Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Luna begins to lose control.
While Noah waited for Luna, she was in the movie theater bathroom with both hands braced on the sink, breathing hard.
Not from exhaustion, but from Noah.
She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed her face was more unsettled than usual.
’I held on for too long.’
She turned on the faucet and splashed water on her hands.
’I could have let go after the first scene.’
But she hadn’t.
’I could have let go when we left the auditorium.’
She hadn’t done that either.
She closed the faucet and her mind began filling with images she shouldn’t have.
Noah sitting beside her in the dark, his hand holding hers, his body leaning toward her during the scares, the chance to get closer, to whisper something in her ear, to touch her face, to kiss him right there in the theater, taking advantage of the darkness.
Luna squeezed her eyes shut.
’No.’
She took a deep breath.
’Don’t do that.’
She braced herself on the sink again.
’Yume hasn’t said anything about wanting to share Noah.’
That sentence had to hold her together.
’You can’t cross that line.’
But a part of her answered immediately.
’I already wanted to cross it.’
Luna clenched her teeth.
’Wanting isn’t doing it.’
She lifted her gaze to the mirror.
"You’re not going to do it."
She said it quietly, but a woman nearby gave her a strange look and Luna barely turned her head.
"Personal reflection."
The woman washed her hands faster and left.
Luna was alone again.
’If I cross that line once, I won’t be able to stop.’
That was what really worried her.
She felt that if she allowed herself to move forward, all her arguments would shatter, the discipline, the rules, the distance, the excuses, everything.
She breathed once more.
’I’ll go out, take him to the station, say goodbye, and that’s it.’
With that decision, she left the bathroom, but when she returned to the hallway, she saw Noah talking to a girl.
Her first reaction was to think of Yume.
’Yume?’
When she looked closer, she realized it wasn’t her.
The hair was pastel pink, but different, just like the posture, so it wasn’t Yume.
Luna took a few steps closer and caught part of the conversation.
The girl was trying to get information out of Noah, where he studied, where he lived, and if she could buy him something.
Noah looked uncomfortable, and for Luna the conclusion was immediate.
’She’s hitting on him!’
The calm she had gathered in the bathroom began to come undone as she walked toward them.
"Noah."
Noah turned.
"Luna."
The girl looked at her too.
"Is everything okay?"
Luna asked, and Noah answered quickly.
"Yeah, I was just giving her back her wallet."
Luna looked at the girl.
"I see."
Luna had heard the girl introduce herself as Mirai Hoshino.
That last name stayed in a corner of Luna’s mind, but the rest of the situation mattered more right then.
Mirai looked at her with an overly serious expression.
"I understand the situation."
Noah frowned.
"What situation?"
Mirai continued.
"I don’t want to cause problems, but we can talk about it."
Luna felt something inside her tighten.
"Talk about what?"
"I’m willing to negotiate."
Mirai’s explanation got worse with every sentence.
Luna listened to everything without changing her expression, but inside, a dark sphere of energy nearly formed in her hand.
’No.’
She stopped it before it became visible.
’Don’t cast magic in a public area.’
Mirai kept talking and Noah tried to intervene.
"Luna, I think she believes you and I..."
Luna cut him off.
"No."
Mirai looked at her and Luna took a step forward.
"I can keep him by myself, so I’m not interested in sharing."
Noah froze and Mirai’s eyes widened.
Luna took Noah’s hand.
"We’re leaving."
Noah tried to turn.
"This is a misunderstanding!"
Luna didn’t let go.
"Walk."
She pulled him with her and Noah had to quicken his pace so he wouldn’t stumble.
"Luna, wait, where are we going?"
Luna didn’t answer and kept walking.
"You can’t say something like that and then just leave."
Luna kept her eyes forward.
’She wanted to negotiate for him.’
"Luna."
’She doesn’t even know him.’
"Are you listening?"
’He gave her back her wallet and she already wanted to enter his life.’
"Luna, you’re dragging me."
’I don’t have the right either.’
That thought hit her hard and Luna slowed her pace a little, but she didn’t release his hand.
’But I don’t want anyone else looking at him like that.’
Noah watched her from the side.
His expression was somewhere between concern and confusion.
"Luna, seriously, what was that?"
"I don’t know."
"What do you mean you don’t know?"
They kept walking.
Luna wasn’t thinking about the route; she only wanted to get away from Mirai and get Noah away from her along with the possibility of losing control in front of a stranger.
When she finally stopped, Noah looked around.
They had reached an area with several buildings that had discreet lighting, partially covered entrances, and signs with hourly rates.
Noah stiffened.
"Luna."
She lifted her gaze and only then noticed where they were, a zone full of motels.
Noah took a step back.
"I think it’s better if we get out of here."
Luna didn’t let go, so Noah looked down at their hands.
"Luna."
She looked at him and her breathing was more agitated than before. Noah tried to speak calmly.
"Are you okay?"
Luna didn’t answer, but her gaze dropped to his lips and Noah noticed.
"Luna..."
She took a step toward Noah, who didn’t move, and Luna moved a little closer.
Her mind became a mess of conflicting orders.
’Don’t do it.’
’Just one kiss.’
’Yume.’
’But he’s right here.’
’You don’t have the right.’
’I want to be with him.’
’If you kiss him, you won’t be able to pretend this doesn’t exist.’
’It doesn’t matter.’
’Yes it does.’
Noah spoke softly.
"Luna, tell me what’s going on."
She raised her free hand and almost touched his chest but stopped before she did.
Their lips were only a tiny distance apart.
One second more and she would have crossed the line.
Luna closed her eyes, pulled away, and let go of his hand.
"No."
Noah breathed carefully.
"Luna...?"
"It’s better if you go."
"What?"
"Go, Noah."
Noah looked at her, worried.
"I don’t want to leave you alone if you’re like this."
"If you stay, it’ll be worse."
The sentence came out too direct, so Noah understood he shouldn’t push.
He didn’t know what was going through Luna’s mind, but he could see she was making an enormous effort to stay in control.
"Okay."
He took a step back.
"I’ll text you when I get home."
Luna didn’t look at him.
"Yeah."
Noah hesitated for another second.
Then he left.
Luna stayed there, among the lights of the motels and the distant street noise.
She didn’t cry, didn’t scream, didn’t do anything visible—she just stood there.
’What am I going to do about this?’
She had no answer.
Discipline was no longer enough, the rules gave her no way out, and telling herself that Noah was Yume’s boyfriend no longer silenced what she felt.
It only made it harder to bear.
That night, Noah entered his room and sat on the bed without changing his clothes.
He had managed to have dinner normally in front of his moms and Ava, though he had to answer several questions about why he seemed distracted.
He picked up his phone.
Luna hadn’t texted him, and he didn’t know what to write to her either.
’She acted really weird.’
The scene came back to his mind.
Luna holding onto him in the theater, interrupting Mirai, saying she could keep him by herself, pulling him by the hand, getting way too close, and then stopping.
Noah covered his face with one hand.
’What is going on?’
He thought about Mirai.
’That girl said her name was Mirai Hoshino.’
The last name hit him harder.
’Hoshino.’
He straightened up.
’She’s definitely related to Yume!’
It couldn’t be a coincidence. Pink hair, Hoshino surname, similar age. She had to be a close relative, and that girl had thought Luna was his girlfriend.
Noah’s eyes widened.
’I need to tell Yume before she finds out another way!’
Noah grabbed his phone and opened Yume’s contact.
"Better to call her now."
Before he could press the button, the screen changed.
Yume was calling him.
Noah stared at the name for a second and then swallowed.
’This can’t be good.’
He answered.
"Y-Yume...?"
Yume’s voice came from the other side.
"Noah."
She sounded way too calm, and that worried him even more.
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