IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLcCrSnXgA
Yukari croaked, “It’s okay.” She felt as if her skin was on fire. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her tears away.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7t7cmW36Wl
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzoFvRF1Py
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGttnm3lJk
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxujlaSnj1
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEibKk2pqkB
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eR1vmu9Sq
IA started the car and continued driving as if nothing had happened. Yukari had gotten used to the speed at which she drove by now, but she remained on the lookout for speed limit signs and reminded IA of them whenever they passed one. IA slowed down a bit.
"Please don’t be upset when I ask this, but why do you drive so quickly?” Yukari asked.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuydk6BvVa5
IA chuckled. “I don’t know. I’m just always so excited to get to a different place that it kind of takes over me. If you weren’t here to bring me back to my senses, I don’t know what I’d do.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj05WrfxBcg
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrs2BHQdmw
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjT57sZ0qw
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQXSE8dMlF
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCluXbKu83N
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlUIP5dhIA
Yukari gulped. It was a pulp novel that appeared to be translated into Japanese. The cover had two women in lingerie, one brunette lying on a bed and the other, blonde, sitting behind her with a mischievous expression. In the corner of the room they were in was a table with a coat and a magnifying glass on it.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbQRUldJVk
IA’s cheeks turned red. “Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s more than just love scenes. I wouldn’t show it to you if it was just that since, you know, that would be kind of weird. It’s a really intriguing mystery and has an interesting romance between the detective…” She pointed to the brunette. “... and the femme fatale she suspects is the murderer.” She moved her finger to the blonde. “It’s surprisingly good for a pulp novel, but the cover makes it a bit of a guilty pleasure. It has some more mature scenes but they’re not that often.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKW52sxLUGw
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bnWdNguqk
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTIenyBT6e
“Good.” IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as if she felt guilty about something. “If you feel uncomfortable reading it, you’re not obligated to read the rest. You can just return it to me and we can forget I ever lent it to you.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsoOIVFBjA
“I said it’s fine.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bazDS5nRd
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHt3uSKEMa
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLADtCRWTm9
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CszLOgU38
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAEXtVoyiV
When she finally made it home, she had dinner with her family. After that, she put her pyjamas on, lied down in bed and stared at her ceiling. One question tugged at her mind.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LKPlRJSp2
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGUb8T5FJz
There was no age issue, at least in terms of the law, as IA was twenty-two and she was eighteen, but Yukari was still a student at the school IA worked at. Then again, it wasn’t like IA was her teacher or anything like that. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5c2GR2FDs
She remembered what IA said.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJ6tCfoJP7
"That was inappropriate of me.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXH0oUT4aI
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzyQZJlXGE
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5C0T8Tf68R
She opened the book and began reading it. Some parts of the novel were awkwardly worded, possibly as a result of a bad translation, but the mystery was as engaging as IA said it would be. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDsSPFMhB3
When Yukari made it to the first love scene, her entire body went hot. Clunky wording aside, the scene was undeniably attractive to her, and she pictured IA as the blonde girl on the cover as she read the scene. Eventually, she dropped the book and fantasised on her own, the scenario in her mind getting more and more explicit.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJjUQRpQuE
When she was done fantasising, she continued reading until Roro’s frightened face entered her mind, convincing her to do homework. After that, she read a bit more until she went to sleep, which was around 11 or 12. It took around half an hour for her to fully fall asleep as the mystery of the novel consumed her mind.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDU4QIQW2M
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZzhyUV74r
She shoved the book in her school bag and did as her mother said. During class she kept getting distracted, trying to piece together the clues presented in the novel. She stared at Roro in the seat next to her. He looked back at her and frowned before turning his head and murmuring something she couldn’t hear. She felt her heart sink. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvuQzdOTSg
When lunch started, she took her food with her to the library, saw the ‘no food’ sign and ran outside. She sat under a bridge from the classrooms to the club rooms and opened the book. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOuNC5wkzL
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm91myrsv8n
And then a teacher walked up to her. He was tall and had eyebrows so thick it felt as if he could crush someone with them. She hid the book behind her back and the teacher scowled at her.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqMqp888gk
“Show me what you’ve got.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiYSFA2bxm
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpjLI5Gmmn
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiC3Am9TNr
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqTZwTSkga
“Nice try.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJIKnfWOya
Yukari stood up, trying her best not to cry. She followed him to the Principal’s office, which was inhabited by a short man with a toupee. The teacher handed him the book and the Principal’s eyebrows jumped through the roof. Yukari lowered her head and bit her lip.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1HdKf2lMc
“This is… I’ve never seen a girl bring this sort of material to school before. I’m going to have to call your parents.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzzgax3tkI
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp2huYxmIl
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8e6rd1F7n
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJoUDVDE5T
“And you brought this book here because…”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyzG1gFohJ
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeW2w7w5boX
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4SgdP26YW
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cK5mab52z
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgasl6LhVe
“For how long?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsTEeWZ1Sx
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPo74AbZv6M
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nWNIwpD2g
“Well, since this is your first offence, I guess I can give it back at the end of the week.” He ran his thumb against the cover. “Yes, a week should do. You’ll have learnt your lesson by then. I’m still going to have to call your parents. Come here after school for a meeting. And if you try to leave school before then, I think this book will look nice on my shelf.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRm4gSNjzS
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4g4ctldNij
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2sg3XsAX6
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulUYG9P6nc
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79r2HAkni5
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlt08SbgnJj
“I… I see. The one who should really be sorry is me. Giving you that book… how inappropriate of me. Should I… stop giving you these books? I went too far. I knew this was a bad idea.” Yukari noticed that there were bags under IA’s eyes. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk8NX5JzMI
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyO6yh89vpc
“It’s okay. I… I don’t want to end the time we’ve spent together. I do hav something to tell you, though. Hopefully it won’t end… whatever it is we have.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXy6iW0pzO9
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqdCcf72TL
“I know what you’re going to say.” She and Yukari spoke at the same time. “You’re straight and feel weirded out by me giving you these books.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAVPOXEig4
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lAFw4es4N
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IP66OxtmG
“Could you… repeat that?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMDeBk1Roc
Yukari’s cheeks went pink. “Well, I like you. You know that breakup with Roro? It was because I liked you more. You kind of made realise that I’m bisexual. I was thinking… maybe we could go out somewhere. I get it if you don’t want to! You probably want to keep your job. But we could keep it a secret if you want. But, you know, if you don’t want to… that’s cool… I’ll act cool as a cucumber. Cool as ice. Cool as… What am I saying?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPV0B0lmlHp
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonpRZ8uDjM
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuXUHGNoaC
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaN4r0uaMB
“I-Is that a yes?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseuxCAcEwk
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCVqbiY0Qy
Yukari chuckled. “So long as I don’t do anything as stupid as bringing a dirty book to school, I’ll be fine. By the way, please don’t spoil the ending. I didn’t get to finish it.” She released a short gasp. “Wait, can I tell Roro if he starts talking to me again? He already knows I like you and I know he won’t tell anyone.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHufegIsf8
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwkhtr75xw
Yukari eyes widened. “Oh god, my parents. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow since my parents are probably going to drag me home after this meeting. Thanks for reminding me.” Both her body and her voice shuddered as she shook her head like a dog trying to rid its fur of water after a bath.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hfM4gu3Dk
IA took several books off the shelf and made a pile of them, giving them to Yukari, who stared at her with one eyebrow higher than the other.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaMJImKu4a
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIahGZNlMd0
Yukari nodded with a smile. She turned towards the door and breathed slowly. She took a few moments to appreciate the moment she shared with IA before having to deal with her parents. For a few more seconds it was just her and the ghostlike librarian who became her girlfriend.
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