
Speaking from personal experience. If I stopped hanging out for so long with someone, I tend to forget their faces (I'm bad at remembering it) I once was walking and then someone stopped me saying its been a while etc and I had no clue who they were but they knew me. I just try to relate it to old memories i could dig up once they told me like our past hangout experience etc but couldn't still fully recognize them yet they told me we hang out a lot before.
And the top certainly looks haggard and pessimistic vs his past chirpy and optimistic nature so that could be why bottom couldn't recognize at first glance?
Do some people actually genuinely forget people they spent time with?
This is something I can't imagine since I have good memory when it comes to people, so please anyone can share if they have similar experiences.