The Golden Miners - Chapter 4

Giorno and Fugo overslept together until Giorno’s phone vibrated on the end table, waking the boys up.

“It’s”—Fugo looked at his clock—“6:30 AM. Who’s texting you at this hour?”

“My dad,” Giorno answered. “He wants us to spend time together with him.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “He just texted me the location.”

“Well, I hope Trish is awake to cover your bruise. I’ll text her after we eat breakfast. Tell your dad it’s going to take a while.”

“He wants us immediately.”

“What? What about breakfast?”

“He said brush your teeth. He’ll take us to a restaurant soon.”

-

The two waited for a taxi with Trish inside. Fugo had to sit in the front with the driver while Trish worked her makeup magic on Giorno, covering the bruise on his eye.

“Is it that hard for you to put makeup on?” she asked.

“It’s not hard,” Fugo explained. “He doesn’t have makeup.”

“Why not just go into your mother’s room?”

“And steal from her? No.”

“And ever if Fugo stole from his mother,” Giorno added, “I still don’t know how to put on makeup. I’ve only used lipstick, and that’s it.”

The taxi stopped in front of a park. It was a large open area with many people walking about. It was strange, though. Dio didn’t enjoy the sun and preferred spending time in dark places.

Before getting out of the car, Giorno’s eyes searched for him, locating him sitting on a bench. Dio was alone, and his legs rapidly tapped the brick pavement.

“Yeesh,” Trish commented, “how long have you kept him waiting? He could drill a hole.”

“Hmm, I wonder what’s wrong?” Fugo asked.

“Let’s find out,” Giorno said.

The blonds got out and approached Dio.

“Hey, Dad,” Giorno greeted. “Why are we out here?”

“I just thought I should get to know Fugo while we go on a walk,” he answered and stood up. “Come. We’re wasting time.”

Giorno could tell he was in a rush.

“A-alright, what do you want to know about?” Fugo asked, nervous.

“Are you an only child?” Dio asked.

“No, I have three elder brothers. They don’t live with us in the mansion and moved when they turned 18.”

“Interesting.”

Giorno noticed that Dio kept his eyes on three strangers. One was a teenage boy around Giorno’s height with white hair and a backpack. The other had darker skin, long dark hair, and a feminine body, but the boy called them brother. An average-sized dark-haired woman was next to the two.

Giorno thought nothing was interesting about the group until the feminine brother tossed their hair aside, revealing the star-shaped birthmark on their left shoulder. “Hey, Dad, how much do you know about our family?”

“Not as much as I thought,” Dio answered.

“Who are they?” Fugo whispered to Giorno, noticing that person’s birthmark.

“No idea.”

The two groups approached a small public bathroom.

“Jodio, Dragona, could you two stay here while I use the restroom?” the woman asked in English.

“Sure, Ma,” the boy answered.

“Don’t wander too far off.”

“We got our phones. Come on. Let us hang out with people.”

“Alright. I suppose you could.”

The white-haired boy turned around, revealing his face to the three blonds. He almost looked like Giorno.

“Just walked past,” Dio whispered.

The two did as he told.

“Hey, cheese guy,” the white-haired boy said. “Wait!”

“Cheese guy?” Fugo stopped and turned around, causing the other two he was with to stop.

“Are you from here?” he asked. “Hmm, your voice sounds familiar. You sound like this one YouTuber I watch. He has an Italian accent. Do you play Minecraft?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Oh my gosh! Dragona, it’s him! It’s PurpleHaze! Dude, can I have your number?”

Fugo blushed. “Wow, I only have a few subscribers, and I’m already famous?

“A few? Dude, you have 300 subscribers. That’s something.” Then the white-haired boy blushed. “Um, are you single?”

Fugo’s cheeks turned even redder. “Uh.”

Giorno furrowed his brows. “He’s taken.”

“Oh, who are you?” the boy asked.

“I am Giorno Giovanna, and I could ask you the same.”

“Giorno? Hmm, oh! I remember now. You were with Fugo on that one Minecraft episode. I’m Jodio Joestar, and that feminine dude with me is Dragona. So, you want to go out for breakfast once my mother steps out of the bathroom?” The question seemed directed at Fugo.

“S-sure.”

“What about the walk?” Giorno asked.

“Forget about that,” Dio said. “You two are probably hungry.”

Their stomachs growled.

“I know a cafe nearby,” Jodio said.

-

The six headed to a nearby cafe that was empty.

“Hmm, too empty,” Jodio commented. “Fugo, where do you want to sit? Inside or outside?”

“Inside,” he answered. “It’s too hot for me.”

“Too bright for me,” complained Dio.

“Alright, but I want to sit near a window,” Jodio said. “Will that bother you?”

“No.”

They went in. Fugo sat down first, and Giorno would’ve sat next to him until Jodio pulled his arm and took his spot.

“I want to sit next to him!” Jodio whined.

Giorno and Dio glared at him.

“He’s taken,” Giorno said.

“By me.” Jodio stuck his tongue out and grabbed Fugo's hands.

Fugo felt trapped. “Um, I am taken.”

“By who?” Jodio withdrew his hand.

“By him.” He looked at Giorno.

“Wait, I thought he was one of your brothers.”

Giorno pulled Jodio away from Fugo and sat down.

Dragona giggled. “You should’ve asked more questions while on the way.”

“Probably should’ve learned some manners, too,” Dio commented.

“Jodio, apologize right now!” Barbara Ann Joestar demanded. They learned her name while on the way to the cafe.

“Sorry.” Jodio sat next to Giorno. His apology didn’t sound sincere. “I’m thirsty. What do they have here?” He looked through the small menu. “I think I’ll get the espresso with a pancake. What about you, Fugo?”

“Mocha with a chocolate crepe. What about you, babe?”

Giorno lost his appetite but thought he should get something. “I’ll have the same.”

A waiter came by and took their order. While they waited, Giorno thought it would be a good idea to know more about Jodio.

“So,” he started, “what brings you here?”

“I could ask the same. I can tell you’re not Italian from your accent,” Jodio noted. “I’m here because I worked my ass off to get a vacation.”

“What’s your job?”

“Heavy lifting.”

Giorno felt like he was lying, but why would he lie? “You don’t look that strong.”

“I’m stronger than I look.”

“You knew about Fugo from Minecraft videos but didn’t know much about me aside from that one video.”

“Hey, Mom, can we trade seats?” Jodio asked.

“Um, could I move?” Barbara asked Dio.

Arms crossed, Dio stared intensely at Jodio, almost like he wanted to kill him.

Fugo could feel the tension from his boyfriend. “Hey, he just happens to be a big fan of mine. Maybe you could relax?”

Giorno quickly turned to face him and gave him a death stare. “Did he know we would be at the park?”

Fugo eyed Dio, hoping that he would remind him it was his idea, but the man sat there quietly, still staring. Should he lie? “It was my idea to head outside, remember?”

Dio ignored him, despite it being his idea.

Giorno ignored him and continued interrogating Jodio. “What’s your YouTube username?”

“It’s NovemberStoner420. What’s yours?” He sounded nervous.

“GoldenExperience. Now, what’s your favorite band or musician?”

“My Chemical Romance.”

Fugo's eyes widened, and he smiled. “What? Oh my gosh, that’s my favorite band!”

“What about Black Veil Brides?” Jodio bonded with him. “I was surprised to hear them in Saints Row the Third.”

“What? You play Saints Row also?”

Giorno couldn’t believe it. His question made the two closer. Trying to remain calm, he looked at his dad for guidance.

“Hold on,” Dio said. “Your username is NovemberStoner420. Does that mean you’re a stoner?”

“Yeah,” Jodio answered. “I only smoke weed, though.”

“Fugo would never date a stoner,” Giorno said.

“Dude, sorry for trying to steal him. Didn’t I say I thought you were his brother? Besides, Fugo’s username is PurpleHaze. He’s a stoner.”

“I’m not a stoner,” Fugo corrected. “I’ve never smoked weed in my life. My parents would disown me if I did. I just got that name from a song I heard my dad listened to once.”

“The waiter is here,” Dragona pointed out.

The waiter gave them their order, and everybody was quiet for now.

Giorno finished his chocolate crepe and continued interrogating Jodio, who was still eating his pancakes. “Are you a drug dealer?”

The question made Dragona spit out their drink, and Jodio almost choked on his food.

“Dude, would you just back off!” Jodio glared at him.

Fugo sighed. “Giorno, please, give it a rest. We’ll go somewhere nice. I promise.”

Barbara wanted to say something to Dio, but he had his arms crossed again, giving a stare at Jodio.

Dragona looked fed up until she noticed someone familiar coming to the cafe. “Jodio, it’s him!”

Jodio turned around in his seat and saw a guy with short dark green hair wearing sunglasses enter. He took his shades off, revealing his green eyes.

“Rohan Kishibe,” Giorno and Jodio said simultaneously.

“Hm? You know who that is?” Fugo questioned.

“He’s a mangaka,” Giorno answered. “What’s he doing here?”

“Vacationing, duh,” Jodio answered, annoying him. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

He got up from his seat and went to the bathroom. The mangaka followed him. Giorno followed, but he felt Dragona’s stare. He didn’t know when, but they were out of their seat and grabbed him before he could enter the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” they asked.

“To the bathroom.”

“You can’t go in there.”

“Why not?”

“You just can’t.”

“But I have to go now.”

“Then hold it.

“But I can’t.”

“Then piss outside.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Not my problem.”

The two men who were in the bathroom got out. Rohan now had Jodio’s backpack.

“Hey, Mom, I want to return to the hotel,” Jodio said.

“You know what?” Barbara pushed Dio out of the seat, surprising him. “That sounds like a good idea. We’ll pay for our meal. Later.”

The three left Giorno, Dio, and Fugo alone.

“Well,” Dio said, “I think I’m done here.”

“No offense,” Fugo said, “but I felt both of you wanted to fight them.”

“Just Jodio,” Giorno said.

“Agreed, there’s something fishy about the backpack he had.” Dio got out of his seat. “Maybe I should’ve been nosy and checked what was inside. Oh well.”