Standstill Bonds

Chapter 22 ~ An Old Friend

With lunch concluding and a truce in place, Josephine only had a few lessons left for the day. The final one was biology, taught by Jotaro. In the closing minutes of class, Jotaro kept an eye on her, noticing the new ease in her that hadn't been there before. The shift intrigued him, prompting a question as soon as the day's final bell rang.

"What's got you so chill today?"

Josephine began to recount the cafeteria confrontation with Hiroshi, her Stand's outburst, and the unexpected truce that followed in the headmaster's office. She half expected Jotaro to scold her for the trouble she'd caused, but instead, he listened in silence, his arms crossed, his face steady and calm.

When she finished, Jotaro gave a single nod of acknowledgment. "Taking the blame for the fight was a noble move," he remarked, his voice carrying a rare note of approval. After a beat, he added, "I'm proud of you."

Josephine blinked, utterly caught off guard. "P-proud? Of me?" she stammered, unsure if she had heard him right.

Jotaro, never one for drawn-out sentimentality, gave her a sideways glance before nudging her gently with his elbow. "Don't let it go to your head, now pick up your jaw and lets go," he grunted, turning to leave, signaling for her to follow along.

Exiting the school gates, they walked together in comfortable silence as they made their way back to Jotaro's house. The compliment still rang in Josephine's ears, warming her heart in a way she hadn't expected. She tried to contain her emotions, but her shy smile gave her away to Jotaro who didn't take too long to notice it.

"What's with the goofy look?" Jotaro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh, nothing..." Josephine stammered, "It's just... what you said back there. I didn't expect you to be, you know, proud of me."

Jotaro was swift to brush it off. "You did the right thing. That's all."

"Still... it means a lot coming from you."

Jotaro, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional direction the conversation was going, picked up his walking pace, as though removing himself from it entirely. "Don't read too much into it."

-

When they finally arrived at Jotaro's home, an unusual sound reached their ears; voices, commotion, and laughter. Jotaro's expression hardened immediately as he motioned for Josephine to wait outside while he cautiously stepped inside his house. The silence that followed was short-lived, and Jotaro reappeared moments later with a face caught somewhere between irritation and surprise.

"Come on in," he said, rubbing his forehead and beckoning her inside.

Cautiously, she stepped into the house, seeking an explanation but before she could voice her question, a wheelchair-bound figure rolled into view, his silhouette distinct against the shadows.

"Ah, there's no need for all the tension," the man said with a dramatic wave of his hand, his french accent was clear and notably charming. "It's just me, after all."

Jotaro crossed his arms and muttered, "You're more trouble than you're worth, Polnareff."

The man in the wheelchair, Polnareff, laughed heartily. "And you're still as pleasant as ever, Jotaro!"

Turning his attention to Josephine, he wheeled closer, revealing a face that bore the marks of both age and adventure. His silver hair was neatly kept, and his blue eye sparkled with a mixture of mischief and wisdom. He had a well defined scar running over his blinded right eye which was covered with a purple screen optic.

He offered her a sweet smile, "And who is this delightful young lady?"

Josephine blinked, momentarily thrown off by his dramatic flair. "J-Josephine," she managed, her voice shy but polite.