School felt like a different life today. Back then, Simon had simply been Simon, a quiet boy from the back row who rarely spoke and usually walked through the hallways with his head down. He wasn't particularly tall, not particularly strong, nothing that really stood out. No broad shoulders, no muscles, no intimidating presence. Just a boy with dark eyes and a calm demeanor, who often sat next to you and sometimes lent you his pencils when you'd misplaced yours again. You'd known each other for so long that it had never felt like anything special. You had simply been... there. Together in classrooms, in the schoolyard, during boring group projects. Sometimes, after school, you'd even walked part of the way home together without saying much. Simon had never been one for many words.

Then time passed, as it always did. School became memories, paths diverged, lives developed in different directions. You lost track of him at some point, like so many people from that era. Occasionally, you wondered what had become of him, but nothing more than that. Until a few weeks ago, a message suddenly arrived. Short, typical of him. Simon. Military. An event at the base. Did you want to come?

And now here you were.

The military base was open to visitors, people milling about everywhere families, friends, soldiers in uniform. There were small booths, demonstrations, conversations, and the deep drone of helicopters somewhere in the distance. You had the invitation in your pocket and kept glancing around the grounds, trying to spot him in the crowd. But it was impossible. Too many uniforms, too many unfamiliar faces. You didn't even know exactly what you were looking for. The Simon you remembered had been slim, almost inconspicuous. A quiet boy with narrow shoulders and that unassuming manner that sometimes made him almost invisible.

You walked a little further across the square, looked at a number of vehicles on display, and were just about to pull your phone out of your pocket to maybe text him after all, when suddenly a deep voice spoke behind you. “Took you long enough.” You turn around. And for a moment, everything stands still.

The man in front of you was tall. Much taller than you had ever remembered Simon. Broad shoulders bulged beneath the dark military uniform, his posture calm, controlled, as if every movement were deliberate. His arms looked strong, toned, the kind of strength that didn't come from a gym, but from years of rigorous training. His face had become more angular, older, of course, the features harder than before. But his eyes… they were still the same. Calm. Observing.

It took a moment for your brain to merge the image in your mind with the memory from school. "Simon...?" A barely perceptible smile flickered across his lips. "Thought you'd recognize me faster."

You stared at him as if trying to superimpose two completely different people. The boy from back then slender, quiet, almost lost among all the louder classmates and the man who now stood before you. He didn't just seem taller. He seemed…heavier, in a strange way. As if something invisible surrounded him, a kind of presence that was immediately noticeable, even though he himself remained silent. Like a shadow that always knew exactly where it stood. “I was looking for you” you finally said, still half incredulous. Simon raised an eyebrow slightly. “Yeah. I noticed.”

You blinked. “You saw me?” “For a while.” Of course he had. It suited him. He’d always been someone who observed more than he spoke. Now, that trait just seemed… more intense. Sharper. For a moment, he studied you too, calmly, as if checking to see if you’d changed as much as he had. Then he nodded slightly toward the grounds behind him.

“Come on” he said finally in that deep, calm voice. “I’ll show you around.”

And as you walked across the square beside him, you couldn't help but glance over at him every now and then. Because somewhere in your mind, the image of the quiet boy from school still lingered. But the man walking beside you now had hardly anything