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“Wait Kakyoin, do your parents even know you’re on this trip?”
Kakyoin stopped walking, the dirt puffing up from the skid his shoes made on the sidewalk. They’d arrived in Singapore now, and everyone was searching for a hotel to stay in for the night.
Two stand attacks within a day already can do that to you, Kakyoin muses.
Polnareff turned around, the others following suit at the sudden pause from their redheaded friend. “Kakyoin?”
Kakyoin shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. He looked up at the others. “Uh no, now that I think about it. I never really went back to my house after the night at Jotaro’s. Oh shit, I forgot to call them. Or even send a letter.”
Joseph hummed and gestured for the group to keep walking, having spotted a hotel. “Well when we get to the hotel you can call them then, Kakyoin.”
Kakyoin nodded and walked quickly to be in line with the group, and they all headed inside to the hotel.
They all got situated in their rooms, and Kakyoin sank down into his bed, clicking the phone button’s to dial up his house. He absently twirled the cord around his pointer finger while waiting for his parents to pick up.
Jotaro noticed he was on the phone and silently unpacked a bit of his bag. When Kakyoin heard the voice mail machine play the automated recording of his parents, “Hello, this is the Kakyoin residence, please leave a message or call back later.” he let out a sigh.
It was two in the afternoon here, so it was only one hour ahead over in Japan. It’s a little weird not even his mom answered, but he supposed that she was out somewhere, and his dad probably didn’t get a day off.
Jotaro perked up at the sound of Kakyoin clicking the phone back into the holder. “No luck?”
Kakyoin shook his head, “I’ll just write them a letter, it’ll be easier that way with how much we’re moving around anyway.”
Jotaro grunted in acknowledgement, shuffling off to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Kakyoin pulled open the drawers in the desk shoved into the corner of the room, ripping a piece of paper from his sketchbook.
Plopping down into the seat at the desk, and began to write:
Dear Mom and Dad,
Hey, it’s Noriaki. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer so I figured I’d just write you a letter. I’m...sorry I didn’t call you sooner, I’ve been pretty busy. I won’t be back for awhile either, I’m actually with some friends. On a trip.
I’m doing well, don’t worry, I know you guys do. It’s been a lot but my friends...they’re really nice. And kind. It’s not like anyone before.
It’s actually better for me to keep in touch with you guys by letter, since we’re kinda travelling around a lot and not staying anywhere for long. I’ll see you guys before you know it though. I hope you’re okay, I miss you both already.
Love you lots,
Nori
Kakyoin put his pen down and folded the letter neatly, putting it in his pocket.
After the mess of Polnareff’s meeting with a stand user was over, Kakyoin sealed the letter in an envelope and placed it in a mailbox, before meeting back up with the group to go over the game plan.
~
After the mess that was their car ride on the mountain with Wheel of Fortune, the group arrived in Pakistan. Jotaro went to go get a new coat, his having been shredded by the stand user they just fought.
They were at a small airport, and Kakyoin watched as Anne struggled in Polnareff’s arms. Poor girl, he thought, she really wants to come with us.
It's safer for her to go though, as much as she wants to stay.
Jotaro walked up to Kakyoin now, and Kakyoin glanced away from the group and over to him. “The new coat looks nice.”
Jotaro stuffed his hands into his pockets and his lips quirked up into a little smile. Kakyoin’s heart fluttered a bit at the sight. “Yeah, it’s nice to have a new one.”
Kakyoin hummed in agreement. He kinda wishes he could buy a new uniform, but he doubts that there were any stores here selling a Japanese school uniform, much less his specific school’s uniform.
His mind drifted back to Japan at that, reminiscing on his first day of highschool. It’s not like it was that bad, to be honest. Although that was largely due to the fact that Kakyoin had accepted his loneliness by then and automatically got everyone to just leave him alone.
Still, it was nice to finally be comfortable enough to let Hierophant back out into the open again at school, especially since no one there knew of his ‘imaginary friend’. If he was going to be bullied at this school it definitely wasn’t going to be over what everyone else assumed was Kakyoin never learning to grow up.
Now though, he’d never go back. Probably the one good thing that came out of all the stuff with DIO was the friends he had now.
He thought back to the letter he’d sent his parents, discussing his friends. It’s been awhile since I wrote that letter…
Kakyoin’s eyes snapped back to focus and he called Jotaro’s attention. Jotaro grunted to continue, pulling out his lighter to smoke.
“Is there a mailbox around here?”
Jotaro quirked an eyebrow up, “Why? Are you going to write another letter?”
Kakyoin nodded. “I was thinking about how it’s been awhile, I thought I’d update them.”
Jotaro hummed, putting his cigarette into his mouth. “I think I saw one inside off to the left.”
Kakyoin thanked Jotaro, patting him on the shoulder, and then went inside the small airport to find the mailbox. True to Jotaro’s words, the mailbox was located over in the left corner of the airport, tucked away as in unimportant.
Kakyoin pulled out his materials, and went over to a bench to write on. It wasn’t perfect but it’d have to do.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I don’t know if you’ll have gotten my first letter yet, but some stuff has happened since then, so I thought I’d update you.
I may have to purchase a new uniform when I get back, I’ll spare you the details. I promise I’m okay, there was just an accident, I guess you could say.
It’s been a couple days, or more like a week, since I last wrote you anything, and I’m guessing I’ll be in a lot of trouble when I get home. I am really sorry I didn’t write sooner, I just...didn’t know how to explain to you where I’ve been.
I still don’t.
Anyway, I’ll see you in, a month now I think? I’ve lost track after so long on the road.
Nori.
Kakyoin sealed the letter with a sigh, and dropped it into the mailbox with a clang. He went back outside to meet with the group.
“Ah Kakyoin, great timing, Anne’s just about to take off.”
Mr. Joestar smiled and the group turned towards the plane, waving their goodbyes to the adventurous little girl. Kakyoin hopes she finds exactly what she’s looking for.
With that, the group turned to head back on the road. Kakyoin sat in the front with Polnareff, why they’re still letting him drive is a mystery, but it’s pleasant.
Kakyoin had sort of zoned out, having blocked Polnareff’s obnoxious french singing out. He tuned back in though when Polnareff bumped him on the shoulder, grabbing his attention.
“Hmm?”
Polnareff gave a little laugh, “Were you really tuned out that whole time? Mon dieu, that takes some talent.”
Kakyoin sent a hard stare his way, “Ha ha. Now what are we talking about?”
Joseph piped in this time, “Oh I was just telling Avdol and Polnareff about some memories from when Jotaro was a child.”
Jotaro grumbled at him, hiding behind his hat, “You can tune back out Kakyoin, it's really not interesting. Jiji is just dramatic.”
Polnareff smirked, “Oh I don’t know about that. Maybe we could retell the crab incident?”
Jotaro growled, “Absolutely not.”
“Alright alright.” Joseph leaned back in his chair, looking at Kakyoin. “What about you Kakyoin, got any childhood stories you wanna tell?”
“Oh.” Kakyoin gave an anxious chuckle, and tried to think of something funny or interesting from his childhood. His mind drew a blank.
Somehow he guessed they didn’t want to hear about the incessant bullying and isolation from his childhood.
Real fun topic there Kakyoin.
Kakyoin just shook his head with what he hoped was a playful smile. “Nothing really interesting about my childhood really. It was quite boring.”
Joseph pouted like he wasn’t a full grown adult, but didn’t inquire any further. Kakyoin breathed a sigh of relief at that.
“Well, I guess I’ll spare Jotaro and tell some of mine.”
“Good grief, thank you Avdol.”
~
Truth is, Kakyoin really doesn’t have that good of a relationship with his parents. Honestly, it’s really complicated, and sometimes he thinks he should stop sending letters.
HIs parents well, he doesn’t blame them, for what they did, for not believing him. It’s not like it’s their fault they can’t see stands, but it still caused a rift that was never really repaired.
Then they went to Egypt, and he met DIO…
Safe to say, he wasn’t himself, and then when Jotaro saved him, and he was back to normal, or at least as normal as he could be, he never saw them before he packed up his things and left.
So maybe the damage was his fault. Maybe it was fate, or god or whatever you believe, but it sure as hell made this last - hopefully for a good reason - letter hard to write.
Kakyoin had been sitting in his hospital bed, bandages freshly off, staring at a blank piece of paper for ten minutes now. So much had happened since he last wrote, and he just had no idea what to say.
Hey Mom and Dad, going to go fight a 100 year old vampire that brainwashed me 3 months ago in about a day, see you soon, hopefully?
Hey Mom and Dad, surprise! Stands are real, Hierophant is real, and I’m about to go with my new friends to fight another stand and maybe die! Yay!
Kakyoin made a noise of anger and crumpled up the paper, throwing across the room and feeling only slightly satisfied as it plopped perfectly into the trash can.
He’d made his previous letters so vague and brief, and honestly, he could just do exactly that once more, but something told him he needed...more.
Rolling his shoulders back, Kakyoin put his pen to a new piece of paper, taking a deep breath. Hand holding the pen steady, Kakyoin began to write:
Dear Mom and Dad,
So, my last two letters were, really, really vague.
Truth is, I could tell you everything, but I don’t think you’d believe me. You didn’t before. I don’t blame you.
Something tells me I should tell you it all though, so I will.
Hierophant Green is a stand. It’s a physical manifestation of my soul, and I use it to fight, among other things. My friends, they have one each too. Jotaro, he’s my age, has Star Platinum. Joseph, his grandfather, has Hermit Purple. Avdol and Polnareff, as well as our little dog friend Iggy, have Magician’s Red, Silver Chariot and The Fool.
Our trip wasn’t just for fun. Remember our trip to Egypt? There’s a stand user that was there, named Dio. He’s...not a good person, and we’re here to fight him.
I know you probably won’t believe me, and maybe one day I can finally prove this all to you, I don’t know. But I thought I’d tell you the truth.
It’s been hard, we all know that, and I promise you these people, my friends, are the best people I’ve ever met. Despite it all, I feel...happy. Like I belong.
It’s been a long, long trip with many problems and fights along the way, but I’m happy all the same. I have some good memories from this trip, and I can’t wait to tell you.
If you can’t believe anything else, please believe that. I have to go now, it’s time for our trip to come to an end. I can’t wait to be home, I miss you.
Love, Nori.
Kakyoin sealed his final letter up, a lump in his throat. He placed it in the envelope, closing it, and grabbing his things.
With a final thank you to the hospital staff, Kakyoin placed the letter in the mailbox just outside the hospital doors, and hopped into the car that would bring him to his friends.
After a tearful reunion, the group of misfits, the crusaders were whole once more, and walked down the dusty streets of Cairo to Dio’s mansion.
~
As the remaining three crusaders recovered in the hospital, clutching each other in a tearful hug or sorrow, a bundle of letters was placed in a mailbox.
A door opened, and a hand grasped the bundle. The letter were addressed as such:
To, The Kakyoin Residence.
From: Kakyoin Noriaki.
The figure holding the letters ran inside, and found her husband, tears of relief streaming down her face. They ripped open the letters together.
Finally, on January 16th, the letters had arrived.