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.

to be noted that they were the ones protecting my parents, and if something bad

wasn't really thinking too deeply about

Amanda

But.

I slowly opened my mouth to

"This weekend..."

her wrist as I stared deeply into her obsidian black

you free this

***

Clank—!

door behind her, Amanda stood

she tried to let the events that transpired not

'…It really happened, right?'

She thought to herself.

had actually asked her out on a

cheeks became hot as her head made its way deeper

"It really did happen..."

Amanda knew that

It had actually happened.

Knock—! Knock—!

moment that Amanda heard a

"Amanda? Are you okay?"

her father.

her hands on her cheeks, Amanda hastily turned her head and pressed her hands

"…I'm okay."

answered in an audible

"Is that so…"

Edward awkwardly said.

weird silence followed his voice as neither

while, unable to bear the

I

"No."

on the doorside, Amanda shook

"Don't come in."

she did not want anyone to see her right

couldn't see herself in the mirror, Amanda knew that her expression

perhaps angry

misunderstood Amanda's words,

down, Amanda

"I'm not."

"Then why?"

I'm about to take a

"Oh…"

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

He eventually backed off.

still have a lot to discuss together.

"Good night."

pressed against the door, Amanda closely paid attention to

was only after she could no longer hear them that she

and she hid

"…I'm sorry."

thought back at her father's crestfallen

really couldn't

couldn't bear to let anyone see her

"This is hard…"

***

I make

question as I

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

she isn't too mad with my

neither agreed nor denied her

removing all thoughts from my mind, I decided to give

explore my feelings and see if

possibility of my other self manipulating my feelings in order to create a weakness for me, but I honestly didn't think this was the

Amanda was strong.

was only lagging behind Kevin. Not only that, she wasn't someone that

responsibilities, and knew how to

to being a burden, I thought

in my

this might be

another note, I really did need something to distract

was probably the best

really for

echoed beside me. My reaction was nonexistent since I had

ceiling of my