Chapter 175: A Tense Encounter with an Unexpected Result.

"What a coincidence."

Both of them pulled apart at once the moment they heard that voice.

Noah turned and Aria was standing there smiling, so Noah closed his eyes.

’Just what we needed.’

Hikari went rigid. She recognized Aria immediately, it was hard not to.

The next student council president, from the Celestia family, and a well-known figure at the high school.

Hikari stood up.

"Aria Celestia."

Aria smiled.

"So you’re Hikari Amatsuki, right?"

Hikari looked surprised.

"You know me?"

"Of course."

Aria stepped closer.

"Excellent student, solid academic record, and very responsible."

Noah narrowed his eyes.

’I don’t like this.’

Aria looked at Noah.

"And now I see you have other interests as well."

Hikari turned red, and Noah stood up.

"Aria."

"Yes, my dear fiancé?"

Hikari looked from Noah to Aria.

Noah sighed.

"Please don’t start."

Aria smiled.

"I’m just saying hello to my future husband."

Hikari spoke.

"I didn’t know you two were..."

Aria answered before Noah could.

"That’s right. We’re engaged."

Noah raised a hand.

"It’s complicated."

"But true."

"Yes, but..."

Hikari looked between the two of them and the atmosphere grew awkward.

Aria sat down in an empty chair.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Noah looked at her.

"Yes."

Aria smiled.

"So direct. That’s why I asked for your hand in marriage."

Hikari sat down slowly. Noah didn’t want to continue, but Aria had already decided to stay.

"What were you doing?"

Noah answered.

"Nothing important."

Hikari said at the same time.

"We watched a movie."

Aria raised her eyebrows. Noah looked at Hikari, who went still, and Aria’s smile widened.

"A movie."

"It wasn’t a date."

Noah spoke immediately, and Aria looked at him.

"I didn’t ask that."

"But you were going to."

"Maybe."

Hikari looked more and more uncomfortable, and Aria watched her.

"So you’re the new candidate."

Hikari frowned.

"Candidate?"

Noah tensed.

"Aria."

"What?"

"Not now."

Aria ignored the warning.

"Hikari, has Noah already talked to you about becoming a magical girl?"

Hikari’s eyes widened and Noah stared at Aria.

"How do you know that?"

Aria looked at him.

"You’re not subtle."

"Yes I am."

"Trust me, dear, you’re not."

Hikari stayed quiet while Aria rested her elbow on the table.

"Did you accept?"

"Not... yet..."

"I see."

Hikari frowned.

"I’m thinking about it."

Aria nodded.

"That’s better."

Noah felt something coming, and so did Hikari.

"Why do you say that?"

Aria smiled.

"Because I don’t think you’re cut out for it."

Noah closed his eyes.

’There it is.’

Hikari stared at her.

"Why do you think that?"

"You’re already too busy, am I wrong?"

"That doesn’t mean anything."

"Your studies."

"I can organize myself."

"Exams."

"Those too."

"Training."

"I can make time."

Aria tilted her head slightly.

"Actual combat."

Hikari fell silent, and Aria continued.

"Defending yourself from monsters."

Hikari gripped her cup a little tighter.

"I could learn."

"Maybe."

Aria didn’t sound aggressive, and that made everything worse.

"But a magical girl has to be able to act even when she has other responsibilities."

Hikari answered.

"I can do it."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Aria smiled.

"Then I guess there’s no problem."

Noah raised an eyebrow.

’Wait.’

Hikari seemed to realize it too.

"Are you trying to provoke me?"

Aria looked at her.

"Did it work?"

Hikari stayed quiet while Aria smiled and Noah looked at both of them.

"Aria."

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Talking."

"I don’t think this is a conversation."

Aria ignored him again.

"Hikari, if you really have doubts, maybe you should turn it down."

Hikari frowned harder.

"Why?"

"Because it’s not something you should accept halfway."

That made Hikari go silent. Aria stood up.

"Besides, we already have enough."

Noah looked at her.

"That’s not true!"

Aria smiled.

"It is for me."

Hikari stood up.

"I think I’ll go."

Noah turned toward her.

"Hikari."

"It’s fine."

She gathered her things, looked at Aria, then at Noah.

"See you tomorrow."

Noah hesitated.

"Yeah... see you..."

Hikari walked away, and Noah followed her with his eyes until she disappeared.

Then he slowly turned back to Aria, who was still smiling.

Noah spoke.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"You provoked her!"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because she was hesitating."

"That doesn’t give you the right!"

Aria crossed her arms.

"It worked."

"You don’t know that."

"Yes I do. Otherwise I wouldn’t have done it."

Aria looked in the direction Hikari had gone.

"She’s competitive."

"She’s disciplined."

"Also competitive."

Noah sighed.

"Besides, what are you doing here?"

Aria smiled.

"I was just passing by."

Noah looked at her.

"Aria."

"I’m serious."

"Aria."

"Fine."

She shrugged.

"The others talked."

Noah closed his eyes.

"Of course."

"Yume was worried."

"Doesn’t surprise me."

"Luna really didn’t trust you."

"That one did surprise me."

"And the other one got way too much information."

"That doesn’t surprise me either... Why don’t you call her by her name?"

Aria didn’t answer the question and continued.

"So I decided to check for myself."

"You followed me?"

"That’s right."

"That’s even worse!"

"I wasn’t the only one interested."

"But you were the only one who came."

"Because I wanted to protect you."

Noah brought a hand to his forehead.

"We were about to..."

He stopped, and Aria raised an eyebrow.

"About to what?"

Noah looked at her.

"Nothing."

Aria smiled.

"That answer only makes me more curious."

"Don’t start."

"You two were pretty close."

"Nothing happened."

"Sure."

Noah exhaled.

"Seriously, Aria."

"I know."

Her expression shifted a little.

"I didn’t come here to ruin it."

"You did."

"Wait."

Noah frowned, and Aria raised a finger.

"Just wait."

"What?"

"A little."

Noah was about to answer when his phone vibrated. He took it out. It was a message from Hikari. Noah’s eyes widened.

[Noah.]

[Yeah?]

The reply came.

[Tomorrow explain to me what I have to do to become a magical girl.]

Noah went still.

He read the message again, then a third time, while Aria smiled.

"See?"

Noah slowly lifted his gaze.

"You did that on purpose."

"Of course I did."

"Did you know she’d react like that?"

"I had a suspicion."

Noah looked at the phone where Hikari had accepted, not exactly directly, but she was asking for instructions, and that was enough.

Noah put the phone away.

"You helped me."

Aria smiled.

"That’s right."

Noah sighed.

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

There was a brief silence, then Aria stepped closer. Noah looked at her with suspicion.

"What?"

She smiled.

"Now I want my reward."

Noah froze.

"Reward?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I just helped you recruit another magical girl."

"That doesn’t mean..."

Aria stepped a little closer, and Noah stepped back.

"Aria."

"Yes?"

"What do you want?"

She smiled.

"Don’t worry."

That only made Noah worry more.

"It’ll just be something small."

Noah narrowed his eyes.

"Every time someone says that, it’s never small."

Aria laughed.

"You’ll find out."

Noah looked at her.

He had gotten Hikari to accept, and that was good, really good, but now he had a new problem.

’What the hell is she going to ask for?’

Aria smiled as if she knew exactly what he was thinking, so Noah sighed.

Hikari’s recruitment was finally moving forward, and for some reason that had just created another debt.