other being so one-sided"
Right now, Gakushuu was also eagerly craving that knowledge. Information was power, and for him currently, it was absolutely vital to obtain this information for the sake of his goal.
"How did it come to that?" Korosensei wanted to know.
"Not a few hours after my 'adventure' in that cave, I had an encounter with someone else." the delinquent told, not naming that someone.
"Who is the person you just mentioned?"
"That someone is an interesting fellow, with an even more interesting connection and relationship to you and your past." the blond calmly shrugged, refusing to reveal the identity.
As the plot thickened, Asano was developing a greater interest for Class 3-E and their mysteries. He previously did nothing but looking down on them, but that was no more. He recognized that there was more than what meets the eye.
"Again, who is that? If it's about me, I have to know, it's important." Korosensei questioned again, in a more urgent tone.
"This individual is both natural and fake, both exactly the person you know, and a person you wouldn't expect." Haruno spoke in riddles, not willing to fulfill Korosensei's request in order to show who was leading the discussion.
"…?"
Everyone in hearing distance was confused, some tilting their heads.
'Don't talk in riddles, Shiobana!' the orange-haired mentally complained.
"Come on, put an end to this already, Haruno-kun." Korosensei decided to finally talk back, his voice becoming more assertive.
'Yeah!' Gakushuu agreed with him.
"If you want me to apologize to you for playing cupid in that cave, I can do it, no problem at all. But this is a really important matter for me, so please speak clearly!"
'Tell him!'
"What's more, that person has some partially lacking key information about you, which will cause severe misunderstandings if you don't clear this up with the person in question." the blond continued defying Korosensei, also sharpening his voice. Especially for the second sentence. "Furthermore, more so than myself, it's the girls here who deserve a sincere apology, Korosensei."
"…That's right, we won't skip on that apology."
"M-hm"
"…"
Asano didn't want to listen to drama. He was frustrated that the delinquent changed the topic.
"I… sure will… That's a promise." Korosensei humbly promised.
"Furthermore, I'm not sure when the time will come, but it has to be resolved before the end of this school year." Haruno then decided to tell. "At least that's what the one I'm talking about wants."
"…Then what should I ideally do?" Korosensei asked, lowering his head.
A silent wind blew past, and the atmosphere became colder. Emotionally speaking, that is.
"…"
Despite having no deep connection to them, the orange-haired could feel the mood.
"Make the first step, Korosensei. It would be better for everyone involved this way." the blond advised, a neutral but deep expression on his face.
"You think this is easy?"
"No, absolutely not. But so is life. We and our actions, have consequences because of their influence on others. We have to be careful about them, or else it may lead to more or less complex problems, disputes and the like." the delinquent spoke in a calm and eloquent manner, with his gaze in such a way that he was able to look everyone in the eyes. "Actions, relationships, influences, they're all part of life, and not coincidentally, part of our talk. I told you it'd be a serious talk, didn't I?"
'Wow…' Gakushuu hated Haruno, but that philosophical speech impressed him. It really made him think. His expression softened, as that maturity made him feel a tad bit guilty about mentally insulting the delinquent about the earlier brief immature display.
"Korosensei, there are only 3 more things I want to tell you."
With a quick gesture, Korosensei signaled the blond to let him hear.
"I sympathize with the person I referred to, so make it that I can sympathize with you too." Haruno said, the cool wind softly blowing through his hair. "I know you have your reasons, but this ties to the second thing I want to tell you."
"Which is?" Korosensei wanted to know.
"You're so close, but also so far away."
"…"
To what the delinquent just said, Asano could relate so much, so much. He believed that this single phrase perfectly described his problems, his situation.
Though that also caused his feelings to flip like a switch. That softened expression just earlier hardened instead, and that little guilt from earlier was withdrawn. The orange-haired was reminded who to blame again. In his mind, his supposed antagonizer speaking of the way the antagonized was feeling, couldn't be condoned.
"Everything is all your fault…" he lowly hissed, gritting his teeth in scorn. That really solidified his view of the blond as an enemy that had to be dealt with.
Hesitating no longer, Gakushuu had found his resolve. He readied the camera to take a shot for good.
'Here goes…'
Click
And another one
Click
And also a short video
Record
Quite soon, Asano got some very important photos and footage of proof in his possession.
'This is it.'
Having completed his mission, and no longer having a reason to remain there, the orange-haired was about to leave. But just as he turned around to head home, he saw a man he didn't know sit on a tree, looking at him.
"Who are-" Gakushuu was about to ask, but that man raised his index finger, placing it in front of his mouth.
The man in question appeared young, about mid-20s to late-20s, and had silver hair. He looked handsome and polite, but his aura seemed off to Asano. If the boy were to describe it, it would be peaceful, but too peaceful, and therefore fake.
That, as well as his random appearance on the school mountain, made the orange-haired think of him as a suspicious figure.
Still holding his index finger in front of his mouth, the man pointed behind Gakushuu with his other index finger, prompting Asano to look behind.
When the orange-haired turned around, he saw that all the students of 3-E were in the middle of leaving, all walking downwards. Only Korosensei was staying, standing there with his head held down.
Turning his head back, Gakushuu then saw the next gesture of the suspicious man. He waved back with his hand, telling Asano to come with him in the opposite direction of where Korosensei was standing.
'He wants us to leave undetected… Probably to somewhere we can talk.' the orange-haired guessed, thinking it'd be rational to follow the suggestion. He too would have to question that man, now that he interfered in his affairs.
Nodding, Gakushuu followed the man.
XXXXXXXXXX
For a few minutes, the two were walking down the school mountain's forest, Asano the one trailing behind. At one point, the silver-haired man opened his mouth.
"So you did follow through with taking a photo… I thought you'd chicken out."
Naturally, the orange-haired didn't like that he was just made fun of, but he had more important things to care about. "First of all, who the hell are you? What's your business here?" he reacted to the breach of silence, immediately getting to the questioning.
"Me? I'm just a local florist. My shop is quite near this area." the man introduced himself with a smile. "As for what I'm doing, same as you, spying on that yellow octopus man."
"That's not what I meant. What is a suspicious figure like you doing on Kunugigaoka school property?" Gakushuu asked again, cutting to the chase.
"Suspicious, eh? Is that what I am?" the florist laughed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Then what's with you, who isn't part of that class, also spying on them?"
"I may not be part of their class, but I'm still a fellow student, so I have more of a right to be here than you." he defended himself.
"Come on, don't be some dismissive." the silver-haired jokingly pleaded. "We're practically the same, aren't we? On our way to save the earth and get that nice bounty."
"…What?" Asano was totally confused, looking at the suspicious man like the latter had lost his mind. "Save the earth? Bounty? What are you talking about?"
Likewise, the florist also got confused at the orange-haired's response. "…Wait, you don't even know who that octopus is?"
"No" Gakushuu replied, honestly shrugging. "I took those photos in order to find out who he is in the first place."
"Find out from whom? That yellow man's existence is an international state secret."
"Huh?" Asano was baffled by that response. "Are you for real?"
"Pfff…" the silver-haired started off, trying to stifle his laughter, but ultimately failing. "Hahahahahahaha… You're funny!"
A tick mark appeared on the orange-haired's forehead. "What's so funny, huh?!" he demanded to know in annoyance.
"Hehe… You really have no idea who that octopus is, and the background information to him, and yet you're getting involved?"
"…"
Gakushuu simply shrugged, as he recognized that he had close to 0 intel on Korosensei. "Now that I think about it, if that thing's existence wasn't a secret, the entire world would be talking about it."
"Oh, the entire world is already talking about him." the suspicious man stated, confusing Asano again. "Indirectly."
"Indirectly…?" the orange-haired initially asked, but then figured it out himself. And when he did, he broke out in cold sweat, his bloodshot eyes almost popping out.
"You're… You're shitting me, right?"
The florist shook his head in silence.
"That thing… You're telling me that thing is the reason why the moon…"
Nodding in silence, the silver-haired almost shocked Gakushuu into total horror.
"What the fuck is such a monster doing here in my city, at my school?!"
Seeing how he terrified the young boy, the suspicious man looked away in order to not let him see that sadistic smile, before turning back his head. "Sorry to have frightened you, really my bad, but you're too deep down the rabbit hole now."
"Forget about that!" Asano snapped in a rave, grabbing the florist by his collar. "That doesn't matter! What matters is that that abomination must be eliminated! Wiped out!"
"That's what thousands of professional assassins and even militaries have been trying to do ever since, but unfortunately, without success to date." the silver-haired informed, ignoring his grabbed collar.
"Argh!"
Though that didn't require him to do anything, since the orange-haired let go by himself, still raving.
"Fuck, who knows when that monster will decide to blow up the earth too! It must be annihilated before it can come to that, that's a given! There must be SOMETHING that can kill that monster, right?"
"There can be, but who knows if it will work or not." the suspicious man simply said, referring to Stands, as he was a Stand user. But since the other wasn't a Stand user, he left it vague, since he thought the other wouldn't understand it anyway.
But Gakushuu DID understand. He at least had an idea of what the florist referred to. Because even if he didn't know what Stands were, he knew that his detested rival Shiobana Haruno was the user of a superhuman power.
"Hey…" Asano spoke up, his rave ended. His heart was still pounding like crazy, but at least he stopped screaming. "Since you were there too, you saw that tall boy with blond hair magically summon animals too, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did."
"That guy… I know he has supernatural powers somehow. I now know that for sure, and have suspected this since way before." the orange-haired told. "And I was wondering, if you have information about that abomination, do you also have information about those strange powers?"
'So he partially knows about Stands… Interesting.'
"Indeed I have. Do you only want information, or do you also want to know how to obtain those powers?"
"The latter, of course." Gakushuu immediately answered without hesitation. "I've made it a mission for myself to obtain these powers, so if you don't mind, please tell me."
Asano even respectfully bowed to the silver-haired.
"Sure I can tell you, but why do you want those powers so badly?" the suspicious man inquired, also wishing to gather information about this interesting new acquaintance.
When talking about his reasons, the orange-haired ultimately turned serious again. "I need to become stronger… to take revenge on that guy."
"What guy? The one who summoned the animals?"
"Yes, him." Gakushuu confirmed, narrowing his eyes. "That guy has embarrassed and humiliated me long enough, so I have to pay him back. But in order for that to be effective, I also need superhuman powers. I need to become truly strong!"
"I see your relationship is… quite bad." the florist noted.
"Our relationship is supposed to be hierarchical, with me above him." Asano claimed. "That guy only toppled me for now because of his superpowers that I DON'T HAVE, but once the playing field is even, I'll show him who's the boss, for good."
Understanding the boy's mindset, the florist smirked widely. He didn't expect when first meeting him, that he could manipulate and turn the orange-haired into a splendid puppet.
"Very well… Boy, you know what I think of you?"
"What?" Gakushuu wanted to know.
"You have a very strong-willed, stubborn, power-hungry spirit." he spoke, making Asano frown. The latter thought he was being made fun of again. "But that's a good thing."
"Oh?" the orange-haired was pleasantly surprised.
"The powers you are looking for, are called [Stand]. Should I explain you what a [Stand] is, boy?"
"Yes, please!" Gakushuu requested, almost beaming in glee, now that he was getting close to becoming powerful.
"A Stand is the manifestation of one's soul, making it personalized and unique to a Stand user. Stands can only be seen by other Stand users, which is why you currently can't see any. And to become a Stand user, there's just one simple requirement of having a strong soul." the silver-haired explained. "And luckily for you, you'd make a wonderful Stand user."
"Really?" Asano smiled in extasy, his heart beating in excitement.
"Yes, I mean it." The suspicious man wasn't lying. "If you follow me into my shop, I can turn you into a Stand user today, for free."
"…"
If that wasn't a suspicious offer, then nothing was. The orange-haired understood that well, despite his eagerness to obtain a Stand, and yet… he couldn't resist. That may as well be his only chance in life to become a Stand user.
"You know what, I'll do it." Gakushuu decided, taking that risky offer. Becoming powerful also meant being brave enough to take serious risks, and he was accepting the odds.
"Great!" The florist then firmly shook hands with Asano, a big smirk on his face. "A pleasure to have made acquaintances."
"Likewise…" the orange-haired said, surprised about the firmness of the silver-haired's hands.
"Now let's go, I can't wait for you to turn into a Stand user either."
With that, the two made their way to the flower shop, with hopes of transforming the life of one of them forever.
XXXXXXXXXX
After a little trip, the two arrived at the flower shop. They went in through the back door, right into the basement.
It was dark inside, with only weak and dim lights, and Gakushuu fully realized how sketchy the premise was, and that it wouldn't be surprising at this point if something bad happened to him. And yet, for that chance of gaining a Stand, he willingly put himself in possible danger.
Out of a safe the suspicious man opened, he pulled out an object. "There it is."
Asano was shown the object a few seconds later, finding out what it was.
A wooden bow and arrow with a fancy golden, stylized arrowhead.
'That's a beautiful arrow, but what of it?' the orange-haired thought, not expecting it to be the key to his future.
"This, my friend, is a true rarity in the world. Only a few of these beauties exist in the entire world, and are valued many, many billions of Yen." the florist grandiosely started describing the arrow. "But you can't get them through official auctions. Doesn't that get you excited?"
"Whoa, that's pretty rad." Gakushuu was impressed. 'This guy's the real deal! If he owns such an expensive and rare thing, then he must also own the thing that gives me a Stand!'
"Do you wonder why exactly this arrow is so expensive and rare? Hmm?" the silver-haired suggestively smiled, already hinting at it.
'Don't tell me… This arrow can give people Stands?!' Asano realized, getting more and more excited.
"If you're hit by one of those, and have a strong enough soul, you will be given a Stand by this Stand arrow." the man confirmed, further raising the tension.
'The Stand arrow is right in front of me…' The orange-haired's eyes were drooling instead of his mouth.
"But if your soul isn't strong enough, you die." the florist warned, giving Gakushuu the option to steer back. "You can still opt out if you aren't willing to put your life on the line."
"If a strong soul is all it takes to be given a Stand and survive, then considering failure is only detrimental." Asano flat out refused, having confidence in himself. "You told me that I have a very strong will, and I take you by the word. Because more than you, I know very well that my will is strong and unbreakable. So I don't need to hear anything about opting out."
Flames of revenge were burning inside the orange-haired. He was extremely egoistic, selfish and always aiming high. So when he got humiliated, intimidated and dominated by his antagonizers, Shiobana Haruno of Class 3-E and Asano Gakuhou the chairman of Kunugigaoka, he vowed to never get scared of the two ever again, and dominate them instead. And in order for him to do so, his spirit had to become considerably stronger, unafraid of risks and sacrifices if that would help him become powerful.
Looking at those fierce eyes, the silver-haired smiled approvingly, recognizing Gakushuu's undoubtably strong will. 'You truly have a nice strong spirit… my new useful idiot tool.'
"Impressive, I haven't met a child your age with such a splendid fierce soul ever before." he continued smiling, taking a few steps back. "If you're that serious about it, then have your wish!"
Having already taken aim in secret, he fired the arrow before Asano could react.
"…!"
It was the orange-haired, who suddenly felt something weird inside his body, barely able to react to the arrowhead piercing him before hit by a tsunami of stinging pain.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Gakushuu screamed in pain, pressing his hands against the side of his head. "Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"
He was experiencing unspeakable agony, which lead to his eardrum-shattering cry. Had the florist not soundproofed his building, the entire neighborhood would've heard these shouts.
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Tears were flowing out of Asano's eyes, he was practically mimicking his mother when she gave birth to him. He couldn't even think straight, his instincts only told him to endure the pain for survival.
While the orange-haired was suffering, the silver-haired watched with a content grin, arms folded. "I've seen this pattern, you're a survivor!"
"Huuuuuuu… Harrrrrrrrrrrrrghh!" Slowly but steadily, the degree of pain was lessening, but it was still very, very tough.
"There there, it's over soon." the man tried to calm him down, smirking all the way.
"Haahhh… Hahhh…" Eventually, Gakushuu reached the stage where he was only breathing heavily.
During the whole ordeal, no physical changes had occurred, other than him being doused in cold sweat. The arrow wound had completely disappeared, without any trace.
And then the florist started clapping.
*Clap*
*Clap*
*Clap*
"Congratulations, you survived the trial! Very soon you'll be able to manifest your very own, brand-new Stand!"
"…"
Though Asano barely had the energy to even keep standing. His transformation into a Stand user had been too taxing. He couldn't even smile.
"Ah, right. You're exhausted as hell." the silver-haired observed, trying not to make it obvious that he was making fun of the orange-haired. "See that sofa over there? Get some rest, you need it."
"…"
Gakushuu tried to take a few slow, disoriented steps over there, unable to do anything else for now. Trying his hardest to do so, he actually managed to reach the sofa. But as soon as he got close, he simply collapsed onto it, falling into a deep slumber.
XXXXXXXXXX
After being unconscious for some time, Asano abruptly woke up, his eyes opening in a flash as he raised his upper body.
There was still a great deal of adrenaline flowing through his body, even though the whole ordeal was already over.
"Good afternoon." The florist said to him, again with a smile. "Have you recovered?"
"…How long did I sleep?" the orange-haired asked, turning around to face the silver-haired. He felt no pain and was alive, so he did consider himself recovered. Time was a different issue.
"Believe me or not, only a tad bit more than 1 hour." the man spoke, Gakushuu finding that very incredulous given how deep his total blackout was. "But hey, everything's better than sleeping forever, if you know what I mean."
"I'm not in the mood for jokes." Asano expressed his thoughts.
"So you want to be serious. If so, let me ask you a serious question."
"What?"
"Any clues about your Stand yet?" the florist inquired, making the orange-haired tilt his head with narrowed eyes.
"You expect me to know anything after being out cold like that?"
"I don't know, could've seen something in a dream, maybe." the silver-haired shrugged.
Lightly shaking his head, Gakushuu let out a deep breather. "I can try manifesting it soon… But I need concentration for that."
In other words, he wanted to be left alone.
"Take your time, friend." The man was understanding of that. "Stay here as long as you want, I can return working in the meantime."
Nodding, Asano then looked away. The whole process wasn't as easy as he initially believed. He wanted to start finding a way to summon his new Stand, find out what its ability was, what its appearance was. But he had no idea where to even begin.
Pressing his palms together, the boy let out a small grumble. "…I should get ready."
Without any real knowledge and experience, the orange-haired would make his first steps as a Stand user.
XXXXXXXXXX
Eventually, Gakushuu reached a breakthrough. After concentrating hard, trying to discover the new entity inside of him, he managed to draw it out.
He uncovered its shape, manifesting it as it was. And his discovery of that, really lit him up in surprise.
"Finally, I did it…" His efforts and hardships so far came into fruition. "But what is this…?"
The shape of his Stand really confused him, as it was far from what he expected. "Is this really a Stand?"
What Asano got, was a notebook with a pure black cover, as well as a fancy looking matte black pen with highly stylized design features. It was no doubt his Stand, but the orange-haired failed to see how he could become strong with this.
"Underwhelming…" he muttered, upset but trying not to lose hope. "Maybe there's a guide inside…"
Luckily for him, after opening the cover there was a brief guide on page 1.
"Damn, how really helpful." the orange-haired murmured in gratitude, proceeding to read the guide.
This Stand is a combination of pen and paper.
It is a type of Stand that can be seen by non-Stand users, but can only be used by the Stand user himself. With the special pen, the user can write into the notebook, and erase writings from the notebook.
By will, the user may manifest the pen and notebook into physicality, or de-manifest them back, no matter what distance from the user.
The ability of this Stand is to steal one by one the 5 senses of taste, smell, sight, hearing and touch from a target the user may pick, should the target either fail to answer, answer incorrectly, or cheat in order to answer a question the user asks the target. Should the target answer a question correctly after having a sense stolen, the target will regain said sense.
There are certain rules to the process of stealing senses, as listed below:
1. The user must have seen the target's face and know said target's name, independent of script and spelling in different languages
2. Before the first question is asked, the user must mark the target being questioned, by writing said target's name into the notebook. Furthermore, only one target may be questioned at one time
3. Before the first question is asked, the user must specify which sense from the target shall be taken, by writing said sense's name or drawing said sense's corresponding organ into the notebook
4. Any question asked must have an objective answer, no roundabouts allowed
5. For the target to have a sense stolen, the target must have first clearly understood the question asked
6. Should a non-target correctly answer any asked question instead of the target, then the asked question becomes invalid and no sense is stolen
7. By erasing a sense's name or said sense's corresponding organ from the notebook, the user can return the stolen sense to the target
8. Should a target either fail to answer, answer incorrectly, or cheat in order to answer a question after all senses have already been stolen by the user, the target lastly loses its life
"…"
Having read the guide, Gakushuu found out how his Stand worked. He only needed to test it out on someone to see its abilities for himself.
At the same time, he acknowledged the might and advantages of his Stand, but was disappointed about the lack of physically damaging abilities.
'Dammit, you can't conventionally take out that abomination with this… How can I possibly use this against him?'
Against Haruno or his father, Asano could see this Stand come in handy, but he was very concerned about Korosensei, who had apocalyptic destructive powers. For the sake of planet Earth, he'd also desired a mighty power that could safely, conventionally wipe Korosensei out of existence.
'Even if I get my revenge on both of them, nothing is alright until that monster completely disappears.'
Had he not found out about Korosensei's might, he would be overjoyed, motivated and triumphant about his new supernatural power, but with said knowledge, that just wasn't enough.
"Any progress yet, friend?" The florist suddenly asked from behind without any indication of having come close, startling the orange-haired, whose eyes widened considerably.
"When did you get-" He was about to shout out, turning around in reflex, but was hushed by the silver-haired.
"Sorry, sorry. My bad." the man apologized, laughing about his mishap.
Asano wasn't quite convinced by that apology, his heartbeat slowing down. "If you're really sorry, don't laugh about it."
"Alright, alright, I'll stop it from now on." the florist promised with a chuckle.
"…"
Despite being pissed off at his joking attitude, the orange-haired decided to let this issue rest, though still maintaining the narrowed eyes.
"So, anyway, about my question earlier…" the silver-haired attempted anew, but with a quieter demeanor.
Without a word, Gakushuu stepped aside, letting the man see the black pair of pen and notebook laying on the desk.
"Oh, so you've got a non-combat type of Stand." the florist observed, already having expected such a result. "Given that it's yours, it must have a pretty neat and useful ability."
"About that…" Asano begged to differ. "I sadly don't think so."
"Eh? Why?"
"It might be useful against other humans, but not against the monster that can travel at Mach 20 speeds and generate enough energy to destroy the moon." the orange-haired explained, having updated his priorities. "It doesn't do any physical damage and only works under strict conditions."
Indeed, it was a big dilemma for him.
"Ah, so that's how it is." the silver-haired understood, pensively placing his half-closed fist below his chin. "In that case, let me handle him."
Gakushuu was taken aback by that proposition. "Huh?"
"I think it's a shame, just like you, but that's better than nothing. You can handle that Stand user kid you seem to despise, keeping him distracted while I can fight the monster with my Stand that has the power to erase him with not a single cell left behind."
"…"
'Maybe that's not a bad thing after all.' Asano thought, considering a different perspective. 'If he truly has the power to eradicate that monster on a cellular level, then he should be the one fighting that monster. Meanwhile, I can keep Shiobana from interfering while also getting my revenge. With my Stand, I can own him so badly he'll be traumatized.'
"That can work, I guess."
Hearing that response, the man smiled and stretched out his hand.
'Uh, does he want me to shake it?' the orange-haired wondered, reluctantly looking at the outstretched hand.
"Boy, we may not know each other's names, as it's for the best to stop associating once we've taken care of our objectives, but would you consider an alliance against them?"
"…"
As a show of gratitude and repayment for having been given a Stand, Asano could consider allying with the initially highly suspicious, and still extremely mysterious man as reasonable, but with that little said, the details were lacking for him.
"We can set up a secret communication channel to craft and discuss plans and strategies against them." the florist added. "We can work out the best conditions so that the operation goes as well as possible, how about it?"
Now there was more clearance about it, but the orange-haired was still a bit hesitant. He wasn't hostile to the silver-haired, but wouldn't easily trust him enough to form an alliance with that little information.
"On one condition, I can form this alliance with you." Gakushuu simply offered. "Just one condition, so I can trust you for good."
'Interesting…'
"Name it, friend."
That word… That word was the reason why Asano had to test him first.
"If you're really my friend, then please show me your Stand ability." the orange-haired demanded, calmly but deadly firm.
"…"
A Stand user was supposed to keep his Stand ability a secret. Of course, friends and true allies were supposed to know each other's Stand abilities for better team work and chemistry. But this was exactly the key deal.
"You want to know my Stand ability without telling me yours?" the man danced around the demand.
"You go first, friend." the boy insisted, not budging.
As the florist looked at Gakushuu's eyes, he knew that the boy wouldn't double down and accept anything less. Either that, or no deal.
"…"
Asano wasn't as obedient as the silver-haired wished him to be. The man clearly pictured himself as the true mastermind and ultimate lead figure of the alliance, with the orange-haired only being a tool to use. He really wanted to assert himself as the stronger 'partner' of this 'partnership', wanting the boy to realize who was the truly powerful one here. But for the sake of keeping up the good impression, and getting this alliance started in the first place, the demands would be fulfilled.
"Very well then, I'll show you in a minute." the florist accepted with a slight smirk, turning around and walking towards the stairs upwards.
In that next minute, Gakushuu would find out whether the man was to be trusted, or not.
So roughly a minute later, the silver-haired returned to the door leading out of the basement, having brought something with him. He held a trash bag in his hand.
"Watch closely what happens to the trash bag." The florist told. "This is my Stand ability I'll use against the monster."
Honoring Asano's request, he activated his Stand ability.
What happened next was the orange-haired gaping in astonishment. Something incredible happened to the trash bag.
At a not too slow, but also not too fast pace, the black bag of trash disintegrated into a dark brown, dark green type of disgusting looking cloud, which itself later also disintegrated into nothing.
Roughly 10 seconds after the silver-haired activated his Stand, absolutely no trace remained of the garbage sack.
"There, I did my part."
'Holy…' Gakushuu reacted with both awe and fear, eyes wide open. 'What an overpowered ability…'
For 2 reasons, Asano would later proceed to accept that invitation to form a coalition against Korosensei and Class 3-E. The first being that he recognized the man's Stand power as the best thing to wipe out Korosensei with, the second being that he figured that it would be fatal to be an enemy of that man.
"What… exactly is your ability?" the orange-haired inquired, wanting to hear a descriptive name.
"Rotting." the florist answered, smiling narrowly. "I can rot matter to the point it's not matter anymore."
"…!"
Fully seeing how terrifying that power was, Gakushuu decided he'd rather become an enemy of the catastrophic abomination than the enemy of this Stand user. Both his heart and brain figured out the safest answer for him.
"Well, it's my turn then…" The agreement went two ways.
Asano picked up his notebook Stand and showed it to the man. "Can you read this?"
Tilting his head, the silver-haired shook his head. "No, I believe only you can read whatever is written on there."
"Then… How about I read it out for you?"
"Please do."
That said, the orange-haired would then proceed to read out loud the guide for his Stand, making the florist understand how this Stand worked.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Are you kidding me? This is a superb ability!"
The man could understand Gakushuu wanting a destructive Stand due to the threat that Korosensei posed, but couldn't fathom that he just underappreciated such a Stand. 'To be given this Stand ability and be disappointed about it… How foolish!'
"Yeah, because it provides me with such superb defense, and the conditions for it to work are the best in the world!" Asano defended himself with sarcasm. "What could I alone do against that abomination? We only have a chance because I'm teaming up with you! Would you trade yours against mine?"
'Oh, I now know why you're so weak. No wonder…' the silver-haired thought, figuring out the psychology behind the orange-haired. 'Starting to doubt if you'll be good enough to use as a tool.'
"This kind of thinking is no good if you want to become strong, boy." the florist called out Gakushuu's nonsense. "Complaining about the weaknesses without having seen the strengths for yourself… It won't make you grow."
As much as Asano wanted to argue further, still being upset that he personally couldn't do anything against Korosensei, he saw that the man had a point. Being whiny indeed wouldn't help him. He'd made it a goal for himself to become powerful enough not to be pushed around, humiliated, and treated as weak by others. How would he become powerful when he himself treated himself as weak?
"Maybe you're right… I'll think about it."
"Don't be too harsh on yourself, alright? Remember why we've formed this partnership." the silver-haired said, trying to motivate and manipulate the orange-haired.
Smiling, the man was very glad that the boy listened to his advice. For the boy to serve him as a good tool, he had to be strong. Gakushuu HAD to appreciate his strengths, as that would make him a quite strong and useful tool. 'The easiest to manipulate are weak people who've tasted power beyond their previous reach… Sharpen your edge, for your master to wield you.'
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
Once again, with a broad smile on his face, the florist stretched out his hand to the now reasoned with Asano. "Well, I'm glad we've worked this out. Shall we continue where we left off?"
Now that the orange-haired had no more reason to decline this alliance, he shook the silver-haired's hand.
"Pleasure to work with you, partner."
"Yeah… likewise, partner."
In only one day, Asano Gakushuu achieved and learned more than in any other day. This handshake, this alliance would mark the turning point of his life. The fate of this boy had officially changed after this encounter.
After both let go, the junior partner spoke up, changing the topic.
"Alright then, really nice to have met you and all, but I'll be heading home now."
The partnership had been formalized, so there was no reason for him to stay any longer.
"Feel free to." Similarly, the man had no reason to keep him there any longer, as the results were satisfying.
With that, Gakushuu started heading outside the shop, the florist following behind to send him off shortly after.
"Thanks for everything today!" Asano respectfully thanked the silver-haired before leaving. "I owe you big!"
'Haha, that's right you do.'
"You're welcome, friend. We both benefit from this."
"I'll hear from you then." the orange-haired said goodbye, about to turn around.
"One more question." the man stopped him from doing so at the last moment.
"What is it?"
"Have you thought of a name for your Stand?" the florist inquired, informing Gakushuu about this option.
'I guess I can name my Stand…' he thought, convinced to do so later at home after thinking of a name that'd best describe his Stand.
"Not yet, but I plan on doing so." the orange-haired answered. "Thanks for letting me now."
"Hahah, that's nothing." the silver-haired smiled, rubbing the back of his head.
Now that another thing was taken care of, the boy could ultimately turn around and go home.
"Well, bye then."
"Bye, friend."
And thus, the very first meeting of two conspirators came to closure.
XXXXXXXXXX
When Gakushuu was entering the house, his father was in the kitchen, making dinner. The oven was running and making sounds.
"Oh, you're back." Gakuhou observed from where his son couldn't see him.
"Yeah, I am." the younger Asano said in a neutral, flat tone. "What are you cooking?"
"Pizza."
'Pizza, huh? Let's research a little about pizza before dinner's ready.' the orange-haired thought, having an idea.
Sitting down at the table, he browsed a little about the dish, waiting until the elder Asano would come in and place the dinner on the table.
While browsing, he was occasionally spoken to by the chairman, from a different room.
"So, what have you been doing today? Anything useful, productive?"
"Hell yes." Gakushuu confirmed, his voice indicating high morale. "I gathered some highly sensitive material against you, training patience on the side."
"Should I be worried?"
"Very much so!"
As his influence against Gakuhou changed, so did his tone.
"Then you better be worried of all the homework from today's lessons." the educator countered, not letting the student off easily.
"Piece of cake…" the younger Asano laughed that off. "That's a menial task for me, as I took measures to spiritually strengthen myself to levels far surpassing you."
"Careful, you don't want to become a Chunibyo." The elder Asano didn't take the last part seriously.
"Grr…" the orange-haired's expression changed in an instant, highly insulted at getting called a Chunibyo. 'Bold fucking words for someone who can't use superhuman powers!'
He wasn't going to reveal that part.
"Whatever, that's enough. We can speak later again when you're here."
"If you say so."
Before the chairman entered the dining room with the dinner, Gakushuu manifested his Stand and wrote down his father's name and one organ. He recalled his Stand and manifested it back on his lap, where his father wouldn't look.
A short time later, Gakuhou entered the dining room, bringing the homemade pizza on a platter.
"Mmmm, so it's Italy today."
Both of them were eagerly waiting to bite into the tasty looking pizza.
"Yes, tasty Italian cuisine."
'Now!'
This marked the moment where the younger Asano would conduct his experiment.
"But did you know that pizza originally comes from Greece?"
"Really? I didn't know." the elder Asano honestly replied, not expecting any hidden objective behind the question.
And check, Papa Asano had fulfilled the condition to take a sense away.
'Just a little bit, and I'll see if it worked…' the orange-haired thought, not changing his expression to continue appearing unsuspicious.
"Well, that's just some little irrelevant trivia, let's get to the fun part."
First cutting himself a slice, then cutting himself a smaller piece with a fork and a knife, Gakushuu held that little piece in front of his nose, sniffing on it.
"Ahhh, it even smells so nice! What do you think, father?"
In response to that question, Gakuhou also tried to assess the scent. But for him, the results were rather…
"Weird, I don't smell anything…"
'Success!' the younger Asano triumphantly thought, grinning for one millisecond.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I can feel that the pizza is warm due to the tiny swathes of steam, but it doesn't give off any scent at all." the elder Asano described.
To check if his Stand worked both ways, he removed the nose from the notebook.
"Give it one more try."
"Alright, I'll do." the chairman tried anew, this time smelling the nice flagrance of the ingredients. "Oh yes, it really smells good."
With this observation, the orange-haired knew that he could apply this to all other senses too.
"Still, why didn't I smell anything initially…?" Gakuhou innocently wondered, completely unaware of the superhuman manipulation going on.
"Who knows." Gakushuu feigned innocence, his thoughts being the complete opposite.
'Hehehe… Hahahaha! I played him like a fiddle and he didn't realize anything! Absolutely nothing!'
In only a few seconds, the son had exerted more influence on the father than the other way around for 14 to 15 years.
'I toyed with him, I owned him!' he celebrated in his brain, literally in possession of another person's senses. 'Kukukukuku… I have already won against you, but you'll never know.'
"Anyways, let's eat."
"Itadakimasu"
'Monster? Not anymore, that title only belongs to the real monster…' The day before, the younger Asano feared his father more than anything. Though today, the fear level had been reduced to zero. 'Now you're just someone I can own and control…'
'…with my Stand, [Death Note]…'
This is where we wrap things up. So, the main theme of this chapter was to showcase last chapter from another perspective. Last chapter was what Giorno did that day, this chapter is what Asano did that day.
I'm setting him up to be an important enemy, so stay tuned for more development!
As for his Stand, I chose the type and name mainly because Asano and Light Yagami from Death Note have the same voice actor. Also because I think that a more 'tactical' Stand would fit Asano's personality, but mainly the first reason.
Feel free to rate and review if you like to