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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbQBw78LP1
Oh god, she waved at her.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0olC1J533b
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. 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmzyivW9jG
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkeRSzX51A
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. 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3tfuNX3U5
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpR9v2QOZpF
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWNJUZPju5
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHo1iJfsBa
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZiG3kt9JF
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoGpRJEW33
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMov1tw4BvN
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DBsFHsIvR
“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.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRTNofF13o
“It is?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7D4FjLXMh
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9oFtNyAUW
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrmXUe7v2Y
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7aKpvp5UU
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV7E4wypgK
746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKjuEmwupR
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQOsZmvP04
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUehIQIfjH
She mentally kicked herself.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ7V9PZwGU
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?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHF9Uow1hZ
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6LzWidVvG
“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?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbxqWCltyE
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.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXmZ4coyXH
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCEjHXM2nt
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbJrFHM50Q
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hbShfWsEV
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cyJogGRks
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOFS1UKCLQ
“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.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UqmYMaTDo
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaCdyneelG
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSMq7q39W8
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbj0yS6ubw
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJYvgtQ8ZR
“What are you going to do?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgBQss88QT
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPPbkwqsef
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDedOfHcTqN
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Eb45NUCS2
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAiH8c5qdY
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUm7dHi4ame
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7nVsvcjdZ
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsklajKiZ4
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-746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7fVMmew30
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtrKNtv7yv
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.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7HjxJ2pgc
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YIBOt2lxz
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8peyxfcq7
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q1YgkEyow
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4KkFc0jJL
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36oMhg6xzU
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DeNOEtIFZ
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡle8IxunDQc
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Hsq6CTSfF
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYnfps5k8I
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDkybDQVpd
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJywhcTJJB4
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6a3eA2D5s
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIHmYkRazI
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaX0god5g9
She hadn’t done any homework.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsFDbn5n8g
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYj9dBzRLVz
“Are you okay?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbCIf5sxEH
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7zuz8WPeO
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfKIAPC1J4
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xsXTdvctF
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicDw4N2Sxe
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsg1WIWR7N
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp75X3FfzUN
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtVCoT3sk4
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpUpPlcdMM
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOQNwVebfR
“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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMZb7lx88c
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnpfIf5DrT
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwd7C3IjOM
“But I can-”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8lfOBaUp7
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWov9gi3sVq
“But you just said it’s not my-”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlQ1SlvGFQ
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4N1X3N6wFI
“What’s going on with y-”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDDmEFtyf8
“I like someone else!” 746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZNVKn6rmX
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZGAkO6YS1
“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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWMbos72Fg
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUc3lWxqXc
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzCNrouD1a
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOY5cBjCPhj
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFE3KhxeYv
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRxpxLpQxJ
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiyLsVpEXf
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHrCXNWuur
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcufJhUIGbR
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.746Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSHLRoKDAj
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.
ns3.145.158.137da2
and then Add to home screen.