“Yankee JK, Becomes a Librarian” Episode 2 [Creative Award 2024, Manga Original Work Category Entry]

2
“Oh, you came,”
Mayumi smiles as she looks at Tatsumi.
“...Setting aside the whole librarian thing,”
“Yeah.”
“I was concerned about the fact that this place is short-staffed.”
“Ah~”
Mayumi gives a wry smile.
“I figured I should help out...”
“Hmm...”
“I’m just the type who can’t leave things like that alone...”
“Ryoha-san, you’re a good person~”
“I-it’s not like it’s a big deal...”
Tatsumi blushes slightly.
“But, it won’t earn you a single cent...”
“What! W-well, I guess that’s true...”
“Hehe...”
“What is it?”
“Don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
“You will be paid properly—including for the other day.”
“Eh?”
“So don’t worry.”
Mayumi winks.
“N-no, if anything, that makes me more worried...”
“Why?”
Mayumi tilts her head at Tatsumi’s words.
“W-why, you ask... who is paying my salary?”
“From Bear-san”
Mayumi points at the bear.
“F-from a bear?”
“That’s right.”
“...It’s not acorns or something, is it?”
“No, no, it’s proper Japanese yen.”
“Japanese yen...”
“Bear-san is our boss, after all.”
“I-is that so...”
“Well, strictly speaking...”
“Strictly speaking?”
“I don’t really know where the salary comes from either”
“! Is that okay?”
“Isn’t it fine?”
Mayumi says nonchalantly.
“You’ve got some nerve...”
“Do you think so?”
“If anything...”
“If anything?”
“It’s like your senses are numb...”
Tatsumi mutters while glancing at the bear.
“No~”
Mayumi looks embarrassed.
“That’s something you should be angry about, though.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. I just insulted you a bit, you know?”
“Well, I can tell that Ryoha-san isn’t insulting me for real...”
Mayumi smiles.
“Tch, this is throwing me off my game...”
Tatsumi clicks her tongue.
“Well, well, let’s get to work then. The red apron is in the same place as last time.”
“Yeah...”
Tatsumi enters the library and returns wearing the red apron.
“Alright, for today, let’s have you handle the checkout and return desk again.”
“Got it.”
Tatsumi sits in the chair.
“Please.”
“Yeah.”
A while later...
“...Hey, hey.”
A young boy speaks to her.
“Yeah?”
“Do you know what kind of bug this is?”
The boy shows her something that looks like a pill bug.
“Eek!?”
Tatsumi almost falls off her chair.
“What’s wrong?”
The boy tilts his head.
“I-I’m not good with bugs...”
“Eh~ but they’re cute.”
“C-cute...?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that so?”
“I want to look up this bug...”
“Look it up yourself.”
“Eh?”
“That’s not allowed, Ryoha-san.”
“! Nekota...”
Mayumi calls out from behind Tatsumi. Mayumi speaks to the boy.
“Hey, I’ll guide you to where the illustrated reference book is.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but please let that bug go...”
“I have a bug cage!”
“Then put it in there... okay, then follow me.”
Mayumi takes the boy into the library. After a while, the boy and Mayumi come out. The boy tells Tatsumi:
“I found out what kind of bug it is!”
“O-oh, that’s good...”
“Yeah, thanks, see ya~”
The boy runs off.
“You have to handle things like that.”
Mayumi says to Tatsumi with a smile.
“...No way.”
“No way?”
“Do you know where every book is?”
“Well, of course.”
“W-well, of course...”
Tatsumi is speechless.
“That’s part of a librarian’s job. You have to know not just where the books are, but what kind of information is in each book.”
“W-wow...”
“Otherwise, you can’t provide proper reference servicesto the users.”
“Reference?”
“It means looking up books and things like that.”
“I-I see...”
“Well, even so, it’s only your second day. I won’t ask the impossible of you to know everything. Let’s get used to it gradually.”
“O-oh, yeah...”
“Anyway, most people come to the library to get information, so you can’t treat them like you did just now.”
“S-sorry...”
Tatsumi bows her head.
“Good, now you understand. Then, let’s leave the desk to Bear-san and do some shelving and shelf maintenance.”
“S-shelving? Sh-shelf maintenance?”
Tatsumi tilts her head.
“Shelving is putting returned books back on their original shelves, and shelf maintenance is checking to see if the books are lined up properly.”
“I see.”
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
Tatsumi nods and enters the library with Mayumi.
“...This shelf is done.”
“Yeah.”
“Then, next is that shelf...”
“Alright.”
Prompted by Mayumi, Tatsumi moves as well.
“...Oh?”
“What’s wrong?”
Tatsumi asks Mayumi while rearranging the books.
“A book that was here is missing. It shouldn’t have been checked out...”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I check every time. This shelf is especially popular.”
“...”
A middle-aged man in somewhat dirty clothes slowly walks away. Tatsumi calls out to him.
“Hey, old man.”
“Ryoha-san...!”
“Ahem, excuse me, customer...”
Corrected by Mayumi, Tatsumi rephrases.
“.........”
The man pretends not to hear.
“...Isn’t it awfully hot to be wearing a jacket like that in today’s weather?”
“............”
“There seems to be some strange bulge...”
Tatsumi peers at him.
“...!”
The man starts running.
“Ah, wait!”
Tatsumi chases after him. She is about to catch up near the library exit.
“Ugh...”
“Old man, you’re out of shape. I caught up to you right away...!”
“I won’t let you catch me!”
“!”
The man accelerates as if riding the wind. Tatsumi, having been distracted by holding down her miniskirt which was about to be blown up, falls behind. The man sees this and scoffs.
“Heh!”
“I-is that the power of a book!?”
“What!?”
Tatsumi turns back at Mayumi’s words.
“P-probably the power of ‘
Matasaburo of the Wind’...!”“Heh, you can’t catch me!”
“I-it’s true, if he escapes at the speed of the wind, there’s nothing I can do...”
“Is that so...!”
“What!?”
Tatsumi gets in front of the man in an instant.
“Take that!”
Tatsumi twists the man’s arm.
“Gwaah...!”
The book “Matasaburo of the Wind” falls from the man’s jacket.
“You’ve got sticky fingers...”
Tatsumi grimaces.
“I-it’s a valuable edition, so I thought I could sell it for a high price at a used bookstore...”
“...Proper book dealers pay for the books they stock themselves.”
Mayumi, who has caught up, stares at the man with a displeased expression while picking up the book. The man looks away.
“Ugh...”
“What should we do? Call the police?”
Tatsumi asks Mayumi.
“This mobile library is a bit special... so for now, let’s leave it to Bear-san.”
“T-to the bear?”
“Please, Bear-san.”
Nodding at Mayumi’s words, the bear drags the man away.
“U-uwaaaaaah!”
The man screams. Tatsumi narrows her eyes.
“Even if it’s his own fault... is he going to be okay?”
“He won’t be killed.”
“Killed...”
“More importantly...”
“Hmm?”
“You caught up to him well, didn’t you?”
“Maybe thanks to this book?”
Tatsumi takes a book out of her apron’s inner pocket.
“! ‘
Night on the Galactic Railroad’...”“I focused my mind and I got incredible speed.”
Tatsumi rubs under her nose.
“It seems you really do have a talent for it...”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s nothing...”
Mayumi shakes her head.
“Was I of some help?”
“Not just some, that was a great achievement.”
Mayumi winks and answers Tatsumi’s question.