Chapter 129: Noah will live another day.

"Yes, I want them to accept Iris..."

The direct answer Noah gave left Yume silent while he continued.

"Iris isn’t a stranger. We’ve known her for a long time. She even trains with us, she’s fought by our side, she’s helped me several times, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time with her too."

Luna nodded slowly.

"That’s true."

Yume looked at her, a little surprised.

"Are you on his side?"

"Not completely, since..."

Luna looked at Noah.

"I’m also jealous..."

Noah blinked at that answer while Luna continued with the same serious expression.

"And a lot..."

Yume pointed at Luna.

"Exactly!"

"But it would be hypocritical of me to say Iris can’t join just because I don’t want to share him."

Yume opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Luna added something else.

"I asked Yume for exactly that."

Yume closed her mouth while Noah watched Luna, who seemed uncomfortable, though she was trying to hide it.

"That doesn’t mean I like the idea."

Luna said.

"I’d prefer there wasn’t anyone else."

Yume looked at her after that answer.

"I’d prefer you weren’t here either."

"I know perfectly well."

"But..."

Yume looked at Noah and then sighed.

"I already accepted this once."

Noah said nothing, and Yume continued.

"And I told you I don’t want you showing up every week saying some other girl is your girlfriend."

"I remember."

"Then tell me why it has to be Iris."

Noah thought for a few seconds.

"Because I like being with her."

Yume listened carefully.

"It’s not just because she confessed. I don’t want to accept her out of guilt, or because she’s a magical girl, or for any external reason..."

Luna watched him closely.

"When I’m with Iris, I can spend hours playing or talking about anything, and I like it when she tries to get closer, even if it’s hard for her to say what she’s thinking. I also like that she’s direct. I worried about her during the attacks, and I want to keep being close to her."

Yume made a face before answering.

"That sounded way too convincing."

"I’m not trying to convince you by lying."

"I know. That’s the problem."

Luna picked up her drink.

"I have a condition."

Noah looked at her.

"What is it?"

"That there are no more secrets."

Noah nodded immediately.

"Agreed. That’s how it’ll be."

"If another girl enters the relationship, all the others have to know."

"Yes."

Yume raised a hand.

"I also have conditions."

Noah sighed.

"I figured as much."

"First: I’m still the first girlfriend."

Luna closed her eyes.

"Yume..."

"That was already agreed!"

Noah raised a hand.

"Yes, that doesn’t change."

Yume nodded, satisfied.

"Second: I don’t want to find out after you’ve kissed someone."

Noah stayed silent, and Yume pointed at him.

"That includes Aria."

Noah opened his eyes.

"Why did Aria come into this?"

"Because I know her."

Luna nodded.

"That’s reasonable."

"Don’t help her."

Yume continued.

"Third: Iris has to know the whole situation."

"She already knows I’m with you two."

"With both of you?"

"Yes."

Yume was surprised to learn that.

"And she accepted?"

Noah remembered Iris’s reaction.

"She didn’t seem to have too much of a problem with it."

Yume pressed her lips together.

"That bothers me for some reason."

Luna answered.

"Because you were hoping she’d give up."

"Yes."

Luna drank calmly.

"Me too."

Noah looked at them.

"So..."

Yume watched him for several seconds.

"I’m jealous."

"I know."

"Very jealous."

"I know."

"Don’t repeat that."

"Alright."

Yume took a deep breath.

"But I like Iris."

Luna looked at her, and Yume continued.

"Besides the fact that she’s been with us for quite a while, I also know she likes you."

She stayed quiet for a few seconds and finally puffed out her cheeks.

"Fine."

Noah blinked.

"Fine?"

"Yes."

Yume pointed at her face.

"But I’m not happy."

"Understood."

"And I still want to meet your mothers first."

Luna intervened immediately.

"That’s not happening."

Yume turned toward her.

"You just ruined the moment!"

"That’s a different matter."

"No, it’s not!"

Noah looked at both of them as they started another argument, but this time he couldn’t help smiling a little, so Yume noticed.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing."

Luna looked at him.

"He’s laughing at us."

"No, that’s not it."

"Yes, he’s laughing at us."

Yume grabbed his arm again.

"As punishment, tomorrow you’re coming with me."

Luna grabbed the other.

"No, better with me."

Noah looked at his trapped arms.

"I thought we had made progress."

Yume shook her head.

"I only accepted Iris."

Luna nodded.

"It doesn’t mean I’ve stopped competing."

"Why are you competing?"

The two answered at the same time.

"Because we are!"

Noah dropped his head.

’This isn’t going to be easy.’

But at least he had gotten the important part: he wouldn’t have to hide Iris.

Yume and Luna were jealous and clearly still had a lot to work out between them, but both had accepted.

Noah took out his phone, and Yume looked at him immediately.

"What are you doing?"

"I’m going to text Iris."

Luna leaned her head a little closer.

"I want to see."

Yume did the same.

"Me too."

Noah pulled the phone away.

"I don’t need supervision from you two."

"Yes, you do."

Yume said.

"Definitely."

Luna added.

Noah looked at them, then back at the screen, opened Iris’s chat, and typed.

[I talked to them.]

The reply came a few seconds later.

[And?]

Noah smiled.

[They accepted.]

Iris took a little longer this time, but finally a new message appeared.

[Good.]

Noah waited, and another message arrived.

[So I’m your girlfriend now.]

Noah stared at the screen, but Yume managed to read it from the side.

"Why did she accept so fast?!"

Luna had also managed to see it.

"Remember, we’re talking about Iris."

Noah started typing a reply, but before he finished, another message arrived.

[Come tomorrow.]

Yume snatched the phone from his hands.

"No!"

"Yume!"

Luna looked at the screen.

"What time?"

"Luna!"

Noah tried to get his phone back while the two started another argument.

He had gotten them to accept Iris, and that was a success.

Now all that was left was figuring out how to manage a relationship with three girls who all wanted his attention at the same time.

But from the way Yume and Luna were acting, Noah suspected that would be a much more complicated problem than he had imagined.