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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBc43348P8k
Oh god, she waved at her.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qLAVym536
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. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoWkAkrlqV
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OGRLAVVIA
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. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3Yo8BTHzx
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7G9rKlOOWD
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSw4YZo7JG
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SOozGxKaR
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiId1bn3gu
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJGTU0wuc8
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqFzFzFpgj
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJCFXwBMVc
“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.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvWegUkzSr
“It is?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGclzJoZqX
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSA2dGNPHbb
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9mVRCKwjF
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTG4il2NzS
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTrC9RR5wf
682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVzkUbppgK
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwl3k9FYbHe
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PO1CqbwRK
She mentally kicked herself.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomRvnmCt45
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?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU53pqHLebD
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGI3NCqijw
“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?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MHy0cbT8I
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.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJCM7kJXmr
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdekkjESIEV
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjYpYc8k74
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Mn1HfqN8R
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiszk4TXw4
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPLuioet7W
“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.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqmNT7cANx
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmk1QuRuBQ
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPfHq7MtKR
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDKV6VbEWV
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFLccaeGbO
“What are you going to do?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQ55dRwdKC
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLwgaNRvaa
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEh2ckDdy6T
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJ6ThtrCBD
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvJzuaBYtH
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaSIePhczM
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRx7VQcHeeo
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ3KQhr9dC
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-682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeiWip8z61
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aRvImhAip
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.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ipDbyDoNf
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNBje2Ziza
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sUYVlA42n
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ScTsevDt1
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLULFO6rLA5
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipfk0NHmaf
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3ARNl6JZX
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEwOztHFAi
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNXvC2KamS
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBti1ze8D6
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjjxkKrnyd
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaAXpqhqL4
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhdvpfPWRq
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZeiAuY4t8
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGQauGm4rD
She hadn’t done any homework.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PuPoku0ni
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKBe6vQdkb
“Are you okay?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43QCPiRJx1
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jiVG0XC5c
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfKNp8DJSX
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TYJyhtM3P
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTn4hJzLXi
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMDwqiHT4y
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9artFkVURN
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTPVfIs3Pp
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpebBBwpym
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMvttoVbQk
“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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uYnFmZJuN
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQ6AxdEH4j
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9YPQFaez4
“But I can-”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaP4LIGos3
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95qg70t30g
“But you just said it’s not my-”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMzQYkWiOm
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jJKBAXpqP
“What’s going on with y-”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJgehWRjei
“I like someone else!” 682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBPUMJS4nS
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyK827sRGZ3
“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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLD3E4C7pq
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGYMMB8RHV
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuAgjOcrFV
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30zhtuUkNN
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvudS3LyeuW
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCnDIQIL0u
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJg28mHyU0
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR56Avtwww
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KglWUsugy
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.682Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlB7LYEQcI
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.
ns52.14.189.148da2
