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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwaRiwKkP2
Oh god, she waved at her.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsoIHvDj42
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGP1j21FFRD
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuEj2kAyL9
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. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwYcxpYkeA
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadbZvFElkq
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhChsgDelr
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcvsq9fx5b
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0XFGxrLov
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eYA8HYNJw
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQh5kxBhzq0
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiq2PJdLke
“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.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGPfbJFCHC
“It is?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfaTKclV2Y
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WcwYGdyRp
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCypM7dOlwc
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TkRVJt5ez
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvkLLCcX6d
629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMg8yQB8bZ
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡur991UuXvR
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTFdNpZQz5
She mentally kicked herself.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65RbPGzb89
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?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR0hEBJL60
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7sE3KcKZ3
“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?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmbZ6uuBVT
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.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJr7ikGkSq
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7sid3asqm
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRu8cuhpW0
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8JhqdiuCJ
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpppA7RANfz
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg6i5zpZx3
“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.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAFUpji3wB
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1BRobBP8h
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHU2onLzUu
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWq968BblM
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JVlO9Aw0E
“What are you going to do?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSciakFlAB9
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbz5Wq7tF1G
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHrJbRVSF0
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6NbpHhGxs
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBYd6fCPsa
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fchXI7AC3
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqvYhIrofU
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPa2mw5AalW
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-629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOqRPBn90n
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNddqfEzrfi
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.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYWhBXLzqx
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNENg3PuYfN
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCSDm93lNb
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5vjqzM3g1
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRySkWKbgpj
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazliQE9I38
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhHfrt2mfK
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcTjMjUubw
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQj0TtQCLg
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbDv0W7nxG
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRwnF9s2Xb
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPI931hbaf
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhv2f9V4YHP
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgToxrd2xN
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0r17GQaWcK
She hadn’t done any homework.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWxxNYS9cE
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXM7dNX5r6
“Are you okay?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjazrmaKBny
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMagzLTh8f
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolN7M7F57J
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBANvAoCuzH
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzQhZvyvTQ
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJjzFpZXer
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BPKBBtMMG
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQ7bSrDBKF
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuWqhSGoiG
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhP6jq3E13A
“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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pj9ZDSpDt
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHtULr5F2V
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhay1JsHLOc
“But I can-”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aZ010yadK
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPNl2EVQY6
“But you just said it’s not my-”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlF1KXEiY8
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iWyiDUkNa
“What’s going on with y-”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5hLFlwPk6
“I like someone else!” 629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTbuqDCMaT
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtP6obkvOAZ
“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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LKvgJHqS6
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCiPEqT7Fy
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpVYwvh7Wg
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT865smSZIy
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaV2kPdg8K
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcl3Qcjej08
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7apHcwfbD5
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1mZ1paL3v
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmLsNHCzUO
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.629Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3NLoO1FwC
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 15.158.61.18da2
