[Book of Eros] Chapter 21: Walking with Reiko. (Patreon)

Reiko’s house was at the opposite end of the residential district from where the Tensai Residence was. They walked in silence, and although it bothered Leonardo, he decided not to say anything. It was tempting to try and use this opportunity to make a move, but he didn’t think it would be received well if he did. They walked for five minutes like that. He didn’t know how much further they had, but at some point, Reiko turned to him and spoke.

“Sorry. I’m being awkward, aren’t I?” she said with a self-conscious smile.

“Did I say anything weird during dinner?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not you.”

He sighed. “Did Angela say anything?”

She shook her head again. “It was… Wisler-san who said something strange.”

Oh god.

“Leonardo-san… is the occult real?”

…

He let out a restrained groan. How much did Mrs. Wisler tell her and for what purpose? Was it when he went to get changed?

“I don’t want to answer,” he said.

“Eh? Why not?” she asked, confused.

“For one, because I’m not sure, myself,” he nodded to himself. “And second, because I don’t want to convince you of anything. You should make up your own mind about it.”

Her lips curled into a small smile. “I suppose that’s fair,” she chuckled.

They kept walking silently for a full minute, before Reiko spoke again, this time stammering and with a noticeably red face under the street lights.

“B-But… is it true that the Tensai Clan… can’t feel…” she swallowed, “you know…”

“Dammit,” he sighed. “Is that what Mrs. Wisler told you?”

Slowly and looking down at the ground, she nodded.

“It’s embarrassing to admit, but yeah, it's true,” he said with a wry smile. “It’s very annoying.”

Reiko pursed her lips, then opened and closed them several times before she got the words out. “And… is it true that… I could… help you fix that?” she asked, her voice going quieter with every word.

Leonardo stopped on his tracks. His expression hardened into a scowl that made Reiko flinch.

“S-Sorry! I shouldn’t have meddled!” she said hastily.

“What did she tell you?” he asked.

“…About the ‘curse’ and that… you’d be able to get rid of it if you had a girlfriend.”

“So the old lady tried to guilt-trip you into going out with me?” he asked, unable to hold back the low snarl. Reiko didn’t answer and just looked away.

The anger in his chest was making him realize something. Yes, he was desperate to get his sensations back. He wanted a girlfriend to do what the book told him to. The prospect of having sex and finally feeling something was a huge motivator.

But he wasn’t as desperate as he first thought he was. If it meant guilt-tripping and using a kind girl like Reiko, he’d live with the curse all his life. What had he been thinking all this time? Seeing a woman as an objective rather than a person? Reiko wasn’t a means to an end. Reiko was Reiko, the girl who’d been helping him out since his first day at school, who spoke to him and laughed with him. She was kind, innocent and had her own issues to deal with. Why would his problems take priority?

“If that old lady told you anything, then forget about it,” he growled. “It’d be better if you didn’t get involved with us anymore, then.”

He said those words for her sake, yet the moment they were out, he regretted them. They hurt him, too, surprisingly. He’d only know this girl for a week, yet…

‘I thought we were already friends,’ he had that said to her just yesterday on the school’s rooftop.

He kept walking forward, and when Reiko didn’t follow, he turned to her. She was directly under a street lamp, so he could see her face perfectly. She was forcing a smile, but her eyes were watering as she looked at him.

“I’m not good enough then, am I?” she asked shakily.

He grinded his teeth to hold back a loud, frustrated groan. Why the fuck were interpersonal-relationships so fucking complicated? Why couldn’t people just read each other’s minds and understand everything immediately without the need for words? Why couldn’t she understand that he’d said that because he cared, and why couldn’t he understand why she was about to cry!?

“That has nothing to do with it!” he said, scratching his head in frustration. “I’ve been interested in you since the moment I sat next to you at school, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore what YOU want. If the old lady is forcing you into this, then I don’t want a part in it!”

The tears started rolling down her face, unrestrained. But instead of showing any sort of misery in her expression, she mirrored his scowl and spoke loudly and angrily, even stomping her foot on the ground.

“But you ARE ignoring what I want!” she argued.

“Ah? And how am I doing that, exactly?” he shot back.

“I WANT to be your girlfriend, you IDIOT!” she yelled.

He felt as if his heart had stopped. It was as if the world itself had suddenly shifted upside down for a single second before returning to normal, leaving him unsteady. He couldn’t say a thing as he continued hearing what Reiko said.

“I’m a stupid girl, okay!? I’ve never had a boyfriend, my parent won’t let me make friends, I have to turn away every person that tries to get close to me! And when I finally meet someone my parents have no issues with, I end up having a stupid crush on him like a middle school girl just because he talks to me and makes me laugh!” She bit her lip in frustration. “And now you’re telling me I better not get involved with you anymore? Well, I don’t want that!”

She stomped her way up to him, and with an angry frown, teary eyes yet firm voice, looked up at him dead in the eyes. “So don’t give me fake excuses! If I’m not good enough, tell me! If you think I’m not as good looking as Angela-san, tell me! If you think I’m crazy for yelling like this, well… I think I’m going crazy, too! But don’t tell me it’s for my own good, because you’re the first friend I’ve had in years and I don’t want to lose that!”

Leonardo took one step back, but Reiko followed him with one step forward. Her eyes never left his. She wanted an answer and she wanted it now. He had to admit, this girl had more resolution than he did. He thought she was quiet, but it seems we was very, very wrong. And to be honest, it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He scratched the back of his head as he looked for something to answer. Anything half-assed wouldn’t do her resolution justice, but he also wanted her to understand his position.