"Then you need to step back a bit," Brian Carter drawled, "—I can't see with you like that."

Ryan Bennett held her breath and said, "That's really sad for you, going blind at such a young age."

She was a little annoyed, but it had been a long time since Ryan Bennett had gone to and from school with him. Back in middle school, even though they often hung out during holidays, once school started, she could only go to the girls' school alone. Thinking of this, her annoyance vanished instantly.

In the distance.

Ethan Cooper and the others were also getting ready to head to the bus stop. Spotting them from afar, he waved, "Hey, Mr. Brian, Mr. Summer—wait up for me—"

Ryan Bennett walked over beside Brian Carter and greeted him, "You're going to the bus stop too? Which bus do you take?"

Ethan Cooper replied helplessly, "Can you two care about me a little more? I'm going the same way as you, we all take the No. 3 bus."

Brian Carter also showed a bit of surprise at this, which he expressed by deigning to lift his eyes and give Ethan Cooper a glance.

"......"

With years of experience dealing with them, Ethan Cooper immediately caught that look from Brian Carter: "No way, neither of you knew that I got into No. 2 High... right next to you, just three stops away at Experimental Affiliated High?"

Brian Carter withdrew his glance. "Now I know."

Ethan Cooper: "......"

Ryan Bennett added, "Now I know too."

"So you got into Experimental Affiliated High," Brian Carter tossed out the comment and then fell silent. Considering Ethan Cooper's feelings, Ryan Bennett patted Ethan Cooper's shoulder and added a few more words, "...Even though there's still quite a gap from No. 2 High, I believe that as long as you study hard, you'll still have a chance to catch up with us. Keep it up, Big Zhuang."

Ethan Cooper's feelings grew even more complicated: "Mr. Summer, if you can't say anything nice, just say less."

But Ethan Cooper didn't stay complicated for long before he started chattering again: "Speaking of which, you two actually ended up at the same school this time, I'm so jealous."

Ryan Bennett: "No need to be jealous, you can barely count as our spiritual schoolmate."

Ethan Cooper didn't get her joke.

But Brian Carter chuckled at that.

Ryan Bennett explained, "Because you're at No. 2 High... right next door, just three stops away at Experimental Affiliated High, so you're half a spiritual schoolmate."

Ethan Cooper: "...Thanks."

The group walked out the neighborhood gate chatting, just like old times. The blue-and-white "Nanxiang Street" sign stood at the street corner, unchanged for years.

But as Ryan Bennett passed the corner this time, she couldn't quite say why, but it felt like something had quietly changed.

Maybe it was the new school uniform.

Maybe it was the words "high school student."

Maybe it was being sixteen.

It felt like someone who'd always kept their head down suddenly looked up.

And then realized, without noticing, they'd already arrived at the threshold of the next stage of life.

-

Getting off at the bus stop, there was a crowd coming and going at the school gate.

A class list was posted on the bulletin board at the entrance.

Everyone was gathered around, looking for their names.

No. 2 High's full name was "Chengan No. 2 High School," located in the center of Lianyun City's Chengan District.

Which was where Ryan Bennett lived now.

No. 2 High had a pretty good reputation, and the management wasn't too strict—they didn't force students to board. The Lianyun No. 1 High School she "missed out on," on the other hand, was extremely strict, with military-style management, not even allowing cell phones.

As Ryan Bennett pulled Brian Carter through the crowd, she suddenly thought out of nowhere: maybe Brian Carter didn't choose No. 1 High not just because it was closer to home, but because he had a free spirit.

Ryan Bennett said eagerly, "Hurry, let's see which class we're in."

The person being dragged along was clearly not as enthusiastic as she was.

Brian Carter sounded a bit impatient: "Don't you mind the crowd?"

Ryan Bennett: "Then you go out, I'll look by myself."

She didn't notice that, despite what he said, he still followed behind her, letting her pull him along, one hand loosely around her arm to keep her from being pushed away by the crowd.

Ryan Bennett quickly spotted Brian Carter's name in Class 1.

She excitedly tugged his sleeve and told him, "Brian CarterBrian Carter, you're in Class 1."

At the same time.

Almost simultaneously.

Brian Carter said, "Class 7."

Ryan Bennett didn't get it: "What do you mean, Class 7?"

Brian Carter: "You."

Sometimes the two of them were perfectly in sync with this kind of thing.

Like now, almost competing, they each looked for the other's name first.

Ryan Bennett looked further down and, sure enough, found her own name at the end of the list: "...Class 7, that's so far."

She was afraid her words might be misunderstood, as if she was reluctant, so she explained, "I mean, with you so far away, I can finally relax."

What answered her was a soft, mocking laugh.

As Brian Carter had guessed, No. 2 High did sort classes by grades.

Because of their entrance scores, not only were they not in the same class, they were placed at opposite ends, as far apart as possible.

According to No. 2 High's teaching system, Class 1 should be a small, advanced class, while the others were regular classes.

Ryan Bennett couldn't really say whether she wanted to be in the same class as him or not.

Her relationship with Brian Carter.