March 5th
"Man I still can`t believe after this week, our time in Shuch`in Academy is done," Ishigami thought as preparation for graduation was underway. "How`s everything looking so far?" Miko asked. "It`s going alright, no real issues," said Ishigami. "Have you finished your graduation speech yet?" Miko asked. "I have a meeting with the graduation committee later, so we`ll worry about that another time," said Ishigami. "He hasn`t started on his speech at all" Miko thought as she knew Ishigami was lying.
Graduation, a bittersweet time of year when students celebrate their achievements as the school year has come to an end. While it is a time to celebrate, it is also a time for saying goodbyes to the friends you have made as everyone takes a separate path after graduating. It`s also important to bring a box of tissues to graduation as there will be plenty of tears of joy and sadness.
"You`re working later than usual," said Kobachi as Miko was staying a bit longer to deal with graduation prep. "Well graduation is approaching, so this is the final hurdle for all of us," said Miko. "Look at you still working so hard, guess some things never change," said Kobachi. "It`s been a tough journey, but I don`t regret anything," said Miko. "That`s good, wanna grab something on the way home? Rei said she`ll meet us there" Kobachi asked. "Yeah, I`d like that," said Miko as the two of them grabbed their things and headed out.
"So what do you plan to do at college?" Kobachi asked as they were having dinner. "Don`t know yet, might take the first few months to get settled in" Miko replied. "Are you still going to try to go after Ishigami?" Rei asked to which Miko froze. "What are you talking about?" said Miko as she tried to change the subject. "Don`t lie, it seems that you still have feelings for Ishigami that go beyond just being colleagues" said Kobachi. "You too Koba-chan?" said Miko. "Well it seems that you`re waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch a counter-attack," said Kobachi to which Miko sighed.
"Let`s just worry about getting settled into college first, Ishigami already has Fujiwara-senpai," said Miko as she scooped some meat onto her plate. "Hey no one said love was immediate, you gotta play the long game," said Kobachi. "She`s kinda right, long-distance relationships are hit or miss most of the time," said Rei. "Yeah, but Ishigami`s heart seems to be committed to Fujiwara-senpai no matter the circumstances," said Miko.
"So try to get closer to him, ask him to hang out more, be more assertive," said Kobachi. "I don`t know, it seems too much of a hassle to change my personality just to have a chance with a guy, I might meet some new people at college anyways" said Miko to which Rei and Kobachi glanced at each other unsure how to respond to that comment.
"Since you`re going to a major college in Tokyo, you`re not worried about more guys going after you?" Rei asked Kobachi. "It`ll just be the same as how things are here, I`ll just have to let them down easy," said Kobachi as she took a sip of her drink. "I`m kinda jealous of Koba-chan, I kinda wish guys would come to me," Miko thought.
"How do I feel about Ishigami?" Miko thought as she thought about what lay ahead in her future. "I know he has Fujiwara-senpai already, but I have a gut feeling that this might not work out in the long run, maybe I should stay ready" Miko pondered as she walked home still thinking about the chat she had with her friends.
Meanwhile
"Man I`m having a hard time writing this speech," Ishigami thought as he unpacked some boxes at his job. "Something on your mind kiddo?" Yui asked as she noticed Ishigami seemed out of it. "Well, I got quite some work to do before graduation," said Ishigami as he folded a box. "Take a deep breath, stressing out won`t help your situation, if you want, you can leave a bit early today," said Yui as she handed Ishigami a sports drink. "Thanks boss," said Ishigami as he went back to work hoping to clear his mind.
"Maybe I`ll blow some steam off here," Ishigami asked as he entered a familiar bar after work. "Oh Yu, what brings you here?" Tsubame asked as Ishigami took a seat in the bar area. "Oh hey Tsubame, you`re here today?" said Ishigami. "Yeah, the bar was short staffed so I took the call today, what`ll it be?" Tsubame asked. "Let me have a non-alcoholic margarita for now," said Ishigami to which Tsubame nodded and grabbed a glass.
"So what`s on your mind?" Tsubame asked as she placed a drink in front of Ishigami. "Graduation is coming up and I have no idea what to write for my speech," said Ishigami as he took a sip of his drink. "Just speak from the heart, you`ve seen a lot as the Student Council president," said Tsubame. "I know that, but I can`t write about everything, the audience would fall asleep listening to my speech," said Ishigami.
"Write about how your time in Shuchi`in made you grow as a person, you`ve been through a lot during that time haven`t you?" Tsubame asked. "That would be an understatement, I could write an entire book about my experiences," said Ishigami as he finished his drink. "How`s everything going between you and Chika now?" Tsubame asked as she polished some drink glasses. "It`s fine, Chika got used to college so she`s not as stressed out as she was before, she`s supposed to come to my graduation" Ishigami replied. "That`s nice, you two haven`t seen each other in a while, you must be thrilled," said Tsubame. "Yeah, it`ll be good for the both of us," said Ishigami as he and Tsubame decided to chat about other things for a bit.
8:00 pm
"It`s getting late, I should get going," said Ishigami as he checked the time." Take care of yourself, it was good to see you again," said Tsubame as Ishigami grabbed his things. "Thanks, are you planning to come to graduation?" Ishigami asked. "I might if I have some time," said Tsubame to which Ishigami nodded. "Alright, see you around," said Ishigami as he walked out of the bar. "He`s grown up so much, he`s nothing like that boy I knew 2 years ago," Tsubame thought as she wiped the bar counter to which her phone rang.
"Hello?" said Tsubame as she picked up her phone. "Oh right that, yeah I think I`ll be able to make it that day, okay see you then," said Tsubame as she ended the call. "Guess I better start practicing on the drinks if I`m going to a major event," said Tsubame as she went back to work.
Later
"Man I`ve been through so much at Shuchi`in that I don`t know if I can fit it into one speech," Ishigami thought as he stared at a blank piece of paper. "Where do I even begin? The middle school incident? The Student Council? Chika? Man writer`s block sucks" Ishigami thought as he rubbed his temple trying to figure something out. "Guess I better start writing something," said Ishigami as he knew that sitting around wasn`t going to help get his speech done faster.
A few days later
"Even after all this time, I still haven`t finished it," said Ishigami as his speech still wasn`t finished yet. "Graduation is on the horizon," Ishigami thought as his phone rang. "Hello?" said Ishigami as he picked up the call. "Hey Ishigami, how`s it going?" said Miyuki. "Oh hey, Miyuki. Everything`s fine" Ishigami replied. "Something on your mind?" Miyuki asked. "Yeah, it's just that I`ve been having trouble writing this graduation speech," said Ishigami to which Miyuki paused for a moment.
"I see, I had that same issue when I was in your shoes," said Miyuki. "How did you end up writing your speech?" Ishigami asked. "Well I managed to put everything together into one speech, you gotta get a bit creative with it," said Miyuki. "How do I do that? I don`t exactly have any ideas" said Ishigami. "Why don`t you start up a Zoom call with me and I`ll give you a hand," said Miyuki to which Ishigami pulled out his laptop and started a meeting room.
Two hours later
"Thanks for the inspiration, I might have what I need to finish this speech," said Ishigami as he had a newfound determination to finish the speech after some help from Miyuki. "No problem, glad I could help, I gotta bounce now, you got this," said Miyuki as he logged off the call. "Alright, let`s get this speech done," said Ishigami as he picked up his pen and started writing like a manga artist trying to meet his deadline.
The Next Day
"Alright, it seems that everything is set for graduation," said Ishigami as he put some documents down. "That`s a relief, now we don`t have to worry about that anymore," said Miko as she laid back on the couch. "I can`t believe we`re graduating soon," said Ishigami as their time in Shuchi`in would be over in a week. "I`m happy that we`re graduating, but at the same time I`m going to miss everything we`ve done here," said Miko.
"Yeah, high school was a bit of a hassle, but we had some good times here, some better than others," said Ishigami as he looked outside the office window. "I know, but I`m not quite ready to let the memories go just yet," said Miko as her expression changed into a somber one.
"Wanna grab some dinner? On me tonight" Ishigami asked hoping it would cheer her up. "Yeah I`d like that," said Miko as sometimes the key to a woman`s heart is food. "Let`s just finish up the rest of the documents," said Ishigami to which Miko nodded as she took half of the documents on her desk.
Day of the graduation
"Yu, wake up," said Mrs. Ishigami as Ishigami grabbed his phone near his bed. "Right, today is officially our last day of high school," Ishigami thought as he got changed. "Will you guys be coming to my graduation?" Ishigami asked as he ate breakfast. "Of course, we`ll be there just before the ceremony starts," said Mrs. Ishigami. "Alright I`m heading out, try to get there early if you want good seats," said Ishigami as he grabbed his things and headed over to his bike. "It`s gonna be a long day today," Ishigami thought as he revved his bike and rode off.
Shuchi`in Academy
"Seems like everyone`s here more or less," Ishigami thought as he pulled up to the school parking lot. "Hey there you are," said Miyuki as Ishigami walked towards them. "Miyuki, Kaguya, good to see you guys," said Ishigami as he greeted Miyuki and Kaguya. "Did you forget about me?" said a familiar voice to which Ishigami turned. "Oh Chika, you made it," said Ishigami as they shared a hug together. "Of course I did silly, you didn`t think I would break my promise would you?" Chika asked.
"Well you are notorious for lying," said Ishigami to which Chika pouted as Miyuki and Kaguya chuckled. "Even during your graduation you still have to have to get in a logical argument in," said Chika to which Ishigami gave her a pat on the head. "Lighten up I`m just teasing you," said Ishigami. "Alright, we should get some good seats," said Chika as it seemed that more guests were piling in. "We`ll see you guys later," said Miyuki as the trio walked away. "Ishigami, there you are, we need to join the other students," said Miko. "Oh right, we should get going," said Ishigami as they went to join their classmates
"You have your speech ready?" Miko asked as they were all lined up. "Yeah I got it," said Ishigami to which Miko breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried that your writer`s block was going to get the better of you," said Miko. "Let`s get up on the stage, the ceremony`s about to start," said Ishigami as he and Miko headed up the stage as graduation was set to go underway.
"Welcome to the Shuchi`in Academy graduation, as another year passes so does a new way for students who will continue their lives as adults," said Adolphe as the ceremony started. "To the graduating students, use what you have learned from your time here and apply it to the real world. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I will now hand the mic over to our Student Council president Yu Ishigami," said Adolphe as Ishigami got up from his seat and walked up to the podium as everyone applauded.
"Hello my name is Yu Ishigami, prior to having the honor of being the Student Council president for two years, I was the treasurer of the Student Council, my journey has been filled with many ups and downs," said Ishigami as he started his speech. "In middle school, I was ostracized for doing what I felt was the right choice, but rather than let it destroy me, I embraced what I did and it made me stronger, as your president for the last two years, I have had the honor of helping all of you out, the Student Council saved me from my own personal hell, so I became the president to return the favor," said Ishigami.
"Ishigami, you`re the man," said a male student. "You helped us out so much as the president," said a female student. " Ishigami, Ishigami!" some of the students started to chant before Ishigami put his hand up to which the crowd quieted down.
"My last piece of wisdom is your past shouldn`t define who you are as a person, it`s about how you respond and finish, you can be pushed to the bottom by everything around you, but you can climb out one step at a time," said Ishigami.
I would also like to take this moment to thank the other Student Council members who made everything possible, Miko Iino, vice president of the Student Council, Kei Shirogane, Treasurer of the Student Council, Moeha Fujiwara, Secretary of the Student Council and Kobachi Osaragi, General Affairs of the Student Council," said Ishigami as the rest of the Student Council members stood up as the crowd applauded them.
"Also here today are members of the former Student Council, Miyuki Shirogane, our former president, Kaguya Shinomiya, the former vice president and the newly appointed head of the Shinomiya family, and Chika Fujiwara, our former Secretary of the Student Council" Ishigami continued as the trio rose from the crowd which was met by more applause."Thank you all, I will hand it back to our principal" said Ishigami as he ended his speech which was met with a roar of applause and a thumbs up from Miyuki.
"With that, I will now begin handing the diplomas to our graduating seniors," said Adolphe. "Rei Onodera," said Adolphe as Rei got up and received her diploma. "Kobachi Osaragi," said Adolphe as Kobachi got up and received her diploma before high-fiving Miko. "Koromo Shiranui" Adolphe said next as it was Koromo`s turn to receive her diploma as it was a bit surprising that Koromo did manage to graduate on time. "Teppei Tanaka," said Adolphe as Teppei got up and fist-bumped Ishigami before receiving his diploma.
"Miko Iino," said Adolphe as Miko got up and received her diploma. "Yu Ishigami," said Adolphe as Ishigami was the final student to receive his diploma as he got up and high-fived Iino before walking up to Adolphe. "Yeah Ishigami!" Chika shouted from the crowd which earned some laughter from the crowd.
"Good luck out there Ishigami," said Adolphe as he handed Ishigami his diploma. "Thank you Principal," said Ishigami as he bowed upon receiving his diploma. "With that, I now pronounce all of you graduates of Shuchi`in Academy, let`s give a round of applause to our new graduates," said Adolphe as more applause followed as the ceremony was nearing its end.
Afterward
"Congratulations Ishigami-senpai," said a male student as he handed Ishigami some flowers as everyone gathered in the courtyard to congratulate the seniors. "Thanks, I really appreciate it," said Ishigami as he took the flowers. "I have something else for you as well," said another male student as he handed Ishigami a fountain pen as it seemed that everyone else had a gift to give Ishigami. "Whoa, it seems that everyone here has something for me," Ishigami thought as he realized he would have too many gifts to handle. "Hey, I`ll be right back, got some stuff to take care of," said Ishigami as he walked back into the school.
"Good thing the Student Council room is still open," Ishigami thought as he entered the room to take a break from all the celebration. "Man, it feels strange being in the Student Council room for the last time as the Student Council president," Ishigami thought as he took a moment to reflect on everything he had gone through as a Student Council member both as treasurer and president. "Had the president not saved me that day, I would have stayed a loner, " said Ishigami as he touched the desk while remembering the moment Miyuki saved him when he was at his lowest.
"So did you enjoy your time here?" Miyuki asked as he entered the room. "Yeah I did, wouldn`t trade it for anything in the world even if I did want to die a few times" Ishigami replied. "As per tradition, you ready to hang it up?" said Miyuki. "Yeah, I think so," said Ishigami as he took the lapel that he wore as president and put it back into the black box for the next Student Council president. "Shall we get going? The others are looking for us" Miyuki asked as Ishigami put the box into a drawer. "Yeah, let`s go," said Ishigami as he locked the room one last time before walking back to the others.
"Ishigami-senpai, can`t you stay another year?" an underclassman asked Ishigami as he was chatting with some underclassmen. "As much I would like that, I`ll have to pass, there are certain things you can only do after graduating high school" Ishigami replied as he chatted with the underclassman. "You sure? I`m pretty sure you`ll want to stay in high school once you see the amount of work in college" said Chika as she nudged Ishigami. "I`m one hundred percent sure, I`m sure the school will be in good hands when the next president takes over" Ishigami replied as the cherry blossoms flew around.
"Congrats son," said Mr. Ishigami as he gave Ishigami a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks Dad," said Ishigami. "I`m so happy for you after everything you`ve been through, you`ve managed to graduate," said Mrs. Ishigami as she gave Ishigami a hug. "That`s my little brother" said Yuto as he gave Ishigami a noogie much to Ishigami`s chagrin. "We`re going to get going, you do have plans with your friends I assume?" said Mrs. Ishigami. "Yeah I do, can you bring some stuff back home for me," said Ishigami as he handed over some of the gifts he had received. "All right, go have fun, but try not to go too overboard," said Mr. Ishigami as the rest of the family headed out.
"So you`re the Student Council president," said a familiar voice. "Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were at work?" said Miyuki. "I did, but I finished early" said Papa Shirogane. "That doesn`t matter, what are you wearing?" said Kei as she noticed Papa Shirogane was wearing an unusual outfit. "What? I`m just wearing some new clothes I bought" said Papa Shirogane. "No! you can`t come to graduation wearing that! Change immediately! What will my friends think if they see you wearing that" Kei shouted as she pushed Papa Shirogane away to which Ishigami and Miyuki looked at each before chuckling at the sight in front of them.
We can`t close out the story without a Papa Dio appearance now, can we?
"Can I have the shorter people in the front?" said the photographer as everyone gathered for a group picture. "Everyone ready?" Ishigami asked to which everyone nodded. "Alright, on three everyone say Shuchi`in," said the photographer as he readied the camera. "Shuchi`in," said everyone as the camera flashed and it took their picture with everyone smiling.
"As they say, all things must come to an end, in our case, this is the end of a glorious era in Shuchi`in Academy, now we bid Shuchi`in Academy farewell," all five of the original Student Council members thought.
"Anyone has any plans after this?" Miko asked as they walked out of the school as the ceremony was over. "Yes, we have something planned for all of you," said Kaguya as several cars pulled up to the front of the school. "What`s going on?" Ishigami asked as men in suits came out of the cars. "Ah, they`re here to escort you all to our destination" Kaguya explained. "I came here by bike, so I`ll meet you there," said Ishigami. "Alright, we`ll meet you there," said Miyuki as everyone got into the cars and headed to their destination.
Shinomiya Manor
"We`re here," said Kaguya as the cars pulled up to a mansion. "Whoa, this is a nice place, who does this belong to?" said Miko as they walked out of the car. "Oh, this is one of the mansions my family owns" Kaguya replied. "The power of the rich is something else," Ishigami thought as he pulled his bike up. "Thanks for inviting us out," said Mikado as the other Shuchi`in alumni walked up to them. "Well I guess the whole gang is here," Ishigami thought. "Let`s all go in, we`ve prepared something great for you all," said Kaguya as everyone entered the mansion.
"I didn`t know you had a party planned for all of us," said Ishigami as he took a bite of the food on his plate. "Of course, it was only right that we throw you a party to celebrate your success," said Kaguya as everyone was enjoying themselves following the graduation ceremony. "I hope this didn`t cost too much," said Miko as she ate some hors d'oeuvres. "No worries, this won`t scratch the surface of our funds, but I did have to call in a few favors" Kaguya replied.
"Thanks for letting me work tonight," said Tsubame as she shook some drink shakers at the bar area. "No problem, I knew you would accept right away if I asked," said Kaguya. "Congrats on graduating Yu-Kun," said Tsubame as she placed a drink in front of him. "Thanks Tsubame," said Ishigami as he took a sip of his drink. "No worries, I`ve got enough energy to go all night," said Tsubame as she was pumped. "That reminds me, I have to make a speech right about now," said Kaguya as she walked up to the stage.
"Good evening everyone, this celebration is dedicated to our two fellow Student Council members graduating and taking the next step in life," said Kaguya as she started a speech. "I wanted to take this moment to thank you for supporting me as I recently became the new head of the family, I will work hard to become a great leader of the Shinomiya family," said Kaguya to which everyone clapped in applause. "There`s plenty of food and refreshments, we`re gonna party till the end of the night, so enjoy yourselves," said Miyuki as the music started playing in the background once again.
"You`ve been quiet so far," Chika said to Ishigami as they were standing watching the others have fun. "Well parties really aren`t my thing," said Ishigami as he swirled his drink. "You should try and be more sociable, being an introvert in college isn`t the best thing," said Chika as she took a sip of her drink. "Hey I`ve changed, I`m not that old gloomy treasurer that I used to be," said Ishigami to which Chika gave Ishigami a pat on the shoulder. "No matter what happens, you`ll always be the same righteous Student Council treasurer in my heart," said Chika to which Ishigami couldn`t help, but smile.
Daddy Daddy Do! starts to play in the background
"Oh, I know this song, wanna dance?" Ishigami asked as he extended his hand out as a familiar song started playing in the background. "I`d love to, lead the way," said Chika as she took Ishigami`s hand as they walked onto the dance floor and enjoyed the time that they had missed with each other for the rest of the evening.
12:00 pm
"We`re going to get going, it`s getting quite late," said Miko as it was past 11 pm. "Ishigami, why don`t you escort Chika back to her place, maybe catch up with each other while you`re at it," said Miyuki as everyone was leaving. "Hey, ready to get going?" Ishigami asked as he walked up to Chika. "Of course, let`s see this bike that you have now," said Chika as she followed Ishigami. "Whoa, Kaguya wasn`t kidding when she told me she got you a nice bike," said Chika as she observed the bike. "Yeah, hop on," said Ishigami as he tossed Chika a helmet.
"So how`s everything been with you?" Chika asked as they rode down. "It`s been alright, the next part of my life is going to start very soon," said Ishigami. "Are you worried about entering adulthood?" Chika asked. "Well my reputation almost got destroyed in middle school and I survived a near-death experience, as long as I have you, I think I`ll manage" Ishigami replied to which Chika clung onto Ishigami tightly. "Hey, don`t grab on so tight," said Ishigami as the hug caught him off guard. "Don`t want to, I`ll never let go" said Chika as they rode through the night as it seemed that the next chapter in their lives was about to begin.
Results of Battle: Chika and Ishigami`s victory one last time in this story.
And that`s a wrap folks, I want to take this time to thank my readers who have stuck it out these last two years to see the end. I started writing this story in 2020 when the world was going through a lot. At first I didn`t think it would be too successful as most of my previous works weren`t that great, but I was pleasantly surprised that this story found some success. After two long years and many long nights writing this story, I can finally lay it to rest.
Or so you thought, that`s right, we`re not done just yet. I`ll be releasing a new story soon that follows Chika and Ishigami`s relationship through their college years and adult years, so stay tuned.
As always, feel free to leave a review on what you thought of the chapter. I`ll be taking a small break before starting my new story. See you then. Peace.
Preview of the next story
Ishigami: Man I thought all my problems would stop once I left high school. Oh, how wrong I was.
Miko: What? Me and you are going to be roommates?
Miyuki: Are you planning to start a family after college?
Chika: Ishigami I`m sorry, but I think we should break up this time for good.
Ishigami: How did I manage to screw up again?
Miko: Chika`s gone now, I`ll be your happiness now.
Kaguya: Ishigami, do whatever it takes to keep her.
Ishigami: I don`t care how much the love gods beat me down. I can`t lose you. I`ll do whatever it takes for things to work out, even if it kills me.
Kobachi: We need to stop Miko before she does something really reckless.
Miko: Ishigami, just tell me once that you loved me.
Toyomi: Chika`s free to choose who she ends up with, in the end, there are no guarantees in this world. I heard that she might be getting engaged soon.
Man, love is such a drag.
