I was surprised Stella invited Atlas to join us.

“He might be late since he went to Operose. He’s on his way back now, so we don’t have to wait for him to start eating,” she casually explained, “I impulsively decided to invite him. Atlas called me and asked what I wanted to eat, but I told him about our meal. You don’t mind, do you?”

I replied, "Of course not!"

Although I said that, I felt uneasy. I felt I wasn’t telling Stella the truth when I said I didn’t mind. Still, I couldn’t tell this sincere and harmless girl that.

“That’s good,” she said, handing me the menu, “I ordered a few dishes since it’s our first meal together. I don’t know what you like, so please choose.”

Her warmth made her more approachable. It differed from our first encounter when she seemed more indifferent and arrogant. I remembered how she glanced at the other diners the other day. Her expression was a significant contrast from her current one. She seemed like two different people.

I chose dishes from the