About 4 years or so.
After the first semester of my freshman year, I never saw her again.
Until now, after graduating from senior year and working for a few months, this is the first time I've seen this senior again.
Of course, it's not that Kaito didn't want to find her. She changed her phone number and lost all contact on the Messenger.
How else could he find her?
People close to her also didn't know where she went, eventually thinking she went abroad.
Because her family was very wealthy, and she was exceptionally outstanding academically, it was very likely she went abroad for further studies.
Back then, Kaito also thought that the reason they couldn't be together might be due to their unequal status.
In other words, their families didn't match.
Don't talk about free love; ultimately, it's more about what kind of family finds what kind of family.
Rich people finding poor people is actually very rare.
Many ugly ducklings yearn to become swans, but little do they know that for many, it's just playing around.
Maybe there is true love, but would their family behind them agree?
Obviously, most wouldn't.
Perhaps for this reason, the senior back then didn't want to trouble him or face these things, so she didn't pursue a relationship with him.
After all, the bumpy love story of a poor boy and a rich young lady is also a very familiar trope.
But...
She was ultimately the goddess in his heart back then, the academically outstanding student and school beauty who dominated for four years.
Her name was Xiao Yunyun.
Her friends would call her Yunyun, as it suited the homophonic sound.
"Senior, I'm just here to buy a set of clothes. What about you?"
After a moment of reminiscing, Kaito smiled and shook the shopping bag in his hand.
"Me? I live nearby. I also opened a shop for anime, manga, game goods, selling anime merchandise, cosplay costumes, and such."
"Opening it here? How's business?"
"Pretty good! Because every year, there's a convention held at the nearby Dingshan Lake Square. So I made a name for myself last year, and now business is booming."
Xiao Yunyun's eyes sparkled; she seemed genuinely happy about this.
Indeed, she was a thorough otaku girl, and also an evangelist for anime culture, always liking to pull people into the anime hole.
"Is that so? Congratulations then."
"It's just... where did you go after graduation?"
...
Sure enough, mentioning this topic, Xiao Yunyun fell silent.
"Me? I was forced by my family to study abroad. But I'm quite stubborn. After some things happened, I came back again and had a direct confrontation with my family. Eventually, I got my wish and opened this shop."
"That really sounds like something you would do."
"Of course! Who have I ever been afraid of! But sometimes I also need to make strategic retreats, you know."
"Hehe, okay. So what are you doing out here now? Not going back to the shop?"
She avoided the issue of cutting off contact, and at the same time, Kaito noticed the very dazzling diamond ring on the ring finger of her right hand.
Seeing this, even if Xiao Yunyun didn't say it, he understood some things.
"Uh... well, I'm out buying a birthday gift for my daughter."
"Oh? What a coincidence. How old is your daughter?"
Xiao Yunyun saw Kaito's gaze on her right hand. At this point, she also understood that pretending to be oblivious was pointless, so she directly stated the purpose of her outing.
"Three... almost three years old!"
"Is that so... If that's the case, can you wait a few minutes for me? It'll be quick. I'll buy a birthday gift for your daughter!"
After saying this, Kaito deliberately put down his bag and turned to run, also to prevent Xiao Yunyun from leaving after he turned around.
"Kaito! You..."
On this side, because Kaito ran too fast, Xiao Yunyun was about to say something but only saw his back disappearing dozens of meters away.
Looking at the bag he had left in front of her, Xiao Yunyun felt helpless. Bowing her head with a bitter smile, she had no choice but to continue waiting there.
As for Kaito?
He had already run into the mall, but he didn't really go to buy a gift. Instead, he went to a public restroom, closed the door, and pulled out a jade pendant from the golden ripples.
This pendant was originally intended for Ai, but now...
'I'll change the 'Hand of God' design.'
Whoosh—!!
Geo elemental power emerged in his palm, enveloping the pendant, and the original pattern was remodified.
Finally, within this sunset opal jade pendant, a lifelike golden deer appeared.
Its implied meaning was health, longevity, and safety.
Giving it to a girl who was almost three years old was just right.
Because the homophonic sound of 'deer' is prosperity, so it also carries the meaning of promotion and wealth.
Well, Kaito just didn't know what pattern to carve. Things like Guanyin were too cliché and would instead detract from the sunset opal pendant. So putting a golden deer inside was most appropriate.
'Alright, I'll give her this.'
Because this time it took a bit longer, Kaito was in a hurry to get back and forgot to buy a gift box for packaging.
When he ran back in front of Xiao Yunyun again, he only then remembered this.
"Uh... well, I ran too fast, paid, and ran off. Forgot to wrap it."
"This is the birthday gift I'm giving your daughter. Don't you dare be ungrateful, haha! Remember to tell her for me."
"I have things to do. I'm off, bye~"
Kaito said somewhat awkwardly, handing the pendant to Xiao Yunyun. But before Xiao Yunyun could carefully look at it or thank him, she couldn't see Kaito's figure anymore.
Naturally, Kaito didn't forget to take his bag.
"How did he suddenly disappear..."
Xiao Yunyun was also puzzled. She had only glanced at the pendant in her hand a few times, and he was gone?
"Sigh, is his mind playing tricks on him?"
Raising her right hand, looking at the diamond ring on her ring finger, Xiao Yunyun shook her head regretfully.
But just as she prepared to turn around and continue to the cake shop, a three-year-old little girl, wearing the same cosplay outfit as the little dragon Kanna, came pattering over. Upon seeing her, she immediately leapt into her arms.
"Mom, mom, why have you been out so long and still haven't brought me cake? My tummy is so, so hungry~"