Downpour

"What are you looking at? Also, are you hungry?"

The class monitor's voice pulled Luo Di's thoughts back from the window. He glanced at the time: [19:30]. He had to admit, time flew by when watching movies.

"Nothing, just wait a moment."

In less than fifteen minutes, Luo Di brought out four freshly steamed buns from the kitchen, along with a large plate of shredded pork with pickled mustard greens and pickled radishes.

"Let's eat while we watch."

Perhaps it triggered some keyword, but the class monitor suddenly became so excited she almost jumped off the sofa.

"This is too much happiness! I could never do this at home. If I did anything else while eating, I'd get yelled at to death."

She mimicked Luo Di, expertly placing the stir-fried dish and pickled radishes into the bun in a specific ratio. Taking a bite, a rich layering of flavors instantly bloomed in her mouth.

While savoring the delicious food, her eyes simultaneously absorbed the entertainment on screen.

This was truly the first time in her life.

What was so normal for most people was stimulating the class monitor's nerves, making her tear ducts active. She didn't even realize liquid was seeping out.

"Luo Di… thank you."

Luo Di, holding a bun in one hand and flexing his arm with the other, remained focused on the movie's plot. This time, however, he responded softly.

"Mm."

Without the need for a nighttime run, a large amount of time naturally opened up in the evening.

The two watched a total of three movies back-to-back, even discussing them in between. Luo Di explained some of the film's detailed settings, educated her on the origins of serial killers and their related abilities, and so on.

The class monitor sat cross-legged, just like she would in class, practically ready to take notes.

[22:40]

As the credits rolled, their movie-watching for the day concluded.

The class monitor stretched her body backward, yawning continuously.

"Happy times always pass so quickly.

Luo Di, it's okay if you don't have an extra blanket; I won't be cold even with the down jacket. Your heating is quite strong; I'm tempted to take off my socks."

However, Luo Di, who was squatting in front of the TV to retrieve the discs, suddenly blurted out:

"Come sleep in my room."

"Huh? Didn't you say I could sleep on the sofa earlier?"

"I'll make a floor bed for you in my room… I was thinking, the neighborhood is still under lockdown, and I have a faint, bad feeling."

Luo Di still remembered the silhouette he'd glimpsed outside the window a few hours ago. Although he most likely misread it, as long as there was even the slightest possibility, he was unwilling to take the risk.

"…Okay, then."

It was the class monitor's first time entering a male peer's bedroom, and she was going to spend the night there, making her somewhat nervous. But the thought of exploring Luo Di's mysterious bedroom also sparked some excitement.

Upon entering the bedroom, she didn't find any strange smells she'd heard about from her friends' chats, nor clothes haphazardly strewn about. Instead, it was as tidy as the rest of the house.

A very simple bedroom layout.

Sliding blackout curtains ensured that the situation inside the room couldn't be seen, A bed frame, 1.5 meters wide, integrated with a cabinet, paired with a desk just large enough for one person, However, compared to the minimalist style of the entire house, Luo Di's bedroom had quite a few more miscellaneous items.

Various B-movie posters were plastered on the walls, Several exorcism novels were neatly stacked by the bedside, As for the discs, Luo Di had stored them all in the desk drawers.

"Wow, did you draw this?"

The class monitor's awkwardness was immediately overcome by curiosity. She quickly walked over to the desk, where a self-drawn [Mask] by Luo Di was posted. One could tell that every line had been drawn with great care. Underneath the books, many draft papers related to the mask's design were also pressed flat.

"Yes."

"It's really cool! I feel like it's more distinctive than the masks of the murderers in tonight's movie."

"I plan to get a mask custom-made based on the design once I receive my scholarship bonus."

"You could do it now~ I'll pay for it, consider it payment for today's meal and accommodation."

"No… let's talk about it after graduation."

Luo Di took out bedding from the top of the wardrobe and spread it on the floor.

"Luo Di, do you have any shorts? Like the kind you wear outside when exercising. Can I borrow them for the night… Maybe I didn't pay attention while watching the movie, but my pantyhose are a bit sweaty. It'll probably be uncomfortable sleeping in them.

Also, I'll need a towel. If you don't have one, I can just use my clothes to dry myself."

"You're going to shower?"

"Of course~ I was exercising with you at home today, and the heating wasn't turned off. I didn't realize I'd sweated quite a bit."

Luo Di directly threw over a neatly folded pair of athletic shorts and a casual short-sleeved shirt. "Take the pants to wear, and use the shirt as a towel. I'll wash them all together after you leave."

"As for a toothbrush and such, I don't think we have any spares. You'll have to make do with your fingers."

"Okay!"

"Go take a shower."

As the sound of the shower from the bathroom echoed, Luo Di walked to his desk and took out a notebook from the back of a drawer, diligently recording everything that had happened that day.

Although his [routine] had been completely disrupted, he didn't feel the usual frustration. Instead, he felt a rare sense of positive emotion.

After finishing his diary, Luo Di went to the balcony again to feed the Corner Parrot, and also took a moment to check the location of the air conditioning unit and the locked windows.

With everything confirmed, he returned to his room and carefully placed the machete under the mattress, ensuring he could reach it at any time while sleeping.

When he looked up again, he happened to see the class monitor walking in.

However, it wasn't quite as he had expected. The class monitor was wearing an oversized short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and in her hands, she held her neatly folded turtleneck sweater, skirt, and white pantyhose.

"Didn't I tell you to use the shirt as a towel? Why are you wearing it?"

"Your short-sleeved shirt is much more comfortable to wear. Wearing this sweater is really hot... and I don't usually wear clothes like this. I've actually felt a bit uncomfortable all day."

"Then what did you use to dry yourself?"

"I'll buy you a roll of paper towels tomorrow to make up for it~"

"Let's go to sleep. The lockdown should be lifted by morning."

The doors and windows were both locked from the inside.

The main ceiling light was turned off, but the bedside lamp remained on, ensuring the indoor lighting stayed within a fixed range.

Normally, the bedroom curtains would also be opened to allow outside light to penetrate, maintaining a sufficient brightness even if the power went out at home.

Tonight, due to the class monitor staying over, Luo Di had closed the curtains.

About five minutes later, the class monitor's voice came from under the bed, "I can't sleep at all... Want to chat?"

But the only response she received was a faint snore.

"Tch~"

The class monitor's arm stretched out from under the covers, moving up the bed, intending to touch Luo Di's arm, but she eventually retracted it.

Pulling the blanket tighter, she slowly drifted off to sleep, listening to the white noise created by the heavy rain.

A ray of morning sunlight seeped through the gap at the edge of the curtain, falling directly onto Luo Di's face.

Perhaps it was because of yesterday's 'unusualness' that Luo Di appeared very tired. Fatigue was desperately preventing his eyelids from opening, making his vision blurry.

In his daze, Luo Di, who was sleeping on his side, caught sight of the bedding in front of him bulging. The outline was that of a tall, slender human body.

This stimulus instantly woke him up. His vision was now filled with black hair, and even a glimpse of a fair shoulder was visible. However, on the shoulder that should have been flawless, there was a scar.

In that instant, Luo Di's thoughts slowed down. He couldn't comprehend why the class monitor was sleeping next to him, and moreover, completely naked.

Just as he reached out to touch the class monitor's shoulder, Buzz! His wristband vibrated.

He received a text message. The sender was [Wu Wen].

"Luo Di, the lockdown in the neighborhood was lifted last night. My family urgently needs me to go back. I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you. I'll come find you to hang out again in a few days! ()"

Luo Di's entire body tensed up instantly.

His other hand already reached for the machete under the mattress.

Of course, he didn't directly attack the person beside him. The text message might just be a prank from the class monitor.

Holding the machete in one hand and the shoulder of the person beside him in the other, he tried to flip them over to confirm their identity.

As he applied gentle pressure with his arm, the person beside him slowly turned over, shifting from a side-lying position to lying flat on their back.

There were no facial features.

The entire face was dominated by a single, enormous mouth in the center, shriveled and covered in scorch marks, like a cavern in Hell.

The inside was packed with tongues of various sizes.

As Luo Di looked at these tongues, these little things immediately tensed up, slapping against the walls of the mouth in unison.

Click!

A strong clicking tongue sound swept through his mind, and the surrounding scene seemed to shatter.

Luo Di's eyes snapped open once more.

Truly awake.

It wasn't morning. The bedside lamp was still on, and the wristband displayed the time: [02:40].

"A dream..."

Luo Di subconsciously looked to his side. He was the only one in the bed; the class monitor was sleeping soundly on the floor mat.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't gone for his night run the previous night, causing the excess water in his body not to be fully expelled. A strong urge to urinate struck him.

Without disturbing the class monitor, Luo Di tiptoed and quietly left the bedroom.

The heavy rain continued.

Waking from the nightmare had made his mind exceptionally clear. As Luo Di finished using the restroom and walked back into the bedroom, his ears suddenly caught an incongruous sound.

It was the sound of rainwater splashing into the house.

He decisively headed to the living room. The balcony window, which should have been closed, was slightly ajar.

The moment Luo Di realized something was wrong, Click - the power went out.

The lights in the house simultaneously extinguished. Fortunately, the streetlights outside still provided illumination, preventing the interior from falling into complete darkness.

BOOM!

A clap of thunder occurred at just the right moment.

On the ceiling between Luo Di and the bedroom, a monster with an indistinguishable face was clinging to it.

It was hard to call it humanoid, because this thing had heads at both the front and back, with black hair dangling and swaying in the air