Chapter Twenty-Five: Begin Again

Sometime in the midst of April, about a month later…

“Alright, seniors! We’re going in!”

A parade of toga-clad students marched into the school gym with wide smiles on their faces, and the audience exploded in applause. The senior students of Cube High School took their seats up front, expectant of their most prepared-for day of the year. There was a buzz of energy floating over the whole crowd—most of them looked expectant, but a select few looked apprehensive. For them, the world is about to get a whole lot wider.

To graduate is another stepping stone of life, and this stone led to the world beyond the protection of adults and school gates. It’s the step at which one must grow up and be ready for real life, the bigger world outside.

The non-graduating students were dressed in their uniforms as well, taking pictures of their upperclassmen as the program progressed. There was a low murmur going around the room as students, teachers, and parents conversed with each other, and an occasional laugh from a proud father or a sniff from a teary-eyed mother often floated over the rest of the voices.

When the program was over, Ilhoon, Hyunsik, Sungjae, and Peniel gathered outside to meet their graduating band mates. Hyunsik looked visibly uncomfortable, but the mere fact that he was standing with them was huge step already. Sungjae was somehow able to drag him into his uniform and into the school gym. He kept looking over the heads of the students until Ilhoon elbowed him in the rib.

“Ow!”

“Stretch your neck any further and you’re going to end up as a giraffe,” he muttered. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Where’s your sister?”

Ilhoon blinked. “Wow, not even hesitant. She said she’d go to the bathroom.”

Hyunsik rolled his eyes. “That was during the program, what do you take me for? I know girls take mortal ages in the bathroom, but this one’s too long.”

Ilhoon narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Watch it, I’m still her brother before I’m your friend.”

Just then, their graduating members emerged from the school gym in all smiles. Only Eunkwang’s faltered when he saw Hyunsik, but neither boy made a move. Changsub’s parents were there with them, and his mother offered to take their picture.

“Come on, you guys!” said Changsub, pulling Eunkwang’s and Hyunsik’s arms to himself.

“Knock it off,” muttered Eunkwang, but Changsub gave him a look.

“You’re not ruining my graduation day, Seo Eunkwang,” he muttered right back. “Come on.”

The cameras flashed, smiles were forced, but at the very least all seven of them were in one photo, which was the most that can be said of them for the past few months. Each of them thought it, but no one really said it aloud: how could a long-time friendship be made awkward because of a couple of girls?

“One more!” called Changsub’s mother.

“WAIT!”

The boys all turned to the right and much to their surprise, Ilsoon was running toward them as she waved her arms in the air. was open as she called out to them. But most surprising of all was the person running right behind her, golden curls flying in the wind.

Madeleine.

“YES!” exclaimed Changsub all of a sudden, making Hyunsik and Eunkwang on either side of him flinch and jump away. When the girls got to the boys, the first one who spoke was Ilhoon.

“Sis, you looked like a duck,” he said with reproach. “Don’t wave your arms around like that.”

Ilsoon shot him a look and elbowed his rib hard. Hyunsik chortled. “There goes my revenge.”

They became silent after a while, then Madeleine smiled and started laughing, breaking the awkwardness as everyone started to laugh until they all had tears in their eyes. Somehow, through efforts of Ilsoon talking it out with Eunkwang, Madeleine sending them a video letter, Eunkwang flying to Paris, and Hyunsik finally confessing to Ilsoon, their relationship was finally mended by a single laugh. All it needed was one last push.

Minhyuk gave Madeleine a hug. “Glad you could fly in right in time.”

“Would I miss your graduation?” she replied brightly, giving each boy a hug. Hyunsik and Eunkwang were last in line, and when she got to Hyunsik, she gave him a good-natured handshake.

“Good to see you,” she said, and she meant it.

Hyunsik finally broke out in a sincere smile that has not seen daylight in months. “You too.”

When she got to Eunkwang, she gave him not a hug nor a handshake, but a jab to his side. “You can’t just visit my home country and fly out without another word the next day, idiot.”

But everyone knew she was kidding, and Eunkwang saw it too. He laughed and swept her up in tight hug, spinning her around once as he laughed along.

While everyone was focused on the shining couple, Hyunsik had quietly made his way to Ilsoon. “Hey,” he said softly.

Ilsoon glanced at him, and said, “Hey.”

“How are you?”

“I’m okay, happy,” she said with a tiny smile on her face. “I missed her, and I’m glad we’re okay.”

“How about us? Are we okay?” asked Hyunsik.

Ilsoon shrugged, then to Hyunsik’s surprise, she slid her hand into his. “I guess so?” she said softly.

“Hang on, hang on!” said Eunkwang all of a sudden, then he pointed to Changsub and Minhyuk. “This was your idea?”

“We get credit for this too!” said Sungjae, and Peniel nodded. Eunkwang gathered the four into a huge hug with a lot of laughing and complaining.

Ilhoon shuddered. “Ugh you guys are so cheesy—AGH!” but then he was pulled into the circle along with Hyunsik and they all just jumped around with their arms around each other. Madeleine went to stand beside Ilsoon and linked an arm around hers.

“This is amazing, Soonie,” she said. “I’m so happy right now.”

“Me too. It’s the best ever,” replied Ilsoon, then she took her phone from her pocket. “Guys wait! Let’s take a picture!”

It was an amazing day. The sun shined all day, the clouds were nowhere to be seen, and the sky was calming light blue. And Ilsoon was in the midst of the people she loved the most, distance and problems notwithstanding. It just goes to show that not all love stories end the way we think or hope they would, but if we let things happen as they do, we might find ourselves in stories we never expected.

After all, love may have other plans.

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A/N: Guys I finally finished it!!! Thank you for all of you who stayed for the past couple of years *cries* Life has not been easy for me all this time and I'm just happy to be back here hihi. For the full story, read this blog, and I'll see y'all in my next few stories!

love, neomanuisarang