139 Into Their Next Chapter of Life (1/2)

”—All of you are the pride and joy of our school. As you continue on your journey called life, I hope that you all would not give up. That is all. Congratulations on graduating.”

The principal ended his speech, followed by thunderous applause.

Some students and even teachers shed tears as they listened to his heartfelt speech, feeling sorrowful now that a chapter of their lives had ended.

Yeo Ri watched her surroundings with vacant, dazed eyes. She felt surreal; this was the end of her school life. Starting from tomorrow onwards, she would be separated from her friends. Although they would probably meet up every once in a while, they could no longer stick together like before. Everyone had their own paths to take.

The graduating seniors were called up one by one to receive their diploma. Since Yeo Ri had not attended the rehearsal, she simply observed the people before her, taking note of what she should do to avoid any mishaps.

When her name was called, she took a deep breath and pretended that there was no one else but her in the room. She walked steadily up the stage, bowed to the principal, and accepted the piece of paper that concluded her middle school education.

She ignored the deafening cheering by the boys during her turn, controlling her facial expression so she would not show her awkwardness. Then, she kept her eyes lowered as she descended on the other side of the stage, bowing to the teachers that lined the sides before returning to her seat.

Once she sat back down, Yeo Ri heaved a sigh of relief. Her hands that was holding the diploma shook from her nervousness.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Yeo Ri stealthily took it out to check the message she had received. It was from Gun, and he had written, 'You did a wonderful job, Yeo Ri-ah. I'm proud of you.'

Yeo Ri cracked a small smile at his encouraging text. Tilting her head backwards, she searched for his face among the many parents and guardians who had come to see their child.

She spotted him after a few seconds, and gave him a small wave. Gun similarly noticed her action, as he had been watching her the whole time, and reciprocated with a wave as well. His lips curved into a happy smile, showing his support to the girl.

The ceremony ended without any accidents.

Outside the school, the graduates and their families milled about, taking pictures and laughing and talking.

”Shall we take a picture, Oppa?” Yeo Ri asked Gun eagerly. She had thought of including a picture of her along with the next letter she would send to Hyuk.

”Okay,” Gun easily agreed.

The two of them walked towards the plaque with the school name, and with the gates as her backdrop, they took multiple pictures.

”Student Lee Yeo Ri!” A female voice called out just as she posed for another picture.

”Teacher Kim!” Yeo Ri recognised the woman immediately. With a polite bow, she greeted the woman.

”You've finally graduated, huh?” Kim Misun wistfully said. ”Will you really not reconsider about your decision?” She asked. She had asked the girl the same question for so many times that she had lost count. She thought that it was a pity Yeo Ri decided against going to high school; Yeo Ri was a bright student, and while she was not as amazing as Gun, it wouldn't be hard for her to get into a good university later if she continued with her current efforts.

”Teacher...” Yeo Ri sighed. Why was it so important for her to go to high school? She thought that it was a waste of money. Yeo Ri didn't really have any aspirations or goals that required a high school diploma so she didn't want to go. It was not like they had money, either. Yeo Ri was currently living on other people's kindness, and Gun barely had any money since he needed them for buying school supplies and other necessities. Simply put—they were dirt poor!