Chapter Text
On the other side of his door, four gazes stare at Kishibe Rohan with something that can only be described as bizarreness.
Two of those gazes are plastered to two stupid faces. One is that punk Higashikata Jousuke, whose sight even now manages to make Rohan’s skin crawl, and the other – Nijimura Okuyasu. Neither looks happy to be here either, but they still pierce the owner of the premises with that taxing stares which Rohan would really like to punch right now.
The other two visitors are Hirose Kouichi, perhaps the only tolerable person among Rohan’s acquaintances, bearing a somewhat awkward expression, clearly aware of the tension in the air. Finally, next to Kouichi stands a young girl whom Rohan has never seen in his life.
Rubbing his temple, Rohan slowly lets the tense muscles of his face release a frown. He really isn’t in the mood to humour some kids; as of lately, his editors have been driving him insane with their unreasonable demands, and while Rohan has never been one to compromise on anything, least of all his art, the publishing industry operates on jungle laws. They’re just going to make his life harder if he doesn’t cooperate.
These past few weeks, Rohan’s been on the verge of a burnout. So now, when four high-schoolers stand in his doorstep, all he wishes to do is to slam the door in their faces, but something stops him from doing so.
“What do you want?” He leans on the doorframe as if to give off a vibe as unwelcoming as possible. Perhaps if he obstructs the way inside, they’re going to get the message and leave.
Wishful thinking.
“Rohan-sensei!” The one to reply is Kouichi; a smart move, considering that he’s the only one in this bunch capable of influencing Rohan in any way. “Do you know what day it is today?”
Rohan doesn’t, which isn’t surprising, considering the fact that he hasn’t left his house in a week.
“Enlighten me,” he shrugs.
“Well,” Kouichi doesn’t seem deterred by Rohan’s cold demeanour. “Today is the beginning of the school year! We’re second years now,” he announces proudly, anticipative, clearly expecting some sort of acknowledgement.
“Oh, right,” hums Rohan in a disinterested tone. “Congratulations.”
Any other sane person would just give up on the one-sided conversation already, but Rohan knows these kids well enough to know – they’re nothing but trouble.
“Anything else? I’ve got work to do, you know…”
“Can we come in?” Ignoring Rohan’s frown, Kouichi takes a step forward. Over his small shoulders, three other gazes continue staring at Rohan, irritating him to no end. “Sensei, you’ve been a bit out of it recently. Why don’t you take a break from working to clear your mind?”
Ah, so that’s how it is.
Like colours blending on a palette, complicated emotions wash over Rohan. First of all, it’s amazement at Kouichi’s perceptiveness, and second, a twinge of uncertainty at how take this unexpected display of concern. Despite Rohan’s best efforts to push people away, especially during a bad time, Kouichi has seen right through him; moreover, he even dragged this annoying bunch all the way to Rohan’s house for the sole purpose of cheering him up.
What escapes his lips, eventually, is a sigh.
“I’m busy. Why should I indulge some kids?”
“Come on, Rohan, don’t be a jerk.” This time Jousuke chimes in with a light-hearted yet stern tone. “Hanging out with the young will make you feel less old yourself.”
“Watch your mouth, Higashikata Jousuke! Why are you even here?” At this point, it’s almost reflexive for Rohan to snap back. “Nothing would make me feel better than kicking your stupid face out!”
“You think I wanted to come here?! It’s Kouichi who asked us to come along! He cares about you more than you deserve, dumbass!”
“Now, now, let’s not fight, okay?”
Before the exchange escalates into a fight, Kouichi manages to stop the two from leaping at each other’s throats. With a sigh, Rohan contemplates returning to his studio and staring at blank pages – and then he decides he’d rather let this noisy gang in than face his own demons.
“Fine,” he shrugs after a long silence. “You may come in. But first…” He allows his gaze to sweep over Kouichi, Okuyasu and Jousuke, only to land on the unfamiliar girl. “It’s common courtesy to introduce someone you bring to a person’s house, you know.”
“Oh my,” Kouichi looks embarrassed. “Sorry, I completely forgot why we brought her here in the first place!” The next moment, he clears his throat in order to sound as serious and solemn as possible. “This is Y/N-san, our schoolmate. Y/N, meet Kishibe Rohan-sensei. He’s a manga artist and… well, something like a friend.”
Such a peculiar introduction leaves a lot to be desired in Rohan’s opinion, but before he can express his dissatisfaction, the girl – Y/N – suddenly bows before him.
At a glance, her soft face and bright expression make her a rather pleasant sight to behold. She’s wearing a white sailor uniform and her long hair is parted in two braids, cascading down her back as she slowly rises from the bow. Even when Rohan gives her an intimidating look, she smiles one of the most brilliant smiles he’s ever seen on a human, and it makes him somewhat startled.
“Nice to meet you! My name is L/N Y/N!” she speaks for the first time, her voice clear as a bell. “Sorry for the intrusion. The boys really insisted that I come along, and since they described you as such an amazing person, I was really excited to come.”
“Did they really say that?” Surprised, Rohan raises an eyebrow at Jousuke and Okuyasu, who flash him their best idiotic grins. At the very least, this Y/N girl seems to have better manners than those two morons. “Well, I still struggle to see what’s the use in bringing some kid to my place.”
“Oh, she’s not a kid,” protests Kouichi. “She’s actually one year our senior.”
“Still a kid in my eyes,” Rohan scowls. No matter how you look at Y/N, her childish countenance would be easy to mistake for a middle schooler. “Now, come on in, if you really must…”
Fully opening the door for them to enter, Rohan guides the four high-schoolers inside, and they readily follow after him.
Despite Rohan’s household being a Western-style and not even having a traditional genkan, the youngsters leave their shoes by the front door. Rohan then leads them through the house to the back yard. Once they sit down on the porch, awkward silence falls completely.
Since Rohan makes no move to act hospitable, observing his guests proves quite an amusing sight. Jousuke and Okuyasu look like they really wish the earth to swallow them, while Kouichi frantically searches for ways to lighten the atmosphere. Much to Rohan’s surprise, however, it’s not Kouichi who manages to do that.
“Rohan-sensei, the décor of your house blows my mind!” Y/N exclaims, her expression glowing, attention fully at the bored artist. “Reminds me of the beautiful European architecture I’ve seen in textbooks. It must be amazing living here.”
“You like my house?” A corner of Rohan’s lips lifts in a half-hearted smile. “Well, don’t you have a good taste.”
“Rohan-sensei likes to go big in everything he does,” Kouichi chimes in, his praise balancing on exasperation. “Not only his house, but his lifestyle and his art, too. Pink Dark Boy breaks records every year, it’s got anime adaptations, merchandise, CDs, music…”
“Really?” Y/N looks at Rohan, eyes the size of marbles. “Kouichi-kun, if you know such a successful artist, you should have introduced me a long time ago. I’d actually like to try reading your manga, sensei…”
“What’s stopping you?” Rohan shrugs. “Every month, published in Weekly Shounen Jump. We used to do a weekly schedule before a certain someone ruined everything,” he adds, sending a glare Jousuke’s way.
“Not my fault. You brought in on yourself.”
However, the mention of Shounen Jump causes Y/N to make a somewhat embarrassed face. Just as Rohan is about to inquire, Kouichi replies instead.
“I’ll lend you my copy, don’t worry.”
With that, Y/N visibly relaxes. Radiant joy returns to her face, so annoyingly cheerful that Rohan almost squints when he looks at her.
“Ah, I can’t wait. It’s been a long time since I last read any manga. Is ‘Rohan-sensei’ a pen name?” She inquires curiously, her eyes still gleaming.
Rohan scoffs. “Of course not. My art is my pride and I wouldn’t settle for less than signing my name under it.”
“Yeah, Rohan-sensei gets really intense when it comes to art…” Kouichi’s smile grows embarrassed. “He never misses a chance to read people to get some material for a story. With his Stand, I mean.”
“…What?” hisses Rohan.
Despite the fact that four out of five people sitting by this table are Stand users, the mention of Stands in Y/N’s presence instantly alerts Rohan. Or is she also a Stand user? Should he keep his guard around her? She might be friends with Kouichi and the others, but that doesn’t mean Rohan needs to trust her.
However, the three boys only give Rohan a somewhat reproachful gaze, indicating that making a big deal out of the Stand topic is unnecessary. Y/N also keeps smiling, not taken aback in the slightest. Exhaling slowly, Rohan releases the grip of his palms. Perhaps he’s overreacted. His nerves have really been strained these past few weeks.
“Relax,” Jousuke speaks up as if to soothe Rohan’s intense reaction. “Y/N’s not a Stand user. She just happens to know about them.”
“Really now?” Narrowing his eyes, Rohan turns his attention to the girl. He suddenly feels his interest spike. “Tell me how this happened,” he demands.
“Huh?” Y/N’s eyes widen in sincere confusion. “But there isn’t much to talk about…”
“I insist.”
Blinking repeatedly, as if trying to understand such a peculiar request, Y/N looks over at Jousuke, searching for confirmation. The boy only nods, urging her to continue.
“Well, in that case…” She takes a deep breath before speaking up. “Two months ago, I was attacked by a bully who happened to be a Stand user. Since I couldn’t see anything, naturally, I had no idea what was happening to me. Thankfully, Jousuke-kun appeared just in time to save me. He even healed my bruises…”
“Bullying vulnerable people with Stands. Only scum does that sort of thing,” Jousuke hisses through his teeth.
“Afterwards, he was kind enough to explain the situation. I learned about Stands, and also met other Stand users, such as Kouichi-kun and Okuyasu-kun. We’ve been friends since. They always look out for me, which I’m really grateful for,” she finishes with a pensive expression.
“Hmm…”
Rohan thinks for a while. There aren’t any suspicious points in Y/N’s story, and judging by the number of Stand users in Moriou Town, it wouldn’t be surprising if a school bully happened to acquire such a power. Yet Rohan feels tingling under his skin, as if his intuition is trying to warn him from accepting each word at a face value.
Most females around Rohan have always been… outside of the norm, to say the least. Weirdos, crazies, ghosts of the dead – he’s seen enough of them to supply his manga for a lifetime. What he’s always lacked, though, is an example of a perfectly normal, ordinary girl.
Someone like Y/N.
She’s refreshingly different from what Rohan is used to. But at the same time, something in her doesn’t quite add up: her embarrassment when Kouichi offered to lend her his copy of Pink Dark Boy, or her bully story, which makes one wonder why she’s even bullied in the first place.
Fascination engulfs Rohan’s throat.
And just like that, he arrives at a decision.
“Tell me, kid.” Leaning towards Y/N, Rohan rubs his hands together as a sly smile creeps up his face. “What’s your favourite snack?”
The random question surprises her. “H-huh? It’s vanilla pudding, but…”
“Favourite colour?”
“Pink and orange… but why do you…?”
“What do you order at a café?”
“Tapioca milk tea…”
“What do you dislike?”
“Umm… Violence, I suppose?”
“Hey,” a whisper can be heard from the other side of the table as Jousuke leans towards Kouichi. “What is he doing? Interviewing her for a job?”
“It sounds more like a personality test to me…” Kouichi whispers back.
“He’s clearly messing with her,” grumbles Okuyasu. “I’ll beat his ass if he tries anything funny.”
Ignoring the prattle, Rohan continues to ask Y/N seemingly useless questions. Her answers prove more than satisfactory, and Rohan nods to himself.
“Listen, kid,” he offers her his best inviting smile. “I can always respect a person with a fresh view of the reality, and one who can appreciate art. You also seemed to enjoy the interior design of my house. Why don’t you visit me next time? By yourself, I mean.”
At the suggestion, Y/N’s eyes become wide and round as saucers.
“W-what…?”
Rohan keeps smiling. “I could show you around, and present to you some of my work. Besides, I’d like to talk to you more. How does that sound?”
“Wait, Rohan! What are you plotting, you bastard?!”
Jousuke and Okuyasu try to protest, even standing up from their seats. However, Rohan couldn’t care less about their childish outbursts. His gaze is glued to Y/N’s face, anticipating her answer.
“O-of course, sensei,” Y/N utters once she’s recovered from shock. “I’d love that. But I’ll need to check my part-time job schedule first… Is that okay with you?”
“Absolutely. You’re such a hard worker, pick any day that works for you.” Flashing her a smile, Rohan pulls out a notebook from his pocket and scribbles something on an empty page. After tearing it out, he hands it to the girl. “Here’s my phone number. Can you call me once you’ve decided on a convenient date?”
Dazed, Y/N takes the page and stares at the string of numbers written in Rohan’s neat handwriting. The way she looks at it reminds Rohan of the way teenage girl look at his likeness at fan events, but at the same time, it’s different somehow. Embarrassed, Y/N hides the piece of paper in her pocket.
“I-if you don’t mind,” she stutters, a blush creeping up her cheeks, “I don’t currently own a phone, so I’ll give you a call from a phone box. I should have some time over the weekend.”
“Perfect. I’ll be waiting.”
“Come on now, Y/N!” yells Jousuke. “You think I’ll let you go to this guy’s place on your own?!”
“Jousuke-kun,” Y/N sends a stern look the boy’s way. “Why don’t you calm down a little? Am I not allowed to visit friends when I feel like it?”
“Uh… That’s not what I… Sure you are, but…”
At her question, Jousuke flushes deep red and stumbles on his words, trying to back out. Even though he still tries discouraging Y/N from accepting Rohan’s invitation, she only scolds him with a playful smile.
Not long later, while the group is leaving Rohan’s house, Kouichi stays behind to whisper to Rohan in a low voice:
“You’ve taken an interest in Y/N-san, didn’t you?”
Rohan snorts. “Of course I did. She’s fascinating. I could write such a great character using her as a basis.”
“That’s a relief,” sighs Kouichi. “After noticing your bad mood recently, I thought that Y/N-san might help you. She really has that sort of influence on people.”
“Why bring along those two idiots, then?”
“Come on! If Yukako-san saw me walking somewhere with another girl, just the two of us, I’d be in trouble.”
Hearing that, Rohan nods in acknowledgement.
“I should warn you though,” adds Kouichi, glaring sideways at Rohan. “You’d better refrain from using Heaven’s Door on Y/N-san. She’s our friend, and none of us will forgive you if you do that.”
Not fazed by the cold words, Rohan shrugs. “Are you threatening me, Kouichi-kun? If you’re willing to go that far for her, that only means she has some amazing powers to wrap you all around her little finger, doesn’t it?”
A deep sigh leaves Kouichi’s lips.
“You really have it all wrong. Y/N is as sincere as it seems.” He makes a difficult face, as if explaining the situation exceeded his possibilities. “I won’t stop you from researching her the normal way… She’s a nice girl after all. But if you try to read her, we will protect her.”
And then Kouichi leaves Rohan behind to trot after his friends, who are already several metres ahead.
Watching them disappear in the distance, Rohan narrows his eyes. Inside his head, cogs are spinning with the intensity he hasn’t felt in months.
L/N Y/N.
He needs to penetrate her mind.
With that, Rohan shuts his door closed and runs upstairs to his studio – to make memos, sketches, and to plan out his strategy. He feels on the brink of creating a masterpiece, the greatest one in his life yet.