"I really picked up something annoying," Johan Joestar thought.

He was at a restaurant with Hojo Reina. There were bowls of soba in front of both of them, but neither of the two was eating. An air of tension was between them. Johan took a quick glance out the window.

"A window seat's risky. Someone could attack us through it, but I can also see outside pretty well," the boy thought.

"Hey, it's pretty tense in here," Reina said.

"I noticed," Johan replied.

"Before we get to our main topic, why don't we talk a little to relieve the tension?"

"Sure. What about?"

She thought a moment before speaking.

"So, Johan. Can I call you Jojo?" Reina asked.

His eyes turned to her.

"Why would you want to call me that?" Johan wondered.

"Well, even if it's pronounced Yohan, it's still spelled J-o-h-a-n when it's not in kanji, right? And your last name is Joestar. So, it's jo and jo," the Hojo girl said.

"Alright. You can call me Jojo, but only if I get to call you Reina," he replied.

"No way! That's way too familiar! We just met," she stated.

Johan breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was hoping you wouldn't want me to call you Reina, Hojo-chan. Everyone calls my dad Jojo, so I'd have to be called Jojo Jr. And that just sounds weird," he said.

"What's your dad's name?" Reina asked.

"Joos Joestar. It's a thing where a lot of our family members have jo and jo in their names," Johan answered.

Then, a thought came to Reina.

"Are you related to the famous racer, Johnny Joestar?" she questioned.

"Maybe," Johan shrugged. "My branch of the family broke off from the English branch a couple hundred years ago. A second son of the English branch married a Danish aristocratic woman. That's long enough ago that we aren't related, but there might have been some intermarriage since."

He then smirked.

"Anyway, I shouldn't be called Jojo. I should be called Yojo."

Johan and Reina broke out into chuckles. Their bodies relaxed. They grabbed their separate bowls of soba, brought them to their mouths, and slurped all the noodles up at the same time. Then, the two put down the bowls in perfect synchronization.

"So, how did you do all that weird stuff back there?" Reina asked.

The boy sighed.

"It would be best if she didn't get involved in my life. But I promised I'd tell her. And besides, maybe if she knows the truth, I can get her to stay away from me?" Johan thought before speaking. "I'm something called a Stand User."

"What's a Stand? Some kind of weapon?" Reina wondered.

"Not exactly. It's a physical manifestation of your soul," he said.

Behind Johan, a figure materialized. It wore a WW2-era helmet, a WW1 gas mask, and a mixture of samurai and winged hussar armor. Instead of the wings, it had a pair of Tesla coils. Not a single bit of its skin was visible. Assuming that it even has skin, of course.

"Right now, my Stand is behind me. His name is Sabaton," Johan stated.

Reina looked around him. She even got up and walked behind the boy. Then, the girl sat back in her chair.

"I can't see it," Reina said.

"Only Stand Users can see Stands. That's why you didn't see Sabaton when he beat up those thugs," Johan explained.

"How many Stand Users are there?"

"I don't know. It's impossible for a normal person to tell the difference between a Stand User and someone like them. We Stand Users can only do it if we see their Stand. You might even know a stand user and not even know it," he said.

Reina remembered how much damage Sabaton did, and how Johan stopped a truck dead in its tracks. She shivered.

"That's a scary thought," Reina stated.

Johan trembled.

"It's fucking terrifying," he said.

Then, the boy regained his composure.

"It's time to hit home how dangerous Stands are," Johan thought before speaking. "Stand Users sometimes fight other Stand Users. We're about as likely to get along with each other as anyone else is. And you know how you spar in judo?"

"I do," Reina nodded.

"We don't do that. Stands are too dangerous," Johan said.

The girl looked at her empty bowl.

"It'd be like sparring with a gun, right? A real gun, not airsoft or BB?" Reina asked.

"That's right. And each Stand has a power, a special ability that the stand user has access to. This ability could be anything. I've seen stands that can inject poison into people, bring out someone's inner beast, and even freeze someone in time," Johan stated.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"A Stand Power? Is that how you stopped the truck?"

"Yes."

Johan leaned back and folded his arms.

"So, what's your Stand Power?" Reina asked.

"I'm not telling you that," he replied. "If someone knows your Stand ability, they'll know how to fight you. I'm not making myself vulnerable."

"Oh. I'm sorry I asked," she said.

"It's fine. But now I'm sure that you know how dangerous the world of Stand Users is," Johan stated.

Reina nodded.

"If a Stand User attacked me, I wouldn't be able to defend myself. How can you fight something you can't see?"

"You can't," Johan said.

"And then there's the Stand's ability."

She planted her hands on the table and stood up.

"How do I get a Stand?" Reina asked.

Johan was so shocked that he almost tumbled out of his chair.

"You want a Stand?" he questioned.

"Yes," Reina nodded. "I don't want to be defenseless if a Stand User attacks me or my friends!"

A smile crossed Johan's face.

"I like that attitude," he said.

"So, how did you get your stand?" Reina asked.

"I was born with it," Johan answered.

Disappointment crossed her face. Reina sighed and sat back down.

"So, Stands are something you were born with? You can't get one later in life?"

"Don't give up too soon," Johan replied. "Some people get their stands from their bloodline, sometimes long after they're born. Other people are born with them for no discernable reason. But you can manifest a stand if you're talented enough at something or if you make contact with certain supernatural things."

"Like what?" Reina wondered.

"The body of a powerful saint might do it. You could also get one if you ate a hair from the tail of a kitsune," he said.

Then, Johan raised a finger.

"But there's one catch. Stands are a manifestation of the User's fighting spirit as well as their soul. If a User's fighting spirit isn't strong enough, being forced to get a stand through supernatural means could kill them."

Reina gulped.

"So, there's a chance I'll die if I try to get a stand?" she asked.

"There is," Johan answered.

Reina took a deep breath. She furrowed her brow and entered deep contemplation. This lasted less than a minute before she slammed her hands on the table.

"I'll take the risk. If an innocent person's being attacked by a Stand User, I want to be able to save them," Reina declared.

"You made your decision fast," Johan noted.

"I told you. I'm an ally of justice. If I waver in my resolve, I'll force myself back on track," she said.

Johan stood up.

"I'll see what I can do," he promised. "But you should avoid me until I can get you a Stand, assuming I can. I don't want you to get hurt if I'm attacked by a Stand User."

"How often do you get attacked?" Reina asked.

"I haven't been attacked in 7 years," Johan answered.

Reina jolted up.

"7 years? That's a long time! And you're still worried about being attacked?"

She then clenched her fists.

"You were eight when you were attacked. That must have been terrifying. It's no wonder you're paranoid."

"That's part of it," Johan said. "But another reason is that Stand Users attract other Stand Users. Sooner or later, I'm going to get attacked by a Stand. It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when."

He then looked Reina right in the eyes.

"Do you still want a Stand?" Johan asked.

"Now more than ever," Reina answered.

With a curt nod, Johan walked away.

"I'll see you later, Hojo-chan," he said.

Then, Johan stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" Reina wondered.

"If you ever get injured, go to the Seaside Aquarium," Johan stated. "A Stand User named Lenon lives there. He's a hermaphrodite with several children. They all have the same Stand, and they'll heal anyone who goes inside the aquarium."

As Johan left the establishment, Reina sat in utter shock.

"What the fuck did he just say?"

Johan took the bus home, standing in the back because there were too many people sitting. Someone next to him groaned.

"Why aren't there any cute girls going back here? Why is it always men?"

The boy decided to pretend this guy didn't exist.

"Bus rides are pretty boring, but boring is good. Boring isn't dangerous," Johan thought. "Of course, if anyone tries anything here, I'll punch them."

When Johan left the bus, his house was a short distance away from him. It was a two-story suburban house with a large yard for Japan. There was a greenhouse in the backyard. The boy started walking towards it, just for Reina's voice to hit his ears.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Johan turned around. Reina was there with a look of confusion on her face.

"I live here," he pointed to his house. "What are you doing here?"

Reina pointed to the building right next to his home.

"I live here," she replied.

Johan sighed.

"This makes things difficult. Just pretend you don't know me unless I can get you a stand," he said.

The boy walked over to his house. He opened the door, walked inside, and went to a box filled with roaches. Johan grabbed a roach with his bare hands. Then, he walked over to a glass terrarium.

This terrarium was filled with soil. Several plants were scattered throughout it. There was a hole in the center of the terrarium, coated with spider webs.

"Hey, Cure, come out. It's time for your weekly feeding," Johan said.

A tarantula crept out of the hole. Johan threw the roach into the terrarium. The spider jolted forward, clutching the bug and biting into it. Venom flowed into the insect as Cure dragged it into her hole.

Johan then walked into the kitchen. There was a note on the refrigerator. It read:

"I'm on the other side of Japan. I'll be home in time for dinner."

The boy sighed, opening the fridge. A rank smell swept into his nose. Johan gagged. He looked around and saw some eggs in a carton. Opening it made the smell get worse.

Johan threw the rotten eggs away as fast as he could.

"I hope this wasn't another of Mom's experiments," he said. "Well, I doubt she'll be home for dinner. It'll just be me and Dad."

Then, the doorbell rang. Johan sighed and walked over to it. The boy opened the door. A man in a doctor's suit stood at it.

"Excuse me. Is this the residence of Dr. Joestar Feelgood?" he asked.

"Dr. Feelgood's at work. What the hell do you want?" Johan questioned.

"Why wouldn't a doctor know that Mom isn't here?" the boy thought.

He narrowed his eyes. The man in the doctor's suit rubbed the back of his head, nervousness flowing through him.

"Oh, umm. I'm just here to deliver a package to her. I couldn't find her at the hospital, so I was wondering if she was here," the man said.

Johan took a step forward. He pointed at the porch.

"Put it down here. She'll pick it up later," he stated.

"This is important," the man replied, fighting through his nervousness. "Just who are you, anyway?"

Johan gave him a glare that could cut ice.

"I'm her son," he said.

The man breathed a sigh deeper than the Marianas Trench.

"That explains it. Your face is just as scary as hers is. You'd better give it to her."

He put down the package and walked away. Johan watched the man as he got in his car. When he had driven off, Johan spoke.

"Sabaton."

His Stand appeared in front of him.

"I can't take chances. If that guy's a Stand User, he'd know my Sabaton is out," Johan said.

The boy scanned the area, making sure no one else was watching. Sabaton reached down to the package and placed his hand on it.

"There's no explosives inside. No radiation. No electricity," Johan muttered.

Johan took a few steps back, moving until he was at his Stand's maximum range of two meters. Then, Sabaton opened the package with care. He pulled back each part of it one at a time. When the contents were visible, Johan breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's just some test tubes," he said. "Still, it could be affected by a Stand."

Sabaton picked up the package, and Johan went back inside. The Stand placed the parcel inside a safe. Johan then grabbed some books before sitting on a chair facing the safe.

"Might as well study while waiting for Dad to get home. Why did a package have to show up today of all days?"