Chapter 191: The discussion ended, but another problem appeared.

"Then I don’t understand what the problem is."

Noah replied.

"It’s just that when we tried to have you approach her, it went wrong, but today I talked to her by chance and everything went well."

Hikari stayed silent.

"That doesn’t mean you did anything wrong."

"But it shows that the situation is different."

"Because you didn’t try to impress her."

"Exactly."

Hikari crossed her arms.

"Then help me do the same."

"How?"

"By showing me how you talk to her."

Noah didn’t answer.

"See?"

Hikari pointed at him.

"That’s why you should do it."

"No."

"Why do you keep saying no?"

"Because I don’t want the situation to end up changing."

"What situation?"

"The story."

Hikari fell silent and Noah realized right away that he had said too much.

’What an idiot I am.’

Hikari watched him carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"Noah."

"I misspoke."

"What did you mean?"

"It doesn’t matter."

Hikari looked at him for several seconds and finally sighed.

"Fine."

Noah relaxed his shoulders slightly.

"So..."

"But I still think you should become her friend."

"I already said no."

"Fine."

Hikari turned around.

"Do whatever you want."

"Don’t get mad."

"I’m not mad."

"Yes, you are mad."

"Then maybe I am."

Noah took a step toward her.

"Hikari, wait..."

She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder.

"Not now."

"Why?"

"Because if we keep talking, we’re going to argue again."

Noah couldn’t deny that and Hikari started walking away.

"See you tomorrow."

"Wait."

Before leaving, she said to Noah.

"Noah."

"Yeah?"

"Stop trying to solve everything by yourself."

After saying that, Hikari left and Noah stayed in the same spot looking at the empty hallway.

’Great.’

He had managed to argue with Hikari and hadn’t even solved the problem with Stella.

The walk home was fairly quiet while Noah walked with his hands in his pockets and went over the conversation.

’I need to fix this.’

First he had to apologize to Hikari, since that was obvious.

After that he would have to find a way to get Hikari and Stella to talk again, but the problem was how to do it.

He couldn’t force Stella to approach.

He also couldn’t make Hikari pretend to be someone she wasn’t and much less could he keep showing up every time the two of them tried to talk.

’I need it to happen naturally.’

Noah kept walking.

He thought of several possibilities, but none of them seemed good.

He could try to organize another meeting, but that might make Hikari nervous again.

He could talk to Stella to explain the situation, but that might make her see him as weird and pull away.

He could also try to convince Hikari to simply talk to her again, but Hikari was probably already too embarrassed by what had happened.

’There’s no easy solution.’

Noah let out a sigh.

’First I have to focus on apologizing to Hikari.’

That was the only thing he could do.

When he got home, he opened the door and went in.

"I’m home."

He didn’t get an immediate answer, so Noah took a few steps forward and heard voices from the living room.

"Is he home?"

It was Emma.

"Yes."

"Perfect."

Noah entered the living room and found his two mothers preparing several things.

Emma was arranging some plates while Sarah checked some documents and Ava was also there.

Noah looked at the three of them.

"What are you doing?"

"We have a visitor."

Emma answered without stopping what she was doing, to which Noah replied.

"What visitor?"

"One related to Sarah’s work."

Sarah looked up.

"We need to receive an important person."

Noah looked at the documents in her hands.

"Who?"

"You’ll know when they arrive."

"I don’t like how that sounded."

Ava spoke while sweeping the floor.

"You just have to behave."

"I always behave."

The three of them looked at him and Noah frowned.

"What?"

Emma pointed toward the stairs.

"Go change into something better."

"Why?"

"Because you’ll have to greet our visitor."

"I didn’t know it was a formal meeting."

"It’s not exactly."

Sarah left the documents on the table.

"But I want you to look presentable."

Noah sighed.

"Alright."

He went up to his room and changed, but while he did so, he kept thinking about Hikari.

’I’ll apologize to her tomorrow as soon as I see her.’

After finishing, he went back downstairs.

Emma was talking with Sarah and Ava was sitting near them, so Noah approached.

"Has she arrived yet?"

"Not yet."

"Then I’ll wait."

Several minutes passed and finally the doorbell rang.

Emma went to open it and Noah heard voices from the entrance.

A woman spoke with Sarah, another voice answered and Noah didn’t pay too much attention at first.

Until he heard a name.

"...Stella..."

Noah froze.

’What?’

He looked toward the entrance.

Sarah appeared first and behind her was a woman that Noah recognized immediately as none other than Stella.

She was wearing elegant clothes and was accompanied by another woman, probably her manager.

Noah felt like his brain needed a few seconds to process what he was seeing.

’No way.’

Stella saw him, so her eyes widened slightly and then she smiled.

"Hi."

Noah didn’t answer immediately and Sarah looked at him.

"Noah."

He reacted.

"Yes?"

"You have to say hello."

Noah walked slowly toward them and Stella kept looking at him.

"We meet again."

Noah finally managed to answer.

"That’s right."

Emma smiled.

"You already knew each other?"

Stella nodded.

"We ran into each other today at the high school."

Noah looked at Sarah, then at Emma and then at Stella.

’Wait.’

Sarah took the floor.

"Stella came for a matter related to my work, so her manager and I have to discuss some details, which means they’ll be here for a while."

Noah swallowed.

’Of course.’

Of all the people who could visit his house and of all the people who could be related to Sarah’s work, it had to be her.

Stella smiled at him again.

"It’s good to see you again, Noah."

He stayed completely still.

’This can’t be happening.’

Just a few hours earlier he had decided that he needed to find a way to fix the problem between Hikari and Stella.

Now Stella was inside his house and, from the expression on his mother’s face, she probably wouldn’t be leaving soon.

Noah breathed slowly.

’First I ruined her meeting with Hikari.’

He looked at Stella.

’Then I managed to get her to like me.’

And now she was in his house.

Noah closed his eyes for a second.

’This is getting way too complicated.’