The Library Anniversarie Collection

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Sea
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The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by Sea »

It's finally here! We're only like a month late or something even, far better than I anticipated. Thanks to everyone who put up with all the madness and delays, my bad.

The following stories are in honour of the Yamaku Library run by the fabulous Comrade

If you are here from the book club, you know whats going on, for those who don't, I shall explain. I am going to release a story by one of our amazingly talented writer people every few days or so, links will be on the club OP. When, we're out of material, I'll stop posting on the thread, and It is free to drift off in to the nothingness of pages 5-18.

First up, written by forgetmenot Is the longest of our fics, Change in management.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Change in Management

I have never understood the appeal of chalkboards.

I thought I had it bad when I was a student. The sound of the small white cylinder of compressed calcite on slate was, at the very least, grating. And when it, or even worse, a fingernail happened to be dragged across its surface... I'm getting involuntary shivers up and down my spine just thinking about it. Certainly, that was as bad as it got.

And then I became a teacher.

Suddenly, the number of chalk-related problems skyrocketed. Clouds of dust that hung non-uniformly throughout the front of the classroom. Erasers that always needed to be cleaned. Remnants of the previous day's lesson remaining even after a vigorous erasing. The telltale white patches on all, and I do mean all, of your clothes.

Honestly, none of these things used to bother me that much. However, as the past two weeks have gone to show, I've come to realize the only reason I wasn't bothered was because I knew all the other teaches at Yamaku were experiencing the exact same woes. That is, until the grant was announced.

Six months ago, the Yamaku Foundation was considered for and subsequently won a grant from the Nomiyaki Trust — a charitable organization based in Tokyo, focused mainly on improving facilities and special academic programs in Japan. The grant was given in joint to the Yamaku Library and the Facilities department. I'm not entirely sure what Shirakawa is using the library's money for, but in the monthly staff meeting when they announced the grant, Mutou mentioned some renovations to the bathrooms on the first floor, improvements to the student dormitories, and, most importantly, new dry-erase whiteboards for all the classrooms.

"Not all of the classrooms," I mutter under my breath as I wipe my chalk-stained hands across the front of my slacks. None of the first-year classrooms were able to receive a whiteboard. Not a single one. So, here I am, Hisao Nakai, condemned to smell and look like a crazed academic until either Yamada or Mutou retires and I can move up the ladder. Which isn't going to be any time soon.

"Okay, class, for tomorrow, we'll be having a quiz on the fundamentals of kinetic and potential energy. Be sure to look over chapter three, and I'll see you all tomorrow."

Not even a few seconds after the last few words escape my mouth, the classroom stirs into a frenzy of activity as the students of class 1-1 gather their things and make for the exit as quickly as possible. I smile and think back to my own days at Yamaku, when I'd participate in a very similar frenzy at the end of each day. "No such luck now," I say to myself, thinking of the massive pile of ungraded papers that await me back on my desk in classroom 1-3.

However, shortly after making my way across the hall and muscling my way through a few poorly-written papers on Newton's first and second laws of motion, I decide that the necessary motivation to finish my task is not present in my body, and hasn't been since about noon. I sigh loudly into the empty room and place the stack of papers into the bottom drawer of my desk. They'll keep until tomorrow, I suppose. I wonder if Mutou wants to get a drink in town.

I make my way up to class 3-3 and knock on the door. After a few moments, I hear a beleaguered “Come in,” emanate from the other side. My de facto mentor sounds like he’s in a similar state as my own. I chuckle softly as I enter the classroom.

“Ah, Nakai. What brings you up here?” he asks, looking up from a sizable stack of papers in front of him.

“Nothing much. Thought I’d come up and see how our esteemed department head is fairing,” I say, closing the door behind me.

Mutou shakes his head and smiles knowingly. “Papers don’t grade themselves, as I’m sure you know.”

“I’m aware,” I reply, a twinge of guilt making its way through my stomach as I think of my own stack of yet-ungraded essays. “Today doesn’t seem like quite the day for it, I think.”

“Do I detect an undercurrent of that famed Nakai work ethic?” he jabs.

I cross my arms and smirk. “Whatever could that mean, sensei?”

He swivels his chair and places his pen to his mouth for a moment, before raising it to the air and gesturing didactically. “Impeccable work, of course. Nothing, however, if not saved until the very last minute.”

“It seems I’ve been found out,” I say, laughing.

“Some things never change, Nakai. Even if one moves from student to teacher, all that really changes is the size of the desk.”

“Profound,” I quip. “Might I suggest yet another change in desks, then? Perhaps with the appropriate drink to match?”

Mutou smiles. “I appreciate the offer, Nakai, and on another day I’d certainly take you up on it. However, as it were, I’m afraid I have other obligations this afternoon. A meeting with one of the administrators of the Nomiyaki grant, specifically. In fact…” he says, taking a quick glance at his watch before continuing, “…she should be here momentarily.”

A devilish smile spreads across his face. “Now that I come to think of it, why don’t you stay? I’m sure you’d like to meet the person responsible for our recent facilities improvements, wouldn’t you?” He gestures to the glistening whiteboard behind him.

“Not that I’d know anything about those, wouldn’t I?” I respond, dramatically wiping a few chalk stains from the front of my slacks.

“A fair point,” he says, winking. He checks his watch again, adjusting the small, round face on his wrist for a few moments. “I suppose I had better call and see-“ He’s interrupted by a few timid knocks at the door. “Ah, that must be her.”

He rises from his seat and brushes past me on the way to the door. As he opens it, I hear a familiar-sounding voice from behind it. “M-Mutou-sensei. It’s good to see you again.”

“And you as well, Miss Ikezawa. Please, come in.”

A small lump forms in my throat as he speaks her name. Ikezawa? It can’t be…

But the woman who enters the classroom behind Mutou, is, in fact, that Ikezawa. Hanako Ikezawa. As her eyes come to rest upon me, her hand jumps to her mouth in what I can only assume is shock. For a few half-seconds, she stands unmoving. Then, much to my surprise, her hand falls from her face and clasps her other free hand as a large smile spreads across her face.

“H-Hisao! This is a most unexpected surprise! It’s very good to see you! W-what on Earth are you doing back at Yamaku?”

I ruffle my hair nervously. “Hello Hanako. It’s been too long. I actually teach here now. First-year sciences.” Damn it, Hisao. Cobble together a sentence longer than five words, for Pete’s sake.

“That’s wonderful!” she says, bowing politely, which I return in kind. As we rise, I notice how much she’s changed since the last time I saw her. For one, her hair is no longer worn down around her shoulders, but tied up neatly in a very professional-looking bun, albeit with the trademark long bangs on the left side still intact. She’s also dressed in a very smart-looking jacket and pencil skirt. Her relaxed, yet professional posture as well as a small smile radiate an air of confidence – completely different than the Hanako I knew in high school.

“I assume you’re working for the Nomiyaki Trust, then?” I ask.

“Yes, as an intern. I reached out to Mutou-sensei a few months ago, as part of my intern project,” she says, gesturing in Mutou’s direction.

“Miss Ikezawa has been very instrumental in getting this grant realized,” he adds, turning to Hanako. “Did you bring those papers for me to look over and sign?”

“Of course!” she says, smiling and reaching into her bag before pulling out a crisp manila envelope and handing it to Mutou.

“Excellent,” he says, taking the envelope from Hanako’s grasp and placing it onto his desk. “And how long are you in town for?”

“Just today and tomorrow. My train leaves tomorrow evening.”

“Very good. I should be able to get these finalized tonight, then. They’ll be ready for you to pick up tomorrow morning at your earliest convenience.”

“Always a pleasure working with you, Mutou-sensei. I’ll take my leave now, if you don’t mind. Hisao?” she says, turning to me. “It was lovely seeing you again.” And with that, she turns on a heel and exits the classroom.

As she leaves, Mutou clears his throat loudly and gestures toward the door. I give a small shrug, which is answered by yet another grunt and a firmer point towards the door. What could he possibly mean by… oh, right.

I nod in his direction and hurry out into the hall. “H-Hanako!” I call out down the hall towards the woman making her way to the stairwell. She stops abruptly and whirls around, the free parts of her hair moving away from her face momentarily before they settle into their appropriated positions.

“Hisao? What can I do for you?” she calls down the hall. I half-jog towards her, closing the gap between us.

“I w-was wondering… if you weren’t doing anything… well, what I mean to say is that…”

She places one of her hands on her mouth and giggles quietly. “If you’re w-wondering if I’m available to have a cup of tea and c-catch up, I am.”

~^~

“Now this is a place I haven’t been in a very long time,” I remark as we take our seats at a little table outside of a little café in the middle of the city.

“Mmm, indeed,” Hanako remarks, taking her seat across from me and placing her bag on the ground.

We sit in silence for a few moments before the waitress comes. “So, I suppose I’ll go first,” I say after we place an order for a pot of loose-leaf and some sandwiches.

Hanako smiles. “All right. Why don’t we start with after graduation?”

I sigh, smiling back at her. “Not much to tell, honestly. I went to Tohoku after we left Yamaku, but you already knew that. Got my degree, Mutou gave me a recommendation to teach at back at Yamaku, and I’ve been there ever since. You?”

Hanako gives another small giggle. “Very brief, Hisao. I guess I should have expected as much.”

“Sorry if my life lacks all the sordid details of a gossip column,” I say.

“Fair. Well, as you already know, I followed Natsume and Naomi to Todai on my scholarship. Pre-law seemed to be the best fit for me, so that’s what I did.”

“Pre-law? I can’t imagine you in a courtroom, yelling objections at witnesses. You’re too nice for that.”

Hanako puts her hands up defensively. “Oh, no, law’s nothing like that. It’s hours and hours of reading and research, mostly. I spent most of my time in the library.”

“Now that I can see,” I say, smiling.

She smiles and shakes her head. “The law library at Todai is fantastic. The building is old, but the inside is nice and quiet. Lots of space. And the books…” There’s the Hanako I know. Waxing romantically about libraries.

“How did you end up working for the Trust?”

The girl across from me gives a small shrug. “One of my p-professors recommended me for the internship. I can’t say I was v-very prepared, but I’ve managed this long. This is actually m-my last project for them. After the a-administration work is finished, the internship is over.”

Hanako is interrupted by our tea and sandwiches being placed in front of her. The waitress bows quickly and then scampers off to help other customers.

“So what will you do now?” I ask after pouring two cups of tea and taking a sip.

“I have some… ideas.” Hanako smiles knowingly after she says this. I briefly consider asking her to elaborate, but refrain for some reason. As such, the conversation pauses for a few moments, to allow us time to take a few sandwiches and drink some more tea.

After I finish my sandwich, my thoughts get the better of me. “It’s… something, seeing how much we’ve changed.”

“Hm?” Hanako asks, looking up from her sandwich. “What do you m-mean by, ‘something’?”

“Nothing bad, I promise,” I say, trying to clear up any misconception of my intentions. “You’re very… confident now. You carry yourself well. It’s different than how you were when we first met.”

Hanako places her teacup on her saucer and folds her hands. “I could s-say the same thing about you, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing bad, I promise,” she says, winking. My mouth drops open in shock. I hadn’t expected her to make a joke.

“T-turnabout is fair play, I guess,” I respond.

She makes a small indignant expression with her mouth. “I can make jokes when I want to! With Naomi, it’s p-practically a requirement of being her friend.”

“I have no doubts about that. It’s just another thing I didn’t really see much of in high school.”

Hanako tilts her head to her right, causing her bangs to fall out of her face slightly. “I suppose not. I owe most of it to the newspaper club.”

I briefly think back to the duo that sat behind me for the better part of third year. “How are Naomi and Natsume, by the way?”

“Oh, they’re well. Naomi moved back to Saitama to be with her family. Natsume lives with them as well – she writes for an American website, as a c-correspondent. She wants to move there, eventually.”

“Natsume in America, huh? What is it with all our friends trying to leave the country?”

Hanako gives a small smile. “I don’t know. Something about the English-speaking world, I suppose.”

I shake my head. “I knew I should have paid more attention in English class. Or asked Lilly for help, at least…” I cut myself off as Hanako’s mood seems to sour somewhat. She clasps her hands nervously and twists them together.

“Hanako, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“It’s fine,” she says curtly. “I knew we’d talk about Lilly at some point. Natsume once told me…” she trails off and takes a sip of her tea.

“Told you what?”

“No, forget about it. It’s not worth repeating.”

“Aww, come on, Hanako. You can’t leave me hanging like that.”

She sighs loudly, putting her teacup down again. “She said that Lilly moving to Scotland was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

I think briefly of our overly-honest, sometimes brash classmate. “Sounds like something Natsume would say.”

Hanako stirs her tea thoughtfully. “I don’t know. I’ve s-started to think she might have been right. When was the last time you heard from Lilly, anyhow?”

I jog my memory momentarily. “Before graduation, I think. I responded to her letter, but she never wrote back.” Damn. Has it really been that long? “What about you?”

“We talked a few times after I moved into my dorm at Todai. With the time difference, and the f-fact that we were both so busy with s-school, the calls got less and less frequent. Until they just s-stopped.”

She bites her lip, as if to repress the resurgence of an old wound. I briefly begin to panic, as if this were Hanako six years ago, and she’d be a hair’s breadth away from an anxiety attack. But the moment passes, and she regains her composure.

“You never tried to get back in contact with her?” I ask after a few more seconds go by.

“Did you?” she asks pointedly.

“I suppose not. Although I think you had more of a reason to try and keep in contact.”

“At first, maybe. But Natsume s-suggested it might be for the best, and soon after my therapist said the same thing.”

I briefly stir my own tea, thinking it might be as good of a time as any to address the elephant that has been standing on top of the small table between us for the duration of our stay.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call, either,” I say, hanging my head, staring into my tea.

Then, to my surprise, Hanako reaches across the table and places her hand on mine. “I-it’s half my fault, too, Hisao. I could have picked up the phone.”

I sigh. “I don’t blame you. It was my fault leaving things how they were.”

“N-nonsense. You can’t blame yourself. I-it was six years ago, and we were third-years. I don’t harbor any bad feelings, and I’m sorry if you t-thought I still did. So… I suppose t-this is my apology j-just as much as it is yours.”

Hanako looks into my eyes and gives a small smile. It’s almost enough to quiet the pangs of guilt that ache in my stomach. Almost. “Hanako, I’m serious. After what happened with Lilly, and then you blowing up at me not even two months later… I lost my two best friends, and it was my fault. And I couldn’t even get up the courage to apologize to you until graduation.”

“H-Hisao… I can’t speak for Lilly, b-but I know some of that was m-my fault. I s-shouldn’t have yelled. And I s-should have apologized f-first. I j-just thought I had done too much d-damage.”

This time, it’s me who smiles. “Hey, like you said, it was six years ago, and we were third-years. I think it was just a weird time for us. And that includes Lilly.”

She takes a long, thoughtful sip of tea after I finish speaking. Thankfully, as she draws the cup away from her lips, her shoulders return to a resting position and her face relaxes somewhat. “Turnabout is fair play, I suppose,” she says as her hand shoots to her mouth to cover yet another giggle.

“Hey, that’s no fair doing that twice,” I remark, starting to laugh in spite of myself.

~^~

“Anyhow, that’s how Naomi, myself, and our resident assistant walked in on N-Natsume… er, well, you know.”

I can barely contain my laughter at this point. “So… so the sock on the door didn’t give it away?”

Hanako becomes slightly indignant at this, which only makes me laugh harder. “I didn’t know t-that’s what it meant at the time! I just thought it w-was a weird place for a sock! So I took it off, and Naomi didn’t see!”

“Oh, oh dear,” I say, managing to bring my chuckling under some modicum of control. “And this was how many days after the semester started?”

“Two. Which Naomi thought was i-impressive. Our RA was less than amused, though.”

“I can imagine,” I comment through my closed hand. “Man, that totally beats the pants off of any stories I have. Although to be fair, most of those involve studying late and eating a little too much pizza.”

“I t-thought you were supposed to be taking care of your heart,” Hanako remarks, crossing her arms over her chest.

I nearly choke on a bite of sandwich. “W-well… I didn’t, for a long time.” Hanako’s gaze narrows as I begin to wave my arms in protest. “However, since I started teaching, Kaneshiro-san… er, Nurse, sorry, has been keeping me on a somewhat more relaxed regimen. It’s hard to escape when his office is in the adjacent building to yours.”

“Good,” Hanako says, appearing satisfied while uncrossing her arms. “Still, it surprises me you don’t have any stories at all. Didn’t you… date a-anyone?” she asks, blushing a fair amount.

“As hard as it might be to believe,” I answer, slightly wounded at the question, “I didn’t, no. I did a good enough job screwing up two relationships to know I’m not any good at ‘em.”

“Hisao, that’s an awful attitude!” Hanako says, placing her teacup rather forcefully back upon its saucer. “You shouldn’t give up just because it didn’t work out t-twice in high school. That’s a l-little drastic, don’t you think? And I s-should know.”

I laugh a little. “Hanako, it’s not like that. I just didn’t make it a priority through college, that’s all. I had to work hard enough to keep my grades up, as I’m sure you did too, what with pre-law and all.”

Hanako nods tepidly. “W-well I had time for a few dates here and there.”

“Really? How did those go?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.

She gives a sidelong glance as a response. “Oh, well, y-you know. N-Naomimayhavefixedmeupwiththem- Oh, my, it’s g-gotten quite late. Shouldn’t we b-be going?”

“Normally, I wouldn’t let you off so easy,” I respond, a smile forming as Hanako fidgets awkwardly in front of me, “But you do have a valid point, and I still have to drive you back to Yamaku – you did have a rental car there, didn’t you?”

Hanako nods, appearing relieved to not be talking about her romantic life any more. “Mhmm. Those d-driving lessons finally came in h-handy.”

“Good. Shall we?” I say, tossing the needed coinage onto the table as we exit the café.

Hanako and I make the drive back to Yamaku in relative silence, exchanging a few words here and there about the scenery, or how nothing’s changed in the past few years since graduation.

But things certainly have changed. At least as far as Hanako is concerned. She’s far from the shy, meek eighteen-year-old girl I knew all that time ago. While she certainly retains some of those qualities, she’s grown into a more confident, gregarious version of herself – believe me, those are two words I’d never have thought would describe her. Seeing her like this… happy, I suppose, would be the best word for it – seeing her happy dredges up feelings I haven’t felt in a very long time. Things I haven’t felt since a few weeks after Lilly left for Scotland for good.

And me? I’ve hardly changed at all. I’m still bland ol’ Hisao, still at Yamaku after all I’ve been through. In some ways, my continuing residency at my old high school makes sense, if you’re one to think in metaphors.

Hanako was right, I suppose. Even after two failed relationships, I just sort of gave up. Kind of like I gave up running or calling my parents. I could have moved on during college. I could have looked for a different job in a different prefecture and started over… I just didn’t, and shambled back to Yamaku. I landed face-first there after my heart attack, and never really seemed to get up.

It suits me fine, I suppose, I think to myself as I idly brush some residual chalk stains from in between the pleats in my slacks.

My musing comes to an end as we arrive at the Yamaku guest parking lot and pull up next to Hanako’s rental.

“Well, here we are. Thanks again for coming to tea with me. I had a lovely time catching up, and if you’re ever out this way again, you should let me know. I’d love to do it again sometime.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure,” Hanako says, beaming. “I had a nice time as well, a-although…”

“Although?”

“W-well there was something I wanted to t-tell you, but there wasn’t really time for it e-earlier,” she says, idly twirling a loose strand of hair around her index finger.

“And that is?”

She looks around nervously, tugging at her collar. “N-not here. Do you have keys to the school? T-there’s something I’d l-like to show you.”

I’m sure I have a most bemused expression stamped on my face right now. Whatever could she mean? Although, it is still Hanako, so I’m fairly certain it’s nothing too shocking. “Lead the way,” I say, stepping out of the car.

We make our way through the dimly-lit corridors of the main academic building in silence. Yamaku at night has a different character to it than its daytime counterpart. I hesitate to use the word ‘eerie’ – maybe ‘placid’ is the best term for it. Like we’re on a serene lake with no wind, silently rowing to our final destination.

We eventually stop in front of a familiar set of double doors. “The Library?” I ask. “This has something to do with the grant?”

“Partly,” Hanako explains, gesturing for me to unlock the doors so that we can go inside. It takes a few seconds for me to fish the correct key from my keyring, but soon the lock gives its telltale ‘click’, and I slowly pull open the door, allowing Hanako to enter first.

“The grant allows for major renovations to this section over here,” Hanako says, gesturing at the braille section once we’re inside. “It’s possible for a new addition to be built, as well as doubling the size of the braille collection.”

“This sounds rehearsed,” I comment as we make our way through the stacks.

“I-it may have been! Let me finish!” Hanako says indignantly, stomping her foot in jest and then smiling at me. “Anyway, there’s also money to add a new reading area here, as well as update the rather extensive catalog of outdated textbooks, in both English and Japanese.”

“That sounds like a lot of work,” I muse.

Hanako nods in agreement. “That’s what Shirakawa said when I first told her what the grant money was e-earmarked for. And she’s finishing her graduate studies soon, as well.”

“Man, that sounds inconvenient.”

“T-that’s kind of what I wanted to tell you,” Hanako says meekly, turning to me for the first time since we’ve entered the library. “S-she’s leaving Yamaku.”

My jaw drops. “Really? Why?”

Hanako smiles. “I just t-told you! She’s finishing her degree soon, and she’s a-already found a job working at a museum in T-Tokyo.”

“Wow. That’s impressive, to say the least. But…”

“You’re wondering where that leaves the library?”

“Well, yeah. If there’s no librarian to oversee the renovations, then-“

Hanako’s smile grows wider as she waits for me to realize what she means.

“Y-you…?”

“Me,” she says, nodding enthusiastically. “My internship is over, Hisao. I was lucky enough to get it in the first p-place. The trust isn’t hiring full-time employees, and even if they were, I doubt…”

“Hey, stop that. You’re more than qualified to do whatever you want to do, and you know it.”

“T-thanks. But this is where I want to be.”

I shake my head slightly as I process the information Hanako’s just given me. After a moment, Hanako nudges my hand with her own. “Hisao?”

“You shouldn’t take the job,” I say, raising my gaze to meet hers.

“W-what? Wh-why not?” she asks, flabbergasted.

I give a long sigh. “Hanako, there’s a reason I’m still at Yamaku. I haven’t really thought about it much until earlier today, but it’s because I… I haven’t moved on with my life. Not really.”

Hanako’s expression grows more and more confused.

“Look at you. You’re confident, self-assured, and gorgeous. You’re miles ahead of where you were when you were a student here. You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. You’ve… outgrown this place. I haven’t. I belong here. I’d just… hate for you to get stuck as well.”

“Hey,” she says, a mote of annoyance running through her voice. “That’s not fair. Of course you’ve changed. You’re a teacher – you help students who were just like you when you got here.”

“But I-“

“Hisao, stop,” she interrupts, cutting me off. “I am d-different than when I left Yamaku, yes. But that doesn’t mean I can’t come back. I haven’t outgrown this place… you can’t outgrow h-home.”

“Home…?”

Hanako’s expression softens. “Ever since I left the… orphanage, Yamaku is t-the only place I-I’ve lived. I m-made all of my first friends here. I met Lilly… I met you.”

“B-but you left here to go to Todai?”

“I think I had to! I learned a lot in Tokyo, both school-wise and… about me. A-and I think the most important thing I learned was that I-I have a home, because you miss home when you’re away. And I miss Yamaku.”

“Hanako…”

She smiles once again, taking my hand in hers. “Hisao, I want to be here. I-it might not be forever, but I think that for the time b-being, it’s the right thing for me.”

The conversation lulls for a moment, both of us waiting for the other to speak.

“And you’re sure this is what you want?”

Hanako nods. “It is.”

“Then welcome home,” I say, feeling a large smile come across my face. Hanako smiles widely, and then wraps me in a tight embrace, pushing herself on her tiptoes into my chest. And there we stand, in the middle of the Yamaku library, like we did so many years ago, wrapped in each other’s arms.

And it does feel like home.
Come join the Yamaku Book Club! Where stuff happens and we discuss cripple porn
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Oscar Wildecat
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by Oscar Wildecat »

I knew all the other teachers at Yamaku
Saw a dropped Arrrr! (Must have been Emi the pirate. :wink: )

Other than that, All I have to say is "D'awwww!"
I like all the girls in KS, but empathize with Hanako the most.
"Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." - Mark Twain
“Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.” - Winston Churchill
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forgetmenot
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by forgetmenot »

Oscar Wildecat wrote:
I knew all the other teachers at Yamaku
Saw a dropped Arrrr! (Must have been Emi the pirate. :wink: )

Other than that, All I have to say is "D'awwww!"
Ah, damn it. I knew there would be caveats to having Sea post everything. Now I can't go and edit obsessively like I normally do.

Glad you enjoyed it, though. :)
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Mirage_GSM
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by Mirage_GSM »

“Nothing much. Thought I’d come up and see how our esteemed department head is fairing,” I say, closing the door behind me.
He's probably faring, since he's neither fair-haired nor does he believe in fairies ;-)
“Not that I’d know anything about those, wouldn’t I?”
Tricky, but I think this should end in "would I?"
“Hey, stop that. You’re more than qualified to do whatever you want to do, and you know it.”
Anyone who got into Todai can choose the job they want afterwards.

Nice fuzzy story. Reminded me of the one where Hisao is a taxi driver - forgot the name of that one - but I'm glad this doesn't have the same downer ending.
And that after Hisao living through not one but two bad ends during High school ;-)
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by bhtooefr »

There's a part of me that wants to see just how badly the Master of Romance fucked up in between Lilly's bad end and this story... obviously it wasn't as bad as Hanako's canon bad end, given that they're able to not have any hard feelings about it when interacting together here.

Also, Mirage_GSM, the story you're thinking of was Taxi ride to nowhere by Oddball, and it was Hanako driving the taxi.
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by AntonSlavik020 »

Haven't been to the book club for a very long time, and I haven't checked back in since I came back to the site, so I missed whatever spawned this. As for the story itself, I really liked it. Got sorta depressed when I realized it followed Lilly's bad ending(It's REALLY hard for me to like a fic that follows anything but a good ending), but I got over it. I would have liked to hear about the other girls, but that's just extra.
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by dewelar »

This was a nice little one-shot. My only real complaint is that the ground it treads feels somewhat well-worn, but it has enough warmth to make it feel more like settling into your familiar, comfortable easy chair by the fire than tossing and turning on a threadbare old futon in a cold basement :) .
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by Mahorfeus »

I liked it - it was sweet and got its point across. It was nice seeing two old friends discussing past conflicts like adults. I admit that I am grateful that it didn't snowball into a Hisao x Hanako romance right away like similar fics have done. This particular scenario certainly leaves room for that to happen, but it really doesn't have to.
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by brythain »

dewelar wrote:This was a nice little one-shot. My only real complaint is that the ground it treads feels somewhat well-worn, but it has enough warmth to make it feel more like settling into your familiar, comfortable easy chair by the fire than tossing and turning on a threadbare old futon in a cold basement :) .
It's actually a very comfortable old futon, to me. :) Lots of nice little touches, like Hanako going hand-to-mouth in shock on seeing Hisao.

I loved the idea of this particular return to Yamaku; not so much regression on Hanako's part, but using her experience and talent to make Yamaku progress instead. Hisao as a teacher might as well be a KS trope, but that coupled with the idea of not moving on at all in his social life is… surprisingly sad, and yet very Japanese—I've known a number of people like that, two failed relationships and that's it. But now he may just have a chance…

Mutou as a supporting character was sharply written. Very Mutou. And that cameo mention of Kaneshiro-san. :)

There's also that melancholy sense of the missing person in this whole episode that comes with doing epilogue-ish material in a definitely-post-Lilly-neutral-end scenario. I like this piece because its got all that well-worn (as dewelar says) furniture in it, and yet it's comfortable. It's a fresh envisioning of the familiar. I can't wait to see the other pieces. (Oops, just had a 'But I'm Misha!' moment. :lol: )
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by forgetmenot »

Wow, overwhelmingly positive responses! I was half-fearing the reception would be lukewarm at best, especially since about half of this was written in a fever dream in a hotel room in Texas.
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Was that not the interpreted meaning of the sentence? Hm. I might revise it and make that clearer then, since that was Hisao's point.
dewelar wrote:This was a nice little one-shot. My only real complaint is that the ground it treads feels somewhat well-worn, but it has enough warmth to make it feel more like settling into your familiar, comfortable easy chair by the fire than tossing and turning on a threadbare old futon in a cold basement :) .
Well-worn indeed. This was actually a little experiment to see if I could pull off two things I'd never do in longer-form KS fanfic: write a Hanako-centric story, and have it be a bad-end fix fic. Mostly because both have been done to death. Often at the same time. So I suppose that "easy chair by the fire" feeling is well-warranted.
Mahorfeus wrote:I liked it - it was sweet and got its point across. It was nice seeing two old friends discussing past conflicts like adults. I admit that I am grateful that it didn't snowball into a Hisao x Hanako romance right away like similar fics have done. This particular scenario certainly leaves room for that to happen, but it really doesn't have to.
The original draft ended the morning after, with Hanako and Hisao spending the night together in the library (those poor, poor beanbag chairs). I ended up scrapping that part because it felt cheap.
brythain wrote:I loved the idea of this particular return to Yamaku; not so much regression on Hanako's part, but using her experience and talent to make Yamaku progress instead. Hisao as a teacher might as well be a KS trope, but that coupled with the idea of not moving on at all in his social life is… surprisingly sad, and yet very Japanese—I've known a number of people like that, two failed relationships and that's it. But now he may just have a chance…
Indeed - I think the idea of Hisao-as-teacher returns to Yamaku needs a little more massaging (like, for instance, in AtD) if it's a happy return. It all just seems a little too idyllic, like a fantasy version of Yamaku, where nobody has to age, or grow up. Keeping him somewhat socially stunted was a good way to keep loose ties with Lilly's bad end (and a simulated Hanako bad end).
Mutou as a supporting character was sharply written. Very Mutou. And that cameo mention of Kaneshiro-san. :)
Mutou is rapidly becoming my favorite side character to write. He doesn't get enough screen time.
I can't wait to see the other pieces. (Oops, just had a 'But I'm Misha!' moment. :lol: )
Ha. I can't wait to see yours as well!
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by Comrade »

I didn't know chalkboards were still a thing :o

The story was kind of depressing in the well written reflective sort if way, but the ending gave me warmth in the feels.
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by KeiichiO »

I saw that this was uploaded earlier, but couldn't read it, as I was busy reading and analyzing the works of Edgar Allen Poe for school. Now that I finally have the free time...

That was a lovely little story. I'm not sure what else needs to be said about it. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy in my guts, and that's a surefire sign of a job well done. Bravo~
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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Was that not the interpreted meaning of the sentence? Hm. I might revise it and make that clearer then, since that was Hisao's point.
I was almost certain that was your intention. I just wasn't sure all the readers are familiar with the term "Todai"
The original draft ended the morning after, with Hanako and Hisao spending the night together in the library (those poor, poor beanbag chairs). I ended up scrapping that part because it felt cheap.
Good call - it would have been.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by KeiichiO »

The original draft ended the morning after, with Hanako and Hisao spending the night together in the library (those poor, poor beanbag chairs). I ended up scrapping that part because it felt cheap.
Uhhhh... Ehehe...

*Glances at own submission*

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Re: The Library Anniversarie Collection

Post by Mahorfeus »

Hell, even a kiss would have been overdoing it. But you spared those beanbag chairs from a terrible fate. Hm. If that weren't the case, I wonder if the trust fund would have replaced them... 8)
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