Facing Chloe's warm invitation, I began to hesitate. While "when hospitality is offered, it's hard to refuse," something still felt incomplete.
To put it bluntly, I wanted to but also didn't want to - my mind kept going back and forth.
"Do you dislike me?" Chloe's expression turned somewhat gloomy.
I quickly shook my head no. I never looked down on Chloe or considered her inferior.
"Then what is it?" Chloe quickly closed the distance between us, moving from the other side of the couch to sit right beside me. As her fragrance filled my senses, I began to feel distracted.
Finally, I had to tell Chloe the truth - I was engaged. The marriage had been arranged by my grandfather. Even though my fiancée was nowhere to be found, it still felt wrong to be with another woman.
"I don't care," Chloe said, leaving me speechless. "If you find her in the future, I'll step aside immediately without interfering with your happiness."
"I don't want anyone but you. Those other smelly men - I'm sick of looking at them. I've never experienced love in my life, but with you, I feel a warmth I've never known before." As she spoke, Chloe unconsciously leaned her head against my shoulder.
"Even if you only see me as a friend, I don't mind. Just being able to lean on you like this means everything to me," she continued.
Hearing my first ever confession, I couldn't help but blush like a schoolboy. At a loss for words, I could only scratch my head and chuckle awkwardly.
Chloe's scent grew more intoxicating as she pressed closer, until our bodies were nearly glued together.
Tonight was destined to be unforgettable. Chloe, after all, was a woman of experience. How could a "greenhorn" like me possibly resist her charms?
[Note: The term "green head boy" was changed to "greenhorn" for better idiomatic expression while maintaining the original meaning]
Chloe was a virgin - or as we say in my hometown, "untouched."
But after tonight, I would no longer be a virgin boy, but a true man.
Stein truly was a godsend - I finally got to use the "gift" he gave me. Though a bit tight, it was better than nothing. Safety first, after all.
Chloe was in excellent shape and exceptionally skilled - occupational perks, I suppose. Throughout our time together, she kept remarking how different I was from other men.
When I asked what she meant, she just smiled mysteriously, thoroughly enjoying herself, before finally murmuring, "It's not what they say it's like... and you're still asking?"
I spent the night in bliss, receiving a thorough education until 3 AM when we finally fell asleep in each other's arms.
Perhaps exhausted from the night's activities, I slept until noon. When I woke, Chloe was cooking in the kitchen wearing my white shirt and an apron. It wasn't until I hugged her from behind that I realized she wore nothing underneath.
"Wearing a white shirt to cook - aren't you afraid of staining it?" I laughed and whispered in her ear.
"Why should I care? It's not mine anyway, haha..." Chloe giggled playfully, turning to plant a kiss on me before resuming her cooking.
"Thank you..." I said.
"For what?" Chloe looked puzzled.
"For making me so happy last night!" I replied with a mischievous grin before kissing the small of her back.
Chloe licked her lips contentedly as she plated the dish.
"Why thank me? If anything, I should be thanking you. You'll meet women who make you happier in the future, but I won't regret this. I know exactly what I'm doing, and I'm willing." Chloe said, turning her head toward me.
"Tch, what nonsense are you spouting? I can't understand a word." I poked her forehead.
"What I mean is, when it's time for you to find a proper girlfriend, I'll step aside. Don't invest your heart in me - I'm not worth it. But I'll always be here for you. I know I'm not a good woman and don't deserve you." Chloe said.
"Don't talk about yourself like that. Besides, what's the point of finding a girlfriend when I'm still technically engaged?" I quickly covered her mouth to stop her.
But Chloe pushed my hand away. "You fool, you can't wait forever, can you? That Daphne, the eldest daughter of the Dai family, seems nice. You already have an understanding with her anyway - how can you let go of a beautiful, wealthy girl like that?"
"She's... alright. Not as good as you anyway, with her icy demeanor." I laughed.
"Pah! Smooth-talking cheater."
"Oh? Then let me show you just how smooth this cheater's mouth can be."
"Mmmph... mmm..."
Chloe struggled halfheartedly before finally melting into my embrace...
By afternoon, I returned to the tattoo parlor whistling cheerfully.
"Well well, out all night and coming back in high spirits today? Get lucky?" Stein immediately approached with a nosy expression.
"None of your business. Scram." I wasn't about to share private matters with Stein - he'd probably broadcast it to the whole neighborhood.
"Tch, Little Boss, burning bridges after crossing the river? You used the stuff I gave you - can't you share just a little?" Stein's gossipy heart remained unsatisfied, his face immediately souring.
"You dare mention that? The thing you gave was way too small - I barely managed to get it on. Next time don't bother; I'll buy my own." I said disdainfully.
"Heh heh heh, got it, got it." Stein laughed knowingly.
Damn it - I'd slipped up. That crafty dwarf had tricked me into admitting it!
Just then, Antonio suddenly came rushing downstairs from the second floor as if he'd seen a ghost.
I asked what was wrong. "Don't tell me a ghost got into the tattoo parlor? It's broad daylight."
Antonio shook his head and showed me a news alert on his phone - a missing person notice. The girl in the photo looked familiar, with her signature double ponytails - a fresh, lovely lolita.
Lolita?
I suddenly gasped. This was the same lolita who had been dating Gennaro online!
But she'd become a ghost, which meant she was dead.
Not knowing how she died, I considered doing a good deed by informing her family - but how? I couldn't exactly say I'd seen her ghost.
Antonio stopped me. "Have you wondered why the lolita's ghost went to Gennaro?"
"She's dead, but nobody knows yet. She's been missing all this time, and I'm guessing no body's been found. That means her death wasn't natural - probably murder."
"But if she was killed, shouldn't her ghost haunt her killer? Why seek out Gennaro?"
"Which strongly suggests Gennaro killed her. All those stories he told us were probably lies."
"And why did Gennaro have that sacrificial knife in his house? How could a demon and ghost possess the same body?"