Chapter 15: Graduation
June 2005
"I want to congratulate all of our students in their endeavors during their high school career. I will hand now call you up one by one to receive your diploma." The Principal turns as he finishes his speech and reads the first name on the scroll of paper, bound closed by a thick red ribbon.
"Aihara Kotoko" I stand up as parents and students clap their hands for me. I step onto the dais shake hands with the principal and with Mr. Takashima. "Ms. Aihara has done something no student has achieved before. If she doesn't mind, I would like her to say a few words about her experience." He hands me the mic. I smile and turn to face the crowd.
"I'm not much for being a public speaker but I will try my best." The crowd chuckles a little. "I started high school as a Class F student. Now, I'm graduating in second overall in the school. It hasn't been an easy road but I would like to tell everyone, that what I've learnt from pushing myself to be a better student, is that hard work will eventually surpass talent. For all of us students who were looking at the marks for our final exam, you'll know what I mean. Thank you." I bow my head and walk off the stage taking my seat again while the crowd of students and parents applause me furiously.
The principal continues to run through the names, soon Satomi's, Kin-c and Jinko's names are called and they stand up to receive their diplomas. As he reaches J, I sit back stunned. Why didn't Kin-chan stand up? The principal had called his name twice and Kin-chan was a no show. I shake my head, resolving to find him later.
Finally, when the last student has been called, the principal calls up our class valedictorian. Irie-kun stands up and moves up to the stage to receive his diploma and turns to the podium.
"I want to congratulate the class of 2005 for successfully completing these past four years of high school. The biggest thing I've learnt this year is that no matter how smart a person can be, if you put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success. This quote by Swami Sivananda best express the person who went from the bottom of the school to the top in four years. Over the past year, I've gotten to know Aihara Kotoko, who moved from class F to class A at the beginning of the year, and finishes the year by obtaining a perfect score on the final exams. For the first time, I've had to share the Top score spot with another person. This is because she has put her very being into her work. She is an inspiration to teachers, and future students to come. Now if she wasn't so annoying, we might have had something to talk and chat about all year." He smiles and the crowd breaks into laughter.
I stand up, cupping my mouth, I call him a jerk into the hall and the crowd laughs some more.
"Don't' worry, she calls me that often. I've learnt a lot from her and I hope we all take something from high school as we continue our path into the world. Thank you." Irie-kun bows and the students stand up as one unit. Cheers of joy burst through the room and the air is sudden full of caps and tassels.
Laughing, I hook arms with Satomi and Jinko as we burst into the sunlight. "We did it! I can't believe we're finally done with high school." They both cheer. I hug them both.
"Oh My God, I am so happy, and we're all going to the same university too!" I laugh.
"It's going to be great, we can sign up for the same classes and pick and choose which ones we want...Kotoko, what's the matter?" Satomi asks.
"I guess I forgot to tell you guys. I'm applying for the nursing program. I have the exam in a couple of weeks." I wince slightly at their stunned expressions. "Sorry." I cringe.
"Kotoko-chan!" I spin on my heel, spotting Mrs. Irie waving her arm vigorously.
I walk over, Satomi and Jinko trailing behind me. "Hi Mrs. Irie, are you here for Irie-kun?" I ask. Satomi and Jinko both say their hellos and Mrs. Irie hugs them both in return, congratulating us on graduating.
"You dad and my husband were here to see both you and Naoki graduate." Mrs. Irie says. "They just left to head back to work-" Suddenly, Satomi screams.
"Ah! Look over there!" She screams pointing across the courtyard. We all look over to see two students in our graduating class kissing. Mrs. Irie screams in delight, pulling out her camera and snapping quick pictures.
"Oh, that's what Graduation Day should be like." She sighs happily. "It's so wonderful to have a romance in your life."
Jinko turns around looking for other and freezes. "Look! Over there too." She points in the other direction. A boy was stammering his confession as he yanks off his second button, handing it to a blushing girl.
I sigh dreamily, "The famous second button." No way was Irie-kun going to do that in public.
Mrs. Irie continues to snap photos. "This brings back memories from when I was young…" She stops, spinning slowly to look at me. "Kotoko, this is your chance! You can ask Naoki for his second button! He'll give it to you as proof of his love for you." I look at her in disbelief.
"Irie-kun…would never give me his second button, Mrs. Irie…he doesn't like me that way. He barely tolerates me as it is." I state slowly.
"He gave his valedictorian speech about you didn't he? He must like you in order to include you in that."
I shake my head. "Actually…the principal made him say it. He called us both into his office about a month ago asking Irie-kun to say a few words about my class switch as an inspiration to future classes. Trust me; it wasn't because he wanted too." I explain wincing at the memory. Irie-kun was not happy at all. While he acted that it was because he didn't want to talk about me, it was mostly because, he didn't want to put me in the spotlight again. I do have the best boyfriend in the world.
"Speak of the devil," states Satomi. I follow her gaze. "It seems pretty hectic over there."
Irie-kun and Watanabae-kun were walking out from the auditorium swarmed by girls in our class and younger. His face was the epitome to annoyance. Girls holding cameras were begging for his second button, for pictures, all the while Irie-kun ignores them, pushing past towards us.
"Congratulation, Watanabae-kun, I hear you made it into your top choice." I smile as he approaches.
"Congratulation to you as well, Kotoko, I still can't believe to beat me overall." I laugh.
"I still can't believe I tied with the genius over there. What's up with all the girls anyways? Why swarm him now?"
He looks back over his shoulder. "He'll come around. That's beside the point; could I talk to you privately?" He pulls me away from the group. Alone, he releases my arm, staring at me contemplatively. "How did you do it?" He asks finally.
"How did I do what?" I look up at him confused.
"Win over Irie. How did you get him to be your boyfriend?" I look up in shock. "Don't worry he told me himself. He had to because he wanted to give you this." He takes my hand and drops something inside. I look at the small object. A blue jacket button twinkles back up at me.
I laugh. "I was wondering if he was going to give it to me or not. I wonder if the girls have noticed that his second button is already gone." I look up at Watanabae-kun. "Thank you for giving this to me."
He shrugs, "To be honest, I was a little stunned. You guys argue so much in class I didn't even consider the idea that you he liked you. Much less that you two are already dating." I blush.
"Well…" I trail off looking over at Irie-kun. He was look at us, smiling slightly when he makes eye contact with me.
"Take care of each other. I wish you luck in university." Watanabae-kun gives me a hug. I return it, wishing him good luck next year. We break apart and I wave goodbye before rejoining my friends, slipping Irie-kun's button into my pocket.
"Kotoko-chan, what was that about?" Mrs. Irie asks worriedly.
"Hmm? Oh, Watanabae-kun? He just wanted to wish me good luck next year." Mrs. Irie didn't look convinced but she let it slide.
"Alright, Kotoko-chan, make your move for Naoki's button." I shake my head.
"Watanabae-kun said Irie-kun has already given his button away." All three of them scream in shock.
"What's wrong, mom? Irie-kun says as he approaches.
"How could you do that?" Mrs. Irie turns furiously to her son.
He stares back in confusion. "Do what exactly?" He asks.
"Give your second button away!" She wails "Why didn't you give it to Kotoko-chan? You know I want her to be part of our family." She cries. Irie-kun looks over at me and I shrug my shoulders.
"I told you, Mrs. Irie, Irie-kun doesn't like me that way at all. At best I might call us mutually understanding classmates." I stop, spinning around to look at the Jinko and Satomi. "Speaking of classmates, why wasn't Kin-chan here? Is he sick?" They shake their heads.
"Kin-chan…didn't pass the university entrance exam." Satomi says softly.
"Are you serious?" I ask them, my mouth dropping open. "How come you guys didn't tell me? We found out our finals marks weeks ago."
"You know how much Kin-chan loves you, Kotoko; he doesn't want to seem like a failure especially since you were in class A now. You're a different level and Kin-chan couldn't handle it." Jinko explains.
I look around at my friends, at Mrs. Irie's sadden expression. Finally, I turn my gaze onto Irie-kun, he takes one look at me and nods his head slightly. That's all I need. I smile my thanks and turn back to my friends. "I'm going to go find him." I spin on my heel, tucking my diploma into my bag and tear off out of the school.
Running down the streets, I head downtown looking for the café Kin-chan spends all him time in. Spotting it across the street, I am instantly drawn to a red biker's jacket hunched over by the window. I bang on the window, scaring the customers and the workers in the café. Blushing, I walk inside apologizing for my actions. I slide into the seat across from Kin-chan.
"Way to go, Kotoko, nice entrance." I blush again.
"It's not my fault. If you were at the ceremony like you should have been I wouldn't be here."
Kin-chan's face falls and he hunches back over, burying his head into his hands. "I couldn't be there, Kotoko. You wouldn't understand."
"I'm your friend, Kin-chan, that's what friends are for. Someone to talk to when you're in trouble and when you need a shoulder to lean on, they're there. Besides, I've known you practically my whole life. Seriously, what's wrong?"
He laughs uncomfortably, "How uncool is it that out of our group of friends, I'm the only one who didn't get into university? I mean, it's even an escalator system. The marks we need are way lower than any other school in the world, and yet I still managed to fail out. Now, you're all going to move on with your life. You already have, moving up into class A and making it into the nursing program. Satomi and Jinko are going to move up as well."
"Kin-chan, is that what you're worried about? That we're going to stop being your friends once we all separate?"
He looks at me sharply. "Isn't that what you did? Suddenly, you're always hanging around Irie Naoki and the other smart kids in class A. What happened to making time for your real friends?"
"I'm sorry, but when I first moved up, I didn't expect the rigorous system class A has. I was expecting it to be a little similar to class F. It took me months to adjust. Then I was always busy going to see Mr. Takashima because I sometimes had no idea what he was talking about. Class F is so far behind it isn't funny." I stand up and shuffle around to lean against Kin-chan shoulder. "I know I haven't been around this year, but that doesn't mean I don't cherish our friendship. Nobody in class A was my friend. It's always a competition. Even if we're far apart, we can work to stay in contact. Besides, now you have a chance to start your life in the real world before we're done school. You can become something I can't by the time I'm done school."
Kin-chan smiles, "It's hard to stay mad at you when you're so reasonable these days." He stands up. "Alright, Kotoko, I'll become something no one else can by the time you graduate from nursing school."
I look up at him and smile. "Good for you, Kin-chan."
Hey guys...I hope you all had a Happy New Year and a great holiday. For those that have another week off...you're really lucky. I am so sorry this is out so late. It has been haunting me and sitting open in my desktop for the past two weeks and I haven't had time to finish it due to a ton of school related projects finishing and needing to be finished, like now. Plus it was winter break so who really wanted to do homework? Yeah, that last week was a cram... Well here's the final chapter to the high school arc... we should be getting them into university next chapter...I think. I'm not planning on doing the end of the year party, mostly because the kiss that happens is more of a revenge kiss between Naoki and Kotoko and since they're already dating it seems kind of pointless. HOWEVER, let me know if you guys really want to see the party and I can try to work something out. In the mean time, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll write to you guys next time. Ciao.