Dio froze.
He ran a hand through his dazzling blond hair, then glanced at Rock's dark brown curls, falling into an odd silence.
Three seconds later.
"Ugh, yeah, I figured," he said, shaking his head.
"?"
Grabbing Dio by the collar, Rock hoisted him up to eye level.
"What's that little punk brain of yours thinking?"
"Blood-related or not, I'm still your dad!"
Dio's blond hair flopped wildly as he was shaken, but he just pursed his lips stubbornly. "Hmph, then why're you always so chummy with Clark? I bet he's your real son!"
"How else do you explain those identical curls?"
"..."
Choked by that twisted logic, Rock set Dio down and summoned Platinum Star again.
The purple stand's fists gleamed like metal in the sunlight.
"Alright, how about this?" He pointed at the two stands, which seemed ready to clash at any moment. "Keep treating me like your dad because of this."
"..."
---
On a haystack outside the mill, father and son sat side by side.
In the distance, Clark's figure flickered in and out of the wheat fields, clumsily helping Martha pick up scattered blueberries.
"So," Rock said, chewing on a wheat stalk, "all these years you've been giving Clark a hard time because you think I'm playing favorites?"
"Yeah." Dio stared at his boot tips, absentmindedly grinding a pebble into the dirt. "He's got everything."
His voice was so soft it almost got lost in the breeze.
"Aunt Martha knits him sweaters, Uncle Jonathan teaches him to drive the tractor, and even you..."
His fingers clenched the grass. "Every time we're together, you're always a little closer to him. You even sneak him honey candies."
Rock blinked, caught off guard.
He touched his face, realizing for the first time how deeply those small, unnoticed moments had etched themselves into this sensitive kid's heart.
"Dio," he sighed, "I'm sorry."
"But do you know why Clark's always chatting me up?"
Dio turned his head away, refusing to answer.
"Because you said you like your quiet time," Rock said, ruffling Dio's hair. "That big goof keeps asking me when he can talk to you without bugging you. I only hang out with him more because he looks so pitiful."
Dio's ears twitched slightly.
"And the honey candies?"
Rock pulled a crumpled paper bag from his pocket. "I made a whole batch years ago, but you said they were 'too childish' and you didn't want them. So I started giving them to Clark."
He unfolded the bag, revealing a few melted candies, their wrappers decorated with goofy star patterns—identical to the birthmark on Dio's neck.
The evening breeze grew still.
Dio stared at the sticky candies, his mind flashing to all the times Clark had secretly slipped half a candy into his textbook, or that rainy day when the big lug got soaked just to keep Dio's backpack dry, or...
"Idiot," he muttered.
He grabbed a candy and popped it into his mouth, the sweetness overwhelming his tongue.
"Way too childish. This stuff's only good for a guy like Clark."
"Oh, is that so? Guess I'll stop giving them to you then."
Rock grinned, noticing Dio's flushed ears, and pointed toward the wheat field. "Look at Clark."
In the distance, Clark tripped, scattering blueberries everywhere.
He scrambled to pick them up, only to knock over Martha's basket in the process.
"That kid's got super speed but still fumbles through everyday stuff," Rock said softly. "But my Dio?"
He gave the boy's shoulder a proud pat.
"At seven, you were already helping me fix the tractor with your smarts. And just last week, you cracked a calculus problem that stumps college kids!"
The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground.
Dio suddenly noticed that, side by side, the shadows of his blond hair and Rock's curls somehow looked... harmonious.
"Old man."
"Hm?"
"Next family dinner," Dio said, hopping off the haystack and brushing grass and flour off his pants, "I wanna sit next to you."
He walked toward Clark, looking like he was about to apologize.
Rock's face broke into a smile.
But then—
His expression shifted to a giant question mark.
Hold up, what did this kid just call me?!
Glancing at Dio, who seemed to quicken his pace guiltily, Rock's lips curved into a sly grin.
"Cafeteria hot sauce!"
"The World!"
Time froze.
Dio blinked, and the next second, the world spun.
He was slung over Rock's shoulder!
"?!"
Dio's eyes widened in shock, his blond hair dangling upside down. "When did you—?! How?!"
"Your dad's always your dad, Dio."
Rock flashed a wicked grin and gave Dio's backside a couple of playful smacks.
"Ow! Wait! I'm sorry!"
Dio flailed in the air, flour dusting off his hair like snow. "This isn't fair! How're you so fast?!"
"It's called dad privilege."
Rock landed one more swat before setting the red-faced kid down.
He glanced at the translucent panel that appeared in the air:
[Dio Kent, Age 8, Awakened Stand: The World]
[Synchronization rate has reached critical threshold]
[Loading Dad Privilege for host]
[Stand: Platinum Star (Current time-stop duration: 0.5 seconds)]
Rock Kent, thirty-three-year-old farmer, couldn't help but chuckle. Not bad for an old guy—still able to pull off a 0.5-second time stop.
The Joestar family's golden spirit was still kicking.
---
Three months later.
Martha and Jonathan were off visiting relatives in Washington state, so Clark was staying at Rock's farm, joining Dio for their first summer break as elementary schoolers.
But Kansas summers were as unpredictable as ever.
The clear blue sky turned iron-gray in ten minutes, with fat raindrops hammering the tractor's metal roof.
"Ease up on the gas! Clutch all the way down!"
Rock shouted over the storm, rainwater dripping off his cowboy hat. "Dio! Stop staring at the dashboard—watch the road!"
The blond teen gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white.
Unseen by anyone, The World hovered to his right, its golden hands barely shielding the open window from the pouring rain.
"Old man!"
Dio's wet bangs stuck to his forehead as he gritted his teeth. "This junker tractor's older than me and Clark combined! Can't you at least put a windshield on it?!"
In the backseat, Clark was shaking with suppressed laughter—until Dio caught his eye in the rearview mirror and snapped, "What's so funny? What're you up to?"
"Sorry, I just wanted to say..." Clark raised a hand timidly, but before he could finish—
Rock's sharp glare shut him up.
"Both of you, focus!" Rock wiped the rain from his face. "You're driving!"
Truth be told, he missed the Dio from three months ago—the one who at least pretended to be a sweet, dutiful kid.
The tractor lurched through the muddy field, Dio's boots slipping in a puddle, nearly jamming the gas pedal through the floor.
The World fumbled for the gearshift, and for a split second, time froze—
Raindrops hung in the air.
In that 0.1-second pause, Dio finally managed to shift gears.
"Ha!"
He smirked triumphantly.
That's right, I'm the best!
With reflexes like these—
Splatter!
Time resumed, and a wave of mud splashed across Dio's face.
Rock couldn't hold back a laugh.
The kid clearly had no idea he'd triggered his time-stop ability, which only kicked in by accident now and then.
"Dio, stop the tractor, you're gonna hit the—"
Rock's warning cut off.
Because Clark had burst out laughing too, sending Dio into a full-on meltdown.
"Sorry, Dio, I just—"
"Jerk!"
Bang!
The two boys started wrestling in the cramped cab, the tractor swerving through the field like a drunk driver drawing an S.
"You two—!"
Rock's shout was drowned out by thunder.
Seeing words were useless, he lunged forward, hopped onto the tractor, and yanked the steering wheel. But then—
He caught a strange sight in the rearview mirror:
Deep in the wheat field, a massive figure staggered toward them, dragging a long trail of blood that the rain quickly washed away.
Dio and Clark stopped their scuffle at the same moment.
Clark's eyes glowed faintly as he shouted, "Uncle Rock!"
"That guy's bleeding! A lot!"