The Author's POV

'...You are making it really hard for me not to like you.'

Amanda's words echoed inside my mind like thunderbolts as my body stopped moving altogether.

Millions of different thoughts flashed inside of my mind as I struggled to speak.

This...

She knew that I knew all along?

A bitter smile soon spread across my face.

'...And here I thought I was doing a good job at trying to hide my feelings.'

As expected of Amanda, she was more perceptive than I thought.

I was unsure of what to say to her sudden confession as I stared at her. Although I knew that she liked me, I didn't take her for one to express her emotions so suddenly.

The Amanda I knew was supposed to be reserved and shy.

Not someone that would boldly confess like this.

'Just what happened during the time that I was in the demon world?'

Honestly, she had caught me off-guard.

"Ehm—"

"You don't have to answer me just yet."

Amanda let go of the railing before I could say anything else. As she turned away from me, she moved toward the balcony's sliding door.

"Sorry for dropping off something like that after you've just returned. I just...feel like I needed to say it. For my sake."

There was a short pause in her speech as she placed her hand on the slider door.

"...I guess I'm selfish in my own way, but if I never did this, I don't think you would've ever though about it."

In the midst of my racing mind, a strange feeling overpowered me.

"Once again, sorry fo—"

I didn't know when, but before I knew it, I had already taken a step forward and I found myself grasping her wrist.

"Wait."

"Huh?"

After my hand made contact with Amanda's, her body flinched and she turned to face me with a surprised expression.

Our faces weren't far.

About a few inches away from each other.

Gazing at her face which seemed to sparkle under the moonlight, I had a sudden thought.

'Was I always this indecisive?'

It didn't take long for me to come up with an answer to that question.

...Yeah.

I guess I was.

Thinking back, I really did have the tendency to overthink things.

But it couldn't be helped. I was someone that liked to have everything under control.

Just like in this case, were my emotions real, or were they a fruit of my other self's work?

To be honest, this was something that had been plaguing my mind for quite a while. I had long stopped thinking about it because I was busy with other stuff.

It only resurfaced recently when I went to the demon realm.

At the time, I didn't think about saving Amanda's father when I went to the demon world.

How could I have?

I had just come off from a fight against the demon king and found out about the secret of the entity residing inside of my body.

Edward was the last thing that was on my mind back then.

had to be noted that they were the ones protecting my parents, and if something bad happened to them, my family would be put in quite a bit

thinking too deeply

just maybe, Amanda may

But.

a deep breath, I slowly opened my mouth

"This weekend..."

let go of her wrist as I

you free

***

Clank—!

door behind her, Amanda

of minutes as she tried to let the events

'…It really happened, right?'

She thought to herself.

had actually asked her

Amanda's cheeks became hot as her head made its way deeper into

"It really did happen..."

eyes, Amanda knew that whatever

It had actually happened.

Knock—! Knock—!

that Amanda

"Amanda? Are you okay?"

was her father.

hands on her cheeks, Amanda hastily turned her head

"…I'm okay."

answered in

"Is that so…"

Edward awkwardly said.

voice as

while, unable to bear the silence

I

"No."

the doorside, Amanda

"Don't come in."

want anyone to see her right now. Let

that her expression wasn't quite right at the moment. She

you perhaps angry at

words, Edward's

down,

"I'm not."

"Then why?"

about to take

"Oh…"

silence ensued as Edward seemed to struggle to find the right words

He eventually backed off.

a lot to discuss together.

"Good night."

her back pressed against the door, Amanda closely paid attention to the sound of his

only after she could no longer hear

she hid

"…I'm sorry."

murmured as she thought

it really couldn't

couldn't bear to let anyone see

"This is hard…"

***

I make

I stared at

everything since the events that transpired not too long ago still seems a

she isn't too mad with

back, I neither agreed nor denied her

after removing all thoughts from my mind, I decided to give

to explore my feelings and see

other self manipulating my feelings in order to create a weakness for me,

Amanda was strong.

she was only lagging behind Kevin. Not only that, she wasn't someone that I needed to look after

her responsibilities, and knew how

being a burden, I thought of her as

a moment's pause in my thoughts, I muttered silently

might be for

need something to

probably the best

it really

reaction was nonexistent since I had grown

the ceiling of