[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure] Standstill Bonds

Chapter 2 ~ Contemplation

The day had passed in a blur of unfamiliar faces and incomprehensible lessons, but Josephine's mind fixated on a singular goal; finding Jotaro Kujo.

She found out he was a biology teacher at the school and there was talk of him being someone with exceptional knowledge in his field of marine life but science wasn't on her mind; she needed guidance, information in controlling the untamed spirit that simmered within her. When she found her way there, she pushed open the door to the biology lab, Josephine's eyes scanned the room, searching for him inside. Her heart sank as she realized he wasn't there and that the room was empty. Dammit! Where was he? Had she missed him already?

She hesitated, considering what she should do next. Should she wait and see if he showed up? Or should she try and see him tomorrow? Her thought process was interrupted when the sound of footsteps approaching made her turn. It was one of the students from earlier; the ringleader of the group that had cornered her in the hallway.

"So, you're still hanging around, huh?" he spat, flanked by his cronies who loomed behind him like shadows. His silver white hair was chin length and wavy, and his height matched her own. He was pale skinned and wore his uniform with his blazer jacket tied around his waist, sleeves of his undershirt rolled up with his fists clenched to his sides.

"Please, just leave me alone, I'm not here to cause any issues."

Josephine's pulse quickened, her mind racing for an escape route. The last thing she wanted was to get in a fight, she could barely hold her own herself and with an incredibly reactive stand that wreaked havoc whenever she was upset only exacerbated things. But the bullies seemed determined to finish what they had started earlier in the day.

Before she could react, the situation escalated once more. The lead lunged forward, his fist aimed at Josephine and in that split second, her Stand materialized once more, creating a barrier that deflected the boy's blow, sending him stumbling backward in shock as he groaned in pain, some books being knocked off their shelves and papers flew into the air.

The rest of the bullies hesitated as they felt the power Josephine displayed. As he stood, the head of the group's eyes narrowed as though he was examining in his head what had happened... could he see it? But before anything progressed a familiar voice boomed.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The students turned in shock as Jotaro Kujo stepped into the room. She felt a rush of relief at his arrival but Jotaro remained stern as he assessed the situation.

"One of you speak up right now, what happened here?" he commanded as he scanned the mess in his classroom.

Josephine looked at him, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as adrenaline still coursed through her veins. "I... I was trying to defend myself," she managed to say, her voice quivering.

"She's a freak! We're just trying to teach her a lesson!" spat the ringleader in a cruel, poor defence but his bravado wavered quickly under Jotaro's scrutinizing look.

Jotaro's response was swift and decisive. "You're the ones who need to learn a lesson, Hiroshi, take your posse and get out of my classroom. Now."

The bullies exchanged uneasy glances and with reluctant compliance, they shuffled out of the room, leaving Josephine and Jotaro alone. As the tension settled, Josephine found herself in debt to Jotaro for the second time that day. "Thank you, again..."

Jotaro picked up the dispersed books and papers, placing them on a nearby shelf, "I told you before, you need to learn control. This is no game, you could hurt someone."

"I know," Josephine replied earnestly, meeting his eyes. "but I, I don't know what I'm doing. You're the first person I've ever met whose been able to tell me what this thing even was. Please Mr. Jotaro... I beg you..."

Jotaro hesitated, his eyes still locked on her. Josephine might not have known any better, but Jotaro had his reasons to be unsure of this, a painful, personal past that he kept hidden from most. Before he could respond, the bell signalling the end of the school day rang and the bustling of students exiting nearby classrooms filled the silence around them. Jotaro thought for what was only a moment or two longer, still saying nothing, but then... "Meet me here tomorrow after school." he finally said, abruptly exiting the room without continuing the conversation, leaving Josephine to her thoughts.