The Ludicrous Escapade Pt.2

Like an Open Book

Once Hazamada started flipping through the pages, neither of you could seem to pull away.

"It's always a thrilling manga, but is this the impact of a raw manuscript? I'm getting goosebumps!" Exclaimed the high schooler. You just stared at each perfectly drawn scene with pure awe.

"It appears that my manuscript was compatible with you two after all." Spoke Rohan after having just walked into the room. Both you and Hazamada froze in place, "I thought you would read it. And only those who are the first to read my manuscript, who are compatible, will have their hearts opened by my ability, Heaven's Door!"

You stared at the mangaka in horror as your hand started to peel open, revealing neatly typed words and images inside. "W-What?!"

"(Y-Y/N)! What's going on?!" Stuttered out the student as your face and torso followed suit.

"There are a lot of things recorded in the human body. Everything from the moment you were born. In order to read that, I will turn you both into books. Books that have your lives written in them." Explained Rohan.

"H-Help!" Shouted Hazamada as he started to run for the door.

"You read the manga, too, didn't you?" And then the student start to split open too, tripping onto the wooden floor. You seemed to lose some feeling within your own body as you fell onto the floor as well. "This will cause you no actual harm, so don't worry." The mangaka walked over to your limp body and crouched down next to you. "Reading about your lives and experiences will surely offer me realistic ideas." He grabbed the peeled portion of your face, "You can't get this from interviews. You're going to tell me one hundred percent realistically, as if I had experienced it myself. Though I'm somewhat surprised, you seem to have more info here than most others. Let's see..."

He started to read off of you, "(Y/N) (L/N). Born during the year... 1868?How interesting!" His eyes seemed to scan the pages even faster, "It was 8:30 pm and in your own home with the help of a friend of your mother's. You're an only child. You befriended a boy by the name of Speedwagon who later became your fiancé. It's a shame that didn't last. Ah, here it is! Because of Dio Brando, a vampire, adding his blood to yours, you also became an immortal being. And what's this? Who Wants To Live Forever? There's someone other than me with an ability like this?!" His eyes shot over to Hazamada, "And you have one, too!"

The student desperately tried to crawl away, but to no real avail. So Rohan delved farther into the recesses of your mind, "Stand Users! You became a Stand user in 1989! What followed was an even more bizarre adventure than the rest of your life since then. There was a whole group of you on your crusade! Muhammad Avdol, Jotaro Kujo, Caesar Zeppeli, Noriaki Kakyoin, Joseph Joestar, Iggy! I can't believe it! This is amazing! It's so entertaining! I just discovered the best material a manga artist could hope for, (Y/N) (L/N)! The World, Magician's Red, Star Platinum, et cetera, et cetera!"

You stared into his green eyes, horrified, "Just what do you plan on doing to us?"

Rohan gave a psychotic grin, "I'm going to take your memories so I can use them as material for my manga!"

"K-Kars?" You whispered out the Ultimate Being's name, confused as to why you couldn't seem to bring him out.

"Ah, you must be trying to bring out your Stand. I saw on page thirty seven that it has a will of its own. So, in addition to me making it so you can't attack me, I made it so you couldn't bring your Stand out anymore either." He leaned over you as he opened up the pages of your torso, "Look... it's written write here." He showed off the pencil in his hand that you didn't remember him even picking up in the first place, "This is Heaven's Door's ability. Not only can I see all your memories, but I can alter them as well. You'll never be able to harm me in any way, shape, or form."

"Damn it!" You cursed under your breath, backing closer to the desk while giving Hazamada a worried glance.

Rohan picked up a sketch pad and moved his pencil at an incredible speed before stopping. He smiled, seemingly satisfied of the sketch of your terrified expression. "That's all I'll be changing for now. If I wrote in any more, it'll make your life fake, so it wouldn't benefit my work at all. Let's see... I guess I'll look at Hazamada, too." He took his time to walk over to the room.

"Sensei! You are a genius! I admire you!" Spouted out the student, though the fear in his voice was obvious.

"Huh... I see." The manga artist looked through Hazamada's mind, "You sometimes feel relief after having picked on something weaker than yourself, like kittens and small birds. You stalked (Y/N) for a week before you mustered the courage to talk to her. You almost broke into her house once, but ultimately decided against it. Following your attack on her with your Stand, you managed to somewhat befriend her again, but you're determined to make it something more. Your balls also get sweaty, and when you're adjusting them in class, nothing gives you a greater thrill than the thought that someone might see you." Rohan stood back up to his full height, "You're an awful man. There's no way my readers would like you if I wrote you into my manga. You're useless."

Hazamada started to cry again, getting the pages soggy, "No fair!  There's no hope for me!"

You propped yourself up with your arms as you stared at Rohan who had made his way back over to his desk. Your voice shaking, "Why do you go through all this trouble to steal memories? Even without them you're already creating incredible work."

He turned around to face you, "It's simple. I draw manga because I want to be read! That's the only reason, and I don't care for anything else! So people will read it, I look for realistic material every day! Listen well. Whenever I finish a manuscript, I feel amazing. Everyone feels great after finishing work, don't they? But that feeling only lasts for an instant. It's only a little while, because I start thinking that no one's going to read my completed manga, and my insecurities start to grow. Then I get even more insecure because, maybe next week, no one's going to read it, and then I might not know what to draw anymore, and I might not feel like doing anything anymore." He parted the blinds of his window, letting the light peak through. "These feelings have been reoccurring since I was sixteen. Until three months ago, when someone shot me with an arrow, and I gained the ability of Heaven's Door."

"Keicho Nijimura..." Mumbled Hazamada.

"Yes, that was also written in you, Hazamada." Rohan moves back over to you, "But I'm sure neither of you understand what it's like to have the best material for drawing a masterpiece! This!" One of his hands clutched the pages of your face while the other wrapped around your wrist. Try as you might, you couldn't seem to get yourself to do so much as struggle against his hold. "It's the best! (Y/N), I'm going to make your reality mine!" He cackled as he tore the page out, your reality his.

"Wow, (Y/N). Wasn't Rohan-Sensei such a great guy? Aren't you glad we went?" Prodded Hazamada as the two of you walked down the street you had taken to get to the mangaka's house in the first place.

You nodded, "Yeah! I had so much fun! I'm going to have to hang his autograph above the bookshelf. I still can't believe he even served us tea and cookies! I wonder if he'd be fine if we visited again."

Hazamada nodded along enthusiastically, "Yeah. Let's definitely go again. Well, I'm heading this way, so..." He went down the right path at the fork in the road.

"No problem. I'll see you around!" You hummed happily to yourself as you took the other path.

"I'm home!" You called out to the house as you shut the front door behind you and walked into the kitchen. "How did the decorating go?" Santana pulled the lid off the plastic container to show off his work on the sugar cookies, "Wow, your frosting art is getting really good. Don't you agree, Kars?" You glanced behind you, your smile fading when the ultimate being wasn't in sight. Usually he'd have let him self show up by now.

Santana grew worried, "Wh-what did he say?"

"Oh, nothing." You didn't think much of it, but it was more like you were simply incapable of doing so.