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"

bitter aftertaste that even after a couple of seconds lingered at

you want to

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

indifferent face stared at

"...Thank you"

Frowning slightly, I said

"For what?"

"For saving me"

my head, I leaned back on my chair and

don't ever recall helping

"Yo-.."

she was about to answer, I cut

what

'..forget what you saw'

remembering what I had said, Amanda remained quiet for a little bit. Her brows continuously knit and relaxed, and after a while, she shook her

"I can't do that..."

my eyes, I placed my teacup down. Her response was within

that were looking back at me, I thought for a moment before

sorry

reply, Amanda sighed in

relieved

"Okay"

phone, she quickly went to her

couldn't help

personality was

owing

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

to pay back every single favor she owed so that she

5 million

million U? I

processed what she had said, I almost spat all my tea

did you just

me who had just stood up and was looking at her

5 million,

do you mean that's

my hand, I immediately shut her

generation kids treating

"...so 5 million okay?"

"Sigh, hold on"

back on my chair, I started

U would definitely help me. With that much money, I could pretty

an idea

ask for something

the room temperature dropped and Amanda's demeanor became increasingly

probably misunderstanding something, I

asking for any dates or anything

my next part, Amanda's brows relaxed. Nodding

"...Okay"

relief,

you get me a sword

"A sword art?"

aback by my request, Amanda looked at

but remembering what

something to disguise my main

"oh"

she understood

react like that, I knew she still had a misconception about my strength. In the end, I said nothing. I was honestly too tired to solve

no matter how much I'll try to solve the misunderstanding, chances were that she wouldn't believe

misunderstood or not. At the end of the day, she wasn't the type of

Meaning that my secret was pretty

of sword art would

for a bit,

a sword art that primarily focused

Amanda pondered for a moment

"How many stars?"

million U, I guess something that went

a bit, Amanda scrolled through her phone for a

me have a

holographic function on the phone, a long list of sword

is what I got from the criteria that you

of manuals, my mouth twitched. If I said I wasn't jealous

master of the number one

to an immeasurable amount of resources and manuals that would