Chapter 109: Yume and Luna Join the Discussion.
Noah had been trying for several minutes to stop an argument that seemed to have no intention of ending.
Aria was in front of Iris and Iris was in front of Aria.
Ren was off to the side, but she intervened every time one of the two mentioned Noah, and Noah was in the middle, literally.
He had had to place himself between Iris and Aria after both of them had advanced too far during the argument.
"That’s enough."
Said Noah, but neither of them responded.
Iris crossed her arms and Aria kept a calm expression, while Ren seemed annoyed for reasons different from the other two.
Noah breathed slowly.
"Seriously."
He looked first at Iris.
"You don’t need to argue with Aria."
Then he looked at Aria.
"And you don’t need to provoke her either."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"I’m not provoking her."
Iris answered immediately.
"Yes, you are."
"No."
"Yes."
Noah raised a hand.
"Don’t start again."
Iris closed her mouth the same as Aria, and then Noah looked at Ren.
"And you."
Ren looked at him.
"What about me?"
"Don’t keep intervening every time Iris says something."
"I don’t do that."
Iris looked at her.
"You do."
Ren furrowed her brow.
"Because you say absurd things."
"Like what?"
"Like getting too close to him just to annoy me."
Iris fell silent, at which Noah looked at her and Iris looked away.
’So she really was doing it.’
Noah turned back to Ren.
"Anyway, it doesn’t help either."
Ren sighed.
"Fine."
For the first time since everything had started, it seemed the three of them were willing to stay quiet, and Noah slightly relaxed his shoulders.
’Finally.’
It had taken far more than necessary.
Aria crossed her arms again, Iris remained next to the bench, and Ren leaned against the wall.
Noah took advantage of the silence.
"Alright."
He looked at Aria.
"About what you said earlier..."
Aria smiled.
"Have you decided?"
"No."
Aria’s smile faded slightly.
"I wasn’t going to talk about that."
"Then it’s not important."
"It is to me."
Noah put a hand in his pocket, since he still had the golden star, the magical object the goddess had given him for Aria.
He had been trying for far too long to give it to her, but the first attempt at the high school had failed, and later at the café, Aria had interpreted his attempt to hand it over in a completely different way.
Now he finally had another chance.
’This time for sure.’
Noah closed his hand around the object.
"Aria, I want to give you something."
Aria looked at him and her expression changed immediately.
"Again?"
Noah’s eyes widened.
"Don’t start."
Iris looked at both of them.
"Again what?"
Ren did the same, and Aria smiled.
"The last time Noah tried to give me a gift, he chose a rather interesting moment."
Noah got nervous.
"D-Don’t say it like that."
"How should I say it?"
"Normally."
Iris furrowed her brow.
"What gift?"
Noah took his hand out of his pocket, but before he could show the object, they heard several footsteps and then a voice.
"Noah!"
Noah closed his eyes.
’No.’
He recognized that voice perfectly.
Yume appeared at the entrance of the small courtyard, and Luna arrived practically at the same time from another hallway.
The two of them stopped when they saw the group.
Yume looked at Noah, then at Ren, then at Iris, and finally at Aria, while Luna did exactly the same.
Neither of them seemed satisfied with what they found, and Yume was the first to speak.
"We’ve been looking for you."
Noah quickly put the star away.
"Both of you?"
Yume looked at Luna and Luna looked at Yume.
"Separately."
They answered almost at the same time, so Noah decided not to ask, but Yume stepped closer.
"What is everyone doing here?"
Ren answered.
"Arguing."
Iris looked at her.
"Not anymore."
Aria corrected.
"We were talking."
Ren looked at her again.
"You were arguing."
Noah raised both hands.
"It’s over."
Yume looked carefully at Aria and then back at Noah.
"Why was she here?"
Aria answered before Noah could.
"I came to talk with my possible fiancé."
Silence followed those words, and Noah closed his eyes.
’No.’
Yume stopped moving just like Luna, while Ren brought a hand to her face and Iris furrowed her brow.
Noah looked at Aria.
"Was it necessary to say it like that?"
"It’s the correct way."
Yume took a step toward her.
"Your possible what?"
Aria observed her.
"Fiancé."
Yume looked at Noah.
"What?"
Noah raised a hand.
"I-It’s complicated."
"Aria wants to get engaged to you?"
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"For a few days now."
Yume’s eyes went wide.
"A few days!?"
Noah knew immediately what the next question would be.
"And you didn’t tell me?"
’Exactly.’
Noah breathed slowly.
"I didn’t have the chance."
Yume looked at him.
"You text me every day."
"A suitable moment never came up."
"And how does a suitable moment not come up to tell me that another girl wants to marry you?"
Aria intervened.
"I don’t need to get married right away."
Yume turned toward her.
"I wasn’t asking you."
Aria raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I understand."
Luna took a step forward.
"Did you propose engagement again?"
"Yes."
"And did he accept?"
"No."
Noah answered quickly, at which Luna looked at him and then at Aria.
"Then the matter should have ended."
Aria shook her head.
"I don’t think so."
"You should give up."
"I didn’t receive a definitive rejection."
Noah intervened.
"Because you’re pressuring me to answer."
Aria looked at him.
"I’m just being consistent."
Yume furrowed her brow.
"That’s called insisting."
"I don’t see the problem."
"I do."
Aria finally looked Yume up and down.
"Who are you?"
Yume remained motionless, and Noah had a bad feeling.
"Aria..."
Yume answered first.
"I’m his girlfriend."
Now it was Aria who stayed silent, and Noah observed her expression, which didn’t look surprised, but interested.
"I see."
Said Aria, at which Yume crossed her arms and Aria remained thoughtful for a few seconds before continuing.
"Then you’re Yume Hoshino."
Yume raised an eyebrow.
"You know me?"
"By name."
"Good."
"That makes things easier."
Yume furrowed her brow.
"What things?"
"Negotiating."
Noah brought a hand to his face, and Yume’s eyes went wide.
"Negotiate what?"
"An adequate coexistence."
"No."
Aria blinked at that refusal, at which Yume continued.
"There’s nothing to negotiate."
Luna watched the conversation in silence, too much silence, and Noah knew her well enough to know that wasn’t a good sign.
Aria spoke.
"I don’t see why we should start from a hostile position."
Yume let out a small laugh.
"Because you want to get engaged to my boyfriend."
"Correct."
"That’s a hostile position."
"Not necessarily."
"To me it is."
Iris crossed her arms.
"I told you she was annoying."
Aria looked at her.
"Your opinion is still unnecessary."
Iris furrowed her brow, and Ren sighed.
"Don’t start again."
Yume pointed at Aria.
"First let’s settle this."
Luna finally spoke.
"I agree."
Noah looked at her, and Luna stepped closer until she was standing next to Yume.
"If Noah already rejected your proposal, you should respect it."
Aria observed her.
"He didn’t reject me definitively."
"That doesn’t mean you can keep pressuring him."
"I’m not forcing him."
"You went all the way to his workplace."
Noah’s eyes widened, and Yume looked at Luna.
"She went to the café?"
Luna took a second to answer.
"Yes."
Yume turned back to Noah.
"And you didn’t tell me that either?"
Noah felt the situation worsening rapidly.
"I-I was going to."
"When?"
"I don’t know."
"Noah."
"There were a lot of things going on!"
Aria smiled slightly.
"I also kissed him."
Everything fell silent.
Noah felt an immediate emptiness in his stomach, Luna closed her eyes, Ren slowly turned toward Aria, Iris remained motionless, and Yume didn’t react for several seconds.
Noah knew this was going to get worse.