Lin Yuan was walking down the street when, for no reason at all, a chill crawled up his back.
It felt like… being stared at while walking—by a woman. The thought alone made his whole body tense and uneasy.
Without realizing it, he quickened his pace, hurrying toward the market.
Get in, get out. Don't let things drag on.
Behind him, Texas, who had been following step for step, narrowed her eyes. Something about this was off.
Speeding up… was he aware of her?
That raised his suspicion—and the likelihood that he had something to hide.
With that in mind, Texas didn't hesitate. She accelerated, closed the gap in moments, and was suddenly right behind him—close enough to touch.
The next instant, she reached out and caught his shoulder.
But to her surprise, Lin Yuan dodged the contact as if it were pure instinct.
He whipped around and saw Texas standing behind him.
She was dressed in a light tracksuit, her long legs wrapped in black stockings, her gaze locked firmly on him.
Lin Yuan, however, did not feel "firm." Not even remotely.
Imagine this: you have severe gynophobia. You're walking down the street, and suddenly a woman taps your shoulder—then frowns at you like she's about to demand your phone and inspect your photo gallery to see if you'd been taking pictures of her.
It was a horror story.
Especially for Lin Yuan. His face went pale on the spot, and his eyes instinctively slid away, refusing to meet Texas's gaze.
But seeing that only made Texas's brow knit tighter.
Shifty eyes, pale face…
If someone walked into a police station and said, That guy looks like a suspect who just fled a crime scene, no one would doubt it.
Texas's suspicion hardened.
So she asked the first question that came to mind:
"Why did you come out of that apartment?"
She pointed toward the direction of Exusiai's rented place.
To Lin Yuan, that question was even more terrifying.
She even knows where you live.
His face drained further, and something unpleasant from his past flickered in his mind. His stomach churned with the urge to vomit.
Texas watched the rapid cascade of expressions, let out a quiet sigh, and muttered under her breath:
"So it really is a thief…"
She reached out, ready to grab his wrist—
—but then her wolf ears twitched. Her eyes caught what Lin Yuan was holding.
"That's my home."
Lin Yuan held up a keyring, his face still bloodless, finally realizing what was happening at the last possible moment.
He'd been mistaken for a thief.
Texas froze and looked at the keys. The key itself matched Exusiai's, but the charm on the ring was different.
In every possible way, it proved the boy had Exusiai's keys—and hadn't stolen them. No matter how suspicious his behavior looked, he wasn't a burglar.
"Sorry—"
Texas began immediately, but before she could finish, Lin Yuan cut her off flatly.
"I'm afraid of women. Excuse me."
Then he hurried away, practically fleeing, not daring to spare Texas another glance.
Texas stared after him, momentarily stunned. Her hand lifted as if to stop him, but she didn't catch up.
She hadn't even managed to apologize properly.
Too rash. Next time she ran into him, she'd have to apologize—properly. It looked like she'd caused him real trouble.
She sighed and took two steps—then abruptly realized something.
Wait. The fact that he'd come out of Exusiai's place hadn't changed.
If he wasn't a thief… it was even weirder.
Why was there a man living in Exusiai's apartment?
And he'd just said he was afraid of women. Then how was he living with Exusiai? Was it really possible for them to end up as "bros"?
Texas stopped in place, her brain feeling like it had overloaded.
All that remained was a giant question mark in her head.
What… does this mean?
Lin Yuan, having escaped, only relaxed once Texas disappeared from his line of sight.
Then a toothache hit him out of nowhere.
How does going out once lead to this kind of mess? Even drinking water would get something stuck in my teeth.
Forget it. Buy the groceries and go back. From now on, he should go out less.
Maybe he should try getting groceries delivered instead.
Thinking that, he turned back toward the market.
…
For Texas, it was nothing more than a minor interruption on her way to work.
After a while of thinking herself in circles, she let it go and headed toward Penguin Logistics to start her day.
Either way, she could just ask Exusiai directly later. That would be easier than overthinking it here.
Soon, Penguin Logistics' workday began. As the truck roared to life again, Texas sat in the driver's seat, a pocky stick between her lips, and floored the accelerator.
And just like that, with Exusiai chatting casually in the passenger seat, they drove toward their destination.
Then, as if it were merely an offhand tail-end to another topic, Texas slipped Lin Yuan into the conversation:
"Oh, right. This morning on my way in, I saw a man come out of your place."
"Huh?"
Exusiai jolted, turning to look at Texas. Texas kept her eyes on the road and continued evenly:
"I misunderstood at first—I thought he was a thief. Later I realized he wasn't… Are you living together?"
"A—ah? Wait, you said you misunderstood what? You talked to him?"
Exusiai's eyes widened. She immediately pressed Texas for details. Texas nodded slightly.
"He… didn't react in any particular way?"
"The reaction was intense. I almost thought he was going to die right there."
Texas bit off the pocky, sighed, and went on:
"He said he's afraid of women."
"Ah… yeah. Then that part isn't surprising…"
Exusiai scratched the back of her head awkwardly, unsure what to say.
Silence.
"You are living with him, right?" Texas asked again.
"Mm."
"Then tell him I'm sorry."
Texas turned the wheel calmly, without prying further. Exusiai blinked, then leaned back, her expression turning a little helpless.
"He left so fast I couldn't even apologize. I feel like the misunderstanding got pretty bad. If he needs me to make it up to him, let me know."
"I thought you'd ask why I'm living with him…"
"Oh. I was just about to."
Texas pulled out another pocky, her tone unhurried. "Since you brought it up, why not answer directly?"
"And while you're at it—why did you suddenly cut your hair shorter, and why have you been going home so early? Maybe you can answer all of that too."
Exusiai froze, then shot Texas a glare.
Then came another long silence.
"Why I'm living with him… it's kind of a strange story. I don't even know where to start."
Exusiai murmured, closing her eyes again. After a long pause, she opened them, her voice firm:
"But why I'm still living with him…"
"It's probably because… I like him?"
-------
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