"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
took it from her hand
"...No way."
on it
eyes...at first glance, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with
At first glance, though.
inspection,
am I
My expression...
It was stiff.
I did not have a smile on my
'Just what in the...'
closed the pocket mirror and
"Thanks."
"Ren, what's going on?"
mirror back and looked at me with
waved my
side-effect of practicing a
...That was a lie.
likely, this came as a result
it's better if I just play this off as something like a side-effect of
"If you say so..."
with doubt and concern. Obviously, she didn't buy my excuse, but as expected of her,
"You hungry?"
stomach and attempted to change
"A bit."
we
"I wouldn't mind that."
"Great."
back a bit and gestured to Amanda with my
"Come, let's go eat."
"Mhm."
***
the grassland, the blades of grass that previously stood upright bent in a prostrating
figures flashed across the grassy field as their feet left behind shallow footprints. They moved
longer do we have
were a total of three shadows, and one of them was Melissa. Her breathing
going to
she started swearing that Jin and Emma finally slowed down and gave
some mercy. I'm about
the grass and supported her
first one to complain
too fast. You were the one
because I didn't know you guys were going to run for five
moving at such a rapid pace that it was impossible for her to keep up
was exhausted, and if not for them finally
never agreed to follow
her stomach and slumped
she wanted. Following Jin and Emma seemed to be the
stare at both Emma and Jin, Melissa stared at the dark
won't be able to move for at least ten minutes. You might as
fine. Not tired at all.
"Me too."
and Jin responded as they exchanged glances for a moment. Melissa clenched
I out of
then lowered her head and allowed her hair to fall to
the way, are you sure
"Positive."
while he looked
direction of where the
Jin's speech halted.
his expression changed. He quickly turned
"Hide, quick!"
"Wha-"
"No time for that."
grabbing Melissa by the arm and yanking her away, Emma turned around and followed Jin from behind. They saw a large boulder off in the distance and hid behind
the ground, Melissa felt a slight fluctuation in the air. His sudden actions aroused her curiosity as she looked around, wondering what
in the far distance. Her mouth instantly shut and
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