A/N: This fanfiction was borne out of my nostalgia from 70s-80s music (ehem, my obsession with ABBA), with that crossing over to A-Ha's song, "Take On Me." Watching the music video, I couldn't help but connect it with another thing I still am fond of.. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun! Also, the rotoscoping really reminded me of drawing manga (since it was meant to simulate the look comics anyway), so there you go. Anyway, it's not required but you'll appreciate how hilarious/stupid/cheesy this fic is if you watch that music video of A-Ha. Hahaha look at that freakin Morten Harket :p
I KNOW NOZAKI DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE MORTEN HARKET, FOR GOD SAKES THAT GUY REALLY.. *shuts up*
-START-
Sakura made her through the crowd exiting the train, all sweaty and drained. There have been more people than usual, she thought to herself as she wiped her forehead with a handkerchief.
Making her way towards home, Sakura caught glimpse of newly-opened café with bright pink neon lights hanging over the entrance. "Sleepy Moon Cafe," she read the luminescent letters flashing right before her eyes. While she felt exhausted from the heavy pile of work back at Nozaki's apartment that they had to accomplish together with tons of homework this week (the moment they were only able to share a good laugh was when a dead spider from the ceiling fell directly on Mikoshiba's hair), Sakura didn't feel sleepy.
In fact, it was like this every time she goes home late from doing manga work for Nozaki. She wanted to recall and absorb every moment their eyes meet, their hands lightly brush each other's, the way he would breathe so close to her…
Thud!
Sakura was too immersed in her thoughts that she didn't realize she was standing there for a long time, with people hurrying themselves shouting at her. "Go home, you kid!" some of them said, irritation painted on their face. Sakura blushed and bowed, then went inside the café.
"This place is just fine," Sakura remarked as she saw a pile of comics near the condiments corner. She grabbed one and took a vacant seat next to the window. A broad lady came to her a few minutes later to take her order, and came back with a cup of coffee (as Sakura requested).
"Thank you," Sakura said, smiling when she recognized the smell of coffee, but her eyes were glued too much on the comic that she didn't take time to look at the waitress. The woman just shrugged and put the bill beside Sakura, and left to take another order from a different table.
New wave music blasted out from the stereo speakers of the café. Sakura realized this was the kind of café you'd go to if you need to do work overnight, not the kind where you can relax with low lighting some amateur singer in town attempting to sing old Jazz songs. The tune was upbeat, and Sakura was bobbing her head to the song. It went so well with the atmosphere of the comic's story: a guy sporting a thick black jacket (who she presumed to be the protagonist) looked towards a bunch of other bikers with a mystifying glance—and Sakura felt her heartbeat racing faster than the music when the guy bore a striking resemblance to Nozaki. That made her flip the pages faster, becoming more excited as the story develops..
The protagonist held on to his motorbike, and lined up next to a bunch of men who were giving him stern, agigated looks. The next panels showed them all in motorbikes, geared for a race. A man fires a shot in the air; long, jagged and flashy lines indicated their bikes have begun taking on the road. A race flag was waving in the next panel.
A voice began accompanying the music in the café with his soft but deep voice:
Talking away
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
"It's a race, huh.." Sakura said to herself. Hope this guy who looks like Nozaki-kun wins!
Today isn't my day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for your love, OK?
The next pages revealed that the protagonist had won, and Sakura held her cheek with her hands, flushed with silly happiness (for everything she associates with Nozaki-kun is enough to fire her to the land of Euphoria). The guy in the comic was holding a bottle of Martini, and as if breaking the fourth wall turned his head to the reader.
Sakura zoomed in on this panel, a question mark popping on top of her forehead.
Take on me (take on me),
More close-ups of the guy popped up in the next pages, and Sakura began to feel more puzzled. His eyes were starting to look more and more real, and piqued Sakura's interest (but made her nervous at the same time). Sakura knew that she was awake enough to know that those eyes winked at her, but she took a gulp and held her coffee by her side, almost ready to throw it on her face if something weird happens again.
Take me on (take on me)..
A pencil-drawn hand sprang out of the page, and Sakura fell on her back to the seat. WHAT THE HELL!? She looked around, but everyone else was busy with their own business. Her eyes fell back to the hand who was motioning for her to come.
I'll be gone
Sakura looked back at the face of the protagonist in the comic, and he gave her that look that was convincing her to take the hand in front of her. Sakura tilted her head to the side, "if only you didn't look like Nozaki-kun.."
She took the hand with hers as her body was beginning to be sucked into a new dimension—the comic book's.
In a day or two..
Oh God, she freaking thought to herself. No doubt, this is Nozaki-kun! She smelled that familiar scent of his, dot-like sharp eyes piercing the pieces of heart, and his signature style of carrying her (which she was avoiding to dub as the "Hakuna matata bridal carry") certainly belonged only to him…
So needless to say
Of odds and ends
That's when she noticed he was singing the same song as the one playing in café, but that didn't matter anymore since the warmth of his hand leading her to a white, sketched wall consumed her. "N-nozaki-kun! W-what are you singing? W-where are you going—"
He let go of her hand.
But I'll be stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is OK.
He was moving his hips to the tune (which made Sakura bleed internally, for how sexy of a sight it was), and began approaching a square frame that showed things in 3D—in short, the real thing. He stood behind it, and there was Nozaki in full color. The leather jacket was opened on the front and showed the white t-shirt that snugly fit his body, tracing the his nicely sculpted (it was taking all of Sakura to maintain grace at this point) chest.
Say after me,
He was singing those words to her. And looking straight at her. Sakura bowed her head down, and smiled sheepishly. Did someone just drug my coffee?
It's no better to be safe than sorry
Nozaki gave the sweetest, widest smile Sakura ever saw of him. Completely mesmerized, she walked slowly towards the frame where he stood behind, enamored by his charm as Nozaki continued singing and snapping his fingers:
Take on me (take on me),
Take me on (take on me)
I'll be gone
In a day or two
Their eyes remained locked on each other, as the instrumental resumed..
The waitress snapped out of anger when she looked at the empty seat where Sakura was. The comic book was left open, the coffee still there, but no money was laid on the table. The woman gritted her teeth and she noisily crumpled the comic book (which caught the attention of some of the customers). She marched towards the counter with the crushed paper, the synthesizers banging on the walls of the café. The waitress angrily dumped the paper on the trash can.
In Nozaki's world, Sakura was dancing to the tune while twirling her skirts (already feeling comfortable around this version of Nozaki) when two men with pipe wrenches disrupted them—they started smashing the frame into pieces (triggering a noise when a gun is fired in movies). Before Sakura could move on her own, the other guy grabbed her. Nozaki punched him and took Sakura away, as they fled from the two notorious-looking men.
"N-nozaki-kun!? Why are these men running after us with pipe wrenches..!?"
She could only hear his panting and ragged breaths as they they were running on corners and halls, and Sakura was feeling frantic. Even the music on the background was suddenly making her feel nauseous, but Nozaki kept on holding her hand tightly, his calm face and controlled movement already starting to make Sakura feel at ease. The two men (Sakura doesn't know why they're after them, but she recognizes them as the other racers) wouldn't stop chasing them…
.. Until Sakura and Nozaki met a dead end.
Nozaki began singing..
Oh, things that you say
"W-WHAT!?" Sakura's mouth gaped open. "This isn't the time to sing!"
Is it a life or just to play my worries away?
The two men raised their pipe wrenches, smiling smugly to themselves as success was within their grasp. Their victims were cornered. Sakura was growing anxious.
You're all the things I've got to remember
All of a sudden, Nozaki began opening a hole on the wall behind them. He held it open, his head motioning for Sakura to jump in. Sakura look at him then at the dark hole then at him again. She yelled, "NOZAKI-KUN..!? WHY ARE YOU NOT ANSWERING ME! OY!"
You're shying away
He gave her one of those looks that meant there was nothing she could do to persuade him. Sakura, feeling hopeless, jumped into the hole. I trust you with this move, Nozaki-kun!
I'll be coming for you anyway
The men surrounded Nozaki, pipe wrenches drawing close to his face now…
Take on me (take on me),
Sakura was now more baffled than ever. Faces of strangers (she figured they were the customers of the café) were looming over her, as she found herself sitting beside a trash can. She looked to her side, and noticed the crumpled paper. The comic! Nozaki-kun!
Sakura quickly grabbed the comic from the trash can and rushed out of the café. She didn't know how fast was she was running, or why she was running like that, but something tells her she needs to. That she has to.
Take me on (take on me)
Once home, Sakura didn't even take the time to close the door behind her room as she dashed to straighten the pages of the comic on her desk. She picked up where she left off, and the next panels showed the men swinging the pipe wrench to the guy—or Nozaki's face (No! This is Nozaki-kun! Sakura reassured herself).
I'll be gone..
The next page left Sakura tragic, as it illustrated Nozaki's lifeless body laying limp on the ground. Sakura fell to her knees.
..In a day
Sakura, almost tearful, was shook with banging noises behind her. Turning her head to that direction, a 2D Nozaki hits himself against the walls..
Take on me (take on me),
.. Sakura gasped. He was now oscillating from 2D to 3D state..
Take me on (take on me)
This went on and on, and Sakura wanted to stop Nozaki from hurting himself.
I'll be gone..
Nozaki fell on the floor. No more pencil shadows marks on his arms or jacket. No more black and white.
Sakura helps him to get up, and this only left her surprised as he held her in his arms.
..In a day…
FIN