#Yukari x IA

[mimiso-soup]

Because the song was released today, I need to talk about one of my favourite Vocaloid duet ever. If my friends don't associate me with this song, then I'm clearly doing something wrong. /hj

The song? 'Ice breaker' by NejishikiP featuring Yuzuki Yukari & IA, which is now 5 years old!!

Gonna be rambling a lot, so more under the cut! It's going to mostly be about my feelings towards the song itself and my personal interpretation of its meaning! It's stupidly long because there's just so many things I love about this song so sorry in advance dfgfnhfg

Firstly, my feelings towards 'Ice breaker' overall!

While this wasn't my first Nejishiki song I listened to, after finding his channel, I quickly became invested in Nejishiki's music for a number of 5 things:

Nejishiki mainly uses Yuzuki Yukari, one of my favourite Vocal Synths of all time.

He also uses IA, another Vocal Synth I love.

His songs are mainly composed on the jazzier side, specifically jazz fusion and electro swing. I heavily lean towards jazz music, which, combined with Yukari, is meant for jazz music, this means automatic interest for me.

When it comes to duets, he often uses YukaIA. I am a huge YukaIA shipper.

One of his main themes in his music is yuri. And I fucking love yuri.

And before anyone tries to prove me wrong about Nejishiki shipping YukaIA, I need you all to know that this is in the description in English.

I'm not musically talented to really talk about the musical aspects of the song. But just listening to it, there's something that just sounds like "desire", which I feel fits the song well.

Secondly, my personal interpretation of the song.

I don't know any Japanese and I have to heavily rely on translations (the ones on Youtube and the one on the Wiki are somewhat different, but I'll be referencing to both). I also tend to miss notable details in the MV (which is a shame because I really enjoy Danjou Sora's MVs), so there might be a lot of things that I could be missing about the song's meaning. (As I'm writing this, I'm going back and forth between typing and watching the MV.)

How I see this song, I always knew that YukaIA love each other here. But it's not exactly what's considered a "typical" romantic relationship. From they are portrayed in the song, they seem to have a "friends with benefits" type of relationship where they only see each other for. Specific reasons. But with the lyrics, it feels like that they want more than that. They want to actually be together and date without just being together for sex.

The title seems to add to that. An 'ice breaker' is often referred to a thing where people do activities (play games, starting a conversation, etc) so it can "break the tension" between people. It is also a drink. In the song, it seems to refer to the drink with the Wiki translated line of 'Your tears fall into the glass and become a bittersweet cocktail of sorrow' but I think it refers to both. It feels that YukaIA haven't exactly "broken the ice" between them and with the lines 'when will we see each other again? weeping and crying', they only see each other for one purpose.

One of my favourite details in the MV is the line 'mousou wa kumo no ito' at 1:24 and 3:34, which roughly translates to 'delusion is a spiderweb'. In those moments, a thin thread snaps as if to say "the thin thread holding onto reality is broken easily".

I'm not the best as these kinds of things, so I could be wrong about these things. If anyone has any interpretations about the song, please let me know!

Overall, please, please, please listen to the original! It just recently reached a million views last year (and last year, I listened to this song at least 100 times a day to help get it there /hj), it's criminally underated. There are so many human covers that are more popular than it, and while human vocals aren't bad (I listen to utaites as much as I listen to Vocal Synth music on a daily basis!) It's the kind of song where there will be hundreds of covers, but the original itself isn't popular. And as someone who cherishes the original, it's quite saddening. So please, listen to this song as many times possible today!

Sorry, this is such a messy rambling that I wish was more organized and more well written. I have so many feelings for this song and I'm not the best with these kinds of things. (maybe I'll clean this up in the future fdgfndbg)

[memeow-writing]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Vocaloid, VOICEROID, CeVIO Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: IA/Yuzuki Yukari Characters: Yuzuki Yukari, IA (Vocaloid) Additional Tags: Based on a Vocaloid Song, Unhealthy Relationships, Lesbian Character, Established Relationship, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Possessive Behavior, Sort Of, Mild Sexual Content, Bars and Pubs, Drabble, Short, Nicknames, i promise they're very in love, Friends With Benefits Series: Part 2 of Playlist - A Collection of Vocal Synth Songs Summary:

Yukari knew what they had was an unhealthy looping cycle.

☆.･.･:★:･.･.☆

Based on ‘Ice breaker’ by Nejishiki featuring Yuzuki Yukari & IA.

[fzkr-sndr049]

I had my lazy days again listening to LIQ’s usage of Yukari and Akari, so I think of Akari as a big-eater rebel would be fine, along with Kotonoha sisters lol YukaIA display their affection too much (I imagined them being scolded) ChiFlower gets awkward when RIME is around 0   0... I drew a scene RIMECOKO are secretly girlfriends and flower accidentally saw em--- welp, ‘nother day of lazy to post stuffs |||

[anidrawsfanart]

I purposely left a few of my Ships out (bc I Hc some of them to be non binary lesbians + a canon bigender utau is involved and I don’t think they count as WLW)

Anyways part 3 will be my MLM ships! (Part 4 will be my polynumous ships and part 5 will be my genderqueer ones)

ALSO I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE LESBIAN X BISEXUAL GIRL THING IN THE YUKAIA SECTION IS JUST A HC IM SORRY 😭

[rayventoodles]

I think I spelled Rana's last name wrong :/ sorry if I did! If the character doesn't have a last name I just use the voice provider's if they're listed

PROJECT DIVA: COLOURFUL SOUND

Yukari Yuzuki / Diva Sonata

A recent high school graduate is in danger of becoming a NEET, she prefers to live life the easy way and would rather stay home playing video games and buying new anime figurines. She also seems to be perpetually airheaded and sleepy. One day, she is visited by a girl who suddenly turns into a fairy before her eyes and grants her magic powers. She transforms using the bracelet Lapis gave to her, wields a staff reminiscent of a music staff and her symbol is a cresent moon on a flower decoration on her hip.

Lapis Aoki / Diva Lapis

A fairy from the dimension where fairies live, she was tasked with finding six girls from a vision she has and grant them the power to turn into Divas. However, she wiped out on her way to the human world and can only remember her name. She is a polite and well mannered young fairy who is eager to please her Master Lumi (the goddess of the fairy dimension), though she can crack if she comes under too much pressure. She transforms using the Tourmaline she carries with her, wields an umbrella that she can use to both attack and defend herself, and her symbol is a gemstone pinned to her overshirt.

Rana Kakuma / Diva Rainbow

Part of a failed experiment to create Divas without the need for a transformation device, she is surprising mature and self sufficient for her age, though in many ways still acts like a child. She escaped with her artificial friends and took refuge in Yukari's apartment (to the latter's surprise and reluctance). She transforms using the energy already within her, wields a crystal sword, and her symbol is a bear head.

Cul Kitamura / Diva Fuego

A girl who claims to be from a family of ninjas, she attended the same school that Yukari did before the latter graduated. Despite her appearance, she is usually cool headed and the one telling everyone else to calm down. As a practising ninja, she lives a very active life with almost no downtime. She transforms using the tanto handed down through her family (which she also uses as her weapon) and her symbol is circle with an "x" shape inside, which she wears on her armband.

Una Otomachi / Diva Unagi

A preteen who is always proclaiming that she "isn't like other girls" and wears a leather jacket and sunglasses (that are actually prescription sunglasses) in an effort to make her seem tough, though others often find her more endearing if anything. Despite this, in private she a well mannered kid and owns a pet eel. She transforms using the pen Lapis gave her, wields an electric guitar, and her symbol is an upside down triangle.

Zunko Tohoku / Diva Zunda

A high school student from the Tohoku region of Japan, she helps with her family's mochi shop with hopes of opening her own store one day. She can be pretty hot headed and competitive as she constantly strives to be number one in everything. She transforms being making and then eating her family's special Zunda mochi (said mochi is then enchanted with Lapis's magic), she wields her "zunda Arrow" that can turn any kind of mochi into zunda mochi, and her symbol is a piece of mochi.

Akari Kizuna / Diva Nebula

Yukari's cousin who has dreams of becoming an astronomer. Unlike her cousin, she is a hard worker and is much more extroverted. However, she still has doubts in her abilities and is constantly getting into other people's problems, as she just wants everyone to get along. She transforms using a similar bracelet as Yukari's, wields a staff that doubles as a telescope, and her symbol is a star.

Up next: Sora, Ia, Kokone, Galaco, Poron, and One. Hopefully they should come sooner than usual

[blazingsun-481-insta]

Ia x yukari

[mogai-headcanons]

Hatsune Miku from Vocaloid is a translunar transtidal digigender angechic lovegender trans angeladored asexual demigaybian biflux lesbian who uses any pronouns!

Bot is dating Kagamine Rin, a femmefluid nonbinary playfulcutie lesbian who uses she/her, they/them, fae/faer, and pop/pops pronouns!

Faer brother Kagamine Len is a bisexual veldiaflux MLM boyloser trans boy who uses he/him pronouns!

Megurine Luka is an aroace nonbinary agender outherine deityadored springoddess who uses it/its, they/them, and she/her pronouns!

MEIKO is an angled aroace woman who uses she/her pronouns!

KAITO is a gay agenderfluid genderjendere man who uses he/him pronouns, and he's dating Kiyoteru and VY2!

Kasane Teto is a transmasculine chimeragender manixieamgirl bi gaybian who uses any pronouns!

Akita Neru is a damselpunk gendertsundere yellowdarling arospec bi lesbian who uses they/them, he/him, and she/her pronouns!

They're dating Haku Yowane, a genderyottadere depredemareboy depregender girlloser girlfreak girlfail alloaro aroflux aphrodite omni lesbian who uses she/her, it/its, and sometimes he/him and they/them pronouns!

GUMI is a femme ply aroace agender nerdgender transfeminine person who uses it/its, they/them, and sometimes he/him, she/her, vae/vaer, and xe/xem pronouns!

Kamui Gakupo is a GNC wargod princedream divinedream nonbinary biplatonic solian who uses he/him and they/them pronouns!

v flower is a bigender transmascfem agender deathdeity deliriumdeity gendercute kuuderegender genderkuudere gaybian who uses all pronouns!

Uta Utane/Defoko from UTAU is a bigender boygirl transmascfem agender bigenderfluid eclipsian demixenic techgender aroaceflux velaurian lesbian who uses she/her, he/him, x/xs, and it/its pronouns!

Momo Momone is a cupiospec aromantic bellusromantic bi straight asexual transfeminine maidgender idolmaidic person who uses she/her and mae/mair pronouns!

Fukase is a chaosgender cannibalfreak who uses he/him pronouns!

IA is an aromantic spacegender universegender moondeity who uses they/them, she/her, and it/its pronouns!

Lily is a punkgirlish bi straight lesbian who uses she/her pronouns!

MEIKA Hime is a nonbinary genderless cutegender sistergender plumgender genderspirit bi lesbian who uses they/them pronouns!

MEIKA Mikoto is a nonbinary genderless coolgender sistergender plumgender genderspirit bi turian who uses they/them pronouns!

Hiyama Kiyoteru is a gay twink scienteacher man who uses he/him pronouns!

Nekomura Iroha is an ay catgender catgirlgender mechangender bigender person who uses nya/nyas pronouns!

OLIVER is a menheragender angelboy who uses he/him pronouns!

Otomachi Una is a bisexual punkgirlish eelgender gummygender juxera person who uses nyeh/nyehs and she/her pronouns!

Nyeh is best friends with Rana, a genderless rainbowgender girl who uses it/its, they/them, she/her, and luv/luvs pronouns!

SF-A2 miki is a GNC MLM boy who uses she/her and he/him pronouns!

Utatane Piko is a femme digigender bi gay boy wh ouses he/him, bot/bots, it/its, and byte/bytes pronouns!

VY2/Roro is a punkboyish popunke popunkmasc pinkgender twinkgender homoflexible gay man who uses he/him pronouns!

VY1/Kobushi Kiku is an aromantic asexual transfeminine woman who uses she/her pronouns!

Anon is a futch bi lesbian who uses they/them and she/her pronouns!

Kanon is a femme omnisexual boy who uses he/him, they/them, and she/her pronouns!

Kaai Yuki is a trans boy who uses he/him and she/her pronouns!

Ryuto is a GNC girl who uses she/her pronouns!

Tone Rion is a bisexual bigender bungender maidgender idolgender transfeminine person who uses he/him and she/her pronouns!

CUL is a transvestic intersex demongender boy who uses any pronouns besides they/them!

Yuzuki Yukari is an abrosexual pangender moongender bungender person who uses all pronouns!

Aoki Lapis is a pansexual magicalgirlgender lapisgender fairycoric person who uses fae/faer and she/her pronouns!

galaco is a straight genderhimedere girlboy who uses she/her pronouns!

MAYU is a femme alterous princessgender gendergoth deadgender demiboy girl who uses she/her or any pronouns!

Merli is a fairycoric lesbian who uses they/them pronouns!

Macne Nana is an omnisexual bordergender person who uses she/her pronouns!

Yohioloid is a futch lesbian who uses she/her and they/them pronouns!

Kokone is a bisexual lovecoric person who uses she/her pronouns!

Tohoku Zunko is a cassaroace mochigender bigender girl who uses she/her pronouns!

Chika is a chocogender drag queen who uses any pronouns with a preference for she/her!

Yumemi Nemu is a NEETgender gamergirlic sapphic bi lesbian who uses she/her and nya/nyas pronouns!

Masaoka Azuki is a bi lesbian who uses she/her or any pronouns!

She's dating Kobayashi Matcha, a deadgender lesbian who uses she/her or any pronouns!

dni link

[just-luxx]

Alll The VOCALOID Ships I ship

Hetro

Miku x Len

Yohioloid x maika

Mikuo x Lenka

Zeito x Zatsune Miku

Vflower x piko

Yumma x yukari

MLM

Gakupo x Kaito

Oliver x Kazehiki (victorian child vibes)

Arsloid x kiyoteru

WLW

Gumi x SONiKA

Meiko x Luka

Galaco x seeu

Cul x ring suzune

IA x ONE (they were never stated to be siblings)

Rin x Mayu

Teto x defoko

Poly

rinto x luki x gumo x kaiko (fanloid Pollycule)

[charismaofobedience]

hello chii. do you have any recs for vocaloid songs that are gay . but upbeat

Oh boy okay here I go. While they may not ALL be upbeat like. They're generally happier nn boppier than the angsty stuff like villain or alluring secret black vow. so.

Games — KIRA, with Gumi and Ruby

Manic — *Luna, with Una and Rana (I personally prefer a Miku and Teto cover by akem! I don't think this one is like. Explicit explicit about queer stuff but I think it can vv much be interpreted as such)

Sweetiex2 — Dixie Flatline with Miku

Doki Doki Yuri Gakuen — Metahaa-P with Miku and Rin (VERY old one)

Blossom in the spring — Wing Yi and Ming Huang with Luo Tianyi (chinese one!)

Reverse rainbow — Sunzriver with Miku and Rin

Ladies first — Oster Project with Miku and Luka

Unrequited love crawl — Komiya with IA and Yukari

Gimme x Gimme — Giga with Miku and Rin (arguably ???

[adamburt1984]

My Wafius (Updates)

Anime: Chisato Nishikigi, Takina Inoue & Kurumi (Lycoris Recoil), Rebecca (Cyberpunk Edgerunner), Akame (Akame Ga Kill), Black Rock Shooter, Karen Araragi (Monogatari), Suzuha Amane (Steins Gate), Ouka Yuuouji (Noucome), Karuta Roromiya (Inu-x-Boku-ss), Miu Fuurinji, Kurumi Ebisuzawa (School Live).

Video Game: Obera Dia Vanille (Final Fantasy XIII series), Marie Rose and Honoka (Both Dead or Alive series), Cammy White (Street Fighter series), Kasumi (Dead or Alive series), Hitomi (Dead or Alive series), Red Dress/Checkpoint Fairy (Spyro Reignited Trilogy), Zoe (Spyro Reignited Trilogy), Fauns from Fracture Hills (Spyro Reignited Trilogy), Bianca (Spyro Reignited Trilogy), Bella Goth, Liberty Lee, Candy & Yuki Behr, Summer Holiday, Pleasant Twins, few others in The Sims 4, Kasumi Yoshizawa (Persona 5 Royal), Sumire Yoshizawa (Persona 5 Royal), Hifumi Togo (Persona 5 Royal), Lavenza (Persona 5 Royal).

Genshin Impact: Hu Toa, Lumine, Amber, Yoimiya, Raiden Ei, Kamisato Ayaka, Sangonomiya Kokomi, Xiangling, Ganyu, Kaqing, Kirara, Noelle, Jean, Kuki Shinobou, Navia, Charlotte, Jeht, Rana, Ying'er, Estelle, Eremite Dersert Clearwater, Zhiqonq, Nilou, Faruzan, Candace, Dehya, Layla, Idyia, Ningguang, Yun Jin, Xinyan, Yan Fei, Lynette, Sucrose.

Cartoon: Ty Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender).

Pony: Derpy, Minuette, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimour, Twilight Sparkle.

Equestria Girls character: Derpy, Sunset Shimmer, Lemon Zest, Pinkie Pie.

Comic Books: X-23, Honey Badger, Batgirl (Stephanie Brown), Spiderwoman.

Other: Hatsune Miku, Rin Kagamine, Kasane Teto, IA, ONE, Yukari Yuzuki, Wendys (Wendys Mascot), Kizuna Ai, Kaguya Luna, Kiyru Coco, Gawr Gura, Usada Pekora, Minato Aqua, Inugami Korone, Watson Amelia,  Hoshimachi Suisei, Shirakami Fubuki.

Female I dislike most: Ume Shiraume (Ben-To), Agnes Joubert (Tiger & Bunny), Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), Suphia Myne (The Rising of The Shield Hero), Quinella (Sword Art Online Alicization), Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Maya Ibuki (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Ran (KonoSuba), Most girls in A Certain Magical Index, Three typical girls who don't want to be bothered, say they got boyfriends and busy fliping their phone (from an Anime).

[mimiso-soup]

outside of me shipping yukaia, i think it's rlly cute that ppl have made duets with them ever since they both got cevios

like yes, they have to sing together on every engine they share together

[welcometomy20s]

May 2, 2023

#775 - p.h. (SEVENTHLINKS) [Flower]

Achievement Date: 23-04-01, Upload Date: 20-05-29

One of the little hits of the COVID year part 1, the idea of drug fueled addiction feels quite close at the time and the distorted flower voice is quite distinctive. Two-person group which kind of had a fallout, and therefore only left this song, apparently. Huh.

#776 - Dependent Fritters (Denpol-P) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 23-04-01, Upload Date: 14-07-09

Very different from his more modern songs, this song has that 70’s grease, especially with that whack effect on the intro, and there is a lot more effect on this song. And even the lyrics are your typical kind-of seduction song, which is an interesting turn.

#777 - Mikazuki Step (r-906) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 23-04-01, Upload Date: 20-03-26

r-906 follows Iyowa as the new and rising VOCALOID producer. This is their first real hit, at least this is when I first encountered them. Apparently the song got popular in late ‘22, so it needed to have a second bump to get here. I think this is more conventional of r-906’s work, which oddly surprises me, considering their later output.

#778 - Capriccio Farce (MothyP) [MEIKO, KAITO, Miku, Rin, Len, Luka, Gakupo, GUMI]

Achievement Date: 23-04-07, Upload Date: 11-10-29

Kind of the big season finale of the Evilicious series, with 8 VOCALOIDS, much akin to Hitoshizu x Yama songs. It really does sound like an ED to late 90’s serial anime. Only miff I have is that the tuning is bad enough that the words kind of get eaten sometimes. 

#779 - SHANTI (wotaku) [KAITO]

Achievement Data: 23-04-09, Upload Date: 21-09-17

The latest KAITO song uploaded on this list since… Doctor=Funk Beat? wotaku’s unique tuning really sells what is otherwise an awkward VOCALOID. An intrigue premise and the arresting visual and what might be one of the best examples of wotaku’s signature sonic palette. 

#780 - Anonymous M (PinocchioP) [Hatsune Miku, ARuFa]

Achievement Data: 23-04-18, Upload Date: 23-02-17

An expansion of the interview being turned into a song by one of the great masters featuring a friend and major YouTuber in his own right. Probably PinocchioP’s more cynical song that’s directly about Hatsune Miku… Compare to a song that would be coming up from CosMo soon. Very stylized, very 2020’s PinocchioP.

#781 - Love Song (LamazeP) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Data: 23-04-23, Upload Date: 13-10-31

It is an absolute travesty that LamazeP has only three songs on this list considering his influence (4 if you include Ochame Kinou), but this is a fine inclusion. LamazeP is known for his shitpost songs, but I like his genuinely sweet songs like this better. 

#782 - GETCHA! (Giga, KIRA) [Hatsune Miku, GUMI]

Achievement Data: 23-04-27, Upload Date: 20-09-04

Big collision of western and eastern greats, only to be shadowed by two VTubers. Well, the original certainly lives up to that cover. Seriously, it really is one of best Giga/KIRA songs out there with expert tuning and K-Pop style that really pops out, and the GirlBoss lyrics are nicely welcomed, and the distinctive art… that’s good too.

#783, R-4 - Kiritan Wants to Battle Online Endlessly (GYARI) [Kiritan, Yukari, Akari]

Achievement Data: 23-04-28, Upload Date: 19-12-19

Kiritan has been a favorite lately, but this is an early version made by the VOICEROID and VTuber group head GYARI in… I think this is the final series on this list, making VOICEROID Singing series one of the few series where all the songs are in this list. GYARI nicely uses the drawling and flat voice of Kiritan to demonstrate the life and times of gamer’s playthrough of a popular game…

#784 - Superhero (Guiano) [IA]

Achievement Data: 23-04-29, Upload Date: 18-04-14

Another song in YouTube Top 100 finally popping onto this list. It’s also been a long time since an IA song got on this list, last one of Surges? Yeah… Certainly has that Orangestar summer IA feeling, which I think is the ‘correct’ way of using IA. 

[dottybot]

lesbians who will analyze your natal chart

[askiaplusyukari]

new icon! 💖

[missmeikakuna]

Vocaloid fanfic- The Librarian and the Maybe-Bisexual Bookworm Ch. 4 [END]

This is a fanfic I wrote for Vocaloid Amino for a previous Pride Month and thought I’d post it here. Rated: T Fandom: Vocaloid Relationship: Yukari x IA Relationship Type: F/F Description: Yukari is a hardworking student who manages to balance her studies with her relationship with a boy. Things start to change when she meets her high school’s young, beautiful new librarian IA. Yukari asks her to help her find a lesbian-themed novel like one she’s read and all goes well until she realises she might be more like the characters in those novels than she thought.

Chapter Four: Going out with someone is like reading the same book repeatedly and finding something new to appreciate each time

Yukari walked out of the library and placed the pile of books onto the desk.

“Thanks for your help, Miss Yuzuki,” IA said with a wink. Yukari gave her a deadpan stare, hoping no one noticed IA’s obvious facial gesture. IA wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to her. It was her number.

The school bell rang. Yukari bowed and headed to class.

The class was boring, so she kept staring at Roro as if doing so would send him a telepathic message to stop ignoring her. It naturally didn’t work.

When school finished, she waited outside the Principal’s office for her parents.

Her father didn’t show up, but her mother stormed into the room and dug her nails into her arm as she grabbed it.

“What did you do? What did you do?”

Yukari said nothing, suddenly very interested in the patterns on the wooden floor. She tucked her lips in to prevent herself from crying.

“Speak to your mother. Are you listening to me?”

Still nothing. 

Her mother sat down with a huff. She let go of Yukari, cleaned her glasses with her turtleneck and crossed her arms and legs, tapping the air with her foot.

The Principal opened the door, tightening his loose tie and pushing his toupee into place, and welcomed the two in. 

The book was open and a few pages had creases on the corners. Yukari couldn’t help but glare at the Principal.

He shut the book and pushed it towards Yukari’s mother, who had one eyebrow up.

“Your daughter was caught reading this in school.”

Her mother looked at her, the book and finally the Principal.

“You must be joking. Why would my daughter bring something like this? She’s a good child.”

The Principal shrugged. “Maybe you should ask your daughter.”

Yukari’s mother glared at her. Yukari bowed her head. 

“I… I heard it was a good book and…”

Her mother turned her gaze from Yukari to the Principal.

“Will there be any punishment for this?”

The Principal shook his head. “I hesitate to give a first-time offender a punishment aside from confiscation, so long as their parents are able to discipline them. I’ll leave it up to you for now.”

Both Yukari and her mother stood up and bowed. As expected, Yukari’s mother dragged her out of the building and to the car. However, she didn’t start the car and simply sat, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She took off her glasses and stared into them as if an explanation would materialise in the lenses.

She spoke in a haunting quiet voice. “I’m glad you’re reading but I don’t understand what appeal that book would have to you. You’re not a… homosexual. I don’t know how you could look at a cover like that and decide that book’s worth your time.”

Yukari snivelled as tears started creeping out of her eyes. She rubbed her eyes but that only made the crying worse. Her mother grabbed her arm and pushed it down.

“Are you going to explain it to me?”

Yukari cried louder. “I’m sorry! I can’t help it. I didn’t want you to know.”

Her mother leaned backwards. “Know what? Are you trying to tell me… I don’t remember raising a homosexual. And what about your boyfriend? What’s his name?”

“I’m not a ‘homosexual’. I’m… I-I’m… Oh God, I didn’t want to tell you this. I’m… bisexual. I… broke up with Roro because I...liked another girl.” She murmured the last part but her mother seemed to hear it.

He mother put her hands on the steering wheel with a tight grip. She licked her teeth with her mouth closed.

“Don’t go… telling other people, okay? I’m not against homosexuals but… it’s not exactly something you need to parade around. Does anyone else know?”

“Roro.”

Her mother’s face went lily-white. “I see.” The two were silent on the way home. Yukari looked out the window, saw a speed limit sign and noticed how slow the car was moving. She almost missed the speed at which IA drove.

At home, Yukari lied down in bed and rubbed her runny nose. After getting some tissues, she took out her phone and the piece of paper.

She was about to name the contact number ‘IA’ but remembered what IA said.

“It has to be secret, though.”

It has to be secret.

Secret.

She decided to name the contact ‘Ichiko’. She was the first girl she fell for and the name started with ‘I’.

She spent almost five minutes thinking of what her first message should be.

Eventually, she settled on something simple.

Hey, it’s Yukari. Can’t wait to see you.

Yukari hugged her pillow to contain her giddiness. This feeling quickly gave way to worry. Did she sound too desperate?

IA responded later that night.

Hey, beautiful. Same here. Btw, I just bought ‘ANOTHER’ lesbian romance novel and so far it’s ‘AMAZING’. I’ll lend it to you when I’m done with it. 

Yukari chuckled at the way IA used quotation marks. The couple chatted about books until Yukari felt her eyelids start to get heavier.

As the next day appeared, Yukari stood by Roro’s desk while waiting for him to arrive. No one else had entered the classroom yet.

When he did, he ignored her and sat down.

“Um… Roro, can we talk?”

“What’s there to talk about?”

Yukari put her hand on his shoulder. “I want to be friends. You know, like we used to be.”

Roro said nothing, circling a dent in his desk with his finger. Yukari bit the inside of her cheek in thought.

“I’m really sorry. I just thought It would have hurt more if I led you on and pretended to still like you.”

“You did lead me on, though. Do you know how it feels to know that someone you really like was thinking about someone else behind your back?”

Yukari let go of him and looked at her hands as if they had blood on them.

“I… didn’t think about it that way. Is there any way you can forgive me?”

Roro rubbed his face up and down repeatedly from his cheek to the side of his eye. He looked at Yukari’s frown and felt his heart twist.

“Let me think about it. Just give me some time to grieve.”

Yukari gave him a soft smile before sitting in her own seat.

When Yukari told IA after school about Roro, a grin on her face, IA’s own smile was tiny. Deep lines appeared between her eyebrows, which were close together.

“Oh. Good. Great. Congratulations. Wonderful.”

Yukari’s smile dropped but she didn’t question those words.

IA immediately snapped out of her mood and gave Yukari a hug. 

“IA, remember…” Yukari hissed. IA let go and blushed.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I just couldn’t wait to see you.” She raised her voice to her normal volume. “Help me out with these books.”

Thankfully, IA didn’t wink this time. Yukari followed her into the office.

IA grabbed her hand. “So what do you want to do after I close the library?” She brushed her hand with her thumb. Yukari looked at their intertwining fingers with pink cheeks. The corners of her mouth rose.

“Can we just hang out at your place? I like your apartment. It smells of books.”

“Um… okay.” IA couldn’t help but giggle at the request. “We can watch TV. Uh, what time do you need to be back?”

“If I’m home by 7, I should be fine.”

IA looked at her watch and nodded. She moved her hand from Yukari’s hand to Yukari’s cheek, stroking it with her thumb. She only did this for a second before stepping back and pulling out several books for Yukari to carry.

At IA’s apartment, the couple sat on the couch and watched a few episodes of a TV show. Yukari couldn’t tell what the show was about. She was too busy feeling her skin heat up when IA grabbed her hand and rested her head on her shoulder.

A large part of Yukari’s mind screamed, ‘Kiss me!’ She almost kissed IA herself but the rest of her mind was reminded of a rule she read in a magazine when she was around 10.

If you try to kiss on the first date, you’re likely to scare your date off.

As Yukari stared at the bookshelves rather than the television, a question popped into her head.

“IA, what made you decide to be a librarian?”

IA rolled her shoulders back as if she was using them to turn back time or at least remember her past.

“Well, I always wanted to own my own little bookshop. It would be called ‘Cloudrider Book Emporium’. You know, since reading books is like entering a dream world.” She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. “I was a stupid kid. I wanted it to focus on fantasy and science fiction books since those take you to another world,”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Do you really think I’m the kind of person who could handle a business? I chose the next best option, which was being a librarian. So, what do you want to do when you leave school?”

Yukari shrugged. She figured her parents would tell her which university they wanted her to attend. And what course she would study. And what job she would have.

“I’m sure a smart girl like you’ll be able to get a job you want,” IA said, nuzzling her head into Yukari’s shoulder.

“Well, I’m sure if you found the right assistant, you could make your business a reality. It sounds really cute.”

IA giggled again but, judging by her red cheeks, this was more out of embarrassment than amusement. Yukari tilted her head until it was touching IA’s. They watched the rest of the episode in comfortable silence.

IA and Yukari made a routine out of this, watching television after school every day. Sometimes IA would put some popcorn in the microwave and put way too much salt in the bag. Whenever she did this, she would tell Yukari about her ideas for new popcorn flavours, ranging from steak to eggplant. Yukari always found herself laughing at each new idea.

Two weeks later, Roro shuffled up to Yukari. With a closed mouth he licked down the inside of his cheek for a second, his eyes not meeting hers. He then sighed.

“Look, I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier. It would be nice to go back to how things were. Is it too late for us to be friends?”

Yukari shook her head and reached to give him a big hug, almost pouncing on him. He stepped back in shock.

“Um, since when do you initiate a hug like that?” he asked in a voice that made it seem like he was about to laugh.

Yukari’s eyes became the size of records. IA’s response to the question about her speeding habit played through her mind.

She could come up with no reply for Roro. She just stood there, dumbfounded and with the colour pink splashed onto her cheeks.

Roro chuckled. “Geez, you see a ghost or something?” He noticed her cheeks. “Was it a sexy ghost?”

Yukari snapped out of her surprised state and lightly slapped him on the arm. The two joked around until class started.

A week later, Yukari brought Roro to the library, telling him about her new relationship along the way.

Roro’s stance was a little tenser than before, but he put on a smile. 

So did IA when Yukari introduced her to Roro. Her eyebrows were furrowed, but a smile was technically on her face.

“Um… nice to meet you, Mister Yuma.”

Yukari patted Roro’s back. “I need to find a book for class. I’ll be back.” She left the two, who stared at each other in silence. IA eventually dropped the smile.

“So you’re the guy who made her cry, huh?”

Roro took a step back and averted her stone-cold gaze. 

“You don’t think I cried too?”

“Oh, I’m not saying you didn’t. It’s great that you finally came around and became her friend again.”

Roro looked like he just ate a lemon. “Yes. I ‘finally’ did.”

“Are you over her yet?”

“I… don’t see how that’s important.”

IA saw Yukari turn around and wave. She put the smile back on.

“Well, you seem like a nice guy. I’d hate for you to live with unrequited feelings. I know how that feels.” As she continued speaking, she took a few books from the returns box and slammed them on top of each other to create a stack. “Just… don’t do anything to make her cry again, okay? I’m sure you’re smart enough to not make the same mistake twice.”

Roro finally allowed himself to look at her, and he did so with flames in his eyes. Their gazes were fierce enough to make it seem like there should be a spark of lightning worthy of scaring Zeus appearing between them.

“Well, since you’re a librarian, I’m guessing you’re smart enough to learn from others’ mistakes.”

Yukari headed back to them. Before she could greet them again, Roro stormed out of the library. Yukari looked at the IA, then the door, then IA again.

IA sat by her desk and began scanning students’ borrowed books, forgetting to muster up a smile. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes were narrow as they looked down.

“I-IA?” was all Yukari could say. Who was this person in front of her?

IA was back to normal that night and every night for the next few weeks. One night, IA asked Yukari what her parents were like. It took a while for Yukari to figure out the answer.

“Well, they’re the kind of parents who are around you when they want you to do well in school but don’t care about anything else so they leave you to do whatever you want outside of study time. I don’t really talk to them much.”

IA instinctively gave her a hug. Yukari didn’t cry, but a big grin crept onto her face as she heard IA’s heartbeat speed up.

The two looked at each other and inched closer. IA caressed Yukari’s cheek.

“Can I… kiss you?”

Yukari nodded and closed her eyes. IA’s lips were as soft as feathers, almost tickling Yukari’s own lips.

The couple chuckled. “That was our first kiss, wasn’t it?” IA asked. 

A later night, Yukari asked if they could hang out with Roro one day. IA nodded her head with creased eyes and the smile of a lemon sucker.

Roro grimaced at the offer but agreed to join them, and the three went to a park on a Sunday afternoon. IA brought a picnic basket and a blanket, or rather she bought a picnic basket and blanket for the occasion. Roro brought three store-bought bento boxes.

Together they chatted and ate like there was no animosity between them. However, when Yukari left the blanket to pat a dog, the glares returned.

“She’s changed since dating you,” Roro remarked.

IA ripped the tail off a fried prawn. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Not bad. Just… different.”

Silence.

Roro eventually continued. “You didn’t try to change her, did you?”

IA dropped her prawn and curled her hands into fists.

“Why would I want to do that? She’s wonderful. As much as I’d like to grow alongside her, I still want the core of her to remain. A good relationship won’t completely alter you, only improve you.” She picked up her prawn again and took a bite. “But that’s something adults figure out, so it’s not surprising if you don’t know that yet,” she said with the food still in her mouth.

Roro stood up. “If you’re so much more mature than me, then you’re clearly too mature for Yukari.”

IA stood up as well. “She’s certainly more mature than you. What’s your problem?”

“What’s your problem?” Roro shouted.

Yukari ran back after hearing this. “What’s going on?”

The other two ignored her. “Well sorry for thinking it’s a little strange that my girlfriend wants to spend time with both me and her ex!”

“Well sorry for being ‘mature’ enough to stay friends with people after a breakup!”

“So you can worm your way back into her heart.”

“You’re pathetic. Calm your tits before throwing around accusations!”

“Enough!” Yukari yelled. She turned to IA. “I thought you trusted me.”

IA gestured to Roro. “How can I trust you around this guy when I know you’re bisexual?”

That last word caused a few people in the park to stare at them, including a teacher from Yukari’s school. Yukari froze, her eyes wide and her mouth open.

She eventually closed her eyes as they started to spit out tear after tear. IA felt as if someone had grabbed her heart and treated it like playdough, but before she could apologise, Yukari picked up her handbag and ran away.

IA tried to apologise over text that night but Yukari refused to reply, instead choosing to cry into her pillow.

The next day, the teacher from the park told IA that the Principal wanted to speak to her.

The Principal showed her security footage showing her taking Yukari to her car. She was told to pack her things. That night she ended up staining her pillow with tears as well.

However, the image of Yukari’s smile made her feel bittersweet, which she considered an improvement over the soul-crushing sadness of the situation. 

She abruptly sat up. Yukari’s words played over and over.

“You could make your business a reality.”

The next morning she headed to a bookstore and headed to the economics section.

Yukari still hung out with Roro, but it just wasn’t the same as before. The jokes started becoming less and less frequent. It remained this way until exams.

Just before the final exams, IA spotted Roro heading home from school and stopped her car, rolling down the window a little.

“Mister Yuma, can I speak to you for a sec?”

Roro continued walking for a bit and IA followed him. “Please. You deserve an apology.”

Roro stopped and glared at her. “And what about Yukari?”

“I just haven’t built up the courage for that yet.”

“So I’m supposed to be your guinea pig so you can know how to get her back on your side?”

IA looked down at the concrete next to the car, her hand folded over the top of the remaining glass window. 

“I don’t think she’s going to be on my side. I don’t think she’s going to forgive me and even if she did, she probably won’t forget. If I can make myself say sorry and let her know how much I mean that apology, that’s enough.”

Roro saw IA’s expression and felt as if a hole in his heart has been patched up. He felt freed from some mysterious force as soon as he realised that he would not have worn that expression if he was in her shoes.

“So I noticed you’re not in the library anymore,” Roro said. “What happened?”

“Oh, I’m making plans for a bookstore business I want to create.”

“How’s that going for you?”

IA laughed. “Not super great, to be honest. I really need some people to help me since I hardly know anything about budgeting or planning. I don’t have any employers. I want to make an international online store but my English is a little rusty.”

Roro stroked his chin. “Huh. Have you thought about hiring some people who are good at different languages?”

IA rubbed the back of her neck. “I didn’t think to do that. Thanks for the tip. Um, goodbye, and once again I’m sorry.” She drove off. When Roro arrived home, instead of procrastinating like he expected to do he went straight into studying for the exams.

Graduation rolled around, and after the ceremony, Yukari and her parents passed a building available for lease. IA was standing in front of it and tapping her chin. When she saw Yukari she beamed at her.

“Yukari! Can I speak to you?”

Yukari continued walking. Her mother asked her who it was and Yukari didn’t answer.

“I won’t ask for anything, I just think you deserve to hear me say sorry,” IA pleaded her.

Yukari stopped and turned around. She told her parents to wait there as she walked back to IA.

She crossed her arms. “I must say it was unexpected. That day it was like you were a completely different person.”

“It was the same me, just a crappy side of me. I was just…” IA began to tear up. “I was so scared that you’d leave me for someone else like you did to Roro.” She shook her head. “No, I shouldn’t give excuses. I was an insecure idiot and I ruined everything. I love you and someone who’s in love with someone shouldn’t treat the other person like that. So, um, goodbye. I hope you find someone wonderful who doesn’t have a terrible side to them.”

Yukari rubbed her lips together in thought. IA waited patiently for Yukari to return to her parents. Yukari remembered a message she received before exams.

The other day IA apologised to me. Has she said sorry to you yet? She said she was going to- Roro row your boat

She grabbed IA’s hand, causing her to stare at her like she’d grown a second head.

“I doubt anyone is perfect and has no terrible side to them. They just learn to keep it in check. Just… don’t use my sexuality as an insult ever again.”

“Roger that. I’m such as idiot.”

“I’ll… I’ll message you tonight. You have one more shot. No third strikes. I’m only giving you two.”

IA nodded. “I look forward to redeeming myself.” She almost gave her a kiss but then she remembered that Yukari’s parents were standing there.

Yukari managed to get into university and, with the permission of her parents, changed her course to Business. IA had told her about the bookstore and Yukari jumped at the idea.

Roro got a high score in English for the first time in a while and used that knowledge to help with the building of the bookstore website.

IA still felt jealous whenever Yukari was hanging out with someone else, but she learned to control her feelings by reminding herself that Yukari loved her. The store took a while to gain customers, so IA was by herself a lot of the time and she used that time to reflect on her previous mistakes.

About a month into Yukari’s first year at university, she introduced IA to her parents. They were a little worried until they saw the way IA’s eyes sparkled whenever she talked about their daughter.

After classes, Yukari helped out at the store, so sometimes it wasn’t just IA and the books. Sometimes it was her, the books and the adorable bookworm she fell in love with.

[okamihanchoi]

Happy Birthday IA! OUR PRECIOUS ANGEL !!