Clara sat quietly at the desk in the far corner of the classroom, looking out the window and feeling bored.
The atmosphere was strangely tense. Everyone in the class was whispering nervously to each other as they waited for something.
"Everyone be quiet!" The teacher exclaimed, sounding slightly irritated.
"Just because today is the last day doesn't mean you can be disrespectful and disrupt the lesson with noise." She said coldly.
"Today is the last day, which means you will be taking your final exam."
The class, as if a single entity, began to make discontented noises. The teacher shouted sharply,
"I said be quiet! You don't come here to talk or have fun; you come here to learn. This is your job, so do it. Let's start the lesson!"
The students immediately fell silent at the teacher's sharp tone, which knocked the last remnants of hope for a memorable graduation day out of them.
Understandably, the students were in a bad mood; they had studied hard for the last three years, and after graduation, they would go their separate ways. Some would continue their parents' businesses. Some would devote themselves to science. Some would spend their lives chasing wealth. Some would dive headfirst into creativity and become wandering musicians who tell tales of heroes' glorious deeds. Perhaps they would become upstart writers whose novels would epitomize the era.
Some would become pitiful defenders, living in the shadows, hoping to reveal the truth and passionately desiring to shield those within their reach from danger.
Others would stay where they were, not knowing or wanting to go anywhere. They had lost their only light and would remain in the shadow of thick clouds, never seeing the sun.
But that will be later. For now, the children simply do not want to take a test on graduation day.
The teacher silently handed out the test papers and started the timer.
It was unclear whether she was influenced by the excitement of the last day or something else, but she also seemed eager to begin the lesson and get the students started quickly.
The children silently accepted their assignments but continued to exchange curious glances as if finding the situation unusual.
Clara, too, succumbed to the mood in the classroom and frowned slightly.
Damn, he couldn't have skipped the last day of school. He's a fool, of course, but he's never skipped school before. Unless it was because of illness... Thought Clara.
Unwittingly recalling those days, Clara frowned even more. Memories filled with loneliness and fear weighed heavily on her.
If someone who has been starving is suddenly given food and then deprived of it, they will experience pain.
They may think, 'Perhaps it would be better if I hadn't tried it.' After all, how can one live peacefully after experiencing this wonderful taste and then losing it?
What could be crueler than giving someone hope and then taking it away forever, leaving them with this pain? Compared to this, eternal darkness is not such a bad option.
But that's not Clara's case, so she was indignant.
He likes school, so what the hell... Besides, he hasn't asked me out yet, so...
Clara sighed quietly and thought:
Just come on already...
The students looked dejectedly at their tests but didn't touch them yet. The teacher saw this but said nothing, her irritation deepening.
Now, the first student was ready to give up. He picked up a pen and started thinking about the first task.
When he found the answer, he reached out to write it down, but then...
*Boom!*
The door burst open with a deafening crash. All the students looked over with bated breath.
*Tick-tock. Tick-tock.*
There were a few seconds of stunned silence, broken only by the ticking of the wall clock. Then, from the far corner of the classroom, came a quiet, restrained chuckle.
"Hee-hee..."
And then...
*Bang-bang-bang!*
The sounds of three firecrackers exploding filled the classroom, and confetti flew everywhere.
Amidst the fog of shiny petals, bright and cheerful laughter could be heard, dispelling the gloom that had hung in the air.
"Hahaha!"
Elion came out on stage.
*Flash, flash, flash!*
Bright sparks appeared in the air. Their light was reflected by the confetti flying everywhere, making for a very bright sight.
In this wonderland of colors, the students' eyes lit up.
"Toot-toot-toot-toot."
Under the bright lights of the special effects, a boy wearing a dark gray coat and a fancy hat walked with a relaxed stride toward the teacher's desk, blowing a whistle.
*Toot-toot-toot-toot*
Still playing a silly tune, he approached the teacher and, without stopping, jumped onto the desk, ignoring the angry look on the teacher's face.
He turned artistically on his heels to face the class.
He put down his pipe and slowly scanned the class.
A strange, anticipatory silence hung in the air, broken only by the hissing sound of sparks.
After checking that every student was present and winking at the dark-haired beauty in the back row, Elion took off his hat, placed it on his chest, and bowed slowly.
Finishing his bow, he slowly spread and raised his arms upward.
The class watched with bated breath, giving their full attention to the moment.
The teacher, clinging desperately to her last shred of sanity, reached out as if to grab the boy by the collar and throw him off the table.
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Elion deftly dodged, turning his body, and continued to raise his arms.
Then, when his hands had risen to his head and the moment of climax was approaching, the teacher exploded with rage, unable to hold back any longer.
"What do you think you're doing in my cla..." But no one was listening to her anymore because the boy had reached his climax.
A happy cry was heard, accompanied by a bright smile and a flying hat.
"Last day of school!"