Like A Family

A young man with black hair was sleeping in a room. The room was very small, with just a bed where the young man was sleeping, a closet, a table, and a chair, which made the room feel almost full. There was only one window in the entire room. Although the room was small, it was very clean and tidy. It was already early in the morning since rays of sunlight could be seen coming through the window. An old-fashioned alarm clock rested on the table, its ticking marking the passage of time. The alarm clock on the table showed the time was almost 8:30, with some minutes remaining before the minute hand reached exactly 30. Slowly, time passed, and finally, the minute hand of the clock reached 30. As soon as the minute hand touched 30, the clock started ringing. 

Due to the small size of the room, the sound of the clock was especially loud and jarring, particularly in the early morning when someone was trying to sleep. Suddenly, a hand slammed down on the stop button of the clock, cutting off the ringing instantly. The hand belonged to the sleeping young man, and the force of his slap indicated just how irritated he was by the ringing. 

The young man then grabbed the clock and brought it close to his face. With his eyes still half-closed from sleep, he squinted at the time. 

As soon as he saw that it was already 8:30, his eyes flew wide open. He quickly tossed aside the quilt covering his body and jumped out of bed. Wearing only shorts, his entire physique was on display—he was a handsome young man, standing around six feet two inches tall, with fair skin and a well-toned body. He had the potential to be a model or an actor, although his haircut was slightly outdated, reminiscent of an older style. 

He hurriedly put on some clothes, grabbed a pair of glasses from the table, and put them on. With the glasses and his old-fashioned haircut, his handsome appearance was diminished, making him look more like a bookish young man than a heartthrob. 

The house had only two bathrooms: one on the ground floor, opposite the living room, and another attached to a bedroom. Unfortunately, his room was not the one with the attached bathroom, so he had to use the one in the living room. His room was on the first floor, so he quickly descended the stairs and headed toward the bathroom. 

However, when he tried to open the bathroom door by twisting the knob, he found it was locked from the inside. At that moment, a voice came from beside him, asking, "Henry, you're up early today. Did you forget it's Sunday? You can take it easy since you don't have classes today." The young man's name was Henry Harris. He was a 21-year-old freshman at Aspen University. 

Henry turned to see a blonde middle-aged woman standing beside him, holding a basket full of dirty clothes. He greeted her with a warm smile, "Good morning, Aunt Lucy." She returned the greeting and waited for his response. 

Henry continued, "No, Aunt Lucy, I didn't forget that today was Sunday. But I have an appointment with some friends at 9:10 AM, so that's why I got up early." 

"I see," Lucy said. "Unfortunately, you can't use the bathroom right now since Ashley just went in. Why don't you use the bathroom in my bedroom instead, since you're in a hurry? While you're getting ready, I'll prepare some breakfast for you." 

"Thank you, Aunt Lucy," Henry replied gratefully. With that, he headed to Lucy's bedroom to use her bathroom. 

Lucy's house is conveniently located close to Aspen University, where Henry is enrolled. Although the rooms in the house aren't large, the ten-minute walk to the university is a major advantage for Henry. Additionally, the rent is very affordable, which is essential for Henry given his tight budget and limited funds. 

Henry isn't the only tenant in the house—there are other rented rooms as well, all occupied by young women. Two of them are his classmates who chose to live there for similar reasons, and the third is a student who didn't get into the university and is preparing for next year's entrance exams. In total, there are seven people living in the house, and Henry is the only man. 

Initially, Henry found it challenging to adjust to living in a house full of women, but he quickly grew accustomed to it because everyone was friendly. Lucy's kind and nurturing demeanor made the house feel like a home. She takes care of the students as though they were her own children, cooking meals for them daily and creating a sense of community within the house. 

For Henry, who has lacked the warmth of a family since his mother's passing, living in Lucy's house has reignited feelings of familial love he had long forgotten. After stepping into the washroom, Henry quickly brushed his teeth and took a refreshing shower. Once done, he returned to his room to get dressed. Fully clothed, he descended the stairs and entered the dining room, where he found three familiar faces already seated. 

Instantly recognizing them, he smiled. One was Evelyn, Lucy's sister—an older woman whose warmth always radiated throughout the house. The other was Ashley, who had been using the bathroom earlier, and the third was Eva, donning a pair of glasses. Eva was the diligent student preparing for next year's entrance examinations. 

As he approached, Evelyn greeted him in her usual teasing manner, "Well, look who's up early today! Did the sun rise from the west?" Henry felt a twinge of embarrassment at being the habitual late riser in the house. Nevertheless, he returned Evelyn's greeting with a warm smile, "Good morning, Aunt Evelyn. You look as beautiful and energetic as ever." 

Evelyn's frank and teasing demeanor had always been a part of their interactions, yet Henry didn't mind. In fact, he found her banter endearing—it made him feel like he belonged to a family. He held a deep respect for Evelyn and appreciated her playful teasing as a sign of affection. 

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Hello everyone, I'm the author of this novel, and I'm sincerely grateful to all of you for giving it a chance. Before delving deeper, I'd like to address a few points upfront. Firstly, being human, I acknowledge there might be errors and possibly some loopholes in the storyline that could affect its quality. Therefore, I humbly ask for your help in identifying and filling these gaps as you read along.

Secondly, I want to mention that there may be chapters containing mature content, intended for an audience of 18 and above. I'll clearly mark these chapters with '18+' in the title, so readers who prefer to avoid such content can do so. Rest assured, skipping these chapters won't significantly impact the overall plot.

Thirdly, regarding the update schedule, I'll strive to release new chapters at least twice a week, specifically on Mondays and Fridays, with one chapter per day. However, due to my busy schedule, there may be times when I can't adhere strictly to this timetable. If I manage to finish an extra chapter and decide to release it outside the regular schedule, I'll always inform you in the last update.

Since this book is just starting out, I aim to release a few more chapters in the first one or two weeks. However, this level of frequency may not be sustainable in the long run. Depending on the response received, the number of chapters updated may increase over time.

Lastly, your support means everything to me. If you enjoy this book, please consider recommending it, leaving reviews, and sharing your suggestions. Your feedback is invaluable and helps me improve as a writer. Thank you for embarking on this journey with me, and I hope you enjoy the adventure ahead!