graduate

The sycamore leaves outside the window turned green, then yellow, then yellow, then fell, repeating this cycle four times. Classroom, lab, library, dorm—this route was so familiar I could walk it with my eyes closed. I flipped through the thick textbooks over and over again, my notes piled up nearly half a person's height. The smell of formaldehyde seemed to have seeped into the fibers of my white coat.

Lin Xiyan sat in the window seat he'd occupied for four years in the library, finishing his final semester's internship report. Sunlight streamed in through the large glass windows, glaring onto the paper. He paused, squinting slightly, observing the tiny specks of dust floating in the light.

It seemed like... just yesterday I was standing at the bustling school gate, dragging my suitcase, clueless. And now, in the blink of an eye, I'm leaving.

He felt a strange feeling. It wasn't the ecstasy of escaping the misery of high school graduation, nor the anxiety about the future, but rather a kind of... settled, tinged with a sense of peace. These past four years, he had spent here, perhaps the most fulfilling, and... most... stable, period of his life.

The phone vibrates gently on the table, it is that specific frequency that belongs only to one person.

He picked it up and looked at it.

【Jiang Yibai: Tomorrow.】

Just two simple words. No punctuation.

Lin Xiyan looked at the two words, her fingertips stroking the screen. Tomorrow was graduation. Jiang Yibai's school graduation ceremony was two days earlier than theirs, and he had already finished. This meant that after tomorrow, they would all bid farewell to their student days.

[Lin Xiyan: Yes. Are you here?]

Jiang Yibai: Yes. Hotel.

Attached is a photo of the night view outside the hotel window. Judging from the angle, it should be not far from their school.

[Lin Xiyan: Lu Panji and the others said they'd have dinner together tonight.]

Jiang Yibai: I know. Noisy.

Even through the screen, one could imagine his frown and impatience. Lin Xiyan's lips curved slightly.

【Lin Xiyan: Then you should take a rest.】

Jiang Yibai: Yeah. You're done.

The conversation ended. It was still a terse, almost stingy exchange. But Lin Xiyan had gotten used to it. For the past four years, they had relied on countless text messages like this, countless silent video calls, and those "secret codes" that only they understood, forcing their days apart into a different kind of "togetherness."

He put down his phone and picked up his pen again, but he felt a little lost. His gaze fell out the window, watching the graduates in their graduation gowns, excitedly snapping photos around campus. A real sense of "ending" slowly settled over him.

Lu Panji chose the place for dinner that night, a hot pot restaurant they often frequented, with a vibrant, lively atmosphere. Four years had passed, and Lu Panji's boisterous personality hadn't changed at all. She greeted the owner loudly upon entering, as if she were at home. He Yunling had calmed down a bit, but the way he pushed up his glasses and his occasional sharp tongue remained the same.

Jiang Yibai arrived a little later. When he pushed open the door to the private room and entered, he was bathed in the cool air of the outdoors. Dressed in a simple black T-shirt and trousers, his posture remained erect, but his features seemed to have lost some of their youthful sharpness, becoming more composed. His gaze swept around the room, finally landing on Lin Xiyan and stopping.

Lin Xiyan's heart skipped a beat. It had only been over half a month since they last saw each other, yet it felt like ages. He watched him approach and naturally sat down in the seat reserved for him, right next to his own.

"Brother Jiang! You're finally here! I've been waiting for you!" Lu Panji yelled, pouring him some beer, "You must punish yourself with three glasses!"

Jiang Yibai ignored him and turned his head to look at Lin Xiyan. His voice was much more real and deeper than what he heard on the phone: "Are you done?"

"...Yeah." Lin Xiyan nodded, feeling the side of her cheek that he was looking at was a little hot.

"Tsk, you can't see us, right?" He Yunling said coldly from the side.

Jiang Yibai then glanced at them with a condescending look, picked up the wine glass in front of him, and took a sip without saying anything. It was considered a gesture of respect.

The hot pot bubbled and simmered, the red broth bubbling with warmth. Lu Panji began reminiscing about the past, from the jokes he'd made as a freshman, to the terrifying moments in anatomy class, to the revolutionary friendship they'd shared when they'd copied each other's homework. His words were filled with excitement, his saliva flying. He Yunling occasionally added a few words, offering precise, pointed rants.

Lin Xiyan listened quietly, nibbling the meat and vegetables Jiang Yibai had calmly prepared and then placed in his bowl. Four years later, this habit hadn't changed.

"Ah, in the blink of an eye, we're all going our separate ways." Lu Panji finished with a rare touch of emotion in his tone. "I'm back at the hospital back home, Old He's staying on campus for graduate school, and as for Brother Jiang, I heard he signed with that awesome visual studio? Will he have to travel the world and shoot international blockbusters from now on?"

Jiang Yibai was putting a piece of tripe into Lin Xiyan's bowl. Hearing this, he didn't even look up: "It depends."

It's the same answer as four years ago.

Lu Panji rolled his eyes. "Well, there's no point in asking." He looked at Lin Xiyan again. "Xiyan, what about you? Are you sure you're going to that counseling center?"

Lin Xiyan hummed softly. It was a well-known institution in the city, specializing in providing psychological support to teenagers and those with special needs. He had submitted countless resumes and gone through several rounds of interviews before finally getting the opportunity.

"Very good!" Lu Panji patted his shoulder vigorously (the force was greatly reduced by Jiang Yibai's cold glare next to him), "You will be Doctor Lin from now on! If you become rich and powerful, don't forget me!"

He Yunling also raised his glass: "Congratulations."

Lin Xiyan looked at them, feeling warm in his heart, and picked up his cup - which contained the warm soy milk that Jiang Yibai had just poured for him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Four cups clinked together, making a crisp sound. Beer, soy milk, mixed with the steam from the hot pot and the friendship accumulated over four years of youth.

After dinner, it was already late at night. Lu Panji and He Yunling walked away arm in arm, saying they would see each other at the ceremony tomorrow.

Jiang Yibai and Lin Xiyan were the only ones left, walking slowly back along the familiar street. The evening breeze, carrying the warmth of early summer, caressed their faces. The streetlights stretched their shadows, interweaving, separating, and then overlapping.

"Are you nervous?" Jiang Yibai suddenly asked. Tomorrow, Lin Xiyan would be giving a speech as a representative of the outstanding graduates.

Lin Xiyan was stunned for a moment, shook his head, and nodded: "...a little."

"Have you memorized the manuscript?"

"……Um."

"That'll do."

After a brief conversation, silence returned. But this silence wasn't awkward, instead it felt like a tacit understanding and peace honed over time.

I walked downstairs to Lin Xiyan's dormitory. This was probably the last time I would stand here as a student.

The two stopped.

"I'm going up," Lin Xiyan said. The ceremony would start early tomorrow, and he had to go back to prepare.

"Yeah." Jiang Yibai responded, but didn't move. He just looked at him. The light from the street lamp cast a small spot of light in his deep eyes, and his purple pupils were like a night full of stars.

Lin Xiyan felt a little uncomfortable being looked at by him and lowered her eyelashes slightly.

Suddenly, he felt Jiang Yibai take a step closer. The distance between them was instantly shortened, and he could clearly smell the faint, familiar scent on him.

Then, a cool, soft touch landed on his forehead.

Very light and fast, like a feather passing by.

It's a kiss.

Lin Xiyan suddenly opened his eyes wide, his heart seemed to be tightened by something, and his breathing stopped.

Jiang Yibai had already stepped back, his expression remained unchanged, except for the faint redness that seemed to appear on his ears in the shadows where the streetlights couldn't reach.

"See you tomorrow." He said in a low voice, turned around, put his hands in his trouser pockets, and walked towards the hotel. His back was straight and his steps were calm, as if the sudden kiss just now was just an illusion to Lin Xiyan.

Lin Xiyan stood there in a daze, not even realizing it. She waited until the figure disappeared around the corner before slowly raising her hand and touching the forehead where she had been kissed. The fleeting, cool feeling still lingered there.

My cheeks suddenly started to burn.

Four years had passed. This was the first time Jiang Yibai had kissed him in a place other than home, downstairs of the dormitory where other people might pass by.

Even though it's just the forehead.

But it made his heart palpitate more than any other time of intimacy.

He stood downstairs, feeling the night breeze for a long time before his hot cheeks and chaotic heartbeat slowly calmed down.

Looking up, the dormitory building was brightly lit and many windows were still lit. These lights belonged to their class of students, but after tomorrow, they would be extinguished one by one and replaced by new owners.

An era is really coming to an end.

But in his heart, besides a slight sense of separation, what he felt more was a determined courage to move forward towards an unknown future.

Because he knows that no matter what the future holds, there will always be someone by his side.

In his own silent and passionate way.

He turned around and walked into the dormitory building.

When the sun rises tomorrow, they will put on their bachelor's gowns that symbolize maturity and welcome a grand farewell.

Then, move on to the next chapter of life with each other's participation.