[Book of Eros] Chapter 132: Two month later. (Patreon)

Author's Note: I'm not a fan of time skips, and I'd prefer to avoid them if possible, but two months isn't that much. The thing is, in order for Valerie to have more screen time I need to her be able to speak to the others. Makes me think I should've just have her know Japanese from the beginning, even if it meant coming up with some excuse for it. I just thought it wasn't realistic for whatever reason.

***

19th of July.

About two months have passed since Leonardo’s first date with Kaede. What’s more, summer vacations are just around the corner. In Japan, summer vacation doesn’t mark the end of the school year, and though it’s a month long period for relaxation, students are still given a lot of homework. Having already dealt with final exams, the final days of the semester were upon them, and perhaps due to that, some very conflicting events had been happening around Leonardo.

“…I’ve admired you for a long time! Please go out with me, Leonardo-san!” said one of Leonardo’s schoolmates.

She was a girl from another class. She had asked him to talk at the rooftop alone, and this was where it had led. Leo had spoken to the girl a few times, saying hello when crossing paths in the hall and sometimes making conversation when part of a group with other students. She wasn’t bad looking, either. She had short black hair and a modest chest. Her dark eyes were pretty and her figure nice and athletic.

This was the fourth time in two months Leonardo had been confessed to. The fourth time he had to turn someone down.

“I’m sorry, Sato-san,” Leo said, grimacing. “I can’t return your feelings. I’m not in a spot where I can date anyone.”

“I see,” the girl was heartbroken, Leo could see it, yet she hid it behind a forced smile. “Then the rumors are true? You’re already seeing someone?”

“…”

“…May I know who, at least?”

Leo’s official relationship with Reiko was kept a secret in order to avoid drama around school, especially with the rumors already circulating. Everyone had their own theory about him. Some said he was dating Reiko and they just wouldn’t admit it, others said he was with Angela or Kaede. The most well-informed would say he was close with the owner of the gym, Victoria, while others would claim to have seen him walking around with a foreign beauty or a stunning brunette. The island was small and people loved to gossip, so of course word would get around. Then there were the ones who claimed he was cheating on them all at the same time. At least that held a sliver of truth to it.

Leonardo was still only dating Reiko, at least in official terms. He kept sexual relationships with Angela, Lucia, Seina, Kaede and Victoria as well. He even went on dates with them every so often. But of course, these relationships were also kept secret in order to avoid unnecessary gossip that would just make everyone’s lives harder. People would still talk, sure, but so long as nothing was confirmed, everything could be brushed aside and laughed off.

“I’m not dating anyone,” Leo said. The lie pained him, but it was necessary. “Like I said, I’m not looking for a relationship at the moment.”

“..Very well. Thank you for listening to me. See you around, Leonardo-san.” The girl left with quick steps. The door to the rooftop closed and, now alone, Leo let out a heavy groan.

It seemed counterproductive. Leo needed to have as much sex as he could to cleanse the curse that plagued the Tensai Clan, so turning girls away would seem like a bad idea. But Leo had good reasons for it. To start, he wasn’t particularly close to the girls confessing to him, meaning he didn’t know them well. Accepting their confessions would mean dragging them into the mess that was his sex life while risking the delicate balance between his current partners. Add to that, Leo had been honing the Gift he got from Lucia, and he’d been getting better at reading people. These girls had a genuine crush on him, but it wasn’t anything deep. They’d get over him soon, hopefully.

Leo sat down with his back against the fence and got the Book of Eros out of his pocket. The cover had been fully white at first, and as Aizen-Myo explained to him, it would change colors depending on how much sexual energy was stored in it. Two months ago it was a very faint pink color, now it was a deep salmon, getting close to fully red. Aizen-Myo told him the goal was a deep, crimson color. If things continued as they were, the cleansing of the curse wouldn’t be a big issue.

Currently, Leo had six partners and he was having sex nearly every day. His stamina was what made it possible, and even if a single one of the girls couldn’t keep up with him, he had to keep them all satisfied. On top of that, he had the Gift that made him feel more pleasure from sex, so he most definitely wasn’t getting tired of it. His biggest concerns now were the future and… Valerie.

The Spaniard girl had been trying to avoid him for the past month, and Leo knew well why. It was the same as Kaede. Valerie was starting to feel the effects of the curse, though he was certain it wasn’t close to being a serious bother to her yet. Out of them all, she was the most physically active and had been so from an early age. Unlike Kaede, for whom the curse and her sheltered life made her have a late sexual awakening, continued exercise had helped Valerie push back the most bothersome effects of the curse. Leo had tried that long ago, but exercise barely made him spend any energy, so it was practically useless.

The problem for Valerie was that she was now the only one in the house (save Mrs. Wisler) who wasn’t having sex with him. Talks over dinner were getting more graphic and the girls’ actions around the house bolder. Even at the gym Victoria would get a little frisky when she thought no one was looking. Leo didn’t want to do things in front of Valerie, but it was difficult to say no to the girls. As a result, the girls’ advances often ended with him retiring to his room earlier than usual or even in the middle of the day. It was a difficult situation. Leo didn’t want to make Valerie uncomfortable, but if they couldn’t do that sort of thing at their own house, then where?

Maybe it was time? It had been two months since that day, but he did promise Valerie he’d make her like him. He’d been worried about stabilizing the relationship between the girls, but now things were in a relative peace. They all seemed to agree that he’d have to make a choice when this was all over, and thinking of it like that helped them keep their jealousy in check.

…

Thoughts for another time. Right now, Leo believed it was high time he made proper moves on Valerie. She understood the situation and was already involved in a way, so his objectives were to try to make her fall for him and accept his other relationships, at least until the curse was lifted. He’d try his hardest, and once he’d done everything he could and she really didn’t want him, only then would he give up, not before even trying.

That applied to the future as well.

***

Leo met up with the Reiko, Angela, Kaede and Valerie at the front gates.

“You guys go to the gym now, don’t you?” Kaede asked.

“Yeah,” Leo nodded.

“At what time do you get back?”

“At around six, same as always. Why?” he asked.

Her eyes glanced at Reiko for a split second before she shook her head. “Nothing much. There’s just… one thing I want to talk about.”

“Nothing urgent?”

Kaede shook her head again. Leo could tell she was hiding something, but since she didn’t look troubled, it had to be something minor.

“Alright,” Leo said. “Oh, right, can you buy some things on your way back? We’re running out of oil and rice.”

“And ketchup,” Angela added. “And sausages.”

That rose a few eyebrows. “Did you assault the fridge again last night?” Valerie asked her, speaking in very understandable Japanese. Two months of study will do that, though she still had troubles writing.

“Nothing wrong with a late night snack every so often,” Angela shrugged.

“I hate you so much,” Reiko said, looking down at her own stomach. “If I did that, I’d be a sphere.”

“She HAS been eating more lately,” Leo said, realization dawning while his eyes looked upon Angela’s form. “I don’t think it goes to her waist, though.”

That got a few laughs.

“S-Shut up! Victoria’s getting stricter with training, so I’m using more energy. Of course I get hungrier.”

“Yeah,” Valerie nodded. “Even I’m starting to feel it. Which reminds me, she said I get to spar with you today,” she told Leo.

“Hm? Why wasn’t I informed of this?” he asked.

“I dunno. Maybe she forgot? You mostly train at the wooden dummy anyway.”

“Well, yeah, it’s relaxing. I don’t have to worry about you or Angela kicking my ribs.”

Reiko and Kaede parted with them, and Leo, Angela and Valerie headed for the gym.

During their spar, Valerie got serious against him. Her punches and kicks were quick and snappy, but even if Leo didn’t have many spars, he had still been learning martial arts. He was able to stop most of Valerie’s attacks with his hands and arms, using many of the techniques Victoria had taught him through the training dummy.

“Come on! You couldn’t ask for an opponent with better defense!” Victoria shouted to Valerie from outside the ring. “He’s protecting his vitals and letting you hit him where it won’t hurt. What will you do?”

Valerie clicked her tongue, stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she changed her strategy. She measured her distance well and began to throw snappy kicks against Leo’s legs. He didn’t have the reaction speed to move away from them, and before his arms could reach her, her foot was already back on the ground. Every time Leo tried to move forward, Valerie would kick him and move away swiftly. She did that until the round was over.

“Good!” Victoria praised. “If that was anyone else they would’ve been limping after two minutes. How are your legs? I’m asking both of you.”

“I think mine ended worse than his,” Valerie said, panting and massaging her calves and thighs. “Did that even hurt you?”

“You aimed for the same spot with full force, so I’m actually a little sore,” Leo admitted. That said, being the sparring partner for Angela and Valerie seemed to work as a way for him to hone his own Gift. Leo noticed he was getting tougher when Angela punched him harder than she intended and he didn’t feel it as much as he thought he would.

Victoria sighed. “Are you sure you don’t want to go pro? You’d draw the biggest crowds. People love seeing someone get hit and refuse go down.”

Leo wasn’t a fan of the idea, but with graduation coming closer and closer, he needed to start thinking about his future. “I’ll… consider it.”

“You, on the other hand,” Victoria said, addressing Valerie. “Aiming for the legs of someone who has focused most of their training on their upper body was good adaptation. Leo trains his legs, but he doesn’t practice many kicks. You saw that and took advantage of it. Nice work.”

“Thanks, coach,” Valerie said, smiling. She then turned to Leo with a small, worried frown. “It really doesn’t hurt, right?”

“I’m fine,” Leo nodded, stomping the matt with the ‘injured’ leg. “But man, you’re getting even faster.”

“Even Angela has troubles catching her now,” Victoria said, grinning. “But that’s when Valerie’s not getting overwhelmed by the pressure and retreating to the corner without realizing it. She’s caught her like that a few times now.” Victoria looked back to see Angela training with the maize bag. “That girl is becoming a terrifying monster as well.”

“I refuse to think of the person who raids my kitchen every other night as a monster instead of a mouse,” Leo said.

“I HEARD THAT!” Angela shouted.

That got more laughs out of Valerie and Victoria.

“Anyway, we’re done for the day. Go take a shower. Good showing today.”

“Thanks.”

“Thanks.”

Leo got his equipment off and stepped off the ring only for Victoria to hold him by the sleeve of his T-shirt. She spoke to him in a low voice. “Hey, any chance you can stay for a hotter and heavier workout after this?”

Leo nearly grimaced, not because he didn’t want to, but because he hated to say no. “I promised I’d be back home by six. But summer vacation starts the day after tomorrow. Can we plan something for one of these days?”

“I can accept that. Come to my house and we won’t leave the bedroom the whole day.”

Leo grinned. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He turned around to go to the showers, but caught Valerie standing some distance away with her back to them yet glancing their way. He didn’t think she heard them, but… Yeah, she definitely had an idea of what the conversation was about.