Chapter 1. Graduation Ceremony
That night, the house felt far livelier than usual.
Tomorrow was the day every twelfth-grade student had been waiting for. Graduation day. The day they would close one chapter of their lives and prepare to open a new one.
Upstairs, on the second floor, Naomi Leontyne Asyera was busy emptying the contents of her wardrobe.
“Hmm… which one…”
She slid the hangers one by one. Several dresses had already been pulled out and tossed onto the bed.
“This one… ah, too ordinary.”
“And this one… the color doesn’t really suit.”
She put that dress back into the wardrobe, then took out another—the one that had always been her favorite.
The moment she saw it, a wide smile spread across her face.
“There we go…”
Naomi held the dress up in front of her body as she stood facing the mirror.
She tilted her head to the right, then to the left, studying her reflection for quite a while.
Her smile grew even wider.
“I think I’ll just go with this one…”
She nodded in satisfaction.
“I am pretty, after all.”
She let out a small laugh at the compliment she had just given herself.
“It’s okay to do that once in a while.”
Carefully, she folded her favorite dress again and hung it at the very front of the wardrobe so it would be easy to grab the next morning.
But just as she was about to close the wardrobe door…
“…”
Naomi took in the current state of her room.
The bed was covered in clothes.
The floor was littered with hangers.
Several accessory boxes lay open.
She let out a long sigh.
“Ugh… just looking for a dress and my room turns into a shipwreck.”
Without much complaint, Naomi began putting everything away.
One by one, she folded the clothes back up.
The dresses that had been scattered around were hung neatly again.
The accessory boxes were closed and returned to their places.
The stray hangers were gathered up.
It didn’t take long before her room looked clean and comfortable once more, just the way it usually did.
Naomi glanced around the room and gave a small nod.
“There… much better.”
She smiled in satisfaction.
After making sure everything was tidy, Naomi turned off the main light, leaving only the warm bedside lamp that made the room feel so peaceful.
She sat on the edge of the bed, then slowly lay down.
Before truly falling asleep, Naomi folded her hands.
Her eyes closed.
In a soft voice, she began to pray.
“Lord… thank You for Your guidance up to this day.”
“Thank You that I can reach graduation day tomorrow.”
“Please bless tomorrow’s ceremony so that everything goes smoothly. Grant health to all our family, friends, and teachers.”
“May everyone be able to enjoy tomorrow with joy.”
“Amen.”
Naomi slowly opened her eyes.
She pulled the blanket up to cover her body.
A small smile still lingered on her face.
Tomorrow would be a very special day.
Her last day as a high school student.
And of course…
The day she would spend time again with her dearest sisters.
Just thinking about it made her smile refuse to fade.
“Can’t wait for tomorrow…”
she murmured softly.
Before long, her eyes began to feel heavy.
The sound of crickets outside blended with the gentle night breeze coming in through the window.
Slowly…
Naomi drifted off to sleep, waiting for the morning that would mark the beginning of new memories.
---
Morning sunlight slowly filtered in through Naomi’s bedroom window.
Birds chirped outside, as if joining in to welcome the special day.
Graduation day had finally arrived.
Naomi slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw the clock on the bedside table, her eyes widened.
“Huh?!”
She sat up at once.
“Oh no! How is it already this late?!”
Moving at lightning speed, Naomi quickly straightened her bed, grabbed a towel, and ran to the bathroom.
---
Less than half an hour later…
Naomi was already neatly dressed in the favorite gown she had chosen with so much effort the night before.
She stood in front of the mirror, making sure her hair was in place, her shoes were properly on, and her small bag was ready to go.
“Okay…”
She nodded in satisfaction.
“Ready to leave.”
But then…
From outside the house came the sound of a car horn.
“Beep… beep…”
Followed by a voice she knew all too well.
“Naomi! Hurry up!”
It was Naira.
Naomi panicked at once.
“Just a second!”
Without thinking twice, she snatched up her bag and ran out of the room.
“Coming… coming!”
Because she was in such a rush…
“Thud!”
“Ouch!”
Naomi’s shoulder accidentally bumped against the side of her wooden wardrobe.
The small jolt caused a tiny wooden box stored on top of the wardrobe to fall.
Tok!
“Aww…”
The box landed right on her head.
Naomi immediately held her forehead, wincing a little.
“What is this…”
She bent down to pick up the small box.
It was made of dark brown wood with simple carvings on the lid. It looked like it had been stored away for quite some time.
“Hm?”
Naomi turned the box over in her hands.
“Strange…”
“I feel like I’ve never seen this before…”
Curiosity began to stir.
She even considered opening the lid.
But then…
“NAOMI!! HURRY UP ALREADY!!”
Naira’s shout rang out again from the front yard.
“We’re gonna be late!”
Naomi jumped.
“Okay! Okay! Coming!”
Without a chance to open the box, Naomi slipped it into her bag.
“I’ll look at it later.”
She ran back down the stairs and out toward the yard.
---
A family car was already parked in front of the house.
Inside, Naomi’s four adoptive sisters were seated neatly.
Naira, the most talkative of them, was waving from behind the window.
“See? Took you forever.”
Jessica only smiled a little.
“We thought you’d gone back to sleep.”
Misyel laughed softly.
“Or still picking out clothes.”
Sera shook her head with an amused smile.
“I knew it.”
Naomi was still a little out of breath when she opened the car door.
“Hehe…”
She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
“Sorry, guys.”
Laughing lightly, she quickly took her seat.
Naira pretended to let out a long sigh.
“We’ve been waiting almost ten minutes.”
“I know, sorry.”
Naomi smiled apologetically.
“I’m ready now.”
“Yeah, true.”
Everyone in the car ended up laughing together.
A warm atmosphere immediately filled the cabin.
In the front seat, a middle-aged woman with a gentle face turned around and smiled.
She was Mother, the adoptive mother who had long cared for Naomi and her four sisters with so much love.
Mother checked each of her daughters’ faces one by one.
“Everyone ready?”
“Ready, Mom!”
The five girls answered almost in unison.
Mother’s smile grew wider.
“In that case…”
“May today be a beautiful day for all of you.”
“Amen.”
Mother started the engine.
Slowly, the car left the front yard.
Throughout the drive, laughter and light conversation filled the air.
Meanwhile, inside the bag Naomi was carrying…
That small wooden box remained quiet.
As if waiting for the right moment to be opened.
---
Time passed so quickly.
The long-awaited graduation ceremony finally went smoothly. The school auditorium that had earlier been filled with applause, speeches, and tears of emotion was now starting to empty.
Students left the building one by one with their families. Some were busy taking photos with friends, others were still hugging their teachers, while the rest laughed as they reminisced about the three years they had spent in high school.
In the schoolyard…
Naomi walked side by side with her four adoptive sisters. Each of them was still wearing their best clothes, carrying bouquets of flowers and a few small gifts from friends and even teachers.
Mother followed behind them with a proud smile that never left her face.
Once they were outside the school gates…
Naira immediately raised both hands high.
“Ahhh…”
She took a deep breath before shouting with full energy.
“What a relief! No more studying!”
Jessica laughed softly.
“True.”
Misyel nodded quickly.
“Finally free from assignments.”
Sera added with a chuckle,
“No more staying up late because of homework.”
“Exactly!”
The four of them nodded in agreement.
Seeing her children’s antics, Mother laughed quietly.
“Hehehe…”
That laugh made the five girls turn their heads at the same time.
Mother shook her head while smiling.
“Oh… who said you won’t be studying anymore?”
“Huh?”
Naira blinked in confusion.
Clara tilted her head as well.
Misyel and Sera exchanged glances.
“Huh?”
“But we already graduated, Mom?” Abigail asked in surprise.
“Yeah, Mom,” Clara added. “Are we still going to study?”
Mother smiled meaningfully.
“Graduating from high school doesn’t mean you’re done learning.”
She paused for a moment, then continued in a gentle tone,
“Next…”
“…you all have to go to college.”
“…”
The atmosphere fell silent for a few seconds.
Five seconds later…
“Aww…”
The five girls wilted in unison.
Naira even pretended to clutch her chest.
“I thought we were free.”
Misyel let out a dramatic sigh.
“Hopes remain only hopes.”
Sera lowered her head with a resigned smile.
“So there’ll still be assignments…”
Jessica nodded wearily.
“The only difference is the uniform.”
Looking at her sisters’ expressions, Naomi simply smiled faintly.
She was a little surprised, but not particularly disappointed.
“Hmm…”
“Is that so, Mom.”
Mother nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
“Besides, each of you already has your own plans.”
She then raised her hand and pointed toward a complex of buildings not far from their high school.
Not far from there stood a much larger, grander, and more modern campus.
Tall buildings rose into the sky, surrounded by green gardens and a spacious area.
“That one.”
“The campus where you’ll be going.”
The five girls followed the direction of Mother’s finger.
“Oh…”
“Yeah, true.”
Naira nodded slowly.
“No wonder it’s so close.”
Jessica smiled.
“So later we’ll still be in the same area, just a little different zone.”
Misyel studied the buildings for quite a while.
“It’s big, too.”
“Yeah,” Sera replied in admiration.
Naomi also gazed at the campus.
For some reason, a strange feeling rose in her heart.
Curiosity.
Anticipation.
As if…
There were many things waiting for her there.
Unconsciously, a small smile appeared on her face.
“Maybe…”
“It’ll be fun later.”
Mother watched the expressions of her five daughters with pride.
“The important thing is that you all stay motivated.”
“Learning isn’t just about getting good grades.”
“But so that you can become better people and achieve your dreams.”
The five girls nodded in understanding.
“Yes, Mom.”
Mother then lightly clapped her hands.
“Well then…”
“Let’s go home.”
“Mom wants to cook for you.”
“We’ll have dinner together.”
Hearing the word “food,” Naira’s face immediately brightened again.
“Now that’s more like it, let’s go!”
Everyone laughed at her remark.
With the warm and cheerful atmosphere restored, they walked toward the car.
Naomi was actually looking forward to it as well…
Inside the bag she was carrying, the small wooden box was still neatly stored.
Once they got home she would open it, because she had been so curious the whole time and hadn’t had the chance during the ceremony.
