"Jotaro-san?"
"He's not here."
"I should just scrape the door away so we can get inside. It's not like Jotaro-san couldn't just fix it in a heartbeat anyway."
"I really think we should avoid doing that..."
It was late afternoon at the hotel. Josuke, Okuyasu, and Koichi were gathered once again in the hallway, staring at the closed door of Jotaro's suite.
"Josuke, I tried calling Rohan-sensei's house, but nobody is answering. He definitely left already."
Koichi ran up from the elevators, relaying the information he had gathered.
"What! Are you serious?!"
"Did that guy Rohan sneak off without telling us?!"
"Dammit! That's unforgivable!"
Josuke shouted with a look of genuine agitation, as if he had just discovered he was being left out of a great secret.
"Yeah! That's so sneaky of him!"
Even Okuyasu added his own indignant protest.
"But where was Jotaro-san planning to go first?"
"I don't know..."
"But I really want to see what the world outside of Morioh looks like!"
***
"Ugh!"
Walking through the hospital lobby, Kirito accidentally bumped into someone at a corner. He felt himself lose his balance, his body beginning to tilt toward the floor.
It was a familiar sensation. The physical precursor to a fall.
But in the blink of an eye, the feeling of instability vanished.
He suddenly found himself standing perfectly upright, stabilized by the overwhelming presence of an incredibly tall and muscular man.
"Are you alright?"
"Oh... sorry."
Kirito offered a reflexive apology.
He had been so focused on an email from Asuna that he had been distracted, failing to observe the corridor ahead of him.
'Are there really doctors this well-built?'
'He looks like he belongs in a boxing ring...'
'This is getting a bit ridiculous.'
Kirito looked up at the man. He was wearing a lab coat, and a name tag was pinned to his chest.
Kirito read the name.
Kujo Jotaro.
It wasn't a surname he recognized.
In fact... he didn't remember ever seeing this doctor at the hospital before today.
The man didn't seem interested in further conversation. He simply placed his hands in his pockets and walked toward another wing of the building.
Even for a doctor, he possessed an incredible level of "Presence." Kirito doubted many patients would have the courage to argue with a man who looked that formidable.
Shaking his head and deciding not to dwell on the encounter, Kirito hurried toward Asuna's location.
"Asuna!"
"Kirito-kun."
"You said Yuuki's condition has improved?"
He had rushed over specifically because Asuna had received news that was worth celebrating.
"Doctor Kurahashi was Yuuki's primary physician, but it seems there's a new doctor in charge now."
"Apparently, Yuuki's condition has been steadily improving ever since he arrived."
"That's wonderful news!"
Kirito felt a wave of relief for his friend.
He didn't know exactly how this new doctor was managing to pull Yuuki back from the brink, but as long as she was safe, the details didn't matter.
"Look, I think that's the new doctor over there. He's huge, isn't he?"
"I heard he's a genius who's been researching the HIV virus for years. And he's only twenty-eight."
"I've never seen a doctor that muscular..."
"I feel like Klein and the others would look practically fragile next to him."
Asuna whispered her observation through the corridor glass, her voice filled with a hint of shock.
Kirito turned his gaze toward the figure.
"Wait...?"
When he recognized the man he had just bumped into at the corner, Kirito let out a small, startled exclamation.
"What is it?"
"Oh, uh... nothing."
Asuna noticed his reaction, but Kirito simply waved his hand to dismiss her concern.
He had never imagined that the "Boxer" he had encountered a few minutes ago was actually Yuuki's new physician.
Inside the room, Jotaro stood by the bed, glancing at the surrounding monitors as he spoke with Yuuki.
"Jotaro-san... how much longer do I have to keep up this act?"
"It's for your own benefit. I need to ensure you can return to society without causing a panic."
"And besides... who was the one who stubbornly insisted that I shouldn't alter everyone's memories?"
Jotaro's voice was low, but he let the girl's impatient tone slide.
"If I don't change how people perceive you, then a patient who was at death's door suddenly being cured is going to attract a lot of unwanted attention. You'd be dragged off for research before you could even finish your first meal."
Even though he had already cured her, he had to create a "Natural" recovery period to ensure she could reintegrate into her original environment.
While he could have easily used [Star Platinum: The World Over Heaven] to [Overwrite] her entire history of illness, Yuuki had been adamant about her choice.
In her own words... while she had suffered greatly from the disease, it was also the reason she had met such important friends. She didn't want them to lose the memories of the struggle they had shared.
Therefore, Jotaro was forced to take the long way around, playing the role of a doctor to validate her miracle.
He had even fabricated the identity of "Doctor Kujo Jotaro" for the hospital records.
"Don't worry. Based on the projected recovery rate, you'll be out of here in a week."
"Yay! That's great!"
Yuuki let out a small, excited cheer. The rest of their conversation was held in a volume that the people in the hallway couldn't possibly hear.
"Anyway... discovering a cure for the HIV virus would be a monumental achievement, wouldn't it?"
"Especially for a patient as severe as Yuuki..."
"It's truly incredible."
Jotaro could clearly hear the chatter of the teenagers in the hallway. He cast a brief glance in their direction but didn't linger.
"Are those your friends?"
"Yeah! That's Asuna and Kirito!"
"They're my gaming friends. Don't let their appearance fool you; they're both incredibly skilled players."
Yuuki spoke with a sense of pride as she described her companions.
"Gaming, huh?"
"The world has certainly developed in a strange direction. I suppose this is what people call a 'Trend' these days."
For Jotaro, who had lived through the late nineties, the idea of being obsessed with video games wasn't exactly something he viewed as a productive pursuit.
Unless there was a clear, professional path forward, skill in a game was usually nothing more than a pastime.
'But... the strength of his soul and spirit... that boy is different.'
Jotaro looked toward the boy named "Kirito" and made a silent evaluation.
By his estimation, if that boy lived in his own world and were to be pierced by the "Arrow," awakening a Stand wouldn't be a problem at all.
"Yare yare daze..."
"It seems every world has its own share of lucky individuals."
Jotaro sighed and prepared to leave, but Yuuki called out to him again.
"Wait! Jotaro-san!"
"What is it now?"
"Um... could you do me one more favor?"
Yuuki looked a bit embarrassed, as if she realized she was asking for too much.
She knew that "Pushing one's luck" was a quick way to lose someone's goodwill.
But she also knew that if she didn't speak up now, the opportunity might never return. She gathered her courage and made her request.
Even if there was a chance she would be rejected, she had to try.
"?"
"When you visit Berserker later... could you give him a gift for me?"
"He seems physically fragile, but his mind is incredibly sharp. I think this might be of use to him."
"It's... my way of saying thank you. He did protect me, after all."
If this had been the Jotaro of ten years ago, he likely would have responded with a sharp "Yakamaashi!"
But looking at the brave, determined girl before him, he found it impossible to be so blunt.
***
"Jotaro-san! Look over there! The technology in this world is far more advanced than anything we have back home!"
Rohan met Jotaro at their designated rendezvous point.
Dressed in travel gear and carrying a backpack, Rohan Kishibe was frantically sketching on a series of pages.
"It seems their gaming industry is incredibly developed. They have something called 'Holographic VR Full Dive.' Apparently, using it allows you to enter an entirely different world."
"I'm almost tempted to try it myself..."
"Hmm? Jotaro-san, what is that in your hand?"
Rohan stopped his monologue, his gaze falling on the small, glowing disk Jotaro was holding.
"Don't worry about it. It's just a gift from a girl to a friend."
"Is that so?"
Rohan cast a suspicious glance at the object. He knew Jotaro didn't do things without a purpose. He caught a glimpse of the data on the disk's surface.
It featured an image of a girl in purple armor wielding a sword, and beneath it were two words:
[Mother's Rosario]!
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]