Main character: Tresa(F) & Lloyd(M) //Time: A night in59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yuLZmp1IC
winter //Place: A house in E city59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUxQwJLW5q
*****************************************************************************************************************
The sky was filled with rows of twinkling stars. Tresa had59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbfcb02wpx
just gotten off the plane, taken a train and bus for another hour, and was59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzN33OLDKPi
wrapped in layers of thick clothing. Yet, the starry sky didn’t captivate her.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCrx76hg2U
Exhausted, she dragged two heavy suitcases and a backpack, struggling to59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYrv1ERU60
breathe as she made her way from the gate to the house’s front door.
A month ago, with the long winter break approaching, all her59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFphIUXnOsZ
housemates had planned to return to their hometowns, and the landlord decided59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eXL7L3Z9q
to take his family on a vacation. He had repeatedly instructed everyone to lock59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo67fG8ER5L
all windows and turn off the devices before leaving. After the last housemate59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBIK0bowI1
left, the landlord and his family went off joyfully on their trip.
Standing in front of the door, Tresa caught her breath and59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ426u9OCU0J
reached into her backpack to find her keys, but after searching for a while,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbJXnW9D9N
she couldn’t find them! Panic began to set in. The landlord and her housemates59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJual3XluG5
were all gone, and there was no one inside to help her. She was completely alone59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkQtdc8zWS
and helpless—was she going to be locked out? Just as she was debating whether59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NMvu6HLRk
to break in and pay for the damages later, the door suddenly opened from the59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQFXHSn9Ns
inside! Startled, she stepped back, but then recognized her housemate, Lloyd.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkCO8QIrcT
Relieved, she was also puzzled—no one was supposed to be home. Why was he still59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoulH7zCUsx
inside?
"Welcome back! Come on in, it’s freezing outside,"59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAEV5lzr4I
Lloyd said with a smile. Just as she was about to ask him why he was still59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnzO9aZ2AE
there, she noticed that Lloyd was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZmWNDXi45
his upper body completely bare. Shocked, she nearly screamed, but Lloyd seemed59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUVBFHdJ1s
unfazed, remaining calm as he helped carry her suitcases inside. Swallowing her59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCbLkYLKp7
questions, she awkwardly suggested, "It's really cold—maybe you should put59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCIFEPkmPB
on some clothes first." Only then did Lloyd realize he had just come out59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSXX6RkFYT
of the shower. Still calm, he carried her suitcases upstairs, promising to get59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQwfyu902B
dressed afterward.
After Lloyd left her suitcases outside her room and she59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSzRqmkFxl
thanked him, he returned to his room and closed the door. Behind it, he covered59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcjOu7p4R8
his face, cringing at the embarrassing situation. "That was so59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUy440QsHD
awkward!" he thought. Little did he know, inside her own room, Tresa’s59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6yFSL1YDM
face had also turned red as she silently marvelled, "He has abs!"
Once they both calmed down, Tresa began unpacking while Lloyd59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDoZdBrBhS
got dressed and went downstairs to prepare dinner. Knowing they were the only59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftDLBENx45
two in the house, Lloyd knocked on Tresa’s door and asked, "I’m making59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxW36q1emjD
noodles. Would you like some?" Without warning, she opened the door and59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsbFpNMVEv
handed him a large bag of snacks with a smile. "I’ve got a ton of snacks.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM94WsEgLKp
Let’s have them together after the noodles!" she said, then quickly shut59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNJHBNAK7u
the door before he could respond.
Lloyd blinked in confusion. Did that mean he was supposed to59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ723RGZ8q03
cook for her too? Shrugging, he decided to make an extra portion anyway—he59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7nT0qsaXa
figured he could eat it if she didn’t. He took the large bag of snacks she had59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0fHyFE0ht
given him and placed it on the dining table before heading to the kitchen. When59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Z9ItcMclN
the noodles were ready, Tresa came downstairs with a disappointed expression.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkeRPCcSXa
"I wanted to help, but I guess I was too late!" she said. Lloyd waved59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEF8aP8Djpr
it off casually, "No worries, it’s just noodles. Let’s eat."
As they sat down to eat, Tresa only took a few bites before59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuD9EsTaFr
she put down her utensils, dug through the snack bag, and pulled out a variety59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXU32XQgiQa
of instant snacks—dried eggs, mini sausages, and other unfamiliar foods.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvrKCrNPF7
Curious, Lloyd watched as she went to the kitchen to grab scissors, came back,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjj0B2ig8Eo
and started cutting open the packages, sprinkling the snacks into her noodles59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Cq9mxG4QO
and mixing them. She took a bite, her face lighting up with satisfaction.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡan9Pe0AK56
Noticing Lloyd staring at her, she pushed the bowl toward him, offering him a59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2U1eF6DCei
taste. Hesitant, Lloyd pointed at her bowl. She nodded, encouraging him to try.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqy0P7Erqo
After confirming a few times, Lloyd finally took a bite. To his surprise, he59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKtUHcLe2m
said, "It actually tastes pretty good like this!"
Smiling, Tresa handed him some of the same snacks, along59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WgeGrhKhb
with the scissors. "Want to make yours the same?" she asked. Without59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDAr84jCPX
hesitation, Lloyd took them, mixed the snacks into his own bowl, and after a59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZHyMwkRP3
bite, nodded in approval. "This is really good!"
As they ate, Tresa suddenly remembered something.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgwHUyYapF
"Weren’t you supposed to go home for the break? I thought I’d be the first59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzh4gUdHuyg
one back. Good thing you were here to let me in."
Lloyd shrugged. "Yeah, I just got back. Nothing special59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYZZnY9O0n
at home."
"Really? Don’t you miss your family?" she asked,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyucugcA1x
recalling a night when he had silently cried while gazing at the moon. Lloyd59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGXIMiU61c
paused for a moment, then softly said, "…My grandma passed away last year.59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJqPkkrYbO
After that, I haven’t had any family left."
Tresa was stunned by his words. She lowered her voice and59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeCFPWavjo
said, "I’m so sorry to hear that."
Lloyd shook his head gently. "It’s okay. I just went59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxS6AfbDgg
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 go59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4fwGyzUCh
check it out!" She grabbed her coat and pulled Lloyd outside. Together,59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejMTZr9h0z
they looked up at the night sky, watching as the snowflakes fell like countless59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnForbm0RF
tiny diamonds under the light of the full moon—beautiful and serene.
End
ns 15.158.61.37da2
