Chapter 227: A Long-Awaited Moment for Ayane.

Ayane Kagetsu arrived at the plaza twenty minutes before the agreed time.

She had carefully chosen her clothes, fixed her hair, and checked several times that nothing was out of place.

She was also carrying a small bag with her belongings and, in principle, everything was ready except for one detail, which was that she had no idea how to start the conversation.

"..."

Ayane checked the time on her phone and there were still eighteen minutes left.

’Calm down.’

She took a deep breath.

’It’s just a conversation.’

She put the phone away and then began walking slowly near a bench.

’We’ve talked before.’

She stopped.

’I even went to his house.’

She remembered the visit, Emma’s kindness, Reina’s constant jokes, and of course, what had happened when she finally managed to be alone with Noah.

’The spots for girlfriends are already taken.’

Ayane closed her eyes.

’Don’t think about that!’

She shook her head slightly.

This time would be different, since there would be no interruptions or annoying companions and, above all, no girl suddenly appearing to kiss Noah.

’I hope that’s the case.’

Ayane discreetly looked around, then peeked behind a bench, and there was no one.

’Why am I doing this?’

She straightened up immediately.

She couldn’t behave that way, since she was the leader of an important unit, an exemplary student, and a person perfectly capable of holding a normal conversation.

Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Ayane!"

She turned immediately, seeing Noah approaching from the entrance of the plaza, wearing casual clothes and a small backpack over his shoulder.

When she recognized him, Ayane felt that all her preparations had been insufficient.

’He’s already here!’

Noah raised a hand.

"Hey."

Ayane opened her mouth.

"..."

No sound came out, so Noah stopped in front of her.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes!"

He blinked.

"I’m glad."

Ayane lowered her head slightly.

"Good afternoon, Noah."

"Good afternoon."

Noah checked his watch.

"I think I got here a little early."

Ayane immediately shook her head.

"No, it’s fine."

"Have you been waiting long?"

"No!"

Noah smiled.

"That’s good."

Ayane looked away.

’I’ve been here for twenty minutes.’

But she had no intention of admitting it.

For the first few minutes they walked through the plaza, where several people were sitting on the benches, some families strolled near the trees, and a few students talked by a fountain.

Noah walked calmly beside Ayane, who, on the other hand, seemed to be paying far too much attention to the position of her own hands.

First she kept them clasped in front of her body, then she let them hang at her sides, and then she clasped them again, but Noah ended up noticing.

"Are you nervous?"

Ayane immediately raised her head.

"No!"

"..."

"Well..."

She lowered her gaze slightly.

"A little."

Noah smiled.

"You don’t have to be."

"I know."

"We’re just going to talk."

"Yes, just that."

Ayane took a deep breath and Noah glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

’She definitely wants to tell me something important.’

He remembered what had happened during the visit to his house.

Ayane had started talking about her feelings, mentioning how important it had been for her to meet him and, just when she seemed about to say something more, Luna had appeared.

’She probably wants to finish that confession.’

Noah sighed discreetly.

He knew he could ask her directly, but he decided not to, since Ayane seemed to have gathered quite a bit of courage to meet with him, so interrupting her again, even with good intentions, would be unfair.

’This time I’m going to let her say it herself.’

While he was thinking about that, Ayane finally spoke.

"Noah."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for coming."

He smiled.

"You don’t have to thank me."

"But..."

She lowered her gaze slightly.

"After what happened last time, I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to talk to me again."

Noah furrowed his brow slightly.

"Why did you think that?"

Ayane remained silent.

’Because your girlfriend told me there were no spots left available.’

Of course, she couldn’t answer that way, so she improvised.

"I thought I might make you uncomfortable."

Noah slowly shook his head.

"You don’t make me uncomfortable, Ayane."

She raised her gaze.

"Really?"

"Of course."

Ayane felt her cheeks beginning to warm.

’I don’t make him uncomfortable, which means...’

Noah continued.

"Besides, I think our conversation was left unfinished."

Ayane stopped.

"..."

He stopped as well.

"Ayane?"

She looked at him with her eyes slightly widened.

’He remembers!’

Of course he remembered, since there was no reason for him to forget, but hearing that Noah also considered it important to finish that conversation filled her with enormous joy.

"Y-Yes!"

Noah smiled.

"Then we can talk calmly."

Ayane nodded quickly.

"Of course!"

However, after saying it, she fell silent again and Noah waited, until several seconds passed.

Ayane opened her mouth, closed it, and then looked toward the trees.

"..."

’Say it!’

Her mind began giving her orders.

’You finally have the chance!’

She looked at Noah, who was still waiting patiently.

’Now!’

Ayane took a deep breath.

"Noah, I..."

Then they heard some children running near them and one shouted excitedly while chasing another, so Ayane gave a small jump.

"Ah!"

Noah turned.

"What’s wrong?"

"N-Nothing."

She lowered her head.

’Damn it!’

She had lost another opportunity.

After walking a little more, they arrived near the public library, so Ayane raised her gaze toward the building and her eyes seemed to light up slightly, something Noah noticed.

"Do you like that library?"

Ayane nodded.

"A lot."

"Do you come often?"

"Yes, they have a pretty interesting collection."

Noah looked at the entrance.

"Want to go in?"

Ayane blinked.

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Wouldn’t you get bored?"

Noah smiled.

"I don’t think so."

Ayane hesitated for a few seconds and then nodded.

"Then..."

She looked at the building again.

"I’d like to show you something."

Noah made a small gesture toward the entrance.

"Let’s go."

The two of them walked toward the library and Ayane seemed much more relaxed.

For the first time since they had started talking, she had a topic she could discuss without getting completely nervous.

The interior of the library was quite quiet, and there were several tables occupied by students while some readers browsed the shelves.

Ayane discreetly greeted an employee who seemed to know her and then led Noah toward a section located on the second floor.

"This way."

Noah followed her.

"You know this place pretty well."

Ayane smiled slightly.

"I’ve been coming for years."

"Always to study?"

"No."

She stopped in front of a series of shelves.

"I also like reading novels."

Noah raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Novels?"

Ayane nodded.

"Yes."

"What genre?"

She remained silent for a second and then looked away.

"Several."

Noah smiled.

"What’s your favorite?"

"..."

Ayane started to turn red and Noah looked at her with curiosity.

"Ayane?"

"Romance."

The answer was so quiet that Noah barely managed to hear it.

"What?"

Ayane clenched her hands slightly.

"Romance novels!"

Some nearby people raised their heads and Ayane immediately covered her mouth.

"..."

Noah tried to hold back a smile.

"I see."

She lowered her head.

’How embarrassing!’

Noah approached one of the shelves.

"And which ones do you recommend?"

Ayane slowly raised her gaze.

"Are you interested?"

"Sure, I’d like to know your tastes."

Those words managed to make Ayane momentarily forget her embarrassment, so she approached the shelf and began checking the titles.

"Then..."

She pulled out a novel with a blue cover.

"This one is pretty good."

Noah looked at the book.

"What’s it about?"

Ayane smiled.

"It’s about a girl who accidentally meets a boy in high school."

Noah blinked.

"..."

Ayane continued.

"At first they barely talk, but then they start running into each other frequently."

"I see."

"He helps her on several occasions and she ends up developing feelings for him."

Noah raised an eyebrow slightly.

’This is starting to sound familiar.’

Ayane hugged the book lightly against her chest.

"However, she’s very shy and can’t manage to confess her feelings to him."

"..."

Noah remained silent and Ayane continued.

"So she tries to get closer in different ways, but something always happens that interrupts her plans."

Noah looked at the book and then at Ayane.

’Definitely sounds familiar.’

She kept talking.

"Finally she manages to be alone with him during a visit to a library."

Noah blinked.

"..."

Ayane also blinked, looked at the book, then looked at Noah, and then she understood.

’IT’S ALMOST THE SAME!’

Her face turned completely red.

"T-This one isn’t!"

She returned the book to the shelf so quickly that she almost put it in upside down and Noah let out a small laugh.

"It seemed interesting."

"Not that much!"

"But you just said it was pretty good."

"I was wrong!"

Noah smiled.

"It’s fine."

Ayane began desperately checking other titles.

’I need to find something normal!’

She pulled out a second novel, looked at the synopsis, and it was about a girl in love with her childhood friend, so she immediately put it back.

She pulled out a third and it was about a student who ends up engaged to a guy she barely knows, so she put that one back too.

In the fourth novel it was about a woman trying to win over a man who already has several suitors, at which Ayane closed her eyes.

’Why do all the books deal with this?’

Noah watched her with a smile.

"Can’t find any?"

Ayane took a deep breath.

"...I’m checking."

Finally, she pulled out a different book.

"This one."

Noah looked at the cover.

"What’s it about?"

Ayane discreetly read the synopsis and then answered.

"A researcher who solves mysteries."

Noah smiled.

"Sounds interesting."

Ayane nodded quickly.

"It is!"

At last she had found a safe topic.