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"

her, I also took a sip of the tea. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste that even after a couple of seconds

what did you want to

that we couldn't just spend all the time drinking tea,

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

"...Thank you"

Frowning slightly, I said

"For what?"

"For saving me"

I leaned back on

ever recall

"Yo-.."

was about to answer, I cut her

seems like you forgot what I had

'..forget what you saw'

remained quiet for a little bit. Her brows continuously

"I can't do that..."

my teacup down.

were looking back at me, I thought for a

if you're really sorry then give me

Amanda sighed

relieved

"Okay"

her phone, she quickly went to her bank

this, I couldn't help but bitterly shake

was just

disliked owing

want to feel indebted to anyone other than herself. No, it was more like she only trusted herself

back every single favor she owed so that she wouldn't build any unrealistic

5 million

U? I

apathetically, but as soon as I processed what

what did you just

at me who had just stood up and was

5 million,

that's not

my hand, I immediately shut

rich second generation kids treating

"...so 5 million okay?"

"Sigh, hold on"

on my chair,

that much money, I could pretty much solve the problem of finding a

Amanda, an idea suddenly came

something else instead of

lightly, the room temperature dropped

she was probably misunderstanding something, I quickly

not asking for any dates or anything

brows relaxed. Nodding her head

"...Okay"

relief, I

get me

"A sword art?"

my request, Amanda

was confused by her reaction, but remembering what had happened a

am looking for something to disguise my main sword

"oh"

if she understood something,

she still had a misconception about my strength.

much I'll try to solve the misunderstanding, chances were that she

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

a blabbermouth. Meaning that my secret

of sword art would

a bit, I

see, I would like a sword art that primarily focused on

Amanda pondered for a moment before

"How many stars?"

were previously offering me around 5 million U, I guess something that went

her phone for a couple of seconds

let me have a

function on the phone, a long list of

I got from the criteria that

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

guild master of the number one guild in

and manuals that would cause