Graduation

Graduation.

To be honest, not exactly the word you would take seriously until the clock hit 8:59 and now you see yourself standing in the middle of the school auditorium, surrounded by echoes of the past four years and people biting their lips to pretend they weren’t about to cry.

It was supposed to be a celebration. Actually, it is. A clean-cut milestone tied up with shiny sashes and plastic diplomas, yet you felt it instead as the slow turning of a page you weren’t ready to let go of.

Huh, never thought it would come with so much weight.

Your school days… it crept up on you like that. Quietly. Unapologetically.

The walls of Taeyang High had watched you grow, fall, repeat. Year after year, morning bell after morning bell. And now, suddenly, you were at the end of the chapter, still blinking, still waiting to catch up.

“…And next, a speech from this year’s valedictorian. Park Jihyo.”

Thunderous applause. Rightfully earned so. Jihyo was the sun everyone revolved around in the year group. Straight A’s. Debate team president. A voice like a thousand troops marching to war. She stood up, poised, smiling in that practiced way of hers.

You clapped along, your hands brushing against Sana’s. She sat next to you, her fingers laced gently with yours, thumb occasionally brushing against the back of your hand in small, grounding motions.

Jihyo approached the podium, her paper in hand, eyes scanning the audience like a seasoned performer. Everyone leaned in slightly, curious to hear her voice echo across the place that had cradled your youth. The hall went silent, and as Jihyo opened her mouth to speak—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAACHOOOOOOOOO!”

The loudest sneeze of your entire existence blasted out of you without mercy. It was thunderous. Unforgiving. And to be honest, fucking comedic.

But it echoed. Echoed. Echoed.

And you just…froze.

Dead silence again. Then a snort. Then laughter. Like a wave crashing against the walls. You swore even the janitor outside chuckled. The birds outside probably also mocked you as well.

Jihyo’s eyes twitched. Possibly already plotting a murder. Great, today’s your graduation AND your funeral.

And Sana? Well, she was covering her face with both hands, her shoulders trembling—not from embarrassment, but because she was laughing way too hard. She leaned into you slightly, whispering between giggles, “You absolute dummy~ Couldn’t you choose a better moment?”

“I couldn’t hold it in!” you whispered back, ears burning.

On stage, Jihyo valiantly tried to keep going, but her rhythm was broken. Her voice wobbled like a baby deer on ice.

You buried your face in your hands, accepting your fate in about an hour.

Well, here comes an hour later.

After the assembly, students spilled into the hallways, walking slower than usual. Everyone wanted one last look, one final memory. Every tile on the floor, every rusted locker—they weren’t just objects anymore. They were markers of their time here. Places where memories clung like dust.

And then came the shriek.

“WHERE IS THAT DAMN FUCKING IDIOT?!!”

You didn’t even look back. Your feet were already at max speed. “I SAID I WAS SORRY! I DIDN’T DO IT ON PURPOSE!”

You weaved past classmates.

“Yo, legend!” a student grinned, throwing you a fist bump mid-run. “Top-tier sneeze, man!”

“WHY ARE YOU ENCOURAGING HIM?!” Jihyo’s voice cracked behind you, clearly not amused unlike the passersby students.

She turned a corner and nearly crashed into Nayeon.

“Whoa, slow down there, Speed Racer,” Nayeon smirked, holding up a hand. “You’re gonna trigger the fire alarms at this rate.”

Jihyo, panting like a dog, pointed a shaky finger. “I, he—SPEECH—SNEEZE—fucking—”

“Yeah, yeah, chill out. Nice speech by the way,” Nayeon cheered, giving her a thumbs up. “You know, underneath all that laughter? I caught some heartfelt stuff. A+ for effort.”

Jihyo groaned. “I hate everyone…especially him.”

-

Meanwhile, you’d made your escape to the rooftop, the one place time always seemed to slow down. The old place you found your solace.

You leaned on the railing, chest rising and falling. The breeze greeted you, gentle and constant. Above, the sky stretched endlessly, the same way it had the day you started high school. And yet… everything felt different now. So different.

“Sunny today, huh?”

You turned. No one was there.

Oh, except… someone was. In the shadow, just behind you. You didn’t have to see to know who it was. It was a familiar voice…maybe too familiar. Standing right there in the doorway’s shadow was a version of you from another lifetime. The past you. Hoodie always up. Hair in his face. Shoulders hunched like he was trying to disappear.

You closed your eyes. Took a breath. Then opened them again.

“I guess I…had my fun,”

“You look different. Hair looks good short. Less moody.”

“Thanks. The tattoos aren’t a problem anymore, either.”

“And… friends?”

“Yeah…I made friends. I even got a girlfriend.”

You finally turned around and there he was, your old self. Pale, withdrawn, always looking down at the ground. But now?

He looked at you, and you finally looked at him.

“You’re finally acknowledging me,”

“Mhm…Sorry for ignoring you. I…won’t pretend you weren’t part of me anymore.”

The wind picked up, a soft gust brushing your face. Your past self stepped into the light. And just…disappeared.