Part- 391:

  “I’m gd I was able to do that,” he said finally, his voice sincere. “I had no idea it meant so much.”

  “Of course it did!” Mili nudged him pyfully. “You were my first friend, my partner in homework battles, the one who showed me around. Remember that time we stayed up practically all night studying for that impossible math test?”

  He chuckled, the memory sparking in his mind. “Oh yeah, I remember. You were vihe only way to pass was by pulling an all-nighter.”

  “And we did,” she said, ughing. “I think I was sleep-deprived for a week after that. But we both mao pass.”

  James couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “I don’t think I’d have survived that test without you.”

  The versation flowed seamlessly as they moved down memory ne. Mili’s stories tinued, eae adding a new yer to their shared history, weaving a tapestry of friendship and small moments he’d somehow fotten but which clearly meant the world to her.

  After a few more steps, she gnced up at him, an almost shy smile on her face. “There’s… there’s another memory that I think about sometimes.”

  James looked at her, curious. “Oh? Whie?”

  “It’s from the summer festival, about Six years ago. Do you remember that night?”

  James scratched his head, trying to pce the event. He remembered the festival vaguely—crowds, music, food stalls. “Sort of… but you might have to remind me.”

  Mili chuckled, a soft blush c her cheeks. “Well, you probably don’t remember, but that was the first time we hung out just the two of us. I remember we got separated from the group and ended up watg the fireworks together by the ke.”

  He frowned, memories slowly pieg together. “Right… I remember that now. You wao find the perfect spot to see the fireworks.”

  “Yes! And we ended up walking fes until we found that small clearing by the water,” she said, her voice soft with nostalgia. “It was… such a niight. I remember thinking that everythi right in that moment.”

  James listened quietly, surprised by the depth of her recolle. He’d ehe night, sure, but he hadn’t realized how much it had meant to her. For him, it was just a good memory with a friend. But for Mili, it had been something more—a moment of closeness, a fragment of time that held significe beyond words.

  Mili paused, her gaze fixed ahead, but her mind clearly somewhere else. “I never fot that night, James. It’s strange, isn’t it? How some moments just… stay with you.”

  James nodded, his voice soft. “Yeah, it is. I guess I didn’t realize how much that night meant to you.”

  She smiled, gng down. “It’s okay. I guess I never really told you. But I think it’s moments like that that made our friendship special. We’ve shared a lot without ever needing to talk about it.”

  Their footsteps slowed, and James found himself at a loss for words. There was somethiiful about the way Mili cherished these small memories, moments that had slipped through his mind but had found a p her heart. Her openness, her willio hold onto the past, felt like a reminder of the depth of their friendship—a friendship that had survived years, growing stronger with each passing memory.