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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5Pa7p2Ryg
Oh god, she waved at her.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50bcOgXsA6
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. 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGdNymGJJK
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafwXsjusOz
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. 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7X2cmrAQag
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMlcn21ZQb
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWlK6Xkghy
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKnrEEh1YR
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlJRsRnwVs
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9HMVACrWT
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFrim8lw6z
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6EZomIbWc
“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.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVU0H3Dbhu
“It is?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFaEMPzvMo
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoJ8coRDor
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsc9z53nOLd
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlv6YQC7Hu8
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHFtZ85s7z
756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBi9I2Rb5m
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJbEAyRbNo
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3pUXzRfGm
She mentally kicked herself.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEk0H9EaqTH
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?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcz9uJbbtZ
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIibS9l1ht
“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?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ919F7YyEvT
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.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUsQTBJThg
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqEsbKk6Ho
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHMsIkqybv
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lpuLZkKeV
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfQje8q1MI
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEGYFQvwsL
“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.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3OkyooEeW
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbb9s1omDK
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoUAN85gdk
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHidc91qbbi
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCYu11aEl6
“What are you going to do?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHbJL8nRU2
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSs0rgISgkX
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnTuVgAAjU
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wfgSUkune
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkVawd2F79
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDcnrSRhWn
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCZbFDADcL
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mcG26uPx5
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-756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0hzEX2ypJ
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEouW1QZQWn
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.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoz8Bjgn6Yq
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0LazJaxmY
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPp1zr1o8f
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCKhu7kuJJ
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4As2skfsfF
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nivtI72C9
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJqdqxhWzy
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9mfS6rM5B
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtj6PMct800
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmI8i0upUC
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mJyo4vfhH
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTAgmN5FDr
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbWN2AwpqJ
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSgfwV9lDk
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gUbzblPii
She hadn’t done any homework.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDGeNDDsqR
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvC4J0Cje8
“Are you okay?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IcN2VAHWT
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfjmMXGmWY
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCy6wHlzGCl
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡts2R1xo4bS
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj10AQs1ZrB
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnGWxmAWdb
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3izE9Johv
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAiiOkYvpF
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiCPsd3V6T
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6rRQKzMDP
“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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplmuR5VxTw
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZTJFKlpCy
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMjhk3QCia
“But I can-”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqWVeq8gAo
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjbTk9yeSy
“But you just said it’s not my-”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqL4XRc09y
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvsqu9lvQ5
“What’s going on with y-”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaChKdWwKi8
“I like someone else!” 756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvKIfl1tqv
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuuF3kyfIv
“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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePTHCdHmAm
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy4fe7VIEG
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxp4v3qsBt
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSKkEpg65A
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSly3uHLsTe
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejhsAEBRQc
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBFROgSva1
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxwAAKkhRq
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9eJymZmhi
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.756Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b1damLat6
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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