Main character: Tresa(F) & Lloyd(M) //Time: A night in9Please respect copyright.PENANAravd40FkLT
winter //Place: A house in E city9Please respect copyright.PENANAn35jOyHEgo
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The sky was filled with rows of twinkling stars. Tresa had9Please respect copyright.PENANAs2ltIT6LTi
just gotten off the plane, taken a train and bus for another hour, and was9Please respect copyright.PENANAFz2DFEpxYS
wrapped in layers of thick clothing. Yet, the starry sky didn’t captivate her.9Please respect copyright.PENANAUYUsXVY6ku
Exhausted, she dragged two heavy suitcases and a backpack, struggling to9Please respect copyright.PENANADzOVyudJ4z
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 her9Please respect copyright.PENANAQQKowR2Npx
housemates had planned to return to their hometowns, and the landlord decided9Please respect copyright.PENANAo3giBKr6E3
to take his family on a vacation. He had repeatedly instructed everyone to lock9Please respect copyright.PENANA3Tz1D1k9By
all windows and turn off the devices before leaving. After the last housemate9Please respect copyright.PENANA9F5fe1yzzi
left, the landlord and his family went off joyfully on their trip.
Standing in front of the door, Tresa caught her breath and9Please respect copyright.PENANAI3QqzcNzyT
reached into her backpack to find her keys, but after searching for a while,9Please respect copyright.PENANAHqrzpAwwV7
she couldn’t find them! Panic began to set in. The landlord and her housemates9Please respect copyright.PENANAIHuFzrgJWV
were all gone, and there was no one inside to help her. She was completely alone9Please respect copyright.PENANAiaMN4TcLOR
and helpless—was she going to be locked out? Just as she was debating whether9Please respect copyright.PENANAEJsRk5FkF6
to break in and pay for the damages later, the door suddenly opened from the9Please respect copyright.PENANARnmDMdkUxp
inside! Startled, she stepped back, but then recognized her housemate, Lloyd.9Please respect copyright.PENANA4OLl7FTilp
Relieved, she was also puzzled—no one was supposed to be home. Why was he still9Please respect copyright.PENANAiw6fWeipL1
inside?
"Welcome back! Come on in, it’s freezing outside,"9Please respect copyright.PENANA8CtLiPeRTt
Lloyd said with a smile. Just as she was about to ask him why he was still9Please respect copyright.PENANAILcno7uQp7
there, she noticed that Lloyd was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist,9Please respect copyright.PENANAuJi8sS1Sas
his upper body completely bare. Shocked, she nearly screamed, but Lloyd seemed9Please respect copyright.PENANA7PdrvcNUoc
unfazed, remaining calm as he helped carry her suitcases inside. Swallowing her9Please respect copyright.PENANAmrcOmduTea
questions, she awkwardly suggested, "It's really cold—maybe you should put9Please respect copyright.PENANAbxe4vSDwrL
on some clothes first." Only then did Lloyd realize he had just come out9Please respect copyright.PENANAJahlLrVvSH
of the shower. Still calm, he carried her suitcases upstairs, promising to get9Please respect copyright.PENANAOSNS1Ipw84
dressed afterward.
After Lloyd left her suitcases outside her room and she9Please respect copyright.PENANAci0I3ZaNYx
thanked him, he returned to his room and closed the door. Behind it, he covered9Please respect copyright.PENANABkHKiCyz2r
his face, cringing at the embarrassing situation. "That was so9Please respect copyright.PENANAKSW3KiEjPO
awkward!" he thought. Little did he know, inside her own room, Tresa’s9Please respect copyright.PENANAIk8QHK7p00
face had also turned red as she silently marvelled, "He has abs!"
Once they both calmed down, Tresa began unpacking while Lloyd9Please respect copyright.PENANAvRLt2T6XIS
got dressed and went downstairs to prepare dinner. Knowing they were the only9Please respect copyright.PENANAvy6FBmEW51
two in the house, Lloyd knocked on Tresa’s door and asked, "I’m making9Please respect copyright.PENANAfh4lIvTqpV
noodles. Would you like some?" Without warning, she opened the door and9Please respect copyright.PENANAGuUFYfrBQ7
handed him a large bag of snacks with a smile. "I’ve got a ton of snacks.9Please respect copyright.PENANASCELOr19kB
Let’s have them together after the noodles!" she said, then quickly shut9Please respect copyright.PENANACKszYjkFmF
the door before he could respond.
Lloyd blinked in confusion. Did that mean he was supposed to9Please respect copyright.PENANA8jo14z7zqJ
cook for her too? Shrugging, he decided to make an extra portion anyway—he9Please respect copyright.PENANAmutTDLwfkA
figured he could eat it if she didn’t. He took the large bag of snacks she had9Please respect copyright.PENANAgEgjBmIWTL
given him and placed it on the dining table before heading to the kitchen. When9Please respect copyright.PENANAWHDU40x79D
the noodles were ready, Tresa came downstairs with a disappointed expression.9Please respect copyright.PENANANq4tXJ5Dzj
"I wanted to help, but I guess I was too late!" she said. Lloyd waved9Please respect copyright.PENANAktdjGUYy02
it off casually, "No worries, it’s just noodles. Let’s eat."
As they sat down to eat, Tresa only took a few bites before9Please respect copyright.PENANAUr7WCSPPzZ
she put down her utensils, dug through the snack bag, and pulled out a variety9Please respect copyright.PENANAKGcSAsCYTX
of instant snacks—dried eggs, mini sausages, and other unfamiliar foods.9Please respect copyright.PENANAGfWJGDPrUO
Curious, Lloyd watched as she went to the kitchen to grab scissors, came back,9Please respect copyright.PENANANIed2PmUu2
and started cutting open the packages, sprinkling the snacks into her noodles9Please respect copyright.PENANAyeV87SHLpT
and mixing them. She took a bite, her face lighting up with satisfaction.9Please respect copyright.PENANABF3eFjcnZ5
Noticing Lloyd staring at her, she pushed the bowl toward him, offering him a9Please respect copyright.PENANAIp3338L9go
taste. Hesitant, Lloyd pointed at her bowl. She nodded, encouraging him to try.9Please respect copyright.PENANA2fcCnim3D1
After confirming a few times, Lloyd finally took a bite. To his surprise, he9Please respect copyright.PENANAK58blINZ7r
said, "It actually tastes pretty good like this!"
Smiling, Tresa handed him some of the same snacks, along9Please respect copyright.PENANA4COIVhl0ZG
with the scissors. "Want to make yours the same?" she asked. Without9Please respect copyright.PENANAtjwSNxpJTa
hesitation, Lloyd took them, mixed the snacks into his own bowl, and after a9Please respect copyright.PENANA6br63Eiu2q
bite, nodded in approval. "This is really good!"
As they ate, Tresa suddenly remembered something.9Please respect copyright.PENANAMZGMOLNEtY
"Weren’t you supposed to go home for the break? I thought I’d be the first9Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZJswW3lbH
one back. Good thing you were here to let me in."
Lloyd shrugged. "Yeah, I just got back. Nothing special9Please respect copyright.PENANAaT9QqmfCbe
at home."
"Really? Don’t you miss your family?" she asked,9Please respect copyright.PENANAFITunt5fFk
recalling a night when he had silently cried while gazing at the moon. Lloyd9Please respect copyright.PENANA6L7nuMycqp
paused for a moment, then softly said, "…My grandma passed away last year.9Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZmJ6H1nvm
After that, I haven’t had any family left."
Tresa was stunned by his words. She lowered her voice and9Please respect copyright.PENANADIW3unBnxD
said, "I’m so sorry to hear that."
Lloyd shook his head gently. "It’s okay. I just went9Please respect copyright.PENANACMtNveTf3U
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 go9Please respect copyright.PENANAp0aBl4dNiC
check it out!" She grabbed her coat and pulled Lloyd outside. Together,9Please respect copyright.PENANAbG1Y0IRfRC
they looked up at the night sky, watching as the snowflakes fell like countless9Please respect copyright.PENANArd2yabyFeV
tiny diamonds under the light of the full moon—beautiful and serene.
End
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