Ch -21 The Last Bell Rings ☆

The school courtyard buzzed with excitement. Students rushed through the halls, posing for group photos, writing on each other's uniforms with colorful markers, hugging tightly with watery smiles.

Graduation Day.

Tianxin stared at her own uniform—clean, crisp, and still untouched. Her heart pounded faster than it should have.

She looked at the empty chair beside her in class. Zhou Rui's desk.

She should've been here.

Junxi stood quietly by the window, gazing out like he'd been standing still for years. Even now, months after Zhou Rui had left, he hadn't quite returned to who he used to be. Still polite, still helpful—but quieter, colder.

Tianxin knew better than to push him today.

Jiasheng walked into class, messy as ever, tie half-tied, expression calm. But when his eyes met Tianxin's, something softened.

He came and handed her a tiny folded paper without saying a word.

She opened it.

"Let's meet at the playground after this. Just us four."

She looked at him, confused. "But there's only three of us now."

He gave her that crooked grin. "Just trust me."

—

After the official ceremony—complete with speeches, tears, applause, and more photo-taking than anyone could keep track of—Tianxin, Junxi, and Jiasheng walked to the old playground behind the school.

It had faded swings, a broken slide, and their names scratched into the wood of the see-saw years ago.

They sat in silence.

Then suddenly—Zhou Rui appeared at the entrance gate.

Tianxin gasped and jumped to her feet. "You! YOU!!"

Zhou Rui smiled softly. "Flight back from Yinghua City. Just for today."

Tears welled up in Tianxin's eyes as she hugged her tightly. "I thought you'd never come."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," Zhou Rui whispered.

Junxi turned away and quickly wiped his eyes before anyone noticed. But Zhou Rui walked up to him and stood there.

"Still not going to talk to me properly?"

Junxi gave her a quiet look. "I was scared I'd forget your voice."

Zhou Rui stepped closer and whispered, "Then listen again."

And she hugged him.

—

The four of them spent hours at the playground, laughing like they were little again. Jiasheng showed off his Rubik's cube speed. Zhou Rui played music from her phone. Junxi took group photos with his camera. Tianxin tried to draw them all on the back of her notebook.

As the sun began to set, they sat on the swings.

"What now?" Tianxin asked.

"Now…" Jiasheng said, "we live. But we don't forget."

And so, they didn't.

They sealed that day in photos, in laughter, and in silence—etched deeply into the memory of four hearts that promised to find each other again, no matter where life went.