Starting With SSS-rank: I Get A New Skill Every Livestream-Chapter 73: Start away from him?

Amanda was caught between excitement and frustration.

She had managed to get into the same bus as Kyle, but she was near the back of the line. There was a very real chance someone else would take the seat beside him.

That thought irritated her.

But at the same time, the idea of spending seven long hours with him... sitting close, holding onto his arm, maybe even stirring fragments of their past... It felt like something straight out of her three a.m dreams.

There were boundaries she had to be careful about, of course. But she didn’t care much about what others thought. Yes, Kyle had been cautious about how they interacted in the public but she couldn’t maintain that distance anymore

She had never hidden her feelings for Kyle. If people saw her as stubborn or clingy, so be it.

’But what about him...?’

As she stepped onto the bus stairs, a memory surfaced. A conversation from the previous evening.

...

"Mind if I join you?"

Amanda turned at the voice and saw Blake standing there, a champagne glass in his hand.

She gave a faint smile. "No need to be so formal with me, brother. Though... are you sure you should be standing for this long?"

Blake smirked lightly. "The potion I was given restored my body to its prime condition. As the supplier of those potions, I figured you should know."

Amanda froze, her expression stiffening.

Blake shook his head, letting the matter drop. He wasn’t foolish. It wasn’t hard to piece together the truth behind those potions. But if both his brother and this girl were so intent on hiding it, he wouldn’t push.

The night buzzed with the chatter of the people inside and the soft rustle of passing breeze.

The silver lights in the garden gave a very calm atmosphere for those who appreciate silence.

Standing beside her, Blake said, "Amanda... I know things haven’t been good between you and Kyle lately. Honestly, I thought you two might have already broken up by the time I woke up."

Amanda lowered her gaze at those words. So he knew too. It wasn’t surprising. Blake cared deeply about his brother. He must have checked on them from time to time and Amanda was aware how deeply she must have affected Kyle’s behavior in those months.

After a brief pause, he continued, "But things seem better between you two now. How is that possible... unless Kyle knows why you were drifting apart."

Amanda’s eyes widened. She shook her head immediately. "I haven’t told him anything about the Aether world."

It was a taboo, letting an unawakened person learn about that side of reality. Beyond the rule itself, Amanda simply didn’t want to drag Kyle into something dangerous.

She had a feeling Blake had used his skill on her just now. But she wasn’t lying, so she didn’t look away.

She never told Kyle about anything related to the aether world, despite how desperately she wanted to save their relationship. But now, it appears even without her telling, Kyle knows about it somehow. And not only that, he has become a part of it.

In the end, Blake sighed and said, "I just want him to live safely. Away from all this. He’s too kind for the kind of cruelty we deal with every day."

Amanda could tell Blake was worried about their sudden closeness again. Deep down, he probably wanted her to keep her distance.

But there was no hesitation in her heart.

Nothing in the world could stop her from walking the path that led to him.

Her Kyle.

....

She finally stepped onto the bus and let her gaze sweep across the seats. There were plenty available. Each group had only fifty students, while the bus held over seventy.

It didn’t take long for her to find him.

Near the back, sitting alone.

Kyle.

Her steps quickened as she made her way toward him—

"Amanda, come here and help me with the itinerary sheet."

The professor’s voice cut through her momentum.

Amanda clicked her tongue. "But we already prepared everything two days ago."

The woman lowered her head slightly, looking at her over her glasses. "You ran off before we could finish the report, remember?"

Amanda grumbled under her breath.

Right.

She had been too eager to meet Kyle to focus on completing it.

She was torn between two sides, as if her literal body would split for how much she wanted to join Kyle but at the same time if she didn’t finish the report now, she would be dragged by the teacher and the others once the journey begins. She couldn’t tolerate that.

In the end, she glanced at Kyle once and gave him an apologetic smile before walking toward the group of students and the damn teacher.

Slowly, everyone settled in their seats.

Kyle couldn’t help but sigh as he watched Amanda move away. Sometimes, she was so expressive that even a stranger could tell exactly what was on her mind.

But that was also what made her beautiful. She had always been honest with him, so when she started hiding things, Kyle noticed it immediately.

Glancing around, he saw most of the students sitting with their groups or partners. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

There were three buses, and students were free to choose which one to board. Since the mode of transport was the same, everyone naturally grouped up and picked their seats based on who they wanted to travel with.

Kyle, on the other hand, chose one at random. He had been standing near the front and didn’t have anyone to share a seat with. Yes, he wanted Amanda to sit beside him, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask her.

"Hmm?" Kyle hummed in surprise as the chatter around him suddenly dimmed.

He had just taken out his phone to check his notifications when he noticed the shift.

Tilting his head, he looked toward the front of the bus and saw the reason behind the sudden silence.

Standing there, dressed in trousers and a black shirt, was possibly the most well-known girl in the university, both for good and bad reasons.

Her lavender eyes scanned the available seats.

"You can sit here, Layena," one of the girls who often interacted with her offered. She was sitting with Ethan’s group, and naturally, Ethan looked up at Layena, hopeful she might sit near him.

However, Layena ignored the invitation and walked past.

Several students sitting alone shifted, offering her space. But it wasn’t hesitation guiding her, she had already decided where she wanted to sit.

"Huh?"

"With that guy?"

"For real? Out of everyone?"

"Does he have something on the princess?"

Whispers spread through the bus as Layena walked straight to Kyle and took the seat beside him.

Even Kyle was surprised, especially since there were plenty of empty seats, some entirely unoccupied.

Still, he said nothing and plugged in his earphones.

Layena was bad news for him. He hadn’t forgotten what Veronica had told him, that Layena was on this trip to keep an eye on him.

Because of that, he intended to keep any interaction with her to a minimum.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please leave a review to help the future readers.