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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mENJYGDKE
Oh god, she waved at her.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLutwCAaP2h
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. 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWk7oyYJBMh
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gCiRUHJbe
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. 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDNqbMvDdC
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQthNYx6S9U
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPmbr63jXJ
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjd6Nhn3z7s
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFGdG7w6V8
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFmrtwQ5ga
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZTD3eF49b
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnU2wR1sUQj
“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.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YVYVkyAb0
“It is?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJgix82Ceh
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALOVGFN0GM
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrakvWVSwc
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrv3ztQqaLl
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DROPyw1XG
972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QZO3xbXfc
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BtRraohpf
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEjYwJo8yv
She mentally kicked herself.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NQLMm5ZYi
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?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGa2vL6VTG
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJ9OOGUExw
“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?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKjy3ZfhI6
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.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpiQzGbYis
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2lbrnFUhp
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeqsEcnEXg
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKe0sy3mMvG
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1anDJJk8UM
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeOQkB0Omx
“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.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ286ejS1EOL
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8O9wtUL93
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WH7nXRmsb
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SK9GIze1B
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNU9mZi0EU
“What are you going to do?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6w6X3SZprb
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RxIdIumeF
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMy70598UN
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMEVQAHEle
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuRVgeRd9K
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TatcnFAbD
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LTSzNWjzK
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzF4LMd6JYv
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-972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4C3rUZyZEh
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9oZbrzdYJ
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.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIDTyG4zSP
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BlwpKVhBj
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSjVHRPYHT
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Xg1rGXw86
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTCAFckyfp
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmV14JqmYA3
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2a6qDIP1Jm
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuu9MWzKY6
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL95BZJgfGh
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVrj798Gr8
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk6KaGrcUo
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBxa2T3GdK
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXAGHjNXvx
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxTOkxwEge
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMUTqSwLvQ
She hadn’t done any homework.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgVABI4VK6
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4wAfT5Z1T
“Are you okay?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadUwEC8sl1
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0m87rExvv
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9PiLe462L
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOqNQZPMqo
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWb3tmIoi5V
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxGxgGbCkF
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DZczomyNC
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxTEr3Uefx
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAEdw3MQ1N
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1yN1LJV4p
“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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfB5LjmHH6
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNAvtheupE
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NNKHrNTlY
“But I can-”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZlAFM791p
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yhoZv0vBL
“But you just said it’s not my-”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVjLBrLhRA
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvH24X0fSML
“What’s going on with y-”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ74n0KI5RW
“I like someone else!” 972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTJoTkbuTD
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIPj4x0ZXy
“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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnueGoShsvM
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzESv2D6kDt
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfJJleM4ag
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcMAN9IchY
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWkG1RrQos
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0jqDI8AFC
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLf0h2hPp1
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMAIrGEQor
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6wIBZ999E
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.972Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHY59cR7Ks
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.
ns216.73.216.79da2
