As soon as she opened the door, a loud sigh escaped her lips. He looked up at her from his iPad, and when their eyes met, he smiled sweetly—just like he always did when he saw her.

She, however, simply closed the door behind her and collapsed onto the bed right by his knees, staring at the ceiling. Her gaze was tired and worried, something even he seemed to notice.

When she first arrived at the academy, she was lost, scared, foreign... And honestly, not much had changed in that regard. Every girl seemed like an enemy, the constant spirit of competition breathed down her neck, and she couldn't shake the feeling that death was waiting around every corner.

Only Kyle's presence seemed to soothe her frayed nerves. He was the only one who listened. He probably didn’t understand much, but that wasn’t what she was looking for anyway.

He liked her voice, sweet as honey. He liked the warmth and scent of her body. He liked her cheerful laugh. She was like a pleasant memory—soothing, enveloping with her sweetness, safe. And he needed her like air.

"I can't take it anymore."

She sighed and closed her eyes, her voice low and quiet. He merely hummed in response to show he was listening, setting his iPad aside and focusing all his distracted attention on her.