"Really, Miss Uotani? You're actually going to pin it there?"
At Yuki's surprised question, Arisa looked down at her graduation rosette, neatly pinned near the hem of her uniform top. "Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I?"
"I think it looks very fitting there, dear Arisa," commented Saki, pinning her own rosette in the more traditional 'beside the collar' position. "On you, at least."
"Yeah, some of us aren't meant to be conformists," Arisa said, grinning as she reached up and stretched her arms over her head. "Right, Kyon?"
Kyo rolled his eyes as he stood still, allowing Tohru to finish pinning on his rosette. "Not everything's gotta be about making a point, Uotani."
"I never said it was, just that it's nice to buck expectations once in a while," Arisa said, smirking as Tohru finished and looked up at Kyo with a smile.
"What do you think, Kyo?" Tohru asked, and he glanced down before returning her smile.
"Looks great, Tohru, thanks!"
Beside Kyo, Hiroshi and Yusuke both sighed happily.
"Listen to our boy, Yusuke; I'm so very proud!"
"I'm so very jealous," Yusuke said, looking forlornly at his own rosette. "I wish I could've had a cute girl finish getting me ready for graduation; as if it wasn't enough she tied your tie, she's doing your rosette, too?"
"Shut it, both of you," Kyo said, rolling his eyes. "Can't you stop being weird for even one day?"
"You're asking that on the day we graduate, Kyon?" Hiroshi said, throwing his hand over his heart. "Practically the last chance we have to see you, until God knows when?"
"You mean the sendoff, in two days?" Kyo asked, his mouth twitching slightly in amusement, and his friends both groaned.
"That doesn't count, Kyon!"
"Yeah, that's right! In the first place, it's going to be short, and in the second place, you're not exactly going to be very available for the kind of focused interaction that's been so near and dear to our hearts for these many happy years," Hiroshi said, throwing his arm around Kyo's shoulder. "So while we will definitely be there...it most certainly does not count."
"Which means this is our last chance to be weird," Yusuke agreed. "Who knows when you'll be down here again, and with how obnoxiously mature you've been getting this past year..." he looked at Hiroshi, who was nodding sagely, and sighed. "It's just not gonna be the same."
Kyo was looking mildly pained, but he was also smiling as he looked at his friends. "You guys are something else, did you know that?"
"Oh course we do!" said Hiroshi, promptly. "And it took you long enough to figure that out."
"Just don't forget it, once you've run away to your new love nest," Yusuke said, winking at Tohru, who promptly blushed. "Good friendships are meant to last forever."
And at Kyo's smile, Tohru could see he wouldn't mind if that were true.
"Miss Honda, could I actually trouble you to help me with this?"
Tohru turned away from Kyo to look at Yuki, who was still struggling with his rosette. "Of course I can! Here, give me that, and hold still, ok?"
Yuki was still as a statue as Tohru positioned his rosette. "Does here look about where you wanted it?"
He took a quick glance, then smiled at her. "That looks perfect, thank you!"
She nodded, carefully pulling his uniform shirt forward so she didn't stab him as she pinned it into place. She was just starting to step back when she stopped, hesitating, then smiled at him. "Would it be alright for me to adjust your tie really quickly, Yuki? I think it got a little messed up when you were..." she trailed off, unsure of the right way to phrase it, but Yuki laughed.
"When I was struggling to put on a flower? I'd be very grateful Miss Honda, thank you."
They both smiled as Tohru leaned forward and adjusted Yuki's tie, and Yuki's expression was soft as he looked at her.
"Do you remember the first time you helped me with my tie?"
"I do," she said, smiling as she remembered that awkward day when she'd made Yuki transform as school. She had only just found out about the Curse, and had no idea whether she'd be allowed to stay at the Sohma house, or even allowed to keep her memories. The transformation had been a total accident, but Tohru had been apologetic in a way that would almost have put Ritsu to shame, and Yuki...had just told her not to worry.
He was worried about her, not himself.
And after he'd changed back and gotten dressed, she'd helped him with his tie.
He hadn't needed much help in the years since. As he'd told her once, he was getting better at doing things on his own.
But today...just this once...he was glad to let her help him, one final time.
"Alright, Graduates! Line up, it's time to go!"
Tohru's heart was pounding in her chest as the long snaking column of graduates started moving. Soon they were approaching the doors, and she reached out to grab Kyo's hand and squeeze it one last time before clasping her hands in front of her, taking a deep breath just as Kyo's gentle voice said,
"Breathe, Tohru. It's gonna be fine."
Tohru watched as Yusuke stepped through the door, followed by Hiroshi. Next up was Kyo, and then...her.
She was vaguely aware that the room was packed, and not just from the thunderous applause; all of the family seating was filled, and all of the underclassmen were there as well as the third-years marched up to their seats. Tohru knew that somewhere out in the crowd were Momiji, Haru, and Machi; out in the family seating, somewhere, was Kazuma, and her grandfather; Shigure, Ayame, and the Hanajimas. Possibly even more people she knew, but she had no way of knowing; as she walked, she kept her gaze fixed on Kyo's broad shoulders as though her very life depended on it.
But somehow, she made it to her seat without stumbling, falling out of step, or bursting into tears, and she let out an immense sigh of relief as she stopped in front of her chair, waiting with the rest of 3-D until they were all there before collectively settling into their seats. Walking was over, for now; all she had to do for now was sit, wait...and try not to get too emotional.
The initial sitting part was admittedly brief. Once all the graduating classes were in and seated, the entire audience stood to sing the national anthem. And as she sang, Tohru couldn't help but feel the treacherous prickly feeling of tears; this was no rehearsal, now, but the real, actual thing.
It was going to be a long ceremony.
Once the anthem was over, everyone sat down again...only for the Kaibara students to stand again, this time to sing the school song. Tohru could feel her tears getting heavier; for all that they very rarely ever sang the school song, there was something about being there, surrounded by her classmates and fellow students, all of them singing together...she was once again struck by the fact that after today, all of this would be over. There would be no more 'all together at once;' even their own small school friend groups would soon be splintering apart. When would the next time be that she, Kyo, Yuki, Arisa, and Saki were all together, the way they'd so often eaten lunch? When would she next hear Arisa tease Yusuke, or Arisa, Yusuke, and Hiroshi all gang up to tease Kyo?
All of that would be over, after today.
When the school song was over they all got to sit again, and Tohru took advantage of the opportunity to wipe her eyes. She was aware that Kyo's orange hair was likely drawing a significant number of looks from the audience; she was sitting right next to him, so that meant she could very well be noticed by association. And while she wouldn't have changed her seat for the world, she was still feeling a rather significant amount of pressure, especially after how she'd behaved at the previous day's rehearsal.
"You're doing great, Tohru," Kyo murmured softly as the third-years all turned in their seats to look back as the underclassmen stood to sing a song to the graduates. And Tohru tried to give him a grateful look, but it was hard when the younger students were all singing about 'cherishing their time together and the lessons they'd learned as they all now said goodbye.'
Staying calm was impossible, and Tohru was sniffling heavily as they all turned back to face the front of the auditorium. She really needed to get a handle on herself; she only had one more thing to do for at least the next hour, and it was coming up quickly.
The homeroom teacher for class 3-A had walked to the microphone, and one by one the names of 3-A's students were announced. Each student stood as they heard their name, calling out 'yes' in a voice that varied from confident and loud to timid and restrained; even though Tohru's eyes were too teary for her to actually see anything, she could hear each student's voice in turn. Names of students she didn't know...and names of students she did.
"Kimi Toudou!"
"Yes!"
At the confident girlish response, Tohru thought about the girl who'd served along Yuki on the student council, the girl who'd been bewildering in her behavior but so genuinely kind to Yuki. Tohru had never quite understood her or her antics, but she'd loved her for her treatment of Yuki: never once seeming to put him on a pedestal, treat him like an object, or abandon him when he needed help.
More names, more student responses.
"Kakeru Manabe!"
"Yeah!"
Tohru almost laughed as she heard Kakeru's nonchalant response. She could imagine what he might have looked like as he stood, relaxed and confident, perhaps with his hands in his pockets.
She was sure he'd had his hands in his pockets.
Yuki's best friend, Machi's older brother; someone she knew would be in Yuki's life for a very long time, and someone she herself was bound to cross paths with again, at one point or another.
She was glad the two of them had made their peace; even though she and Kakeru weren't graduating as friends themselves, he was too connected to Yuki for Tohru to think that her own link with him would end with high school. For better or worse...he was a part of her life.
And strangely enough, the fact made her smile.
More classes, and more names. When 3-A was finished, they all sat down, and 3-B's homeroom teacher replaced 3-A's at the podium. Then it was the same thing, with 3-C.
With each class, Tohru listened to names both familiar and not. People she recognized, like some of Kyo's basketball friends, and people she knew from remedial study time. The voices of girls she vaguely recognized but couldn't place, and felt had to belong to admirers of Yuki or possibly Kyo.
Every name and every voice belonging to a person just like her, sitting there, ready to walk out and face the world as a graduate.
How many of them were struggling, just like her?
Tohru felt Kyo's hand squeeze her knee, and she looked up to see Sensei Shiraki taking the podium from the 3-C homeroom teacher. Finally...it was their turn.
She took a big gulp of air and looked anxiously at Kyo, but he was smiling at her, his head tilted towards hers.
"You know what to do," he murmured, his voice quiet but affectionate. "All you gotta do is copy me, and you'll be golden."
How was it he could always be so confident? Looking at him, she could almost believe he'd never been uncertain, never been afraid; that what they were doing now was the easiest thing in the world.
And maybe for him, it was.
Sensei was naming their classmates, and Tohru gulped as each one stood. For three years, they'd all spent so much time together; good times and bad, happy moments and sad...
"Yusuke Fujiwara."
"Yes!" Two chairs down from Kyo, Yusuke stood up, his smile bright. Goofy Yusuke, who had befriended Kyo on his very first day at Kaibara High; Yusuke, who'd joked and teased, who'd seen past the growls to the good person hiding inside.
"Hiroshi Sato."
"Yes!" Cheerful, jesting Hiroshi, who's flowery speeches and sly wit had always made Tohru and even Kyo smile, no matter what the subject matter. Who, like Yusuke, had never let Kyo drive him away.
And if that was Hiroshi, then that meant-
"Kyo Sohma."
Beside her, Kyo rose easily to his feet, looking towards Sensei as he confidently said "Yeah."
And in that moment...Tohru suddenly couldn't stop smiling. Yes. Yes.
Yes!
'Yes,' he'd said, smiling, happy, and relaxed. His body language and voice were as one, telling everyone who was looking at him or listening to him that he was happy. He had made it to this day, the day that for so long had been something to fear and despise, something to dread...and he was happy. Because it wasn't the end that he'd so long been promised, oh no; instead, graduation was now only a beginning. Their beginning, his and hers, together.
Side by side.
He'd been promised darkness, he'd been given light. He'd been promised isolation, he'd been given love. The Kyo who had expected graduation day to come and bring with it the Cat's House was free, able to go forth and truly live.
To live, in the world, with her.
"Tohru Honda."
"Yes!" Tohru almost shot to her feet, almost quivering with excitement and joy. Kyo glanced at her, his eyes slightly wide with surprise; she couldn't blame him, considering how nervous and weepy she'd been and how energized she was now. Even her voice had changed; there was no quiver or shake, only joyous energy.
And as Kyo met her gaze, his surprised expression melted away, replaced with the same infectious joy Tohru knew she wore herself.
"Arisa Uotani."
"Yes!" On her other side, Arisa stood, a satisfied smile crossing her face. And Tohru was still beaming as she turned to look at her friend, the friend who'd been at her side longer than any of them. Who had defended her before she even knew she'd needed defending, who had been there for her when she most desperately needed. Who had turned her own life around from the shadows of delinquency, and now was graduating, ready and eager to face her own future on her own terms.
"Saki Hanajima."
"Yes." Saki's voice was as calm and quiet as ever, but strong all the same. Dear Saki, who had always known when Tohru was hurting, always been there to offer a shoulder and a word of wisdom. Who had never let herself be driven away by Tohru's self-doubt or self-loathing, who had always been there to boost her up and remind her that things were never as bad as they seemed. Saki, staying in Tokyo but still on her way to forge a new path, all her own.
"Yuki Sohma."
"Yes."
On Saki's other side, Yuki gracefully rose to his feet, and Tohru was vaguely aware of the sounds of sobbing from various parts of the room. But as astonished as she was to admit it, right now none of it was hers. Instead, she beamed at the tall, graceful young man, the young man who three years ago she wouldn't have known if she passed him on the street. Who had grown up in every way, strong, confident, and ready to advocate for his wants, his needs, and his desires as he left high school, Tokyo, and the Sohmas behind.
Who would always, Tohru could say with confidence, be one of her dearest friends.
One by one, the rest of the students' names were called until all of 3-D was standing. Then they all bowed to Sensei...and that was it. It was time for them to sit down, and stay sitting down, until it was nearly all over.
As they sat, Kyo reached out and caught Tohru's hand. Technically he shouldn't have done that, but neither one of them cared. And as she threaded her fingers through his, all she could think was that finally, finally, finally, they had made it.
They all watched the student from 3-B chosen to represent the graduates as she made her way up to the podium, bowing in what felt like every direction as she acknowledged the flags, the room, the guests, the teachers, the principal, and the speakers. Once again, Tohru was grateful that she was an exceedingly unremarkable student with no faculty expectations; had she been the one chosen to collect the diploma, she was sure she would have forgotten to bow to someone, or tripped over her own feet while bowing, or...something.
But their representative did a beautiful job, acknowledging everyone and collecting the ceremonial diploma with ease. They would all get their individual diplomas from their homeroom teachers after the ceremony, but seeing the large diploma exchange hands, Tohru couldn't help but feel a thrill run right through her.
They had done it.
Tohru know that both Kyo and Arisa were underwhelmed by all the speeches; she could tell from their slumped posture and their almost identical bored expressions. And Tohru could admittedly understand; they first heard a speech from the principal, then the superintendent. A member of the local council. The president of the PTA. A member of the school board. Two prominent alumni. And much as Tohru was moved by the initial speeches, after an hour had gone by, she was starting to agree that maybe Kyo and Arisa had a point.
Then it was time for the second-year speaker, who would be delivering the parting address to the graduates, and Tohru found it a lot harder to stay composed. Even though she had no idea who that student even was, there was no way she was ever going to be dry-eyed as she listened to the underclassman thank the graduates 'for being exemplary role models, for showing us what could be achieved with hard work and dedication, and for reminding us of the value of kindness.'
She was already struggling when the underclassman folded up his speech, then movement to her right caught her attention and she looked over to see Yuki rising to his feet.
That was right...after the underclassman, it was Yuki's turn.
So much for her composure.
She tried to think of mundane things, as Yuki made his way to the podium. About how warm the room was, with all those people there. About how very warm that school year had been in general. About where Kazuma might want to take them for lunch. About how she could never be nearly that confident if she had to speak in front of a crowd like this...
"My fellow graduates."
Yuki's voice was steady and strong, his posture straight. He stood before them all with no fear, no timidity, and no obvious nerves.
She was so very, very proud of him.
"Three years ago, we all walked into this school as very different people. We were younger, smaller, and likely more insecure. No doubt some of us were afraid," he said, smiling as he looked at them. "We had gotten into high school, yes, but now that we'd made it, how would we fare?"
Yuki's fingers curled slightly around the edge of the podium, and he took a deep breath. "I'm sure we all had a multitude of questions. Would we be able to handle the work? Would we like our teachers? Would we find the perfect club? Would we get along with our classmates? Would we be able to find and keep friends?"
His gaze was sweeping over the crowd as he spoke, and Tohru smiled as she dabbed her eyes. Who all had he been thinking about, when he wrote down those words?
"Each day was filled with new challenges, and new lessons to be learned. We pushed ourselves in the classrooms, yes, but also in the hallways and the shoe lockers, in the courtyard and on the playing fields. We became better students, not just of academics but of life. Some of those lessons were harder than others," he said, his voice slightly softer. "Some of them were even painful. We had to learn to face challenges, and failure, and how to come away from them stronger."
He took a deep breath, then continued.
"Some of us came into high school knowing exactly who we were, and what we wanted to do with our lives, and will leave with those dreams and goals unchanged from our very first day. Others of us came in as a blank slate, hesitant and unsure of anything beyond hoping to pass the next exam. Still more of us thought we knew, back then, what our futures would hold. We had ideas of our lives would look like, and high school was merely a stepping stone along the way. But over time, as we had new experiences and learned more about ourselves, those certainties began to change."
Yuki was smiling as he continued. "When I was a first-year, there were things I had always assumed about myself, things I had always thought to be true. Things I thought would always be true. But I was wrong, in the best possible way. I stand here in front of you all today, ready and eager to face a different future than my first-year self could ever have dreamed of. And I rejoice that we're able to step forth together, all of us," Yuki said, his eyes for one moment focused, Tohru realized, on Kyo, "and pursue the lives we were truly born to live."
"Whether our paths from here lead to university, to the workforce, or to something else entirely, I am confident that our time here at Kaibara High will serve all of us well. In our knowledge, in our friendships, in our understanding of ourselves, I hope we will all carry a part of our time here together with us, forever. It's been an honor to be your schoolmate, and I wish you all the best."
As Yuki left the podium, Tohru had tears streaming down her face. For all that she could understand Yuki not wanting to speak, and for all that she had sympathized with his struggle to come up with the perfect words, she couldn't imagine anyone else touching him when it came to presentation...or sentiment.
She was going to miss him, so very much. She was going to miss this, so very much.
But she was ready to live the life she'd been born for, with the man she'd always love.
Yuki's speech marked the end of the speeches, and almost the end of the ceremony. The graduates all stood once more, this time to sing the graduation song, and once again, Tohru could feel her tears flowing freely. But unlike yesterday, the tears didn't bother her; she was allowed to cry, and to feel.
Today, those tears were as much out of joy as sadness.
Once the song was over, they all remained standing, bowing to their homeroom teachers as they all chorused their thanks...and were then all on their way back out, processing the way they'd first come in, to the sounds of thunderous applause.
They'd barely made it out of the auditorium and out of the way of the other processing students when Tohru was suddenly grabbed by Arisa, pulled into a tight, almost bone-crushing hug with her and Saki. Tohru was laughing and crying, and she could hear her friends laughing and crying as well as Arisa excitedly exclaimed "We did it, ladies, we graduated! We've officially graduated!"
"We did," Saki confirmed, her voice uncharacteristically emotional. "At long last, our academic journey has reached its conclusion, and all three of us completed it."
"That's right," Tohru said, hugging them both tightly. "We did it, all of us...and I'm so happy we were able to make it, together," she said, her voice raw with emotion.
"It was always gonna be the three of us, Tohru," Arisa said, almost as emotionally as Tohru. "We three? We're a unit, after all. None of us was ever gonna leave the others behind."
Tohru flushed at the comment, but Arisa realized her mistake almost immediately. "And none of us are leaving the others behind now, either. Yeah, we're not gonna be able to see each other quite as easily, but we're still gonna be with each other in spirit, always. Always. And we're always gonna be best friends," she said, her voice fierce.
"I concur," Saki said, smiling at Tohru and Arisa. "Always...sounds like the perfect length of time for a friendship like ours."
"And no man's ever gonna change that, am I right, ladies?" asked Arisa, and both Saki and Tohru laughed as they agreed.
No man needed to change that. The friendship the three of them had now wasn't the same it had been a year ago, and it would likely grow and change more as time went on. But with respect, and care, and love...it would last a lifetime.
Three lifetimes, even.
And Tohru was smiling as she hugged her friends once more. "I'm so glad we got to do this together," she repeated, her eyes shining, and Arisa and Saki both nodded.
"Yeah...but at the same time, I think we can agree there's maybe a couple other people who haven't been bad additions," Arisa said, grinning, and Tohru followed her friend's gaze to where Yuki and Kyo were standing, side by side, Yuki's smile affectionate and Kyo's resigned, but amused.
"Yes," Tohru agreed, looking at the two young men who had changed her life in ways she'd never imagined, "We absolutely can!"
