eastofthemoon

Another Nozaki-kun fic, this prompt was for Haunted House

Title: Haunted House
Rating: G
Characters: Mikoshiba, Nozaki, and Chiyo
Archive of Our Own

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Something was off. Mikoshiba couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but he could just feel something was off the second he stepped into Nozaki’s apartment.

He glanced around the empty room as he shut the door behind him. Nozaki had told him earlier he would be late due to needing groceries on the way home. That was normal. It wasn’t the first time Mikoshiba had to wait for Nozaki to arrive.

Yet, today he felt odd stepping into the place. He rubbed his neck as he glanced around until he spotted something hanging from the ceiling.

He raised an eyebrow as he climbed up on the table for a closer look. Someone, and that someone had to be Nozaki, had pinned bits of string to the ceiling to dangle clumps of tissues with goofy faces drawn on them.

Mikoshiba tilted his head in puzzlement. “Are..those supposed to be ghosts?” He growled as he yanked one down for a closer inspection and climbed off the table. “Nozaki is doing something weird again.”

He grumbled as he went to turn on the tv, only for a boney face to pop out from behind it.

Mikoshiba yelped as the thing cackled. His heart rapidly beat in his chest as the thing continued to emerge from its place behind the tv. Mikoshiba slowly got closer and realized the ‘thing’ was a plastic skull that continued to laugh as it moved back to its resting place.

“What the hell?” Mikoshiba asked as he sat up but there was a hand on his shoulder.

“Mikorin,” a familiar voice called.

Mikoshiba gulped, still shaken by the skull and dared to turn around.

A demonic face greeted him.

Mikoshiba screamed as he scrambled backwards until his body hit the wall.

“Don’t eat me! Don’t eat me!” he called out as he waved a hand.

But the face stayed back. Also said face was wearing his school’s uniform. The figure then slowly removed what Mikoshiba now realized was a mask, and he felt an ache in his fists burning to strike out as Nozaki’s face appeared.

“Well, that went better than planned,” Nozaki said as he examined the mask.

“Nozaki, what the hell?!” Mikoshiba cried as he jumped to his feet. “You just about gave me a heart attack!”

“Yeah, sorry,” Nozaki said as he rubbed his mask, “but I’m doing a haunted house story.”

Mikoshiba took deep breaths to calm himself. “A what?”

“You know, when a couple enters a haunted house and they cling together in fright as things jump out at them,” Nozaki said. “Ken suggested it last night. So I thought the best way to get inspiration was to make my apartment into a haunted place.”

“Ookay,” Mikoshiba said as he pointed to the ghosts. “And the best you could come up with was lame tissue ghosts and that weird skull thing?”

“I didn’t exactly have a lot of time,” Nozaki admitted. “I barely had time to borrow that laughing skull from Hori and set it up before you and Chiyo got here.”

“Right, right,” Mikoshiba grumbled as he rubbed his face, but then froze. “Wait, Chiyo’s coming today too?”

Nozaki glanced at his watch. “She...should be here any minute now?”

Suddenly, Mikoshiba forgot his annoyance and smirked. So, this meant that they had the chance to scare Chiyo. It made him feel better to know he wouldn’t be the only victim.

“Want me to help?”

“Sure,” Nozaki said as he pointed into the kitchen. “I moved my sound system in there and put in a USB of spooky sounds. Your job will be to conjure up the gloomy ghosts when she gets here-”

They heard footsteps.

“We'd better hide,” Nozaki ordered as he slipped the mask back on and ducked into his closet.

Mikoshiba dived into the kitchen and chuckled like a little kid as he sat on the floor. He peeked around the corner and saw Chiyo enter. Just as he had, she frowned as she glanced around.

“Something feels weird,” she muttered as she removed her backpack and hugged it to her chest. She walked a couple of steps and then froze.

“Are...are those supposed to be ghosts?” she asked aloud.

Mikoshiba took that as his cue to hit play on the recorder. Eerie moans began to play in the room.

Chiyo jumped. “W-what’s that?!”

Mikoshiba chuckled. This felt a little mean, but then again Chiyo did eat his pudding he had been saving in Nozaki’s fridge last week. It was only fair.

The laughing skull jumped from behind the tv. Chiyo yelped as she held up her backpack.

“Okay, if this is a joke, it isn’t funny-”

Then Nozaki leaped out of the closet and growled.

Everything then switched to slow motion.

Chiyo screamed.

She swung her backpack like a bat. The backpack whacked Nozaki’s face and caused the mask to fall off.

Mikoshiba’s eyes widened as Nozaki lay motionless on the ground and Chiyo panted heavily.

“Wow, between fight or flight you chose fight,” he declared as he stood up. “Good to know if I want to keep my handsome looks.”

Chiyo whirled around. “MIKORIN?!”

Mikoshiba rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah...and...you just whacked Nozaki.”

Chiyo paled as she zoomed to Nozaki’s side.

Mikoshiba sighed. “I’ll get the first aid kit.”

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Once it was confirmed Nozaki was fine and a bandaid was placed on his cheek Chiyo was more relaxed. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said and glared. “Although, it serves you right for scaring me.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Mikoshiba replied as he mentally made a note to never try to scare Chiyo again if she was armed. Or maybe even if she wasn't.

“Likewise,” Nozaki said, but then held up a fist, “but this gave me a great idea for my story.”

Chiyo raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Suzuki goes to scare Mamiko for a joke, but it backfires and she punches him,” he said as he shut his eyes and pictured it. “As a result she runs away in guilt only for Suzuki to chase after her and states he loves that she is willing to fight her fears. It will make a great touching moment.”

“Uh, yeah, okay, I could see that working,” Mikoshiba admitted. “I just hope that means that you’re done turning your place into a haunted house.”

“I am,” Nozaki said as he looked at the two of them. “I just have one favor to ask of you two.”

He handed the mask to Mikoshiba. “Could you wear this and have Chiyo hit you so I can take photo references?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” he screamed. “We're not going to get into a violent brawl for the sake of your manga! Right, Chiyo!”

Chiyo was quiet as she grasped her chin like she was debating.

“CHIYO!”

“You did eat my slice of cheesecake yesterday.”

“YOU NEED TO BE MORE FORGIVING!”