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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoMf1qr691
Oh god, she waved at her.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYmfFkHPY7
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. 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhuc3HMu69
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLZHD81zDK
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. 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPybMzeZ9d
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKxv9PTDwY
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5sUWWycvd
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdrEgMdAOq
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDzWoOP6td
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK3VOR3y8z
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTa0KFA0SNV
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQy4nBdnMYY
“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.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaYhiR5sVQ
“It is?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3wdj2USoi
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFxkjET9kz
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcziv5fiay
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJpIJ9FB75
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYE9rEKroc
981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlODk9aRJ21
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYanHW2xoY
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6bagEWFOs
She mentally kicked herself.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvw5RElfHF
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?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa0f7jijWS
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuhgtQk17G
“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?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00LT84pdiU
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.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNyLQXz6Gw
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gvOOGKHC1
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGVvChFkWO
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlABHUI2xhf
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMa0d3NRYW
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WhFkJobYb
“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.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RdDMOrdK7
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgMTl3Qj9E
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZT5hDPsABz
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyA8oAXLi0
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXGssU4Tdd
“What are you going to do?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjoWi0bT33
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgGdDtu0XP
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapDsl8oDce
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkYr4NIAmC
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRobdoDn77O
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NMph5Rj5J
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8sKPrfEwf
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqO4wxlvRp
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-981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWFW6Zndrn
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqqSB8uwFQ
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.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiI1JIdag9
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DMeACgfYa
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWs2YKmWrI
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HZ3aZVLAL
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2B0Y400G0
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJyO43ou04
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJSAAa5PSD
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXCN1F5Gei
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsm3SKbYpmu
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRdG1avhNO
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlx3q1fIXN
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcDMbKeDFQ
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYZnXkdOpP
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO5HnFINZ8
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ifAyPgz0V
She hadn’t done any homework.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiAMHdRXaL
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAHkUmpNrE
“Are you okay?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfUgsqqX3o
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8X6qeCbzA
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0X563wUPO
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyF5c9THWmm
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RsHoq8SPC
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvssY7JcKR6
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEnd5y13kt
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYmTpZT5lk
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZHlXM7dag
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheCGrD9J3q
“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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEaQzAENW8
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzEAj3u4ux
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2QJfhGqOX
“But I can-”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTOAFHzVyZ
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpe1NZ2BiZL
“But you just said it’s not my-”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGS78dn32xf
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11RQezsWK2
“What’s going on with y-”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9QPALqN4z
“I like someone else!” 981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpv50lru5n
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuV6XXwhGUB
“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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9f0byuvJZ
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1euSJt8H7Q
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XshsF3GZe
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRV1XujohO
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2GUovm883
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXOyRcs3Jq
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaorH9GnzEh
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELI4HMOnbb
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx4aSBs0jJ
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.981Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTjG87sUe7
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.
ns216.73.216.238da2
