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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylK3X5MdAC
Oh god, she waved at her.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcEnUKrgia
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. 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvZV7Qlqik
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxlzgY7P10
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. 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IMrMDkyyM
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlv6JpbVAc
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJER68Z37hS
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlLQyigK1a
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXstMA0f9N
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYx96JpoCj
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaHXV2HPOv
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqQPQoyj53
“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.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanbT7olwSD
“It is?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLeiiOFXn1
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ395RLVwT5V
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKCKIFOCrE
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAgLboMsdQ
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73kNelnfbO
522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRrh5syzn9
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQ3vwVpcDh
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOMy19jM6r
She mentally kicked herself.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPlWQfwOzd
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?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvJMm5OMfa
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIRVmiSQaj
“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?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLJUb8ZjS9
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.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXd5UGpA1R
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcHnADASpH
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemTV6lm6YK
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWUmFXQDZh
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MSq3we7Nk
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGl4tIuf7xP
“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.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5TsUHkJkQ
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDwguhcR5w
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAz1BW0PeIQ
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7nXlLjJIT
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz895vY4tz
“What are you going to do?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Y4exVrPgq
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQtWRjQ5f8
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDWwps4RFA
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4FHdfuRVO
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwV05CSEqc
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ejWG5J0aG
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOK7frE6fN0
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9kRtLc8v7
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-522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXXQTZExJc
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkRfUXJNce
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.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Yi11wPuQZ
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqfO0b5kbQ
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoBl11hXs7
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RO69zu5kM
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtSVZfKyfW
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTDiX44S3C
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWYVgmMyKY
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKX7aQRhZ7
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpf5JYKuRKx
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgKpI7y4mM
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsu5od36M9P
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQg3U01BJ6
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWswqtttbFn
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ofnd0tgxj
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfA3xMb4Ws
She hadn’t done any homework.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFu92zjAdW
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwcQCWIVFd
“Are you okay?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfhaUvj76h
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbFQHcTRXe
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmWlCLC7lg
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7rN5xyC4M
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKJhT8FWaj
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuW4ln1BSP7
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PGTdYmCuN
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1nIIgIoM6
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouvRr8bTnR
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKKQBWMtG5
“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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1klD0zeNN
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvlNgsAXB6
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9xCIHUE6d
“But I can-”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzo8HIagFb
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfN4zFKx4Fd
“But you just said it’s not my-”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl00TyU0VIq
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5hO1t0dJ1
“What’s going on with y-”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpFj0PV7Xn
“I like someone else!” 522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8NroNfPoE
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4l7VfdnzO
“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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1VHlEgMNL
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIfdpFmYLF
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSav7QVESZ
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDV04d4eQvq
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fWXhCwswC
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyiNXosUh6
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwSZedrRux
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTE6DltuoU
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOTNA7bozP
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.522Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsJWxapHtK
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 172.71.194.100da2
