Starting With SSS-rank: I Get A New Skill Every Livestream

Chapter 218: You are my medicine

"How did the talk go?" Kyle asked as he approached Amanda, who had just ended the call.

"I... told her that I’m staying here with you," Amanda replied quietly.

Kyle blinked in surprise.

"You told her it was me?" He had honestly expected her to use the name of one of her female friends instead.

Amanda looked up at him and asked, "Is there a problem with that?"

Kyle rubbed the back of his head.

"No... it’s just..." He hesitated before continuing. "Amanda, didn’t your mother mind you staying with me when I haven’t even officially introduced myself to her and your father yet?"

Amanda briefly glanced away.

"She was upset, but I somehow managed to convince her."

Kyle let out a slow sigh and stepped closer.

Gently cupping her cheeks, he looked into her eyes and spoke in a warm voice.

"Because of me, you’ve had to lie to your parents so many times and get scolded because of it. I feel bad, Amanda. I really do."

His fingers curled slightly against her skin before he continued.

"Alright, no more running away. This weekend, ask your father if he has some time to spare."

Amanda’s eyes widened.

"Are you sure, Kyle? My father might contact your family as well to strengthen the ties between our families. He’s... a bit old-fashioned when it comes to these things."

Kyle chuckled.

"I don’t see a problem with that."

Then, meeting her gaze directly, he added,

"In fact, if he asked me to get engaged to you, I wouldn’t hesitate."

The words struck Amanda like a bolt from the blue.

For a moment, she simply stared at him, utterly flabbergasted.

Kyle offered her a faint, sheepish smile.

"Ah... I probably should’ve handled this more methodically." He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I haven’t even properly proposed to you yet, and here I am saying things like that..."

Amanda slowly shook her head, a gentle smile forming on her lips.

"It doesn’t matter," she said softly. "The fact that you’re not unwilling to get engaged to me is more than enough."

Hearing the relief in her voice, Kyle suddenly realized something.

Amanda had been uncertain.

And, unfortunately, much of that uncertainty stemmed from his own indecisiveness regarding their relationship.

He had postponed meeting her parents time and time again for several reasons. The biggest one was that he didn’t want his own parents finding out he was dating someone. Doing so would give his father an opportunity to call him back home, something he had been deliberately avoiding.

But enough was enough.

He couldn’t keep hiding from his responsibilities.

Nor did he want to.

Looking into Amanda’s eyes, Kyle felt a quiet sense of resolve settle within him.

He wanted her to feel secure.

He wanted her to know that he wasn’t going anywhere.

And to do that, the first step was simple.

He would meet her family.

Then, standing before them, he would openly declare exactly how he felt about Amanda.

Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "I love you, Amanda... and that will never change."

Amanda simply hummed in response, far too content to put her feelings into words.

He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

Carefully laying her down, he climbed onto the mattress beside her, surrounding her with his presence as he gazed into her deep blue eyes.

Her warm breath brushed against his face. Their bodies rested close together, and he could faintly hear the rapid rhythm of her heartbeat.

Slowly, she raised a hand and cupped his cheek.

"Kyle..." she murmured dreamily. "The best thing that ever happened in my life was falling for you."

He let out a soft chuckle.

"Was it even a decision?"

Amanda shook her head, a helpless smile appearing on her lips.

"Right... it just happened. Why are you so irresistible?"

Kyle leaned closer. His nose brushed lightly against hers, their lips barely grazing as he replied in a voice meant only for her.

"Says the one who looks impossibly irresistible right now."

Amanda tightened her grip on the hem of his shirt.

"Kyle... your health..."

His hand settled at her side, the warmth of his touch seeping through as he murmured,

"You’re my medicine. Don’t deny me that, or I might never recover."

The fragile thread of resistance she had been clinging to snapped the moment his lips met hers in a deep, yearning kiss.

His desire, his passion... ah, it was far too intoxicating.

She could no longer bring herself to resist.

He needed her, and that was all she needed to know.

...

Layena was on her way home.

As Kyle had requested, she had taken a taxi instead of walking back alone.

She usually preferred walking while listening to calming music, but how could she refuse her friend’s insistence? Especially when it concerned her safety.

Whenever she thought about the way Kyle cared for her, she couldn’t stop a smile from forming on her lips.

Over time, Layena had come to realize something.

Kyle had become someone she viewed through a completely different lens.

Much like her Commander, she respected him for his strength. But unlike her feelings toward Veronica, what she felt for Kyle went far beyond simple admiration.

The way he joked with her, accepted her usual silence without complaint, and somehow always seemed to understand what was on her mind made it impossible not to crave his attention and presence.

She knew the path her heart was heading down wasn’t a good one.

She wasn’t naive enough to misunderstand her own feelings. She knew exactly what they were slowly becoming.

Yet she didn’t want to dwell on them.

Even if she eventually fell for him completely, she knew she would never confess. Amanda and Kyle were happy together, and she had no desire to disturb that happiness.

So it was better to suppress those feelings.

And if she couldn’t...

Then she would rather remain a silent, one-sided lover than try to become anything more.

She has never had a meaningful connection in her life. Not with her family members, or her siblings.

In the academy too, she couldn’t make a single friend she could actually trust. Maybe it was because of her upbringing that made her so cautious of people.

However, when it came to Kyle...he was like that wind that broke all her defenses and reached that part of her heart which always remained vacant and vulnerable.

’Haah...’

Just then, her phone rang.

The caller was Hannah.

Layena usually ignored calls from her comrades at this hour, preferring to deal with work-related matters after getting some rest. However, since she was still awake, she decided to make an exception.

"Yes?"

{Layena... are you free? I just sent you some reports. They’re... related to Ethan.}

Layena frowned.

"Why so suddenly? Did something happen?"

A brief silence followed.

Then Hannah spoke again, her voice noticeably grim.

{Take a look at them, and you’ll understand.}

°°°°°°

A/N:- I hope you have been enjoying the story so far. The story would focus a little on their personal lives before the academy arc since when it begins it would be mostly action oriented.

Thanks for reading.