Riv and I first met in college, in the canteen, when he was introduced to me by our mutual friends who happened to be his classmates. From then on, we would see each other from time to time, always in groups, chatting and joking around. It turned out we shared the same birthday—November 22, 1994—which gave us an instant connection. We became close and talked about everything under the sun. Riv fell in love, but I didn’t feel the same way at that time. For me, he was simply a really good friend I could talk to about anything. Sometimes, I even hated that he liked me because our friends would constantly link us together, and I felt trapped in something I wasn’t ready for. But through it all, he was always kind and patient, quietly waiting while I lived my life. Despite our friends’ gentle “pushing,” our story didn’t go further than friendship back then.