Chapter 163: Hikari Amatsuki is a girl who’s hard to place.

’Hikari Amatsuki...’

Noah had been thinking about that name ever since he left home, not because he didn’t know who she was, but because he remembered her perfectly.

In the anime, Hikari always appeared as a model student.

She was the kind of person who turned in assignments before the deadline, studied ahead of time, and seemed to have even her rest periods planned out.

Noah walked down one of the high school hallways while checking his phone, where the Golden Clover app was still displaying the same mission.

[Recruit Hikari Amatsuki.]

No additional explanations or useful instructions, so Noah closed the app.

"How convenient."

He put his phone away, since he first needed to find her, and that was the problem.

Although he knew Hikari from the anime, he had never spoken to her, so he didn’t even know exactly which class she was in at that hour.

He remembered several scenes where she appeared studying in the library, some where she was in the student council, and others where she was simply walking with a stack of books.

’Library.’

It seemed like a good place to start, so Noah changed direction and, as he walked, tried to think about how he would approach the subject.

He couldn’t just walk up and say.

"Hi, want to become a magical girl and risk your life fighting monsters?"

’No, that would sound ridiculous.’

Even though, technically, that was exactly what he needed to ask her.

’Maybe I should explain everything first.’

That also seemed like a bad idea, since if he talked too much, Hikari would probably think he was crazy before he got to the important part.

Noah sighed.

"This was easier with the others."

He stopped.

"No."

He remembered everything he’d had to do to recruit Iris and Aria.

"It wasn’t easier."

He kept walking and, as he turned down another hallway, saw someone approaching from the other end.

A girl with dark hair, glasses, straight posture, and a folder clutched against her chest.

Noah went still.

’Don’t tell me it’s...’

Ayane Kagetsu saw him too and stopped.

They both stood staring at each other for a few seconds.

Ayane was the first to react, as her face turned red.

"N-Noah?"

"Hey."

There was silence.

Noah didn’t know what else to say, and neither did Ayane.

She looked to one side, then the other, and then back at him.

"What a coincidence."

"Yeah."

Another silence.

Noah started walking slowly off to the side.

"Well, I have to go."

"Where?"

He stopped, while Ayane also seemed surprised at having asked so quickly.

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"Then..."

"Just curiosity."

Noah looked at her, and Ayane avoided his gaze.

Despite everything that had happened, it still felt strange talking to her like this, since Ayane still belonged to the Great Mother’s group, which meant she was still a villain.

Technically, she had received orders related to capturing him and had also intervened to stop other units from capturing him, so the situation was complicated.

Besides, Ayane behaved completely differently every time she was near him.

In combat she could act like a serious leader, but in front of Noah she seemed to forget how to talk normally.

Noah decided to answer with the bare minimum.

"I’m looking for someone."

Ayane looked at him again immediately.

"Who?"

Noah narrowed his eyes.

"That was fast."

"What?"

"You asked too fast."

"It wasn’t fast."

"Yes it was."

Ayane adjusted her glasses.

"I’m just keeping a conversation going."

"Sure."

"A normal conversation."

"I believe you."

Ayane fell silent, and Noah started walking again.

"Then I’m going."

"Hikari."

Noah stopped, turned slowly, and Ayane was looking at him.

"What?"

"You’re looking for Hikari Amatsuki, right?"

Noah blinked.

"How do you know that?"

Ayane went rigid, since she had made a mistake and it showed immediately.

"I..."

Noah crossed his arms.

"Are you following me?"

"No."

"Did you check my phone?"

"No!"

"Then how do you know I’m looking for Hikari?"

Ayane took a few seconds to answer.

"I overheard you... by accident..."

Noah remembered talking to himself.

"When?"

Ayane pointed vaguely behind her.

"Earlier."

"How much earlier?"

"Enough."

Noah looked at her, and she adjusted her glasses again.

"Besides, you said her name."

Noah remembered murmuring "Hikari" several times while walking, so it could be true.

"Fine."

Ayane breathed discreetly, and Noah started to leave.

"Why?"

He stopped again.

"Why what?"

"Why are you looking for Hikari?"

Noah looked at Ayane, since the way she asked had changed and, although she was still trying to sound serious, there was something off about her expression.

"I need to talk to her."

"About what?"

"I can’t tell you."

Ayane frowned slightly.

"Why?"

"Because I can’t."

"That’s not an explanation."

"It’s enough."

Ayane gripped the folder a little tighter.

"Is it something personal?"

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe."

The answer made everything worse, since Ayane went completely still.

"Personal."

"Yeah."

"How personal?"

Noah sighed.

"Ayane, I want to know something..."

"Yes?"

"Are you interrogating me?"

"No, of course not."

"Well, it seems like you are."

"I’m not interrogating you."

"You just asked me how personal it is."

"I just wanted to understand the situation."

"What situation?"

Ayane opened her mouth, but didn’t answer, and Noah looked at her for a few more seconds.

’She’s acting weird.’

Though Ayane always acted weird around him, so he decided not to overthink it.

"I just need to talk to Hikari about something important."

"Important?"

"Yeah."

"Related to you?"

Noah brought a hand to his forehead.

"There you go again."

Ayane realized it.

"Sorry."

There was a brief silence, and then she asked.

"D-Does she like you?"

Noah looked at her immediately, and Ayane also widened her eyes when she realized what she had just said.

"What?"

"I didn’t say that."

"Yes you did."

"You imagined it."

"You just asked me if Hikari likes me."

Ayane started turning red.

"It was a hypothetical question!"

"It didn’t sound very hypothetical."

"Th-Then I phrased it wrong."

"Why do you want to know?"

Ayane looked away.

"For security reasons."

Noah blinked.

"What?"

"Hikari is an important student."

"That doesn’t answer anything."

Ayane tried to keep a serious face.

"If you’re going to get involved with her, I need to know if she represents any risk."

Noah watched her in silence.

"Does Hikari represent a risk to me?"

"I don’t know."

"And that’s why you ask if I like her?"

"Exactly."

Noah stayed quiet while Ayane avoided looking at him.

’Is she jealous?’

Noah immediately rejected that thought.

’No.’

He didn’t want to add more problems.

Ayane was still a villain and he already had enough strange situations with other girls, so he didn’t need to analyze that.

"It has nothing to do with that."

Ayane looked at him.

"So you don’t like her?"

"I’m not going to answer that."

"Why?"

"Because it’s none of your business."

Ayane went still, and Noah felt he might have been too direct.

"I mean..."

"No."

Ayane adjusted her folder.

"Fine."

Her expression looked normal, too normal, so Noah felt a little guilty.

"It’s just an important conversation."

Ayane nodded.

"I understand."

"Good."

"Then you can go."

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"That’s what I was planning to do."

"Perfect."

Noah walked toward the library while Ayane stayed behind, but after a few meters, Noah discreetly turned his head and Ayane was walking behind him.

Noah looked forward again.

’You’ve got to be kidding me.’

Ayane wasn’t going to give up easily.