IA let go abruptly. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBV9OHuuKs
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lp1DlKKrT
IA tapped her fingers rapidly against the steering wheel. She looked down at her lap with drooping eyes and sighed.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeauZKeVs4N
“Are you okay?” Yukari asked.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5jFaJXMOB
IA’s eyes grew and she lifted her head, putting on a smile.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNOb0TGkcV
“Of course I am. You’re here, aren’t you?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGK2CYlWGE
This comment sent the warmth from Yukari’s skin to her heart. She smiled and turned her head, covering her mouth.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiSHU970zY
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPo89blFLOB
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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnYlRXHg4D
Yukari’s smile grew bigger.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05tf3LVWvN
At the apartment, IA wiggled her fingers for a while before taking a book off her shelf.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFCp4Ov7r3
She immediately returned it to the shelf. Then she took it out again.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGkrXMaa1a
“Okay, this one’s… Don’t judge me.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06Ipkwe6S4
She handed it to Yukari while turning her head with her closed eyes scrunched up.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcAmj1XgUG
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5S71VP4Lzu
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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPgDcYVAId
Yukari’s chest began to hurt from her heart pounding too hard. She nodded and held the book against her chest.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEShlIJQ3Z
“I’ll give it a go. I’m eighteen, so I think I can handle it.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlpx7xABnU
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYmyJE8oTF
“I said it’s fine.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AI26ahTGK
The two fell silent, just standing there and looking away from each other. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrpXIsZjHs
IA gulped loudly. “Okay. I hope you enjoy reading it.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHuCYusbBD
Yukari nodded and bowed before leaving the apartment. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSlp1YvbGO
As she headed home she passed Roro’s house and frowned. Her own eyebrows furrowed with guilt, but she continued walking.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOUFkDCfAG
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jvp2fZjPj
‘Would it be wrong for her to date me?’710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xcNiAkuET
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. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATjgQs41lb
She remembered what IA said.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFhZaKuu3B
"That was inappropriate of me.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1fIp18CSp
Yukari sighed as Roro’s face popped into her head. Was that breakup all for nothing? 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7hhpX2HeX
She shook her head. He wouldn’t deserve to be led on like that. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvX99cHgs4
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. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVpj6vGBzl
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvnPH2m7sv
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s595bYAxX
As soon as she woke up, she read some more before her mother yelled at her to have breakfast and go to school.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSMdRM3WdS
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. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWgIKjPG1v
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. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iYKlgHRIT
She managed to get near the end. She was so close, and the answer to the mystery was only a few pages away-710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5emssEvS88
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2aL6uY6rZ
“Show me what you’ve got.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScSv6aovzr
Yukari groaned but complied, her hands shaking as she held the book up. The teacher raised an eyebrow. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg690t4Mzg
“Come with me to the Principal’s office.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTCMwmxf9Y
“I-It’s not what you think! It’s a mystery novel!”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqm6idln4Y
“Nice try.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ441P18wFp0
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JUZ0Qe8Xe
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfBl4l29Dq
Yukari cried, “They don’t know! Please don’t tell them!”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQvahlcQDe
The Principal shook his head. “This is very concerning. Now, where did you get this book?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjxEz5FtVq
“That’s…” IA’s pearly white smile jumped into her mind. “I bought it.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLCNhnwbY3
“And you brought this book here because…”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsct7W4wDKJ
Yukari turned her head and scrunched up her eyes. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkKBlhyGOQ
“I wanted to get answers to the mystery in the book. It’s a murder mystery. Look at the magnifying glass on the cover.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC57wHRocWc
The Principal stared at the cover, trying to keep himself from smiling.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1EioMGMJn
“I’ll have to confiscate this.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWzOfOd6oL
“For how long?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBduApBowaV
“I don’t think a girl like you should be reading something like this.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77kbyEBSKR
“But… please…. I’m really sorry. I won’t bring it in again.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqntGKoV0xw
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfs6FvOsabj
Yukari bowed and left. She headed to the library, finishing her food on the way.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4ZkEx5Fcj
“IA, can I talk to you about the book?” 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4aPAVn3mQ
IA nodded, leading her to the librarian’s office. Yukari took a deep breath and bowed again.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCSrcNRi2a
“I’m really sorry.” She explained what happened.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv37KZV1pyc
IA’s eyebrows were furrowed as she rubbed the back of her neck.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOqZEXDWRY
“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. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCVk7n27mB
Yukari raised a trembling hand up to IA’s cheek.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPyUmpya3r
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw30ZtYu4z0
IA turned away and took a book off the shelf, her breaths ragged. 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgY8pAmiaGo
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxq7begqxhU
“I like you. Could we maybe, I don’t know, go out for coffee sometime?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDP3oYQNei9
IA dropped the book and whipped her head around.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BUqsB32dt
“Could you… repeat that?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWMIbfCaEE
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?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtzTgX1zxX
IA grinned and giggled, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Yukari and started to cry on her shoulder.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wl9mkIO7p
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZOP7JFKxT
Yukari patted her head before stroking her hair.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeDCza0NVM
“I-Is that a yes?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIqHpWrz5v
“It has to be secret, though. Are you sure you want to worry about keeping secrets?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbUMlzk8Iv
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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKjUiGVmXe
IA frowned and let go. “I… I guess. No one else, though. Not even your parents.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTTIINPwJu
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxamHkRoPKB
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMRSO8tivr
IA winked. “We have to keep this a secret, right? Don’t want to arouse suspicion around me taking you to my office.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLNdE9Grz8
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.
ns18.224.136.160da2
and then Add to home screen.