I walk into the gymnasium with a clear mind———
And then the graduation ceremony begins———
As there are claps from the current students and the guardians, the graduates enter the gymnasium. I become curious and look at where the guardians are sitting. A crimson-haired gentleman with a digital camera in one of his hand appears within my sight. Ah, it’s Rias’s dad! Next to him is Rias’s mom. She looks young! Other guardian probably thinks that she is Rias’s older sister or something. Barakiel-san is also here……and he’s already crying so much where he has things coming from his nose. And he’s obviously recording this with his digital camera. ……Barakiel-san, the ceremony just started. Ah, Akeno-san who is walking at the centre of the gymnasium sees Barakiel-san and has her face turn red! She must be embarrassed since her dad is in tears already……
I wonder what will happen to Barakiel-san when Akeno receives her certificate or when she sings the graduation song……
Ah, a silver-haired woman! Grayfia-san is also sitting a bit away from them. ……It’s been awhile since I last saw Grayfia-san. Oh, and next to her is a crimson-haired boy ——— Milicas! Maybe they came here on behalf of Sirzechs-sama. And so the ceremony begins by the national anthem, the school anthem, and then it ended with the passing of their certificate. Xenovia who is the student president comes up to the stage to represent the current student to give their farewell to the graduates by giving her speech. I would never have imagined this scene where Xenovia would give her thanks to the graduates. You wouldn’t imagine her in this situation when you first met her or when she was the member of our club. [The formal reply from the graduates will be made by their representative, Shitori Souna-san.] “Yes.”
Then the former president gets called over for the formal reply from the graduates where she comes up to the stage. [Today at March where the smells of Spring would float, we will adventure out from this school.] The former president who stood at the stage started with such greetings and then starts to give her thanks for all of those involved in this ceremony. She spoke from her memory when she was a first year till events which left strong impression to her. [We experienced by having many kind of meetings in the past three years……as well as separation. The experience we had by meeting many people in this place will definitely become an irreplaceable memory to us. And also with those we separated from———]
The former president stopped her words for a moment there. There is a single tear drop falling from her eye. [……I would like to move forward while believing that we will meet with those who we separated from one day in the future. I believe showing them how much we have matured when we reunite with them will be the most important thing.] ……I can understand that is her reply from thinking about Serafall-sama and others that weren’t able to come here. Yeah, it’s exactly like what the former president said. We need to move forward while believing that we will definitely meet them again and need to show them how much we have matured when we reunite with them. That’s the most important thing———
[———From the third-year representative, Shitori Souna.] After she bows her head down she receives many applauses. Like this, the graduation proceeds forward quietly where we sent off the graduates———. The third year who has just finished their ceremony———
Those who are smiling. Those who are in tears. Those who are embracing each other. Those who are taking picture together. There are many different responses. Among those students, Rias and Akeno-san who has finished their ceremony goes past the school gate while carrying the cylindrical container with the certificate inside it. The one who awaits them are us, the ORC members. We need to take Rias and Akeno-san to a place where they won’t be seen much by the other students. As the ceremony has ended there is something I want to tell Rias. It’s an important issue. Something important for the both of us———. But before that there are those who needs to say something to her,
It’s the three of Kiba, Koneko, and Gasper. The truth is I had been consulting with these three. That’s why I will give my all in helping them. More like, do it guys! I push the three of them and make them face Rias. “First of all, the three of Kiba, Koneko-chan, and Gasper wants say something. Hurry, you three have made up your mind already, haven’t you?”
Kiba, Koneko-chan, and Gasper stands in front of Rias and have a nervous look. “Y-Yeah. U-Umm……congratulation on your graduation.”
“Congratulation.”
“Congratulation!”
It’s rare to see Kiba turn this red and make a panicked voice. Well, I can understand the reason why after hearing it from them. But these three are the ones who said they want to do it so then they need to become brave and do it. “Yes, thank you, Yuuto, Koneko, Gasper.”
Rias smiles happily. But Kiba continues while feeling shy. “S-Since……you have……already graduated……from Kuou academy high school division and retired from being the club president of ORC……”
Rias starts to chuckle at seeing Kiba and the other two acting a bit confused. “Geez, Yuuto, Koneko, Gasper. What is it? The three of you aren’t acting like you usually do. You need to tell me clearly of what you are trying to say———”
Then the three of them says it while interrupting Rias’s words. “———Rias-neesan.”
Koneko-chan and Gasper continues after Kiba’s bold act. “R, Rias-neesama……”
“R, Rias, o-oneechan~!”
Rias who is at the centre of attention gets shocked the moment they said that and froze. It must have been something she didn’t anticipate. “We thought it would fit better to call you in such way rather than calling you Buchou……”
Yes, that’s what they consulted me and other girls about. As Rias and Akeno-san’s graduation approached us, we were called by those three regarding how they should address Rias. Rias will be graduating and she will officially resign from being a “Buchou”. It would be weird to call her the former club president, hence the reason why they used their courage to make such determination. Hearing their determination, the new ORC consisted of Asia, Xenovia, Irina, Ravel, Rossweisse-san, and myself motivated them to do it by saying “You guys must do it!”
And so, Rias who was called in such way———
“…………”She is silently shedding her tears and is covering her face with her hand. Kiba and the other two panics at her sudden change. “U-Umm, was it weird!? Were we impolite! ?”
“W-We are sorry!”
“S-Sorry~!”
Kiba, Koneko-chan, and Gasper who apologises to her. But Rias shakes her head to the side. Rias wipes her tears with her finger but it doesn’t stop her from shedding more tears. “……No, that’s not it. It’s because I’m so happy…… I never thought I would hear words which would make me more emotional than the ceremony once I passed through the school gate.”
She must really be happy. Rias is simply shedding her tears.