The idea started because Zhao Ming was bored.
Which, historically, was how most of their important life events began.
They were sitting in the cafeteria again, trays half empty, everyone a little tired from classes.
Zhao Ming suddenly put his chopsticks down and said,
"I have decided something."
Lin Yue didn't even look up.
"That's usually dangerous."
"We should go on a trip," Zhao Ming said.
Su Ran looked up immediately.
"A trip?"
"Yes," he said.
"Just the four of us. Somewhere not too far. Just for a few days."
Lin Yue thought about it.
"That actually sounds nice."
Su Ran smiled.
"Yes, it does."
Then they both looked at Jiang Chen.
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay," he said.
Zhao Ming slammed the table lightly.
"Decision approved. We are going on a trip."
---
Planning the Trip
Planning the trip turned out to be harder than deciding to go.
Zhao Ming wanted somewhere with good food.
Lin Yue wanted somewhere quiet.
Su Ran wanted somewhere pretty.
Jiang Chen just wanted somewhere not too crowded.
After three days of arguing, they finally chose a small town near the mountains.
"Mountains, food, quiet streets," Zhao Ming said.
"This place has everything."
"You only care about food," Lin Yue said.
"Food is important," he replied.
---
The Bus Ride
The trip started early in the morning.
Too early, according to Zhao Ming.
"This is not a vacation," he said while half asleep on the bus.
"This is suffering."
Su Ran laughed and handed him a drink.
Lin Yue was sitting next to Zhao Ming.
Su Ran and Jiang Chen sat together behind them.
The bus slowly left the city, and buildings turned into open roads, trees, and hills.
Su Ran leaned slightly toward the window.
"It's nice," she said.
Jiang Chen looked at her instead of the view.
"Yeah," he said.
After a while, the bus got quieter as people started sleeping.
Su Ran slowly fell asleep too, her head leaning slightly toward Jiang Chen.
He hesitated for a second, then gently adjusted so her head rested on his shoulder comfortably.
He didn't move after that.
Not even when his shoulder started hurting.
---
Zhao Ming Notices Again
Zhao Ming turned around to say something and froze.
He saw Su Ran sleeping on Jiang Chen's shoulder and Jiang Chen sitting completely still like a statue.
Zhao Ming slowly pulled out his phone and took a picture.
Lin Yue immediately grabbed his arm.
"Don't," she whispered.
"This is evidence," he whispered back.
"You're going to get hit later," she said.
"Worth it," he replied.
---
Arriving at the Town
When they arrived, the town was quiet and peaceful.
Small streets.
Little restaurants.
Mountains in the distance.
Cool air.
Su Ran stretched her arms.
"This place is nice," she said.
Zhao Ming looked around.
"Most importantly," he said,
"I saw three restaurants already."
Lin Yue shook her head.
"You are unbelievable."
They walked through the streets, laughing, talking, stopping at random shops.
It felt different from campus.
Slower.
Quieter.
Like time wasn't rushing them.
---
The Evening Walk
In the evening, they walked up a small hill to see the view.
The town lights slowly turned on below them.
They sat on a low wall, looking at the view quietly.
Zhao Ming said,
"If we didn't become friends in high school, we would all be living completely different lives now."
Lin Yue nodded slowly.
"That's true."
Su Ran looked at the lights and said softly,
"It's strange how one seat in a classroom can change your whole life."
Jiang Chen looked at her and said quietly,
"Yeah. If you didn't sit in the last row… I probably wouldn't be sitting here now."
She smiled slightly.
"Then it's a good thing I sat there," she said.
"It's a very good thing," he replied.
---
Zhao Ming Being Zhao Ming
Zhao Ming suddenly stood up and pointed at the view dramatically.
"I have an announcement," he said.
"No," Lin Yue said.
"I am very grateful that I met all of you," Zhao Ming continued anyway.
Su Ran laughed.
"That was unexpectedly serious."
"I can be serious," he said.
Lin Yue looked at him and smiled slightly.
"Yes," she said.
"Sometimes."
Jiang Chen looked at all of them sitting there together and thought quietly,
High school classroom.
Last row.
University campus.
Late-night studying.
Bus rides.
Trips.
Laughing.
Growing up.
Everything was connected.
All because of one place.
One row.
Three people who became four.
---
The Night
That night, they walked back slowly to their hotel.
Zhao Ming and Lin Yue walked ahead again.
Su Ran and Jiang Chen walked behind, like always.
"Are you happy?" she asked suddenly.
He looked at her.
"Yes," he said.
"Me too," she said.
Then she held his hand, and they walked the rest of the way without talking.
Sometimes silence was better than talking.
Sometimes just walking next to someone was enough.
And that night, in a small quiet town far from their university,
the Last Row Trio,
now four people,
kept walking forward together.
Not knowing exactly what the future would look like.
But knowing one thing for sure:
They were glad they found each other.