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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg8V3yVXuK
Oh god, she waved at her.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaMyTo1adV
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. 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZCdXUrF4N
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxyewER8kJ
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. 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vAGuNxrrz
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsd2GcWW7wE
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4QvWWeglp
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpK793zUTtd
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XW8eAdZhM
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcuKfXQ69b
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDkWbbhlID
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwfNTuavOg
“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.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23gCPpG8Ev
“It is?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1rXfBeW8L
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnvsWgrQbK
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡry8QFtnEeK
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70tyaSlmcU
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcgafJGXV8
899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvG0yjXfb8
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdwwZI8wyI
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyCEa6ZyGp
She mentally kicked herself.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxSM7PF1ss
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?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGMbT0DYpl
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3TpMw21vJ
“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?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyoU90vkkz
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.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzTXg0gJMy
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZqpJpEvAm
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHCyXUyUfG
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEo6wwkaAtR
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliab6TNtl8
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5cHjG8OV8
“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.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutZtftrRp3
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNagyFleORK
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMwj3pyqbY
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTITq1ES5v
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHxiEiVIQJ
“What are you going to do?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8ZZMgABgd
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ft2uZZVCD
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyFznujbFJ
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOVQtlq6uT
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIiWAKGMlI
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZZ9ncmncs
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDFxGta8ws
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvZXnB36Rb
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-899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGrWCyv3ND
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzirEhNc5IK
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.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUlrzWiFgy
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuWvGlmdqq
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObeOjzsRRN
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydAii1WliC
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8vH0eT9Js
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kRb2C1IhI
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2oJA3tKkT
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVVpCjlTN7
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKoNEWcje3
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QHUmotalB
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJL1pXM8gQ
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQmtfi6pGT
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSjdLPmuMz
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0N81Po6jX
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZ3jOaAlWV
She hadn’t done any homework.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwyz5IN3zD
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmeJaoAJrm
“Are you okay?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2E86sImN5
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3htCjiDKbO
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIg852yizSZ
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYoZynuVf6
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdK2seae29
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSZJfh5iwx
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7JElPXJCa
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVbqXwASY1
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvB4cvulNN
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64KtQXdhfl
“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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmhVKuWJoH
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQl5LNOjrPL
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKu2mNj0eZ
“But I can-”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8glanMOO7
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Zl8WE51Sd
“But you just said it’s not my-”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYyP1TZndN
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU17tLMNOXs
“What’s going on with y-”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgj71ZLt8Gz
“I like someone else!” 899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h7GpAXWBQ
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxSDOomNKm
“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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBa1VrNwemZ
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83XxOFkNnz
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqR5pyfryzn
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvXWxLWXeF
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUszS56674
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcIKm2KFC4
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p0px3Qjce
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaP3qS7UMm
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKqusikh83
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.899Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgoSE97Hj2
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.
ns216.73.216.78da2
