I had fun writing this chapter for a number of reasons. I hope you enjoy, because the real plot is just starting.

As Koichi walked to his supplemental classes, he heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey, Koichi. Over here." He whirled around to see Rohan standing next to a map and freaked out. "You! What do you want!?" "Relax," Rohan said, "I don't have a reason to hurt you anymore. And even if I did, it's clear either Pinkie or Josuke would kick my ass, and I just got released from the hospital. And that's not even getting into what Yukako might do to me if she caught me doing anything."

"And it doesn't help that your manga is still on hiatus," Pinkie said behind him. Rohan whirled around to see Pinkie and Yukako there. "Ah, didn't you hear you come in." "What are you even doing around here?," Yukako asked. "Actually I was hoping to find my old house here in Morioh," Rohan explained, "You see I was born in this town and lived here until I was four. Remembering one's childhood is also important for a mangaka. But I'm having trouble finding the place."

"Why not you use your powers on yourself?," Pinkie asked. Rohan shrugged. "Even if I could, I've found memories get hazier the earlier in a person's life I read. Like I said, I was only four when I moved away, so I have trouble remembering the address. However..." He placed his hand on the map. "There's something odd about this map. Here we have these stores all in a row, but now look at the stores as we see them." The trio looked, and was shocked to see a back-alley between the drug store and convenience store that wasn't on the map.

"Maybe it's one of those odd landmarks in Morioh," Yukako suggested, "Like the Angelo Stone or Boing-Boing Cape." "One problem," Pinkie said, "We made those landmarks during our Stand battles. The Angelo Stone is all that's left of the serial killer Angelo after Josuke used Crazy Diamond to seal him inside a pre-existing stone monument. And Boing-Boing Cape is the cliff you fell from, where Koichi saved you by using Echoes Act 2 to turn one of the sharp rocks springy using a 'boing' sound effect. But this is a genuine mystery, even by the standards of Stand users."

"Pinkie's right," Koichi said, "I've passed this road many times, and this is the first time I've seen this road. But maybe it's just a mistake?" "If it is then the National Map Agency somehow made the same mistake," Rohan argued, "I checked this map against the one made by that agency, and they're identical, down to the last street. Neither of them has this road. And this is the latest edition, printed last April." "Now I'm a little curious," Pinkie said, "Maybe we should check it out. I mean, we're all Stand users so if there's anything dangerous we should be able to handle it."

They headed down the alley, which had a few houses. Koichi groaned in disgust at seeing some dog droppings near a post box that looked like someone stepped in it. "Pinkie, you know everyone who lives in Morioh, right?," Rohan asked, "Do the names 'Yonemori', 'Honma', or 'Onodera' ring any bells?" "Gosh, those are families that haven't been in Morioh since I was a little girl," Pinkie noted, "Each of them moved out because a female family member disappeared and was never found. Why do you ask?"

"Because those names are on all the houses down this street," Rohan said, "But not on the map. This is way too many to be simple mistakes." "All the houses look deserted," Yukako said, "And Love Deluxe can't spot any other signs of life." Smile looked around with the spy-scope. "That's odd...," Pinkie said, "I can't make out the rest of Morioh from here. Not even peering over the walls. Guys, I think we hit plot development." "It does look like this area has nothing to suggest it's been lived in for some time," Rohan agreed, "Even the electricity to the vending machines is down."

They turned a corner and realized they were starting to go in circles, despite having made different turns at various points. Rohan grimaced. "No matter which way we turn, we somehow wind up back here again." "I remember Jotaro mentioning a Stand power that could create a labyrinth," Koichi said, "Maybe we're caught in something similar." He turned around to go the other way, only to somehow wind up behind the group. "Okay, this is starting to freak me out!," he called out.

"We need to get a better aerial view," Pinkie said. Koichi nodded. "Echoes, Act 1!" Echoes launched itself into the air to look around, only to stop when it hit something in mid-air. "Hey Pinkie, you can take down your toon world!," Koichi called out. "That wasn't me!," Pinkie argued, "I wanna get out of here too!" "Then what else could I have hit?," Koichi wondered. "If that wasn't Pinkie's toon world," Yukako said, "Maybe it was the Stand trying to keep us in here."

"Are you four lost?," came woman's voice. The four of them turned and blinked in shock. The girl was almost a dead ringer for Pinkie, with the same hair and eye color. The difference was her face more demure while Pinkie's was vibrant, her hair was short and straight with a dull shade of pink while Pinkie's was long and poofy with a brighter shade, and she wore more feminine clothing while Pinkie had a tomboy style of dress. The girl looked confused as they looked at her. "Is this girl...?," Pinkie whispered.

"Only one way to find out," Rohan said as he got out his pen and started drawing at high speed. "Heaven's Door!" In an instant, a perfect 3D model of Pink Dark Boy himself appeared as Rohan drew, placing its hand on the girl and activating Rohan's power. As the girl fainted from the effect of her body opening into pages, Rohan quickly wrote in the margins that she wouldn't harm them. "Alright, now she's no longer a threat." "Since when does your Stand have its own physical form?," Koichi asked.

"I guess I've started to grow stronger after my earlier experiences," Rohan surmised, "Now I no longer need my manuscript. It can still only work on those who understand my work. Luckily this girl seems compatible." "Who is she anyway?," Yukako asked. "I don't think I've seen her before," Pinkie said, "And no jokes about looking in a mirror." Rohan leafed through the pages. "Well... It turns out she's not a Stand user after all. She's just a normal girl. Nothing like that is written here."

He continued to look. "Her name is Reimi Sugimoto, age sixteen. Address is here in Morioh, Kotodai neighborhood, Block 3 Section 12. That's close by." "Can't be," Pinkie said, "That house has been deserted since I was a year old." "Well, that's what written here," Rohan said, "There's no lying to my Heaven's Door." He then started to read more. "Currently single, measurements are 82-57-84, has a beauty mark on the side of her left nipple, her first period was in September when she was eleven, during her first kiss she let the boy use his tongue..."

He immediately stopped when he felt Pinkie and Yukako's angry eyes boring into him, their Stands flaring with energy, while Koichi was also trembling with anger in spite of a minor nosebleed. "Rohan, you shouldn't use your powers like that on a normal person!," he called out. "Right, right...!," Rohan said nervously, "I'll just write down that she won't remember anything about what I was saying." When Reimi recovered, she said, "Want me to guide you out of here? People often get lost due to the similar alleyways."

"Similar!?," Pinkie said indignantly, "We've run across the exact same piece of dog shit no matter which way we turn!" Reimi blinked. "You got nothing for that, do ya...?," Pinkie noted. Reimi cleared her throat. "Well, anyway, I can guide you out of here. Just be sure to stay close." "You think it's okay?," Koichi asked. "She's not a Stand user, at any rate," Rohan reminded him, "I think we're safe in trusting her." As the walked, Reimi offered the group some Pocky.

Pinkie took some. "Hey, Rohan, did you know it's possible to read a horoscope based on how the Pocky breaks? Here, try it." Rohan shrugged and grabbed on end of the Pocky, which Pinkie broke off. "Oh, you gonna get dumped!," Reimi called out, "You're pretty self-centered, and have personality issues that piss people off." Pinkie was rolling on the floor. "She pegged you, Rohan!" "Oh come on...," Rohan said, his face a little nervous, "Okay, you want a horoscope. Here's one."

He pointed to Reimi's fingernails. "Girls who wear pale pink nail polish are afraid of love." "No wonder you suggested I avoid that color," Yukako said to Pinkie. "And why I never wear nail polish," Pinkie replied. Reimi seemed to shrink back. "How did...?" "This is an exercise in psychology," Rohan explained, "It's more accurate than horoscopes." "Doesn't change the fact that she nailed your personality," Pinkie pointed out. Rohan blanched, but regained his composure and cleared his throat. "That aside, I think there's something else you're afraid of."

Reimi pointed to the house they were next to. "This house over here... They say a murder happened here fifteen years ago." "A murder!?," Koichi said in shock. "Plot twist!," Pinkie called out. "I guess you could call it that," Reimi said, "No one lives there now." She turned to the group. "Would you like to hear the whole story?" She blinked when she saw they suddenly had popcorn. "I'll... Take that as a yes..." She cleared her throat and began the story.

"I heard this tale from the old lady next door. On the night of the murder, a girl who lived here was asleep in her bedroom... But she woke up when she heard a sound. A 'drip, drip' sound coming from her parents' room. Concerned as to what the sound was, she called out for her parents, but there was no response... Still the girl wasn't afraid. After all, she had her beloved pet dog by her side. A great big watchdog that always hid under her bed, and when she put her hand down in front of its face he would sniff at it, and give a big, friendly lick. Uh..."

She noticed Pinkie was now drinking from a large fountain beverage. "Oh, don't mind me, keep going. This story is getting good." Reimi shrugged. "Anyway... The girl thought she was safe, so long as her dog Arnold was there. But the dripping sound kept going, and she was worried because her parents hadn't noticed yet. So she decided to go investigate." Koichi was now munching his popcorn at top speed. "Then what happened!?," he asked between mouthfuls.

Reimi shook her head at the sight of the seemingly bottomless popcorn container. "She went out into the hall to see what was making the dripping noise. And that's... When she felt true terror for the first time..." The four of them leaned in. "Hanging on the coat rack in the corner... Was her beloved dog Arnold, his throat slit open, the blood dripping slowly to the ground." "NOT THE DOGGY!," Pinkie called out, the other three shushing her. Reimi allowed herself a giggle before continuing.

"Just then, she heard a voice from under the bed. 'Miss, your hand is so silky smooth and cute.' The voice laughed and said he had already killed her parents... And then... He killed her too!" Koichi screamed in fright and leapt into Yukako's arms by instinct, making her blush as she dropped her popcorn. "Is... Is that story true!?," Koichi asked. Reimi then started laughing. "Nah, I was just trying to get back at you for the bit about my nail polish." Koichi breathed a sigh of relief as he got down. "I think my heart stopped..." "I know mine did," Pinkie said as she literally pulled a valentine-shaped heart out of her chest that had a stopped clock on it.

Rohan, however, had noticed a dog just like the one described in the story nearby, its back towards him. Suddenly it turned its head around, and Rohan gasped when he saw that dog's throat had been cut open, yet it still looked like it was standing without difficulty. The others saw it too. Pinkie's color literally drained out of her, then she started laughing. "Why are you laughing at a time like this!?," Koichi said. Pinkie shrugged. "My granny taught me how to giggle at ghosties."

"You're not gonna do a song and dance number are you?," Rohan asked. "Of course not," Pinkie said indignantly, "That would be silly, even for me. The point is..." She pointed her thumb at Reimi. "Looks like she's the girl from the story." "Yeah, that's right," Reimi admitted, "Me and Arnold are both ghosts." "Rohan, why didn't you tell us that!?," Koichi demanded. "You guys stopped me before I could read that far," Rohan pointed out, "Still, I didn't even realize Heaven's Door could actually work on ghosts."

"Ah, is that what that drawing was?," Reimi asked. "You can see our Stands?," Pinkie asked, "Even though you never had one?" "It's probably because I'm a spirit," Reimi suggested, "Because of that I can see the world differently. This is the place where I was murdered fifteen years ago. It's the border between the world of the living and the dead. Stand users like yourselves can match that wavelength, which is how you got here." "The border to the afterlife?," Pinkie asked, "Right here in Morioh?"

She had already plugged up Koichi's mouth to keep him from screaming. "We need to get out of here!," Yukako pleaded, her eyes full of terror. "Just relax," Pinkie said, "I mean, Reimi's offering to get us out of here. No tricks with this, right?" Reimi nodded. "There's only one way for the still-living to leave. And thank you, Pinkie, for being the voice of reason here." "I'll admit I got scared when I saw your dog with his throat carved open like a turkey," Pinkie said, "But there's no way the plot will take us out when we're the main characters."

"I'm not entirely sure what you refer to when you say 'plot'," Reimi admitted, "But I'm guessing you have an instinct for knowing when important events are happening. Ah, I forgot to say... I wasn't done with my story." "Lemme get the popcorn," Pinkie said. "You actually want to pay attention," Reimi said, "This concerns all of Morioh. The thing is... That killer stabbed me from behind repeatedly. I never saw his face. It was dark that night, and all I could think about was running. That killer... Was never caught. He's still in Morioh, hiding from everyone's sight."

Pinkie reeled back. "Plot twist..." "How have the police not caught him yet?," Yukako asked. "I don't know," Reimi said, "But as long as he runs free I'm trapped here as a revenant. I've spent the last fifteen years obsessing over the idea of warning someone, but you're the first ones who could even see me, let alone enter this realm." "Could he be a Stand user?," Pinkie wondered, "If so, maybe only Stand users like us can find and stop him. We need to tell the others about this, right away."

"Why should we bother?," Rohan said, "It's not like it's our business unless he really does turn out to be a Stand user, and we don't know if he is." Reimi sighed. "Do you know how many young girls go missing in Morioh?" Rohan shrugged. "Well I do," Reimi said, "I'm able to read the newspapers in the nearby convenience store. I recognize his signature. As it happens, I'm not his only victim. And when they die..." She opened her blouse enough that they could see her back. The group became horrified at the knife wounds found all across it, leaving her back muscles looking like hamburger meat.

"All of his victims have this death scar," Reimi explained, "That's how I know he's still free, and still killing." Her eyes started tearing up. "I've never been able to talk to these other souls, but I can see his signature each time..." She closed up her blouse again. "I've lived in Morioh all my life. My fondest memories are linked with this town, but this man's bloody murders have tarnished those memories. Until he's stopped, this town is his own twisted playground. Even now I can feel his shadow looming over a new victim, but I'm powerless to act."

She turned to the Stand users, tears streaming down her face. "Please! If anyone could stop this monster, I know you could! Even if your powers can't find him easily, they can stop him harming any more innocents! You must end this madness!" Pinkie clenched her fists. "I'll do it..." The others looked at each. "Pinkie, there's no reason to stick your neck out like this," Rohan noted. "You know they never found my father's killer?," Pinkie asked, "He was a US Green Beret before coming to Japan and settling down. He still got killed by someone!"

She looked at Reimi. "Somehow... I know what she's going through..." Rohan considered her words. "I guess a hunt for a serial killer would make the perfect new arc for my manga when I finally get off hiatus. Ah, but we still need to get out of here first, don't we?" Despite his words, Pinkie could tell he'd been moved. Reimi smiled. "We're actually close to the exit now. It's the next left after the mailbox. However, there's one thing I should warn you about. When you turn the corner, you'll see a twenty meter stretch of road. Once on that road, you must not turn to look back, under any circumstances."

Arnold walked up to the group, nuzzling against Reimi without somehow getting blood on her. "This place is where everything is decided," Reimi said, "Who gets to return to the world of the living, and who will join the world of the dead. This is an absolute law. So no matter what happens, you must never look back." "So just to clarify," Pinkie said, "It's okay if we turn around, so long as we can't see what's there? Like say if we turned our heads with our eyes closed."

Reimi thought about it. "Actually... I think that would be possible. The rule says nothing about actually turning around. Just make sure to keep those eyes shut tight. Those who look have their souls dragged to the realm of the dead. And I'm sure it would even negate your Stand powers." Pinkie nodded, and Smile placed blindfolds on all four of them. "Can you walk us down the path?" Reimi smiled. "Yeah, I can do that. I've walked that path many times."

As they walked, Pinkie's hand on Reimi's shoulder, Rohan's on Pinkie's, and so on, the group walked down the alley. Koichi something zip down ahead of them, and faint whispers. "Hey, something's tugging at my blindfold," Koichi said as he whipped his head around, unable to see anything. "It's 'them'," Reimi said, "I'm surprised they haven't torn the blindfolds off." "These blindfolds are the kinds used for sleeping," Pinkie explained, "You ever see someone try to take the blindfold off a cartoon character?"

Whatever the strange phantoms were, their tricks proved useless thanks to Pinkie's blindfolds. Reimi patted Pinkie's hand. "Okay, here we are." Just to be safe, Pinkie patted the floor, and sighed when she felt the familiar sidewalk. She pulled off the blindfold, and sure enough they were back where they had started near the convenience store. "Everyone here?," she asked. "Safe and sound," Koichi said, relieved. "Looks like we made it," Yukako said. "And the alley disappeared," Rohan noted.

Reimi smiled. "I have to stay here near the convenience store. But if you need anything else just stop by. Until then, I'll be waiting for the day when my killer is stopped once and for all, so that Arnold and I can pass on, and I can see my parents again." She started to fade out. "It was nice seeing you again, Little Rohan. You've certainly grown." Rohan blinked as Reimi disappeared. 'Why did she call me that...? Does she know me from somewhere?'

"I've heard rumors of the mysterious 'Ghost Girl Alley'," Josuke admitted, "But I never thought it was true." Koichi had looked into the investigation of Reimi's death. Josuke's grandpa had been part of the task force, but they never caught the killer. According to Josuke, that case haunted Ryohei until his death, and was the reason he never accepted a promotion since he felt he never deserved it. Okuyasu was ogling the picture of Reimi, wishing he had been born fifteen years earlier.

"Well, unless we can confirm this guy is a Stand user," Josuke said, "The most we can do is bring this to the police's attention." "The police haven't caught this guy in fifteen years," Pinkie pointed out, "What more can they do at this point?" "I'm not saying we shouldn't do some investigating of our own," Josuke said, "But we can't approach this like we did with Akira. We can take our time and piece things together. I mean, it's not like we're gonna magically run into this guy out of nowhere."

Koichi sighed and started walking absentmindedly into the street, only to get jerked back by Pinkie as a car came running in. "Sorry about that," she called out. The driver, a man in his thirties with blonde hair, looked at her. He shrugged. "It's fine. Tell the kid he needs to pay attention when he walks into the street." Koichi nodded, and the man drove off. This man's name was Yoshikage Kira, and he looked in the rear-view mirror at Pinkie. "A little pudgy for my taste. Definitely not my type."

He sighed. "Still, I gotta say this neighborhood has style. Morioh was once a vacation home for important samurai families. The Hanzo, the Date, the Kujo, and my own family." He chuckled. "I really envy the Kujo family. Even in this day and age, they retain their family wealth even without their status. Meanwhile the Kira family wound up losing their status and wealth during my grandfather's age. But we were able to keep the family house. Even I'm nothing more than an employee, while my father died of cancer."

He looked to his side. "Meanwhile Sadao Kujo, the current family patriarch is a retired jazz musician of considerable renown, and his son is a marine biologist." He shrugged. "Some families get all the luck." A woman's hand was placed on his. "Ah, what did you do with the Obrey watch I bought you?" The hand moved to the purse nearby. "Ah, you put it in there. I guess it is a bit big for your wrist. I'll have it fixed tomorrow." He soon pulled up to his house.

"Here we are," he said as he got out and moved to the other side of the car, "My humble abode. It's an average tea house, but one I'm quite proud to call home." He opened the passenger door. "Come now, don't be shy. Don't worry, there's nobody here but us." He reached inside and took the woman's hand. In fact, there was nothing but the woman's hand to take. Some blood dripped from the severed hand and Kira frowned. "Now, now. A lady should know how to clean up after herself."

He placed a handkerchief in the hand and used it to clean up the blood, one of the fingers breaking. "Ah, don't worry, I'll put that in a splint later. Hmm, I just realized I don't even remember your name. Oh well, all the blood's gone now." He hooked the hand through the bag and carried it inside. "So, would you mind helping me with dinner. I'd like to try your best dish." He walked inside the house, the outside world not knowing he was the one who killed this woman.

Meanwhile Rohan had found Reimi's grave. "Oh, it's you," said the local monk, "Rohan Kishibe, right? I see you came back to this place. Look at how you've grown up." Rohan looked surprised. "You know me? I mean from before I was famous." "Indeed," the monk said, "I've known you from when you were just a small child of four. What a terrible night that was... I remember it well. Your family was living on the same block as the Sugimoto family." Rohan gasped.

"Oh, you don't remember that?," the monk said, confused, "Well, you were just a child, I suppose. That night your parents had gone out to deal with an urgent matter, and you were left in the Sugimotos' care. The only survivor of that tragedy..." Rohan was stunned, and started reeling back. "Oh... Sorry to cause you distress," the monk said, "As for how you survived... Well, according to the police who took custody of you after the fact, you were crying and repeating, 'Reimi threw me out the window!'"

Rohan's eyes widened. 'That's how Reimi knew me! I'm more connected to this than I realized! She must have thrown me to safety before the killer caught up with her!' His Heaven's Door couldn't work on himself, but even if it could, it couldn't read memories that were blocked from a person's mind, or tell their fate. And now it seemed fate linked Rohan to this town, and gave him a power that might be used to track down this mysterious killer. 'There's no denying it now... Somehow I'm meant to fight to protect this town's good nature.'