69: The angel next door wants to repay

When Lin Luo mentioned the term "angel," Shiina Mahiru's fingertips, holding the spoon, tightened slightly.

Actually, she had never really liked that title. Although she understood her classmates meant well, the title "angel" always carried a sense of being out of reach. She preferred to be treated as an ordinary girl—one who could catch a cold, be vulnerable, and needed comfort when she was unhappy.

Sitting at a stranger's dining table now, surrounded by unadorned kindness, this clumsy yet genuine warmth finally allowed her heart to find its footing.

Lin Luo's expression became quite remarkable when he heard Shiina Mahiru say that she lived in the same apartment building.

What kind of auspicious place was this apartment building he lived in? First, his next-door neighbor was his class advisor, and now even the school's recognized "angel" had become his close neighbor. Lin Luo couldn't help but grumble inwardly, "This place is a bit too concentrated..."

At this moment, Shiina Mahiru was looking down at the soft men's pajamas she wore, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the fabric. The warmth of the porridge still lingered in her stomach, dispelling the chill of the rainy night. This care she received in her most vulnerable moment was like a seed falling into her heart.

"Um..." she spoke softly, her voice still a little hoarse from her illness, "How can I repay you?"

Tohru immediately puffed out her chest: "No need to repay! Protecting the weak is what I should do!" Her tail behind her wagged proudly.

Lin Luo, however, smiled and shook his head: "Don't listen to her. Tohru brought you back on her own, and even changed you into my clothes. We should be the ones apologizing." He glanced at the still drizzling rain outside the window, "Wait until the rain stops, then go back. Your clothes are still drying."

But fate seemed intent on prolonging this encounter. When Shiina Mahiru was fully dressed and insisted on going home, she discovered that she had accidentally lost her house key. To make matters worse, the manager's spare key wouldn't be available until tomorrow.

Tohru's eyes immediately lit up: "Then stay! My room isn't really used anyway."

"That's not really appropriate..." Shiina Mahiru instinctively took half a step back. She felt her presence might disturb the two people in front of her, and her cheeks flushed slightly, clearly thinking of some embarrassing possibilities.

Lin Luo spread his hands helplessly: "She usually occupies my room, and I basically meditate and adjust my breathing instead of sleeping."

"Meditate and adjust breathing? Meditation?" Shiina Mahiru tilted her head in confusion.

Lin Luo smiled slightly, "Something like that."

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains. Tohru was still curled up in bed, sleeping soundly like a lazy cat. Suddenly, her small nose twitched gently—an enticing aroma was wafting from the kitchen.

In her sleep, Tohru unconsciously unfurled the Dragon wings on her back. The wings, covered in delicate scales, gently flapped, carrying her drowsily upward, floating towards the dining table like a balloon pulled by the scent.

On the dining table, an exquisite Japanese breakfast was already laid out—grilled fish, miso soup, tamagoyaki, each item meticulously arranged.

Shiina Mahiru, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen and happened to see this scene: Tohru, with her eyes closed, floated in mid-air, her golden hair cascading down, her Dragon wings rhythmically flapping, still smacking her lips in her sleep.

"Good morning, Miss Tohru? You..." Seeing this surreal scene, she froze on the spot, her eyes wide, and the words she was about to say caught in her throat.

Just then, Lin Luo also walked into the dining room. Seeing this, he gently chopped Tohru on the head, waking her from her sleep. "Wake up, if you keep flying like this, you'll scare Shiina-san."

Tohru groggily opened her eyes, not at all surprised to find herself floating in the air. She simply landed lightly as if nothing had happened, her Dragon wings retracting and dissipating into golden specks in the air.

Shiina Mahiru finally came to her senses, forcing a smile: "Miss Tohru... is indeed not an ordinary person. Um... let's eat first." She adjusted her apron, looking a little flustered, "I didn't know what I could do for you, so I prepared breakfast. I hope it suits your taste."

"Shiina-san, no need to be so reserved." Lin Luo smiled gently, "We're from the same academy, after all. Being too formal would make it uncomfortable." Tohru also nodded vigorously, her eyes already drawn to the delicious food on the table.

The manager delivered the spare key on time, but this otherwise ordinary morning became subtle due to two neighbors simultaneously opening their doors.

Kirisu Mafuyu and Yukino Mifuyu pushed open their doors almost simultaneously. When they saw Shiina Mahiru emerging from Lin Luo's home, both of them quickened their pace in unison, and the air seemed to freeze instantly.

"What exactly is going on?" Kirisu Mafuyu's cold tone carried restrained questioning, "Why is Lin Luo with Shiina-san? Did you two... last night?" She deliberately paused, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping back and forth between the three of them, not missing a single subtle expression.

Shiina Mahiru was startled and flustered by the sudden questioning, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Lin Luo, however, keenly noticed Teacher Kirisu's seemingly calm expression, her lips unconsciously pressed together slightly—this subtle change in expression revealed her inner displeasure.

Standing beside them, Yukino Mifuyu's eyes held a hint of resentment, and she softly mumbled, "You haven't come over to my place for dinner for several nights recently..." She looked at Lin Luo, her tone carrying a faint sense of grievance, "Aside from Tohru occasionally visiting, you rarely step through my door anymore."

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, making the already delicate atmosphere even more turbulent.

Lin Luo cleared his throat, signaling Shiina Mahiru to take the key from the manager's hand first. After the manager left with a curious glance, he quietly nudged Tohru, indicating for her to explain the misunderstanding. After all, if he spoke, it would probably only make things worse—in the current situation, any explanation could be misinterpreted as trying to cover something up.

Tohru, with her characteristic exaggerated tone and rich body language, managed to explain the situation: Shiina Mahiru got caught in the rain last night, developed a fever, and had to stay over because she lost her key—though her explanation was interspersed with subjective embellishments like "the weak human shivering in the rain" and "the brave Tohru-sama promptly extended a helping hand."

After listening, Kirisu Mafuyu's cold tone finally softened: "So that's what happened... Then Shiina-san, you should hurry home, get settled, and rest properly."

While maintaining the concern expected of a teacher on the surface, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, only to be immediately replaced by another worry: she hadn't realized that there were students from the academy living in the same apartment building. Had her usual casual, unkempt appearance already been seen by them?

Yukino Mifuyu nodded gently: "Then I'll head to the shop too. The renovation is almost at the next stage." She looked at Tohru, her tone gentle: "Want to come along?"

"Yes!" Tohru replied gleefully, then excitedly suggested, "Oh, should we try a different restaurant for lunch?"

As the two walked away side by side, Yukino Mifuyu looked back at Lin Luo. Her eyes still held a faint, lingering resentment, clearly still bothered by his recent lack of visits. Lin Luo felt a pang of apology and wanted to say something considerate, but Kirisu Mafuyu was watching nearby, making it inconvenient to show too much.

Watching their figures disappear around the corner of the corridor, Kirisu Mafuyu lightly coughed: "What are you still looking at? They're long gone."

Lin Luo touched his nose, disingenuously defending himself: "I wasn't looking, I was just observing the weather... I wonder if it will rain again today."

Shiina Mahiru walked quickly down the apartment corridor, almost jogging back to her own door. It wasn't until she closed the door and leaned against it that she realized how rushed she had been—almost as if she were fleeing something.

Perhaps it was influenced by that subtle atmosphere just now. Recalling Yukino Mifuyu's resentful gaze and Teacher Kirisu's scrutinizing look, she couldn't help but whisper, "I thought Lin Luo was an honest person, but I didn't realize he was so popular..."

Then, remembering the surreal scene of Tohru unfolding her Dragon wings and floating in the air that morning, an absurd thought came to mind: "Who exactly are they? Yokai? Aliens? Is Earth going to be invaded?"

This thought made her chuckle. She looked down and gently stroked the sleeve of her pajamas; the fabric still carried the faint, clean scent of laundry detergent, similar to Lin Luo's.

"But..." she murmured softly to herself, a smile unconsciously curving her lips, "Such neighbors are quite wonderful."

The subtle interlude in the morning added a touch of memorable interest to the morning class. In a blink, it was lunchtime, and Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu arrived as scheduled.

As the four of them opened their bento boxes, Furuhashi Fumino immediately noticed Lin Luo's lunchbox with its pink lid, her eyes lighting up.

"Teacher Lin Luo's lunchbox is so cute!" She leaned in for a closer look and found several small stars carved from carrots in the bento. She couldn't help but tease, "Even the side dishes are so thoughtfully prepared. The person who made this bento must really like Mr. Lin Luo, right?"

No sooner had she spoken than she received a 'shut up if you can't speak' warning look from Lin Luo. Meanwhile, Kato Megumi continued to quietly eat her bento, no expression on her face.

"Huh? Did I guess wrong..." Furuhashi Fumino mumbled, hastily trying to salvage the situation, "Th-then it must have been Mr. Lin Luo's mother who prepared it, right? Such a cute bento, your auntie must be a very gentle person!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Luo calmly said, "I don't have parents."

The air instantly froze.

Furuhashi Fumino froze in place, her cheeks visibly turning crimson. "Just let me disappear on the spot..." She clutched her chest, her voice trembling with despair, wishing she could burrow into the ground right then and there.

"Alright, alright, stop acting." Lin Luo looked amusedly at Furuhashi Fumino, who was almost shrinking under the table, "I was adopted by my grandfather, and I've lived a very good and happy life all these years. Don't just imagine some tragic backstory for me."

He gently pushed the pink bento box, his tone softening a bit: "As for this, it's a return gift."

"Return gift?" Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu looked up in unison, and even Kato Megumi, who had been quietly eating, cast a curious glance.

Lin Luo nodded: "Yes. I helped Shiina-san a little yesterday, and this is her thank-you gift from this morning."