Around the winter solstice, there's still rain in the early mornings and late evenings.

In the blink of an eye, the winter solstice is here again.

Actually, when I saw 12.21 and the prominent words "Winter Solstice" on the calendar, my first reaction was — it's the winter solstice again already, time flies! But when I tried to recall the people and events of this year, those already somewhat blurry memories reminded me — see, another year has truly passed!

Yesterday evening, on a whim, I created a 2025 photo album and selected memorable photos from each month to add to it. I always feel like every year passes by in a daze, and the annual report is nothing to write home about. But as my eyes swept across those photos from the past, 2025, though uneventful, is still a memento.

So let me just jot down a simple chronicle. This year started with the Sky: Children of the Light New Year's Eve event — countless players' points of light coming together as wishes for the future. Perhaps I'll join this event again this year.

Speaking of relationships with people, zwj is probably an unavoidable topic of 2025. The me of this day last year probably couldn't have imagined writing this sentence a year later, but undeniably, zwj is a special existence. I can no longer remember why she, who should have remained in old memories, seemingly became one of the people of the opposite sex I chatted with most in 2025. But just like the name of one of my WeChat groups, "familiar stranger" is probably the best annotation for her. There was a period when I felt we were like two deer licking each other's wounds — both having gone through breakups, we went around in circles and ended up back at the starting point. It's quite ironic, really. From beginning to end, I've always felt our energies didn't match, but perhaps to some extent she had already become capable of affecting my emotions. I hate this. I hate not being able to see through a person, to see through where a relationship is heading. What ccy taught me — avoidance — perhaps one day I'll choose to avoid, just like how I silently blocked all of xzy's contact methods in the first half of the year. I feel increasingly weary of making friends and maintaining relationships.

2025 is perhaps one of the most profoundly impactful years in my 20-plus years of life. It's the dividing line between student and working adult, the starting point of independence. This time next year, I might already have a stable job, or perhaps a stable relationship, but it's also possible that, just like now, I'll still be lost and longing for the future.

You must wait, and wait some more.

Good night, and hello.