Yukari took a deep breath before entering the library. Just her luck. There were several people inside. She started walking towards the librarian’s desk but swerved towards a bookshelf. She looked behind her and saw IA, who waved at her.595Please respect copyright.PENANAYvzwxG40PL
Oh god, she waved at her.595Please respect copyright.PENANANl4hfnPSeh
Yukari just started nodding with the exaggeration of a bobblehead. After almost half a minute of this, she turned her head and focused on the bookshelf. 595Please respect copyright.PENANArFh2elzhLy
She wasn’t looking for any book in particular, but she needed to do something to stop herself from staring at the librarian. The more she stared, the more the memory of the previous week’s fantasy would be able to crawl into her brain.595Please respect copyright.PENANAoLQ8V055yX
After a minute of staring into space, she realised she was in the mathematics section. She scrunched up her nose. If anyone were to say that being good at something makes you like it, she would throw these hefty books at them. 595Please respect copyright.PENANAIPyhfbZHjd
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.595Please respect copyright.PENANAXIUjQeuWfK
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.595Please respect copyright.PENANA1o49EYUbkD
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAWfIc9YIu1k
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”595Please respect copyright.PENANALLunkjADrt
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAb7iCxGLAwL
Yukari held her head. IA eyed the book in her hand and reached for it. Yukari bit back a gasp when cold fingers brushed against her hand.595Please respect copyright.PENANAkjvJYe96WB
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAuezAKcwewp
“Why make me choose?” Yukari replied. “Tsukino Shion is a really relatable main character, but Kanbara Sora is a lot like… hey, how did you know my name? My name’s a lot like Shion’s.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAg1Tjg7Qv8v
“It is?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAy0irOzmBrc
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.595Please respect copyright.PENANAKAV9eoqXaK
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAS9saxeT5lH
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”595Please respect copyright.PENANANpiwWkr1ww
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.595Please respect copyright.PENANAUE7KolsGEw
595Please respect copyright.PENANAgrlY2RkVKt
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.595Please respect copyright.PENANAqwoZ9hhOIb
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAxzHujll5E8
She mentally kicked herself.595Please respect copyright.PENANAT4IOTmIikM
IA sat back down and typed into the computer. “Are there any good books here?” She covered her mouth. “Forget I said that,” she said with her hand still on her mouth. She took it off and sighed. “Yuka… Miss Yuzuki, do you like jazz music?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAxgICeUd4qx
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAkNgJEaTtte
“Well, you mentioned music and I remembered this lesbian romance novel about a spoiled pop star who meets a struggling jazz musician. The descriptions of the songs are really good. It’s like you can actually hear them, even though they’re just words on paper. Would you be able to come to my place again to pick it up?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAytafenBV8y
IA’s eyes widened in realisation. “Oh, is it okay to recommend you new books? You’re probably sick of reading lesbian romance novels since you’ve got a boyfriend.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAMXQLz3ngvU
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAYgZdtoO0p2
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAMI7nKHhrUN
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAW3IWtE7nfx
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.595Please respect copyright.PENANAK17lKcTZRC
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAiWy7Yrq2bg
“I didn’t care much about it at first, but after reading the book, I started getting really interested in it. Isn’t it amazing how books can do that? It’s like every book is a new interest or hobby waiting to be discovered.”595Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZOWLkH5rm
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 595Please respect copyright.PENANABMEzlZnPbW
At the apartment, IA handed her a book with two women holding hands, one kissing the cheek of the other. In one woman’s remaining hand was a microphone and for the other woman it was a trumpet.595Please respect copyright.PENANArU47TbJoju
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.595Please respect copyright.PENANA8UiWztBs3N
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAl4TWukN8UO
“What are you going to do?”595Please respect copyright.PENANARBFsWhuu8I
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAkpGNd5uD8J
Yukari sat on the one couch in the apartment, taking off a pile of books that rested on it. IA slumped into the couch, opening her own book while existing in the grey area between sitting and lying down.595Please respect copyright.PENANAeca0S9QnbV
The language of the romance novel in Yukari’s hands was a bit more intricate than the previous novel IA gave Yukari but it wasn’t too difficult to read.595Please respect copyright.PENANAS2w5tsFD76
The jazz music in the background lulled Yukari into a trancelike state as she let the story envelop her. She felt like she was sleep-reading and yet she was able to take in the story as if she had the concentration of a lawyer looking for holes in a witness’ story.595Please respect copyright.PENANApaYOnIpGYM
She was eventually broken out of her trance when IA rolled onto her back and raised her legs up against the couch’s back. IA bit her lip and stared at the book like it was written all in the most difficult of kanji characters. Yukari had to force herself to breathe, something she forgot to do as she watched her. She blushed as she stared at her lips.595Please respect copyright.PENANArfcTxpEf9h
She chuckled as she looked at the page IA was on. “I thought a librarian would be able to read the furigana.” She almost pointed out that furigana was usually in books for kids but didn’t want to get kicked out of the apartment.595Please respect copyright.PENANA39F0muieBt
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 595Please respect copyright.PENANA4YEmmUOjsP
Yukari took a closer look at the new page before IA once again turned it. It was a bizarre chase scene involving a car chasing a pig with a sack full of cash on its back. It was-595Please respect copyright.PENANAPH40eEVB9D
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAWQsGxeIfA0
IA turned her head and lightly poked Yukari’s forehead. “Silly girl. No need to apologise. Maybe you can borrow this one from me next time.”595Please respect copyright.PENANA9jpecSyjBJ
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.595Please respect copyright.PENANAdsYge98btb
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 595Please respect copyright.PENANA90cRVtiew4
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.595Please respect copyright.PENANAJyj6viwcGr
Yukari laughed so hard she snorted, which caused both women to laugh even harder. After they stopped, they stared at each other silently. IA leaned in closer.595Please respect copyright.PENANACyDYUIGSrs
Yukari felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A mysterious shiver swam down her body and her cheeks were as hot as newly toasted bread. She breathed in and out slowly.595Please respect copyright.PENANAb0uBJCZHvu
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.595Please respect copyright.PENANAyc9NXNTTg5
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAlfq7HRzfZ4
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.595Please respect copyright.PENANAFZbKDla4TB
She went straight home instead of Roro’s place. There was no way she was going to read a book with that kind of cover in front of him.595Please respect copyright.PENANAhXR8bcIjjY
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.595Please respect copyright.PENANA9J1bxGEtZf
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat595Please respect copyright.PENANAXtXQF93LYN
She didn’t reply. Her fingers tingled, yearning to tell him about everything, but she put her phone back in her pocket to prevent herself from oversharing. This was her battle to fight.595Please respect copyright.PENANAg4rhxa6NC7
She read the book she was lended on her bed, hiding it under the covers whenever she heard her parent’s footsteps close in on her. Her parents never opened the door.595Please respect copyright.PENANAHeVz5rtDVj
The book was a lot longer than the previous one so she stayed up until 3 A.M finishing it. When she finally finished it, she started pulling at the roots of her hair.595Please respect copyright.PENANAyqomOULYWi
She hadn’t done any homework.595Please respect copyright.PENANA3F5H0WTLzL
She managed to complete her homework after a few hours and went to school with bags under her eyes. Her hands shook whenever she used them and she jumped out of her skin when Roro put a hand on her shoulder.595Please respect copyright.PENANAlPAzjxYt8Q
“Are you okay?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAEOOjIlA7T8
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.595Please respect copyright.PENANARnR1fQtoxk
Life began to form a pattern. Go to school tired, avoid Roro’s queries, return IA’s book to her, go to her place to find a new one, read it until the early hours of the morning and for god’s sake don’t let your parents know, do homework, get two hours of sleep at best, repeat the cycle. This happened for a good three weeks.595Please respect copyright.PENANAmVkQrXlaa5
Each time Roro kissed her during lunchtime, Yukari felt the magic a little less. She started reminiscing over the days when the two of them were friends.595Please respect copyright.PENANAOajzdEGqYF
Yukari began to notice a few things about IA. Her apartment had an unplugged microphone and a keyboard. Her fridge was covered with sketches of monsters with crowns on them, ranging from medusa to demons and all from the same artist. The magnets that held them up were souvenirs from Greece. She had a to-do list with the most basic of functions such as ‘brush your teeth, you dingus’ and ‘if you don’t eat breakfast, you will starve to death before you get to meet a cute girl’. In the latter one, a line went through the words ‘before you get to meet a cute girl’. Yukari felt as if she had been split in half, one side uplifted and the other brought down to the depths of wherever the demon in that drawing came from.595Please respect copyright.PENANAlv0rqqB30r
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.595Please respect copyright.PENANACUojerfrDr
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAcPZrMsHVfe
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 595Please respect copyright.PENANAbKATH4y78w
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 595Please respect copyright.PENANAxaqFoQTLK6
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAyArAtBnpLg
“Then is there anything I can do to help you? You’re not yourself anymore.” He said that last sentence with the face of a rabbit seeing a buzzard and his voice was hoarse, as if it was a struggle to say anything.595Please respect copyright.PENANACumi3mVWJ8
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.595Please respect copyright.PENANA7jdWsKeyJz
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAopNfRb6r95
“But I can-”595Please respect copyright.PENANA7Eyk3ApT6b
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”595Please respect copyright.PENANANW8X2rO4Xw
“But you just said it’s not my-”595Please respect copyright.PENANAJDpjBB5qXd
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”595Please respect copyright.PENANAzNFZhWmGLR
“What’s going on with y-”595Please respect copyright.PENANAC4gYwIjhXQ
“I like someone else!” 595Please respect copyright.PENANA6N2IocEMBI
Roro let go of her and stepped backwards, his hands quivering. Yukari sat on the piano chair and held her head in her hands. Her body shook as she cried. Roro sat next to her, trying to ignore the discomfort of sitting on the corner. He held his hand in the air for a while before placing in on her head and stroking her hair.595Please respect copyright.PENANA0azwv4hcuQ
“Who’s the lucky guy? Is he in our class?” His voice was slow and ponderous, as if he was trying to hold in his own tears.595Please respect copyright.PENANAnftQy6zr50
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAAhO437BQGV
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.595Please respect copyright.PENANAKC4zdOUaVF
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”595Please respect copyright.PENANAmY184orFGJ
Yukari shook her head, still looking down. “I liked you. Liked. Past tense. I’m…” She took a deep breath. “...bisexual. I’m really sorry. I should still like you, but… this girl’s just taken over my emotions and… I feel like there’s no room in me for any romantic feelings for anyone else.” She kept repeating the word ‘sorry’ in between sobs.595Please respect copyright.PENANAREZf307YnO
Roro was silent for a while. He stood up and wiped his tears away, looking down at the ground and silently wishing the floor would collapse and take him with it.595Please respect copyright.PENANASv2Yd4sN47
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”595Please respect copyright.PENANA6kmhJIqBje
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.595Please respect copyright.PENANAGjpa6bTbas
He didn’t talk to her for the rest of the day. When she returned another book to IA and they headed to her apartment, she burst into tears in her car.595Please respect copyright.PENANA7z8LFn1xkd
She told her about the breakup but didn’t explain the reason for it. IA stopped the car in a parking lane and reached over to hug her, stroking her hair much like Roro did, though this time Yukari actually noticed it and felt her cheeks heat up.595Please respect copyright.PENANATJV9vqUeVB
The two stayed there for a few moments, the only sounds being their breaths. It was just her and the ghostlike librarian who seemed more real with each passing day.
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