"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."
answering me, she took out a pocket mirror and handed it to
from her
"...No way."
it
there didn't seem to be anything
At first glance, though.
inspection,
I
My expression...
It was stiff.
felt myself smiling, I did not have a
'Just what in the...'
closed the pocket mirror and
"Thanks."
"Ren, what's going on?"
took the pocket mirror back and looked at
waved my hand
a little side-effect of practicing
...That was a lie.
came as a result of
now, it's better if I just play this off as something like a side-effect
"If you say so..."
face still filled with doubt and concern. Obviously, she didn't buy my excuse, but as expected of her, she didn't push for an
"You hungry?"
and attempted
"A bit."
about we
"I wouldn't mind that."
"Great."
stretched my back a bit and
"Come, let's go eat."
"Mhm."
***
was blowing across the grassland, the
shallow footprints. They
longer do we
Melissa. Her breathing had become labored
going to die at
that Jin and Emma finally slowed down and gave her some time
I'm about to
fell back on the grass and supported
one to complain was
too fast.
were going
to keep up with them. Despite the fact that she wasn't exactly a
was exhausted, and if not for them finally stopping, she would've already
should've never agreed to
her stomach and slumped back
she wanted. Following Jin and Emma seemed to be the best option, but that proved
her head to stare at both Emma and Jin, Melissa stared
I won't be able to move for at least ten minutes. You might as well rest as
fine. Not
"Me too."
glances for a
out of
head and allowed her hair to fall
you sure we're going
"Positive."
he looked
the direction of where the demons should be
Jin's speech halted.
squinted, and his expression changed. He quickly turned around and his figure vanished from the
"Hide, quick!"
"Wha-"
"No time for that."
yanking her away, Emma turned around and followed Jin from behind. They saw a large boulder off in the distance and hid
after that, Jin stepped forward. Pressing his foot into the ground, Melissa felt a slight fluctuation in the air. His sudden actions aroused her curiosity
something, she noticed something in the far distance. Her mouth instantly shut and her expression mimicked
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