Chapter 138: Aria and an Awkward Meeting.

After a few minutes had passed since Aria sat down waiting for someone, Noah tried to focus on his work while Luna remained annoyed, which was obvious, since every time she walked past Aria’s table, she stared at her.

Aria smiled at her and Luna gripped the tray tighter.

Noah was convinced that if that tray had been made of cheaper plastic, it would already be broken.

The door opened again.

"Noah!"

Noah turned and saw Yume, who walked into the café.

"Yume?"

She smiled and walked over to him, but Luna appeared almost immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

Yume looked at her.

"What a welcome."

"I asked what you’re doing here."

"I was called here."

Luna frowned.

"By who?"

Yume pointed toward the back.

"Aria."

Noah felt an uncomfortable pressure in his chest.

’I’m really not liking this.’

Luna turned toward Aria, who raised a hand from her table.

"Hi."

Yume walked over while Noah and Luna followed behind.

"What did you call me here for?"

Yume asked, to which Aria pointed at a chair.

"Sit down."

Yume didn’t sit.

"First tell me what for..."

"We’re waiting for the others."

Noah froze.

"The others?"

Aria looked at him.

"Yes."

Noah had a bad feeling, a pretty clear one.

’I’m leaving.’

He genuinely thought about walking out the door, but he was working, and on top of that Luna and Yume were already next to him, so he had no way out.

Yume finally took a seat.

"I don’t like this."

Luna crossed her arms.

"Neither do I."

Aria smiled.

"Then you already have something in common."

Yume and Luna looked at her, to which Aria picked up her drink.

"That wasn’t an insult."

"It sounded like one."

Yume said.

"It’s not my problem if you took it that way."

Noah decided to go back to work, since it was the only thing he could do, but he didn’t manage to get very far.

The door opened again.

Iris came in first, Ren right behind her, and the two of them were arguing.

"You didn’t have to push me."

Iris said.

"I didn’t push you."

Ren answered.

"Yes you did."

"I just moved you aside."

"With my hand."

"That’s not pushing."

Iris stopped.

"That’s exactly pushing."

Ren sighed.

"You went in first."

"Because I was faster."

"Because you cut in front."

Noah watched them.

"What happened?"

Iris looked at Noah.

"Nothing."

Ren answered at the same time.

"She got in the way."

Iris looked at her.

"You were walking slow."

"We’re not five years old."

"Then stop complaining."

Noah closed his eyes.

’Perfect.’

Luna looked at both of them.

"Why are you here?"

Ren pointed at Aria.

"She called me."

Iris did the same.

"Me too."

Noah slowly turned back toward Aria, who remained calm, far too calm.

"Aria."

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"Organizing a meeting."

"About what?"

"I’ll explain it later."

Iris looked at the table where all the girls were and then looked at Noah.

"This looks bad."

Noah nodded.

"It is."

"It hasn’t even started."

"That’s why."

The manager approached.

"Miss Celestia."

Aria looked at her.

"I need to speak with you."

The manager smiled.

"Of course."

Aria stood up and the two of them stepped a few meters away.

Noah tried to listen, but he couldn’t.

After a minute, the manager’s eyes widened, but Aria said something else, so the manager looked at Noah, then at the shop, then back at Aria, and finally sighed.

"Alright."

Noah frowned while the manager walked to the center of the shop.

"Attention."

The customers raised their heads.

"We’re going to close for a few minutes for a private matter."

Noah’s eyes widened.

"What?"

Several customers protested, so the manager apologized and began guiding them toward the exit.

Noah approached.

"What did she tell you?"

The manager spoke in a low voice.

"That she would cover all the lost sales."

Noah looked at her.

"And you accepted?"

"Yes."

"Just like that?"

"Noah."

The manager placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Someday you’ll understand business."

Noah looked at Aria, who smiled.

’I don’t want to understand it this way.’

After a few minutes, the café was empty, the door was closed, and the manager headed toward the kitchen.

"Fifteen minutes."

She said, to which Aria replied.

"Twenty."

The manager stopped, but Aria slightly raised her phone.

"Twenty minutes."

"Deal."

The manager disappeared.

Noah looked at the table.

Yume was sitting, Luna was next to her, Iris across from them, and Ren next to Aria, so there was only one chair left for him.

Noah sat down slowly.

"Alright."

Aria placed both hands on the table.

"Now we can talk."

Yume crossed her arms.

"Talk."

Aria looked at all of them.

"I gathered you to talk about our relationship with Noah."

Noah raised a hand.

"I’m here too."

"I know."

"Just wanted to make sure."

Aria ignored the comment.

"Currently, Yume, Luna, and Iris are Noah’s girlfriends."

Ren looked at Iris.

"You too?"

Iris nodded.

"Yes."

Ren frowned slightly, to which Iris looked at her.

"Got a problem?"

"No, none."

"Looked like you did."

"No, your intuition lied to you."

Aria continued.

"I’m Noah’s fiancée."

Yume stopped breathing while Luna closed her eyes and Iris raised an eyebrow.

Aria added.

"And Ren is too."

Yume slowly turned toward Noah.

"Noah."

He closed his eyes.

"Yes?"

"What did she say?"

Noah took a deep breath.

"That Aria and Ren are my fiancées."

There was another silence in the shop.

Yume stayed completely still, but inside her mind, an emergency room appeared immediately.

Several imaginary Yumes were gathered around a table and one slammed the surface.

’TWO FIANCÉES!’

Another pointed at a whiteboard.

’We’re already three girlfriends and now two fiancées show up!’

A third raised her hand.

’I propose immediate elimination.’

All of them raised their hands.

’APPROVED.’

The main Yume opened her eyes.

She looked at Aria and then at Ren.

’First Aria.’

Noah saw her expression.

"Yume."

She smiled.

"Yes?"

"Don’t do it."

"Don’t do what?"

"Don’t do what you’re thinking."

Yume opened her eyes innocently.

"I’m not thinking anything."

Noah knew her too well.

"Yume."

"I’m calm."

Luna murmured.

"I thought the same thing."

Noah looked at her.

"You neither!"

Luna crossed her arms.

"I already gave up."

"Thanks."

"For now."

"That’s not reassuring."

Aria continued as if that were normal.

"This is precisely the reason for the meeting."

Yume looked at her.

"Because you want to brag that you’re his fiancée?"

"Besides that."

Luna pressed her lips together and Aria smiled.

"But speaking seriously..."

Her expression became slightly more serious.

"I don’t want to repeat what happened between Yume and Luna."

Those words hit hard enough for all of them to pay attention to what she was about to say.