Inside the private school in Daegu where more than three hundred boys and girls, all wearing the school uniform, sat on either side of the long aisle, surrounded by proud-faced parents, and waited. They heard the reverberations of the bagpipes as a short, elderly man swathed in flowing robes lit a candle and led a procession of students carrying banners, robed teachers, and alumnae down a long slate hallway into the venerable chapel.
Jennie, Gowon, Karina and Jake, who carried banners marched solemnly to the dais, followed slowly by the elderly men and women, the last of whom proudly carried the lighted candle.
Headmaster Park, a husky man in his early fifties, stood at the podium watching expectantly as the procession concluded.
"Ladies and gentlemen ... boys & girls and whatever..." he said dramatically, pointing toward the man with the candle. "The light of knowledge."
The audience applauded politely as the seniors stepped slowly forward with the candle. The bagpiper marched in place at the corner of the dais, and the four banner carriers, lowering their flags that read, "Tradition," "Honor," "Discipline," and "Excellence," quietly took seats with the audience.
Seulgi, with the candle walked to the front of the audience where the youngest students sat holding unlit candles. Slowly, she bent forward, lighting the candle of the first student on the aisle. Irene..
Seulgi: We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
Congratulations on your year, Irene.
Irene smiled.
The crowd all clapped because they love Irene. But they hesitated to clap because they hated me. Except for the parents cause they're mature and recognize that I'm just like everyone else. A teen.
A burst of applause filled the room as the proud parents sitting next to their daughters and sons congratulated Irene's efforts. Two of the banner carriers, sixteen-year-olds Yeojin and her friend Choerry, joined in the applause. They both sported blazers, and, sitting between their parents, they personified the Daegu image. Yeojin had short hair, an outgoing smile, and a small body. Choerry had a handsome, preppy look about her and was very athletic looking. She probably dances.
"This kind of accomplishment," Headmaster Park continued as Yeojin and Choerry looked around at their schoolmates, "is the result of fervent dedication to the principles taught here. This is why parents have been sending their kids here and this is why we are the best preparatory school in the South Korea." Park paused for the applause that followed.
YOU ARE READING
Sorry. || Seulrene
FanfictionA story where Seulgi is being bullied in school til she feels numb and used to all the insults she gets. There will be a new girl in her class and her name is Bae Joohyun aka Irene. And we'll see what will happen between those two...?
