"It's been a while since I've last seen you smile."
Amanda approached me after I came out of the room. Her face was unusually serious.
I turned to look at her while cocking my head.
"You think so?"
I never really noticed myself if I had to be honest...but it wasn't as though I was surprised by this development. There wasn't much to smile about.
Also, having had another attack just a couple of minutes ago, I couldn't really bring myself to smile.
"Here."
Amanda placed her hands on the edges of my lips and pulled them upwards.
"Much better."
She returned a smile herself.
Her smile was stunning. Enough to make anyone fall into a daze with just a glance. Well, anyone but me. I was pretty much used to her smiles by now. Well, for the most part. I wasn't exactly totally immune.
"Wwwamhat are you doing?"
It was hard to speak when she had her hands on my lips, pulling them up.
"Helping you smile."
"...What dwoes that have anything to do with the situation?"
"It doesn't."
Amanda let go of my lips.
"It's just that you look a lot better if you smiled a little more often."
Cocking my head even further, I eventually nodded my head.
"Well, sure, I'll try to smile more."
This wasn't too hard of a request. Not like smiling was that hard.
I smiled.
"Happy?"
"For what?"
"I'm smiling, aren't I?"
Amanda's brows furrowed.
"...No?"
"Hm?"
Amanda's reaction took me back.
"What are you talking about?"
Was she playing a prank on me? I could clearly feel myself smiling.
"Are you playing around with me?"
Amanda asked, inching closer to me.
I shook my head.
"That was what I was about to ask you."
Amanda's face hardened.
Her reaction took me aback.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Here."
a pocket mirror and
it from her hand and
"...No way."
it was
there didn't
At first glance, though.
inspection,
I not
My expression...
It was stiff.
felt myself smiling, I did not
'Just what in the...'
pocket mirror and
"Thanks."
"Ren, what's going on?"
and
waved my
Just a little side-effect of practicing a certain
...That was a lie.
came as a result of the previous attack I
if I just play this off as something like a side-effect of
"If you say so..."
her head, her face still filled with doubt and concern. Obviously, she didn't buy my
"You hungry?"
and attempted to change
"A bit."
about we
"I wouldn't mind that."
"Great."
and gestured to
"Come, let's go eat."
"Mhm."
***
the blades of grass that previously stood
figures flashed across the grassy field as their feet left behind shallow footprints. They moved in such a covert manner that they left no
do we have to
and one of them was Melissa. Her breathing
to die at the rate
until she started swearing that Jin and Emma finally slowed
I'm about to die over
quickly fell back on the grass and supported her body with
to complain was
blame us for going too fast. You were
didn't know you guys were going to
deep breaths to try and steady herself. The two were moving at such a rapid pace that it was impossible for her to keep up with them. Despite the fact that she wasn't exactly a weak person herself—with her current rank being at —she was still a lot weaker than the two
exhausted, and if not for them finally stopping, she would've already started puking on
should've never
stomach and slumped back
that she wanted. Following Jin and Emma seemed to be the best option, but that proved
both Emma and Jin, Melissa stared at
two, I won't be able to move for at least ten minutes. You might
I'm fine. Not
"Me too."
glances for a moment. Melissa
out of
hair to fall to
way, are you sure we're going in the
"Positive."
he looked toward the
to the orcs, this is the direction of where the demons should be
Jin's speech halted.
and his expression changed. He quickly turned around and
"Hide, quick!"
"Wha-"
"No time for that."
her away, Emma turned around and followed Jin from behind. They saw a large boulder off in the distance and
in the air. His sudden actions aroused her curiosity
she noticed something in the far distance. Her
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