Life back in his hometown was simple—predictable, even. The only time things got lively was during New Year's, when relatives dropped by and inevitably asked, "So, do you have a girlfriend yet?"
Now that Tony was in college, nobody bothered asking about his grades anymore. But he knew what came next. Once he graduated, they'd swap the topic from academics to income. "What's your salary?""Where do you work?"
Those questions could wait.
A few days before New Year's Eve, Tony finally completed his thesis draft. He reviewed the formatting, double-checked citations, and fired it off via email to the international journal submission portal. Now all he could do was wait.
On New Year's Eve, his grandparents' house was buzzing with energy.
Every year, Tony's family and his uncle's family came back to celebrate together. With his grandparents, his parents, his uncle, aunt, and their two kids—Zoe and Ryan—there were nine people crammed into the cozy country home.
Zoe, the elder cousin, was 19, just a few years younger than Tony and in the middle of her final year of high school. Ryan, 18, was in his second year. Both had phones, mostly because their school required them to board on campus. But those phones weren't used to call home—instead, they were primarily for games, group chats, and late-night videos.
After realizing that, their father had confiscated the devices, only allowing them access during holidays.
That evening, everyone gathered in the living room after dinner. Tony wasn't as interested in the Spring Festival Gala as he once had been. When he was little, he'd sit cross-legged on the floor, glued to the screen from start to finish—skits, musical acts, acrobatics, everything. These days, he'd catch the comedy sketches, maybe the musical guests, and mostly scroll through his phone.
This year was no exception. The moment the show started, he had one eye on the TV and one on the family group chat, waiting to grab any red envelopes flying in.
He wasn't the only one. Zoe and Ryan were locked into their screens, fingers hovering, just as competitive.
"Zoe," their dad suddenly said during a lull in conversation, "you've got less than six months before your college entrance exams. Since Tony's here, maybe ask him for some study advice. You don't need to get into a top-tier school. I'll be happy with second-tier."
Zoe rolled her eyes. "Dad, can we not talk about that on New Year's Eve?"
But her dad wasn't done. "Your uncle and aunt are going back to the city on the sixth. If I don't say it now, you'll forget."
He turned to Tony. "You're not heading back to the city with your parents, are you?"
"No, not yet," Tony replied. "They're going for work. I'll head back closer to the start of classes."
"Great. Come stay at our place for a few days before you go back. Ryan's been begging for tutoring."
"Sure, I'll swing by."
The conversation drifted after that—politics, gossip, neighborhood drama, the usual variety of topics when adults sat around on holidays. During the duller segments of the TV program, Tony found himself bored. No new red envelopes, nothing interesting on his feed.
So he pulled up the life simulator again, revisiting details from his last simulation.
By the time the final theme song—"Unforgettable Tonight"—began playing, the hosts were saying their goodbyes, and the four-and-a-half-hour gala was over.
That night, Tony and Ryan squeezed into the same bed.
Ryan was glued to his phone, sitting up against the headboard, chatting away with his friends.
Then, suddenly: "Bro, have you changed?"
Tony looked over. "What?"
"I mean, you're like… different this year. A lot different. Earlier, Grandma even said you had a girlfriend?"
Tony smirked. "Where'd you get that from?"
"Grandma told your mom not to be so uptight about you dating. Come on, spill the tea."
Tony said nothing.
Ryan grinned and changed the subject. "Alright, forget that. Let's play a game. Boost me to King tier."
Tony laughed. Before the simulator, he used to game a lot. He'd been top-ranked in several multiplayer titles—especially the mobile MOBA Ryan was referring to.
"I haven't touched that game in months," Tony said. "My rank's probably back at Bronze by now."
"I knew it!" Ryan sat up straighter. "You've been offline for ages. I figured you were just playing with your college friends on a different server. But no games at all? That's what I mean—you're totally different."
"Is it a crime to study hard now?"
Tony leaned back, jokingly smug. "I'm reformed. No more slacking, no more distractions. You should follow your wise older cousin's example."
"Pfft, you're the one who got me hooked on that game in the first place," Ryan muttered, rolling his eyes.
The next few days were filled with the usual post-New Year traditions—visiting relatives, eating more than necessary, catching up with people he hadn't seen in a year. His childhood friends had mostly drifted away, but there were still a few familiar faces, and it was good to reconnect.
On the sixth day of the New Year, Tony's parents returned to the city for work.
Tony, however, stayed behind.
He moved in with his uncle's family for a few days, helping Ryan and Zoe with their homework and chatting with Zoe about how to mentally prep for her exams. She was anxious—but who wasn't during their senior year?
Classes officially resumed on March 9th.
Twenty days had passed since Tony submitted his thesis.
The first thing he did when he got back to campus?
He found Clara.
They met up on the east lawn outside the science building. Early spring sun filtered through the bare branches overhead, and the grass was still yellow from winter.
"How was your break?" Tony asked, genuinely curious.
Clara smiled politely. "Busy. Mostly housework. I spent the whole time helping my grandma. She's the only family I have left."
Tony nodded, understanding. "Still, it's good to be home, right?"
She looked at him with tired eyes. "It's nice to be back on campus. It feels like I can finally breathe again."
Tony didn't say anything for a moment. He just smiled.
He had a feeling this semester would be different.
And he was ready for it.