Daryl arrived early, far too early, and as he stood in the college district he realized how little it had changed, with the same brick paths underfoot, the same trees lining the road, and the same cafés pretending to be new while feeling stubbornly old.
He lingered near a small plaza where a fountain trickled lazily, watching students pass by in pairs as they laughed, talked, and moved forward with purpose, while he remained still with his hands buried in his pockets.
He checked the time, then checked it again, and when his phone buzzed with a message from Kang Wei saying he was almost there, Daryl exhaled and realized he hadn't noticed himself holding his breath.
Leaning against a railing, he watched people walk past and felt out of place, not because he didn't belong here anymore, but because he used to, and that difference weighed heavier than simple unfamiliarity.
Footsteps approached and he looked up to see Kang Wei standing a few meters away, taller than he remembered with broader shoulders, yet carrying the same face and the same easy smile that felt strangely untouched by time.
They hesitated for a second too long, and then Kang Wei raised a hand and said Daryl's name, while Daryl answered with a simple greeting that felt smaller than it should have.
They stepped closer, paused again, and exchanged a handshake that lingered awkwardly before turning into a half-hug, prompting soft laughter that wasn't loud enough to draw attention but enough to break the tension.
"You look the same," Kang Wei said, and Daryl snorted back that Kang Wei didn't, earning a wider smile and a response that took it as a compliment.
They stood there briefly without knowing where to put their hands or what to say next, until Kang Wei gestured down the street and suggested they walk, which Daryl agreed to without hesitation.
Moving side by side, the campus felt smaller than Daryl remembered, or perhaps he had grown in ways that had nothing to do with height, as they started with light conversation about the weather, the city, and the absurd rise in tuition fees.
Shared professors came up, including the strict one, the lazy one, and the one who never showed up on Fridays, and they laughed easily as if slipping into an old jacket that no longer fit quite right.
Daryl noticed how confidently Kang Wei walked, unhurried and comfortable, like someone who knew where he was going, and that observation settled quietly in his chest as they headed toward a restaurant near campus.
The place was casual, clean, and quiet enough to talk, and as they approached, the conversation slowed in a way that wasn't awkward but careful, circling an unspoken question Daryl could feel hovering between them.
They stopped at the entrance, Kang Wei holding the door open and gesturing for Daryl to go first, and inside the warm lighting, wooden tables, and low chatter gave them something neutral to sink into.
They sat across from each other with menus in hand, and ordering gave them a temporary focus, something ordinary to anchor the moment before the waiter left and Kang Wei leaned back.
"So," Kang Wei said, breaking the pause with a familiar ease, "long time," and Daryl answered with agreement before they both acknowledged it had been far too long.
Food arrived steaming, and they ate quietly for a bit, letting the first few bites ease the tension, until Kang Wei spoke again and said he would go first.
He explained that he was a beta tester now, working with big game companies to test unreleased builds, find bugs, write reports, and sometimes break things on purpose, all while signing an unreasonable number of NDAs.
He spoke casually, without bragging or posturing, and mentioned the good pay with a shrug, admitting it still didn't feel real sometimes, which carried a quiet pride Daryl couldn't miss.
Daryl listened closely and asked real questions about hours, workflow, and boredom, and Kang Wei answered easily about early access, private builds, and deadlines that actually mattered.
It sounded stable, and something twisted in Daryl's chest that wasn't jealousy so much as distance, a quiet awareness of paths that had diverged without announcement.
When Kang Wei finished, he looked at Daryl and asked lightly what he'd been doing, and Daryl hesitated before offering the easy answer of freelance side gigs.
Kang Wei nodded without pushing, but didn't move on either, simply waiting, and Daryl stared at his food before sighing and admitting that he streamed.
When Kang Wei tilted his head and asked what kind, Daryl met his eyes and said ghost hunting, which earned silence that wasn't mocking or disbelieving, just thoughtful processing.
He explained abandoned buildings, supernatural phenomena, and streaming on SpookTube, adding that it didn't pay much but kept him afloat, while Kang Wei listened with genuine focus.
Questions followed about danger and authenticity, and when Daryl said he didn't fake any of it, Kang Wei whistled softly and called it wild without judgment.
Daryl waited for criticism that never came, and instead Kang Wei asked for his channel name, prompting Daryl to freeze before reluctantly sharing it.
Kang Wei typed it in, scrolled, subscribed, and said he'd watch later in a casual tone that hit harder than it should have, sending warmth into Daryl's chest that had nothing to do with numbers.
They ate more easily after that, drifting back to safer topics like travel, food, and old classmates, with laughter coming more naturally than before.
When the plates were cleared, Kang Wei checked his watch and offered a free extra bed at his hotel, which Daryl declined politely, explaining he'd already booked a place.
They stepped outside into the settled evening as streetlights flickered on, agreed on a time and place for the reunion event, and exchanged a restrained but familiar hug before going separate ways.
Daryl walked alone through the humming city, checked his phone, and saw one new subscriber, which shouldn't have mattered but did more than he expected.
At his hotel, clean and quiet, he dropped his bag, turned on the TV without watching, and eventually lay staring at the ceiling while thinking about old friends and new paths.
Sleep came slowly, but it came.