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 had79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RYm4bEVR7
just gotten off the plane, taken a train and bus for another hour, and was79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OjnDLsKpR
wrapped in layers of thick clothing. Yet, the starry sky didn’t captivate her.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MCArQLRZH
Exhausted, she dragged two heavy suitcases and a backpack, struggling to79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxO2bfxXNhZ
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 her79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqULmSwPhKZ
housemates had planned to return to their hometowns, and the landlord decided79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJERMFMAfyk
to take his family on a vacation. He had repeatedly instructed everyone to lock79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aPcj12Rpn
all windows and turn off the devices before leaving. After the last housemate79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNanbrbtBQ
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 and79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkABf6jXzIS
reached into her backpack to find her keys, but after searching for a while,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05ONECmXxS
she couldn’t find them! Panic began to set in. The landlord and her housemates79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aoW65UDkj
were all gone, and there was no one inside to help her. She was completely alone79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiO5rm4rhq3
and helpless—was she going to be locked out? Just as she was debating whether79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJs1HfgWvI
to break in and pay for the damages later, the door suddenly opened from the79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0MI3DDfD7
inside! Startled, she stepped back, but then recognized her housemate, Lloyd.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0g5x4551U3
Relieved, she was also puzzled—no one was supposed to be home. Why was he still79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ihfveTJPd
inside?
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"Welcome back! Come on in, it’s freezing outside,"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGmTzyZnht
Lloyd said with a smile. Just as she was about to ask him why he was still79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkptAUw9ea
there, she noticed that Lloyd was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuSm9Phhtc
his upper body completely bare. Shocked, she nearly screamed, but Lloyd seemed79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHh13gy9Sh
unfazed, remaining calm as he helped carry her suitcases inside. Swallowing her79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGSJQxsOKY
questions, she awkwardly suggested, "It's really cold—maybe you should put79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPqEtUZahT
on some clothes first." Only then did Lloyd realize he had just come out79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5phNTNJETh
of the shower. Still calm, he carried her suitcases upstairs, promising to get79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RU75u643g
dressed afterward.
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After Lloyd left her suitcases outside her room and she79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFQMd10eGB
thanked him, he returned to his room and closed the door. Behind it, he covered79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhYXvyADpm
his face, cringing at the embarrassing situation. "That was so79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMvgasDNIK
awkward!" he thought. Little did he know, inside her own room, Tresa’s79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5i69W9l94c
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 Lloyd79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZcB5sjMP1
got dressed and went downstairs to prepare dinner. Knowing they were the only79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNAZP6Pgru
two in the house, Lloyd knocked on Tresa’s door and asked, "I’m making79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUxPRG43WN
noodles. Would you like some?" Without warning, she opened the door and79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rzsMqi4eF
handed him a large bag of snacks with a smile. "I’ve got a ton of snacks.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwK9LFgEsq
Let’s have them together after the noodles!" she said, then quickly shut79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3THV7L7lUu
the door before he could respond.
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Lloyd blinked in confusion. Did that mean he was supposed to79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9Gf1PCJZx
cook for her too? Shrugging, he decided to make an extra portion anyway—he79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBbMAnIB0q
figured he could eat it if she didn’t. He took the large bag of snacks she had79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjieFnvbQ6
given him and placed it on the dining table before heading to the kitchen. When79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BjI8hEq6n
the noodles were ready, Tresa came downstairs with a disappointed expression.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SSxNTVZWq
"I wanted to help, but I guess I was too late!" she said. Lloyd waved79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGhSRVpDx2
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 before79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02Z9RhNxpk
she put down her utensils, dug through the snack bag, and pulled out a variety79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwYtNv03qw
of instant snacks—dried eggs, mini sausages, and other unfamiliar foods.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBxv4N9Wj9
Curious, Lloyd watched as she went to the kitchen to grab scissors, came back,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vTyhbiQhb
and started cutting open the packages, sprinkling the snacks into her noodles79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6nPePa2z8
and mixing them. She took a bite, her face lighting up with satisfaction.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4Mwlx6e7Z
Noticing Lloyd staring at her, she pushed the bowl toward him, offering him a79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMza44XWEA
taste. Hesitant, Lloyd pointed at her bowl. She nodded, encouraging him to try.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNkYlIMux0
After confirming a few times, Lloyd finally took a bite. To his surprise, he79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6ArVqlIW6
said, "It actually tastes pretty good like this!"
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Smiling, Tresa handed him some of the same snacks, along79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kHdn8tfY3
with the scissors. "Want to make yours the same?" she asked. Without79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5L7W8FbvI
hesitation, Lloyd took them, mixed the snacks into his own bowl, and after a79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSiEPRSvfM
bite, nodded in approval. "This is really good!"
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As they ate, Tresa suddenly remembered something.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9J3rDSqBpe
"Weren’t you supposed to go home for the break? I thought I’d be the first79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD81o9qRudl
one back. Good thing you were here to let me in."
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Lloyd shrugged. "Yeah, I just got back. Nothing special79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqviSpapsC
at home."
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"Really? Don’t you miss your family?" she asked,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNymynW2rgA
recalling a night when he had silently cried while gazing at the moon. Lloyd79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg099mVDezw
paused for a moment, then softly said, "…My grandma passed away last year.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNctAAltbN
After that, I haven’t had any family left."
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Tresa was stunned by his words. She lowered her voice and79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsVoGlUMUn
said, "I’m so sorry to hear that."
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Lloyd shook his head gently. "It’s okay. I just went79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoze8RO5az
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 go79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrZcIqJSeN
check it out!" She grabbed her coat and pulled Lloyd outside. Together,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOXECh2EeF
they looked up at the night sky, watching as the snowflakes fell like countless79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNaRzujPX9
tiny diamonds under the light of the full moon—beautiful and serene.
End
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