Hitting the books

Ren found himself face down on a table. It wouldn’t have been bad if it weren’t for the several stacks of books pressing into his bare body. His erection complained about being sandwiched against something that wasn’t warm or fleshy.

He groaned while pushing himself up, yet stopped upon coming face-to-face with Makoto Niijima, who was sitting the table. Despite being an adult, she wore her old Shujin school uniform.

“Not the entrance I expected you to make.” Makoto remarked, closing a book she was holding. Something about the book tickled the back of his brain.

Glancing around, Ren saw he was in a recreation of the school library. He smirked back at her, guessing she was another cognition. “What _did _you expect?”

Makoto crinkled her eyebrows. “Well you being naked was one, but covered in dirt and spreading that dirt all over these books was not on my list.” The table was indeed stained with flakes of mud.

“Sorry.” He half-heartedly apologised.

“So who was it?” she asked.

“Was what?” He questioned.

“Who did you have sex before coming here?”

His muscles tightened, feeling like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Uhhh…”

Makoto laughed. “I’m not mad. Just curious.”

Ren sighed, his body relaxing. “It was Ann.”

She gave him a surprised expression. “Didn’t think she’d be one to get dirty while doing the dirty.”

Ren blushed. “Well… it was more complicated than that. A cognition of Carmen was involved.”

She giggled. “I’ll have her tell me all about it when I meet her.”

Her words made him realised something. “Wait. Didn’t Ann and Carmen come through here?” Makoto shook her head. He pondered on this, trying to decipher the rules of the maze. Maybe the portal sent them to a different place because they’re cognitions?

Ren looked back to Makoto, the book she held once again caught his eye. He pointed to it. “What’s that book you got there?”

“This?” She noted, letting him read the front.

The book was in English instead of Japanese, not odd given there was a whole section of foreign language books in the school library. Ren remembered this one in particular. It was Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith. Ms. Chouno, his English Teacher, recommended her class to read it, though since it wasn’t compulsory, Ren found himself as the only student taking her advice.

Makoto looked at the book. “I don’t think the real version of me has read this.” She said, confirming her cognitive nature, then gazed at the bookshelves. “You ever wonder about how many books go unread? How many brilliant stories crafted by hard-working yet obscure authors slip under the radar? All those potentially enriching experiences are missed because someone didn’t give it the time of day.

There was silence between Ren and Makoto for a moment.

“I for one, like seeking new experiences.” Ren said with a wanting smile. She beamed back at him with the same level of desire.