Previously on: Tresa(F) & Lloyd(M) are exchange students living in a host family's house. For details, please refer to 31. <Full moon night 1> and 32.<Full moon night 2>.
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Time: A night in winter //Place: A house in E city
The sky was filled with rows of twinkling stars. Tresa had385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykrvEQVHzx
just gotten off the plane, taken a train and bus for another hour, and was385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT54hL8I5ju
wrapped in layers of thick clothing. Yet, the starry sky didn’t captivate her.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWA5NEer1YO
Exhausted, she dragged two heavy suitcases and a backpack, struggling to385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3eIAKvzhf
breathe as she made her way from the gate to the house’s front door.
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A month ago, with the long winter break approaching, all her385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjf0CPEB7m
housemates had planned to return to their hometowns, and the landlord decided385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO8HCy9d94
to take his family on a vacation. He had repeatedly instructed everyone to lock385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjnWgf3HCz
all windows and turn off the devices before leaving. After the last housemate385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoEXqwS6rP
left, the landlord and his family went off joyfully on their trip.
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Standing in front of the door, Tresa caught her breath and385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPzk1KhbC1
reached into her backpack to find her keys, but after searching for a while,385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bFaHgEPIK
she couldn’t find them! Panic began to set in. The landlord and her housemates385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkKhdteiHk
were all gone, and there was no one inside to help her. She was completely alone385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3TcXmaN8G
and helpless—was she going to be locked out? Just as she was debating whether385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutHzMTHhhv
to break in and pay for the damages later, the door suddenly opened from the385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98oobrjsFH
inside! Startled, she stepped back, but then recognized her housemate, Lloyd.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdalqw4u1F
Relieved, she was also puzzled—no one was supposed to be home. Why was he still385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ywN1xOs9S
inside?
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"Welcome back! Come on in, it’s freezing outside,"385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6mdi0eqqq
Lloyd said with a smile. Just as she was about to ask him why he was still385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARt6vPPGLz
there, she noticed that Lloyd was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist,385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovTNzOQu5P
his upper body completely bare. Shocked, she nearly screamed, but Lloyd seemed385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6ARLC178C
unfazed, remaining calm as he helped carry her suitcases inside. Swallowing her385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI16KLKXed0
questions, she awkwardly suggested, "It's really cold—maybe you should put385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3gVbJCCja
on some clothes first." Only then did Lloyd realize he had just come out385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5i51G9YXuO
of the shower. Still calm, he carried her suitcases upstairs, promising to get385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnL6fBUIb8
dressed afterward.
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After Lloyd left her suitcases outside her room and she385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzUYEsrMbf
thanked him, he returned to his room and closed the door. Behind it, he covered385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF07Fxw9rLB
his face, cringing at the embarrassing situation. "That was so385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYMvj6FKn1
awkward!" he thought. Little did he know, inside her own room, Tresa’s385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaHNXHkEj7
face had also turned red as she silently marvelled, "He has abs!"
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Once they both calmed down, Tresa began unpacking while Lloyd385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaRwxdZ1MV
got dressed and went downstairs to prepare dinner. Knowing they were the only385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0UCZDDJdi
two in the house, Lloyd knocked on Tresa’s door and asked, "I’m making385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBr7YDYWqIn
noodles. Would you like some?" Without warning, she opened the door and385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxsFqJkawA
handed him a large bag of snacks with a smile. "I’ve got a ton of snacks.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgDFfPWOAC
Let’s have them together after the noodles!" she said, then quickly shut385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzvEYdKkJ8
the door before he could respond.
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Lloyd blinked in confusion. Did that mean he was supposed to385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfF3SAEWvR
cook for her too? Shrugging, he decided to make an extra portion anyway—he385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNlQ098EeT
figured he could eat it if she didn’t. He took the large bag of snacks she had385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX8KSmbNAp
given him and placed it on the dining table before heading to the kitchen. When385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkG3iroHj5m
the noodles were ready, Tresa came downstairs with a disappointed expression.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdPXWUJ9w9
"I wanted to help, but I guess I was too late!" she said. Lloyd waved385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8LEvzHKby
it off casually, "No worries, it’s just noodles. Let’s eat."
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As they sat down to eat, Tresa only took a few bites before385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3TXpReASt
she put down her utensils, dug through the snack bag, and pulled out a variety385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwZoOGQvDn
of instant snacks—dried eggs, mini sausages, and other unfamiliar foods.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeYBeqWrCT
Curious, Lloyd watched as she went to the kitchen to grab scissors, came back,385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACcta63WcN
and started cutting open the packages, sprinkling the snacks into her noodles385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRYxXbCwCP
and mixing them. She took a bite, her face lighting up with satisfaction.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxZpDp1Kif
Noticing Lloyd staring at her, she pushed the bowl toward him, offering him a385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNwRIoc6yF
taste. Hesitant, Lloyd pointed at her bowl. She nodded, encouraging him to try.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRH8lpHMAF
After confirming a few times, Lloyd finally took a bite. To his surprise, he385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZJwQBRlRA
said, "It actually tastes pretty good like this!"
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Smiling, Tresa handed him some of the same snacks, along385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqifOObK7Ov
with the scissors. "Want to make yours the same?" she asked. Without385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pv5AjyB3H
hesitation, Lloyd took them, mixed the snacks into his own bowl, and after a385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFewHYOJA6
bite, nodded in approval. "This is really good!"
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As they ate, Tresa suddenly remembered something.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2mQoVnJRq
"Weren’t you supposed to go home for the break? I thought I’d be the first385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBunB8s61l3
one back. Good thing you were here to let me in."
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Lloyd shrugged. "Yeah, I just got back. Nothing special385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GNEFIJC40
at home."
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"Really? Don’t you miss your family?" she asked,385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWanQmPc145
recalling a night when he had silently cried while gazing at the moon. Lloyd385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4ZTvWOUjl
paused for a moment, then softly said, "…My grandma passed away last year.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3YulPHOqZ
After that, I haven’t had any family left."
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Tresa was stunned by his words. She lowered her voice and385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4puMlzM6Ph
said, "I’m so sorry to hear that."
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Lloyd shook his head gently. "It’s okay. I just went385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4f1NVcxiZH
back to visit her grave."
There was a brief, sombre silence. Looking for a way to lighten the mood, Tresa glanced out the window and noticed a change in the
scenery. She exclaimed excitedly, "Hey, it’s snowing outside! Let’s go385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdfgza8MQ0
check it out!" She grabbed her coat and pulled Lloyd outside. Together,385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIth74jM01M
they looked up at the night sky, watching as the snowflakes fell like countless385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5AKRPNQvL
tiny diamonds under the light of the full moon—beautiful and serene.
End
ns216.73.216.95da2
and then Add to home screen.