IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXK7QFS7TS
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELy9GoBwtf
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDMiSRRsjT
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbmOAXQK2K
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeFRsU6t5v
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEOdtrghdZ
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6bXeoppwl
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHFtb5Pwhe
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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFad4htMIj
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTkzoQUAVB
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5GsBTQLJ7
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8UFbVy9jN
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0TEpTVvEE
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt815bwENlh
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhKOHz9ODY
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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5RyVCN5t8
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCC63cRvqk
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNUDinWiJw
“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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzytp6EnuXR
“I said it’s fine.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1gmXA8NhV
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOnCoaGfG2
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGRmkyyPQO
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaX8h8FK1G
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ojs0dSfhb
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sD7xXv7ak
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb7PnJIzYU
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. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDFpgneNaC
She remembered what IA said.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRvZVwYAqz
"That was inappropriate of me.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHcN84PRuR
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnu6MMTBUZ
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EFLy10iex
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. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpcbDjnr9L
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN63f9RNfQu
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiw3N64S6bz
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SrmE2lDqx
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. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCjrwjTuNa
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. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYYKaOVDpA
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCYzpE5vQD
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtH9NfisgJr
“Show me what you’ve got.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjU5jG5HN4D
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIqXWs5RFX
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOL8otB1MWP
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRvlQsDkT1
“Nice try.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwc5JKl1Wq
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoeCZj9TRe
“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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebdepPgFIt
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9X5DoFO8e
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1WVVFkvA2
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0diVmxOmo
“And you brought this book here because…”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6snYm19BW
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmw1JZSi0p
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eJDGnPFQ3
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyGKR0TV1k
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pQKzRGIvO
“For how long?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyAMY41X6q
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINqCyLxpSC
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTKa7yZtJP
“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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX95ZUimUiP
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERDKiFG5gs
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzv8XrNQnN
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XSVl86gxH
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcqE5chdJj
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsEmL3P0AU
“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. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bSXrnjku3
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22q6H8OyMk
“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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsbi2k910b
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBNphwOOvD
“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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOXdrfww94
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBHASMyzOO
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaWt4WpQcW
“Could you… repeat that?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ttw6SjP04
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?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhrNYr2Zrq
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJVgd4toto
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcP8iSo2D5Z
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaDmse2sgN
“I-Is that a yes?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJZkP4qNlU
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mQgGSfrfu
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.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkMPwZRM9j
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1ijqKhpG8
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKOwqVtWn8
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.912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Xrxe7Iacu
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtw4QjZtBbh
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.
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