IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZgXdGbWWn
Yukari croaked, “It’s okay.” She felt as if her skin was on fire. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her tears away.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVdNAS5iMM
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtaM54a5nA
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73X21f4JuV
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0diNHXjvm5
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HG8PROPHF
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDijSYbjlaj
IA started the car and continued driving as if nothing had happened. Yukari had gotten used to the speed at which she drove by now, but she remained on the lookout for speed limit signs and reminded IA of them whenever they passed one. IA slowed down a bit.
"Please don’t be upset when I ask this, but why do you drive so quickly?” Yukari asked.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvSbs8oxRl
IA chuckled. “I don’t know. I’m just always so excited to get to a different place that it kind of takes over me. If you weren’t here to bring me back to my senses, I don’t know what I’d do.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUiIDkTHk1
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OYgE2me0Q
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrfenuKxEk
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAiaFZHRkS
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPefxKm2ydD
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBziKBxJRN
Yukari gulped. It was a pulp novel that appeared to be translated into Japanese. The cover had two women in lingerie, one brunette lying on a bed and the other, blonde, sitting behind her with a mischievous expression. In the corner of the room they were in was a table with a coat and a magnifying glass on it.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMYG9JaEpv
IA’s cheeks turned red. “Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s more than just love scenes. I wouldn’t show it to you if it was just that since, you know, that would be kind of weird. It’s a really intriguing mystery and has an interesting romance between the detective…” She pointed to the brunette. “... and the femme fatale she suspects is the murderer.” She moved her finger to the blonde. “It’s surprisingly good for a pulp novel, but the cover makes it a bit of a guilty pleasure. It has some more mature scenes but they’re not that often.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvF53wd0lr
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1wlbQvweh
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdUVxcOzew
“Good.” IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as if she felt guilty about something. “If you feel uncomfortable reading it, you’re not obligated to read the rest. You can just return it to me and we can forget I ever lent it to you.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTfkn9vEbw
“I said it’s fine.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFEqYscACF
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjIZ1COLmm
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcgS4XYpZv
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KhI0ynFz8
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9EewYKpFG
When she finally made it home, she had dinner with her family. After that, she put her pyjamas on, lied down in bed and stared at her ceiling. One question tugged at her mind.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qZefaC1jy
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDtEXYwpZ1
There was no age issue, at least in terms of the law, as IA was twenty-two and she was eighteen, but Yukari was still a student at the school IA worked at. Then again, it wasn’t like IA was her teacher or anything like that. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAS5N7llCZ
She remembered what IA said.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBmcMgSgFA
"That was inappropriate of me.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1y55iykUQ
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVb8wJnRGw
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCuQ4C3Akr
She opened the book and began reading it. Some parts of the novel were awkwardly worded, possibly as a result of a bad translation, but the mystery was as engaging as IA said it would be. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPdgIfzD7j
When Yukari made it to the first love scene, her entire body went hot. Clunky wording aside, the scene was undeniably attractive to her, and she pictured IA as the blonde girl on the cover as she read the scene. Eventually, she dropped the book and fantasised on her own, the scenario in her mind getting more and more explicit.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxDcICKamd
When she was done fantasising, she continued reading until Roro’s frightened face entered her mind, convincing her to do homework. After that, she read a bit more until she went to sleep, which was around 11 or 12. It took around half an hour for her to fully fall asleep as the mystery of the novel consumed her mind.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnNWiOChqC
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqI7uosIPC
She shoved the book in her school bag and did as her mother said. During class she kept getting distracted, trying to piece together the clues presented in the novel. She stared at Roro in the seat next to her. He looked back at her and frowned before turning his head and murmuring something she couldn’t hear. She felt her heart sink. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWR3pdRaCPw
When lunch started, she took her food with her to the library, saw the ‘no food’ sign and ran outside. She sat under a bridge from the classrooms to the club rooms and opened the book. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8RVs2y7dQ
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8yFeY7QgD
And then a teacher walked up to her. He was tall and had eyebrows so thick it felt as if he could crush someone with them. She hid the book behind her back and the teacher scowled at her.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy5ukg4tY9
“Show me what you’ve got.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJui2aMeDk
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RoBvMdum9
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfSitgS8XE
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldI4P3kv8B
“Nice try.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlpGzyvDrR
Yukari stood up, trying her best not to cry. She followed him to the Principal’s office, which was inhabited by a short man with a toupee. The teacher handed him the book and the Principal’s eyebrows jumped through the roof. Yukari lowered her head and bit her lip.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsxCJub5qc
“This is… I’ve never seen a girl bring this sort of material to school before. I’m going to have to call your parents.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMJkonbJZm
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9Q8InXiXC
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HshfEfACN
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGlXSkTVnu
“And you brought this book here because…”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2fbztLd5d
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3AHfPRchE
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EO041wDLC
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal84EigXwo
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAKQqlQDgS
“For how long?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcY93iiqh9W
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhxK7WuJzq
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06mi5CQxPP
“Well, since this is your first offence, I guess I can give it back at the end of the week.” He ran his thumb against the cover. “Yes, a week should do. You’ll have learnt your lesson by then. I’m still going to have to call your parents. Come here after school for a meeting. And if you try to leave school before then, I think this book will look nice on my shelf.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIlNLOfyK8
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKnHCPoHhC
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnc0A8syOSy
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3ADf9wdW6
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡos37AqgLkn
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYsepT5Suy
“I… I see. The one who should really be sorry is me. Giving you that book… how inappropriate of me. Should I… stop giving you these books? I went too far. I knew this was a bad idea.” Yukari noticed that there were bags under IA’s eyes. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UmKm3Myl1
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzneYwKhZOO
“It’s okay. I… I don’t want to end the time we’ve spent together. I do hav something to tell you, though. Hopefully it won’t end… whatever it is we have.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqvKaKC85W
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3Xax0ciFe
“I know what you’re going to say.” She and Yukari spoke at the same time. “You’re straight and feel weirded out by me giving you these books.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPuRFQWbO5
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzJvIRoG5n
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe21wejmcyE
“Could you… repeat that?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtawDFmGpF
Yukari’s cheeks went pink. “Well, I like you. You know that breakup with Roro? It was because I liked you more. You kind of made realise that I’m bisexual. I was thinking… maybe we could go out somewhere. I get it if you don’t want to! You probably want to keep your job. But we could keep it a secret if you want. But, you know, if you don’t want to… that’s cool… I’ll act cool as a cucumber. Cool as ice. Cool as… What am I saying?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIdKmKfO1S
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PAwoXWTi9
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7MTQ1MmBU
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZntJN8bOY3
“I-Is that a yes?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzhwnM9aBV
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmbzONyjyx
Yukari chuckled. “So long as I don’t do anything as stupid as bringing a dirty book to school, I’ll be fine. By the way, please don’t spoil the ending. I didn’t get to finish it.” She released a short gasp. “Wait, can I tell Roro if he starts talking to me again? He already knows I like you and I know he won’t tell anyone.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLViO3pCYtl
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2HbcRmrzK
Yukari eyes widened. “Oh god, my parents. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow since my parents are probably going to drag me home after this meeting. Thanks for reminding me.” Both her body and her voice shuddered as she shook her head like a dog trying to rid its fur of water after a bath.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2ZnwfdoVa
IA took several books off the shelf and made a pile of them, giving them to Yukari, who stared at her with one eyebrow higher than the other.572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YermpTgOT
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”572Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqDqY7vHpM
Yukari nodded with a smile. She turned towards the door and breathed slowly. She took a few moments to appreciate the moment she shared with IA before having to deal with her parents. For a few more seconds it was just her and the ghostlike librarian who became her girlfriend.
ns 15.158.61.7da2
