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 happened to them, my family would be put in

really thinking too deeply

just maybe, Amanda may have misunderstood my

But.

deep breath, I slowly

"This weekend..."

as I stared deeply

free this

***

Clank—!

Amanda stood still while lowering her

tried to let the events that transpired not too

'…It really happened, right?'

She thought to herself.

had actually asked her out on

cheeks became hot as her head made its

"It really did happen..."

eyes, Amanda knew that whatever happened back then wasn't a fruit of

It had actually happened.

Knock—! Knock—!

at that moment that Amanda heard

"Amanda? Are you okay?"

her

Amanda hastily turned her head and pressed her hands on the

"…I'm okay."

in

"Is that so…"

Edward awkwardly said.

his voice as neither

to bear

I come

"No."

the doorside, Amanda

"Don't come in."

did not want anyone to see her right now. Let

the mirror, Amanda knew that her expression wasn't quite right at the moment. She didn't want to risk

you perhaps

misunderstood Amanda's words, Edward's voice

herself down, Amanda

"I'm not."

"Then why?"

to

"Oh…"

Edward seemed to struggle to find the right words to

He eventually backed off.

still have a lot to discuss together. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good

"Good night."

against the door, Amanda closely paid attention to the sound

only after she could no longer

slid down and she hid her face in

"…I'm sorry."

thought back at her father's crestfallen

really couldn't be

to let anyone see her

"This is hard…"

***

make a

I stared

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

hope she isn't too

back, I neither agreed nor denied her

my mind,

feelings and see if I

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

Amanda was strong.

that, she wasn't someone that I needed to look after in case the situation

responsibilities, and knew how to

being a burden, I thought of her

moment's pause in my thoughts, I

think this might

note, I really did need something to distract me from the

was probably the best distraction

it really for the

beside me. My reaction was nonexistent since I had grown accustomed to hearing

ceiling of my room,