CHAPTER TWELVE – Title of books

I`ll check if these pages have been cut as well. I pick up one of the books. Though I look at the cover, I don`t know what kind of book it is because the title is quite blurred. And I`d bet that even if I read it, I probably wouldn`t understand its meaning in one go. I opened the book and flipped its pages.

"This... is..." My eyes focus on something in particular. It transcends the problem of whether or not she cut the pages. The pages are printed in English text. It`s a foreign book; even more, a technical one.

"Woah!" I quickly closed the book.... anyway... is it normal for our school to have these kinds of books?

"Hey... can you read English books?" She didn`t stop her hand from sweeping as she nods to my question.

"Writing it is a bit difficult, but reading it is simple."

"I`m really surprised to know you can actually read these."

"??" It doesn`t look like she`s lying or bluffing. To begin with, she wouldn`t be carrying these books if she couldn`t read it. I wonder if she`s a return student from abroad...

"I`m done cleaning."

"It`s really tidy now, it sparkles."

"I see, that`s good then."

"It makes me feel really good to see this place sparkle."

"Yeah, that`s right."

"I can now sit on the floor without getting my skirt dirty." Just as I thought... that was her reason...

"Please wait a little bit." She ran towards the librarian`s seat again. She puts the mop back in the locker, bringing a cushion back instead. It seems as though she hid it inside the librarian`s seat. Is she really doing her work properly as a librarian? She even forgot to lock the door during lessons.

"Umph!" She placed the cushion in the floor. She then took the books she put on the desk and placed them on the floor around the cushion. Maybe, it means that she wants to be surrounded by her favorite books.

"This is perfect." She nods in satisfaction, then starts taking off her indoor shoes.

"... umph." And then, standing on one leg, she takes off her socks one at the time. This is mostly like her own room. She became barefoot right in front of me.

"It feels good this way." She said that as she smiles like a kid.

"It feels cool, but it also feels warm." Her words are contradicting but I somehow understand what she wants to say. Though we`ve only met not too long ago, this strange girl does her best to talk to me. And just beyond her slender legs is a bookshelf packed with dusty books lined up together. It was strangely unreal, but even so, it was a nostalgic scene.

"All right..."She then sit on the cushion.She gazed up at me as I thought she looked strange sitting on the corner of the cushion.

"Here." She dusts off the empty half of the cushion.

"... are you telling me to sit beside you?" She nods. No matter how I think of it, I wouldn`t want my body glued next to her so that request is impossible.

"No, I`m fine with my chair."

"...?" She gazes up at me as if surprised.

"Don`t you want to read with me?"... that`s pretty much impossible due to various reasons.

"Sorry, but please read by yourself. Just think that I`m not here."

"??" She looks at me with a startled face.

"Well... Okay..." It seems that my words made her feel down. 

"I`ll be watching you from here." That`s why I added something. With something as simple as that, the girl suddenly break into smile.

"Okay. I`ll be fine, even if you just watch me." She looks really happy. Does she really like being watched by other people when she reads? In some ways, it`s an amazing hobby. I watch her for the time being. She pressed her skirt down as she adjusted the way she sits on her cushion. It seems that she had decided on a good position.

"I`m going to read then."

"Yeah, read to your heart`s content."

"And also, you don`t need to say what`s inside." I also add that I cannot bear hearing foreign language being recited.

"Well... then, I guess I`ll read this one." She took a nearby book and opened it in her lap. She flips the book as she searches for the part she`s going to read. Her hand stops on a page and started reading after that. She`s quite serious. The text is written horizontally so it`s a bit interesting to see her eyes move left and right as she reads. Nevertheless, I feel that her reading is strangely fast. Ah... she`s already flipped one page. It`s amazing, she already read two pages in just a moment.

"Hey... will I really just watch?!" She didn`t even respond to my words. She`s really immersed herself in reading the book. She completely left me behind.

"I wonder why..."I murmured as I look towards the window. It`s quite sunny outside. Even the curtains dazzle with lights. They`re probably doing some ball game during gym. I can hear their cheers from time to time. And also, the sound of flipping pages...It was so peaceful. This warm season of April. There isn`t anyone in this library room, except me and this girl who likes books.If it comes to this, there`s only one thing to do.

"All right. I`m going to sleep." I lay my face on the desk and slowly closed my eyes... Where... am I? I can hear a sound from somewhere. A sound I haven`t heard before. But even still, it`s a nostalgic sound. I slowly opened my eyes.

Ding, dong, dang, dong…

"......" It was the sound of the bell. I raise my head and look around. It took me a while to realize that I`m inside the library and not the classroom. How long did I sleep? The girl lifts her face away from the book and peeks at me.

"Are you awake now?"

"... what time is it?"

"It`s already afternoon."

"I see..."It looks like I slept for a long time.

"Have you slept a lot?"

"Yeah.

"I see. That`s good."

"Did you read lots of books?" She nods. 

"Yes, I read many."

"I see, that`s good then."

"Well... Do you want to eat?"

"That`s right, I`m quite hungry." I said that and then she narrows her eyes and smile.

"Well then, I`ll share you half of my lunch." Watching that and honestly getting happy, I was surprised myself. I wonder if I`m such a positive person?

"No... I guess I`ll turn down your offer." I think my attitude has changed.

"?" She tilts her head and looks at me blankly. Seeing that kind of appearance makes me smile a little. If it was me from a bit long before, I wouldn`t be positively concerned with a stranger. I wonder if I have really changed.

"Well... Is it because you`re full?" She said that in a little tone as if she`s hesitating.

"No, that`s not exactly why..." I said that and realized that she`s looking at me. The lunch box is already out of her pouch handbag. And in the lid of the lunch box are two pairs of chopsticks. The first pair is a childish one painted with red and the other one is a long black chopstick.

"Could it be that... that`s for me?" She nods again.

"Sigh..."I`m really glad about this but I just don`t understand why she`d even go as far as giving me my own chopsticks. Does she have a character that is kind to everyone? It doesn`t look like it though. 

"That`s right, what`s your name?"

"???"Don`t look seriously surprised.

"It`s all right if you don`t want to tell me your name."

"Well..." She stops for a while.

"Kotomi. Three syllables Ko-to-mi. Call me Kotomi-chan." It`s sure is hard to add -chan to her name due to her age. 

"At least let me call you by your name without using suffixes." She nods as I said that.

"I`m Okazaki Tomoya. You can call me any way you want." I stand up and out of my chair as I stretched myself .She stands up too. She then looks straight at me.

"Tomoya-kun." She called me with that. 

"Tomoya-kun, Tomoya-kun, Tomoya-kun." She`s repeating it for some reason.

"Tomoya-kun?" Why did it turn out to be a question?

"Tomoya...kun..." Don`t make a pause for no reason.

"...... Tomoya-kun." She said it one more time as if she`s trying to confirm something.

"I feel strange somehow..." She said that as she smiles. I think I should be the one feeling strange because I was being watched like I`m some kind of patron.

"... well it`s fine, I guess ..." This isn`t the place for me to be wasting my time.

"Later then..."I was about to leave just like that when I suddenly stop. Because the girl was looking at me as if she still have something to say.

"... are you still going to read?" I look back and asked that.

"I plan to stay here till afternoon."

"Don`t cut up pages today, all right?" She looked a little troubled when I said that. She then made an unclear smile.

"Later then."

"Okay… See you tomorrow." I leave the library.