Chapter 233 Noah plans a meeting for Hikari.

Noah remained seated next to Hikari for several seconds, as he was still trying to understand what he had just heard.

All afternoon he had believed that Hikari was gathering the courage to confess to him, but nevertheless, reality had turned out completely different.

Hikari was worried because she thought that Stella Lumina did not want to associate with her and now she hoped that Noah would help her solve that problem.

’So all this time she was talking about Stella.’

Noah brought a hand to his face.

’I should have figured it out.’

He recalled the conversations he had had with Hikari over the last few weeks.

He knew perfectly well that she admired Stella’s work as an actress.

He also knew that, in the original anime, the two of them ended up becoming a couple, and that was why he had tried to bring them closer from the beginning.

’Well, at least I don’t have another confession hanging over me.’

That should have calmed him down, but nevertheless, he still had to find out why Hikari thought Stella couldn’t stand her.

Noah lowered his hand and looked at her again.

"Hikari."

She immediately raised her head.

"Yes?"

"I want to ask you something."

"Sure."

"Did Stella tell you directly that she didn’t want to talk to you?"

Hikari shook her head.

"Not that I know of."

"Did she ask you to stop reaching out to her?"

"She didn’t say anything like that either."

"Then why do you think that?"

Hikari lowered her gaze slightly.

"It’s just that..."

She clasped her hands over her legs.

"When we started talking, she seemed pretty interested in getting to know me."

Noah nodded.

"I remember that."

"But then she started replying with shorter messages."

"Shorter?"

"That’s right."

Hikari took out her phone.

"Before, she would reply with several sentences, but now sometimes she just tells me she’s busy."

Noah remained thoughtful.

’Well, Stella is a pretty famous actress.’

It wouldn’t be strange for her to have professional commitments, like shoots, interviews, meetings, and other things related to her career.

"Don’t you think she’s simply working?"

Hikari nodded slowly.

"I considered it."

"Then..."

"But I’m also worried that I was too pushy."

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Pushy?"

Hikari looked away.

"...A little."

"How pushy?"

She stayed silent, but then answered.

"I asked her some questions."

Noah smiled.

"That’s normal."

"And I also sent her comments about her movies."

"That doesn’t seem like a problem either."

"Besides, I prepared a list of scenes I wanted to analyze with her."

Noah blinked.

"..."

Hikari continued.

"And some questions about her performances."

"How many?"

She lowered her gaze, so Noah began to suspect.

"Hikari."

"Yes?"

"How many questions did you ask her?"

The girl slowly raised three fingers, and Noah sighed in relief.

"Ah, only three..."

Hikari shook her head.

"...Thirty."

"..."

Noah remained motionless.

’Ah.’

Hikari hurried to explain.

"I didn’t send them all!"

Noah looked up.

"How many did you send her?"

"Only twelve."

"..."

"I saved the rest for another time."

Noah closed his eyes.

’Now I understand a few things.’

Even so, he couldn’t really blame her too much.

Hikari was a fan who had probably seen the chance to meet her as something she had to make the most of.

Noah took a deep breath.

"Well, I think I understand what’s going on."

Hikari straightened up immediately.

"Really?"

"It might be that Stella simply doesn’t have as much free time as you expected."

She lowered her gaze.

"That’s what I thought."

"And maybe she doesn’t know how to respond to so many questions."

"..."

Hikari looked a little embarrassed.

"Do you think I made her uncomfortable?"

"Not necessarily."

Noah smiled.

"But I think it would be good if you spent time together without everything turning into an interview."

Hikari looked at him.

"How?"

Noah stayed thoughtful for a few seconds, but then he remembered the movie he had watched with Stella and all the questions he still had about its story.

’Wait a second.’

That could work, so Noah smiled.

"I think I have an idea."

Hikari immediately raised her head.

"What is it?"

"I’m going to talk to Stella."

She opened her eyes slightly.

"Now?"

"Yes, right now."

Noah took out his phone.

"There’s something I want to ask her about a movie."

Hikari looked surprised.

"What movie?"

Noah looked at her.

"The one we watched together."

Hikari blinked and then understood.

"Ah..."

Noah nodded.

"I think it can help us set up a meeting."

Hikari started getting nervous.

"A meeting?"

"That’s right."

"With Stella?"

"Of course."

She lowered her gaze to her hands, and Noah smiled.

"Didn’t you want to get closer to her?"

"Of course I did!"

"Then let’s try it."

Hikari slowly raised her gaze.

"Will you really help me?"

Noah nodded.

"Of course."

Hikari’s expression changed immediately.

"Thank you so much, Noah."

"You don’t have to thank me yet."

He looked at his phone.

"First I need to know if Stella has time."

Noah opened the conversation with Stella, thought for a few seconds about how to start, and then typed a message.

[Hi, Stella. How are you?]

The reply arrived a few minutes later.

[Hi, Noah. I’m fine. How about you?]

Noah smiled.

[Fine, thanks.]

Before he could type anything else, another message appeared.

[Is something up, Noah?]

Noah blinked.

’Wow, she’s pretty direct.’

He replied.

[I wanted to ask you something about the movie we watched the other time.]

This time Stella took a little longer to reply, but finally a message appeared.

[Do you mean that movie?]

[That’s right.]

Then another one arrived.

[Are you okay?]

Noah raised his eyebrows slightly.

’Huh?’

[Of course. Why do you ask?]

The reply came immediately.

[Did you feel bad again?]

Noah remained motionless.

’Ah.’

He recalled the circumstances surrounding that movie and also the concern Stella had shown for his health.

[No, don’t worry, I’m more than fine.]

Stella didn’t seem completely convinced.

[Are you sure?]

[More than sure.]

[No dizziness?]

[Not at all.]

[Headache?]

[Not even a little.]

[Any trouble remembering what happened?]

Noah stopped, because that last question caught his attention. He remembered the strange visit from the Great Mother again and also that Ava seemed to have completely forgotten what had happened.

’Why is she asking me that?’

For a few seconds he considered mentioning it, but in the end he decided not to.

More than anything, he didn’t want to turn the conversation into an interrogation, and he also didn’t know how much Stella knew about what had happened, so he replied naturally.

[I don’t have any problems. I just wanted to dig up more information about the movie’s story.]

Stella took a few seconds and then typed.

[I understand.]

Another message appeared immediately.

[You had me worried.]

Noah smiled a little.

[Sorry about that.]

[You don’t have to apologize.]

After that message, Stella continued.

[What did you want to know?]

Noah thought for a few seconds. In reality he didn’t need to ask anything too specific; he just wanted to set up a meeting that would let Hikari get closer to her, so he decided to be honest about his interest.

[I wanted to talk about some details of the story and the characters. I was left with quite a few questions after watching it.]

Stella replied.

[It’s a movie with a lot of details that can go unnoticed.]

Noah nodded as he read.

[Exactly what I noticed.]

[We can talk about it here if you want.]

Noah looked at the message.

’Well, here’s the important part.’

He typed again.

[What if we meet in person? I think it would be easier.]

The reply didn’t come right away, so Noah waited while Hikari, still sitting next to him, watched him with growing nervousness.

"And what did she say?"

"Nothing yet."

"Do you think she’ll agree?"

"I don’t know."

Hikari clasped her hands.

"I hope she does."

Then the phone vibrated and Noah looked up.

[I think I could make some time tomorrow afternoon.]

He smiled.

’Perfect.’

Stella continued.

[Does a quiet café work for you?]

Noah replied immediately.

[Sure.]

Then he added something else.

[By the way, would you mind if Hikari comes too?]

Hikari glanced at that message and her eyes went wide.

"Noah!"

He raised a hand, signaling her to wait, and Stella’s reply took a few seconds.

[Hikari Amatsuki?]

[Yes, that one.]

[Does she also want to talk about the movie?]

Noah looked at Hikari. The girl was completely frozen.

’A whole lot more than you imagine.’

He finally replied.

[Yes. She’s really interested in your work, and I think it would be nice for the three of us to chat.]

Stella took a little longer, but finally her reply appeared.

[Alright.]

Noah smiled, and then another message arrived.

[I’d like to hear more of her thoughts.]

Noah looked up at Hikari.

"She said yes!"

She opened her eyes completely.

"Really?"

"That’s right."

"Stella agreed?"

"Exactly what you just heard."

Hikari brought both hands to her mouth while Noah smiled at her.

"We’re meeting tomorrow afternoon."

Hikari slowly lowered her hands.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, that’s what she said."

She stayed quiet, then looked at her phone and started typing something, so Noah frowned a little.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for tomorrow."

"..."

"I need to organize some questions."

Noah felt a small flicker of concern.

"Hikari."

She looked up.

"What’s wrong?"

"Remember, this isn’t going to be an interview."

"I know."

"We’re just going to talk."

"Got it. Just talk."

Noah nodded.

"Good that you know that... I guess."

Hikari looked back at her phone and then murmured.

"Then I should cut the list down."

Noah closed his eyes.

’This is going to be a pain to handle.’

A difficult afternoon awaits Noah tomorrow with Hikari and Stella.