Gekkan Shojo Nozaki-kun Fic (nozaki, M)

[LeapYearKisses]

I'm really tired and I just accidentally closed this tab with a description all written that I don't feel like re-typing, so this will have to suffice. Gekkan Shojo Nozaki-kun is an amazing anime/comic. Everyone should go watch/read it now. After watching the episode where Nozaki gets a cold, I thought I should add sneezes. This is the result.

 

Character reference pic. Nozaki is the tall, black-haired dude with the red tie. He is a manga artist who does shojo manga in a monthly magazine. He is oblivious about most things but passionate about his manga (or at least, that's what he spends all his free time on). Sakura is the short redheaded girl. She is in love with Nozaki but hasn't managed yet to tell him in a way he understands (he gave her an autograph when she confessed because she said she was his fan). Right now she is working as his assistant on the manga doing beta, which is filling in black areas with ink.

 

Enjoy!

 

---

 

“Ah, excuse me! I’m coming in, Nozaki-kun.” Sakura opened the door to the apartment with confidence. Since she’d been coming after school for months, she no longer felt the need to hesitate outside, though her heart still beat quickly at seeing his nameplate. In the foyer, she slipped off her shoes easily and swung her bag down from her shoulder. It bumped against her leg more heavily than usual. Although it was Sunday, meaning her school books were at home, her bag was full of art supplies, bottles of ink, and a few volumes of shoujo manga. She supposed her part-time job as Nozaki’s assistant was wearing off on her…

 

“Please come in,” came Nozaki’s voice from further inside. Sakura felt the usual swell of excitement that she would get to see him, even though they saw each other almost every day. Maybe she would get to see him in casual clothes!

 

“It’s unusual that you’d ask me over on a Sunday,” she said, stepping into the main room. “But I don’t mind!” They had just finished up the last chapter about ten days ago, so it couldn’t be close to the deadline yet, but she had no complaints. She didn’t have other plans today. Even if she had, she would honestly drop them for this…

 

Nozaki was already sitting at the table, back turned to her. She felt a thrill to see that he was indeed sans uniform, wearing a dark grey sweater, jeans, and black socks. “Yeah, sorry about that,” he replied, as she sat down across from him. “I’m running a little behind schedule…” He took a quick breath, then raised a hand to stifle the cough that came after it.

 

Sakura frowned and took a good look at his face. There were dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept in a few days, and a redness touching upon his cheeks and nose. His dark hair was hopelessly disheveled. Despite this, he seemed to be concentrating tirelessly on the page in front of him, inking pen in hand.

 

“Nozaki-kun… Are you sick again?” Sakura could feel a blush rising. She’d not been much help last time, but… She could make up for it now! “Y-you should be in bed! I’ll make tea…”

 

But he shook his head. “I don’t have a fever anymore, so I really ought to try to catch up.” He pushed a stack of pages toward her. “I managed to get some of the inking done earlier this week… Though Mikoshiba hasn’t stopped by yet. Anyway, these ones are ready for beta, if you don’t mind.”

 

“No fever ‘anymore?’ Did you have one before?” She accepted the pages by rote, but didn’t prepare her ink.

 

“Aa…” He ran a hand through his hair. “Yesterday. I had a test, so I came to school anyway, but I slept for the whole afternoon.” He let his eyes slip shut, then furrowed his brow. “Hahh… Hh- Httzschuh!” He covered his mouth and nose with his left hand, but not quite before Sakura caught sight of the barest hint of spray. She couldn’t help but blush in second-hand embarrassment… But… Nozaki-kun was sort of cute when he was out-of-sorts?

 

“B-bless you, No-nozaki-kun!” She looked around for a tissue box and spotted one on the kitchen counter. She hurriedly got up to retrieve it. Was this one of those scenarios when the protagonist was supposed to kindly help the love interest to his room and tuck him in? Then make him soup and bring him cold medicine?? She held out the tissues self-consciously, afraid of her imagination running away with her.

 

“…Thank you, Sakura.” Nozaki pulled out a couple and blew his nose, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Um, maybe I should wh-wear a mask.” He crushed the tissues to his nose and sneezed again, an irritated double that he tried, and failed, to stifle. “Hgkk-shh… Httzzsch!”

 

“Bless you!” Sakura put the tissue box on the table in front of him and then went to pick up the rubbish bin, which was currently full of an assortment of broken or used up manga supplies, junk mail, and used tissues. She left it by his knee and sat down across from him again. “Nozaki-kun… I know you get into the zone about your manga, but… Are you sure you feel well enough to work?” She left out the part that his sneezes had sounded awfully congested, picking at a thread on her skirt.

 

Nozaki seemed to consider this as he balled up and threw away the tissues. Then he shrugged. “If I can get three or four pages done then I’ll be able to rest better tonight and tomorrow…”

 

“O-oh. Well…” Sakura looked at the pages in front of him. They’d been fully sketched and were waiting for ink (and probably flowers from Mikorin). As if to demonstrate his competence, Nozaki lifted his pen and carefully drew the outline for Mamiko’s hair. Sakura sighed and picked up her brush. “Okay. But after that…” She started laying out her supplies, but still didn't open the ink bottle. “…Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?”

 

“Please don’t go out of your way,” he said, face tinged with guilt. “I’m fine.”

 

You’re not fine, she thought, but she finally got down to work, readying her brush and carefully tracing the contours of a night sky before filling in the center. Later a starry tone would be applied to add some magic to Mamiko and Suzuki’s romantic summer stargazing. As she worked, she found that her world shrunk to the confines of the panels she was working on, the careful application of ink to her brush, and then the smooth and precise motions that filled in space without going over the lines. Usually the sounds of the apartment receded as well, leaving her in a peaceful place until the shriek of a kettle brought her back from her work with the annunciation of a well-earned break. Today, however, she couldn’t help but note the troubled breathing, occasional cough, and increasingly frequent sniffles of her most precious boss.

 

After she had finished the beta for the second page in her stack, she looked up, intending to ask again if she could bring Nozaki-kun some water or a cough drop or something, but she paused when she saw his face. His cheeks were flushed, his lips were gently parted, and his head was tilted back. As she watched, his eyelashes fluttered as his eyes eased reluctantly shut. He kept doggedly clinging to his pen in one hand, but was already raising the other, desperate to contain the sneeze that was hovering just on the edge of existence. The moment lasted for a minute it seemed, then Nozaki pitched forward helplessly.

 

“Hnttzscnch!” He buried his face in his hand, but was already stuttering through the next inhale. “Hh- hh- hih- Huh-nnttzxchx! Httzzsch! Hh-ttznsch!”

 

Sakura put down her brush. “Bless you, Nozaki-kun!”

 

He reopened his eyes, looking dazed, and nodded just slightly, distractedly. “Thanks…” He hesitated momentarily, then set his pen to the side and drew out several tissues. Pressing them to his nose, he stood up and excused himself to the bathroom. Sakura sighed, then started cleaning up the table, laying out the freshly inked pages to dry and stacking the others neatly. She put away her art supplies in her bag, then capped Nozaki’s pen and lined his supplies up neatly along the edge of the table. When he came back from blowing his nose, nose an angry red, he didn’t object.

 

“I’m starting to get a headache,” he confessed. “I’m going to take a nap…”

 

Sakura smiled. “Okay. I hope you feel better soon, Nozaki-kun.” She stood. “I’ll make you some tea before I go. Is that okay?”

 

He smiled wearily. “You’re so helpful, Sakura.”

 

“Uh-uh, not at all! It’s the least I can do.” The kettle was on the counter and she started filling it with water. “You go ahead. This will be done in just a few minutes.”

 

He nodded, then scooped up the tissue box and went into the bedroom, leaving the door cracked behind him. Sakura set the kettle on the stove and waited for it to boil, shifting back and forth on her stocking feet. This was more like what she had been thinking about before, and that was embarrassing, but her butterflies were trumped by a need to see Nozaki-kun well again. She was careful not to spill a drop of tea when it was ready and carried it into the bedroom on a saucer.

 

Nozaki was lying on his side with his back to the door and Sakura entered quietly, afraid that he was already asleep and that she’d wake him. He didn’t stir when she put the tea on his bedside table, though she heard him clear his throat when she was almost back to the door.

 

“Sakura…” He sighed faintly. “Would you… stay?”

 

She blushed violently. “W-what?” She turned to stare at the bed. Nozaki hadn’t moved, though he did seem curled a tad tighter. Was he talking in his sleep again??

 

“Ah.” He coughed. “I mean. If I have Suzuki catch a cold in the next chapter, then…. Then I might need a reference. For Mamiko.”

 

“O-oh. Right.” Of course it was for his manga. Everything was. Though she liked that about him, as annoying as it could be. She shrugged away her nerves and forced an unconcerned smile. “S-sure! I’ll go finish the beta. You rest, okay? I’ll… I’ll be in the main room if you need anything.”

 

“Right. Thanks.” Nozaki shifted slightly to watch her leave, her small hand resting for a second on the door after she swung it almost all the way closed. He could hear her light footsteps as she went to the table and sat down again, and the clink of her own teacup. A feeling of contentment suffused him and he felt his limbs grow heavy with exhaustion. He turned back around and closed his eyes, drawing up the blanket to cover the faint flush that darkened the tips of his ears.

Edited February 16, 2016 by LeapYearKisses

[Akahana]

Can I jut say that I love this anime and that this is FREAKING ADORABLE!! These two are always just precious and Nozaki is simple-minded sometimes so it's nice to see him take some notice to Sakura, I love this!!!

[melonbun]

Ah, this was really cute!

I could totally see this happening after that cold episode~ I think your Nozaki and Sakura were spot on too! With Sakura and her internal monologues and silly Nozaki who *would* pour over his manga despite whatever.

[LeapYearKisses]

@Akahana: I know, right?? I love how he's oblivious, but I though it would be cute to spice it up a little. Maybe I should have set this further along after the anime? Ah well. I'm glad you liked it!

@Melonbun: Thank you! I'm so glad they're in character. Also, I love your signature! It's like Rin is just popping out of the ether...

[shingetsu]

What a coincidence I just finished watching this anime! I was rather disappointed that Nozaki didn't sneeze in his sick!scene but this made it all better, thank you! You got their interactions down perfectly~ It's so very them, but with sneezing and I LOVE it!! __

[LeapYearKisses]

Thank you very much! I was disappointed, too, but at least we got to see him in bed, prone with fever! I'll take it! (I also love all the scenes where he's sleep-deprived and aching from deadlines, muahaha...)

[AnteatersOnParade]

Awwwww, this was so nice and fluffy! What a joy to read, thanks for sharing! I only wish there was more.... sigh

[LeapYearKisses]

Thank you! It was my pleasure to write it. (I may write more GSNK stuff, but we shall see. I'm very, very bad at keeping writing-related promises, so I won't promise, but... I really love the show. XD)

[Natto]

I just finished watching this anime a couple of days ago, so it was wonderful to see a fic waiting in the wings for post-series enjoyment. I loved the sick episode, but the lack of sneezes was a problem for me as well. XD; Your characterization was great--Nozaki's determination to work, Chiyo's confusion and diligence and sparkly moments, Nozaki's single-minded dedication to doing manga research while maybe also wanting Chiyo to stay with him for his own benefit. The sneezes were lovely too, they provided a nice visual image. Over all, great fic, thank you so much for sharing.

[LeapYearKisses]

Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm happy to provide!