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

really thinking too deeply about

Amanda may

But.

deep breath, I slowly opened my

"This weekend..."

of her wrist as I stared deeply into her obsidian black

free this

***

Clank—!

behind her, Amanda

of minutes as she tried to let the events that transpired not

'…It really happened, right?'

She thought to herself.

asked her out on a

moment, Amanda's cheeks became hot as her head made its way

"It really did happen..."

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

It had actually happened.

Knock—! Knock—!

that

"Amanda? Are you okay?"

her father.

on her cheeks, Amanda hastily turned her head and pressed

"…I'm okay."

answered in an

"Is that so…"

Edward awkwardly said.

silence followed his voice as

bear the silence

can I

"No."

the doorside, Amanda shook her head

"Don't come in."

her father, she did not want anyone

that her expression wasn't quite

you perhaps angry

misunderstood Amanda's words, Edward's voice

herself down, Amanda

"I'm not."

"Then why?"

about to take a

"Oh…"

silence ensued as Edward seemed to struggle to find

He eventually backed off.

still have a lot to discuss together. I'll

"Good night."

door, Amanda closely paid attention to the sound of his footsteps distancing themselves from

was only after she could no longer

feet slid down and she hid her face in between

"…I'm sorry."

as she thought back at

really couldn't

let anyone see her

"This is hard…"

***

I make

I stared at the ceiling of

transpired not too long ago still seems a little hard

isn't too mad with my

agreed nor denied her

my mind,

feelings and see if I

feelings in order to create a weakness for me, but

Amanda was strong.

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

responsibilities, and

thought

pause in my thoughts, I muttered silently

think this might

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

probably the

it really for

echoed beside me. My reaction was nonexistent since

staring toward the ceiling of my room,