Chapter 2: That New Book Smell

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". . . it's not here. . " the white-haired girl muttered through her face mask as she browsed through the store.

She was anxious and impatient. Thin eyebrows pulled together into a frown, distorting her face with displeasure. Ringed fingers slide down each book's spine. Minty eyes scan each title, and a flash of disappointment comes every time she doesn't find the title she wanted to see. 

That store she was in was no ordinary store. There were aisles of mangas and light novels lined up in a uniform manner. Divided by genre, the hundreds of books in the store was a paradise for anime and manga otaku.

Several other girls and boys browsed through the store. They were rather aloof and secretive, though it didn't apply when they were browsing together as friends. Rather being secretive, they whispered fangirl and fanboy remarks as they took out the volume they were looking for. One manga they particularly held was an action-thriller series called Code:Red. At this time, the volume three was finally out, and a lot of otaku in the shop searched for the latest update. A long line formed without Mitsuru's knowledge, and she only noticed from when the bustling in the shop grew louder.

The girl left the shelf she faced to see what was going on. Then seeing the long line, her eyes widened with pure curiosity. All the more when she saw the title on the manga the customers were buying.

I didn't see that. Where did they get it? Mitsuru thought in surprise. But a sudden ting caught her attention, making her gleaming eyes glance at her jacket's pocket. Draping by her arms, her black jacket revealed her clean pale arms. Dipping her long, ring-adorned fingers in, Mitsuru pulls out her cellphone.

1 message from Amano-san.

"Amano-san. . ." Mitsuru's voice trails as she gazed at her phone screen. "I'm only halfway through. . . shit. I hope he won't ask about the next volume yet. ."

"Ah, "I'm so excited to read!" A girl squealed, suddenly interrupting Mitsuru's thoughts. "The way Katsuhira suddenly revealed himself in volume two made me scream!"

"I wish Mitsuru Kurosaki would update faster!" Her male friend wailed exasperatedly.

Her blue-colored eyes couldn't help but stare at the couple, her ears listening well into their conversation enough that she became engrossed with what they were saying. Her soft rouge lips curl into a gentle smile like that of Mona Lisa. And other people couldn't help but flip through the pages while waiting for their turn to pay.

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