Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Noah Tries to Play Cupid Again, and We All Know How This Will End.
Noah looked at his phone screen for the third time in less than a minute.
Yume had sent him a picture of her breakfast.
It wasn’t anything special, just a plate with toast, sliced fruit, and a cup of tea, but Noah still stared at it for several seconds before replying.
[Looks good. Eat up and don’t be late.]
Yume’s reply came almost immediately.
[I’m not going to be late! I woke up early today.]
Noah couldn’t help but smile.
’She’s happy.’
That thought stayed in his head for the rest of breakfast.
Yume was doing better. After everything that happened in the battle, the hospital, and the confession, she seemed much more stable.
She smiled more, trained with more energy, sent him messages often, and even her mistakes during practice no longer came with frustration but with a clear effort to improve.
That was good. It was what Noah wanted, at least part of what he wanted.
He set his phone down on the table and looked at his plate.
’Now that Yume is happy... maybe I can still get Luna to fall for her.’
Noah froze.
The idea wasn’t new; it had been floating around in his head for several days, but that morning it took on a clearer shape.
Yume and Luna already knew each other. They trained together and had fought together.
Luna had risked her life to try to stop Yume’s out-of-control energy, and Yume, for her part, seemed to have started treating Luna with less hostility.
It wasn’t enough, but it was a start.
’The canon changed, but it hasn’t been completely destroyed.’
Noah picked up his phone again and opened the group chat with both of them.
Noah typed.
[No regular training today. I was thinking it’d be good for the three of us to go out for a bit.]
Yume replied first.
[I don’t destroy things on purpose.]
Noah wrote.
[That detail isn’t as reassuring as you think.]
Luna’s reply took a little longer.
[What’s the point of doing that?]
Noah looked at the message.
’Straight to the point as always.’
He wrote.
[Improve team bonding. Since you’re going to fight together, you should also learn to spend time together without pressure.]
Yume sent several dots.
[Does this count as a date?]
Noah nearly dropped his phone.
[No.]
He immediately sent another message.
[It’s a team outing.]
Yume replied:
[Understood. Team outing.]
Luna wrote:
[Okay. I’ll be there.]
Noah let out a sigh.
’Good. First step done.’
The plan was simple. First he’d take them to a quiet café near the mall, then they’d walk around an area with shops and food stalls.
Later, if the mood felt right, he’d pretend he had to buy something or go to the bathroom and leave them alone, but not for long, just enough time for them to talk.
’No pressure, no big events. Just opportunities.’
With that idea in mind, Noah got ready and left the house.
When he arrived at the meeting point, Yume was already waiting.
She was wearing casual clothes and had a small bag slung over her shoulder. When she saw him, she raised her hand energetically.
"Noah, you’re here."
"Yeah. Did you wait long?"
"No, just twenty minutes."
"That’s a lot!"
"It doesn’t count if I was excited."
Noah decided not to argue with that logic.
Luna arrived shortly after, dressed simply in a dark jacket with her hair neatly arranged. She walked toward them with the same serious expression as always.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Luna."
Yume also greeted her.
"Hi, Luna."
"Hi."
There was a brief silence, so Noah glanced at one and then the other.
’This needs help.’
He cleared his throat.
"So, we’ll go to a café first and then we can walk around a bit. The idea is to relax."
"Is relaxing mandatory?"
Luna asked.
Noah blinked.
"No, but it’s recommended."
"Understood."
Yume tilted her head.
"Luna, sometimes I can’t tell if you’re joking."
Luna looked at her.
"Sometimes neither can I."
Noah stayed quiet.
’Was that a joke?’
He couldn’t decide.
The three of them walked to the café. The place was quiet and had several free tables. Noah chose one by the window, making sure Yume and Luna sat across from each other.
He sat on the side.
’Good spot. When I get up, they’ll be facing each other.’
Yume picked up the menu.
"I want something sweet."
Luna scanned the list.
"I’ll have tea."
Noah looked at Luna.
"Just tea?"
"Yes."
"Don’t you want to eat something?"
"I’m not hungry."
Yume lowered her menu slightly.
"But if we’re going to be out for several hours, you should eat something."
Luna looked at her.
"It’s not necessary."
"You might get dizzy if you don’t eat."
"My physical condition is good."
"That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat."
Noah watched the conversation.
’Nice. Yume is worrying about Luna.’
He felt encouraged.
"Yume’s right. You could order something small."
Luna turned her gaze toward Noah.
"If you recommend it, then I’ll order something."
Noah felt something was off, and Yume noticed it too because she looked at her immediately.
"If Noah recommends it?"
Luna remained calm.
"He organized the outing, so it’s reasonable to accept his suggestion."
"I suggested it too."
"Yes, I know."
"And that doesn’t count?"
"It counts less."
Noah brought a hand to his forehead.
’Luna, please.’
Yume puffed out her cheeks but didn’t argue further because the waitress approached to take their order.
They ordered drinks, a cake for Yume, tea for Luna, and a small sandwich that Luna accepted after glancing at Noah for half a second.
While they waited, Noah tried to start a safe conversation.
"Luna, Yume improved her control a lot this week."
Yume straightened up immediately.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You still need to reduce the output at the start, but you’re not destroying everything around you anymore."
"That sounds like a compliment with a warning."
"Because it is."
Luna spoke up.
"She improved. Before, her attacks were dangerous even for people on her own side."
Yume looked at her.
"Was that necessary?"
"It’s an accurate description."
Noah intervened quickly.
"The important thing is that you improved, and Luna has been helping too, even if she says it a bit bluntly."
Luna lowered her gaze to the table.
"I only said what I observed."
’Did she get embarrassed?’
Noah wasn’t sure, but he took advantage of the moment.
"Luna, what part of Yume’s technique do you think improved the most?"
Luna thought for a few seconds.
"The output control. Before she would release energy all at once, but now she can hold it back during the first second, which reduces the risk."
Yume stared at her.
"I didn’t know you’d noticed."
"I noticed."
"Thank you."
"It wasn’t a compliment."
"I’m going to take it as one."
"As you wish."
Noah felt the conversation was progressing. It wasn’t exactly romantic, but at least they were talking without yelling at each other.
Then he decided to put the first part of his plan into action.
He stood up.
"I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a moment."
Yume looked at him.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No!"
The answer came out too fast.
Yume blinked and Noah corrected his tone.
"It would look weird for a guy and a girl to go to the bathroom together, so just stay here. I’ll be right back."
Luna watched him without saying anything.
Noah walked toward the hallway at the back, but instead of entering the bathroom, he stopped at a corner where they couldn’t see him but he could still watch the table from a distance.
’Now talk. Just a little... anything works.’
Yume looked at her cake and Luna picked up her cup.
Ten seconds passed. Twenty. Thirty. Noah frowned.
’Come on, say something!’
Yume started speaking first and Luna replied with a short phrase that Yume nodded to.
Noah couldn’t hear from where he was, but the scene looked peaceful.
’Good. Maybe this will work.’
Then Yume looked toward the hallway, so Noah hid a little more. But when he looked again, Luna was no longer sitting down.
Noah’s eyes widened.
’Where is she?’
He turned around and Luna was standing just a few steps away from him.
Noah startled.
"Luna!"
She looked at him calmly.
"You weren’t in the bathroom."
Noah felt he owed her an explanation.
"I... was heading there."
"The men’s bathroom is in the other direction."
Noah looked at the sign and it was true.
’What a stupid mistake.’
Noah will have to come up with a good excuse if he wants to get out of this.
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