CHAPTER#10: Most Awaited Graduation
[3rd Person's P.O.V.]
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This day was the happiest yet short ending for those sleep-deprived students. No more tear shedding homework, no more nerve-wracking projects, and no more never-ending school work for everybody. After a whole month-long waiting, the Most Awaited Graduation in Seoul International Academy is now happening today, right inside the Multi-Purpose Building at their school.
All students were having the same emotions, right at this moment—Happiness, Sadness, Anxiety, and Excitement, all because of the awaited limestone of their adolescent lives.
Chairs were lined up in an auditorium set up in the middle of the event hall. Whispers and tears from several students were heard like a buzzing bee inside the hall. Students with their parents on their sides were gathered up ready to walk down the aisle of the event hall.
Wearing the same graduation suit, they all still look differently stunning and dazzling. The MC of the event started the program with the warmest welcoming of the visitors, higher-ups, and most especially their dear students.
Jacob—who was the School Class President and the Valedictorian of the Batch, was the first one to walk in the aisle together with his mother. Kyunmi became a bit emotional because before Jacob was seated in his designated seat, he hugs his mother tight, smiled using one of his warmest smiles.
"You can do it, son," Kyunmi whispered before going back to her seat with her daughter Hae-soo.
After some students from Jacob's class walked down the aisle, Lee was there preparing for his turn to walk. Several minutes had passed, his turn had come. He walks by the aisle with a wide smile on his face—holding a white puppy in his hands together with his father beside him.
Everyone's eyes were on Lee, maybe thinking why is he holding a puppy as he walks down the aisle. He stops right at the end of the aisle and lets go of the white puppy—with a wiggling tail it runs towards Jacob. Astonishment is seen in Jacob's eyes as the puppy kept licking his shoes. He carefully carried the puppy and was about to stand from his seat to give back the puppy to its owner—he was cut short when he noticed the rolled paper on the puppy's collar.
He turned to look at Lee but he couldn't see him because of the crowd in Lee's direction. Jacob smiled secretly while reading what's on the note.
The heartwarming presence of the puppy was only present for the both of them as the program went on. Happiness while going up to the stage while getting their diplomas and having their medals around their necks was the students' goal for this day. Holding up their tassels from right to left makes the students wear one of their precious smiles. At last, their 3year nightmare ended with a bright good dream.
Proudness in the faces of every parent and teacher was plastered as they witnessed their students and children having tears of joy in their eyes.
The graduation ceremony host gestured to Jacob to prepare for a few minutes for his closing speech for his batchmates.
"Their farewell to this alma-mater has come but not the knowledge they acquire while studying and learning from our faculty and everyone in this school. As this batch closes the door of middle school life, let's give the stage to one of their most amazing students that recognizes not only as a good student but also as a good schoolmate for everyone in this school. Let's welcome the Valedictorian of this whole batch. The son who was from a well-known family but gave the fairest treatment to everyone—Jacob Seo." Around applause was given to Jacob as he went up to the stage and accepted the microphone given by his teacher.
He bowed in front of everyone and smiled. He roams his eyes around to remember the very faces of the people that once became his family but will now part ways as the day ends. He gripped the microphone before he opened his mouth.
"Greetings to all good-looking individuals that we're gathered here today. May it be the School Principal, Teachers, Faculty Staff and Administrators, Parents, my beloved mother and sister, and most especially my fellow graduates." Gesturing his hands as he pointed and welcomed everyone, he said.
"My name is Jacob Seo, and I'm so grateful and honored to have this opportunity to speak at this graduation ceremony," he added and bow again in front of everyone.
"It was not new to our ears the words that 'middle school is one of the most horrifying moments of a Korean student'. We, students, are standing right at this moment of our lives—that we survived the hardest part of being a student in middle school," he remarked with wittiness in his thick voice.
"Middle School taught us to strive and persevere in our studies even with the struggles of the total adjustments from being a kid to a young adult. We must not let that knowledge get away with time. Memories of struggles must be kept as a lesson."
Everyone in the hall is silently listening to how Jacob has the strong spirit to speak up those words.
"The memories of our first struggle of introducing ourselves in front of our classmates. The struggles we have inside our classrooms—mostly in mathematics—Hi, Teacher Kang," he said then laughs as he waves his hands at their teacher.
"We endured those situations where we felt that we were about to cry because of the hopelessness of seeing our report cards. We created friendships that will always last long although at first, we are all strangers."
The heaviness of his words hit the heart of his fellow students that made them burst out crying.
"We withstand the rules and dress code of our school even if we wish to violate them just once. Yet still, accept the consequences once we fail to obey them." He laughs a bit while his voice weavers because of suppressing his tears.
"Let's make those hard situations to be our best memories to cherish when the day comes. We have successfully reached one limestone we needed to complete before we can be called the successful ones." He turned his gaze to his fellow students and smiled with tears in his eyes.
"Success is not all about the good things you have done, success is all about the little tiny conflicts, problems, and hardships we encountered on the way."
"Success will always be weighed according to the gravity of hardships we've been through. As we step out of this school we will face another cruel limestone of our lives, but we must always fight through it." With confidence in his voice, he persuades his schoolmates to look at success from a different perspective.
"We already did pass one how about reaching another goal to attain our dreams for the future. Let's put our armors on and face version 2 of middle school—The High School. We should set aside all the negative feelings we have as we enter high school—even in vocational or academic high schools."
"Before moving forward to my dream school, I would like to thank all the people who became the reasons for my fantastic and unforgettable middle-high life," he said with a smile on his face, reminiscing the things that happened to him during middle school.
"For all my teachers, thank you for teaching us fairly and not looking at our family background. You did let us feel that school is our second home," he said and did a salutation that all of the students copied in return.
"To all my classmates, I will miss you all. President Seo is Signing off as your best president. Thank you." Suppressing his tears to burst he smiled which made his classmates burst out crying while looking at him.
"To my best friend, Lee. Thank you for not leaving my side until the end of this middle-high. I hope you have a great journey ahead. 'Iloveyou'," He uttered and found Lee's direction hugging the white puppy.
Jacob felt a sharp pain in his chest but ignored it and continued speaking, "To my fellow graduates, thank you for keeping your promises that we will all stand inside this venue to claim our certificates and believing that no one will be left behind. For the lower grades, thank you for making our middle-high fun and thrilling. Study Harder for us to meet in the future."
"I also would like to thank Principal Jeon and the administrators for making this school a better place to study. And of course my family, most especially my mother. Thank you for accepting me, mom. I love you. You will always be the best mom for me." He bows for the third time facing the school principal.
"Lastly, I would like to thank the one who was above us all. Thank you for making it all possible for us. You gave us the strength, patience, courage that we can't get from others. Thank you for all the blessings that you've spread to make us equipped for our everyday battle. To all of you, especially my batchmates, I'm always grateful to have you." With gratefulness in his heart, he saluted them.
"Don't focus on what makes you weak, focus on what can get you stronger." Conviction in his voice is visible as he ends his speech with his inspiring motto.
Jacob went off the stairs with a smile on his face and started wiping his tears. Lee approached him and hugged him tightly.
"I will miss you Jacob…" Lee said and buried his face in Jacob's hug.
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