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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDyoNwSfDW
Oh god, she waved at her.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dQPJhUwkF
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. 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iYTOoEtFa
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEk6FeTZigQ
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. 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF8srbmJ1t
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRM5Jtrkcr
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7moIBMDHJ
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGC1vevgHV
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMABvhTYIzl
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPe4mkG9Oyx
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsO5A6EDSI
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5QeRZHPxw
“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.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9PXW5oYUD
“It is?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFX0q16fVY
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TAN4pLVOL
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTNxSvApdW
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegDGnCa394
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DxMXdi4CL
484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qnVcS5NXP
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xLreQJfSB
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IVHAzaEeD
She mentally kicked herself.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5JejEeKPW
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?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpo6rIKtHlI
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQvan8KhBV
“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?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc1RxRY7kx
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.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeSWYWSp4R
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaGUxHH1BA
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLW5bConlO
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTZpVCb3es
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQ5Rs5bKWW
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDP51rPsPj0
“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.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Uddi3DRdx
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkiYXiGZIo
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivgL36aBki
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyhGJmRDFB
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTdCw1lVo5
“What are you going to do?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwO1A54L63X
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXDaBNA5h9
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkatLIqTrM
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iWGK0EJbl
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5k1hGIfhh
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WjfTu9vyM
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMLUagQtNF
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIYsRtVg35
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-484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyioABu8fe
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPA4yqjV1A
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.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxrvubAZ6b
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLKdyYyACb
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L94tWFloH
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqJB2HpfzC
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DfEz1HI7Z
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6L0GqGHRO
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpshTbqhhk
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQ7wGmh15s
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgVQyWGyec
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gkUcbLkJ2
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHtV2pCOY5
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9iF4ujH22
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvZsL8nX7H
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFq1FqM1mR
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQLMcBdHhC
She hadn’t done any homework.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKchoF9576f
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mzfD6ufss
“Are you okay?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvk3gulDBEo
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUq2mzdyXLN
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4O9ICqfb2
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBWo7HkV3x
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7d52jS3rF
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVva0Lq5jaT
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUyMjnEWRo
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWx4GqHOLfH
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx89vT9FAtv
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzX7uJooPIe
“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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sTeELHZth
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQJ5aNzAm8
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ8DsngkqE
“But I can-”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CTqSZncdY
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKzdMbd70R
“But you just said it’s not my-”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxGcsyXnbU
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV25QMscJoC
“What’s going on with y-”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiad1RJJFfN
“I like someone else!” 484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzDXSO0N3D
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0VaDHChlo
“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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡui9LwF55zk
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWBFZ1u7vs
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlDkcRRGCG
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPJYuGpQjF
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdX0PmQen2
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwV2iHBRATg
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2n620uljnO
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWqGSyUMNo
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RVEqEGs8p
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.484Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3iwaXdVbJ
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.
ns 108.162.216.42da2
and then Add to home screen.