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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2BvJzYP0O
Oh god, she waved at her.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88Ekkta42J
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. 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql7XrhoVMB
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTj2ZtxWCU
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. 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJ6tmZJOp0
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHXsIYaFCx
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1c4FSH0lHA
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0tdSRpCgB
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBo4tV03V3
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkScPJ5Phc
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIf0e3dXIj
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtk7VHKGCmC
“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.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofw4PWPgSH
“It is?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudL0ZAlzA8
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCA4ckQdMk
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7VJCQJsVx
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI9SGey4OB
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HdLuM4HSq
652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZKfzz8xVF
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdDdDHOi4P
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zeU38rGbQ
She mentally kicked herself.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyB6Sfd6bM
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?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUxY4pQUQZ
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dxLZ9AH9X
“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?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfovyn09TNd
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.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrjb3MaFNw
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1xlTayHj4
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRBV897evv
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQGlj22Rop
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevCfEMeqUI
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUD9kt2Ycxm
“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.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uDVrcXOto
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsrJLxtW82
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOzZnI6dOu
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB41rORfM9f
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6oa2ZhwuV
“What are you going to do?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYc6xWAD1G
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50UJR0DAUB
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaye7AbwPi
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN8nspzNJ1
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCyBCNkM99
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVqtrSigLL
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVw2pXD7Nkr
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfOknVzsy3
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-652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprrHz025Av
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmyJT05oDT
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.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEokQWTW0I
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbg1458yKP
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLmM1Mi9Qg
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6P2sL5Fpwe
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumPtXHt7F4
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPEIIV7jht
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AqL548WMW
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJAw83X8FL
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboM0URPlXV
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbWSOwx9W2
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mgq5t7ikJ
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22kl5VwSpJ
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aNVWfyx4J
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcqMByCydF
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ar5ynrqJX
She hadn’t done any homework.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGD1dXSeGI
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8jfNc0y3e
“Are you okay?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbVNkpREeF
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDDSpkHswX
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcY76quoqlc
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCXC3eqLgI
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWeigVlyZ4
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiMe0oFpjS
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GuXth2Pi1
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIKJKwpXPR
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTnAje53aX
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6w9oissgp
“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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe67uSgB8ez
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITNqlOixHG
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoGaX1Vawy
“But I can-”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYTG7whyA4
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEgp5qGsQ2
“But you just said it’s not my-”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvNA0RxGfI
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNETyR2eDYK
“What’s going on with y-”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjq78npakg
“I like someone else!” 652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcMBfB07r1
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWparAKi68i
“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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCundRgOVRV
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdY8qFtfoj
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxmTKzKanl
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37gANTP3F2
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHe8oiqAgGH
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImpRFgJeH4
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYp48ZXLum
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnJiBhQV6k
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RsF8cFd7Q
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.652Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIckbbpCUJ
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.
ns 15.158.61.43da2
