You took a deep breath and walked up the stage, your speech gripped tightly in your hand. The microphone was coming closer and you took a deep breath. This was the moment all of you have been waiting for, and it was finally coming true.

            You smiled at the mass of people who have gathered and placed your papers down on the podium. The microphone screeched a little when you lowered it to adjust it to your height. You gave a nervous chuckle before speaking.

            “Ladies and gentlemen, Principal Shin, staff, parents, and my fellow graduates, we are gathered today to, as clichés go, mark an important end, and beginning of the journey that we call life. College has been a time for us to meet and to explore, and now we’re going on our own ways. There are so many stories that came together for these few years, and now it’s time for us to go forth and make more.”

            Your eyes sought the crowd and you smiled at the person whom you never expected to show up, even when it was his own graduation. He was always so busy with promotions. “Among us are the ones who aspire to be teachers, the ones who aspire to be engineers, the ones who want to go on and make an impact in the world. We have our lawyers, our coaches and then we have our entertainers, all people who have come together for the past few years to grow and harvest our talents.”

            You took a deep breath and changed the page. This was your chance to say everything you’ve wanted to for four years. You looked over your classmates and caught eye contact with some of them. You gave them a thumbs up. “Every one of you sitting here have put in your years, put in all your effort, and if you haven’t, then you wouldn’t be sitting here. I’m up here because I happen to somehow get a number on my report card than you did. But that doesn’t make me any more special. You all deserve to say this as much as I do. So I’ll ask for your permission to let me be your voice, and if any of you have anything to add, I’ll ask the President to let you come up.” Your classmates laughed and clapped and you forged on more confidently.

            “I think it’s also important for me to tell you what made me go through these four years and about the people who have inspired me. It’ll be something that some of you know but most of you don’t know about. My mother passed away and I had to support my three siblings, and take care of my father. I dropped out of school for a while but came back once my father could support us by himself. It was a struggle for me; I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I was so behind compared to everyone else.”

            You paused a little and looked down at Sungyeol. “But on my second day, I met someone special. I met someone whom changed my mind. He was someone who spent years training and chasing his dream, and I realized that unlike me, he knew what he wanted to do. He just didn’t know how likely it was for him to succeed. And so on the days he came to class, I learned from him. I watched him and I learned to discover who I am.”

            Sungyeol smiled at you as he realized that you were bringing him into the speech. “And now, look at him, he’s a big star. Yes, I am talking about Lee Sungyeol, and yes, I do want you to come up here so you can take a part in the most special day of my life.”

           Your peers sitting next to him clapped him on his back and encouraged him to go up. He stood next to you and you turned to look at him. “This man right here has been the strength I needed and I want to tell him thank you. I want to thank all my teachers, to thank each of you sitting there with your black gown, for motivating me. And, Sungyeol, the answer to your question last night is yes, I will continue to work with you, and yes, I will go out with you. Thank you everyone, and have a great day. Enjoy yourself today, enjoy yourself every moment of your life as you step forward to claim what is yours.”

            There was a loud cheering and Sungyeol hugged you, slowly leading you off the stage. He kissed your hair and choked slightly as you kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Yeollie. You’re really the very best.”

            The two of you were surrounded by your friends and there was a thundering cheer as everyone shouted their congratulations to everyone and Sungyeol hugged you. You looked up at him and he whispered, “Do you know that you are my biggest motivator? Every time I’m on stage, I think of how I want to look cool for you. Every time I’m too tired to do work and want to quit, I picture you typing away at the same essay and force myself to do the same. I want to make you proud.”

            You blushed and slipped your arm around him. You rested your head against his chest and sighed. “I don’t know how I managed to be valedictorian. I struggled so much for the past four years.”

            He ran a thumb across your cheek. “Well now you can come be my assistant. You can help our managers and then we wouldn’t have to be apart too often. Sounds good?”

            You nodded and he jokingly used his cap to hide your faces as he pulled you in for a kiss.

Ah Sungyeollie