The Stars That Guide Us: A New Adventure - A TSTGU Novella

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ４】

After speaking with Jairo and agreeing on going back to the carnival the next evening to set off for Belgium, Polnareff and I returned to the hotel with the satisfaction of knowing we were getting somewhere.

   "I dunno about you, but I'm gonna go shower. We're gonna be on the road for a few days and I really don't like the idea of not showering beforehand," Polnareff said as we stepped into our hotel room.

   "That doesn't seem like a bad idea. You go on in first." I smiled at the Frenchman.

   Polnareff nodded and grabbed his bag from the bottom of his bed and took it into the bathroom with him. Once the lock on the bathroom clicked shut, I sat down on my bed and let out a gentle sigh.

   Silence filled the hotel room, and you could barely hear the muffled sound of the water from the shower in the bathroom. I leaned down and grabbed my bag from underneath my bed and brought it onto my lap. I swiftly unzipped the bag and was instantly greeted to a photo album at the top of the bag. I pulled the photo album from the bag and placed my bag on the bed in front of me as I crossed my legs under my body. I gazed down at the album in my hands and gently ran my fingertips over the cover of the album. I took a deep breath as I flipped the album open to see a polaroid photograph of me, Jotaro and Nori that was taken 5 years ago, not long after arriving in Egypt. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as I looked at the photograph. It had been 4 years since I last saw Jotaro and Nori. 4 years since they last held me in their arms. 4 years since I heard their voices. I missed them dearly.

   I wandered what they were doing now. I was certain that they would be graduating from college soon. Was Jotaro going to come back to Japan from America? What would he and Nori think once they learned I was no longer in Japan? Would they try to find me?

   I remembered my talk with Avdol from the other night. If fate allowed it, I would see them again, and when he gave me a glimpse into what fate had in store for me through a crystal ball, all that I was shown was a flag of The Netherlands – which wasn't entirely helpful – however, I knew that whatever was in store for me would likely come my way there. Though I wasn't exactly sure when.

   I heard the shower squeak as it got switched off and I quickly closed the photo album and threw it back into my bag. As the door to the bathroom opened, I quickly zipped up the bag. When I looked up from the bag, my breath instantly hitched in my throat as my gaze landed on Polnareff standing in the doorway, shirtless and a towel draped over his shoulders. His hair wasn't in its usual updo, and it hung slightly over his face and brushed against his shoulders and collarbone.

   Was I actually looking at Polnareff? He looked so different. I was so used to him with his usual updo that Scarlet Phantom liked to call a roll of toilet paper on his head, his usual black tank top and white pants. Now, there was a version of Polnareff I never considered seeing standing right in front of me, and I was left speechless.

   I was quickly drawn away from my thoughts when I saw a hand wave in front of my face.

   "Y/N? Hello?" Polnareff called out to me with a slight chuckle.

   Before I was able to respond, Scarlet Phantom materialized and pushed Polnareff back. "Dude! Get some clothes on!" She growled, and I swore I could see her cheeks tinted pink as she glanced away from the Frenchman with her arms out in front of her to keep him at least an arm's length away.

   I blinked and looked back up at Polnareff. Was I staring at him just now? "S-sorry... Did you say something?" I stammered.

   "Apart from saying that the bathroom was all yours, I didn't say anything else," Polnareff said and then added with a tilt of his head, "Are you okay, Y/N? You don't look so good."