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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kVKgM5tz2
Oh god, she waved at her.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MbCICcvo0
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. 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81AQSmvXLI
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ziyl3qQLX
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. 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx76sI8j5uU
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyyBJjD1Aw
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZ7cKcdWoQ
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoeLsCtJsn
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7T23PpTxUr
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMJxKP8eF4
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JuYmjdxtt
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBPLcLBbmU
“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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjKRivm3AC
“It is?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunl7UeSY2a
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc0bbeoID1
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBgZheKRnv
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQMzyffzce
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5YSlAihPX
772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdi59ExFvY0
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb20ovZAlkp
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGHt5jbtw4
She mentally kicked herself.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDNGVyW62b
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?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1kTO3MaWO
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Adfzwubof
“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?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNYgn3j5SO
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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9pASGk3j7
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzEfYfxdmI
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY01UDIvMul
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUTomTjTNs
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaMKkaXYjh
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7dit2817m
“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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyE9PDbj1W0
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraSG7Rw2N4
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡao5Jk40j7h
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7zANbBQBH
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaMU4JhogG
“What are you going to do?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs24ThWia78
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghJsNkBfID
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwniAgDOjsz
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVw1x7CmEA5
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvinQ0z0zHO
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xwthCBcbm
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnLy91bKri
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hb3ibWC68
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-772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFouH0yjHwn
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv9UMOSzZL
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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2aUf5ivYI
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs90PsHG4Z1
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHBwwPR1Fa
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQZutOG5K4
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVXmNneSX9
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDH5SQZWJvE
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLfysagR0i
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7C299fLDt
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPtGElOEl0
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9AQ4nGwfy
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbFzbctB7p
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4KCLptqHM
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PV0f4dzdS
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W23aLlKL6
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkIPbPXQmY
She hadn’t done any homework.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kgSxl04dm
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtFZ0pswFe
“Are you okay?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37nIZzZJfH
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3co47NPNdt
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjKYpkpAxn
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pY3hiLoV2
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KHT0KC3JK
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHpdHN02TA
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqOiL8zEFl
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaoPxOQt99
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMm1x4LRS2
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI5HjS2KSd
“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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikIrkgQsul
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2e9qoBIGc
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPkZgqoSLf
“But I can-”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOfDypyzXw
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGea7h03qpp
“But you just said it’s not my-”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLc0cYx2Qf
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKSlmjAe5v
“What’s going on with y-”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzIMdAIQb2
“I like someone else!” 772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeiMVB8NVw
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvHbgkFOjx
“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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyEWusD78x
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxLNhCzkCP
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmRhxYx77I
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNuwb0hvUX
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIktkpJXM9
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUbHjoQywJ
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG4NeAC5iv
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuMvFYZ3Jo
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyZTOtXHIn
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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGETxX3lnEL
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.
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