Bound By Stardust (OC x Jotaro)

☆ Chapter 9 - Find any answers in there? ☆

Before long, the five of you reached a hotel for the night. The Speedwagon Foundation had arranged a ship, but it wouldn't arrive in the harbor until morning.

While Mr. Joestar was sorting things out at the front desk, you lingered in the background, eyes tracing over the lobby's lavish decor. Marble floors, opulent chandeliers, and delicate floral arrangements—everything here seemed designed to remind guests of just how much money they didn't have. The thought made you smirk. You were pretty sure that if you knocked over a single vase, you'd be paying it off for the rest of your life.

Finally, Mr. Joestar returned, holding three room keys. "There are three rooms," he explained, glancing at the group. "Avdol and I will share one, so one of the three of you will have to be alone."

You, Jotaro, and Kakyoin exchanged looks. Tension flickered between the boys; you could almost see the silent argument unfolding.

"I'm fine rooming alone," you said.

Kakyoin's brow furrowed slightly. "But Kioku, what if someone else attacks? Will you be alright fighting alone?"

You gave a small nod. "I'll manage."

After a slight pause, Mr. Joestar handed out the keys, and everyone went their separate ways. Your room was down the hall from the others, close enough to feel their presence, but still isolated in a way you'd grown used to.

Once inside, you exhaled and adjusted your hood, letting your eyes scan the room for any signs of danger. Satisfied that you were alone, you walked over to the large window and drew back the curtain, revealing a private balcony. A small, satisfied smile tugged at your lips. Cigarette in hand, you slid the door open and stepped out.

The view was spectacular—a skyline bathed in the last light of the setting sun, glowing in rich hues of orange and purple. This was the so-called "million-dollar view," and it felt as though it had been made just for you in this moment. For a few precious minutes, you let the tension melt away as you took in the sight.

But then, as always, reality bled through the calm. Your thoughts drifted back to the man whose name haunted your every step—DIO. Your mind turned over the questions that refused to fade: What did he want? Why was he so fixated on the Joestars? Why did his name evoke something both deeply unsettling and familiar?

You frowned, extinguishing your cigarette. The sense of missing something crucial gnawed at you, lingering like an itch you couldn't scratch. Frustrated, you stepped back inside and grabbed the hotel's notepad, hoping to find some clarity. But after jotting down your thoughts and organizing them, all you felt was the same familiar haze of confusion. One by one, you tore the pages from the pad and let them fall, littering the floor around you.

With a sigh, you realized you'd run out of paper. You'd have to borrow some from the others. Avdol and Mr. Joestar would probably just tell you to stop obsessing, but Jotaro and Kakyoin? They wouldn't question it too much. You grabbed your key and headed down the hall.

Just as you reached Jotaro and Kakyoin's door and raised your hand to knock, the door swung open.

"Hey, Kioku," Kakyoin greeted, his surprise morphing into a smile. "We were actually just about to come find you."

"Oh, really? Why?"

Jotaro gave you a steady look. "The real question is, why are you here?"

You raised an eyebrow, giving a nonchalant look. "Touché. I was actually here to see if you had any spare paper."

"I'll check," Kakyoin offered, disappearing back into the room to search.

Jotaro tilted his head, arms crossed. "We wanted to see if you wanted to walk around the city with us."