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.524Please respect copyright.PENANARMDpd6CEX8
Oh god, she waved at her.524Please respect copyright.PENANASx4pNA1ktE
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. 524Please respect copyright.PENANApSbtXxViyb
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANA4Z0nHPHkk1
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. 524Please respect copyright.PENANAFuCC6uiW2v
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.524Please respect copyright.PENANAplzsa6ENkh
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.524Please respect copyright.PENANARLBjeFSiVp
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”524Please respect copyright.PENANATRn7DblfdB
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAK05dURayWw
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAk8cTE1g5nc
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAdzHvZfEeIJ
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”524Please respect copyright.PENANA6xiWiJ9xj0
“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.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAHVELsMCTUu
“It is?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAGpioq7cReF
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.524Please respect copyright.PENANAVhAv1D7ROC
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAzud3iJ9T7o
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAEYnCG41Qaf
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.524Please respect copyright.PENANAda9pJ5UiqE
524Please respect copyright.PENANAuYBel7wj5M
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.524Please respect copyright.PENANA1GUW8QnpV6
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAlU7lSKda2G
She mentally kicked herself.524Please respect copyright.PENANA6N8HflF1vw
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?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAd81Bx2spVU
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”524Please respect copyright.PENANA62qDxGK9xj
“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?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAFktQEAkFOZ
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.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAOd8yYOLwkB
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAfqtCWMC8qD
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAj5T4Em54vk
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAB8r3eNvMB0
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.524Please respect copyright.PENANAhPHqu9WcuW
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”524Please respect copyright.PENANApgQ6ppoTQ3
“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.”524Please respect copyright.PENANA3lTujEib6W
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 524Please respect copyright.PENANA0a6pjIFHex
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAbnmaorJiIq
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.524Please respect copyright.PENANAePBbyC9hBR
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAM1I2k7vXjU
“What are you going to do?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAwp3MQvm4uS
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”524Please respect copyright.PENANA0Ve8laIhbF
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANALTWJ41slpy
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAoGbpmZSLl1
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAA48gyIs9Sz
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAhB57fItH5h
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAOqYFRGbf17
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 524Please respect copyright.PENANAXtmVAn0ahH
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-524Please respect copyright.PENANAyjg6KexNLZ
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAVCHRaVj2v7
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.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAMf57aYUdN6
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.524Please respect copyright.PENANAm3ALQLs0ze
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 524Please respect copyright.PENANAEyu4bip8RO
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.524Please respect copyright.PENANAhPFI9efoAA
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAQYJioWc8HH
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAbHhRrYPiRp
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.524Please respect copyright.PENANA2bKcvWY4Pp
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAGolNJmPFZv
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.524Please respect copyright.PENANA901JgpMfHH
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAow1CyUXcF3
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.524Please respect copyright.PENANAmnZxBDjKHY
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat524Please respect copyright.PENANAzXICaVlgcW
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANA8CjlRL1Jm6
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAZlle9Nre2B
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANA2PX5EjvvuT
She hadn’t done any homework.524Please respect copyright.PENANAfDvMeoJwkd
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANA5y8sSkgavB
“Are you okay?”524Please respect copyright.PENANA0znzQtZI9g
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.524Please respect copyright.PENANAqzOIgkUTvk
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAGwd8Sm69X0
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAZBX85Zf4bl
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANATVnAW6ChRq
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.524Please respect copyright.PENANAz0JS3QIdTM
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”524Please respect copyright.PENANAbULiZ5HTVn
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 524Please respect copyright.PENANAuNOx9Bu1Lu
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 524Please respect copyright.PENANAU8Y3e2J9rB
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAt57KLc83Dr
“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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAGTHjvhYgJz
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.524Please respect copyright.PENANAzjl3Uj5G4r
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”524Please respect copyright.PENANATINbBN1WxM
“But I can-”524Please respect copyright.PENANAyQcK7yM86q
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”524Please respect copyright.PENANAxmRHgnjbEW
“But you just said it’s not my-”524Please respect copyright.PENANAdN1KFRUH2E
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAoGoV818H5q
“What’s going on with y-”524Please respect copyright.PENANAOuZGNMjwUx
“I like someone else!” 524Please respect copyright.PENANAgG9RU4ee4C
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAc73YHFAkoQ
“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.524Please respect copyright.PENANASmYjrjmfPU
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”524Please respect copyright.PENANATuYfEZH0Iw
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.524Please respect copyright.PENANAlGzPERxCaQ
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”524Please respect copyright.PENANALDZzrZMK6f
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANArDEpQxDs85
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAuhvtWihN6W
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”524Please respect copyright.PENANAXX32P3MLOO
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.524Please respect copyright.PENANAYwso7sUuxK
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANACG6fDuRSqC
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.524Please respect copyright.PENANAemPGl3r40m
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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