4-1 At Cafe Deux Magots

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July 1999.

The high, clear blue sky signaled that the end of the rainy season was near.
It was that time of day when students, freed from boring classes, showed their uniforms everywhere, their feet already feeling light with the upcoming summer vacation.
At "Cafe Deux Magots" near the south exit of Morioh Station, three male students in uniform were gathered at a table.

One was a serious-looking student, short at under 160cm, wearing a standard gakuran uniform.
In contrast, another was nearly 180cm tall, with a modified uniform featuring English lettering and a shaved hairstyle, looking every bit the delinquent.
The last one was Josuke Higashikata, a delinquent-looking student over 180cm tall with a pompadour hairstyle and a modified uniform with heart-shaped designs.
The other two were Koichi Hirose and Okuyasu Nijimura. All three were first-year students at Budogaoka High School.

Furthermore, all three were Stand users.
Having met many Stand users since April and engaged in battles with their Stands, the three had become close companions who had forged strong bonds through combat, and were now inseparable friends.

Having recently defeated the enemy they had been searching for for so long, they were finally able to take a breath and relax from the heart.
It had been a mysterious battle guided by a ghost.

"Come to think of it, Josuke. Wasn't today the day Mr. Joestar and the others were heading back to America?"
Koichi asked Josuke.
"Nah, it got pushed back a couple of days. Apparently, the old man ran a bit of a fever this morning."
"Eh? Is he okay? Mr. Joestar," Koichi said with a worried look.
"Yeah, he said it's just a light cold and nothing serious. He's just resting up to be safe."
"I see. I hope he gets better soon, but it'll be lonely once they leave. You're going to see them off, right, Josuke?"
"Hmm..."

Josuke sat forward in his chair, leaning back, picked up his coffee cup from the table, and took a sip.
"I don't know, I've got school and all..."
Koichi stood up from his chair in surprise and asked again.
"Eh? Why? You should go! Summer vacation is almost here, so there's hardly any class, right?!"
"I already said my goodbyes, though..."

Beside Koichi, Okuyasu, who had been listening silently with his elbows on the table, opened his mouth.
"You really should go, Josuke~
　If he goes back to America, who knows when you'll be able to see him again~
　I hate to say it, but Mr. Joestar is getting up there in age, you know~"
"That's right! You should go!"
Told by the two, Josuke put both hands behind his head and pretended to think.

"Hmm..."

He knew what the two were trying to say.
Joseph Joestar, the father Josuke met for the first time this spring after turning 15, was 79 years old.
If something happened, this could be their final parting.

(...But still~ what am I supposed to talk about when I see him?
　Am I supposed to shed tears and hug him, saying 'Father, come visit again' or something?)

Suddenly remembering, Josuke took a small scrap of paper out of his uniform's breast pocket.

At that moment, the doorbell of "Cafe Deux Magots" rang, and Josuke turned around.

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