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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SAo8FumXf
Oh god, she waved at her.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77JfyqU9an
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. 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSwKzMSuM1
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpIHSwYNWZ
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. 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuUqpODVuU
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHvf488teP
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBmZMx7LV1
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0DcRoyU8a
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EE20KIK7t
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡip7uIHhxro
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1OZCWYmMa
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEvGirjxp1
“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.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtp1V1kQN2
“It is?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96V8LOs7et
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZ8A7ZFUTz
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Qf7W0DRYc
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSUolw96dI
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxBXbItOpd
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6rsldXfgk
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtM1R6lzrqo
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8TKRiD8vI
She mentally kicked herself.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrRFsMxNVA
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?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpePcBNgwzN
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGStc6TUxNp
“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?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8vPK9jZbG
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.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyeWNwpN7P
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntzs3RQ2rA
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzslIxqR5iV
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡni2QXqXm1X
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLI5Jdsvk9
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAF4TqfV0TW
“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.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzPBKP791w
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVtI2DyHSK
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3v1nhDVQy
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCc13xSSEb
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzLt4ji2NL
“What are you going to do?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMC4BFBgj2Y
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdW1ZoREyTE
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye9qWEOKoF
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1bKYNdxPj
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSIxGdTmD0
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKTRzjEemi
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3khYZFYHP
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eGX1ZTSqv
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-705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFeIylL3bN
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdmNCSquwE
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.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkUFWIPnEg
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3lmvvo5aO
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1GYfNqjlY
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuv6cZW2n3
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMRTXyIEjV
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu5hJ1bzio
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1zoeEpwzu
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVDI8gGBkY
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXZlGYbQTn
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKGc2Qn71Y
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEVIMTQ9Sc
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3801oNWDjw
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmOfXIWW51
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0toUsRUf4L
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDSMjtZ1G3
She hadn’t done any homework.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyAr5DcYp8
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNYjzqaFbp
“Are you okay?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHE7T3IVjU
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPe3oMVZxPX
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hxWAlifmC
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9w7r65PQ8c
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rb3qiw6TA
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8MBiejhbZ
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmsHQ1Sowf
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWYXv5qthW
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOQ0pVQnB1
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WqlH698sX
“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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtH9nR1cFjB
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UsFU3hYk5
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G0nrimikG
“But I can-”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6mkyV96nV
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllj5RozcdF
“But you just said it’s not my-”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBac2FFY3Q
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrqrpDcVBo
“What’s going on with y-”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOX661KjNZ
“I like someone else!” 705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzf0PIu4Txa
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdcSbrgZSa
“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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUE4CjizP90
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnQ2eUN0bF
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuViXZ34cjb
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2UIKZpOPJ
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFF7LYQPQJn
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDttIR07yQb
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdMU2KGF3m
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13TQVgPpCK
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs0pyLHbVK
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.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmhjlwjisx
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.
ns3.17.176.77da2
and then Add to home screen.