Gotcha☆ (Kiyama)

[Suzuki Keiko]

It wasn’t that late at night, but it was just the right time when the library was mostly empty. Or, at least as empty as it could be on a Saturday night. It was the perfect time to raid the Return box and stack the late books back to their respective places on the shelf. Keiko gripped the cart, wheeling it down an aisle. It had been a while since she saw someone nearby, all the librarians about ready to pack up for the night. She stopped the cart, picking up one book, quickly finding its place on the shelf.

She continued these actions, only stopping to take a glance at her watch. She didn’t mind doing this part of her job, if only a little tedious. But it was easier doing it near closing, no one would be in her way, or suddenly ask her where all the foreign films were, or even if they had a porn section anywhere. Keiko felt her face burn at that memory, shoving a book into the nearest empty spot.

As her blush slowly began to fade, her thoughts started to wander, from school, to work, even onto her recent run-ins with Yankees. Twice she had run into that delinquent girl from her class, Watanabe, and then she ended up listening to the problems of another, Ryosuke. She paused, only briefly, the book in her hand hovering above a shelf. Keiko didn’t know if she dealt with that situation correctly, but hoped it helped Ryosuke, if only a little bit. It seemed as though she had become his friend after that day, calling her Keiko-chan of all things, and calling her out, even during class. She couldn’t recall the last time she regretted getting a cellphone.

She sighed, putting the book in its place before humming. It helped pass the time; it helped her mind from wandering so much, before she knew it, lyrics began to come out of her mouth, instead of the tune.

”Sora ni kagaya ku rainbow! Seigi no nakama shuu gou!”

Keiko wasn’t that great a singer, she wasn’t exactly tone deaf either, but if she was to sing in front of a large group of people for karaoke… then she’d be a little hesitant. But alone, in a nearly deserted section of the library…

”Mirai no kyuuseishu Tensou Sentai Goseiger!”

She grinned, letting her foot tap along to the beat in her head, ”Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha! Goseiger dash!”

For a moment, she shut her eyes, letting the books rest where they were on the cart. She was no longer in the library, but at home, sitting in front of the TV set with her nephew, her mother and sisters busy in the kitchen as five young warriors ran around, fighting evil monsters. Riku clapped along at every explosion, every henshin, and clapped even more when the music played. Her mother sometimes joked that Riku would be a music prodigy.

”Gonin no tenshi. (Gonin no tenshi!) Gangan! Barubaru! Mirakuru!” Keiko raised a fist, swirling it around, just like the characters did during the ending, a smile on her face as she imagined the old professor walking into the room. She loved Professor Amachi, he was too silly not to be liked. ”Ima sugu henshin, dandan yuuki minagiru. Chikyuu no namida wo gaado. Inori yo todoke," she bopped her head up and down, the beat still going off in her head, ”Gosei kaado!"

Keiko raised a hand, tapping it against the cart. She was about to continue on with the song, she knew the lyrics by heart, though not really by choice. It was one of those songs that, if you listened to it enough, the lyrics were forever stuck in your head and just one beat of the tune could have you singing it all over again. Her nephew adored the Sunday morning SUPER HERO TIME segments, though she never knew why. Her older sister was too busy sleeping in the morning, and her younger sister thought all the shows were for babies. Keiko didn’t expect to like the shows so much.

There was a small cough and she froze, suddenly feeling someone behind her. With a grimace, she opened her eyes, daring to look. She was never caught singing before, only by her sisters and they didn’t really count.

Keiko bit her lip, finally turning around.



ooc: The song Keiko is singing.

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

Kiyama was practically running.

It was later than usual, as he'd had some stuff to do that afternoon and he'd lost track of time. And he'd thought he was okay on time, because he already knew exactly what he was going to get, but he didn't mean to wait for it to get this late...

Still, it was kind of a good thing. Who went to the public library on Saturday night? No one, and definitely no one Kiyama Ryuichiro associated with! Kiyama thought about the last time he'd bumped into someone he knew in the library... Tsukimori. Not only had that whole affair been... too awkward to put into words, but the blonde yankee probably walked out of it thinking Kiyama was some kind of closet pervert.

In addition to that, there was that whole fiasco when he'd gone to Tsukimori's house to beat him up. So not only was Kiyama some kind of secret lech, but he was also a violent instigator now.

Kiyama hadn't talked to Tsukimori since then.

On that note, Kiyama had finally arrived at his destination. He pushed into the double doors of the library, happy to find that they were still unlocked.

He was a bit sweaty, but just the knowledge that he was surrounded by walls and walls of glorious literature was calming. Sighing, Kiyama walked up to the front desk, to find that... no one was there. He looked around a bit, even leaning over the desk to see if someone was busy in one of the back rooms to see that... really, no one was there.

However, there was a book set on the corner of the desk -- Twelve Simple Steps to a Better YOU. Kiyama bit his lip.

He'd seen some self-help books in the library before... he usually brushed them off as nothing but mumbo-jumbo but he was seriously wondering if something would help him at that point. It wasn't like Tsukimori was the first person he'd fought with... recently, Kiyama had begun to feel a bit like some kind of parasite; he would suck all the life out of someone before moving on the next host. This happened before, and it would happen again and again and...

He shook his head. He didn't want to go down that road, not today.

Anyhow, Kiyama really needed this. It was something that he'd been looking for for ages, and the call he'd gotten from one of the librarians about them finally finding it through some inter-library loan program had made his week. He knew that he'd been searching for rare material, but he'd started asking about this particular thing months ago. A bit irritated, Kiyama drummed his fingers against the desk. It was nearing closing time, so that might mean that most of the librarians were trying to get their shelving done. Because, yeah, who comes to the library and checks stuff out on Saturday night?

Kiyama turned around, deciding to try his luck just seeking someone out. He started a sweep of the library, starting at the reference section in the corner. It seemed to be as empty and quiet as the checkout desk, save for a quiet voice coming from somewhere. The yankee raised an eyebrow as he turned the corner...

There was a girl, singing, dancing, and even posing in the middle of the aisle. Kiyama watched the girl for a minute, wide-eyed. Maybe he would've laughed at her, if he wasn't feeling so awkward himself...

It looked like one of those moments one should not intrude upon, and Kiyama didn't really want to. But then his eyes drifted a little to the side, and he noticed that the girl was standing by a cart filled with books... did she work there?

Looking around to see if there was another employee that didn't seem to be occupied, Kiyama came up empty. He could wait for one of the fulltime employees. Kiyama knew that the old ladies judged him too, but it didn't bother him as much. For some reason, he got the feeling that they thought he was more of some kind of silly, wayward boy than anything else. Anyone younger than that, or a bit more aware of recent happenings in town would definitely have a different opinion of him, but thankfully the old librarians didn't seem to get around.

But dammit, he just wanted to get this over and done with.

Slowly, Kiyama started down the aisle, his eyes locked on the girl. By that time, her voice had gotten louder, and she was thrusting fists in the air and bobbing her head wildly. He waited until he was directly behind her before he raised a hand to his mouth, coughing a fake cough to get the girl's attention. "Excuse me?"

The girl froze, likely embarrassed that she'd been caught. The thing is, she didn't move for a moment, which didn't help Kiyama feel any better, either.

And then she turned around.

Her eyes were wide and surprised, and... probably a mirror of Kiyama's face. For a moment, Kiyama toyed with the idea of backtracking out the aisle without saying a word and walking straight out the door and returning to his house.

But no, he could stand his ground. He was a freaking yankee, he could take on teenage librarian girl, no problem. Yeah.

His voice came out a bit stunted and quiet, but it came out nonetheless. "No one's at the desk, and I'm... looking for something specific..."

Kiyama let his voice trail off, as his mind floated to that inevitable moment when she would learn what he'd come to check out that evening. He could lie, and say it was for someone else. Or would it even matter? He didn't know this girl, and nearly everyone he knew had a bad opinion of him anyway, so why would he worry about her? A few seconds ago, this girl was dancing around and singing the song to a kids' television show, right?

That in mind, Kiyama reached into his pocket and pulled a slip of paper with a call number written on it.

"I was told this just came in this week, and it hasn't been shelved, so..."

He held it out to the girl, his face grim. Kiyama just wanted to get this over with...

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Slight godmodding near the end, BUT YOU APPROVED IT.



"Excuse me?"

Standing in front of Keiko was a towering… male. His hair was in disarray, and… he looked awfully familiar. The embarrassment of being caught singing and dancing clouded her judgment, and she quickly turned towards the cart, picking up another book, the title of it suddenly very interesting…

"No one's at the desk, and I'm... looking for something specific..." She glanced up, dropping the book back onto the cart. Oh, he was just picking something up before closing. Well, that was different. She didn’t notice him trailing off, or even that he looked a tad uncomfortable.

The guy reached into his pocket, his hand extracting a piece of paper, holding it out for her to take. The more seconds that passed, the more her blush started to fade, Keiko gingerly taking the paper into her hands. Her eyes skimmed over the name and title of the book, glancing back up at the guy in front of her. It was only then that she realized he was wearing the guys’ school uniform from Karasumori. His sleeves were rolled up, she could see a bit of his tanktop underneath the gakuran, but other than that, he looked normal. Except his hair. His hair kind of looked like a well styled frizz ball. If that was possible. She felt her lips quirk up, but quickly smoothed out her mouth. She took another look at the paper in her hands.

A book by Hasegawa Nobuko.

"I was told this just came in this week, and it hasn't been shelved, so..."

She wasn’t familiar with the author, or the title. Keiko took a look at the cart next to her, trying to think of all the books that came in that week, there were so many, and she took another look at the paper. She tilted her head, but began to leaf through the books on her cart. A quick search found the book this guy was looking for wasn’t there, and she let out a sigh.

“It’s not here, it might be somewhere else, I’ll go check.”

Keiko kept her grip on the paper, making her way over to the main desk, taking a seat at the computer, ready to type up the title and author. What she didn’t expect… was a blank screen. She frowned, leaning down to turn the computer on. She tapped her fingers against the desk as the computer took its sweet time to load. She couldn’t help but feel a yawn coming on. She didn’t like to use the computers at the library. They were much too slow for her liking, and tried at all costs to not use them. But seeing as all the other librarians seemed to be missing at the moment…

She held up a hand, covering her mouth as she yawned, her eyes blinking rapidly to stop the onslaught on water leaking out. She dropped her hand, finding the computer was done starting up and quickly typed in what she needed to before starting the waiting process all over again. Keiko groaned, the loading done albeit a lot faster than normal, now recognizing the book. She had already placed it up, too busy daydreaming to really pay attention to what she was doing.

Easing off the chair, she pinched the top of her nose, not liking the fact that she would now have to retrace her steps. Keiko started back over to where she left the guy, not really caring about him at this point, only wanting to give him his book and then go on home.

She returned to where she left her cart, and by further extension, started to rack her mind on just where she placed the book. She stifled another yawn, it was getting late, and her shift was probably over at the moment, but Keiko knew, until everyone who lent a book was taken care of, she had to stay. She ran a finger across a few spines, a title jumping out at her sleepy eyes.

She found it.

She found it.

Keiko took the book out of the shelf, the cover in bright colors, but she found the book this guy was looking for. She turned around, holding the book out so he could take it from her.

“Here, this is what you were looking for, right?” She reached up, readjusting her glasses. “I’ll get you situated, then.” She returned to the main desk, waiting for him to present his library card, not bothering to read the name on the card, or how he hastily put the book away into his bag. Keiko was tired, and didn’t really care about some guy and his weird book fetish. She tore the receipt from the machine, handing it off before taking a glance at the clock in the corner.

And froze.

It was past closing time.

Keiko shot to her feet, rushing over to the doors, using all her force, hoping, praying, that they would move… only to have them stay put. It was impossible. There was no way time had passed that quickly while she was... fooling around.

“No. No! Don’t tell me we’re locked it! We can’t be!”

That was when she remembered the computer. She thought it was odd that it was off. They only turned the computers off when it was time to clo--

She groaned, hitting her head against the stuck door.

They were trapped. In the library. It couldn't get much worse.

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

The girl looked from the paper to the bookcase a few times before thumbing through the books on the cart she stood beside. A minute later, she looked up at Kiyama again.

“It’s not here, it might be somewhere else, I’ll go check,” she said before walking away.

Kiyama raised an eyebrow. This girl didn't seem too attentive. In fact, she seemed kind of stand-offish. Did she want him to follow her? He couldn't tell, but he figured it was best to keep the her in view. He looked over the bookcases one last time before he dashed after her, in the direction of the front desk.

By the time he got there, she was already situated in front of a computer and trying to stifle a yawn. Perhaps she'd had a long day? She looked to be around the same age, so he could imagine that she wasn't too enthused about working on a Saturday night. Luckily enough, one thing Kiyama had never had to worry about was money. Being a student and maintaining a job was a foreign concept to him, but he found himself respecting kids like Nippori and the tired girl at the desk.

But she seemed to be having some kind of problem with the computer. While waiting for her to sort out whatever needed sorting out, Kiyama took notice of his surroundings. He usually didn't stop by the library on the weekend, and definitely not so late. It was quiet. Besides the hum of the lights and the tapping of the girl's finger against the desk, than the keyboard, it was quiet. While looking in the directions of the bookshelves again, Kiyama wondered where were one of the older librarians; the ones he was more familiar with and would be able to help him out faster.

Then suddenly, the girl hopped off her chair. Wordlessly, she walked from behind the desk toward the back of the library again. Kiyama twiddled his fingers before deciding to follow her.

The two ended up back in the same spot they were in minutes ago; this time, the girl searched the shelves. It seemed like she probably had shelved the book right before he'd first asked her about it. Kiyama frowned. Was the girl that out of it?

Finally, the girl yanked a book out from the case. Kiyama held his breath -- yes, the art style of its cover looked so familiar...

“Here, this is what you were looking for, right?” The girl handed Kiyama the book before adjusting her glasses. “I’ll get you situated, then.”

Kiyama inspected the book in his hands. Yes, this was it! The one he'd been looking for since... forever. The yankee felt the corners of his mouth begin to curl into a satisfied smile before he stopped himself. That girl was in front of him! He briefly considered offering up an excuse -- he'd come to get it for a little brother or something -- but by the time he looked up, she was in motion and returning back to the front desk. Kiyama quickly started moving to follow her.

She hadn't seemed to notice... or at least acknowledge what she had just handed to him and how it weird it was for him to be looking for a book like that.

He reached into his bag and found his library card, handing the girl both it and the book to scan up. She did, and Kiyama all but snatched both back and immediately shoved them into his bag. The girl didn't seem to notice, though.

This was strange. Every other time he'd been to the library, he'd garnered odd looks and offhand comments from both patrons and staff alike. It was the first time he hadn't been patronized there, though he was being attended to by this girl who looked like she couldn't care less who or what he was. He bit his lip, looking off to the side. As strange as this was, it's a good thing, he asserted. It wasn't like he enjoyed being judged, but...

Kiyama looked to see the girl, her hand in midair with the receipt hanging from her fingers. Her face was pale and stony, and her eyes were distant.

A delayed reaction? Was she finally going to call him out for being the weirdo he was?

Confused and wide-eyed, Kiyama watched the girl as she jumped out of her seat and from behind the desk again, this time moving in the direction of the doors.

“No. No! Don’t tell me we’re locked in! We can’t be!”

Kiyama blinked.

Was it really that late? He reached into his bag to grab his cell phone, and flipped it open. Right now it was...

...blank screen o'clock.

Kiyama frowned. Had he really been so busy over the past days he forgot to charge his phone? It was completely dead. Instead, he started searching the walls for a clock confirm that it was that late; it certain didn't feel like it was -- he'd been able to walk into the building not too long ago, right?

But a blunt knocking sound caused him to look back towards the front, his eyes going wide at what he saw.

The girl was hitting her head against the door.

"Hey, be careful," Kiyama moved towards her, an arm reached out in concern. That was definitely the last thing you do in a situation like this. Freaking out definitely wouldn't help things, particularly when said freaking out was self-injurious. "Where is everyone else? We really can't be locked in from the inside, can we? And even if we are... you have a phone, right?"

Kiyama looked to the side, tapping his spent phone against his chin. It had taken the girl a while to find the book, but it hadn't taken that long. And in the off-chance they were stuck in the building, it wouldn't be that bad of a thing. It was the public library, not some kind of torture chamber.

But there was nothing to worry about. Stuff like that doesn't happen in real life.

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: Slight Godmodding, but you okay'd it... Kiyama is gonna think she's delusional D:



They were stuck in the library. She let her hand rest against the door, mentally berating herself over something that would only happen in movies.

"Hey, be careful." At the sound of the guy behind her, Keiko took her head off the door, turning her head so she could look at him, "Where is everyone else? We really can't be locked in from the inside, can we? And even if we are... you have a phone, right?"

She moved back from the door, shaking her head, “If the front doors are locked, that means everyone is gone.” Keiko ran a hand through her hair, after wards taking off her glasses, “There’s probably a chance one door is still open, but I’d have to check…” She let her glasses rest on top of her head, “Um, okay.” She looked at the guy, he was… really tall. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? ”Just… wait here.”

Moving around the towering boy, she made her way over to the check out and into the backroom. Only one light was on, her bag still where she left it. She grabbed it, shifting through it until she found her cell phone, hiding under a few snacks she had in case she had a break and was hungry. Taking it out, Keiko flipped it open, expecting to see the face of Miu-chan and then the time.

What she saw… was a blaring OUT-OF-RANGE. Right over Miu-chan’s face.

Keiko rarely cursed, but now was an exception.

Because of course her phone wasn’t working. That would be too much to ask. This wasn’t the first time her phone had gone out-of-range inside the library, but for it to happen now off all times… Yes, it was one of the main reasons she never liked taking her phone with her, but her mother was adamant about her taking it with her, so if anything was to happen while she was coming home, at least she could call the cops.

Now she couldn’t even do that.

Thrusting the phone into her pocket, she tightened her grip on her bag, hoisting it over her shoulder as she emerged from the backroom. Tall Guy was where she left him, already she was regretting even being at the library, even if it was for work. Keiko clicked her tongue, the action odd, even for her, “My phone’s a no-go,” taking note that he had his out, “what about yours?”

She tilted her head, even from far away, he was unreasonably tall. Keiko felt a frown on her face, this guy looked familiar… Like, really familiar. Where had she seen him before?

She sighed, whoever he was, right now it wasn’t important, finding an open door on the other hand… Keiko removed her glasses from the top of her head, closing them and just shoving them into her bag. She could always put them in its case later. Like when she was on her way home. Once she was done with that, she let her hand run through her hair, “Um, an open door…” She bit her lip. “There should be one…”

Turning on her heel, she headed towards the back of the library, her long forgotten cart still where she left it. She didn’t know if the guy was following her, it might have been a good idea to care, but she really didn’t want to stay in the library any longer than she had to be. The closer she got to the door, the more her speed picked up, until she was running.

When the door came into sight, a smile replaced her earlier frown, Please be open, please be open, please be open… Keiko stopped just short of the door, gripping the handle and praying with all her might that it would work with her. She gave the door a push.

It didn’t budge.

A curse hung on the edge of her tongue, but Keiko refrained, feeling the presence of the guy behind her. She knew he knew the door was completed locked, and no matter how much she tried, it would stay shut. She eased off the door, holding a hand to her head. “Okay, we… we’re not locked in.” She took a deep breath. “We’re not locked in, my phone is not out-of-range, and your phone isn’t dead.” She gave her head a nod. That was right. They were fine.

They would find some way out.

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

After trying, then failing to open the front door, librarian girl backed away from it and removed her glasses. “If the front doors are locked, that means everyone is gone. There’s probably a chance one door is still open, but I’d have to check… Um, okay.” She gave him a strange look before continuing. ”Just… wait here.”

Kiyama watched as the girl scuttled away.

As the girl moved out of sight, Kiyama found his gaze shift back towards the door. It wasn't that he didn't trust the girl when she said they were locked, but... She was tiny, to say the least. It wouldn't hurt anything if he'd try his luck at getting them out. So Kiyama tucked his schoolbag under his arm, approached the door, started pushing and pushing and pushing until...

...nothing happened.

Kiyama groaned, opting to try something else. He propped his whole body against it, dug his feet into the carpet, and started pushing as hard as he could.

It was still stuck fast. Rubbing the elbow he'd used against the door, he stepped back from it a few paces. Quite fitting for the old building, the doors were very heavy-looking and wooden... There was no way they'd be using this exit unless someone let them out. Kiyama eyed the door before noticing something out of the corner of his eye. It was the librarian girl, this time with a bag in tow.

“My phone’s a no-go; what about yours?” Her voice was urgent, and sounded a bit nervous. Kiyama flipped his phone open again and turned it so the girl could see it, shaking his head. It was still as dead as it was a few minutes ago, and the screen was still just as blank.

But he noticed that the girl was staring at him. Kiyama stared back, his eyes narrowed, a bit on the disturbed side. This girl...

Meanwhile he closed his phone and tossed it into his own bag; it was useless at this point, anyway. “Um, an open door… There should be one…”

And the girl started off.

Kiyama looked around a bit before his eyes found the quickly retreating form of the girl again. By the time he caught up with her, she was already in the back, trying her best to push what looked to be the emergency exit open. He watched as the diminutive girl strained against the door, a bit amused. She looked a bit like a cartoon character in all her efforts... this girl was about as real as this whole situation was.

She finally gave up, placing a hand to her head. The girl wasn't looking at him, but from what Kiyama could see of her face, it was the epitome of everything distraught. “Okay, we… we’re not locked in. We’re not locked in, my phone is not out-of-range, and your phone isn’t dead.” The girl then nodded, as if to assure herself, to assure Kiyama, and to assure the world.

But... no. It was looking like not only were all those things true, but he was going to be stuck with this neurotic girl for a lot longer than he'd like. As if his Saturday night hadn't already been looking to turn out so strangely...

He slipped past the girl and walked towards the door to try his own hand in shoving it open, but it was just as stuck as the one up front.

It didn't make any sense. Just how did this happen? He'd been able to walk in the library, which means he'd gotten there quite a while before closing and... that girl worked here, didn't she? She should have noticed something like all the other employees leaving and locking all the doors! And why the hell couldn't they get the emergency exit open? He'd be damned if this wasn't an emergency and they sure as hell could use an exit...

Kiyama chewed on his lip. There was no point in thinking about those kinds of things now.

But there was something else he could do.

Gesturing for the girl to follow, he marched back towards the center of the building, to the area with the study tables and computers. He sat down at the first PC he saw, leaning over to set his schoolbag down and press the power switch on the processor. It might take someone a while to see it, but they could certainly e-mail someone. Then that person could contact someone who could help them, like someone who managed the library, or even emergency services. As convoluted as it might be, it was about their only option left...

Kiyama drummed his fingers on the table. Just who could he contact, who'd be on their computer at about midnight on Saturday and would respond in decent time? Who did know, and who did he trust? Who was there...?

He stared at the operating system's loading screen for a minute. The computers at the library were always painfully slow, especially when they were booting up. He drummed his fingers some more.

...actually, he might do better asking the girl to send a message.

Kiyama turned around in his chair, looking to the girl behind him. "Maybe we can e-mail someone to come get us out. Do you know someone we can contact?" He paused to look over the librarian again. Surely, there was someone somewhere waiting for this girl, someone that would probably be noticing that something was really wrong right about then. "Won't someone be looking for you if you don't come home, anyway?"

[Suzuki Keiko]

She was in the middle of consoling herself when the tall guy pushed her aside, trying, and failing, to open the door she had just tried to open. Keiko felt herself frown. Did it seem like she couldn’t open a lousy door? Yeah, she was on the short side, especially when standing next to this guy, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t strong enough to open a silly emergency door.

He finally gave up on the door, motioning her to follow him towards the front of the library. Once there, he plopped himself down at a computer, booting it up and waiting for it to start up. Keiko stood off to the side, watching as he drummed his fingers against the desk. There was no doubt about it, this weird guy who checked out books right before closing time looked strangely familiar, but she couldn’t place where she had seen him. And it was annoying. Keiko was usually good when it came to remembering faces.

While she was busying trying to figure out who this tall guy was, he turned around in his chair, startling her out of her thoughts with his voice, "Maybe we can e-mail someone to come get us out. Do you know someone we can contact?"

Keiko tilted her head, her brow furrowed. It was only some time after midnight, her older sister and dad weren’t even home yet, her mother was probably keeping the baby occupied… She blinked. Of course! If there was one person who would be up at this time of the night on a computer… It would be her little sister. Keiko nodded, “Yeah, there is. She should still be up.” That was… hoping she wasn’t in their room reading manga or something.

"Won't someone be looking for you if you don't come home, anyway?" Keiko felt her eyes twitch, but kept her mouth shut. Twice since school started, she would get into a situation and the guy would wonder if she should be out to late. Sure, Yankees ran amuck in their little town, but she always made sure to stay clear of any trouble, and it worked so far. What did they want her to do? Stay cooped up in her house all day?

Instead she pulled up another chair, placing her bag on her lap, taking the keyboard from the guy and brought up a browser. She quickly typed up a web address, bringing up her e-mail. As she typed up a message, she glanced out of the corner of her eye. It was still bugging her, who this guy was, why he looked familiar. Keiko stilled her hands; the only words typed out on the screen were in the subject.

“Um… I know this might seem a bit sudden, but, if this… If we are stuck here for a while,” she dipped her head, “My name’s Suzuki.” She waited only a moment for his answer, before turning her attention back to the screen.

She paused for a moment, thinking up a reply that could possibly show the urgency of the matter. Even if they DID manage to send out the e-mail, there was no guarantee anyone could get them out. She sighed, in the end typing up something she hoped got her point across. Keiko shot a look over at the guy, but his face was stoic, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

She turned back to the screen, grabbing the mouse, rereading what she had written, in case there were any typos. As she got to the end of the e-mail, she nodded, no typos, thankfully, and it seemed pretty urgent.

It had to be, the subject was “URGENT. OPEN NOW.”

The mouse hovered over the send button, her finger just about ready to click…

When a large clap of thunder resonated all around, followed closely with a crack of lightning, before the entire library was enveloped by darkness.

Keiko could only gape at the blank screen in front of her, the e-mail she already typed up probably long gone. She froze, unable to see anywhere around her. She groped for her bag, reaching inside it until she felt her phone. Taking it out, she opened it, using the feeble light to shine on the guy next to her.

“…Now what?”

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

OOC: a touch of godmodding, but we talked about this stuff, right? RIGHT?


When the girl seemed to ignore his second question, Kiyama found himself biting his tongue. That was... a bit personal there. He didn't know how he would've taken it if she would've asked him that kind of question, and maybe that was reason enough for him to refrain from asking anything else.

The girl sat down next to him, promptly snatching up the keyboard and getting to work. Maybe he'd touched a nerve? Partially to avoid looking at any passwords or account names she was typing in, and partially to avoid whatever annoyed or offended look she had on her face, Kiyama looked off to the side.

Librarian girl typed for a second, then stopped, addressing him in a flat voice. “Um… I know this might seem a bit sudden, but, if this… If we are stuck here for a while, my name’s Suzuki.”

"Kiyama," he replied simply, but she'd already begun to start typing her message again.

The girl hadn't seemed too interested in him at all that evening. Not that it bugged him all that much; he'd rather enjoyed the feeling of almost being ignored earlier in the afternoon... but earlier, it felt like the girl was just too occupied not to care. Now, it just felt awkward.

So Kiyama kept his mouth shut as he watched the girl begin typing. Her she typed... really fast. As he looked over the screen he found himself impressed. It was... nice, though it was such a simple message. She had a way with words, a lot better than he himself did. If her friend or whoever saw this message, they'd gather that they were in deep trouble, definitely. He guessed both talents were to be expected of a person that worked in a library.

But Suzuki appeared to look over her message a few times before she was satisfied with it. Kiyama watched as the cursor moved across the screen, moving towards the "SEND" button, then...

...then, from out of nowhere came the thunder. It was so loud and so close he could feel it.

And the lights went out.

Everything went out.

Including the computer screen.

It was silent for a few moments, save for the constant sound of rain against the roof of the building. A few seconds later, a humming started, and a few lights flickered back on, though the whole room stayed very dim.

All of this went unbeknownst to Kiyama, because he couldn't tear his eyes from the blackness of the computer screen. Why was technology failing him that evening? He just wanted to go home. For once in his life, he just wanted to go home...

“…Now what?”, asked Suzuki, sounding about as exasperated as Kiyama felt. He blinked, unable to piece any thoughts together that quickly, when the girl whipped out her cell phone again and was using it as some kind of flashlight to illuminate his face.

Kiyama squinted. The light wasn't all that bright, but shining that directly in his eyes like that did make them sting a little. He pushed the Suzuki's arm to the side enough so his retinas would be spared, and so he could think. Between what he figured were a few overhead lights being powered by emergency generators and a little illumination filtering through the high windows of the building, it wasn't completely dark in the room.

Now what? Something as indirect as e-mailing someone to call someone else to get them out did seem like such a last-ditch plan. Kiyama stared into the darkness, searching his mind for something else he could do, but no matter what he seemed to come up with, it led to a dead end.

He sighed, not quite looking to Suzuki.

"We're in a library," he mused out loud. "There are restrooms and water fountains and probably a vending machine somewhere... it's not like we're in the middle of the woods." Though he'd said it himself, Kiyama instinctively flinched at his mention of woods. There was just no conceivable way that a night in the library would go that awry. The power might be out, he might be trapped with this weird girl, but... "This shouldn't... be that bad."

There was another crack of thunder and a flash of lightning so bright that the room looked like the power had not just been knocked out. The storm was very, very close.

"C'mon," Kiyama mumbled, pushing his chair out from the table. He glanced briefly at the librarian girl before continuing. "I don't think sitting by half a dozen computers when it's like this is all that safe."

Kiyama stooped to get his bag again and made his way over to the center of the lobby area of the library, with the empty tables and the comfy chairs kids coveted during exam season. He plopped down into a couch. A movement out of the corner of the of his and the shifting of the furniture confirmed that Suzuki had taken a seat on the other end.

After laying his bag on one side of him, and learning against the arm of the chair to the other side, he stroked his chin. This was dumb. It was ridiculously dumb. How did a book pick-up (that shouldn't have taken him ten minutes since he'd called about it) turn into an ordeal that would have him stuck there for the entire night? Would Suzuki have been locked in the library herself he hadn't been there? Or maybe... it was trying to find his special book that had taken so much time that the were in that situation.

That would make all this his fault.

Kiyama cradled his head in his hand, debating whether he should apologize. Was that girl mad at him? Would she even listen? The truth was that the yankee just wanted to keep as quiet as possible and just mind his own business until someone would come and let them out of that place.

He sighed again, closing his eyes. Really... what the hell was even going on anymore?

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: THIS TOOK WAY TOO LONG TO WRITE D: I'm sorry for the crappiness, Lee. But at least the plot is going somewhere?



No sooner had she lifted up her out-of-service cell phone did Kiyama’s hand push it down, the emergency lights dimly giving the area some light. Keiko shut her phone, glad some light was on at least. She wasn’t afraid of the dark, it was just… it was creepy being alone in a library at night. At least someone was there with her, even though she didn’t know this guy or where she had seen him before…

"We're in a library," he mused out loud. "There are restrooms and water fountains and probably a vending machine somewhere... it's not like we're in the middle of the woods." Keiko nodded, feeling a little at ease already. She knew for a fact that there was a mini-fridge in the backroom, sometimes one of the old ladies would bring in something for everyone, and they would stash leftovers in the fridge. For the vending machines, well, she had the keys for those. "This shouldn't... be that bad."

Another bout of lightning lit up the room, and for a second Keiko thought she saw a flinch flicker across Kiyama’s face. He couldn’t be afraid of a thunderstorm? This big guy?

"C'mon," Kiyama mumbled, pushing his chair out from the table. He glanced briefly at the librarian girl before continuing. "I don't think sitting by half a dozen computers when it's like this is all that safe." Keiko bit her lip, suddenly realizing that he was right. Sitting near a bunch of computers was definitely a bad idea. She was getting to her feet when Kiyama already taken off, his bag in hand, towards the lobby area. She hurried her pace, finding him on one of the reading couches. He had already made himself comfortable, putting his bag next to him.

Keiko took the empty spot at the other end of the couch, shifting a bit. If she was going to be stuck here all night, she might as well be comfortable. She placed her bag on her lap again, her cell phone still in her grip. Kiyama had turned away from her, his face contorted as if he were deep in thought. And Keiko left him alone.

This guy, Kiyama, was sure weird. He was really quiet, went to libraries near closing time, and got random children books… She tilted her head, as if to get a better look at this guy despite the lack of light. He seemed really familiar. Keiko frowned, judging by his appearance, he went to her school. That could very well mean he was a delinquent, they overran the school sometimes, but he didn’t really look like one. Except for maybe the hair and the ever present scowl on his face…

Her gaze fell onto the bag he laid next to him. The tip of the book he just checked out was peeking out. Curious, she turned around in her seat so she was facing him, her legs folded under her. Keiko smoothed the frown off her face, trying not to look as curious as she felt.

“Um…”

Keiko kept her face down; unsure he would like it if she was staring at him. She probably already looked odd as it was, getting the two of them trapped in the library, it was mostly her fault for being so thorough in her e-mail that if she had just sent it two seconds earlier before the power was knocked out, they wouldn’t be stuck in this mess…

“Your book. What exactly is it about?” Her voice remained low, as if she wasn’t trying to make conversation despite the situation. She slowly lifted her head, her eyes focusing on the couch armrest. “I’m not familiar with that author. Uh… Hasegawa Nobuko, right?”

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

OOC: No probs, bb. Sorry that I don't go too far with this, but you know I play such a stubborn character... D:


Kiyama started off into the darkness of the library, wondering if that was all he would be doing that night. He wasn't particularly sleepy just yet.

There wasn't so much light, he guessed, but he could attempt to read. This wasn't such a bad thing after all. Most days he went there he had to sneak around and be quick about it because it only would take one look to tell that he was a Karasumori yankee. And if people know what one of those famous crazy Kara High delinquents was really like...

Kiyama wrinkled his nose. No, his secret should stay his secret.

"Um..."

The girl's voice... it only made Kiyama twist his face more. But no, maybe it might not be so bad. Suzuki didn't seem so keen on smalltalk before, so she would have something important to say this time, too. Maybe she'd come up with another idea for getting out of there? Kiyama's frown faded, taken by that thought...

He turned around to see that the girl wasn't looking at him, but staring somewhat past him. That was strange, but that was a given, this girl's strangeness.

"Your book. What exactly is it about?"

Kiyama's face deadpanned.

That was such... and unnecessary thing to ask about. Kiyama didn't want to talk about it. He should've been able to check out his freaking book without being ogled or questioned and go home and read it in peace. Kiyama was good by books. He never bent the pages or broke the bindings and hadn't ever garnered a late fee from the library in his life. He was a good patron and should be left with the same blanket anonymity that all good patrons were owed.

Yeah, Kiyama really didn't want to answer her, but he didn't want to blatantly ignore her, either. He wondered if he should feign ignorance about the whole thing, and insist the book was a request from a little brother he'd make up on the spot, or...

Kiyama also didn't want to lie about it. It wasn't like he was talking to Tsukimori, but to some functional stranger he'd definitely try to avoid after that night. It wasn't worth all the effort and weaving up stories about fictional relatives.

"I..." His eyes dropped from the girl to his bag, which lay on the chair in between them. The book was poking out. Maybe that's why she thought to ask. Damn. "...don't know."

He wouldn't mention that there was a point at which he did know, and that he'd read the book multiple times already. Years ago. When a kid was allowed to read children's books.

"I'm not familiar with that author. Uh... Hasegawa Nobuko, right?"

Crap.

Kiyama knew he'd just made some kind of face, though he wasn't sure what it was. Seriously, he just wanted this conversation to end. He was in a library, so a little peace and quiet wasn't a lot to ask, right? Kiyama didn't think he asked for much in life...

He shifted a bit in his seat, turning towards the girl, who still wasn't looking at him. Hmm, she kind of reminded him of another weird kid he knew... The yankee shook off that thought and reluctantly began his answer. "The author... she's not popular or anything. She published about a dozen books some years back, which got her a cult following." Kiyama paused, considering what he'd said. All of that was stuff one could find online if they searched in the right places... but did that make him a fan of hers? A member of her cult following? He'd never really thought about it that way... "This was her first book, under a different publisher than the rest. It's rare. This library didn't have it, so it's on loan from another, which is why this took so long and why we're..."

He trailed off and sighed. He still felt guilty for getting them stuck there in the library of awkwardity.

"I'm sorry for this." Kiyama then, paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "And that author... she's not a big deal if you don't know about her already. You shouldn't worry about it too much..."

Kiyama stopped. He suddenly started to feel like he was talking too much when he didn't want to talk in the first place and definitely not about this and most definitely not with her. Instead of continuing, he picked up his schoolbag and started to close it properly, making sure the entire book was tucked in. Maybe it would trigger some kind of "out of sight, out of mind" type reaction. He hoped it would.

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: A silent, stubborn character, yeah. THIS IS SHORT BUT THERE WASN'T MUCH TO DO TO MOVE THE THREAD ALONG D:



There were times when Keiko really wished she stayed silent.

Now was one of those times.

As soon as Kiyama’s face fell at her question, she felt ashamed. Here they were, trapped in a freaking library, and she wanted to know what he checked out. Yeah, real smart there.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him shifting around in his seat, now facing her.

"The author... she's not popular or anything. She published about a dozen books some years back, which got her a cult following."

Keiko nodded, that happened sometimes, she knew of some big name authors whose fans scared her. But Kiyama, he seemed like one of those few sane fans, the ones who didn’t go to extreme lengths that were just… borderline creepy.

"This was her first book, under a different publisher than the rest. It's rare. This library didn't have it, so it's on loan from another, which is why this took so long and why we're..."

Again she nodded, and again, it only reassured her that Kiyama was a decent guy. She looked up as he trailed off, and she tilted her head as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm sorry for this. And that author... she's not a big deal if you don't know about her already. You shouldn't worry about it too much..."

Keiko frowned; he blamed himself for their predicament? Her finger twitched, but she forced her hand to remain in her lap. She watched as he closed his bag, hiding the book from her view. It didn’t quell her curiosity, but from her own experience, could tell Kiyama wanted this conversation to end, and for it to end now.

She sighed, if she were in his shoes, she would probably be acting the same way.

“Oh,” she bit her lip, glancing around the dimly lit room, finding herself at a loss now that her attempt at small talk failed, “um…” Keiko fidgeted in her seat, fingers tugging at her bag strap. “Are…” She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, “are you a student at Karasumori? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around. Um… are you part of any clubs?”

It was a stupid idea, trying to find another topic to talk about. But the two were probably not going to get out of the library any time soon, and there was no way she was going to stay silent the entire time.

“I guess you’re not part of the literary club… Uh, there might be some other people who like Hasegawa Nobuko in there. Maybe…” Keiko mentally smacked herself; she already resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to talk, much less about the book he got…

She sighed again, letting her hand drop back into her lap. “You… you don’t talk much, do you?”

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

OOC: so okay Imma workin' with what I've got. I don't think I added a whole lot but hey maybe Keiko will feel better being more proactive by the end of this? ^^;;


It took some work, but Kiyama was finally able to zip up his bag. In the end, it was obvious that the oversized book was in there, but he felt better when it was at least a little hidden. A little more hidden than before.

"Oh." Suzuki's voice broke the relative quiet, save for the heavy rain still going outside. A long enough pause ensued, and Kiyama could feel Suzuki realizing that was at a wall. He didn't mean to be a wall, but that's just the way things were. It wasn't like he didn't feel bad about it himself, and with the circumstances being as they were, he wasn't trying to be disagreeable.

So the girl opted to try something else. "...um… Are… are you a student at Karasumori? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around. Um… are you part of any clubs?"

Kiyama wasn't vain... at least he didn't think so, but in a way he thought that he was a figure at Karasumori. Not quite like Wataru and his gang were, but enough people knew who he was and never to mess with him. If they didn't know who he was before, not too long ago was that rumor that swept through the school and...

He narrowed his eyes at the girl. The way she was talking, it was like she couldn't recognize that he was a yankee. Kiyama didn't dye his hair and wore his uniform, for the most part, the right way, so he guessed he could pass. It was just something that rarely ever happened. There was the echo of thunder in the distance. It seemed like the storm was letting up some, and Kiyama hoped that meant that the power would return soon.

"I'm a third year... and I'm in a sports club," he offered. That would be good enough. The particulars of his life and hobbies were also things he didn't want to delve into, and he hoped that Suzuki would give up on that topic too.

The girl soon began again. "I guess you’re not part of the literary club…" So that meant that she was? No surprises there. She worked in a library, and even looked kind of bookish. "Uh, there might be some other people who like Hasegawa Nobuko in there. Maybe…"

Kiyama wasn't sure if he sighed hearing that, but he probably did. Not only did he doubt that there was anyone who would own up to liking that author in a high school club, but he didn't think he was too interested in meeting anyone else who liked her. Kiyama wasn't that kind of fan.

That kind of fan? What did that even mean? Kiyama crinkled his nose.

And then it came.

Suzuki sighed and still didn't look at him. “You… you don’t talk much, do you?"

Kiyama's nose crinkled more and he bit his lip too. He was taken aback by that comment. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, but hearing it from this girl, Suzuki, was weird. Hearing it from the girl who'd barely acknowledged him after he'd first gotten there, and now seemed like she was desperate for conversation was weird. Hearing it from the girl who didn't recognize yankees and banged her head against doors and danced during closing time in the library, well, it was...

He closed his eyes tight, trying to recall what he'd heard earlier, but most of the words seemed to be eluding him. He wasn't really paying attention to what was going on earlier, but a few of the words had managed to stick.

"Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha! Goseiger dash!" Kiyama said, his voice barely above a whisper, slow, and with the tiniest bit of the melody discernible in his words. Even in his half-hearted imitation, he felt silly repeating Suzuki. What the hell was a 'Goseiger,' anyway? "Well, you're a bit strange, aren't you?"

The yankee smirked the slightest bit, looking off in the direction the librarian was. He had caught the girl singing the kid's show theme not long before. So Suzuki probably felt embarrassed earlier for reasons not so unlike his own... on one level, at least.

It really was strange.

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: This... I don't even know XD


As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a little bad. On more than one occasion, she was accused of doing the same thing. How was this any different than those losers at school who picked on her?

Keiko smacked the couch cushion, finally looking at Kiyama’s face. She couldn’t spend the entire night not staring at the guy. That would look weird. She opened her mouth, about to apologize…

When she heard it.

Faint, in a low husky voice, lyrics she sang earlier that evening. "Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha! Goseiger dash!"

A flush covered her face, her mouth snapped shut, and her vision shook. Yeah, okay, she sang songs from children shows, so what? Her brows furrowed, and just the sight of this guy’s smirk on his face put her on edge.

But he wasn’t done.

"Well, you're a bit strange, aren't you?"

Keiko grit her teeth, her fingers tightening around her bag strap. How… how dare this… guy, who didn’t know one thing about her, call her strange. What about him? All secretive about a silly book that could only be about anything.

She shut her eyes, if only to get Kiyama’s face out of her sight, and she took a deep breath. It was almost as if he was trying to rile her up, maybe in retaliation to what she said earlier. Okay, okay, fine, she could deal with that. But to call her strange? She was hardly strange, not from what she could see when she went to school. Yankees and their blatant disregard for the dress code, their hair dyed in the most horrific colors imaginable…

Finally opening her eyes, she let them focus on the dark haired guy sitting across from her, “The song is catchy, my nephew loves it. And what about you?”

She was on a roll, she should shut up, but she was switched on and there was no stopping her.

“We’re stuck in this crazy situation, I try and make it seem like it’s not so bad, and you…” Her eyes narrowed, “act like you’re hiding something. What, did you check out porn or something and didn’t want anyone to know? I could care less about what you checked out, I just wanted to pass the time along as quickly as possible.”

And just like that, her bubble popped, her anger deflated, but she still felt like that wasn’t enough. Her hands released her bag and she quickly unzipped it, fishing around until her hand found something small and hard. She gripped it, taking it out and throwing it across the couch at Kiyama. She didn’t wait to see if it reached her target, only got to her feet, walking a few feet until she was hidden behind a bookshelf. Once there, she sunk to the floor, feeling completely drained. It had been a while since she had gotten really angry, she tried to keep it down, but sometimes… she couldn’t help it.

With another sigh, she let her head rest against the bookshelf, her bag useless beside her.

[Kiyama Ryuichiro]

OOC: lolololololololz I still can't believe she threw something at him! XD blah blah blah this post his bad


Suzuki appeared to process what Kiyama said. And then she got every angry.

The boy could only stare at the girl as she closed her eyes and grit her teeth. When she opened her eyes something started that Kiyama would've never imagined of Suzuki the librarian.

"The song is catchy, my nephew loves it. And what about you? We’re stuck in this crazy situation, I try and make it seem like it’s not so bad, and you... act like you’re hiding something. What, did you check out porn or something and didn’t want anyone to know?"

Kiyama's eyes went wide. That day he'd run into Tsukimori... had she been there to see it? Was this because she thought he was some kind of pervert or...?

Before he could think too much on that, Suzuki railed on. "I could care less about what you checked out, I just wanted to pass the time along as quickly as possible."

A moment passed when Suzuki didn't seem to know what to do next. Had Kiyama not been so stunned at the sudden outburst, he would've seized the opportunity to try and quell the girl's anger, but his lips stayed shut. And he stayed quiet and watched when the girl opened her bag, rummage through it, and pull out a something and throw it at him. Luckily it only took a slight movement of his head to dodge the mystery projectile.

By the time he'd recovered, the girl was on her feet and marching towards the back and some of the bookcases.

Again, Kiyama could only sit there and watch as Suzuki walked into the darkness. He didn't know what to do, or even if he should do anything. He wasn't good at the whole "making people feel better" shtick, so he stayed planted in his seat.

For a moment, he buried his face in his hands. As if being stuck in the library wasn't bizarre enough, he seemed to be stuck with the loopy librarian girl from hell. Not too long before that, she was barely acting like Kiyama existed and then she gets upset when he doesn't seem engaging enough? Then she gets insulted from what was more of an observation than anything else. This is exactly why he did not want to talk. Yeah, it might be for the best that they went their separate ways sooner, rather than later. If Suzuki would get so upset from an offhand comment, there was a huge possibility that a worse disagreement could happen.

He sighed, thinking to what the girl had just said. She wanted to talk to pass the time, which he guessed made sense. Kiyama hadn't really thought about how frustrating it must be going for Suzuki, who evidently had a problem with quiet people and found herself stuck with likely the worst conversationalist in town.

Another sigh, but this time it was swallowed by another wave of thunder. The storm was not letting up. A glint that wasn't there before sparkled in the light. Curiously, Kiyama leaned over and reached out for the shiny thing. It was thin and cylindrical and had a metal clasp on the top -- the girl had thrown a pen.

He lowered the pen, his attention going back on his surroundings. All he could hear was the rain and the occasional thunder. Knowing that Suzuki was around and alone somewhere in the dark building, upset because of some... okay, somewhat mean comment he'd said didn't sit well with him. Was she really that upset? If the girl was mad enough to throw something at him and almost poke his eye out, it's possible that--

Kiyama looked away, peering past the darkness at the far end of the room. He didn't...

...he didn't just make a girl cry, did he?

Suddenly very feeling alarmed, he jumped to his feet, tossed his bag over his shoulder and started in the direction that Suzuki had gone in. There was another absurdly bright flash of lightning, and a boom of thunder that looked like they shook the furniture. He didn't know why, but this made Kiyama pick up his pace for the last steps over. She hadn't gone far, and he'd been able to see the which bookcase she'd disappeared behind.

In the dim light he saw that the girl was sitting on the ground, leaning her head back against one of the bookcases. From what he could see, his face was dry. For half a second, Kiyama was glad, but then he noticed how upset she looked.

He sat down beside her, but not too close, considering that porn comment earlier. After folding his legs and setting his bag beside him, he took a deep breath and hoped he wouldn't be saying anything stupid this time.

"I know I'm here for a dumb reason; to get a dumb book. And I don't even have any siblings to blame for it." Kiyama swallowed hard, searching for something else. "That was... hypocritical." Still, he felt like he shouldn't stop there, either. He pondered making another apology, or explicitly stating that he'd try to be pleasant, or making another comment that would probably be misconstrued and taken way out of proportion and enduring the ensuing violence, but he opted to do none of those.

Instead, he held out the girl's pen to her, hoping that she'd take it as a peace offering rather than an insult.

[Suzuki Keiko]

ooc: FAIL POST IS FAIL XD



Two minutes passed. A round of thunder echoed throughout the library, but Keiko didn’t flinch. She was starting to feel a bit sleepy, but the books behind her was jabbing her in the back. She shifted a bit, her eyes closing as she got into a comfortable position.

She was so busy doing that, she didn’t notice when someone sat down next to her, a low voice almost lost in the noise of the storm, "I know I'm here for a dumb reason; to get a dumb book.

Keiko glanced out of the corner of her eye, finding Kiyama sitting down next to her. What, what was he doing there? She had left him in the sitting area and he found her anyway? He was still talking, and Keiko forced herself to pay attention.

And I don't even have any siblings to blame for it." Kiyama swallowed hard, searching for something else. "That was... hypocritical."

And then he held something out.

It took her a moment to realize what it was. Her pen. In her haste, she had grabbed a pen lying at the bottom of her bag and threw it at the guy.

She stared at it before looking up at Kiyama. She couldn’t place his expression. It was almost has if his face never changed. Always stoic, always boring?

A sigh left her lips, but she made no move to take the pen back. “Keep it.” She turned her head forward again, her vision full of encyclopedias, “Take it as an apology for… earlier.” She shifted around, crossing her legs to get comfortable. “I’ve got plenty of them.”

Rain continued to pound the ceiling above, and Keiko found herself looking up. The emergency lights were still going strong, but she wondered how long it was until the power came back on.

Sitting there, amongst all the books with some guy who mocked her for singing children songs, it was then that it dawned on her, while it poured rain and thunder and lightning outside. Why he looked so familiar, why she was so annoyed at him for some unexplainable reason. She turned to stare at him again, with his hair in disarray, the sleeves on his school gakuran rolled up, not even all the buttons were done.

It wasn’t extremely obvious, not like with Ryosuke with his dyed hair and obsession with skulls on everything, but more subtle.

Keiko felt her face pale.

She was trapped in a library. She was trapped with a Yankee. And she just threw a pen at him.

She visibly shivered, at the exact moment a crack of thunder sounded overhead. She had thrown something that could have poked his eye out, and he came looking for her, sat down next to her, and offered it back and she let him have it? What if he decided to use the pen on her later? What if he was thinking of ways to do something harmful to her while they were stuck in this situation?

Keiko shook her head, letting her hair hide her face, no, that was silly. Earlier they were interacting like normal people, he just wanted to check out a book and now this happened and…

She peered up through her bangs; he was watching her, the pen still in his grasp.

“Ah…” Her voice was small, nearly swallowed up by the thunder, “I wonder when the weather will lighten up…”