The Author's POV

The air around the room was tense. It felt suffocating. Almost as if I was stuck inside of a cramped room with no room to breathe.

The reason for such atmosphere?

Quietly sitting on my chair, a stunningly beautiful young girl with glossy black hair and porcelain white skin devoid of any imperfections, was curiously looking around my room.

Amanda stern.

Someone who I had never thought of interacting with privately.

Seeing her sit on my seat as if it was the most natural thing to do, my eyebrows twitched.

Just what did I do to deserve this?

...no, I knew why, I just wanted to deny reality.

Sighing, I spoke up to try to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Would you like green tea or water?"

Hearing my voice, Amanda's eyes paused on my face for a couple of seconds and after a short pause she said

"...green tea"

"Alright"

Heading to where my teapot was stashed, I took it out and poured steaming hot water into the pot.

After a couple of seconds, I took a bag filled with tea leaves and gently threw them into the pot.

While waiting for the tea to be ready, I turned around and noticed Amanda's obsidian black eyes staring at me.

Taken aback by her odd behavior, I asked

"...Need something?"

Hearing my voice and seeing that I had caught her red-handed, Amanda looked to the side and acted as if nothing happened as she lightly murmured.

"...Nothing"

Smiling, I looked back at the teapot.

What do you mean nothing? You were obviously staring at me!

Even a blind person could tell you were looking at me.

Pinching my brows, I decided to think about this in a positive way.

From the looks of things, it at least seemed that she had no hard feelings against me. Since I knew her personality well, I knew that if she were to have had a grudge against me, she would've avoided me at all costs.

Treating me as if I was nonexistent.

Seeing how she had actively come looking for me, I knew that she didn't hold what happened against me.

...so what did she come here for?

There was definitely a reason for her visit. I sort of had a hunch on what it was, but I wasn't too sure.

Most likely, she came to express her gratitude for saving her.

If so, I better get this over with fast. If someone found out 'the Amanda Stern' who was the talk of the academy was having a private meeting with a boy in his own room, I wouldn't even know how I died.

The fact that she was in my room meant that my life was in danger.

Sigh.

Just when I thought things weren't going to become more troublesome suddenly a new troublesome situation arose.

Looking at the water in the teapot that had started turning murky brown, I carefully removed the teapot from the heater and poured the tea into two porcelain teacups.

Walking back to where Amanda was seated, I handed the steaming hot teacup to her and sat in front of her.

"Thank you"

Taking the teacup with both hands, Amanda gently blew on the cup and took a sip.

Closing her eyes and savoring the taste of the tea, Amanda nodded slightly said

"...it's good"

"Thank you"

also took a sip of the tea. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste that even after a couple of seconds lingered at the tip of my

what did you want to talk

time drinking tea, I decided to get

teacup down, Amanda's indifferent face stared at me. After a while,

"...Thank you"

Frowning slightly, I said

"For what?"

"For saving me"

head, I leaned back on

don't ever recall

"Yo-.."

as she was about to answer, I cut

you forgot what I had told

'..forget what you saw'

little bit. Her

"I can't do that..."

teacup

at her crystal black eyes that were looking back at me, I thought

if you're really sorry then give me

reply, Amanda sighed

was visibly relieved by my

"Okay"

her phone, she quickly went to

this, I couldn't

was just like

disliked owing anyone

than herself. No, it was

made sure to pay back every single favor she owed so that she wouldn't build any unrealistic expectations of

million

million U? I guess

my tea, I initially nodded apathetically, but as soon as I processed what she had said, I almost spat all

what did you just

who had just stood up and was looking

million,

do you mean that's not enough,

hand, I

treating money as if it

"...so 5 million okay?"

"Sigh, hold on"

back on my chair,

With that much money, I could pretty much solve the problem

an idea suddenly came into

something else instead

the room temperature dropped and Amanda's

was probably misunderstanding something, I quickly followed

any dates or anything that is remotely close to

my next part, Amanda's brows relaxed. Nodding her head she

"...Okay"

relief, I

me a sword

"A sword art?"

aback by my request, Amanda looked at

but remembering what

looking for something to disguise my main sword

"oh"

if she understood

her react like that, I knew she still had a misconception about my strength. In the end, I said nothing.

try to solve

end, It didn't really matter if she misunderstood or not. At the end of the day,

blabbermouth. Meaning that my secret

sword

for a

like a sword art

a second, Amanda pondered for

"How many stars?"

5 million U, I guess something that went along that

bit, Amanda scrolled through her

let me have a

the phone, a

from the criteria that

list of manuals, my mouth twitched. If I said I wasn't jealous right now, that

daughter of the guild master of

immeasurable amount of resources and manuals that would cause anyone to