[Book of Eros] Chapter 22: Leonardo shows her the Book of Eros. (Patreon)

He took his hand to his pocket and held the Book of Eros to Reiko. She blinked a couple of times before wiping her tears and taking the book from him.

“What is this?”

“What the old lady wants me to do, basically,” he said.

They stood at the side of the quiet street, and Leonardo let Reiko skim through the entire book. Her face was turning redder with every page turn, and she let out soft gasps every once in a while. He patiently waited for her to be done with it.

“So…” she swallowed, handing him the book back. “You basically would have to build a harem?”

It felt embarrassing to admit, so he looked away as he nodded.

“Get it?” he asked. “Do you think it would be fair to you if I irresponsibly said ‘yeah, let’s go out’? It’s not that I’m trying to make fake excuses. It’s just… complicated.”

“Y-Yeah,” she nodded slowly. “Sorry for yelling…”

“It surprised me, but I thought it was cool,” he told her with a grin. “It’s good to see you can be a go-getter when you really want something.”

She blushed deeply and looked down at her shoes. She then shook her head and her embarrassment with it, and turned to Leonardo again.

“You say it wouldn’t be fair to me, but would it be fair to anyone?” she asked him.

He winced. “Of course not.”

“Then how are you going to solve this?”

“I don’t know, okay?” he said. “It’s hard for me to even believe that this occult shit is real, but after five generations, no doctor has been able to attribute the lack of sensation to anything biological. I have no choice but to believe the curse and the gifts are real. But then I’d have to do things that might hurt others, and I won’t have that.”

“…” Reiko pressed her lips tightly. Once more, the two remained silent for a long moment. Leonardo had said his piece. It was his time to wait for an answer, and he knew what that answer would be. For better or worse.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll accept that, then.”

“Hah?” He blinked. “What do you mean you’ll accept it?”

“That if I end up hurting after all this, I’ll accept it. It’ll be my own damn fault. But I don’t want to run away from this!”

That definitely wasn’t the answer he expected. In fact, it was a ridiculous answer.

“No, no…” he shook his head, taken aback. “This isn’t some sort of life challenge you have to face head on…”

“You said you weren’t going to ignore what I wanted. Well, here’s what I want. I still want to be your girlfriend, even after knowing the full story!” she nodded, resolute.

“I’m sorry, but I’m a little lost,” he said, his shoulder dropping tiredly. “Are you sure you get it? I’m gonna have to… have sex with lots of women. You, Angela… who knows who else,” he told her bluntly.

“Leonardo-san, I’m not stupid,” she said with a flat tone. “I get that.”

“Then why?”

With a flushed face, she started. “Because I like you! Because I’ve never had the chance to have a boyfriend before! Because you still need to do this and it might as well be with me! Because I don’t want to lose to Angela-san, whom you obviously have the hoots for!” she said, starting to sound exasperated. “I don’t know! I have plenty of reasons, but I don’t need any! I just know I find you attractive and I want to go out with you!”

He was… dumfounded. Reiko clearly knew what she was getting into, yet she still said yes? No, he hadn’t even asked her! It was her who was asking him out, despite knowing what he’d had to do! It was ridiculous!

“Alright, fine!” he said, frowning at her. “But I don’t want to hear you complaining and throwing things in my face later!”

“I’m not going to complain! I’m not a little kid! I can take responsibility for my own decisions!” she answered with a frown of her own.

“Okay!” he said.

“Okay!” she replied.

Then, without warning, Leonardo held her cheeks and pressed his lips against hers. Reiko’s body went still and her eyebrows shot upwards. Leonardo’s heart was beating painfully quickly in his chest. He pulled away with a proud smile after seeing Reiko’s reaction.

She went quiet for a moment before she frowned again, this time in a pout.

“N-N-Not fair! I-I wasn’t ready! Do it again!” she said.

“Gladly,” he smiled and leaned closer again. This time, Reiko held his shoulders and closed her eyes with him. Their lips met again, first brushing, then pressing softly, tenderly. It was an innocent first kiss, devoid of all the pent up frustrations inside Leonardo. It didn’t make him want anything more. It simply filled his sore chest with a warmth he hadn’t realized could be so fulfilling on its own.

When they parted, they stared into each other’s eyes like love-struck fools. He knew it. She probably knew it too. They looked like idiots. But even knowing that couldn’t get the goofy smiles off their faces.

“Is this how it usually goes for people?” she asked, giggling.

“I’m not that much more experienced than you,” he told her, chuckling. “But I doubt it.”

He was still holding her face, gently. She put one of her hands over his and rubbed it with her thumb.

“My heart’s beating so quickly,” she admitted. “It can’t be healthy.”

“I’m the same way,” he told her.

“Really?”

He nodded. “I told you. I’ve been interested in you from the moment I saw you, and talking to you has only strengthened that.”

“I’ve been interested in you since that moment, too,” she told him. “But… I didn’t know what to do about it. I… I was too hasty, wasn’t I?”

“Maybe,” he chuckled. “But I’m glad. And… I know I told you not to complain later, but I promise to try my best not to hurt you.”

“Okay,” she nodded and smiled at him, reassuringly.

“Now I need to get you to your house,” he sighed regretfully. NOW they had to part ways? Now that they’d gotten together and he wanted to spend more time with her? Well, he’d see her at school tomorrow, but still. “By the way, how much longer to your house?”

“Um…” Shyly, Reiko pointed a finger past him, to a house only one block away.

“…AH!?” he exclaimed. “Y-You mean there’s a chance your parents heard us shouting?”

“H-Hopefully that didn’t happen! Ahahaha…” she laughed anxiously.

Leonardo walked her to her house, and they both decided that it was too soon to go and tell her parents that they were suddenly going out. Besides, Reiko was scared of what they’d say. She went into the house and came back with a bag that had the Blu-ray discs for Dragon Ball that she’d promised.

It had never been so hard to say ‘later’ to someone in his life.