Anonymous {2nd Place in Miscellaneous (PWA 2018)}

Chapter 7: Continuing

6 years later...

"And now, we would like to congratulate the three-hundred graduates for six months of hard work and dedication at our beloved police academy."

Applauds and cheers echoed through the packed auditorium. As it bounced off the walls, it seemed to amplify the sound into the graduates' poor ears, already sore from all of the constant bickering and hollering from their teachers for the past half year. Yet they all stood still, very well trained to tolerate any annoyances and pains that they had to suffer through. This was nothing; they'd been through much worse.

The announcer cleared his throat, flashing a proud smile. "As many of you know, this year, we have selected ten students out of these many fine graduates who will be serving their first years as official officers for the Alolan Police Force for a chance to rise above and beyond the ranks. These individuals had poured their heart and soul through our grueling training and were deemed some of the highest-ranked students that have passed through our school to date." The older man took a pause to adjust the papers that were placed in front of him on the mahogany podium. "Without farther adieu, let's welcome our first two graduates on the stage, Shin Harper and Terry Wolfhart!"

The two robust young men made their way towards the front of the stage towards the podium, forcing themselves to keep a straight face to not express their overflowing pride. Their name tags were splendidly presented on their right breast and shimmered with mounds of heightened experience. A woman dressed in a royal purple blouse and black bell-bottom pants walked cheerfully to the two men, handing each of them a neatly rolled diploma and carefully pinning a radiant golden badge to their chest on top of their ebony vests.

Claps filled the room once more, and a distant cheer of a tired woman in the audience resulted in a flush of pink on Shin's face. He saluted ambiguously in her direction, secretly as content as he could be. His good friend followed his lead, this time, not afraid to show his excitement to the crowd. "THAT'S MY TERRY!" a wild cry from beside the other woman rumbled from the mass of people. "I LOVE YOU!"

"Ah, Mom...!" Terry muttered quietly so that no one would hear. Shin, however, couldn't help but chuckle at his teammate's embarrassed expression.

"Mama's boy," he jeered playfully.

Terry responded with a defiant grin. "Says you, tomato berry." Shin scoffed and mirrored his smile.

Shin knew that Terry would have taken his head and ruffled his sleek black hair if they hadn't been in the formal situation they were in now. However, this was a jubilant day for the young man. As he looked on at the leviathan crowd that stood before him, the flashing lights of their phones and cameras waving in his face, he couldn't stop thinking of his times leading up to this wonderful day. How much he wanted to enroll in the police force as a child made his heart swell with bittersweet nostalgia. He soon felt another smile surface onto his lips, the sound of the announcer's voice fading into the background as he took it all in.

Finally.

He had done something right.

After another grueling half hour of student recognition, the two boys along with their peers headed down from the stage to greet their loved ones. Shin couldn't help but burst into light laughter as Terry was bombarded with his entire family. Their strawberry hair all seemed to form a distinct patch within the crowd of people. Soon, the young man had spotted his mother's silk black hair which was tied neatly in a braided ponytail for the occasion. As her eyes finally caught onto her son's, she flew over to his embrace joyfully, burying her eyes on his chest. "Oh, honey, I'm so proud of you!" she sighed contently.