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.

the Demon Hunter Guild was complicated. It 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 of

wasn't really thinking too deeply about

maybe, just maybe, Amanda may

But.

a deep breath, I slowly opened my

"This weekend..."

let go of her wrist as I stared deeply into her obsidian

you free

***

Clank—!

Amanda stood still

as she tried to let the events that transpired not too long ago

'…It really happened, right?'

She thought to herself.

had actually asked her out on a date

her head made its way

"It really did happen..."

eyes, Amanda knew that whatever happened back then

It had actually happened.

Knock—! Knock—!

at that moment that Amanda

"Amanda? Are you okay?"

was her

hastily turned her head and pressed her

"…I'm okay."

answered in

"Is that so…"

Edward awkwardly said.

his voice as neither of

a while, unable to bear the silence anymore, Edward

I come

"No."

more pressure on the doorside,

"Don't come in."

sorry for her father, she did not want anyone to see her right

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

you perhaps angry

misunderstood Amanda's words, Edward's voice

herself down,

"I'm not."

"Then why?"

I'm about to take

"Oh…"

ensued as Edward seemed to struggle to find

He eventually backed off.

still have a lot to discuss together. I'll

"Good night."

against the door, Amanda closely paid attention

could no longer hear them that she

slid down and she hid her

"…I'm sorry."

murmured as she thought back at her father's

it really

to let anyone see her

"This is hard…"

***

I make a

I stared at the ceiling of

that transpired not too long ago still

isn't too mad with

agreed

after removing all thoughts from my mind, I

and

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

Amanda was strong.

Not only that, she wasn't someone that I needed

someone that knew her responsibilities, and knew how to act upon

thought of

moment's pause in my thoughts,

might be

note, I really did need something to distract

the best distraction out

it really

was nonexistent since I had

the ceiling of my room,