"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."
than answering me, she took out a pocket mirror and handed
took it from her hand and looked
"...No way."
it
hair, deep blue eyes...at first glance, there didn't seem to be
At first glance, though.
closer inspection,
I not
My expression...
It was stiff.
myself smiling, I did not have a smile on my
'Just what in the...'
pocket mirror and handed it back to
"Thanks."
"Ren, what's going on?"
pocket mirror back and looked at me with a worried
waved my
nothing to worry about. Just a little side-effect of practicing a certain
...That was a lie.
likely, this came as a result of
I just play this off as something like
"If you say so..."
head, her face still filled with doubt and concern. Obviously, she didn't buy my excuse, but as expected of her, she didn't
"You hungry?"
stomach and attempted to change
"A bit."
about we go
"I wouldn't mind that."
"Great."
bit and gestured to Amanda
"Come, let's go eat."
"Mhm."
***
the light breeze that was blowing across the grassland, the blades of grass that
flashed across the grassy field as their feet left behind shallow footprints. They moved in such a covert manner that they left no trace
longer do we
total of three shadows, and one of them was Melissa. Her breathing had become labored as she worked hard to
to die
wasn't until she started swearing that Jin and Emma finally slowed down and gave
about to
the grass and supported her body with
complain
can't really blame us for going too fast. You were the
know you guys were going to run for
it was impossible for her to keep up
was exhausted, and if not for them finally stopping, she
I should've never agreed
held onto her stomach and slumped back
and Emma seemed to be the best
both Emma and Jin, Melissa stared at the
be able to move for at least ten minutes. You might
fine. Not tired at all.
"Me too."
they exchanged glances for
out of
her head and allowed her hair to fall to the side of her face. Pondering over something, she
way, are you sure we're
"Positive."
answered while he looked toward the
the direction of where the demons
Jin's speech halted.
eyes suddenly squinted, and his expression changed. He quickly
"Hide, quick!"
"Wha-"
"No time for that."
away, Emma turned around and followed Jin
felt a slight fluctuation in the air. His sudden actions aroused her curiosity
say something, she noticed something in the far distance. Her mouth instantly shut and her
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