Chapter 160: Iris doesn’t complicate her life.

Noah sat next to Iris and both started the match.

Sarah and Emma watched from behind.

At first they didn’t understand a single thing, since there were sounds, indicators, skills, and characters moving around.

Noah talked and Iris answered with very short phrases.

"Up."

"Going."

"Careful."

"Saw it."

"Behind."

"Yeah."

Emma looked at Sarah, Sarah looked at Emma, and they both looked back at the screen.

Noah lost a fight and Iris looked at him.

"I told you behind."

"I saw it late."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No."

"There was another person!"

"You saw her."

"I didn’t see her."

"She was on the map."

Noah frowned.

"I was looking at something else."

"That’s why you died."

Sarah spoke quietly to Emma.

"Is that how they started dating?"

Emma shook her head.

"I have no idea."

Iris heard them and answered without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Yes."

Noah almost lost again.

"Iris!"

"What?"

"Don’t answer them while we’re playing!"

"I can do both."

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"So you started by playing?"

Iris nodded.

"That’s right."

"And then?"

"We kept playing."

Emma asked.

"And at what point did you become a couple?"

Iris thought while moving her fingers.

"Later."

Noah let out a laugh.

"What a useful explanation."

Iris glanced at him for barely a second.

"I’m playing."

"They asked!"

"I’ll answer later."

"You’re the one who said you can do both."

Iris stayed silent and Noah smiled.

"Got you."

Two seconds later, Noah’s character died and Iris looked at him.

"You died."

Noah stopped smiling.

"That was your fault."

"No."

Sarah ended up laughing while the match continued for several more minutes until they finally won, so Noah set the phone down on his lap.

"See?"

Emma smiled.

"I didn’t understand a thing."

Sarah nodded.

"Me neither."

Iris put the phone away.

"We won."

"That part I got."

Noah looked at both of them.

"So?"

Emma watched Iris.

"Now I have more questions."

Iris nodded.

"Ask."

Emma smiled.

"How does a girl who talks so little end up dating my son?"

Iris thought for a few seconds and Noah watched her with curiosity.

She answered.

"He talks enough for both of us."

Noah’s eyes went wide while Sarah burst out laughing and Emma covered her mouth.

Even Iris smiled a little and Noah pointed at her.

"That was mean."

"But it’s the truth."

"I don’t talk that much."

Three people looked at him and Noah fell silent.

"Fine."

Emma stopped laughing and then looked at Iris more carefully.

"Do you like him a lot?"

Iris didn’t hesitate.

"Yes."

Noah went still and Iris’s expression didn’t change.

Sarah also stopped joking and Emma asked.

"And does he treat you well?"

"Yes."

Iris looked at Noah.

"Usually."

Noah frowned.

"Why does everyone answer that?"

Sarah smiled.

"Maybe you should reflect on it."

"No."

Iris continued.

"He’s annoying sometimes."

"Iris!"

"But I like being with him."

Noah went quiet and Iris looked back at Emma.

"That’s all."

Emma smiled.

There was no speech, no promises about the future, and no list of qualities either.

Iris simply said it and that seemed to be enough.

Sarah leaned back on the couch.

"Yeah, you’re definitely different from the others."

"Yes."

Noah looked at her.

"You didn’t even ask in what way."

"Doesn’t matter."

Sarah laughed again and Emma asked.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?"

Iris looked at Noah, who raised an eyebrow, and she thought for a few seconds.

"Yes."

Noah’s eyes went wide.

"Just like that?"

Iris looked at him.

"Do you want me to say no?"

"No, but I thought you’d have to go back."

"I can play from here."

Noah sighed.

"Of course that was the priority."

Emma stood up.

"Then I’ll prepare a little more."

Iris stood up too.

"Can I help?"

Emma looked surprised.

"Do you know how to cook?"

"Not really."

"Then you can help with simple things."

"Okay."

Iris followed Emma into the kitchen while Sarah stayed next to Noah and for a few seconds watched how Iris helped take a few things out.

Then she looked at her son.

"It wasn’t complicated."

Noah blinked.

"What?"

"This."

Sarah pointed toward Iris.

"She didn’t bring gifts."

"No."

"Or put on a special presentation."

"That either."

"She didn’t even try to prove she can support you."

Noah sighed.

"Luna’s going to get mad if she hears that."

Sarah smiled.

"She just came and said it."

Noah watched Iris.

"Yeah."

Sarah crossed her arms.

"It was the simplest one."

Noah started laughing.

"And that’s after she followed you for fifteen minutes yesterday, right?"

Sarah laughed too.

"I forgot that part."

From the kitchen, Iris spoke.

"I can hear you."

Noah answered.

"Then don’t follow my mom!"

"It won’t happen again."

Sarah raised her voice.

"I hope so."

Iris didn’t answer and Noah smiled.

For the first time since all of this had started, a presentation hadn’t ended in disaster.

Well, almost.

During dinner, Iris spoke little, but no one seemed to find it strange.

Emma would ask her something and Iris would answer.

Sarah would make a joke and Iris sometimes didn’t know if it was a joke, so Noah had to explain it.

Ava came down later, saw Iris, and stopped.

"No."

Noah looked at her.

"What?"

Ava pointed at Iris.

"Another one?"

Iris raised a hand.

"Hi."

Ava closed her eyes.

"Of course."

She sat down, so Noah waited for the attack, but it didn’t come.

Ava simply started eating.

After Yume, Luna, Aria, and Ren, it seemed she had reached a point where she needed time to reorganize her priorities.

Iris looked at her for a few seconds and then went back to eating, so Noah decided not to start any conversation.

When they finished, Iris said goodbye to Emma and Sarah.

Emma told her she could come back and Sarah added.

"But next time warn me before you follow me."

Iris stayed silent and Noah started laughing, but Iris looked at him.

"It wasn’t funny."

"Yes it was."

"No."

"A little."

Iris left, so Noah walked her to the door, but before leaving, Iris looked at her phone, opened the group chat, and typed.

[I’m done.]

Yume replied immediately.

[THEY ACCEPTED YOU!?]

Iris answered.

[Yes.]

Luna wrote.

[Good.]

Ren.

[I’m glad.]

Aria.

[What strategy did you use, mysterious young lady?]

Iris wrote.

[I knocked on the door.]

There was nothing more, so then Yume replied.

[JUST THAT?]

Iris confirmed.

[Yes.]

[Aria: You didn’t bring anything?]

[Iris: No.]

[Luna: You didn’t prepare the conversation?]

[Iris: No.]

[Ren: You didn’t organize a meeting?]

[Iris: I tried that yesterday. It was a waste of time.]

Noah watched the chat from his phone.

Yume wrote:

[IT CAN’T BE THAT EASY!]

Iris answered.

[It was.]

Noah started laughing again and Iris put her phone away.

"I’m going."

"Okay."

"See you tomorrow."

"See you."

Iris walked toward the street, and Noah closed the door and stayed leaning against it for a few seconds.

It was over.

Emma and Sarah already knew the situation, well, almost all of it, so Noah decided not to think about other possible problems.

He went upstairs and from the living room he heard Sarah.

"Noah."

He stopped.

"Yes?"

"Later I want to see that calendar."

Noah froze and Emma added from the kitchen.

"Me too."

Ava immediately raised her head and Noah closed his eyes.

’No.’

The presentations were over, but Noah started to suspect that telling his mothers the truth had only created new problems.