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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj097FB69N2
Oh god, she waved at her.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL0cAE3yJP
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. 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqnpFuh1aI
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquhUcocgiT
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. 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XLxD1sZVV
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQ1b8JDrg4
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ7j9Nk9da
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOccIoTqyYp
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLEWKrba8D
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUttzXAOBG3
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSO1EtwgNH
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Gf5Tmw9mq
“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.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzwPMqsQ2E
“It is?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoYY8V5bTY
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7RMrDFon8
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0D0r6KGTT8
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhe4cGxu0c
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD8Ei6IeIH
934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CF3yG2YOl
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZnNwlSbGe
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeG9rKw3m7y
She mentally kicked herself.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABUUMhHB5Q
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?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFPBsV2rgC
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIG101xxIq
“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?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXrS6WCAaz
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.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3wz8RONbF
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZx1MUMA3n0
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0Xek13CyZ
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkrMNL7CbD
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIWuSQM4RR
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDbpRSmxB9
“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.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fdByJw8SJ
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGJhC3cuaZ
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hekEznWai
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IzMFoUTHF
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7z5PKcv4t
“What are you going to do?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXg8HusLfR
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLXmAs4Ed8
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhu4FkL96TF
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMiKD4w1Tb
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1v8kfdBZO
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDdkVO2QcO
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9GxNHvKv2
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRsO9ndhek
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-934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcM2kEA6Ru
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHM8yI4Adeb
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.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewYACvkvk2
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4y031DsGi
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6csB2Nn21N
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF6PX4GRiA
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnuos5IZxv
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijsP4BGwKV
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUI3pmwTKkW
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEMCocp7Ud
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfEvMvSe2T
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QJdrSXjHo
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHNqRLdF9k
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDffavdcxH
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnLmAIf0C6
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7uP8PKoTv
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBJEf4DB5y
She hadn’t done any homework.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKDLCRSmVJ
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6DgZcZvEI
“Are you okay?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aZrBIMgN6
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlt6OCXVEuL
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ726WgGN4RT
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ02RxldYip
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wUYdCSIFp
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmNN54HD6n
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhfSnMurHN
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3i4wKUVwj0
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDdRY6y2Pe
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2B7dLjmps
“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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBsHwEns3w
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TM3hwfEWE
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhmNsTJNV5
“But I can-”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJV4runU7M
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhpVeGzvPN
“But you just said it’s not my-”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJ2XA5lsn0
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5sdeNbvGe
“What’s going on with y-”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZrEXldMFJ
“I like someone else!” 934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hB46mrPhQ
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQwYSZpDio
“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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbOeisNtq2
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMnDypKpfN
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JHA6h0OZF
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jNWzhj7Ri
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tVVcQFJJO
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXP5Az6RAM
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95SLn8rnMi
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfYmvFEmZo
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDNxuBG7NZ
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.934Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NxT9AMUBY
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.
ns216.73.216.25da2
