Chapter 127: A Meeting That Starts Badly.

When Noah arrived home, the first thing he did was check that no one was waiting for him at the entrance.

The living room was empty.

From the kitchen he could hear Emma moving some utensils and, from the sound of the television on the upper floor, he assumed Ava was in her room.

Noah closed the door and let out a breath.

’Well, at least I don’t have to explain where I’ve been.’

He took off his shoes and went straight up to his room.

Once inside, he closed the door, left his things on the desk and took out his phone, since he had a message, which was from Iris.

[Did you get home?]

Noah replied.

[Yes.]

The reply appeared almost immediately.

[Good.]

Noah waited, but didn’t receive anything else.

’Definitely Iris.’

He left the chat open for a few seconds until he then remembered what was truly important.

He had promised to talk to Yume and now he also had to talk to Luna.

Noah opened the chat he shared with both of them and started typing.

[Are you free tomorrow after classes?]

Yume replied first.

[Yes!]

Luna took a little longer.

[Yes.]

Noah wrote again.

[I want the three of us to meet, since I need to talk to you about something important.]

A few seconds passed and Yume replied.

[Is it something bad?]

Before Noah could answer, another message appeared, which was from Luna.

[Did you do something?]

Noah frowned.

[Why did both of you assume that?]

Yume replied.

[Because you wrote "I need to talk to you."]

Luna added.

[That phrase never announces anything good.]

Noah stayed looking at the screen.

’They’re not that wrong.’

[I just want to talk and I’ll explain tomorrow.]

Yume sent several messages in a row.

[Can’t you say it now?]

[Does it have to be in person?]

[Did something happen?]

Luna only wrote.

[Does it have to do with a woman?]

Noah froze in panic.

’How did she get to that so fast!?’

He didn’t reply for several seconds and Luna wrote again.

[Understood.]

"What did you understand!?"

Yume appeared immediately.

[WHAT WOMAN!?]

[I didn’t say there was a woman.]

Luna replied.

[You didn’t say there wasn’t one either.]

Noah dropped his head onto the desk.

’This already started badly.’

Finally he wrote.

[I’ll talk to you tomorrow.]

And turned off the screen before continuing to make the situation worse.

The next day, Noah spent a good part of the classes thinking about how to explain what had happened with Iris.

He couldn’t simply arrive and say that he now had another girlfriend, although technically, he still hadn’t formalized anything with Iris precisely because of that conversation.

But he had accepted her feelings, he had also kissed her and quite a bit more than that had happened.

Noah brought a hand to his face.

’I’m definitely not going to mention all the details.’

When classes ended, he headed to the agreed place he had chosen, which was a small café far from the high school, since he thought a public place would avoid too intense an argument.

When he arrived, Luna was already waiting.

"Noah."

"Hi."

Luna observed him for a few seconds.

"You’re nervous."

"A little."

"Then you did do something."

"Don’t start."

Luna took a seat and Noah sat across from her.

Barely a minute later Yume appeared.

"Noah!"

Yume arrived quickly at the table and, without thinking too much, took the chair next to him.

Luna looked at the empty chair across from both of them and then looked at Yume, who smiled at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Luna took the empty chair and moved it until she was also next to Noah, so now Noah was sitting between both of them.

He looked at the two of them.

"There was a reason for the chairs to be like that, you know?"

"Now they’re better."

Said Yume, to which Luna nodded.

"I agree."

Noah sighed.

’I haven’t even started.’

A waitress approached and the three of them made their orders, but while they waited, Noah decided to speak.

"Well, I wanted to gather you because..."

Yume leaned slightly toward him.

"Before."

Noah looked at her.

"Before?"

"I want to ask you something."

"Alright."

Yume pointed at Noah’s shirt.

"Why is your collar folded?"

"What?"

Yume brought a hand closer.

"Come here."

She fixed the collar of his shirt carefully.

"Done."

Noah smiled.

"Thanks."

Yume smiled satisfied and Luna observed the scene, so then she raised a hand to slightly fix Noah’s hair.

"You also had this wrong."

Noah blinked.

"My hair?"

"Yes."

Yume looked at Luna.

"His hair was fine."

"There was a part sticking up."

"I didn’t see it."

"That means you need glasses."

Yume narrowed her eyes.

"Or maybe you were looking for an excuse to touch it."

Luna looked at her calmly.

"And you needed to touch his collar to fix a shirt?"

"Of course."

"I don’t think so."

"Well, I don’t care if you don’t believe it."

Noah raised both hands.

"Can we not argue about this?"

The two fell silent for a few seconds and the waitress arrived with the drinks.

Noah took his and Yume immediately pushed the sugar bowl toward him.

"You like it with two, right?"

Noah looked at her.

"Thanks."

Luna took two sugar packets before Noah could and left them next to his cup.

"These dissolve better."

Yume looked at the packets, then the sugar bowl and then at Noah before correcting Luna.

"He always uses the regular sugar."

"Today he can use packets."

"Why?"

"Because I gave them to him."

"That’s not a valid reason."

"He doesn’t need one to sweeten his drink."

Noah took the two packets.

"I’m going to use these."

Yume looked at him and Noah also took the sugar bowl.

"And a little of this."

Luna looked at him.

"That’s too much sugar."

"It doesn’t matter."

"Noah."

"I’d rather get diabetes than choose."

The two stayed quiet, but finally Yume let out a small laugh and Luna also smiled slightly, making the tension drop a bit, so Noah took advantage.

"As I was saying..."

Yume took his arm.

"Wait."

Noah closed his eyes.

"What now?"

"You’re coming with me to the station today, right?"

Luna replied before Noah.

"Last time he went with you."

Yume looked at her.

"So?"

"Today he could go with me."

"But I’m his girlfriend."

Luna raised an eyebrow.

"And I am too."

Yume opened her mouth, but stopped.

"That still sounds weird."

"But it’s true."

"I know."

Neither of the two would lower their guard.