Eternal Beauty | Chapter 6

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

— W.B. Yeats

The bell echoed through the halls as Kei and Kukui made their way down a dim corridor, the last of the students trailing off in different directions. They had just finished a grueling day of studying for a test Mrs. Hawkthorne was giving them. Ahead of them stood a pair of towering wooden doors, their intricate details etched into their design making them look as though they belonged to an ancient cathedral rather than a library. The faint scent of aged wood and ink hung in the air, and for a moment, Kei could only stare, feeling the weight of history within the walls of Ujui.

With a smirk, Kukui pushed the heavy doors open, revealing a space so vast it took both a moment to comprehend it all. Row upon row of towering bookshelves filled the grand library, their dark wooden frames stretching up to a high, vaulted ceiling adorned with intricate carvings. Crystal chandeliers hung like silent sentries, casting a warm glow across the stone floors, which seemed to drink in the light and reflect it back in muted tones.

“It’s beautiful,” Kukui murmured, her voice hushed with awe as they stepped further in, their footsteps absorbed by the thick carpet. They were surrounded by books of every kind—old, leather-bound tomes with cracked spines, newer books with glossy covers, and in the farthest section, shelves filled with manga and graphic novels.

The stillness of the library seemed to wrap around them, the quiet inviting exploration but with a kind of reverence, as though each step was a whisper. Kukui’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked around, and she sighed. “We really should’ve come here last night. Imagine having all of this to ourselves after hours…it’s perfect.”

Kei smiled, nodding. He could picture the two of them wandering through the darkened aisles, letting their voices echo through the empty space, sharing memories in low whispers. Back in their small town, there were no grand buildings like this, the only thing they got close to a library was a small room in their school. Its books worn from the neverending clock of time.

They reached the manga section, where Kukui scanned the shelves, her finger running along the spines. She seemed to find something familiar and made a noise of approval. “Okay, I’ll be back. This place has a bathroom with a bidet, Kei,” she said, a grin breaking her face. “Can’t miss the chance to check it out.”

Kei chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her hurry off. Alone now, he let his eyes drift over the rows of books, pulling one off the shelf and flipping through it absently. He moved further along the row, the quiet settling over him like a blanket.

As he reached up to pull down another volume, his fingers brushed against someone else’s on the other side of the shelf. Startled, he glanced through the gap between the books and found himself looking directly at a girl on the other side, her hand paused mid-reach, clutching a book.

It was Marin, the school’s Vice President.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other, both frozen in place, caught in a silence that seemed almost surreal. She was striking in an unsettling way, with raven-black hair that fell around her shoulders in soft waves, framing her pale face like the shadow of something that wasn’t there. Dark, smokey eyeshadow emphasized the sharpness of her gaze in a haunting allure that was hard to look away from. Her eyes, rimmed in thick lashes, held an intensity that seemed to pierce through him, her expression unreadable yet somehow mournful.

Her lips were painted a dark shade, a near-black gloss that added to her beauty, making her look like something that had stepped out of an eerie painting. The faintest smudge of lipstick traced the edge of her lips, giving her a look that was almost as if she were caught between life and shadow. She looked at him in a way that was both stunning and a little grim, as though she were a figure from a half-remembered dream—a beautiful apparition caught in reality.

Marin’s expression shifted from shock to horror as she looked at him, her eyes widening. Then, as if in slow motion, she sputtered and nearly choked, accidentally spilling the drink she’d been holding, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. Her reaction jolted Kei, who barely managed to hold down his own confusion, a strange mix of surprise and shock bubbling up in him. She stood there, flustered, her elegant exterior momentarily shattered, and before Kei could say anything, she snapped her book shut, gave him one last, flustered look, and turned on her heel, disappearing down the aisle and out of the library in a hurry.

Her footsteps echoed softly, then faded into silence, leaving Kei standing alone, still processing the surreal encounter.

Moments later, Kukui returned, looking quite pleased. “Kei, you wouldn’t believe it—they’ve got three bidets in there! I took a little extra time just to appreciate the finer things, you know?” She laughed, but then her smile faded as she noticed his expression, which was still one of stunned disbelief.

She raised an eyebrow, giving him a concerned look. “What’s with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Kei shook his head, forcing a small smile. “It’s…nothing.” He looked back down the aisle where Marin had disappeared. He was told about Marin…but that encounter…nothing could have prepared him for it.

“Well,” Kukui said, nudging his shoulder with a teasing grin, “if it’s about the bidet, don’t worry. I’m sure the boys’ bathroom has one too.” She patted his shoulder as though to console him, her expression earnest.

Kei just nodded, still feeling the strange weight of Marin’s gaze on him, her expression as vivid in his mind as though she were still standing there, only a breath away.