In the afternoon, the three-story Fenglu Restaurant bustled with activity. Olive walls adorned with bright, bud-shaped lamps and floors of light green hues gave the whole restaurant an upbeat decor.
As a recently opened establishment, it had released numerous advertisements throughout Payin City, and its feature of special private rooms for gatherings attracted many fresh graduates.
In the hallway, numerous young faces passed by, occasionally gathering in groups to chat about recent events.
"We've graduated, and honestly, it still feels a bit surreal," Jones leaned against a second-floor window, surrounded by a few familiar male classmates.
"Where should we go after we're done here? We can't just say goodbye after the meal, right?"
"Let's decide later. We don't even know what the girls have planned. It'll be troublesome if we make up our minds now and they end up not liking it," Jones said, feeling the breeze from the window and half-closing his eyes.
Ever since he received the acceptance list, his parents eased up on the restrictions, and he was at the peak of his good fortune. Even doing nothing more than standing by the window and enjoying the breeze felt exhilarating.
"Look at him, he's so content he might as well be laughing in his dreams," Xize, not far off, couldn't help but snark at the sight of Jones.
"Ahahaha, I'm in such a good mood right now, I won't even take issue with you guys," Jones waved his hand, signaling not to disturb his moment of peace and pleasure.
The group chuckled and began discussing the future paths of their classmates after graduation.
"Our class may have had average to below-average grades, but a few still got into good schools."
"Jones doesn't even need to be mentioned; he got lucky with his athletic ability and got into Sword Academy, ranked among the top 9 in the Northern Seventh District."
"Well, that's your family. We're not all in the same boat. If my dad were rich, I'd be lying around at home every day too,"
Everyone discussed their future plans. For children from ordinary federal families, aspirations often don't soar too high. Securing a stable, decent job is the pursuit of many for a lifetime.
As they spoke about where their classmates were heading, the sounds of conversation came from outside the private room they'd booked, and soon, several girls walked in.
"Wow, you guys are all here," Dudu, still dressed in her somewhat extravagant attire that belied her age, entering with a mature air.
Following her were a few familiar faces: Mili, Lina, and several other close friends.
Their class had a total of 46 students, 21 girls and 25 boys. The most active among the girls were Lina and Dudu, with most of the others also associating with their circle, save for a few who were independent.
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"Is everyone here?" With the room nearly full, someone asked aloud.
"Let's count," came the sound of people tallying up.
"We're 5 short, let me see, Clara, Tulan, Hexia..."
Meanwhile, in another private room of the Fenglu Restaurant, a group of students also gathered, though this area was a bit quieter, with laughter only occasionally breaking the calm.
"Clara, are you leaving early?" asked a curious girl with chestnut-gold short hair, looking at the girl in the short jacket and shorts who was unusually quiet and seemed keen on leaving early.
"Yeah, I've seen most of the classmates already. I'm planning to leave soon, mainly because there's also a gathering for junior high today, and I need to check that out," she replied.