IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu682bgYWHG
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4wr3Mysur
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLNz16urvM
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWSUD4Dbsl
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxum0BIO2xF
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDIzowqbSk
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYSQMv89Xa
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvCjZkCIZJ
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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8SabY5XIS
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPAeq9IuhQ
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN1i1qEkDQ
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYjrUuITrO
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFclAOLOFS
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlBr4OyXpI
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEyO7Ok7gX
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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEpc0wh29m
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP7x4Y84XL
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViCTSOOVqT
“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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zHCcoGckS
“I said it’s fine.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6S4l5teZf
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0ZAtyHtCF
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOCkS3dyCR
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrkzxQ6NUZ
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6HDfyaLg9
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xesWqwoeL
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mtXl7xtJI
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. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPIlCBoBJZ
She remembered what IA said.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGu6nE524M
"That was inappropriate of me.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbLhNCDiJu
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDURxzIUpye
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD20gqO9lte
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. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6CqHXbIUN
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVi5ipBfJP
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHsekAJHks
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ilv6lwr8s
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. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrllGRyXeVI
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. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEpjbUS57O
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4nhNYj4bi
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGR2wTG2kQT
“Show me what you’ve got.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OxKtXGake
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIUCjj6ext
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qyKFJMJAG
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwVUkhX5Ek
“Nice try.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz73SNNChRl
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7dZNGsism
“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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjPUR6SzqA
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0ZhgXIsUQ
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRKLrZ4iit
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡER5cJ427hj
“And you brought this book here because…”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58jsuR8mij
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5y95ZW2XN2
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR89bUzzHCv
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooLHQAWCgY
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5r2liroJaY
“For how long?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET5qFRyL5v
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HyL4hscic
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiSIOD09HM
“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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyRLtZ6Dc1
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeWHTS7hVW
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbVWcjWzXZ
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcnmxh8RRx
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHkIMrBWPM
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5iQM9dBLM
“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. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80MH8xPTNE
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9Txj9tS39
“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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUfDy2ja06
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96kzHyCeni
“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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZuIDfOW97
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlfKHJV27s
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQep0v4cjLS
“Could you… repeat that?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpAUO7JFgP
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?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxouve9uo6
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPW7ZTQ1PY
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdgpsJ6WMM
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAsWwUa5a8
“I-Is that a yes?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMKSEyHYEv
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJJeBD4H31
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.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDkG4um8l6
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxZLYPHnE6
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSkz2jYhUk
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYOGPZAec9
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ341uMqOZUQ
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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