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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJZxcQezWJ
Oh god, she waved at her.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPF9vcknxLm
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. 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTVPpIYQkI
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvzgONagAC
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. 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wEVhqJiRt
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVS64dHJcuW
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBLg3VTlDV
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIivDaqZ8V
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NDYuto7Fy
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYvenkK9IW
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAeQgR959A
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXd9GhDvz4s
“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.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhTFdg9al1
“It is?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbzwvhUkpy
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP4G1cWzbQ
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoo5kzLyozt
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVkdZ1SOR2
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBh3ySGXDW6
728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJUfM6YK9V
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOc64V35uO
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUkIZa8Jqy
She mentally kicked herself.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazlGJkf8s5
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?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNBWMKFeJ4
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBR6vYMY9Y
“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?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PJSe7G1dk
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.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99UuebTy8h
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJ8GcaWTV6
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsli5T7SMi
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDr5ITnUVZ
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGB3ZY5StdL
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9EPiucj9r
“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.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tIPo0sxPr
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9b8DtolXv
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLMpwcBD0k
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjA5IazN40
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnERAGGSSY
“What are you going to do?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3o2YqNs4H
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6t4xC90yTM
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ1Q3t0eg4
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6McmyEFC3o
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvXQjn3LA0
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2tttBwR5T
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11K1b3nR3J
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzsTByS4pO
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-728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WLEDroXHS
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyRYTRw52O
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.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjweMb5Z4re
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbvPEmEpeU
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnMFso2BkP
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATZevnaFaJ
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagrycGMrHC
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykw6AA5Wq9
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWA3kyHJ5cD
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwB0MdhF5W
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeozBqbGWr
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzjRQx1neu
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv1z2Vm4y4
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidHJpVIOIh
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3W8NE1184
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ENhbcFEae
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02PgODll5u
She hadn’t done any homework.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPWaHpTgY7
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDznd6LkqK
“Are you okay?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalwpADyO55
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeoxePuoH7
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzhn2puP7u
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrp7nEb7jy4
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0VhOxYgFI
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxA8hHlMzCF
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9MDOuGWzN
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGnIjE5amQ
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9ThCcOM0X
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55fdbOF8bl
“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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKefB6kUfM
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjsU936mpR
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNUGuEScoK
“But I can-”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLSy4Ud9m8
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjHXoYzEtR
“But you just said it’s not my-”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6rxTx2Nww
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DJsopWJOM
“What’s going on with y-”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFhoLxTIi3
“I like someone else!” 728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvXK9rYBPI
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYG2Rag02QX
“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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGenTGdemz
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMxoXSEjHi
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ23k6Lk09w
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTrNUAKUBV
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXQg3mLQTK
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxodqZWaDN
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGlXpQqtsR
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3feEulyMm
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VpsL5o7dv
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.728Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFSG7wz5Tk
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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