It doesn’t make him a pedophile but it does make him an ephebophilia (an attraction to adolescents/teenagers) and yes it’s weird asf for a grown ass man to be preying on a teenager who isn’t even in college yet. This story would’ve been so much better if the author aged him up to make him in college or 19-21 that would’ve been way more appropriate/legal and would’ve made a lot more sense too story wise (AKA him havin a credit card? But no job is mentioned, plus he juts lives alone and there’s no parents in sight) and just cause you found a way to justify this in your mind and make up excuses doesn’t make it not a crime and if you truly think this way in irl you needa be put on a watchlist I enjoy dark romance and black flags as much as the next person but even I can say there’s just no need for minors to be involved in any of these authors twisted fantasies.
Kid, this is normal in Europe. If you're 18 you can marry anyone you like and nobody will bat an eye.
Why is everyone and their mother calling this "pedo"? That's a high schooler. Probably 17 or 18. In what universe is that pedo? Ah, I get it, in the US everyone and everything is pedo under 21, huh? But not in the rest of the world. Shotacon or Lolicon, yeah, that's ugly pedo stuff. But this? Yes, there's a power imbalance here, I get it, but that doesn't make it "pedo". ┑(￣Д ￣)┍