Time moved quietly after that.
There were no big dramatic events.
No major fights.
No sudden changes.
Just classes, assignments, lunches together, late-night studying, and walking across campus under the same streetlights.
If someone asked them what they did every day, the answer would sound boring.
But to them, those days were full.
---
A Strange Realization
One afternoon, the four of them were sitting on the grass near one of the campus buildings.
Zhao Ming was lying down, using his bag as a pillow.
Lin Yue was reading notes.
Su Ran was scrolling through her phone.
Jiang Chen was watching people walk past.
Suddenly, Zhao Ming said,
"Do you guys remember the first year of high school?"
Su Ran looked up.
"Of course."
"I feel like that was yesterday," he said.
Lin Yue closed her notebook slightly.
"Time feels faster now."
Jiang Chen nodded.
"It gets faster every year," he said.
Su Ran looked at them and said quietly,
"We used to think high school would never end."
Zhao Ming sighed dramatically.
"And now we're in university, worrying about internships and grades and future jobs."
Lin Yue added,
"And rent and transportation and interviews."
Zhao Ming sat up immediately.
"Stop. I don't want to grow up anymore."
"You already grew up," Su Ran said.
"I refuse," he replied.
---
The Old Photo
That evening, Su Ran was cleaning her drawer when she found something.
The class photo from high school.
The one they wrote on.
She stared at it for a long time.
Last Row Trio
Seat: Last Row
Goal: Stay friends for a long time
She smiled.
Then she took a picture of the photo and sent it in their group chat.
Su Ran: Look what I found.
A few seconds later:
Zhao Ming: NO WAY
Lin Yue: Is that your high school photo?
Jiang Chen: You still have it.
Su Ran: Of course I do.
Zhao Ming: I look very handsome.
Su Ran: You look stupid.
Zhao Ming: This is bullying.
Then Jiang Chen sent another message:
Jiang Chen: We really wrote that on the desk too.
Su Ran looked at her phone and smiled.
Su Ran: I wonder if it's still there.
A minute later:
Zhao Ming: We should go back and check someday.
Lin Yue replied:
Lin Yue: That's actually a good idea.
Then Jiang Chen wrote:
Jiang Chen: Let's go during the next holiday.
Su Ran looked at the screen for a long time before replying.
Su Ran: Okay. Let's go back to the last row.
---
Night Walk
That night, Su Ran and Jiang Chen were walking slowly across campus again.
"You sent the photo on purpose," he said.
She smiled.
"Maybe."
"You miss high school?" he asked.
She thought for a moment.
"I don't miss the exams," she said.
"Same," he replied.
"But I miss how simple everything was," she continued.
"School, homework, walking home, sitting in the last row, talking about nothing important…"
Jiang Chen nodded slowly.
"Yeah," he said.
"It was simple."
She looked at him.
"But if we go back to that time… we wouldn't be like this," she said.
He looked at her, then gently held her hand.
"You're right," he said.
"So I don't want to go back," she said.
"I just want to remember."
---
Zhao Ming and Lin Yue
Meanwhile, Zhao Ming and Lin Yue were walking on another path.
"You really hid behind a tree that day," Lin Yue said suddenly.
"I regret nothing," Zhao Ming replied.
"You are very strange," she said.
"You still walk with me," he replied.
She didn't answer immediately.
Then she said quietly,
"You talk a lot… but you're actually a good friend."
Zhao Ming looked genuinely surprised.
"Only friend?" he asked.
Lin Yue looked at him for a second, then said,
"We'll see."
And then she walked ahead.
Zhao Ming stood there for two seconds before smiling like an idiot and running to catch up with her.
---
Back Together Again
The next day, the four of them sat together in the cafeteria again.
Same table.
Same noise.
Same conversations.
Zhao Ming was talking too loudly.
Lin Yue was telling him to be quiet.
Su Ran was laughing.
Jiang Chen was smiling quietly.
Su Ran suddenly looked at all of them and said,
"Do you guys realize something?"
"What?" Zhao Ming asked.
"We've been sitting together almost every day for years now," she said.
High school.
University.
Libraries.
Cafeterias.
Benches.
Classrooms.
Always the same group.
Zhao Ming leaned back and said proudly,
"Because we are a legendary group."
Lin Yue said,
"You are very confident."
Jiang Chen said quietly,
"It's just… comfortable."
Su Ran nodded.
"Yes," she said.
"Comfortable."
---
The Quiet Truth
Later that day, when they were walking home again, Su Ran said softly,
"I think the last row wasn't important because of where we sat."
Jiang Chen looked at her.
"It was important because of who I sat with," she said.
He smiled slightly.
"Yeah," he said.
"Me too."
And as they walked slowly under the campus lights again, not in a hurry to go anywhere,
both of them were thinking the same thing:
They started as classmates.
Then friends.
Then best friends.
Then something more.
And somewhere along the way,
without noticing exactly when,
they had grown up.