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 had160Please respect copyright.PENANAQUPFoc93uO
just gotten off the plane, taken a train and bus for another hour, and was160Please respect copyright.PENANATlBPnj0xvc
wrapped in layers of thick clothing. Yet, the starry sky didn’t captivate her.160Please respect copyright.PENANArJQUsh2Pwr
Exhausted, she dragged two heavy suitcases and a backpack, struggling to160Please respect copyright.PENANA8mVdgUUhRO
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 her160Please respect copyright.PENANA6GcvdCodSh
housemates had planned to return to their hometowns, and the landlord decided160Please respect copyright.PENANAIvhDiJxwzX
to take his family on a vacation. He had repeatedly instructed everyone to lock160Please respect copyright.PENANAE4Pf0H1qCm
all windows and turn off the devices before leaving. After the last housemate160Please respect copyright.PENANAiBetEcOaJG
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 and160Please respect copyright.PENANAC5iJmA4FCc
reached into her backpack to find her keys, but after searching for a while,160Please respect copyright.PENANADN9zUCbmrK
she couldn’t find them! Panic began to set in. The landlord and her housemates160Please respect copyright.PENANAh7TeSZ286G
were all gone, and there was no one inside to help her. She was completely alone160Please respect copyright.PENANAEdy9lWOFof
and helpless—was she going to be locked out? Just as she was debating whether160Please respect copyright.PENANABJD740ukqg
to break in and pay for the damages later, the door suddenly opened from the160Please respect copyright.PENANAUc7CxUoaRf
inside! Startled, she stepped back, but then recognized her housemate, Lloyd.160Please respect copyright.PENANA09A0avnPSz
Relieved, she was also puzzled—no one was supposed to be home. Why was he still160Please respect copyright.PENANAeHhrPUSJXg
inside?
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"Welcome back! Come on in, it’s freezing outside,"160Please respect copyright.PENANAIrqVwFBzol
Lloyd said with a smile. Just as she was about to ask him why he was still160Please respect copyright.PENANAmp9jFI1Pq5
there, she noticed that Lloyd was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist,160Please respect copyright.PENANAzcHcGkePb2
his upper body completely bare. Shocked, she nearly screamed, but Lloyd seemed160Please respect copyright.PENANADCycUfe5ec
unfazed, remaining calm as he helped carry her suitcases inside. Swallowing her160Please respect copyright.PENANACL0ALlIWVc
questions, she awkwardly suggested, "It's really cold—maybe you should put160Please respect copyright.PENANAdmMWwDYhnr
on some clothes first." Only then did Lloyd realize he had just come out160Please respect copyright.PENANALxuk39FYmj
of the shower. Still calm, he carried her suitcases upstairs, promising to get160Please respect copyright.PENANAtgKfaImyLC
dressed afterward.
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After Lloyd left her suitcases outside her room and she160Please respect copyright.PENANAZyWFrWKca5
thanked him, he returned to his room and closed the door. Behind it, he covered160Please respect copyright.PENANAhgFMSSfGrf
his face, cringing at the embarrassing situation. "That was so160Please respect copyright.PENANAkOF56EwOrD
awkward!" he thought. Little did he know, inside her own room, Tresa’s160Please respect copyright.PENANAbpZJE5icxM
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 Lloyd160Please respect copyright.PENANAwiqcMxaX6y
got dressed and went downstairs to prepare dinner. Knowing they were the only160Please respect copyright.PENANADK8PBsDh7f
two in the house, Lloyd knocked on Tresa’s door and asked, "I’m making160Please respect copyright.PENANAf7jLyVrJS0
noodles. Would you like some?" Without warning, she opened the door and160Please respect copyright.PENANAnUl9DTn0n5
handed him a large bag of snacks with a smile. "I’ve got a ton of snacks.160Please respect copyright.PENANAuMIcOAyqXw
Let’s have them together after the noodles!" she said, then quickly shut160Please respect copyright.PENANAsws4XNmxBr
the door before he could respond.
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Lloyd blinked in confusion. Did that mean he was supposed to160Please respect copyright.PENANAfotDJBDBPx
cook for her too? Shrugging, he decided to make an extra portion anyway—he160Please respect copyright.PENANA65JxgwKz43
figured he could eat it if she didn’t. He took the large bag of snacks she had160Please respect copyright.PENANAXd75Z1SAuT
given him and placed it on the dining table before heading to the kitchen. When160Please respect copyright.PENANAUfCy8n9djE
the noodles were ready, Tresa came downstairs with a disappointed expression.160Please respect copyright.PENANA7Q9aVlczhy
"I wanted to help, but I guess I was too late!" she said. Lloyd waved160Please respect copyright.PENANAqcXG8rusus
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 before160Please respect copyright.PENANA7rQbm1pTLk
she put down her utensils, dug through the snack bag, and pulled out a variety160Please respect copyright.PENANAJw9qzTcNn9
of instant snacks—dried eggs, mini sausages, and other unfamiliar foods.160Please respect copyright.PENANA2wJPco1VuT
Curious, Lloyd watched as she went to the kitchen to grab scissors, came back,160Please respect copyright.PENANAsD42ZiPKi7
and started cutting open the packages, sprinkling the snacks into her noodles160Please respect copyright.PENANA7vlPrUyHBY
and mixing them. She took a bite, her face lighting up with satisfaction.160Please respect copyright.PENANAxK7bdS0ewj
Noticing Lloyd staring at her, she pushed the bowl toward him, offering him a160Please respect copyright.PENANAb09sscadxi
taste. Hesitant, Lloyd pointed at her bowl. She nodded, encouraging him to try.160Please respect copyright.PENANA416I3Z8x49
After confirming a few times, Lloyd finally took a bite. To his surprise, he160Please respect copyright.PENANAglpK4KJ7id
said, "It actually tastes pretty good like this!"
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Smiling, Tresa handed him some of the same snacks, along160Please respect copyright.PENANAALeVhk11lK
with the scissors. "Want to make yours the same?" she asked. Without160Please respect copyright.PENANAdJ83Zdq74A
hesitation, Lloyd took them, mixed the snacks into his own bowl, and after a160Please respect copyright.PENANAqduwm4KpIw
bite, nodded in approval. "This is really good!"
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As they ate, Tresa suddenly remembered something.160Please respect copyright.PENANACrvyLokD2a
"Weren’t you supposed to go home for the break? I thought I’d be the first160Please respect copyright.PENANAFnneevzq8c
one back. Good thing you were here to let me in."
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Lloyd shrugged. "Yeah, I just got back. Nothing special160Please respect copyright.PENANAX7GPR40bgw
at home."
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"Really? Don’t you miss your family?" she asked,160Please respect copyright.PENANAbPF7mZ9zHb
recalling a night when he had silently cried while gazing at the moon. Lloyd160Please respect copyright.PENANAkncxlMnXma
paused for a moment, then softly said, "…My grandma passed away last year.160Please respect copyright.PENANAq1Xg26RJgz
After that, I haven’t had any family left."
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Tresa was stunned by his words. She lowered her voice and160Please respect copyright.PENANAMYBSaSMILo
said, "I’m so sorry to hear that."
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Lloyd shook his head gently. "It’s okay. I just went160Please respect copyright.PENANAHToylngjzA
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 go160Please respect copyright.PENANAevQ67QmWUw
check it out!" She grabbed her coat and pulled Lloyd outside. Together,160Please respect copyright.PENANA9iojRKsSDT
they looked up at the night sky, watching as the snowflakes fell like countless160Please respect copyright.PENANAm9PrOV3ZJn
tiny diamonds under the light of the full moon—beautiful and serene.
End
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