[WIP] The Book of Eros and the Curse of the Gifted - Preview (13K words) (Patreon)

Only those who believe in the supernatural will ever have encounters with it. Nonbelievers will continue their days as usual, while those who look for it will peer into unexplainable mysteries.

The Curse of the Gifted is one such thing.

In the year 1917, an accident in an allied ship around the pacific islands resulted in its entire crew being lost to the sea. Yet a small group of 15 survivors, men and women from different countries, made it to an uninhabited island in what is now known to be Japanese territory.

They were stranded, tired, hungry and desperate. They survived for three days before finding shelter in the only building in the entire island: a shrine to a deity called Ragaraja at the top of a mountain that sat in the middle of the landmass. One of the survivors, a Japanese soldier, found an old book inside the shrine, its pages crusty from the general humidity and heat of the island’s climate.

The book told of an ancient ritual to Ragaraja which would grant its participants gifts to transcend humanity’s limits. It consisted of an offering of raw sexual energy to the god in the very place they were in, the highest place in the island, as close to heaven as they could be.

And when people are at their weakest, they start to believe. Days passed. Then weeks. No signs of a rescue and no way to call for help. Desperation started creeping into their hearts and minds. Even if they couldn’t intellectually accept outrageous ideas such as supernatural gifts from heaven, the combination of anguish and a desire to defy fate led them to wish that those fairy tales were true.

On the 18 of July, 1917, six men and seven women performed the ritual to Ragaraja, driven by a desperate need for hope. It was a perverted, debaucherous, and wild ritual, done with everyone’s full consent.

Their bodies meshed in an orgy in the middle of the night, the cold wind blowing on top of the mountain, though the heat of their bodies and of the large bonfire kept them warm. People screamed and moaned in ecstasy, offering their lust to the god above.

The ritual proved true.

Each of these 15 people was granted an incredible power. Each of them had become Gifted in a certain area or skill. One gained perfect memory; another gained great insight; another gained the strength to lift boulders; and another had gained boundless stamina and endurance. They were ecstatic. The revelation that the supernatural was as real, along with their newfound powers, gave them not only hope of survival, but the possibility of a future brighter than they could’ve ever hoped for.

But only a day after gaining these powers did they realize the cost.

They had completely lost the ability to feel sexual pleasure. They tried several times, yet none of them felt anything but the burning, agonizing desire for release. Women could barely get wet and men could not get hard. Masturbation was the closest they could come to feeling anything, but it was always more of an echo, a memory of what the pleasure used to feel like, and left them craving for even more.

Some of them argued that they should find a way to go back to their original selves, while others tried to convince them it was a worthy trade. It was a difficult discussion. None of them denied the powers they’d been given, yet they also felt like an important part of them was taken.

The group of 15 people reached a compromise. They would use their Gifts to understand the supernatural. They would study the occult. They would find out if going back was even possible.

They became the Tensai Clan, and funded Okurimono Village in the newly named Noroi Island.

The curse did not entirely prevent them from trying to reproduce, thankfully, and although difficult and even painful, men could still produce a minimal amount of semen to get women pregnant. And as years passed, they realized both the Gifts and The Curse were hereditary.

Every generation, less and less members of the clan managed to produce an heir. They realized that, if that kept up, the clan would disappear, along with the Gifts. The second generation clan members were the most united in the objective of finding a cure, and made the greatest discoveries in the field of the occult. They laid all the groundwork so that a single woman from the third generation could finish the magical item that could fulfill that purpose in her old age.

The woman finished the creation of the Book of Eros, a magical item that could use sexual energy to fuel powerful, self-enhancing spells. If a member of the clan used it, they’d be able to recover the sense of sexual pleasure, enhance it through magic, and even remove the curse.

Now all the woman needed was to find someone trustworthy to give ownership of the book to.

***

February 26 - 2017

To Delilah Wisler, the busy streets of New York’s nightlife were intimidating, especially so for a woman her age who had never been there. Yet despite her 74 years, her step still carried a certain energy to it. She showed her years in her greying hair and wrinkled face, but she did so proudly. Her back was still straight, and she knew she had at least 10 more years in her. Which was good, because she had yet to accomplish the last tasks her father appointed her, and she was currently in her way to visit a person who had the potential to become the key factor to end the damned curse.

Delilah reached her destination. It was a small, but apparently very popular bar between two tall buildings. According to her investigation, He should have been working there that night. Thankfully, it didn’t take much to find him. He was right behind the counter, washing glasses on a sink. He looked just like the picture she found, just like his father.

She walked past the tables, with a few of the more inebriated customers giving the old lady odd, curious looks. She approached the counter and took a seat.

“Welcome,” said the young man, turning around with a bright smile. It was fake, fabricated, necessary. He hesitated for a moment when he saw her. Surprise, confusion. Then he smiled politely again and continues as he would’ve done if what he’d found wasn’t an old lady. “What can I get you ma’am?”

“You don’t happen to sell sake in this place, do you?” Delilah said with a faint chuckle. “I’ve been craving it for some time now.”

“Sake?” The young man thought for a moment. “I think we have a bottle, actually.” He went through a door at the back and came with a bottle of rice wine. A brand she was unfamiliar with, as it seemed to be American. “Will this do, ma’am?”

“Yes, yes it will. Thank you.” Delilah offered him a kind smile, which released some tension off his shoulders.

“I don’t know much about this. Should I serve it to you in a shot glass?” He asked.

“Yes, please.”

The young man poured the sake into a shot glass and gave it to her. Delilah took in the smell and gave it a taste. Definitely not as good as the ones back home, but considering she hadn’t had sake in months, it would do.

“Are you Asian, ma’am?” The young man asked with honest curiosity and another professionally-polite smile. He seemed observant, at least enough to care about looking at the customers in the eyes and notice their features.

“Yes,” Delilah said. “But only on my mother’s side. My father was British.”

“I see,” he nodded.

“And you?” Delilah asked. “You’re definitely not from here. South American?”

His skin tone wasn’t dark per-se, yet it was darker compared to the people here in the US. His short hair was dark brown with matching eyes. His facial features were fine and sharp, giving him a youthful air. He looked small next to the usually tall Americans, but he was at least 1.75 meters tall. He was lean, with toned arms she figured were the result of one of the other two jobs she knew he had.

The young man answered casually. “Chilean, ma’am.”

“Chilean? Did you live there? Are you studying abroad here?”

Delilah noticed a flash of pain run through his eyes. An instant. Almost unnoticeable. It would have been, for anyone but her.

“That was the plan,” he laughed with a cheerful, toothy smirk. Forced, but not entirely fake. Again, necessary. “But things don’t always go as we want, right?”

It was clear as day to her. His laugh hid pain and frustration, and his polite tone was only a matter of work. Why? Delilah looked closer, and she saw it. Deep frustrations, years of burdens upon burdens were taking their toll on him, exhausting him not physically, but mentally.

“Right,” Delilah nodded with a small smile. “How old are you?”

“19, ma’am.”

Everything she saw up to that point made sense, considering who he was. She wanted to ask more questions, but knew she shouldn’t push it. It was better if she took things slow and built at least a certain amount of trust with the boy.

She finished her sake in a final gulp and sighed happily.

“Thank you for the drink, young man.” She blinked for a moment, trying to appear surprised at herself, before addressing him again. “I’m sorry. I forgot to ask your name.”

“Gabriel, ma’am. Gabriel Contreras.”

But she knew that. Mr. Gabriel Contreras was one of the missing members of the dying Tensai Clan. One of the few remaining members of her dying clan, and one whom she might be able to trust with its revival.

***

She returned to the bar for a third time. So far she’d gotten him to tell her a bit of his past, and he was seeing more and more of his true personality, the one hidden behind his professional persona. This time she had the intention of telling him everything.

Being a weekday, the bar was almost empty. She took her usual seat at the counter, and Gabriel served her a glass of sake before she could even order it. He put it in front of her and she thanked him with a smile.

“Do you have a girlfriend, Gabriel?”

The boy flinched, and this time his face twisted uncomfortably, trying very hard to hide annoyance and... anger.

“I don’t, ma’am,” he said with finality, adding nothing more.

Delilah felt bad for what she was about to do, but she had to push it. “Can I guess? Given your reaction to my question, you’ve had a girlfriend, but things didn’t go well.”

He couldn’t quite hold it this time and shot her a glare. But Delilah continued, unfazed. She felt no real malice behind that glare.

“The two of you were intimate, but not compatible, am I right?”

His glare was quickly replaced by wide eyes and a half-opened mouth. “W-Wha…?

“She probably had no issues, but you felt nothing, am I right? Perhaps you tried several times, but it never worked. That put a strain on your relationship, and you broke up.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, looking at her carefully, assessing her seriously. “How do you know?”

At least he admitted it. That said something in itself.

“I’m so sorry, dear. I know exactly who you are. I’ve been coming here every day to talk to you so I can assess you personally,” she admitted with a wry, sad smile.

“Why?”

“Because you and I are two of the few remaining members of an old clan, both gifted with power and burdened with a curse.”

He blinks several times. “I’m… sorry?”

He looked at her softly, like one does a grandparent who starts a weird story out of nowhere.

“Your father, who recently passed away, was a man with incredible energy, was he not? He would barely need to sleep, would never get tired and would hardly feel any pain, am I right?”

“Yes…” Gabriel started to look more and more perturbed the more she revealed, but she couldn’t blame him.

“I’d been trying to track him down, but ended up finding you instead. I’m trying to gather remaining members of the clan, the children of those who managed to pass on their Gift to a new generation, despite the curse,” she revealed, her eyes steady. “I have a way to finally lift the curse from us, the curse that prevents you from feeling any pleasure.”

“Ma’am, please don’t joke with me.” Gabriel said, turning away from her to clean some dirty glasses.

“I am not joking, Mr. Gabriel. You know this is real. You have inherited your father’s Gift, haven’t you? You don’t get tired and don’t need to sleep much. You also work two extra jobs during the day, don’t you? Yet you don’t feel tired working here.”

“…”

“And despite the inability to feel sexual pleasure, you’re desperate for it, right? You feel the desire burning in you with no way to relieve it. Do you work three jobs to keep yourself busy and not think about it?”

Hesitantly, Gabriel nodded. “Though I also really need the money,” he admitted, sourly. “Do you… also have a Gift, then?” he asks. “Can you read minds?”

Delilah chuckled. “Close, dear. I cannot read minds, but I can tell when people are speaking the truth and when they’re lying. I can tell when they’re hiding their emotions. I can tell the true intentions behind their actions. Everything is crystal clear to me. And you? I believe you’re someone I can trust to help me clear this curse.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Call it a gut feeling, instinct,” she said. “The frustration I feel within you runs deep, yet you somehow contain it. It’ll drive you, but not destroy you. I know it.”

“And what would I have to do?” he asked, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow.

“My father and other members of the clan found a way to dispel the curse, and I only finished their work a few years ago. I’m too old to use the item myself. I’ve met other people, from your father’s generation, but I can’t trust them. They would misuse the power. It’s why I’m coming to you, Mr. Gabriel. I want you to move back to an island in Japan with me, so I can give you ownership of the Book of Eros.”

***

What on earth would drive Gabriel Contreras to accept such a crazy fucking offer?

He knew exactly what. He had no other choice. The apartment he was living in was expensive, even being the cheapest he’d been able to find. His two day jobs could barely cover it, his night shift at the bar was temporary, and no one was willing to hire a high school dropout for any better jobs. His only special skill was not getting tired. He was able to work many jobs to get by, but even then, he could barely make ends meet.

When Mrs. Wisler offered him free lodging and a chance at graduating from high school in Japan, he was already tempted to agree. But… when she offered the chance of getting rid of the agonizing sensation of wanting sex and being unable to feel anything from it, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

His libido was infuriatingly strong. After finding out that he could feel nothing from sex, he tried to get keep his libido out of his mind through constant and intense physical exercise, but his… ‘Gift’ of having such monstrous stamina made it a worthless effort. No matter how hard he worked out, he wouldn’t get tired and the need for sex just didn’t go away.

It tormented him. It clouded his mind. Made him tired of everything and annoyed at anything. His eyes constantly wandered to the curves of women; his thoughts put images of sex with them in his mind. Masturbation only led to a weak, unsatisfactory release, a ghost of what it should feel like, he knew. Working and keeping his mind off that was the only way to cope, and knowing that no matter what he did, he wouldn’t feel anything, kept him from trying anything with a woman. So, when Mrs. Wisler said that there was a way to cure him, he just had to accept her offer, regardless if it was true or not.

He didn’t have the powers she claimed to have, he couldn’t read her intentions like she supposedly can do with his, but he wanted to believe her. He NEEDED to believe her. Every fiber of his being needed her words to be true.

Which is why, after two weeks getting everything ready, telling his employers and selling what little possessions he had, he sat on a plane heading towards Okinawa, Japan.

His chest felt tight. That was the second time he got on a plane and headed to a completely unknown country. He already knew a bit of English before he went to the US. But now? He didn’t know a spec of Japanese. He had been spending all his free time learning to at least read the language. That meant hiragana first, and that was already an uphill battle. Still, Gabriel spent weeks and even the whole flight with a notebook, practicing writing the plethora of different characters until he could finally start recognizing them.

He got off the plane and got his bag from the conveyor belt. It was light, filled with not much else but clothes. Mrs. Wisler paid for the plane ticket and even gave him money to pay for transportation, so he didn’t need to use any of his own, limited funds. He exited the airport, following the signs which were also written in English and he soon saw the people offering cab services right outside.

Gabriel stood still for a moment and put his hand in his pocket to look for the instructions Mrs. Wisler gave him. He took it out but the piece of paper slipped off his fingers. With a grunt, he bent down to get it, but someone unexpectedly bumped into him from the side. He lost his balance and fell to one knee with a surprised, unflattering yelp. He looked up, searching for whoever couldn’t watch where they were going, and saw a girl standing there, looking down at him with a scowl.

She was unbelievably hot, he thought. Anyone would think she was a super model or something if it wasn’t for her clothes. She had shoulder-length, golden hair and clear, blue eyes. Her features were soft. She had a very pretty face which said she couldn’t be older than twenty years old.

The girl let out a low, short grunt and offered Gabriel her hand. He sighted to ease his own annoyance, like usual, and took it. The girl lifted him up with surprising ease, taking him from the ground to his feet in a single pull. Gabriel wasn’t all that light, weighing around 70 kilos. What was that strength?

On his feet, Gabriel confirmed the girl was as tall as him. He stood at a proud 1.75 meters, and the girl was perhaps a few centimeters shorter at most. As usual, his eyes involuntarily went to her chest, which was huge. Calling them the size of melons wouldn’t have been wrong at all, and as much as he would’ve loved to stare at them all day, especially thanks to the cleavage offered by the yellow tank-top under her black leather jacket, he smoothly averted his eyes as quickly as he could to avoid any complications.

“You okay?” The girl asked with some brusqueness.

“Yeah, thank you,” he said, dusting himself off. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be standing still here.”

“No, it’s my fault too,” she shook her head. “I was looking around. There’re way too many people here. And it’s hot as fuck, too.” She groaned and took off her jacket, letting Gabriel see more of her figure. She had an incredibly sexy body, with a perfect bust-waist-hip ratio. Curvy, yet she seemed to have a relatively toned body, if the slight definitions of her arm muscles were anything to go by. She had long legs, too, clad in tight blue jeans and…

…There he went again, staring at a woman’s body the second he saw her. It was useless, he knew, but he couldn’t help it.

“Well, I hear Okinawa is a popular tourist location for its beaches,” he said, taking a hand to the back of his neck and rotating it to appear casual.

“Is that so?” she asked, arching an eyebrow and with her lips curling into a small, excited smile. “I’ll have to see them eventually. Well, I’m off. Good luck,” she said, walking in the direction of the cabs.

He watched her as she walked away. She had a perfectly round ass, too.

Well, whatever. Gabriel took the instructions Mrs. Wisler gave him and went to take a cab as well, letting the driver read them to take him where he needed to be.

5***

The people of Naha, the capital of Okinawa, were very helpful. They read the instructions Mrs. Wisler gave him and guided him with gestures and such, and the cab driver left him directly in front of where he needed to be.

Mrs. Wisler had said she wouldn’t be able to pick him up because different things had piled up, some of which concerned his high school paperwork. But she said she’d be waiting at the next port.

Yes, Gabriel needed to take a ferry from Naha to a small, remote island which was where he’d be living then now on. The process of getting into the ferry went smoothly, too. It seemed people here were relatively used to dealing with foreigners since Okinawa was such a tourist attraction.

Around 20 or so people got on the large, white boat. Among them, surprisingly, was the blonde girl he bumped into at the airport. His instincts told him to go say hi, but something else stopped him.

Gabriel bit his lip, frustrated, and went to lean forward on the rails at the side of the boat instead, looking down into the extremely clear, turquoise-colored water. His chest tightened, and he took a deep breath. His own thoughts ran in circles, trying to convince him of different things. What was the point of approaching her? She was extremely hot, yes, but what did that change? Nothing would come out of it. Thinking like that left him with a nagging feeling, but it couldn’t be helped. Then again, why wouldn’t he approach the only other person who spoke English? She didn’t seem all that bad.

As he was debating with himself, he felt a light tap on the shoulder, and he turned to see the blonde girl next to him, leaning on the rail just as he was. He blinked several times, surprised that all his thinking was for nothing.

“I knew it. You’re that kid from the airport,” she said, grinning.

“Kid? What are you talking about?” he asked, mirroring that grin. “I’m 19.”

“What? You’re joking,” she said, laughing.

“I’m not.”

“You barely look 18.”

“And that’s a kid to you?” he asked. “How old are you?”

“19 as well,” she shrugs.

“You don’t look it, either.”

“What? Calling me old?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said. After a moment of silence, the two shared a light chuckle.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Gabriel. Gabriel Contreras.”

“Angela Straight.” She extended her hand, and Gabriel shook it. Her grip was strong, he noticed. “Sorry for approaching all of a sudden but being in a place where no one understands shit I say creeps me out.”

“Oh, so you don’t speak Japanese either?”

“Not a word,” she shook her head. “I’ve been getting by with the instructions someone wrote for me.”

“Oh? Me too,” he said. “The person who invited me here said she couldn’t pick me up at the airport.”

“What? Same thing happened to me,” Angela blinked. “Wait a fucking minute. You wouldn’t happen to know an old lady named Delilah Wisler, would you?”

“Wha…? Then you are…” Gabriel couldn’t help the ironic smile that formed in his face. “Well damn.”

She groaned loudly. “You’re one of the remaining members of the clan, aren’t you?”

Gabriel nodded slowly. “You too?”

“Yeah,” she nods in return.

Then she was also one of the Gifted. If she was, then that means she also had the curse?

…

She was probably thinking the same thing.

The trip suddenly became quiet, yet surprisingly not as awkward as Gabriel would’ve expected. There was something like silent understanding between them, as if Angela shared his desire to ask questions, yet they both agreed that they didn’t know each other enough to pry. They stayed like that until they arrived at their destination.

Noroi Island.

***

The island, seen as a small patch of land from the coast of Naha, showed its true grandeur only minutes before reaching the port. Green, tall and steep cliffs surrounded nearly the entire perimeter of the island save for the western side, and a set of taller mountains sat at the very center of the almost circular shaped landmass, one of which was apparently a volcano with extremely low risk of eruption. The shape reminded Gabriel of those biscuit molds that left a whole in the middle. Its length, according to a quick internet research he did before even accepting Mrs. Wisler’s invitation, was about 5 kilometers. Greenery covered most of it, but buildings could be seen extending from the coast and further in.

The boat docked at a small, but active port. It was almost noon, yet people could still be seen loading and unloading ships, carrying boxes and the like. There were about 20 or so large boats with plenty more smaller ones. The air around was already getting warm and humid for spring, but it felt nice.

Gabriel and Angela came down from the ferry and into the docks, looking around for Mrs. Wisler. The old woman was quick to approach them, bowing apologetically.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t pick you up at the airport,” she said, looking guilty. “I was so busy with preparations for your arrival, and the boats only leave for Naha two times a day.”

“It’s fine,” Angela shrugged with indifference.

“It was easy to get here, surprisingly,” Gabriel told her.

“I see you two made yourselves acquainted already,” the old lady said, smiling.

“You said you were looking for others,” Angela said, crossing her arms under her impressive chest. “You didn’t say you’d found someone else already.”

“A week after I first contacted you, dear,” Mrs. Wisler chuckled. “I will tell you more after I show you to your new home. I have a cab waiting. But first, let me welcome you to Okurimono Village,” she said with a polite bow.

When Gabriel heard ‘remote Japanese island’, his first thought was something like an old, countryside town, behind on technology and all that. But it turned out everything looked fairly modern. Buildings weren’t taller than four stories, but streets were paved and well maintained, as were the walkways with thin trees adorning them. There aren’t many cars on the roads, but he did expect that, and it did gave off that classic, Japanese feel with its architecture.

The cab took them about 5 minutes away from the village center, right to the western outskirts and up a long, sloped road. The car stops right in front of a building Gabriel can’t quite see, as it’s surrounded by walls.

The three exit the car, and Mrs. Wisler gestures for them to head inside.

“This is the Tensai Residence,” Mrs. Wisler said. “It technically belongs to me, and it’s the last building on the island owned by any member of the Tensai Clan,” she sighed. “Everyone else sold their properties and left.”

It was an old, big, elegant and traditional Japanese house. It was surrounded by 3-meter-tall stone walls with a blue tiled roof, and thick wooden double gates gave access to the residence. Behind the walls, inside the residence proper, were tall trees thick with greenery, along with more flowers and bushes neatly trimmed and taken care of around the area.

The house itself looked like one big building connected to smaller ones by a hallway to the left and to the right. Its roof matched the one on the walls, and two wooden pillars support the porch roof over the sliding door that was the entrance to the main building.

“Let me give you a quick tour,” Mrs. Wisler said. She couldn’t help the small, excited smile that adorned her face.

The old lady led Gabriel and Angela into the house.

Inside, they’re greeted by a long hallway with a floor of dark wooden boards, much like he expects the rest of the house to be. The main building consisted of two empty rooms; a pantry with shelves filled to the top with food, bottles and house cleaning items; two sliding screens that led to a very spacious dining room with the classic tatami floor, a big, square, dark wooden low table and a flat-screen TV on the southern wall, all of which was separated from the kitchen only by a long counter; and the master bedroom where the Mrs. Wisler slept, with its own private bathroom. Right outside that room and along the outside of the building ran a kind of veranda that led directly to the backyard, where they could see one other big building.

The right wing consisted only of two simple, empty bedrooms and a bathroom between them, with the same kind of veranda in front of them giving access to the yard. There were even more bedrooms on the left wing. Six more, to be precise. Three of them were coherent to the elegant and traditional Japanese design of the house, with tatami mats and sliding doors, but the other three shared a more western style with wooden board flooring and single beds instead of futons.

Finally, on the ample, almost empty backyard, was a big, two-story storehouse where old stuff like broken appliances and furniture were kept.

Mrs. Wisler took Gabriel and Angela back to the dining room. They sat around the low table on soft, comfortable pillows.

“I’m sure it’s been a lot to take in for you two,” Mrs. Wisler told them, offering them a sympathetic smile. “You must be tired.”

“I think I’m starting to feel the jet lag,” Angela groaned, holding her head.

Gabriel was feeling quite alright, really, but he opted for not saying anything.

“I can’t tell you how glad I am that you accepted to come here with me.” the old lady bowed on her seat, head almost touching the table. “Ms. Angela, I know I had your father’s approval, but I still appreciate that you’d trust me.”

“The old man has nothing to do with this,” Angela said, eyes narrowing at the mention of her father. “I came here because you said you could help me develop my Gift.”

“I can do that, Ms. Angela. I promise.” She then turned to Gabriel. “And you, Mr. Gabriel. I know you took a big risk in trusting a strange, old lady. But I promise you I will answer that trust.”

“It’s not like I had more important places to be,” Gabriel shrugged and gave her a good-natured smile. “If even a quarter of what you offered turns out to be true, I’ll be grateful.”

“I hope you haven’t forgotten how I mentioned this before, but I’m still on the lookout for more clan members, so this house may fill up with yet more people.”

Gabriel and Angela nod in acknowledgement.

“But since you’re the first ones here, you may pick whichever room you wish. Except mine of course. An old lady like me needs her own bathroom.” she chuckled.

Being attracted by the foreign design, Gabriel picked the furthermost bedroom on the right wing, with the bathroom to his left and the yard to his right. Angela picked one of the western-style bedrooms on the left wing, something that shouldn’t have been surprising, but was somehow still disappointing.

Angela excused herself, saying she wanted to take a quick nap. That left Gabriel alone with Mrs. Wisler, who, with a solemn expression, asked him to wait for her in the dining room.

***

Gabriel sat cross-legged in front of the low table of the dining room, waiting. When he heard the sliding door, his body tensed automatically, and his eyes carefully followed Mrs. Wisler as she took her seat across from him, on top of her legs in what’s called the seiza posture, he remembered.

“I can see that you’re uneasy, dear. Not about your new life here, but about the power I mentioned before.”

Slowly, he nodded.

“I understand, which is why I want to clear that up immediately.”

She put on the table a small book. Small enough to fit inside someone’s pocket. It reminded him of those small bibles some churches would give away sometimes. It had a white cover with nothing written on it.

“This is the Book of Eros. A magic item my father and his friends spent their lives developing, and I put together using their research.”

Gabriel narrows his eyes at it. “Is it really a magic item?”

“I feel your skepticism, and I understand it. But you know by now that the occult is indeed real. No doctor can pinpoint the cause of our Gifts, or our Curse. We know the cause was an ancient ritual, and using that as a base, my father and his friends created this book.”

Mrs. Wister took a deep breath.

“Are you familiar with the concept of geas, Mr. Gabriel?”

“Ah? No, not at all.” He shook his head.

“It’s a type of magic or curse usually associated with the celts. It’s a way to grant power to heroes who follow strict conditions. There’s the famous example of the hero Cú Chulainn, who was granted great power so long as he never ate dog meat or refused food offered to him by a woman.”

“You’re saying that’s what the curse is based on?”

“Close, but not quite. It shares similar roots, but the effects are less about following conditions and more about imposing them. The gift our ancestors were given is absolute, and so is what was taken from them. We have inherited both,” she explains. “My father followed that logic, studied the rituals and several types of magic, many of which were false and no more than rumors. Eventually, he was able to lay the foundation so that I could make this book.”

“What does it do?”

“It has the potential to both restore people’s sexual sensations and get rid of the curse forever.” Mrs. Wisler said confidently, firmly. “Before his passing, my father asked me to complete it and give it to someone I could trust, hopefully someone from within the clan. He said I’d know who to trust when I saw them, and he was right.”

Gabriel pursed his lips. His body was tense. He knew Mrs. Wisler could read him, yet he still had some troubles being completely open.

“You feel pressured?”

“I don’t know. I just know I’m no one special.”

“You’re wrong,” Mrs. Wisler smiled kindly. “There’s no one in this world who isn’t special. Supernatural gift or not, everyone is unique. I know instinctively that you’re the right person, but I won’t explain further. You’ll soon prove it with your actions.”

Gabriel took a deep, deep breath before looking at Mrs. Wisler with resolute eyes.

“What do I have to do?”

“First, you should take the book. The moment you do, it’ll connect with you, and you will become its owner.”

“That easy?” The moment the book was in his hands, a hot, uncomfortable sensation traveled from his chest, to his stomach and finally to his crotch. Gabriel grit his teeth, bracing himself, before the sensation abruptly disappeared. He looked down at the book in his hand, and its cover started switching colors, from black to purple to red and pink and back to black until it settled on white again.

“What was that?” he asked, more than a little concerned.

Mrs. Wisler nodded. “I never felt what you did. It shows I couldn’t connect with it. What the book just did was attuning itself to you, making you its owner.”

Gabriel swallowed, and hesitantly opened the book, flipping through the pages. There was one page written in English with something like instructions, and right after, a plethora of strange writings, symbols and circles followed.

“The book does four very important things,” Mrs. Wisler said, lifting four fingers. “First, it transforms sexual frustration into a sort of aphrodisiac sent. It’s subtle, but it becomes stronger the more pent-up you are.”

Gabriel suddenly flinched, and he couldn’t stop the heat rushing to his face.

“Come on, dear. There’s no use being shy now. I need to explain this to you, and you can’t hide the fact that you want to experience the feeling, yourself. The sooner you understand that, the quicker we’ll make progress.” She chuckled. “If it helps, think of me as your confidant. It’s not like you can hide anything from me anyway, even if you wanted to. I’ve lived longer than you, seen a lot more. Let me try to help you out however I can.”

He sighed. “Alright. It’s just… well, embarrassing to talk so openly about this.”

“I suppose it is.” she admitted with a wry smile. “I apologize. The topic of sex was merely a matter of research in my family. Once we got old and the desire for it vanished, speaking of it like an academic topic became easier.”

“I understand.” Gabriel mirrored the old lady’s smile. “Please, continue.”

“Second, the book accumulates sexual energy. Performing sexual acts will generate sexual energy, which will naturally flow from your partner, to you and into the book. But that is only a way to fuel its two main functions. The first of which is to grant powerful Gifts as you fulfill specific conditions.”

“Oh. That’s what you meant before? When you said this magic followed the logic of geas?”

“Correct,” she nodded. “Open the book to the fourth page. There, you’ll find the details of the first Gift, which is key to starting this whole thing.”

***

Gabriel flipped back to the fourth page of the small book. Handwritten in black ink, he read the page to himself.

‘>Gift of Recovery: Grants the owner of this book the ability to feel sexual pleasure once more. Meant for those bearing the Curse of the Gifted. May the heavens be merciful and smile upon you.
>>>Condition: Give a single partner three orgasms within an hour, without orgasming yourself.’

Nothing more was written. Following that page were incomprehensible writings.

“What’s next are the details for the spell. Think of it as the formula that makes use of the sexual energy to make the spell take effect,” Mrs. Wisler explained. “But never mind that. What do you think?”

Gabriel swallowed hard. “It’s… more straightforward than I thought it would be.”

“My father made that a priority. If whoever I gave the book to needed to study as much as he did, the curse would never be lifted.” She smiled wryly. “If you keep flipping through the pages, you’ll find even more Gifts, which need different conditions to be fulfilled. The ones you should absolutely focus on, however, are that one and the next two.”

Gabriel read the next two Gifts.

‘>Gift of Giving: Grants the owner’s partner(s) the ability to feel sexual pleasure when having sex with them. Meant for members of the clan who could not attune with the book. May the owner of this item grant them some form of release, if only temporary.
>>>Condition: Enter a formal sexual relationship in which you keep your partner satisfied and maintain it for at least a month.’

‘>Gift of Polyamory: Removes the concept of exclusivity regarding relationships when it comes to the owner of this book. Sexual energy generated by a single person is very limited. This Gift is meant to allow the owner to fulfill the objective of this book while sparing others from as much heartache as possible.
>>>Condition: Gain the trust of four different people whom you have feelings for.’

“Is this seriously real?” Gabriel asked with a small twitch of his eye.

“Don’t try to suppress it, dear,” Mrs. Wisler chuckled. “I can see you like what you’re reading.”

He groaned.

It was hard to say if it was his pent-up frustrations making him think like that, or perhaps he was just naturally a damn pervert, but the thought of having several women to himself was… exhilarating.

“No matter how much they tried, my father and his friends couldn’t get around the fact that the sexual energy of multiple people is needed to power the book. No matter what, if the owner of the book wants any chance at gathering enough sexual energy, they’ll need to have sex with several people. It’s what led to the aphrodisiac spell and the polyamory spell. Sexual energy only comes from your partners, not yourself. And a single person can’t hope to produce the amount of energy needed for the second and true purpose of the book.”

“What’s that purpose?”

“The summoning of Ragaraja’s power, the deity to whom the first ritual was offered. The being who both blessed and cursed the clan. You could think of using the book as an extremely long ritual. Just as our ancestors offered all their sexual energy to Ragaraja for their Gifts in a single night, you’ll accumulate sexual energy over time, harmlessly and from several people, and use it to fuel a spell that will cleanse you, every other member of the clan and even your descendants, of this damned curse.”

Gabriel bit his lip.

He felt pressure on his shoulders, but worse than that, he clearly felt the excitement, his own desires pushing him to agree. Why should he even hesitate, anyway? He would get to recover his ability to feel pleasure and be granted power to have as much sex as he wanted. He had to suffer the agony of involuntary abstinence for too long, and he’s not the only one.

…

Then he remembered Angela in the other room. She was incredibly hot, and his mind already had come up with so many scenarios in which he’d like to have her. With the Book of Eros, and the powers it granted, those thoughts might even become a reality.

He clicked his tongue and grinned wryly to himself. “I’m a fucking bastard.”

“Does that mean you’ve accepted what you have to do?”

“Worse. I want to do it,” he admitted. “Not because of some altruistic reasons like freeing everyone from a curse. I just need to feel the pleasure, not that ghost of an orgasm that happens when I masturbate. My whole body is demanding the real thing.”

“Believe me, I understand,” Mrs. Wisler nodded. “Plenty have felt like you. Use that motivation to drive you.”

Gabriel knew that accepting this meant he might have to do some nasty things. He was sure he was 100% straight, so that meant looking for as many women to fuck as possible. If Angela was half as pent-up as he was, she would probably be up for it, but he needed to recover his own ability to feel pleasure, first, and then gain the ability to let her feel her own.

“There is something else you need to know about the book,” Mrs. Wisler said. “Remember how this magic follows the logic of conditions. For the book itself to work, it must also follow two general conditions. One, it may only have one owner. It has accepted you now, and I do not know of a way to invalidate the contract. And two, the conditions for every Gift must be fulfilled here, in Noroi Island.”

“I see,” Gabriel smiled wryly. “That’s why you brought me here.”

“Precisely,” she admitted. “I promise I’m not hiding anything from you or the others. I’m just trying not to overwhelm you with information.”

“Well, I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed,” Gabriel chuckled with a tired, toothy grin.

“If you ever have questions, I promise to do my best to answer.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, ma’am,” he said. “And I hate to ask this, but… any ideas on how to start?”

“Like I said, focus on the first three gifts. You need to recover your own sensations, or you won’t be able to progress. Then, focus on the Gift of Giving. I believe female members of the clan, like Angela, will be more cooperative than others. And finally, if you manage to acquire the Gift of Polyamory, you won’t need to worry about cheating on women, and you’ll be free to do whatever you want.”

Gabriel let out a soft, ironic chuckle. “I really will have to be a bastard to do this.”

It was a bit conflicting, but he had no time to hesitate. A solution to his problem lay right in his hand, and he was going to make use of it.

***

That night, Gabriel had a dream. It had been long, maybe two years, since he’d stopped having dreams like that. Did the recent revelations have something to do with it?

His surroundings didn’t matter. He was in a black void. There was a bed, the details of which his mind didn’t draw. He only needed to understand it represented the concept of a bed. But the person who was with him in the dream, his mind drew all the details it could imagine.

Angela lay naked on the bed, long legs crossed and arms behind her head, like she was stretching to show off her erotic body. Her breasts were just as big as he had pictured them, but contrasted with small, pink areolas. Every single one of her curves was perfect, with a narrow waist and voluptuous hips.

He couldn’t resist. He threw himself on top of her like a hungry lion, and caught her lips with his as his hands groped her chest. He heard Angela moan loudly, ecstatic. Her own hands roamed his naked body greedily.

“I need this so bad,” Angela whispered. “Take me, Gabriel. Make me yours. Fuck me until neither of us can walk.”

Her voice made him shiver. It sounded so sexy and full of frantic need. He guided his full erection to her perfectly shaved pussy, and thrust inside her with ease. He drove hard and desperately into her, their lips craving for each other. Angela only stopped kissing him to scream her pleasure.

“Fuck! Yes! Yes! More! Fuck me more!”

In a blink, they had changed position. Angela was now on all fours, and Gabriel was taking her from behind. He thrust into her wildly, watching her meaty ass bounce on his cock. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled it, making Angela throw her head back and showing him her blissful smile.

“Yes! Be rougher with me!” she screamed.

Another blink, and Angela was suddenly riding him. Gabriel held her waist as the gorgeous blonde rocked her hips back and forth. Her breasts bounced wildly. Her entire being was a mesmerizing sight.

“Does my pussy feel good, baby? Uh? Do you want to come inside me?” she teased with a grin. “Fuck baby, please, come inside me! Fill me up! Please, I need it!”

Then he was fucking her against a wall. He was lifting her leg and thrusting inside her as she had her arms around his neck, sucking on his tongue. He could hear his own groans mix with her loud, sweet moans. Her face was red with pleasure, her eyes locked on him.

“Shoot it inside me, baby! Make me pregnant! I’ll have your children, Gabriel! Just fucking come inside me!”

After another blink, he was laying on the bed with Angela between his legs. She was worshiping his cock, running her tongue along his lengths and taking it all the way back to her throat.

“It’s so good,” she groaned. “Your cock is perfect, baby! I love it! I want to suck on it every day!” she said. Her head bobbed, her pouty lips perfectly wrapped around his dick. “Let me drink it, baby! Let me swallow it!”

He blinked again, and he was sitting at the edge of the bed with Angela on his lap. She hugged him tightly as she bounced on his cock, her breasts pressing against his chest.

“I love you, baby!” she whispered in his ear. “I love you so much!” She kissed his neck, his cheek, his lips. “Stay with me forever, baby!”

Her voice was desperate, frantic. She was pleading for his full attention.

“Embrace me, dear! Hold me, kiss me and make love to me! I love you! Come inside me and let me have you baby!”

For a single second, he felt as though something was rising from within him. But abruptly, without any sort of warning, he was back on his futon. He was sweating like he never had before. His breathing was ragged. He sat up, throwing the covers away. His heart pounded loud enough for him to feel it in his ears.

And worst of all, there was the already familiar sensation of need, desire and frustration that could not be satisfied. His body burned, and despite knowing it would be useless, he masturbated.

It was difficult. His penis couldn’t get hard enough, despite how clear the memories of his dream were. When he ejaculated, it was only a few, pitiful drops. There was no release, only the need for more, for the real thing.

He wanted to go to Angela’s room and make her orgasm so he could recover his own sensations, but she was in the same boat as him in the first place. He had to wonder if she was as desperate for it as he was, or if it was easier for her.

It was 3:41 am already. There was no point for him to try and go back to sleep. He wouldn’t be able to. His heart raced still. He took his phone and his notebook and went back to practicing his Japanese. He needed to learn quickly.

When morning came, he had troubles meeting Angela’s eyes. Not so much out of shame, but because seeing her made him remember the dream too clearly. It made him want her. He didn’t know if she noticed, but she made no comment about it. Mrs. Wisler, though, obviously noticed, but didn’t say anything either, most likely out of respect. It wasn’t like anything she could say would make things better.

***

Three days had passed since Gabriel arrived at Okurimono Village. He used his time exploring the town and having Mrs. Wisler teach him more Japanese. Though he’d do anything to take his mind off that dream. So far, he was mostly successful in keeping himself occupied and distracted, mostly through studying the language. After all, if he couldn’t even talk to women here, then the plan would go nowhere. And when a man has such a clear goal in front of him, he’s able to give 200% of his efforts.

He was finally starting to be able to read things in hiragana, the most basic characters. He had to read very boring, basic texts and Mrs. Wisler spoke to him in Japanese most of the time. Fortunately, he had what the old lady called ‘The Gift of Constitution’. Basically, his fancy ability was not getting tired and being able to keep his concentration for long periods of time.

Mrs. Wisler had enrolled him in one of the two high schools in town, something that made him uncomfortable in many ways. He was a dropout, having had to quit school when he lost both of his parents and had to start working. He was already 19 years old. The seniors in Japanese schools were around 17 and 18 years old, and to add to that, he was foreign. He was going to stick out like a sore thumb.

He’d just have to use that to his advantage. Maybe make use of that to charm one or two high school girls? He’d gone on walks around town, and perhaps he was trying to look too hard, but he could swear more women were turning their heads to him when he passed. If what Mrs. Wisler said about the book turning his sexual frustration into an aphrodisiac sent, then he must be fucking reeking. Angela wasn’t showing any changes, though. Could the curse have something to do with it? She slept at the exact opposite side of a huge house and also went out for walks on her own, so they only saw each other during meals. There was still a huge distance between them, and it was frustrating.

There was too much on his mind. Angela, the dream, the curse, the plan, his new life… He needed to turn his attention to something else, and for better or worse, there was something that fit the bill.

The house was huge, and with Mrs. Wisler being away for so long and being a tired old lady, the place was incredibly dusty and messy. Living in an untidy place left a nagging sensation in Gabriel’s chest, almost enough to overpower his lust. Almost.

So, with a determined step, he walked into the pantry, took all the cleaning items he’d need, and got to work on his own. He swept and cleaned the hallway floors, the furniture and even the empty rooms. He cleaned the dining room and the kitchen, leaving both spotless.

Angela caught him doing that, and looked at him as though he was crazy.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“If we’re going to live here, I want it to be clean. Is that weird?” He asked, avoiding looking at her in favor of cleaning the table with a rag.

“I guess not. I don’t really care.” She shrugged.

“I assume you won’t be helping out, then?” he groaned, giving the finishing touches to the table.

“You already cleaned the common spaces. Why would I clean the rooms I don’t use?”

“Fine.” He shrugged it off. It was better that way.

He cleaned the bedrooms, the bathrooms and the floors of every single hallway. He was at it from the afternoon until evening, working hard but not even breaking a sweat. His reward? Mrs. Wisler had come back from the convenience store, having bought cups of instant ramen.

He sat at the now shining table in the dining room with Angela and Mrs. Wisler, the latter of whom seemed both very surprised and pleased with Gabriel’s work. Yet he ignored her praise, narrowing his eyes at the food.

He didn’t have an issue with instant ramen. The problem was that this had been dinner the day before, as well, and lunch was always more ready-to-eat food from a convenience store. Dinner on the first night had been fancier, with Mrs. Wisler ordering sushi to celebrate his and Angela’s arrival. But after three days, it had become clear to Gabriel.

Mrs. Wisler couldn’t cook.

How that was possible when she seemed to live alone, Gabriel didn’t know and was wise enough to not ask. Angela was okay eating anything, apparently, claiming she wasn’t a picky eater.

He ate the ramen in silence, but made the decision to, again, take matters into his own hands.

The next day, he woke up at 5:00 am, as usual now that he didn’t have to work late. He took a shower, got dressed and checked the pantry. It was full with rice packages, noodles, and canned everything, even fucking spam. Yet they never used this? It was such a fucking waste!

He took the time to watch a video on the internet and grabbed what he needed from the pantry and the fridge. Seriously, what the hell? Did Mrs. Wisler buy everything in preparation before she realized she couldn’t cook? He put rice in the rice cooker before he got to work.

He made a seasoning with soy sauce, sugar, water and other stuff he’d never used in cooking, like sake and something called bonito, and added it to a mix of four beaten eggs. He left water boiling in a pot with kelp and bonito flakes before taking those out when the water boiled. He cut cabbage and carrots and added them to the soup. As that was getting ready, he heated a pan and put the mix of eggs and seasoning into it, rolling it with a spatula as it got firm. He was making tamagoyaki, which was basically a rolled up omelet. To the soup he had in the heat he added miso paste and stirred until it dissolved completely. He gave it a try, and noticed it was a little salty. He’d add less next time. He threw some sausages into the now free pan and cut the omelet into three equal pieces.

It was his first time putting so much effort into breakfast, so it took him about an hour. His usual breakfast was a glass of milk and a toast every now and then, though that was mostly to save money. By the time he had finished, he could hear the steps of his two housemates.

He served the rice into bowls and did the same with the miso soup. He cut up the sausages and put them in a plate along with the omelet. He was putting everything on the table when Angela came in. She was an early riser, as well.

She arched an eyebrow at him when she saw breakfast ready.

“Did you make this?” she asked.

“It was here when I woke up,” he told her.

“Very funny. Why though?”

“I hate eating instant and convenience store food. The pantry was full, so I made use of it.”

“But a Japanese breakfast? Seriously?”

“When in Rome…” Gabriel shrugged.

Angela nodded, and Gabriel wanted to believe there was something like admiration in her eyes.

Mrs. Wisler came in not long after, and her eyes beamed at the food on the table.

“Mr. Gabriel! How did you do this?” she asked, smiling ear to ear.

“I have experience in the kitchen,” he said. “I just watched a video to see what people eat here.”

“So you cooked for yourself back then?”

“Yep. I’ll be making lunch and dinner, too, if you don’t mind,”

“Well, aren’t you proactive,” Angela said. She tried the soup with a spoon, and blinked blankly for a moment. She then tried the omelet and did the same. “What the hell? You’re actually a good cook,” she said, grinning.

“No objections then?”

“I said I wasn’t a picky eater, but I still like eating good food. So no complaints on my part,” Angela nodded.

“None, dear,” Mrs. Wisler agreed.

The three of them ate together the breakfast Gabriel so thoroughly prepared. He did it for himself, but it was good to see how much they enjoyed it. Angela even asked for seconds, so he gave her what was little soup and rice was left.

***

April 3rd – Monday.

First day of school.

Gabriel walked out of the Tensai Residence, wearing his new school uniform. He’d seen these in TV shows he watched as a kid, but never thought he’d ever wear one. It was what they called a gakuran, just a set of a black jacket and pants with a white shirt underneath. He wore the jacket open just because he still found it too warm around here.

He looked back to the gate and saw Angela coming out. It took all his strength to appear as casual as he could while still looking at her. He couldn’t avert his eyes. She was also dressed in a school uniform. It was a black blazer and a matching plated skirt. The first two buttons of her white shirt were undone because the poor fabric just couldn’t contain her glory otherwise and her long smooth legs were bare. A loosely tied red bow at her collar finished the outfit, and seriously, it was a dangerous attire that he feared would give him even more haunting dreams.

“I didn’t know you were also going to school,” Gabriel said, once more using the topic of conversation to take his mind off the naughty thoughts. Besides, he’d learned that Angela would be his schoolmate just this morning. That went to show how much they talked.

The two of them started walking down the road and into town. It was 7:20 am and school started at 8:00 am. Mrs. Wisler said it shouldn’t take them more than 20 minutes to get there walking, so they had plenty of time.

“You’re the same age as me, aren’t you?” Angela shrugged dismissively. “Why are you still going?”

“I dropped out. Had to focus on work. You?”

“Got held back a year,” she said casually.

Held back? Gabriel wanted to ask, but her reasons could be a sensitive topic, just like his. He restrained himself.

“Did you remember your lunch?” he changed the topic. “I left it on the kitchen counter.”

“Yeah, I packed it,” she nodded, moving her right shoulder, from which her backpack hanged. “Thanks for making it, by the way.” The smile he gave him was genuinely grateful, even a little enthusiastic. Did she really enjoy his food that much?

He chuckled. “It’s nothing. I’ll make it so long as you like it.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

They walked side by side, Gabriel having troubles finding anything to say. There were a lot of things he would like to ask, but he still felt like those weren’t things he should be asking. He didn’t know anything about her, not even what her own Gift was. He wanted to grow closer to her, admittedly because of how hot she was, but also because she was the only other person he could talk to without language issues. They also shared the same problem, so they should’ve become fast friends. That wasn’t happening, though.

He glanced at her, and for a single second caught her looking at him with pursed lips, but she quickly turned her head away. He didn’t know how to interpret that, but he couldn’t stop himself from getting his hopes up a little. Perhaps she also wanted him like he did her? He forced himself to brush that thought aside.

The school was near the edge of town, so it was closer to their house than the city center. The old, four story concrete building had probably seen better days. Regardless, it looked in good enough condition. It had plenty of windows to let the light into the classrooms and there was a metal gate before it, with tall walls surrounding it.

This was Kikai High School.

“Well, good luck to us,” Gabriel sighed. “Fuck, this feels weird.”

“Tell me about it,” Angela agreed. “We’re too old for this.”

They both went to the faculty office on the first floor and introduced themselves to the teachers. A male teacher greeted them and spoke in serviceable English with a thick accent.

“We know about your circumstances,” he said, “but even if you come from another country, you’ll need to adapt to school life here. I’m the English teacher, and I’m the only teacher who speaks it in this school. Learn Japanese quickly.”

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel said while Angela just nodded.

“Contreras, you’re in class 3-1. Straight, you’re in 3-2.”

Separate classes. That sucked.

When it was finally time for class, Gabriel followed the history teacher, who was also his homeroom teacher, to the classroom on the third floor. The moment he entered, the eyes of the other 19 students were upon him. They looked curious, and Gabriel could hear a few excited whispers, though he couldn’t understand them. The teacher kept quiet and looked at him, and just then did Gabriel realize he was giving him room to introduce himself.

“Hello. A pleasure to meet you,” he said in Japanese, as he’d practiced. He bowed politely. “My name is Gabriel Contreras. My Japanese is limited. Please be patient with me.”

The teacher looked around the classroom and pointed to a spot at the back of the room, right next to the window, where two girls were sitting and said something to them. One of them whined, but took her things and moved to a free seat at the front of the classroom. Again, the teacher pointed his finger to the now free seat and said, “Sit”.

Vaguely feeling like a dog who’d been given a command, Gabriel went and sat where he was told, with the window to his left, giving him a view of the dirt soccer field.

Both the chairs and desks in the classroom were made of wood with metal frames and looked sturdy enough. But that wasn’t what was important. What was important was the girl immediately to his right.

She looked at him with a big, beautiful smile. Her face was roundish, going more towards ‘cute’ than ‘hot’ like Angela. She had long, straight, light caramel colored hair. She, of course, wore the same uniform as Angela, but while her chest was considerably large and very noticeable, it couldn’t hope to reach the same size as Angela’s. Her eyes were almost the same color of her hair, just even clearer. Looking at her carefully, she fit the words ‘cute and sexy’ more than ‘stunningly hot’.

“Hello,” she said, surprising Gabriel.

“H-Hello?” he said tentatively.

“The teacher sat you next to me because I’m the most fluent in English in the school,” she said, smiling proudly. “If you have any questions, just ask me, okay? I’m Reiko Maeda. Nice to meet you.”

She really did speak fluently, and her accent was more natural and calm than even the English teacher’s. Relief flooded Gabriel’s chest, knowing that there was someone in the school who could help him out.

She seemed really nice. She was extremely cute. Had a nice rack. Could speak English.

…

Things obviously wouldn’t go anywhere with Angela so… perhaps she should be the first girl he went for? The tightness in his chest certainly proved he wanted to, and thinking of the plan reminded him that he needed to.

***

During class, Gabriel tried to pay attention to the teacher for a whole minute before realizing he could barely understand what he was saying. Therefore, he decided to use his time to practice his writing again. But having such a cute girl next to him was distracting. There was too much going on for him to focus on class.

Ever since puberty hit and after his first attempt at a sexual relationship, where he realized that the sexual frustration could only pile up without release, seeing pretty girls was an annoyance he could at least dismiss. He knew nothing would come out of it, so there was never anything to worry about. There was no need to keep appearances or try to be particularly charming, since it wasn’t like he could get a girlfriend anyway.

But now? There was a clear path to get rid of the curse, and that entailed getting close to a girl first and having her fall for him. Now there was something to worry about. Now, there was the possibility of fucking things up.

He gave a quick glance around the classroom. The girls weren’t unattractive per-se, but the one next to him, Reiko, was on a league of her own. Cute face and a slender, curvy body. How could a desperate guy like him not hope for something to happen? No, hoping wasn’t enough. He needed to make it happen. Trying for anything with Angela was useless. It needed to be Reiko.

He turned his eyes toward her, and both were startled when their eyes met. Shit. It was such a juvenile reaction, but his heart was pounding madly. Thoughts he hadn’t had in forever started crawling back into his mind.

What if she didn’t find him attractive? What if she found him weird? What if she found him more of an annoyance, since the teacher forced her to sit next to him?

The bell rang, startling him. He swallowed a groan as he looked at the clock hanging over the whiteboard. Had first period really gone by already?

The students started rising from their seats and, much to his annoyance, they started to gather around him. They started asking questions he couldn’t understand and tried to speak to him in broken, incomprehensible English. He had to ask Reiko to translate from him and tell them he couldn’t really understand what they were saying, and his classmates started losing interest.

“Sorry to be a bother,” he told Reiko, “and thanks.”

“No problem,” she answered with a smile. He noticed how her lips where thin and pink. Cute. “I did tell you to ask for my help.”

“It’s a huge relief to have someone to talk to. I’m trying to learn as fast as I can, but it’s difficult.”

“How old are you, Contreras-san?”

His eye twitched at the way she addressed him. Right. He had forgotten about the use of honorifics in this country. They really cared about that here, as well as calling each other by their surnames if they aren’t close enough. He’d just have to get used to it.

“I’m 19,” he said.

“N-Nineteen?” she repeated, shocked.

“Weird, right?” he laughed. “My family situation made me drop out of high school. I’m hoping to finish my education here.”

“I-I see. I’m sorry,” she said, looking guilty for asking.

“Don’t worry,” he said with an easy smile and waving his hand dismissively. “And you, uh… Maeda-san? How old are you?”

“I’m turning 18 next week,” she said, showing a relieved smile.

“Really? I’ll have to remember to bring you a present, then,” he said. But what should he bring a girl he only just met?

“W-Wha? T-That’s really not necessary,” she told him, visibly flustered. She looked even cuter.

“I think it is,” he said, crossing his arms and frowning in disagreement. “You offer to help me and I do nothing in return? I don’t think that’s how it works.”

He hoped the confident act was convincing enough. Gabriel honestly had no idea how to flirt with a girl or anything like that. He was nervous about screwing things up. He’d never had to worry about it before, but he wasn’t dense enough not to notice when other women tried to flirt with him. That meant that being himself should be enough, right? Or at least just trying to be more attentive that usual.

Besides, it was easy to forget, but he did have another thing to push things in his favor. The aphrodisiac scent. Could it be that Maeda-san’s flustered reactions were because of that? He wanted some proof, so he just looked directly into her eyes and gave her a small, charming smile.

He saw her cheeks reddening and her shoulders stiffening. She looked more down to the table than to him, but still smiled back.

“T-Then… My birthday is on April 10th,” she said.

The second bell rang, signaling the end of the five minute break. Next period started, so he couldn’t keep talking to Maeda-san. He kept trying to focus on class, at least to try and understand what the teacher was saying. He did so until lunch break. Many of the students started getting up and leaving the classroom, chatting with friends, or moving their desks next to another’s.

“Um…” Maeda-san started. “This school doesn’t have a cafeteria,” she told him. “If you didn’t bring lunch, there’s a shop on the first floor. You can either eat here or somewhere else. A lot of people go to the rooftop during spring and summer.”

“I actually did bring lunch,” he told her, getting his bento box from his bag. “It’s nothing fancy, but I’m hoping it turned out well.”

“Did you make it yourself?” she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Yeah. I’m still not used to using local ingredients, so I’m keeping it simple.”

“Let me see!” she said, excited.

Gabriel opened the black, circular box and revealed its contents. A portion of rice with slices of pork and fish, green onions, and pepper he’d never used before, all of them neatly presented.

“These are shishito peppers, right? I’ve never tried them before, so I just went for it,” he said.

“It looks so nice!” Maeda-san praised. “My mom does all the cooking in my house, so I don’t know how to do it myself,” she laughed. When it died down, she looked around the classroom with a melancholic frown before turning to Gabriel again. “Say, um… You don’t really know anyone here, right? W-Would you mind if I had lunch with you?”

S-Seriously? Perhaps the aphrodisiac scent really was taking effect if this girl he’d spoken to for not more than a total of 15 minutes was already asking to eat with him instead of going to her friends.

“I’d love that.” He smiled, unable to hide his own excitement.

It’s true that maybe he should’ve gone and look for Angela, but just seeing her made him feel hot and awkward. He could only hope she was doing well.

***

April 10th – Monday.

The past week had been frustratingly uneventful. Gabriel was being careful not to rush things with Maeda-san, but talking to her he did learn quite a few things. She lived with her parents, was always at least top 3 in her grade, and currently didn’t have a boyfriend despite being very popular with boys. She said she had a boyfriend once, in her first high school year, but he broke up with her and she never found out why.

He got up early in the morning as usual and got breakfast ready. And as he did that, he also started working on three bento boxes. One for himself, one of Angela, and one for Maeda-san. After all, it was her birthday, and he decided that for her present he’d make her lunch since she was always eyeing his.

He got a bunch of potatoes, peeled them and chopped them, throwing them in a pot to boil. He then finely chopped half an onion and got the minced beef. He threw the beef into a pan, and when that browned added the onions, soy sauce and sugar. It was letting out a really nice smell.

He heard the sliding door open and looked back to see Angela already dressed up in her uniform. It was still only 6:30 am.

“Angela, can you set the table please? I’m getting lunch ready.”

“Oh. Sure.” She nodded. She walked behind him to get the bowls from a cupboard and saw the three bento boxes on the counter.

“Three boxes?” she asked.

Gabriel’s shoulders tensed, but there was no point in hiding anything.

“Today is a classmate’s birthday,” he said. “I told her I’d make her lunch today.”

He keeps his eyes on the frying meat and onions, and Angela takes a moment before answering.

“Is it that cute girl you’re always talking to?”

His heart skipped a beat. Her tone was neutral and non-judgmental. Distant, more so than usual.

“…” Gabriel swallowed. “She speaks English and has been helping me out a lot.”

“I see,” she said, getting the bowls and plates from the cupboard under the kitchen counter.

Gabriel drained the water of the boiling potatoes once they were done and started mashing them as Angela set the table.

“So she’s your first target?”

Gabriel almost dropped the potato masher. He turned his head back to Angela before even considering that might be a bad idea. The blonde girl was still setting the table.

“The old lady told me, you know? It was how she pitched her offer to me. She said she’d find someone who could break the curse, as well as teach me how to develop my Gift,” she explained. “When we got here I asked her how you were involved in all this, and she told me about the book. When were you going to tell me?”

“…” He took a deep breath and continued to work on the mashed potatoes, even as his heart pounded wildly. “My excuse is that you haven’t seemed very approachable.”

“Of course I haven’t,” she growled. “I try not to be near you. It gets me horny.”

His body stopped for a couple of seconds, then continued as if nothing happened.

“It’s the book. It’s doing weird shit,” he said.

“You’re better looking than you think,” she argued.

A small, self-conscious smile crossed his lips. “Thanks.” He mixed the beef, onions and potatoes into a bowl and started mixing it with a big spoon.

“Have you thought of me?” she asked. This time her voice was low, hesitant, vulnerable. It was surprising that a woman as straightforward and confident as her could sound like that.

“Every day since we met,” he admitted. He took some of the potato and beef mix with his hands and shaped it into a croquette. Mindlessly, he kept doing that as he spoke to Angela. “Even had a very annoying dream about you.”

“Annoying?” she asked, carefully. He could tell she was now behind the counter, directly behind him. “In what way?”

“You know exactly in what way,” he answered.

“Oh.”

“…”

Things got quiet, and Gabriel kept working. He rolled the croquettes along thin bread crumbs before frying them in oil. The sizzling sound was the only thing heard in the room for a good while.

“Sorry,” Angela said. “I’m just jealous.”

“About what exactly?”

“I don’t know,” she groans. “That you’ll get some while I don’t. But you’re also not bad looking, and you’re a cool guy. I guess I’m also jealous of that girl.”

Gabriel takes a deep breath. “Did Mrs. Wisler tell you the specifics of the book?”

“Yeah. She said that you’d need to fuck a lot of women to get rid of the curse,” she says. “But that you might be able to make me feel something before that.”

“If things go well with Maeda-san, and I keep that up for a month, then I will be.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“But it’s not like I can do anything about it. It’s either that or nothing,” Angela said, resigned.

Gabriel turned back to face Angela directly. Speaking to her while cooking made things easier for him, but he couldn’t hide his face any longer.

“This will sound presumptuous but… is there any way I can make it up to you?”

She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. “I’ll… think of something,” she gave him a small smile. “I know we both have little choice in the matter. I won’t come too hard on you for it, but I’m still gonna give you shit every once in a while.” Her smile then turned into a grin. “For now, I want half of your croquettes.”

“You’re gonna get fat,” he said, smiling in relief as he turned back to his cooking.

“Believe me, I ate worse shit back home and never gained a single pound.”

Huh. Interesting. It was the same for him.

But more importantly, he finally had a real conversation with Angela. This felt like a huge step forward. With their feelings out in the open now, they could maybe start being more honest with each other.

___________________________________________

Author's Note: Comments, opinions and feedback very much appreciated. Thank you!