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Huge libraries were roomy and quiet. It was fun to sort books manually, even if they had machines to help keep things organized. There was something fun about climbing up chairs and ladders to get that one book for whomever might need it. People rarely needed assistance nowadays, but whenever Daichi was asked to help fetch an item, he felt so much happier with his job.
“Here you go!” Days where he could chat with familiar faces were some of the most fun. More often than not, people wanted to go about their day without taking enjoyment in small-talk, but Daichi relied on those few minutes of bonding to stay alert. Despite libraries bearing a comforting scent of paper, working inside a library was horribly mundane. The boredom would settle on slow days, where Daichi found himself reading and eating snacks during breaks until someone needed him. When he knew no one was going to be around for a while, he walked over to a random section of shelves and began sorting the books by title, taking out ones that did not belong in the H stack and placing them in the correct order. Sometimes, he found a book he wanted to read while working at the front desk. He called it work, but it was in essence watching stupid videos online to pass the time. He ran his hand over the dusty book, and wiped it clean to better scan the front cover.
With so many talented self-published authors, it was no surprise that people preferred using the internet to find good books to read. Going to a library was simply not necessary anymore, and while being alone in the library helped Daichi relax, he could not say he enjoyed his job much unless he had some sort of contact with people. When he first started working at the library, it was busy and crowded, but as they got to setting up their own site so that e-books could be borrowed through an online service, the interest to drag books back and forth dissipated. It was no longer required to move from one place to the other. Everyone could have exactly what they wanted in the comfort of their own homes. Still, he ran his fingers along the corners of the book. There was something more to it than simply reading text on a screen. Sitting down with a cup of tea and some fitting music to better immerse himself in the scene helped him feel like he was right there with the characters, experiencing their journey alongside them.
“Excuse m-”
“Ah!” Although, so many quiet days at the library left him utterly helpless whenever someone decided to sneak up on him. Never prepared, always thinking he was alone. The silence made it easier to think and stay in his own little bubble, which was what inevitably drove him to drop every single book in his grasp. He often found himself on the floor after a huge scare, adjusting his glasses and jacket before checking who it was that interrupted his daydreaming. Towering over him was a man that he’d never seen before. It was easy to tell people apart now when only so few came to visit, but he was sure he would have remembered someone with striking blue eyes if they happened to look his way.
“Sorry, did I-” Though, he had to pull himself together for both of their sakes and stop staring the guy up and down. Serving cute girls or handsome guys was always an easy way to make him nervous, but he needed to work past that hurdle to be as efficient as possible.
“I-It’s fine! I was just working!” He was working, albeit not too efficiently. He got up on his feet and dusted himself off after adjusting his shirt. In the meantime, his mystery guest took the time to explain what it was he needed Daichi to do for him.
“I want a book, but I’m not sure I can reach it. I think I need a ladder.” Simple enough.
“Oh, sure thing. Just point me to the book you want, and I’ll get it for you.”
The man pulled Daichi over to a corner of the library that spared no room for fiction. At first glance, he never would have pegged his mystery guest for a science nut. Yet, the book he wanted was a very thick copy that explained the human genome in extreme detail, one that would usually be checked out by college students for scientific reports. He made sure to point and state the book’s name before getting the ladder, just to make sure he was not climbing the distance in vain.
The electronic equipment in the library might have been new, but the ladders could use some work with all their creaking and sliding. It took a lot of balance to keep the thing steady. Fortunately, working in the library for almost ten years had given Daichi a good understanding of the limits and boundaries of their old equipment, so making use of it was no hardship. Once he got a hold of the book and prepared for his decent, he heard the other man click his tongue.
“I think…” He mumbled, and his lips curved into a smile. “-while you already have the ladder, could you get me another book?” Hesitant to do as he was told with a heavy book in hand, Daichi slowly climbed down to the halfway point of the ladder. For someone that appeared well-read, the other man’s attention seemed fixed on something other than the books. With the way he was eyeing him up and down, Daichi wondered if his tie had slipped out of place, or if he looked stupid with that yellow scarf on top of his uniform despite it being summer. Not to waste anymore time, he cleared his throat, and checked the shelves thoroughly before answering.
“No problem. Which one?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Daichi made a face, and gazed at the wall of books that stretched up as far as the ceiling. He stood there for a moment, before finally deciding to putting his feet on the ground.
“Then how do you know I need the ladder?” By the time he was at eye-level with his guest again, he could have sworn he detected a hint of disappointment in those blue eyes.
“Intuition.” Daichi shrugged and placed his hand on the ladder to give it a firm pat.
“Call me whenever you need me. I’ll be at the front desk when you’re ready to check out.”
When time came to borrow the books, Daichi finally got the chance to check the man’s library card and confirm his name. Hibiki Kuze. For some odd reason, he’d heard that name before, but he was not sure from where. The memory was right there within his grasp, and yet far enough to be blurred. It irked him not to know for sure, but he set his ignorance aside to be of assistance. After all was taken care of and it was time to say their goodbyes, the man that kept him preoccupied for about half an hour wanted something more out of him than a friendly wave and a polite smile.
“Your turn.”
“My wha?” Blue eyes were bright with curiosity. Hibiki tapped his finger against the counter, and took his card back once Daichi finished scanning it.
“You know my name now. What about yours?”
“Oh.” Daichi smiled sheepishly, and pulled out a name tag from his breast pocket.
“Daichi Shijima. Sorry, the… tag bothers me a little, so I keep it in my pocket.” Cheap plastic got caught on things easily and pulled at his jacket whenever he moved a little too close to certain objects. He lost count of how many times it got stuck in his scarf or his tie, only to break when pulled at. On top of that, no one addressed him by his name. No one said goodbye or good morning with his name on their lips, so he eventually dropped the tag completely.
“I hope I can see you again, Daichi.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here every Monday to Thursday from ten to six,”
Why don’t you give him your entire schedule
, he thought. That was far too much information. “-you can’t miss me.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Daichi’s brows furrowed slightly, but he couldn’t help it if he smiled. He never thought of himself as an optimist, but he genuinely hoped Hibiki would drop by again.
“Okay?” Although, he was not sure what Hibiki meant when he said he’d miss him. “Bye now!”
“See you later, Daichi.” A friendly smile, and a polite wave. Yet, it felt somewhat different. It felt like he’d see Hibiki more often.
He really wanted it to be true.
For the next month or two, Hibiki visited twice every week. Once on Monday, and once on Thursday, both at around five o'clock, presumably right after he got off work. It was fun to help him search for books; fun to talk to him about pointless things that eventually lead to somewhat more meaningful conversations. He never thought he’d end up talking to Hibiki about their favorite shows, their favorite idols, or about the games they played in their free time. The talk about videogames lasted a whole two hours. Daichi only noticed they’d talked for a long time after the library was about to close down for the night. He wondered if Hibiki could tell he was blushing beneath those glasses, or if he could see that he was really happy to help him find the books that he needed every time he asked. He hoped he could tell, even if he tried his best to hide it. Being given a pat on the back or a simple “thank you” was enough to make him flush. Many people expected him to simply do his job and hand them what they asked for without thanks, so receiving compliments, even if the task was simple, meant a lot to him.
Though, getting so invested in conversation that he allowed Hibiki to follow him around during the time he was sorting books might have been a little out of line. No one was going to tell Hibiki to quit bothering the staff, and no one was going to tell Daichi to pay more attention, but it felt a little too much. Their casual banter was starting to evolve into something more, or at least, that was the impression it left on Daichi. The more Hibiki followed him around, asked him for his opinions, his personal life, his thoughts and feelings on certain issues, the more it was starting to feel like a friendship.
“Y-You know…” It was too much to take in. “-we have a site online, and, um-” He had no clue why he was saying it. Over the course of a few weeks, Hibiki’s presence had made him incredibly nervous around him. Anticipating his visits, chatting with him for more than what was considered normal of an employee- it was all too much for him. If he allowed himself to get accustomed to Hibiki’s visits, he’d get disappointed whenever he chose not to come to the library. Getting attached to someone that was only there for the books was not the smartest thing in the world. “-you can borrow E-books online… s-some are even audiobooks. I think it’d be easier for you. You seem pretty busy, and it’d help you find books faster, so...” Even if he tried to push Hibiki away, Hibiki claimed that the library was only a few steps away from his workplace, so visiting was no inconvenience.
No matter how much he tried, he could not entirely wipe the grin off his face.
He really hoped Hibiki would keep coming back.
If not for the books, then for the company.
“Boo!”
“Gah! You-!” Daichi clutched the books in his arms as tightly as he possibly could not to drop them, and turned to face the aggressor. “-asshole! Every time-!” Hibiki had a crooked grin on his face as he innocently poked Daichi’s cheek with his index finger.
“Your cheeks puff when you get angry, it’s cute.”
“I’m trying to work!”
“Then work harder.”
“Jikes. Throw kindness instead of punches, will you?” He waved Hibiki’s hand off, and returned to stacking the books next to each other. He considered the fact he was still on his feet after being startled a huge leap in character development. When Hibiki did not get the desired attention he wanted, he pushed the corner of a book against Daichi’s cheek until he sighed and took it out of his hands.
“Fine, fine, I’ll help you before doing my job. Cheers to rewarding bad behavior!” He held back the urge to roll his eyes when Hibiki lit up with happiness. The man was like this every time he got his way, and it was unfairly easy to bend to his will when he always looked so thankful. Daichi knew he should not allow Hibiki to deter him from work, but he was technically still working by helping him return a book. After making sure the book was no longer listed to Hibiki, Daichi flipped it on its back to read the front cover again. It was the first time Hibiki actually borrowed a book that Daichi was familiar with, so he was curious to start conversation. He never told Hibiki he’d read it since he disliked spoilers, and the last thing Daichi wanted was to influence his opinion on the characters. Talking about a book they had in common opened up a topic they could have discussed for a long time given how interested they were in reading, but they somehow never got to the topic.
“I remember this one. Murder, She Wrote. I love this series! What’d you think about it?” Hibiki opened his mouth to speak, only to regret it. He pressed his lips into a thin line and ran his tongue over his lower lip to bring some moisture back to his skin. The apathetic and unconvincing tone of how Hibiki delivered his reply was unsatisfactory to say the least. There was no interest in those blue eyes of his, only a string of doubt that tied together each word before the sentence finally managed to slide past his lips.
“It was good.”
“...Good?” Daichi tried not to look too disappointed. Some people were not that interested in mystery novels, and when he realized he might be pegging for a conversation that was only making Hibiki uncomfortable, he tried to change the topic.
“I see you got the umbrella murders one. Do you want me to look for a different novel?” If he knew that talking about books would make Hibiki so nervous, he never would have approached the subject, because the man looked downright lost.
“...There’s more than one?”
“Yeah? You didn’t know?”
“Sure I knew, um…” He broke eye-contact and stared off to the side. If Daichi did not know better, he’d say Hibiki was trying to come up with an excuse. Though, he had no clue why.
“Alright, I have to be honest.” Hibiki took a deep breath, and readied himself for something along the lines of a confession. He was treating it as if it was something shameful, but it might have been the silliest lie Daichi ever heard of. “-I’ve never read a single book I’ve borrowed from this library.”
“Well, we don’t all have the time t-” Daichi bit his tongue mid-sentence, and pulled his hand up to adjust his glasses. It was an easy way to cover up his face when he felt embarrassed. He often lowered his head so much that he could feel the temple tips of his glasses slide out of position, much like today. It must have looked stupid, but Daichi had a feeling Hibiki was focusing on something else entirely- too fixed on his own hiccup to pay attention to him. “-s-seriously? Not a single one?” If he remembered correctly, Hibiki had borrowed at least twenty books since the first time he visited the library. It was a rough estimate, but not having the time to read a single one of those books made Daichi want to ask what Hibiki could possibly be doing for a living.
“Not one.” Hibiki said it again, as if to let the idea sink in. “Every time I come here, I tell myself I’m finally going to ask you what I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while. So, I get a book I don’t really need, and chicken out last second.” This made it sound as if Hibiki was never in it for the books.
“Why haven’t you just asked me what you want to ask me? I mean… we’ve been talking for a while now. I figured you’d have an opening somewhere.”
“You have a really cute smile. It’s distracting.”
“Thank y- wait, what?”
“Your cheeks have little dimples. It makes them look very squishy.” This was not how he expected the conversation to go.
“W-What?!”
“Too forward?”
“N-No, um, it’s okay. I’m just not used to people-” He pulled his hand up to adjust his striped tie, pulling it further from the collar of his shirt. “-h-hitting on me in the library? It’s kind of embarrassing and… actually it feels pretty nice. Nevermind, I’m on board. Where do you want to go?”
“Huh? Want to go?”
“Oh, uh, did I misunderstand? I thought this was-” Tracing back his steps, he never outright heard Hibiki say he wanted to go out with him. So, instead of clearing up his mistake, he panicked. “-oh, God, it wasn’t, was it? It wasn’t a pick-up line. I’m an idiot, I’m so sorry-!”
“No, it was totally a pick-up line. I just didn’t expect it to… work.” Daichi closed his eyes to collect himself for a moment. He did not want to ruin the conversation by being overzealous, but he had no clue of how to remedy the awkward silence.
“...Can we start over? Hi, I’m Daichi Shijima. I’m an idiot.”
“Hi, I’m Hibiki Kuze. I have good taste in men.”
“Don’t market yourself like that!”
“Am I wrong?”
“If I tell you now, you won’t have a reason to go out with me.”
“I’ll just have to find a new reason to go out with you,” Hibiki leaned his forearms on the counter, and reached out to brush Daichi’s bangs out of his eyes.
“Can’t see a shortage of reasons here. I think I’m good for at least a century.” There were so many questions he wanted to ask; whether or not Hibiki was serious, whether the reason he came into the library in the first place was just to chat him up, and whether the camera from above the entrance hall could capture him sneaking a kiss. Though, he did not care much if Hibiki was joking as long as he kept running his fingers through his hair, and he did not care if the only reason he walked into the library was to chat him up. If anything, it only made him more motivated to slide his fingers over Hibiki’s knuckles, and lean in to brush his lips against his cheek.
All he cared about was capturing the moment and holding onto it for just a little bit longer until the lights in the library dimmed, and they could take the conversation elsewhere.