IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkhogtUVid
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3mv8OJ9AF
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmKaOXlrFJ
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2e6db4HScp
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPK3LigkJ8w
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5ynwy3WCW
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRq95iVaRE1
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuGnZwC8w8
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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHandkZ39HP
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3POUBlVbV
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Hwn2F6OtR
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbOKoL3K2A
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUF5HwOs4QP
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdCB5agwoB
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUCEsRlrXZ
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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgEWlVI7uX
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvFOph6jKH
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBx92PJDQh
“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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVs29hy4c5k
“I said it’s fine.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IiqG8pYVf
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm2pMQPSFx
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTuFP4m6Oy
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHPcCygwxx
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXrfCpnL8v
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI11cqlb4xO
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIrWEr7PY1
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. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeUZFxJWPB
She remembered what IA said.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYVJuLWcIN
"That was inappropriate of me.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlB3QkP8BR
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwXPtQ5Ifn
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5eolppZUC
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. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9rFd2PqAx
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvK42Y24izF
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcP878iK8X5
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOoJjoxyIR
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. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsa9aFtYvvM
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. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wbBKdBUAi
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1B4aVPE5W
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpV7LslDLSD
“Show me what you’ve got.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBtt4ZfScb
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5Tkdg4w6e
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdhCFblSEV
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoWqNBp6x6
“Nice try.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQNC58wd5g
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpALfZfnTll
“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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUE10Uu3c7
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvUjCv0sW1
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTBPFL0wGN
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXpIqC8tfL
“And you brought this book here because…”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5Xs34E99b
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRU8b4B7rL
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EWj9eONgR
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKf3xrPBJH
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQSMzUfHxt
“For how long?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuU1DRkXHV
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8170gMWxaB
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpygfWVok7
“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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmUHAXZFL5
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugFzVZKuy3
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvpxMWmXve
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLuCU40BL6
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFgCImdahM
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPx6kr0X33i
“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. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYgxIc34Qv
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk3ChlIN3M
“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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuklMG2etrV
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLfaDWo02C
“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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79vMPyfGhp
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubXsnup5Xe
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pwEREJU9g
“Could you… repeat that?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuQcQINKqd
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?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPclLtybYbV
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHiEn9CiI3
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04HuKXQw2P
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59eMnMoSah
“I-Is that a yes?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXO0QwGbBN
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrBDIKO7Z1
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.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSpksmGRpV
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJ0gT3NOSB
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuEGwEy5tf
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.721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Sw0YDoQBl
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”721Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDWnZbib9I
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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