Chapter 21. Relationship

A few days later, at a random café, Noah and Asher were together. The afternoon sun streamed through the large windows, casting warm patterns across their table. The smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the faint scent of pastries from the display case. The low hum of chatter and the occasional clink of utensils filled the space around them, but neither paid much attention to the other patrons. 

"They didn't recognize me as a member of Joker Roulette," Asher said, stirring his drink absently. His fingers tapped nervously against the ceramic cup. A slight tremor ran through his hand as he glanced around, his shoulders tense. "But it's still very nerve-wracking when I saw a bunch of Arcane Keepers going around looking for us." 

Noah watched him with mild amusement, his own posture relaxed. He took a slow sip from his glass.

"I can't calm down at all," Asher continued. He glanced over his shoulder at the café entrance before speaking again, his voice dropping slightly. "When I tried to play at some arcade, I can't help but feel nervous. It makes me keep looking back. What if they found me when I'm focusing on playing, and I get ambushed by a bunch of them? This makes me so uneasy." 

Noah exhaled through his nose, a faint smirk playing on his lips. 

"I see," Noah said. "Sorry, I can't relate. I didn't feel any different than any other day. If they found me, I can just teleport away." 

"Lucky you!" Asher said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. A lock of hair fell back into his eyes, and he brushed it away impatiently. "I hope I had such a convenient power." 

Noah chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head before leaning back in his chair. The sunlight caught the edges of his grin, making it seem almost taunting. 

"Well, I'm sure someone was more frustrated than you these days," Noah said, grinning. "That brute face was clearly being shared all over the place, after all." 

Asher paused, his irritation momentarily forgotten as he processed Noah's words. 

"Owen?" Asher said, his eyebrows raising. He drummed his fingers against the table, thinking. "Now that you mention it, the last time I saw him, he was really pissed. But the Boss was still asking him to keep calm." 

Noah's grin widened, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his glass. The condensation left faint wet streaks along the surface. 

"Soon, he will lose it, and the fight between Arcane Keepers and Joker Roulette will begin," Noah said. His voice was light, almost conversational, but there was an edge to it. "You better prepare yourselves." 

Asher gulped and then nodded. His throat felt suddenly dry, and he took a quick sip of his drink to steady himself. 

"You're right," Asher said, gripping his cup tighter. "We're still outnumbered, so I need to prepare myself to fight several of them." 

Noah shook his head, his expression shifting into something sharper. 

"Wrong," Noah said, his voice cutting through Asher's thoughts. 

Asher blinked, caught off guard. "What?" 

"You're wrong," Noah said, shaking his head slightly. His tone left no room for argument. "We won't participate in that fight." 

Asher's brows furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. 

"We won't?" Asher asked. "What do you mean?" 

Noah smiled. It was the kind of smile that made Asher uneasy—too knowing, too calculated. 

"As you heard, that fight, we won't participate in it," Noah said, his fingers now tapping rhythmically against the table. "We will be doing something else." 

"Something else...?" Asher's voice trailed off as he tried to piece together Noah's meaning. 

Noah waved a hand dismissively, as if swatting away the unspoken questions. 

"I will explain it later," Noah said. "Anyway, this isn't our fight, so you don't need to stress too much. You just need to follow my lead." 

Asher exhaled slowly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. He wasn't entirely convinced, but arguing with Noah rarely led anywhere. 

"I don't really get it, but okay," Asher said, trying to push away the lingering unease. 

Noah's gaze shifted, his expression turning more casual as he changed the subject. 

"Anyway, how about your friend Milo?" Noah asked, tilting his head slightly. "You said you would make him join our side, but so far he doesn't seem like he's going to betray the boss." 

Asher sighed. He stared down at his half-finished drink, watching the liquid swirl as he turned the cup slightly. 

"You're right," Asher admitted, his voice quieter now. "I might be underestimating their relationship. He might favor the boss more than me." 

Noah shrugged, unfazed. 

"Well, that's to be expected, I guess," Noah said. He took another sip of his drink before continuing. "What are you going to do about that?" 

Asher rubbed his temples, frustration creeping into his voice. 

"I'm not sure," Asher said. "I'm trying not to think too much about it." 

Noah smirked, swirling the remaining liquid in his glass. 

"Fair," Noah said. His tone was light, almost teasing. "Becoming enemies with your friend won't be an easy thing. You can always go back and join their side, you know?" 

Asher's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. 

"Don't even joke about it," Asher said, his voice suddenly sharp. He met Noah's gaze firmly, his jaw set. "I will stand by you no matter what." 

Noah smiled. It was a genuine expression this time, though still edged with something unreadable. 

"You're more logical than I expected," Noah said. "Congrats." 

Asher snorted, some of the tension leaving his posture. He rolled his eyes but didn't argue. 

"Don't look down on me," Asher muttered. "Anyway, leave Milo to me; I will find a way." 

Noah nodded, satisfied. 

"Good luck then," he said. Then, as if remembering something, he perked up slightly. "Ah, right, about the last two members, how much do you know about them?" 

Asher frowned, crossing his arms. 

"Unfortunately, I know nothing about them," Asher said. His fingers tapped against his elbow restlessly. "I've never met them either. The boss and others always said that they were busy doing something, but I was never filled in with what they actually do." 

Noah's eyes lit up with interest, a slow grin spreading across his face. 

"Fascinating," Noah said. "So mysterious, I like it." 

Asher scowled. 

"Well, I don't," Asher said, his voice tight. "I feel like they often leave me out from their activities, hide secrets from me, make me feel like I'm not really part of the group." 

Noah tilted his head slightly, studying him. 

"Is that why you decided to join me instead?" Noah asked, his tone curious but not unkind. 

Asher shrugged, his gaze dropping to the table. 

"A part of it maybe," Asher said. He hesitated, then added, "I just felt like—" 

Their talk was interrupted by Asher's phone notification. The sudden vibration made him jump slightly. He pulled it out, the screen lighting up with the new message. 

"It's a message from the boss," Asher said, his fingers tightening around the device. 

Noah leaned forward, his earlier amusement replaced by keen interest. 

"Oh?" Noah said. "What does he say?" 

Asher opened the message and scanned the text quickly, then again more slowly. His breath hitched. 

He gulped and then looked at Noah. His face had gone slightly pale. 

"It's happening!" he said, his voice low but urgent. "Owen is fighting with the Arcane Keepers, and the boss asked us to back him up!" 

Noah smiled. It was a satisfied, almost predatory expression. 

"That's faster than I expected." 

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