The girl responded with a smile, instantly bringing vibrancy to her whole appearance, and Shoyo's mental gears started turning again.
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She approached slowly, causing his blood to boil and his heart to nearly jump out of his chest. He managed to force a stiff smile on his face. Seeing her about to raise her right hand, seemingly wanting to greet him, he quickly responded with a wave.
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"Cloude, hey." The girl greeted enthusiastically, but her attention was on Cloude.
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This action extinguished the fiery excitement within Shoyo's heart. He realized he had misunderstood and blushed even more due to his embarrassing reaction earlier.
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Cloude, who was behind them, also replied. "Hey, Jennie, what are you doing standing here alone? Where are your classmates?"
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"Nah, I came to the celebration alone to relax." She pointed at Rachel next to Shoyo and Cloude. "Your friends?"
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"Classmates. Do you want to join us?"
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Cloude introduced the two to Jennie, mentioning that Rachel was in room three. In just a few words, Rachel quickly became friendly with her, while Shoyo remained shy and quiet, occasionally stealing glances.
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It turned out that Jennie's mother was friends with Cloude's master, and they had known each other since childhood. However, due to Cloude not frequently going out and their close proximity in living areas, they usually met at home. This was their first encounter outside.
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The four of them spent the entire evening joyfully at the celebration. Before parting ways, Jennie approached Shoyo with a stern look and playfully interrogated him. "Hey, are you really that rude? Are you so scared of me or do you hate me?"
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Actually, Jennie found his shyness quite cute, so she was just teasing him.
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"How... how could that be? We'll... meet again, right?" Shoyo stuttered in response.
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"Hmph! I'll think about it." Jennie turned and left with Cloude.
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Now, only Shoyo and Rachel were left. "Tomorrow's Sunday. We don't need to go back to the dorm tonight. Are you heading back to Compason?" Without Jennie around, the nervousness vanished, and Shoyo returned to his normal self.
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"It's so late. How could I? Plus, my roommates won't be at the dorm, and I'm afraid of being alone..." As she spoke, tears welled up in Rachel's eyes.
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In reality, Rachel wasn't afraid of being alone. After her grandmother passed away, she had been living on her own. She was just using this opportunity to act spoiled and get closer to Shoyo.
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"Alright then, come to my house to sleep. My mom likes chatting with you anyway."
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At Shoyo's home, Ayaka was surprised when she saw Rachel accompanying him. Rachel explained the reason for her stay.
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"How was the celebration? When we were younger, your grandfather used to take the three of us sisters there. Later, my older sister became busy with work and traveling, so he continued taking just the two of us. But after he passed away, we lost interest in going."
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As Ayaka spoke, a sense of sorrow entered her expression, and her eyes revealed her longing for her father.
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Ayaka usually wore a smile all day, and Shoyo rarely saw her looking troubled. "After I pass the assessment, I'll take you with me!" She smiled brightly again, looking at her son's progress.
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"Bring Miss Rachel along too!" Rachel was elated and laughed uncontrollably.
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Shoyo first asked Rachel to take a bath and rest. He headed to the training hall to exercise, as his mother had already prepared hot water and laid out the beddings.
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Perhaps the bathroom at home was much more comfortable than the dormitory's or their previous residence's. Rachel fell asleep in the bath, which was something she hadn't experienced in a long time. Shoyo finished his training and saw that she hadn't come out yet, so he checked on her in the room.
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"Mom, how could you let a girl sleep on the floor?" He exchanged all the guest beddings and pillows on the floor with his own. He thought Rachel was almost done, so he headed toward the bathroom. Just as he arrived, he encountered Rachel, who had just finished bathing. A subtle fragrance enveloped him, mixing with the strong scent of sweat, and managed to reach his nose. Why did the same body wash have such different effects on young girls?
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"You sleep first, I'll wash up and come in later."
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Rachel looked at the neat and tidy bed, eager to jump onto it. It was warm and comfortable, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time and a complete contrast to the dormitory.
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Thinking about how Shoyo had given up his bed for her intensified her emotions. She didn't actually sleep; she just pretended to be asleep under the covers, paying attention to Shoyo's reaction.
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When Shoyo came in, he found Rachel already asleep. He quietly prepared the beddings, afraid of waking her. Just as Shoyo was about to fall asleep, Rachel struck up a conversation with him.
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"Are you sleeping?"
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"Almost." Shoyo replied simply, as he was prone to falling asleep easily.
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After a while, "Are you sleeping?"
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"Almost." Shoyo was awakened from his nearly sleeping state.
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Again, after a while, "Are you sleeping?"
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"Not yet. Miss Rachel, do you want to chat with me?" Shoyo tactfully recognized that Rachel wasn't ready to sleep yet and offered to spare her embarrassment.
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