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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5x49XBSbFH
Oh god, she waved at her.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYV55YFLMrc
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. 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcH0V4lcNd
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlZ1feeUbr
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. 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4c51dahMv3
She looked down at the book in her hand and remembered the main character’s struggle to talk to the ghostlike woman.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCsgojLwfE
She turned around and lurched towards IA, debating whether to walk like she usually did or in a casual, breezy way.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT8MtIwGBw
IA smirked at her. “Do you like maths?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OdjVnldCP
Yukari snorted like a horse. “Of course. I love me some numbers. Trig is seriously underrated. Yeah.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rkl9dHHYt
IA chuckled. “Calm down.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMoatRSGaI
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVctumQGnJ
“Did you like it?” IA asked. Yukari, still looking down, nodded. “Who was your favourite character?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOYzVTPT6m
“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.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g5CjigPee
“It is?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OgBXY4Is9
Yukari stepped back. She squinted her eyes at IA, who had her head tilted like a dog again.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrppw0PUZyj
“I’m Yuzuki Yukari. You… didn’t know?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAh8EGyBZO
IA stood up and bowed. “I’m sorry for not asking for your name earlier. I keep getting…distracted whenever we talk.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncBgl7PkRG
I keep getting distracted whenever we talk.
I keep getting distracted.
Distracted.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFpgwTeP24
935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvk1OrgGvP
Yukari felt like something exploded in her head, sending a blast of heat that reached from her neck up to her ears.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFhTzgeyel
She coughed. “So, uh, books. Gotta love ‘em. And music… music’s pretty… dope. It’s like oxygen. Everyone needs it in their lives.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpXNN9J6c5
She mentally kicked herself.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SFMi4mton
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?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6akCnS9Omu
“I haven’t really listened to it. Why?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorTdlS51kW
“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?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEDRe9OhCn
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.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DHkvvQsgc
Yukari bit her lip. “What’s my boyfriend got to do with it?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaMfo9fDLx
IA scratched the back of her ear and looked away, frowning. “Never mind.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwm1zGbrtC
“I’m fine with reading that sort of stuff. Recommend away.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0aVT6qAkh
IA beamed at Yukari, who, under her powerful gaze, started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXuVSU0jnb
Yukari asked, “Do you like jazz?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvHyEflBNm
“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.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bJob2QiOC
The sky turned indigo and IA locked up the library, once again taking Yukari to her car. 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7w6n34yRZU
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrHoHSlV1o
IA turned on a CD player in the room. The notes of a trombone and double bass filled the room.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOKVQRPNbC
“Do you have anywhere to be? Would you like to read here for a bit?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHC0eVULWT
“What are you going to do?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mmc8I0Gx4
IA picked a book from one of the piles called ‘Club Majesty’. “This will do for me.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFeuTgQpoL
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWcvcMuRlM
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp1oQjZEk2
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnP7jTB2wr
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ro1pyCNTB
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeLVEMHUVh
IA said nothing, turning the page. It took her only half a minute before she turned the page again. 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNhQXRKGnU
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-935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lK7VORv50
IA turned the page. “Hey, it was just getting good,” Yukari blurted out. She held her head down. “Um… sorry.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKq042BAHD
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.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0kWSvFWF2
Yukari smiled. She took a few moments to gain the courage to poke IA’s foot.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyM97tpvKh
IA kicked the air, cackling like a middle-aged woman after one too many glasses of Syrah. 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LcCcwAOUe
She dropped her book and pounced on Yukari, tickling the underarms. This developed into a bonafide tickle match.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnNN89Urur
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1un6hHXiOg
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQk5wAChOz
IA’s eyes grew before she shut them and backed away.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBuVvZucpE
“Um, sorry, I… uh… you should go back to… whatshisname… your boyfriend.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbGnv9FYoL
Yukari stood up and bowed. She grabbed her book and gave IA one last small smile before leaving the apartment.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDrb1ItaS9
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfEnIn0dXh
Her phone buzzed and she frowned when she saw the message.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iMpIP3o5U
How’re you doing, beautiful? Wanna hang out?- Roro row your boat935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqVJBFvVi3
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJDOP0idWE
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHwsBe7YxN
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOdBru2py7
She hadn’t done any homework.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqnbSurNf1
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCUyY4X5Tc
“Are you okay?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE5Lf9dAtv
Yukari nodded and looked away from him.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNSOohlnQL
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzvrQJWScb
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zWRXlaaOE
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JNABrPqdY
After those three weeks, Roro took her aside after class and brought her to the empty music room.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYo7dQKWz1
He coughed an ‘ahem’. “Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you something. What the hell is going on with you?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVctjeFHnP
Yukari looked at the door behind her and stepped backwards but Roro grabbed her arm. His grip was gentle. 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegOf1mTDIb
“Please… whatever’s going on, please let me know. Did I do something wrong?” Yukari gulped, saying nothing. “Please, just talk to me.” 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYpKJwC0QQ
Yukari rubbed her eyes with her forearm. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0diblHzdoF
“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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75j6mFLdfa
Yukari took her arm away from her face and allowed tears to just fall down freely.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC97Az0o9X4
“It’s something I have to figure out on my own.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhpdSJcvDm
“But I can-”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNyRUb4CPr
“Not when the problem’s got to do with you!”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8MssSQhMX
“But you just said it’s not my-”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmchPolTZb7
“It’s my fault. If only I wasn’t so selfish.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwIlXGiwuL
“What’s going on with y-”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnopfqiLy1
“I like someone else!” 935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVec1hCoXVo
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmu3IJd4NTh
“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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddBo687Ybc
“It’s… a girl. You know the new librarian?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoMOxIY3Pg
Roro took his hand off her hair, recoiling from shock.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHwuhs20s8
“Wait, so did you… I don’t know… pretend to like me so you don’t have to admit you like girls or something?”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxo0aZGH4h
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uUYYffbcn
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRolW09edq3
“I… never pegged you for one of those girls. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing you’d be into.”935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ1f2TkgDD
Yukari looked up and saw Roro silently leaving the room.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgd10xNh2Ak
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqoLH2gUvv
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.935Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqaTeFTNIp
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.
ns216.73.216.225da2
and then Add to home screen.