Side by side, my pace carefully slowed to match hers, we slowly walk through the hallway. We do not run into anyone.
It doesn't take long for us to arrive at the door to the warm-looking room, apparently situated in the center of the floor rather than either wing, and the first place I should have looked. Ah well.
"Ladies first." I say, holding the door open.
She gives an appreciative smile at the gesture, taking the lead as we file in. To the left is the wooden library counter, with the bookcases on the right.
It easily dwarfs my old school's library, with the distinct smell of old books giving the place an almost old-world air. There doesn't seem to be a lot of students here. Considering the time, it isn't a big surprise; everyone's probably either in the school grounds or the dorms.
"Yuuko, are you here?" Lilly asks.
She says it to thin air since the librarian doesn't seem to be present and of course Lilly can't see this. What's unexpected is that it draws a reaction.
Something from under the counter thuds against it, followed by a quiet wail. A short woman with long red hair- presumably Yuuko, the librarian - crawls out.
"Hi, Lilly. How can I help you?"
Her voice is strained in a failing attempt to sound casual and she's rubbing the back of her head.
"Good afternoon. What happened just now? I heard a strange sound." Lilly says.
"It's nothing. I just hit my head."
That's hardly nothing, considering the volume of that crash, but I don't voice this.
"See, I dropped an eraser under my desk and while I was looking for it a pencil dropped and when I was looking for both of them you came and surprised me..."
Sounds like something Misha would do.
"Are you alright? I'm sorry, I couldn't know-"
"It's okay! It's okay, sorry for making you worry. This is nothing, I've had worse happen to me."
She's quick to reverse Lilly's apologies, almost frantically trying to push aside the possibility that she could be in any way inconvenienced by bashing her head on the counter.
"Yes... worse things have happened, hehehe..."
That ISN'T reassuring…
The girl fidgets with her fingers as Lilly doesn't seem to drop her concerned expression, and then she shuffles some papers around the counter for no reason. A little shorter than Lilly, replete with glasses, freckles, and a very troubled look, she seems to fit her role perfectly.
"Ah, Lilly! Did you get my message?" She seems very wound up, as well.
"Message... hmm..." A short pause.
"Oh, the two imported books that arrived?"
"Right! Right! They finally came! I can't believe it took so long, but-"
Amidst her celebrations, partially for managing to change the topic I'm sure, she notices me from the corner of her eye and freezes on the spot when she does.
"Oh no, I'm sorry for not noticing you before!"
I blink.
"Did you need to check out a book? Or return one? I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
The way she can so quickly shift between moods is a little unsettling. Reminds me of Misha (again), except a little more frantic.
"He's with me." Lilly interjects, presumably to stop Yuuko's increasing hysterics. "Yuuko, this is Hisao, a new student. Hisao, this is Yuuko, the school librarian."
"Pleased to meet you." I say.
"Hisao. Right. Hisao. Pleased to meet you, too. Hisao." For a second she visibly attempts to engrave the name on her mind so she won't forget. It's quite the amusing sight.
"Yuuko often arranges to import foreign books in Braille for me." Lilly says. Then, with an expression that can only be labeled as 'mischievous', "Would you like to tell Hisao a little something about the library?"
Lilly's innocent suggestion is met with an expression of abject terror.
"I... Please Lilly, I can't. I don't know what he could be interested in. This is too much responsibility." How it's any responsibility at all I don't get, but her objection is so sincere I don't doubt for a second that she would rather disembowel herself on the spot than tell me where the light novels are.
"But..." Lilly starts.
"So, there are a lot of books in Braille here?" I attempt to curb Yuuko's panic asking the first thing that pops into my head. It seems to work at least partially, as Yuuko seems to... not exactly relax, but at least look slightly less tense.
"Well... I think about a third of Yamaku's library is either in Braille or audio." Makes sense, given all the blind students that are here.
"If it's only that, how come this library is so big in the first place?" I ask.
"Ummm, well, we get a lot of new books regularly because the library is adequately endowed. They spend more on new books than on my salary, and then I have to organize and shelve all of them." I grin somewhat at this revelation.
"It's so troublesome and they weigh so much, I wish I could quit this job."
I have to seriously hold back a giggle at this point, but don't externally react. A very awkward silence follows this revelation of too much information.
"Umm, I'll go check the aisles then, if you don't mind." I say, so I can quietly laugh in peace.
"Very well. Meanwhile, Yuuko, I would have those books if it's alright with you." Lilly adds.
It's silently agreed upon that the conversation will never be brought up again.
I wander off into the depths of the bookshelves.
My first impression was right; the library is surprisingly big.
Ambling down the narrow aisles, I study the spines of the books in random order, occasionally sliding one out to read the blurb, taking it with me if it looks good. In a few moments I have a respectable stack of books in my arms.
I guess I'll never be lost for choice in here.
The normality of the library sinks in. Sure, there are large-print and Braille books scattered throughout, but it is what it is: a library.
It's as if the calm mood from the room I had tea with Lilly in snuck with us in here. Something about that puts me at ease, just like before.
I reach the end of the aisle and find a collection of desks, set up for study or personal reading. Going a little further, though, I discover a nice quiet corner at the back.
While the rest of the library has the odd student sitting at a desk either reading or stealthily sleeping, the back is pretty much deserted.
As I glance around, I see someone who I recognize sitting on one of several beanbags.
I hesitate, not sure whether I want to bother her, but the choice is taken from me as she notices my presence.
"H-Hisao!" Hanako exclaims, looking rather surprised. Fortunately, there's not too much tension in her voice...so it's not fear, then.
"Hey, Hanako." I say over my stack of books. "Mind if I sit here?"
I can see the wheels turning in her head before she shakes her head after a moment of hesitation.
"Thanks." I take the seat next to her, placing the pile of books in front of me.
And with that, a fairly comfortable silence envelops us. There are several points where I'm tempted to bring up some kind of conversation, but manage to convince myself that it isn't something Hanako would appreciate.
I quietly examine each of the books in front of me, reading through their summaries and the first chapter of each book. It's a surprisingly long process...especially since it takes me fifty pages of focused reading to realize that the first book isn't split by chapters...or anything at all.
This one is definitely a keeper.
I put it to the side and pick up the next book in the stack.
Four pages in, I realize that Hanako is staring pensively at me.
"Hm?" I ask, without making direct eye contact.
"W-What...are..." Oh.
I didn't expect her to start up conversation. I am pleasantly surprised.
"What am I reading?" I complete her sentence. She nods, mutely.
"Uh...Looks like this one's called 'The Codebreaker'." I weigh the paperback in my hands. "I haven't read enough to figure out what it's about, though it seems interesting."
Hanako nods. "I've...read it."
"Have you?" I asked rhetorically; then, before she accidentally answers: "Is it any good?"
"Y-Yes...I think...I-I enjoyed it, so..." She falters.
"I'll take your word for it." I say, before placing it in the accepted pile. I take the next book from the stack, skimming the title.
"Have you read this one?" I ask. I tilt the book so that she can read off the front cover.
"Life of...oh! That's...!" Hanako holds up her own book, and, as it turns out, we're both reading the same thing.
"Ah. Well...you're halfway through. Must be alright, then, right?"
"R-Right." I don't think the violet-haired girl is used to anyone relying on her opinion alone for any kind of serious decision. Something like that, anyways. It could just be her lingering shyness, for all I know. I add the book to my acceptance pile.
She seems receptive to further discussion, the tension rapidly draining from her, so I pull another book out from my stack.
"This one?" She leans over, making a face when she reads the cover.
"Not your style?" I ask. She nods, hesitantly.
I put it to the side and grab another book.
And this is how I spend my time, offering books to Hanako for her to either confirm or deny. I wouldn't have thought it, this simple conversation we share, but it's quite enjoyable, the somnolent mood of the library washing over us as we go over the covers.
Yeah...I could just close my eyes and...
...
"H-Hisao...?" Someone's shaking my shoulder, calling my name...
"Hmmmmmmm?" I draw out the syllable tiredly as I sit up.
"You...f-fell asleep." Er...
"Guess I did." That was not satisfying at all. But it does highlight how tired I am.
"Are you...okay?" I glance sideways at Hanako. She genuinely looks concerned, if not a bit nervous.
"Er...yeah. Just a bit tired. It's been a really long day." And it has. Mysterious morning running girl, classes, that game of Risk, meeting Lilly, and then the library...
"Ah." She doesn't seem interested in pursuing the subject farther than that. I stagger to my feet, leaning cautiously against a nearby bookcase.
"You're a...very d-deep sleeper." Hanako says, carefully.
Ah, crap. Missed that one, didn't you?
How long had she been shaking me before I woke up? Not good. Not good at all.
"Erk." I reply, intelligently, before coming up with a viable excuse. "I guess I was just a little more tired than I thought. The library is a very peaceful place."
There's a bit of an unreadable look in Hanako's eyes as she nods, accepting the excuse for what it is. Either way, I'm glad she doesn't press it...
I'm not quite ready to talk about my condition yet, to anyone.
If anything, though, I'm happy that Hanako has opened up some around me. As I suspected, there's a pretty sharp mind resting behind her shy personality.
"Well...it's pretty late now." That's an understatement. Between our appraisal of the stack of books I contributed and my involuntary nap, it's past closing time for the library.
I'm surprised we haven't been kicked out yet, and am more worried about the very real possibility that we were totally forgotten here...and locked in...
"Ah..." Glancing once at the helpless girl, I realize that she doesn't have a watch - and that there are no clocks hung conveniently on the wall.
"Past closing time." I say. On hearing this, she relaxes considerably.
"Y-Yuuko...normally comes to c-check on me when...the library closes." Implying that the library closes when Yuuko wants it to? Hm…
"I see. Are you going to wait here, or should we go find Yuuko?" I'm ready to flee to my room and take a nap, but I don't want to ditch Hanako.
Tch...Hope Hanako hasn't come to the assumption that I'm a narcoleptic. If she has, though, I won't deny it unless she brings it up. There's no need to draw attention to the incident if she's going to forget about it.
"We...should go." She affirms. I nod.
"Okay." Unthinkingly, I walk closer and offer a hand to her.
She freezes.
I'm about to retract the proffered limb and apologize when she tentatively reaches out with her - left, unscarred - hand and clasps her fingers around mine hesitantly, allowing me to pull her up.
"T-Thanks..." She says. I smile slightly.
"No problem."
"L-Let's go..." I can feel Hanako's curious gaze on me as I lean down to collect my books, sorting them neatly in a pile. She carefully bookmarks her spot before following along, her book in hand.
Lilly and Yuuko are still discussing Braille books when we emerge from the relative safety of the bookcases.
"Um...Yuuko?" I plop my stack of books onto the counter. "Could you check these out for me?"
"Wow. You read a lot, don't you?" She snaps from one conversation to another so easily. Lilly picks up her Braille books and places them carefully into her bag.
"I can, at times." I admit, thinking about it.
All the time.
"Ah." She checks the books out for me and I slide as many of them into my bag as I can. That doesn't turn out to be very many at all, and I'm forced to carry about seven of them in my hands.
Hanako quietly checks out her book, seeming a little pensive. Should I ask her not to worry about it? That would probably have the opposite effect of what I intend, though.
" I should be closing. I mean this library should be closing. But I have to do it." Yuuko says, looking around. I think she just now realized that we are the last people in the library, everyone else having filtered out.
"I see...er..." I awkwardly pause and glance at Lilly.
She doesn't look offended at all, as expected.
"There's no need to change your speech on my account." Lilly seems very calm and relaxed, even in regards to her blindness. It makes it easy to talk to her, I think, not having to worry about every word I say. Speaking freely is important in a relationship, after all.
"Ah...okay." It's nice to see that some people here are quite tolerant when it comes down to it. With all the books checked out, and everyone ready to go, it's only a matter of goodbyes.
"Bye, Hanako, Lilly. Oh, and thank you for the tea." I say.
"It was my pleasure." She must have been raised in a an affluent household, I think, to have such formality.
"Bye." Hanako replies.
I leave the library and begin the long walk down, books in tow.
And out of the main building, headed towards the dorm.
Once outside, I slow my pace further, taking the time to look around some. It really is a tranquil place, especially at night. The calls of unseen animals fill the air, hidden by the curtains of shadow.
The artificial lights among the path guide my way, the concrete sidewalk only just visible. Instead of going back to my dorms right away, I take a branch off, disappearing into a garden-like area.
Of course, it's not really a garden, but it's how I've labeled it in my mind, this looping path filled with somewhat sparse greenery. Fallen petals and leaves litter the walkway. I find a nearby bench and place my books on it, settling next to them a moment later.
Losing major parts of one of your most commonly used senses forces you to admire what you have left...and that is something I don't mind doing.
My hands mindlessly run along the concrete bench, tracing patterns. It must be pretty cold, though that's just an educated guess. My nerves only relay the slight pressure of my touch, enough to tell me that the surface of the bench is probably smooth.
It is a sad thing, but I can't do anything about it. Ultimately, there is no point in worrying further about it. Something lands in my hair and I tentatively reach for it, snagging the mysterious object in my hand.
It doesn't seem to move, which is a good sign. I lift it in front of my face to identify it.
A cherry blossom petal? Pink... I turn it around idly between my fingers, examining it pensively, before releasing it. A slight breeze catches it in its grasp and lifts it away, just another petal amongst thousands.
I watch it disappear, riding the wind until it peters out. It lands far away from me, settling in the grass.
The sight brings an odd smile to my face, although I can't figure out why. Being outside, watching nature at its most basic...it's a calming sight, much like the library, and, earlier, the tea room.
This school must have had a very good budget. I can't imagine why it would, though. After all, it only caters to the outsiders of society, the people hidden...
There's no use in thinking such pessimistic thoughts, I know, but I can't exactly control my subconscious.
It's late. I should probably retreat to my dorm. But...
I lift my right hand closer to my face, staring pensively at it.
When was the last time…?