Chapter 206: Whatever you say, dear
Lyria then decided to changed the topic. She clapped her hands lightly before smiling.
"Let’s stop standing around. We should get going."
Noah nodded.
"Agreed. No point wasting the morning."
"True, let’s go."
The three of them walked side by side toward the academy gates, their figures gradually disappearing beneath the warm summer sunlight as they headed toward Novaris City together.
---
The three of them walked side by side through the lively streets of Novaris City.
The morning had gradually given way to late morning. As they walked, Arisha suddenly glanced at Noah with an amused smile.
"So How does it feel, Noah?"
Noah looked at her in confusion.
"Hm? About what?"
Arisha folded her arms behind her head as she continued walking.
"I meant How does it feel to spend time alone with two beautiful young ladies?"
Noah immediately knew where the conversation was heading. He opened his mouth, intending to tell her to stop teasing him again.
However before he could answer, Lyria spoke from his other side.
"You are doing it again?"
She looked at Arisha with a helpless expression.
"Please stop teasing him."
Unlike Arisha, Lyria became embarrassed far too easily.
Hearing conversations like these always made her cheeks warm.
Arisha simply shrugged innocently.
"Alright. I’ll stop."
A small smile appeared on her lips before she changed the topic.
"Where should we go first?"
Noah answered almost immediately.
"Food."
The two girls looked at him.
"I didn’t eat breakfast this morning. And it’s almost noon already. If we eat something now, there won’t be any need to have lunch later."
"That sounds reasonable." Lyria said.
Arisha nodded. "I don’t mind."
Then she looked at Noah with a mischievous smile. "Whatever you say, dear."
Lyria sighed the moment she heard that. "She really isn’t going to stop..."
Noah laughed softly.
"Just let her. She enjoys teasing me. There’s no point trying to stop her."
Lyria could only smile helplessly.
"...Well, if you say so."
The three of them continued walking until they found a cozy restaurant that specialized in burgers and pizzas.
The moment they stepped inside, the rich aroma of melted cheese, freshly baked bread, and grilled meat greeted them.
Several customers were already enjoying their meals while soft music played quietly in the background.
After finding an empty table beside a large window overlooking the busy street, they sat down.
The waiter soon arrived. Noah ordered a large burger and a pizza to share.
Lyria and Arisha ordered the same.
After handing back the menus, they quietly waited for their food.
Noah rested one arm on the table.
"After this...How about we go shopping?"
Lyria nodded.
"I’d like that. It’s been quite a while since I bought any new clothes."
Arisha shrugged casually.
"I don’t mind."
A brief silence followed.
Then Noah suddenly turned toward Arisha.
"By the way... Can I ask you something?"
She looked at him.
"What is it?"
Noah hesitated for a second before speaking.
"I’ve always wondered...Why are you so casual around me? You joke with me all the time in weird way. I’ve never seen you talk like this with any other guy."
Arisha blinked.
She raised one hand and gently tapped her chin with her index finger. Her yellow eyes drifted toward the bustling street beyond the large glass window.
She genuinely seemed to be thinking about the answer.
Even Lyria became curious.
She quietly waited for Arisha’s reply.
After several moments, Arisha finally spoke.
"...How should I explain it?"
She looked back at Noah.
"When I first saw you...I honestly thought you were really handsome."
Noah froze.
"...Huh?"
Even Lyria’s eyes widened in surprise. Neither of them had expected such a straightforward answer.
Noah knew Arisha well enough to understand one thing. She wasn’t the type of girl who became interested in someone simply because they were attractive.
Which made her answer even more unexpected.
Arisha continued calmly.
"Then we talked while walking to meet the principal. I remember you calling me beautiful."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I could clearly tell you were teasing me."
"So...I decided to play along."
She shrugged.
"And honestly...It was kind of fun."
Realization dawned on Noah.
"So that’s why you kept teasing me afterward."
She nodded.
"Exactly. You kept flirting with those unbelievably cheesy and cringe lines..."
"So I simply continued playing along."
Noah immediately protested.
"Hey!"
"They weren’t cheesy or cringe."
"And besides...I deliberately flirted badly. I didn’t want anyone to actually take those lines seriously. I made them... cringe on purpose."
Lyria slowly rubbed her forehead.
For some reason...
The conversation had somehow shifted into discussing Noah’s terrible flirting techniques.
She wasn’t even surprised anymore.
A few minutes later, the waiter returned carrying several trays.
Three burgers, slices of freshly baked pizza, and cold drinks were placed neatly on the table.
The delicious aroma instantly filled the air.
Noah smiled.
"Finally. I’m starving."
The three of them enjoyed their meal while chatting about ordinary things, occasionally laughing whenever Arisha teased Noah again or Lyria reacted with another embarrassed expression.
For a little while...
The heavy memories of the recent examination faded into the background.After finishing their meal and paying the bill, they left the restaurant together.
The streets of Novaris City had grown even livelier than before.
People moved between countless shops. Vehicles moved from huge roads.
After walking for several minutes, Noah suddenly stopped.
He looked up at the large sign hanging above one of the buildings.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Finally... We’re here."
Before them stood one of the city’s largest clothing stores, its enormous glass windows displaying elegant suits, dresses, casual outfits, and finely crafted accessories.
Noah folded his arms.
"It’s been a while since I bought any new clothes. Now it’s time to buy some clothes for this handsome Noah so rich ladies will be charmed by me."
"Delulu," Arisha said before walking ahead.
"What’s ’delulu’?" Lyria asked with a confused expression.
Arisha sighed. "It means ’delusional.’ Anyway, let’s go."
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